The moving experience from California to Oregon was… traumatizing, to say the least. Between the 11 hour drive, movers from hell and saying goodbye to my 9 years in California I am a bit worn out. The good news is I have made it to Portland, my furniture is some where between the Silicon Valley and the Silicon Forest and the weather is absolutely beautiful it still feels like I am living in San Jose.

To keep with my transition theme I am reworking my online presence as well. Between my main homepage, photography and design pages they are all being revamped and prettied. Also, this blog (the one you are reading right now) won’t be updated daily like prior to the move. Instead I am going to be shooting for multiple times a week and pushing the smaller posts to my tumblr account (danidotnoah.tumblr.com). Tumblr allows me to quickly reblog my favorite posts from all of my blogs that I subscribe to on google reader and is a lot easier than transfering it and making it look nice for here. Instead, this blog is going to be strictly my words and thoughts. Of course I will recommend you follow both but as long as you are connected to my twitter (@danidotnoah) you should get a reminder of updates.

Outside of online, I am still on the search for a full time brilliant job. I am looking for account management opportunities within advertising agencies or brand management within businesses. In the meantime I am fine tuning my skillset and networking whenever possible.

I can’t wait to share about some exciting events I have been apart of  recently and continue to update you as I go from in transition to settled. Portland is a welcome change regardless of being unable to pump my own gas!

“Learning and Leading from the Middle”
By: James P. Othmer
“Most of us will not reach the top. Many will rise to the middle. Others will yo-yo back and forth from the middle, and others, frankly, are there for a reason.”
…

I was thoroughly depressed. I understand the realities that I may or may not make it to middle management or above but the last thing I should do is strive for middle management. The way I see it, it is running a marathon but hoping to only get half way. Have we forgotten that the finish is the best part? Has the recession changed us in to believing that at best we can be middle management?

I love a quote by THE JC Penney…

Show me a store-clerk with a goal, and I’ll show you a man who’ll make history. Show me a man without a goal, and I’ll show you a store-clerk.  – JC Penney

If we aim for middle management that is as far as we will get. Even though the title and caption of the article annoyed me enough to write a blog I decided to read the article regardless. James Othmer has an interesting take and one that I would agree with.  The paragraph that most captured me was, (emphasis in bold added by me)

I recently told a version of this story to an audience of students at the Brandcenter at VCU on a stage usually frequented by true titans of the ad industry. I told them that I was far from a titan. And it is precisely because I had never had my name on the door of an agency, or made the legendary Super Bowl spot, or been on the cover of Fast Company in an ironic t-shirt that there was value in my tale. Most of us will not reach the top. Many will rise to the middle. Others will yo-yo back and forth from the middle, and others, frankly, are there for a reason. They don’t have sufficient creative or strategic brilliance or a personality capable of withstanding the daily pressures of high profile leadership. One student raised her hand and asked if I was suggesting that she aspire to middle management. “Hardly,” I answered. “But if that’s what suits you best there should be no shame in it. And if that’s where you end up despite wanting to rise higher, you can still be of great value to an agency.”

We must strive to be the best we can be. Regardless of our position within a company; keep fighting, keep contributing and keep living. I may never be Creative Director of an agency (Kudos to Wieden + Kennedy for promoting a planner as CD!) but I will be proud of where I stand as long as I know I haven’t given up.

Name: Creature

Location: Seattle

Website: http://www.welcometocreature.com/

Clients: Burgerville, HBO, JanSport, MSN, Nike, Nordlund…

…

If you haven’t seen their website yet I recommend checking it out. After all it is one of the main reasons I crush on this agency.

Immediate reaction to their website is it is unique, engaging and fun. I sit and watch the tiles twirl and go through every page to see what I can find. After those 10 minutes pass it is the that keeps me glued in.  This small agency is not afraid of risks or, my favorite, COLOR! However, what it is most engaging about Creature is their ability to think big. A large percentage of their portfolio is promotional creations and installations. I think it takes big thinkers and doers to be able to successfully pull of what their team has.

