03/05/2020
Doing it for the passion, not the recognition:
It's been over 15 years that we are in this business, from sometimes having multiple employees, to other times being alone, Claudine and I! But one thing that never changes is that no matter what we do, it has to be because we are passionate about it. If a micro-brewery contacts us, we know their product will end up in our fridge, so does wine or coffee.
In this world where everything costs more than the others, we sometimes accept projects just because we need a bigger pool or want to travel more. Those 15 years have taught us a lot. Doing something for the money or because we might end up getting some recognition for a big project never really paid off in the end.
Without passion, time feels longer, projects take more time and with an overbooked calendar, you might lose clients who you would have loved to work with.And in the end an awkward relation between you and the client might occur because everything is forced so is the final product, so you can move to the next one.
When our passion coordinates with a service or client products, we put our hearts into it and ideas start to flow. We can't lie, no project is perfect even when all the good ingredients are set to make the next best Tom Yum soup (we love Thai food), clients might have a completely different idea or because they don't feel the direction we chose for them. Maybe you’re a mechanic and your tools broke during the job, or even worst you find a bigger problem. But if you find yourself truly aligned with what you do, all of this will be a learning process instead of a painful job and you will build a clientele that understands what and why you do what you do.
After 15 years, even in 2008 after the whole industry fell down on us, we always find a way to pay our bills. We refuse all projects that we don't believe in or truly understand. So please, work with the one you admire, a product that you would give to your child, a service that makes a difference or helps the one around you, your city, your country. And remember, honesty, passion, and dignity will always find a way to pay you in the end.
Sharing a passion with: Dirty Donny Gillies
Jason and Donny: Pinball, Drawing, Boombox, Vintage art, pop art, rock music, good burritos and beer are some of the shared passions they both have in common.
About the client: Born in Ottawa, Canada, Donny is a San Francisco artist and designer best known for his work with metal band Metallica and Stern Pinball. Donny’s early career started with gig posters for local underground Ottawa bands and sign painting for local bars that eventually led to painting, airbrushing, design and illustration work with a large selection of clients including Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and later Metallica, Snap-on Tools, Stern Pinball, Fender Guitars, Dunlop, Powell Peralta, Vans, Creature skateboards, Kid Robot and Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Meet the client at: www.dirtydonny.com
