My first job out of art school was for a sign/buss back/poster or flat stock print shop, however you want to call it. I was not unfamiliar with hard work. Been working labor jobs since before legal age of 14. This job was not physically hard, but was hot as heck. I worked up in the 2nd floor a loft are where all the heat and fumes rose to the top. I had a camera room or (dark room) that needed to be air conditioned. If I were not working in that camera room, I'd be sweat n' all day. Sort of liked it though. Made me feel like I was doing something.
I worked at that job for 6 months. I took the first job that offered and that was it. I was intrigued by the idea of screen printing right from the start, but I couldn't hack the cost of living. It was near DC/Virginia area. $6.25 per hr doesn't do much in that area. I was offered another $1.00 but heck even back then, a single person needed $8-$9.00 to do anything. Rent was a $1000.00 for a studio (at that time) Then, I got married so something had to happen. Needed to move. Loved that job though. Much fun.
I remember we were doing a wall in a museum. The ad agency laid out the design on what looked like paper grocery bags cut apart. It was so big and was just for layout purposes anyways. So, I measured out some things and stripped my film in place. The owner came up and checked it out real quick. (He was lacking people skills to say the least). Pretty much read me the riot act for not following the layout on the grocery bags (to the smallest fraction of an inch). You see, I laid it out by common sense. Things were not adding up and not laying out right. The agency wrote out things but positioned them in odd places so nothing matched. So, I matched everything up to where they were wrote up to be.
The boss glanced over it and called me an idiot along with every other thing he could get away with. I sucked it up and gave him my reasons. He said do it like it looks on the layout. I said, are you sure? Because the layouts wrong but I will follow everything exactly on the layout as is. He said Yeah, thats what I F'n said, so DO IT. I knew he was wrong but....I then followed his orders.
I don't usually challenge someone on something unless I'm very sure I'm correct as I am well aware of how I can make mistakes. So when I know, "that I Know", thats when I stand my ground. Probably because it's not very often, so I have to really hold on to that time when my time comes around to be right LOL.
Guess what? He was wrong. He cost himself a couple thousand dollars that day because of arrogance. He then came back to blame me again and even told me I was fired. Luckily his own shop foremen was far more intelligent and pointed out that he, the owner had given me those exact instructions and I even double checked. He was FUMING!
It was a day filled with mixed emotions. I felt a bit sorry for him as I knew he had some inner demons he was dealing with and at the same time, I thought "See, thats what you get for being a jerk".
