A Class Act

There is a designer whose email tonight nearly brought me to tears. Let me go back.
I know I'm not even close to the best designer out there. I try really hard to produce a quality product, but even so, sometimes, it just doesn't cut the grade that others would like to see.

In this industry, we spend too much time being unnecessarily nice. We need to accept and face the fact that sometimes the truth hurts. And that sometimes it is necessary that we be the bearer of that truth.

I had applied several times to a store that I really liked, a store that I aspired to --my Neiman's if you will. The owner never responded to my queries. So fast forward a a year and I find myself added to her friends list on a mutual group, uninitiated by me. Well of course, it begged the question from me of how she could add me as a friend, but not respond to an inquiry about a position at her store. I thought it was a mistake and that as soon as she realized it was me she would remove me and that would be the end of it. Instead, I received this:

"I apologize for not responding to your letters. Sometimes it's very difficult to tell someone you are not interested in their work. I have visited your store several times and even your blog (which i believe i left you a message there, perhaps you never got it). I did wish i could offer you a spot at*********but your style just does not fit. While you seem perfectly suited for the stores you are at in order to get into some of the other stores you would need to push your designs and packaging in a new direction. I'm not sure if you are willing to do that. In this industry i find we all have our own style of working. So depending on your goals you kind of have to decide how much you are willing to change. Or if in fact you even want to.
If you'd like some suggestions i'd be more than willing to help you out."


How cool is that! How classy is that? All this time, I thought she was being a stuck up, arrogant... well you get the idea. She was sparing MY feelings. You know, I've been hurt by so many people intentionally, that it never occured to me that someone would actually try to spare me pain. I am blown away. I want to thank her. I want to apologize. I want to give her my phone number, pick her brain, find out everything, sit at the side of the mistress and learn.

This wonderful designer woman is a class act. This is rare that she would not only try to spare my feelings (most of the designers don't even think I have feelings), but she offered to help me become better at what I want to do.

Thank you to you, Miss Anonymous Designer. You know who you are!




PEACE!
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