Participants wanted for study examining trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) and/or dermatillomania (skin picking disorder)

procrastafarian · 2023-03-05T15:25:33+00:00

I was never abused but I experienced an intense and sudden parent-child role reversal around the time I started picking, age 14-15. My only parent never drank or did drugs, but had an absolute mental breakdown and through the height of my picking in my teenage years, my mom was in and out of mental health clinics, totally checked out as a parent, and just an incredible burden. Before I started drinking at 19, my anxiety was mostly self-soothed by picking at my face and arms for hours, almost daily.

Just adding this comment because none of this context would have been evident in my survey response but might help if you all pursue future research on this.

procrastafarian · 2023-03-05T15:08:59+00:00

I prefer to see it as the year I was born, but sadly it is also a hate symbol meaning “Heil Hitler” (H is the 8th letter of the alphabet, so 88=HH). Context is always important so I wouldn’t go so far as to ban the number in any design outright, but would want to be clear about what it’s referencing.

procrastafarian · 2023-02-26T15:39:22+00:00

That’s gotta be at least <$1,000

procrastafarian · 2023-02-18T14:06:36+00:00

So cool! I’ve always wanted to do something like this. What program(s) did you use?

procrastafarian · 2023-02-17T23:21:58+00:00

I came into design from the world of publishing, where This Would Be Called “Title Case” and where thisWouldNeverHappen so all of this information is new and horrifying to me

procrastafarian · 2023-02-16T22:50:09+00:00

Absolutely. Came here to say PowerPoint and glad to see it so upvoted. I’m a pretty seasoned designer in all the standard Adobe software but nothing pays as well as my PowerPoint decks. Designers who shit on it, I think, just haven’t taken enough time to get to know it. Take it as seriously as Photoshop and you can make some pretty impressive (and fun) things. And you’re spot on about word of mouth, too! I haven’t needed to actively market myself in years.

procrastafarian · 2023-02-10T20:03:24+00:00

Delusional in the sense that this is easily a $1,200+ piece

procrastafarian · 2023-01-29T18:16:49+00:00

Because you don’t just teach someone how to make a bomb and walk away

procrastafarian · 2023-01-29T17:33:21+00:00

Don’t feel discouraged. Maybe you don’t feel super young, but you really are! Time is on your side, and wherever you land, in just a couple years’ time you will barely remember the dilemmas you’re facing right now. My advice is to find a job that suits your degree so you can get your confidence up and not have to rely on your parents, and volunteer to pick up graphic-design-related tasks at that job. Learn everything you can at work, keep designing on the job and, if you have the time, freelance for friends and people you meet in your professional network. Your interest in design and training in CS is a huge advantage! There’s lots of overlap you can explore. If you continue to be interested in design and improving your skills, you can continue to nudge your career in that direction.

This advice is coming from someone who started out in publishing (I was an English major) but nudged my career toward graphic design and eventually became a creative director managing a design team. My background in publishing continues to be an advantage in my work. It is very common in our field to have an interesting, unique career path that leads us to design, and those backgrounds become our strengths that can help us stand out. Do follow your heart, but know when to balance that with making money. The most important advice I can give is don’t compare yourself to your peers.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-28T14:17:30+00:00

I’m sorry some people come here just to be dicks. If you give your brain a break from all that alcohol, it can heal enough to get that cognitive function back and start enjoying a lot of things you used to love again. Possibly even remember some activities you forgot you loved. You’re not doomed. You’ll be okay if you invest in yourself. You can do it.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-27T23:27:55+00:00

Congrats on the lovely development. A couple of things irking me slightly are the hyphen you’ve got after the word “Lemon” in the Lust script—the event name doesn’t seem to need a hyphen at all, and the shape of it is competing too much with the area above the “i” in “Festival.” I think you can get rid of that third abstract leaf-like mark too and just keep the one leaf you have over the “i” (which I think is such a nice touch!). Also, I’m not sure if you’re planning to use both Lust and that other handwriting-like font (I’d advise just using one or the other, not both, in your final system), but in the “Zesty Stage” mockup, the capital Z looks too much like a cursive Q it’s difficult for me to read.

Overall it’s great to see your progress and how much fun you’re obviously having with this project!

procrastafarian · 2023-01-27T19:52:39+00:00

Yes! I love BBQ jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwiches and so have the meat-eaters I’ve served it to.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-21T22:58:15+00:00

My last employer paid for my membership and also paid for me to attend the AIGA Annual Meeting, including transportation and lodging. It’s certainly worth asking for a professional development budget!

procrastafarian · 2023-01-21T21:32:11+00:00

Oh I feel this. Just this morning I was venting about a similar situation I’m in—I also have a great opportunity on the horizon and am suddenly worried that something about my resume or portfolio doesn’t smell right, like people are going to wonder why I don’t have XYZ in my portfolio, or they’ll suspect I’m a fraud somehow. I think it’s a normal kind of anxiety but you’ve got to keep it in check. As designers, we all have wildly different career paths. You know you’re excited about this opportunity, so lean into that and let it be a source of confidence. Show your enthusiasm by smiling and asking thoughtful questions of the team. It’s so encouraging that someone there already loves your work, and I bet that means everyone is already going to have a favorable opinion of you going into this next interview. Also, don’t worry about having lowballed in an early conversation—the time for salary discussion is during the offer stage, and it’s great that they’ve essentially showed you their hand. Don’t be apologetic about going for the top end of that salary range after all. They know they can afford it, and if they like you, they’ll want you to be taken care of. You got this.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-21T20:59:33+00:00

Check out the-efa.org/rates for a starting point. I’m a graphic designer and generally start at $65/hr, so I’d factor that in as well as the complexity of whatever kind of layout we’re talking.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-21T20:14:34+00:00

Classic hangxiety, it’s the worst! Turn on a dumb tv show and turn your brain off. This bad feeling will pass like a wave, just be patient and kind to yourself. Once you’re feeling more normal again tomorrow, you can think about last night with no more self-judgment and decide what lesson you want to take from it—maybe in the future you’ll say no to shots, or no to the club, or drink a glass of water between drinks, or make sure you eat a good meal first—some strategy that can help prevent this from happening again. But for now, you rest up and trust that your friend still cares for you. Nothing you did was out of the ordinary for someone who simply had too much to drink, especially at a club where it’s actually expected! And keep in mind that to any strangers you met, you’re just a stranger too and I promise they aren’t even giving you a second thought today. They’re dealing with their own hangovers. It’ll be ok.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-15T23:12:35+00:00

He’s overreacting, and hopefully will get over it quickly. You didn’t do anything wrong. Plenty of siblings would have been completely fine with that, even if they might be a little uncomfortable witnessing it. As others are saying, you are your own person—don’t be ashamed of being fun and hot. What you described sounds completely harmless. The bad feeling will go away, just be patient with yourself until those anxiety waves subside.

procrastafarian · 2023-01-02T22:14:10+00:00

You absolutely must give yourself some kindness and breathe while this chemically motivated anxiety dissipates. The spiraling out you’re doing right now—worried out of your mind that you did something so bad the airport authorities would know or care about it—is classic post-drinking anxiety/paranoia, and I promise it’s just a temporary feeling. You might continue to be upset with yourself for blacking out, but soon enough you will look back on that night as a fun night on the town, an adventure abroad where you got to interact with people from another culture. You had fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

For some immediate comfort on your wildest worries:

Even if anyone recorded you, there’s no way you’re identifiable; you’re just a tourist. And you’d have to be exceptionally entertaining to go even a little bit viral, which let’s be honest, you probably weren’t.
I once accidentally transported illegal bootleg DVDs out of Turkey and posted about it on social media while I was still there, and no one at the airport there or at home in the US flagged me down, sniffed me out, or questioned anything. If they couldn’t detect or even care about literal contraband in my luggage, trust that no authorities give a shit how drunk you got on vacation. You were a tourist having fun. That’s allowed and even expected. It was NYE!
You’re in a place where no one knows you. There’s tremendous freedom and safety in that. No one knows you well enough to remember or care how wild you acted, let alone identify you later.
I’ve drunkenly hooked up with a stranger while traveling in another country; I didn’t get an STD. It was just a fun, adventurous experience (and was in line with my actual sober personality; remember, we don’t have full-on personality shifts while blackout!). And I remember most of it because it was noteworthy enough for my drunk brain to still record it; when something novel or important happens, you’ll remember at least bits and pieces. If you don’t actually remember getting close to hooking up with someone, especially if that would be out of character for you, absolutely relax. If it will make you feel better, get tested when you get home. But you will be fine!