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One of the latest studio assignments for my photography class was a model shoot. Princess Lolly came into full effect and I knew I wanted a Candyland catalog shoot. I had the perfect bubble gum pop model and thankfully Halloween had just passed so getting the props on the cheap was easier than I had imagined. I think with a few more editing adjustments these images will be all that I hoped for but for now I really enjoy them.

Posted via email from Danielle’s posterous

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Precious is about a young girl who was abused on all fronts by her biological father and mother. This movie is not for the faint of heart and has the ability to sicken you worse than a scary movie like Saw. The raw scenes and unyielding acting force the viewer to not look away and discount the girl like we probably do everyday. Instead we must face her reality whether we like it or not.

The Blindside, unlike Precious, is a true story about football player Michael Orr. The son of drug addict he had no father and 2 shirts to his name.  He was taken in by a local family and soon tutored through high school and allowed to play sports where he later graduated and went on to play football in college and recently signed to the Ravens to play professionally.

Both movies were shining examples of people who we let slip through the cracks. Who we immediately discount because they are different than us.

Who I immediately discount because they are different than me.

And for both it started with one person to take notice and soon others followed. Over time their lives changed for the better. Precious’ story might not be as surreal as Michael’s but they both changed the cycle and expanded their radius.

I struggle with still being young and let’s face it… poor. I technically still qualify as a poor college student, how do I have anything to spare? I type this fully knowing that any extra money I have goes directly to shoes or the latest technical gadget.

Being poor or a college student is just an excuse. Admittance is the first step, right?

Not to bring in another movie but Dayereh (The Circle) by Jafar Panahi is an Iranian national cinema about a select group of women and the limitations they face in being a woman in Iran.  The movie can be long due to no score and long takes but overall I would recommend it. However, it is an interview with the director that I most remember. Jafar Panahi says,

“In my view, everyone in the world lives within a circle, either due to economic, political, cultural, or family problems or traditions. The radius of the circle can be smaller or larger. Regardless of their geographic location, they live within a circle. I hope that if this film has any kind of effect on anyone, it would be to make them try to expand the size of the radius.”

Posted via email from Danielle’s posterous

I started a twitter experiment. Life Lesson #. Each morning, right when I woke up, I thought about my entire day yesterday and what was the greatest thing I learned.  It could be silly,  it could be profound but by taking those minutes to really invest it, I was allowing the life lesson to have a greater hold on who I am. Allow it to really sink in instead of pass me by.

My journey to date: (in reverse order)

Life Lesson #090911: Cheating on Boxed In is more fulfilling than sitting there stumped. Sometimes cheaters do make winners.

Life Lesson #090912: Talk Soup is the cure for the common cold. That and Bill Rancic.

Life Lesson #090913: It is not until you are content with yourself that you will find true happiness.

Life Lesson #090914: Never understimate the power of a sneeze.

Life Lesson #090915: Ignorance is bliss. Unless when sneaking you find something you like…that ain’t bad either!

Life Lesson #090916: There is a good & a bad side to every situation it’s how you respond to it that counts.

Life Lesson #090917: Forgiveness & trust are not rights but privileges. Ones we should spend our energy being worthy of.

Life Lesson #090918: Look less, see more.

Life Lesson #090919: Laugh often an earnestly. http://bit.ly/pkanI

Life Lesson #090920: Always find a positive spin. Sunday isn’t the end of a weekend but a fresh start to a new week.

Life Lesson #090921: It is best to work with kindness & grace. You never know when the tables will turn and who may return in your future.

Life Lesson #091016: If you are constantly looking for the better offer you will miss the beauty of life that is happening right now.

As you can see, I took a 3 week break from my experiment and now I’m deciding between continuing it or finding a new twitter schtick. My thoughts are leaning towards “I’m determined” and instead of it being life lessons, but life goals. Those to can range from silly to profound. I will keep you posted.  Until then, follow me at @danidotnoah

My last term of undergraduate work is underway and the projects are rolling in for completion.  This week marks the end of my studio photography’s “Glass with Attitude” project.  We were to select a clear glass object and create a unique setting for it. My favorite image is below and by the end of this week I will put up my top 5.

