Wow. Still blogging.

Once again, I am returning from the longest hiatus of my life.

I feel the need to jot down my thoughts in some sort of way. Thus ushering in my triumphant return to the WordPress. Unfortunately, this is all a byproduct from months of stress and turmoil swirling around my head. Even talking it out with other people just doesn’t seem to be enough. I’m taking this opportunity to vent my frustrations via blog to see if it helps.

In fact, free-writing is helping me focus my train of thought with more speed and fluidity. Though overall, I’ve noticed how my writing has suffered because ideas just don’t come as fast as they used to. I haven’t exercised my mind as much as my body, and my work is hurting severely. From not being able to think quickly on my feet to not being able to eloquently express my thoughts when it matters, I need to find ways of speeding up my brain because, quite frankly, my career depends on it.

I’ve been working at the same agency for a while now. And I feel like I’m slowly letting myself slip into obscurity. Honestly, it might even be a detriment to be writing about it here for the public eye, but I’ll take that risk and own the responsibility in order to speak my truth uninhibited.

Advertising is a bitch. I never thought I’d be so reliant on praise. Maybe I was a fool to get into an industry where people soak it in to thrive. I miss being told my ideas are great. That my writing is amazing. “Good jobs” really go a long way for motivating me to do better. But it seems like everything I’ve been doing lately is wrong.

People stare at me blankly when I’m presenting ideas. People look at me as if I were an idiot when asking questions. They think all my opinions are a joke (and not the kind that illicit laughter). They assign me no work because they expect someone else to do it better. I feel like I’m being set upon on a road to failure, and I’m ultimately being nudged towards the path of being laid off. I’ve seen it all around me before with quite a few coworkers throughout the past two years. I can read the writings on the wall. I am being shut out from the people I refuse to kiss up to.

But should I just sit back and accept this as fate? Of course I don’t want to. But in order to stave off this supposed inevitability, I have to really WORK. Everyone seems to be working against me, but then again, that’s always been my life. Nothing ever came easy for me, and even though I might be in a rut at the moment, I have to push through and slay all the haters and obstacles in my way.

I’m less cutthroat than I used to be. I’m also less cunning. This may have been a result of indifference or being too self-conscious about the repercussions. But I think this has to change. I have to plant the seeds that ensure I open up my mouth to speak to everything I want and want to achieve. This New Yorker way of life is yet another beast I must learn to tame, and this is just a new old name of the game. But all this is, of course, easier said than done. Step one is to regain my brain power in terms of reading more. Writing more. Making sure I strengthen all the intellect in my arsenal to do battle with anyone who stands in my way.

This entry has essentially become my declaration of war. I’m going to take this career by the scrotum and squeeze out of it every last ounce of submission until I reach all my ambitions I duly deserve: Money, Power, Fame. Call me shallow, but in advertising, these are all the attributes one really needs to get and stay ahead. Starting today: I’m ready for blood.

Plans for today

When faced with a loss of knowing what to write, just write about your plans for the rest of the day. Therefore, let me discuss with you the mundane activities I’ll have to attend to.

In the very immediate future (3 minutes), I’ll need to call Doryne Isley from Urban American. She’s the head-honcho and the only one with the power to grant me a reimbursement for the faulty lock on my apartment. As I mentioned in a previous entry, I had to pay $650 to replace it myself because I was unable to neither enter or leave the apartment without it being done. Not to mention that it was over a long weekend, so no one from management could come and do it for me. I’ve been getting the run-around, even though she was able to confirm the security log that I indeed placed a call into them for help before I acted on my own. Let’s see how else they try and evade me. It’s been one month and counting.

Later in the day, I’ll also go to Modell’s Sporting Goods and return a pair of workout gloves. Small was too small. I felt like I was wearing tiny baby gloves. Will need to exchange before they rip to shreds from my swoleness.

After getting home from work, I’ll also need to confirm my flight to Rome and purchase a new snowboard and boot bag in preparation for my day-trip to Hunter Mountain. Money, money, always out the door.

Lastly, I’ll be having a salmon filet over Latin rice with a side kale salad for dinner.

That is all. Tis my day. I am basic.

My favorite Super Bowl spots

First and foremost, Happy Chinese New Year.

Secondly, here are a list of the Super Bowl spots (in order of appearance) I found most enjoyable. I agreed with some of the other advertising publications out there but had a sprinkling of others as well. Yeah…my list is a little extensive. I’ll include a quick little tidbit for each.

Apartments.com – Fun concept. Kept me intrigued until the very end. Client reveal at the end was a good match and pleasant surprise.

Audi – Great story. Awesome parallel and smart sell of Audi’s main idea: the car is fast.

PayPal – Beautiful art direction. Beautiful copy. And not to mention, I’m obsessed with that Demi Lovato song. I just saw that Ad Week ranked this as their Worst 5 spots in the Super Bowl, and I couldn’t disagree more. As PayPal’s first-ever spot, they did right to do a broad brand anthem. The intention of this was to get their name out there and set themselves on the stage with the big boys. In that, they’ve succeeded.

Marmot – So ridiculous and funny. Props to Goodby. It’s nice when you can tell a story, sell your product, and include a cute animal all at once.

Budlight – Good celebrity mashup. I only included this because Amy Schumer is hilarious. Other than that, this commercial and campaign errs on the side of run-of-the-mill.

T-Mobile x2 (Steve Harvey + Drake) – They did a double-whammy and really impressed me this Super Bowl. Props to Publicis Seattle. The Drake spot was funny and also struck a chord with all ad people out there, and the Steve Harvey spot was was very timely. Not to mention it was an appropriate clap-back. T-Mobile is super impressive for rising up so far from when they sank to their very depths back in 2010. Wonderful transformation.

Prius – Fun story that definitely got their point across. Way to totally bash preconceptions that the car is weaker. Way to show that with less gas, you can go farther. This was a smart concept.

Pokemon20 – It got me amped for Pokemon. This is an epic short film spot with just the right amount of mystery throughout to really drive home the big reveal. Also superb audio with a great fit in those taiko drums building excitement. The score for this deserves a lot of respect.

Wix.com – Kung Fu Panda cameo. I guess this is more of an honorable mention, but it was funny to see some timely parody using a beloved cartoon character.

Heinz – Obviiiiously this one would be a big hit. It’s so whacky and adorable, no rational human being would be able to resist. There’s no profound messaging here, but it was highly entertaining. That’s what makes this spot shine.

Axe – Lovely messaging that shows how a man can be strong in so many ways. It was definitely very disruptive in all the right ways that still held strong to the core messaging of the brand.

Kia – Once again, a great story. Brand anthem-ey message and the perfect narrator, Christopher Walken. The spot was also random enough to maintain your attention. Good for Kia to really position themselves as anything but beige.

Colgate – The last great spot of the evening. So simple and profound. It shows you exactly how much water you’re wasting and equating that to what that water could actually do for others that need it. The truth and insight behind it transforms your mundane tasks and you recall this commercial every time you’re in front of the sink. Brilliant ad.

Dear Brother

Gorgeous words. New favorite spot.

A shift in my frame of mind

All I really want

is to live my life

not always desiring more than what I already have.

Been living in misery

I don’t know why I’ve delayed so long in writing this. Maybe I just got too swept up in the maelstrom. Since last I wrote, I ended up moving into a new apartment at 3333 Broadway. At first I thought it would be a dream. I was promised all new appliances, a high-rise view over the Hudson, and a studio all to myself. My naivety placed my expectations on a pedestal set too high. It should have known it would inevitably come crashing down in every imaginable direction.

The problems began before I even moved in. I had put in an application for the building I’m currently living but got rejected due to incompetence. I heard no response from the rental office until my lease had already ended at my last apartment. They called me back a few weeks later, however, proclaiming their apologies and offered me another unit with a beautiful view. I should have known and heeded the red flag so apparent in front of me. Sadly, I ignored it and decided to give this building a second chance.

Let me now begin to list all the things that have gone wrong since then. It’s almost laughable and surreal how many things have gone wrong in my life since I signed myself into misery.

Travel plans

Off to Spain and Ireland for a week. Hazaa!

It’s hard to believe that at this exact time one year ago, I was living in Europe. Time flies. I miss it to an extent but am still very glad to be home. Can’t wait for this visit to see the lover, of course, but also to experience Dublin for the first time. I’ve never done a 10-hour layover, and I fear I may be too old to fully enjoy the rush of it. Yet somehow I intend to make it work. I’ll practice a sleeping regimen here to try and negate my jet lag.

On top of it all, my credit cards now have a chip, so I can use my CC’s abroad. Also the EURO <-> USD rate is phenomenal (actually, I just checked and it’s not as great as last week but still). I am definitely in need of this vacation.

Let’s have fun

I should take a shot every time someone I know wins an award. Hmph. I’d end up one drunkass biatch.

This said on the tails of my previous entry on jealousy. I need to quit falling victim to the green-eyed monster. Let’s have some fun instead.

Wrist

My first workout injury happened yesterday. I feel like a dunce. One big bro-ey dunce.

I was told to lift heavy with fewer reps. Although that remains true, I think from now on, I shouldn’t bite off more than I can chew. There DOES exist a limit for when I’m in way over my head. Especially when it comes to shoulders day. As a consequence, my wrists are in a world of hurt today. Every grip is filled with in and even holding a spoonful of cereal is too demanding.

I just pray this doesn’t become permanent damage. I had begun to get in such a good rhythm at the gym.

The New Life in the Big City

Welcome back from the ether. Let me update you since my last real series of entries.

I’ve since moved from Harlem to Morningside Heights. I pay a fair amount more but live in a location that’s phenomenally better and free from the oppressive aura of my previous landlord, James Clow. Albeit, this current apartment did lose my rent checks…but all has since been figured out, and I’m once again liking where I live.

I graduated from Miami Ad School, and I got a job at Publicis Kaplan Thaler as a junior copywriter. Now I’m back to the work grind. Although, it doesn’t seem like I’ve been away for that long given I’ve been freelancing and interning the past year, but now I’m getting paid a helluva lot more. Feels good to be employed.

On the other hand, I realize it’s not the sexy edgy agency everyone desires as their first creative job out of school. All my peers are looking for fame. Their ambition hungry. Not to say that I’m not, but I feel that I’m a little older and more aware of what I truly want. Admittedly, I’m jealous of all those around me getting jobs at hot shops, but at the same time, I realize I’ve got it pretty good where I’m at. Great pay. Great benefits. Really flexible schedule. Just not sexy. Sometimes I find it difficult to not envy, but I do realize I should find happiness with what I have because I’ll never find it coveting what I don’t.

Lastly, I had a visit from some T.D. Wangers I had once worked for back in Seattle. I was greeted by a piece of bad news for them but closure and vindication for myself. Turns out the woman I always had beef with at the agency revealed her true colors and ended up screwing them over professionally and personally. All of what I warned them came true, and showed me that once again, I should believe in my gut. I’ve learned plenty of lessons since then, and I won’t make the same mistakes twice.