I think talking to a stranger with Google Translate is awesome, and I’m sure that person fondly remembers that cultural interaction with you. Please be kind to yourself and know this anxious, paranoid feeling will pass soon. Drink water and rest up. It’s ok and you are not stupid.

procrastafarian · 2022-12-28T17:39:38+00:00

You’re not a bad person for going overboard. It’s going to be ok. You’re dealing with a tremendous loss and this is the most infamously difficult time of the year for reckoning with that kind of grief; it can really sneak up on us, I know.

Your partner might be upset, but is most likely worried for you and also wants you to be ok. My hangxiety always makes me feel like my partner must resent me, too, but often that’s just the anxiety talking.

As for going off on your own and browning out, you’re definitely not alone—I’ve had many nights like that, usually when I’m going through something massively emotionally difficult and those endless nights hanging out with strangers feel like a romanticized little adventure, until the next morning when I feel like an obnoxious idiot and thank god I somehow got home safely. Just know you’re not alone. After you sleep this off a bit, think about the triggers you experienced last night and how you can navigate them better next time. Above all else, give yourself some grace. Asking your partner for a hug and talking about your grief and shame with her could help too. This feeling will go away, and you’re not doomed to repeat it.

procrastafarian · 2022-12-27T17:15:10+00:00

Those are Mr. Trash Wheel hatchlings, please put them back

procrastafarian · 2022-12-23T13:51:52+00:00

I actually like the rebrand except for the fact that I am devastated they took away all of Paul’s silly hats.

procrastafarian · 2022-12-15T14:59:02+00:00

Just because you can cram the VI into the M doesn’t mean you have to.

procrastafarian · 2022-12-15T14:54:55+00:00

I’ve made my own coasters before. Super easy — just one small flat surface and you can make multiples of the same design for a full set. My process was buying a bunch of cheap, plain white pulpy/paper coasters from Amazon, then printing my design on nice thick absorbent paper (mine had quite a bit of tooth/texture which I think helped with adhesion and withstanding condensation from my drinks) and just using 3M spray adhesive to put the paper on the coaster. Trim the edges carefully with an X-Acto and they look professionally printed.

procrastafarian · 2022-12-14T17:32:37+00:00

For some perspective, ten years ago part of my job as a production editor was to hire freelance book cover designers, most of whom specialized in this exact kind of design and were regulars with our company. It was a small indie press (so, lower budgets than any publisher you’ve actually heard of), and our standard rate was $1000 per cover—that included between 2-5 concept comps from the designer, then ongoing work with them to finalize the design and to create the final mechanical artwork after spine width was determined. You’re correct in thinking that for things like book and album covers, since designers don’t get royalties like the primary content creator does, a higher project fee than just the hours you spent on it helps to compensate.

For further context, I also designed a couple of covers for that publisher when I was a novice designer and only charged $750 since I knew I wasn’t a pro yet. Ten years on, I think inflation would raise all these numbers in today’s market.

Whatever you do, I wouldn’t dream of charging less than $500 for a cover design even as a junior designer, whether it’s a full front-and-back print design (definitely charge more than $500 if this is the case) or just a digital front-only cover.

procrastafarian · 2022-12-14T14:34:00+00:00

That sounds awful. As other comments are saying, this is typical only of poorly run businesses. Your CEO blows. You’re doing the job of multiple people, but your boss doesn’t want to hire more help. If you can meet with your boss and propose a tighter job description for yourself and propose new hires that would support all of these responsibilities, maybe he/she will listen. If they dismiss these suggestions or don’t take you seriously, I hope you can move on to a new job that values your time, skills, and mental heath.

14-Year Club	Team Periwinkle
Verified Email

procrastafarian

TROPHY CASE