Underwater never looked so good but first I would like to give a shout out to Nemo for making it into another image of mine, this time in plastic form.  You’re my boy, blue!

I played soccer for one year of my entire life.

3rd Grade

My glory years

Except I was bad, really bad.

I couldn’t quite get the coordination down of running and kicking at the same time. Plus when people are running at you or a soccer ball is flying towards you, the basic reaction is to avoid it at all cost. I WAS good at that.

My dad attended every one of my games faithfully. I am sure my mom did as well, but I cannot remember her at any of the games for the life of me. Probably because my dad was so memorable… He would get so into the game, standing on the sidelines, “cheering”, trying to turn my elementary school co-ed team into Manchester United. Bless his heart, but he was a bit of a “stage mom”. More into the game than the Coach Jordan and yelling what to do with large hand gestures. But because of his… enthusiasm(?!)… I wanted to be better and try harder.

However, I was still hopelessly bad and my Coach wasn’t starting me or pushing to get me on the field. If I was lucky, I might get 30 seconds at the end of the game if we were guaranteed a win.

Editor’s Note: Don’t feel sorry for Coach, I really was awful!

I was counting down the days until the season was over but I also wanted to make my dad proud. I learned to follow Coach around like a shadow. I was cheering on my team by her side and ready to go into the game *just in case* with an attitude that said “winner”. Most games it worked too, Coach would put me in because I was ready (not really able!) and I would push out there like I was David Beckham then avoid the ball as best as I could. She would pull me out within a minute and I would be back at her side asking to go in again.

On one of the bus rides home Coach stood up at the front of the bus to give us a talk after a humiliating loss. I don’t remember what she said before or after but I will never forget what she said in the middle…

If you guys want to be good players then you should start acting like Danielle. She isn’t the best person on this team but she is always close to me ready to go in. And although she doesn’t get much playing time when she isn’t on the field she is cheering and supporting the team.

I was elated! I thought I was a star. It took me about 10 years to realize that little speech was slightly demeaning but I’ve only recently accepted how terrible I was. I have come to realize that her speech spoke worlds about my character and set a tone for my life. I can’t be the best at everything but I can try and give it my all. With the right attitude, eagerness, and readiness I might even get some playing time.

If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat. – John Ortberg

While in Bath I soon learned that my British little sister did not know how to blow a bubble with bubblegum.  Can you believe it? I couldn’t.  After practicing over and over again we decided to create a video of what we learned! I hope you enjoy and I am please to introduce you to Carys.

But just as my love for Walmart grew, I too began an agency crush on The Martin Agency. Their Walmart commercials have a perfect balance between sentiment and humor like this past Christmas’ collection.

But what really captured my heart was when I found out they they are behind the FreeCreditReport.com commercials. I love those commercials. They are quirky and catchy but most of all when they get stuck in my head, I’m not annoyed!

If you have some minutes, look at their website. They are endearing and entertaining.

We want to fill our building to the brim with the most talented people in the industry, and we are always looking to meet experienced, senior-level professionals in all disciplines. And it goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that attracting interactive specialists is one of our highest priorities.

You don’t need to have a degree in advertising. You don’t need an MBA or PhD. You don’t need to tell us that you were editor of your high school yearbook in 1994 (but by all means let us know if you were voted “Most Likely to Succeed” or “Best Looking”).

You do need curiosity and energy. Dedication and integrity. Enthusiasm. Originality. And a big healthy serving of joy.

We want you because your unique background and perspective allow you to speak to the broad audiences we reach. We want you because you listen to the challenges of clients and coworkers and instinctively become part of the solution. We want you because you are intelligent, inspiring, and refreshing.

And it wouldn’t hurt to get some fresh talent on the agency dodgeball team, so if you’re especially scrappy or have a great arm, make sure to include that too.

Can’t wait to meet you.

Crush on, my friends, crush on.

PS. Another favorite: