Life with a New Computer

There it is. The new time suck. I thought the old laptop with it's constant crashing was bad. I thought life was bad enough when it finally crashed and I only got half the files I needed off of it. (missing 2 years of tax forms I didn't print BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE COMPUTER)

I did manage to save the important stuff, recipes, because I need to fill my fat face. I lost all my family pictures, the trip to San Francisco with my Grandson and Holidays past. I really need to put those on disk and stop relying on the computer. So many image files. Probably why the poor old girl gave it up after 7+ years. I have NEVER had a laptop last that long.

But enough of the old Girl, I wanted to talk about the new @#*&!. It's really not the laptop's fault. I blame it all on Microsoft whose designers were obviously still on some kind of strong medication or maybe "just kidding" when they designed Windows 8.

Seriously, I have spent more time trying to get this damn thing to function that I should have to waste with a very fast new computer. Last night for instance, all of a sudden, every slightest move of my finger kept flipping me back and forth between Window and the Desktop. For those of you who are not familiar, Windows 8 works on 2 environments, to allow the user time to acclimate I guess. For those of us in the field, it just SUCKS! I finally had to shut my laptop down, because I couldn't stay on any one page long enough to get anything done.

Here's another thing. I did a little research and found that Chrome is the fastest browser for 8 so I downloaded it. I was using in ton desktop, and there were some things not working quite right. There were some dead spots on pages, I couldn't click on. Then I got the idea to launch it in the Windows 8 environment and so, dead spots gone, it works there, right? Well sort of. Some of the things like Silverlight, don't work in the Windows environment.

One of the big issues with Windows 8 ( well maybe is't just another annoying issue) is that there are very few apps. No one wants to put the money into developing apps for a dying dog. And here I sit, typing on a dying dog.

Why don't I upgrade to the new 8.1 you may ask? You know, the version that's supposed to work better? Well after loosing 20 minutes of my life reading the process of backing up all your files on your computer, before starting your upgrade, because it's possible to loose all your files and programs during the upgrade, I decided that today wasn't the day to spend any more time on the computer than necessary.

I mean windows wants you to get familiar with the 8 environment, yet today when I put my image laden SD card in the reader, nothing happened in 8. I have no idea how to get images from the reader on 8. I HAD to go to desktop to get them, even though I have been trying to get used to the 8.

Things I don't get - how the touchpad works. There must be a way to not fip back and forth between 8 and desktop, but I don't know. There must be a way to put your cursor near the frame of you screen without popping up charms, but I don't know. There must be a way to use the computer from 8, but I don't know. I don't even know how to access my files from 8 and when I try to get images in my HUGE files I see only a few at a time and have to scroll through this HUGE mass of tiny images. HOW DO I ADJUST THAT!
Oh Microsoft, I know you had good intentions, but whoever approved this monstrosity ought to be fired. Not the techs that developed it, you know, the supervisor who approved it. This abomination goes to the head of the class me thinks.

If you have one of these monsters, I sympathize. If you're thinking of getting one. Wait a bit till the bugs are worked out if you can. I, unfortunately, couldn't wait.

Changing the Way we Create - One Puppy at a Time

"Sit in this cubicle, with these gray walls, don't talk to any of the other designers, don't leave the office, and create something amazing that we can sell or you will get a pay cut and a demotion. Remember, don't talk to anyone and don't use the computer for anything other that communication with staff or to do your design work on. No browsing websites."

Does this sound familiar to any of you? If it doesn't you haven't ever worked in an office as a professional designer. Maybe this is too extreme. I was allowed to browse the internet occasionally and I did talk to the designers, but then I got written up on it at review time. I talked too much. How does one stay creative without ANY outside influence? I did get to travel occasionally too, to Mexico, Asia and shows in other states for work. Not totally sheltered, but not as much stimulus as a designer really needs.

I got to the point in my life, where I decided that I would rather have a job standing and scanning, than having a supervisor standing behind me, watching me work, over my shoulder. As a matter of fact, mid menopause, I blew up at the owner who was doing just that. There was more to it, but the explosion left me totally disillusioned and needing to escape. I joined the circus, figuratively. First starting on Etsy, then moving around the internet and now on Artfire and my own website. I did a little freelance work at first, and still do a little, but I seem to pick the scariest companies to work for. I think there must be good ones too.

Creativity has to be fed. No matter what way you find you need it. If human contact is the way, or travel, or just browsing the internet for inspiration. Did you know that many art museums have virtual exhibits? They do. It's pretty amazing. Better in person, but not bad online.

I think, like our country, the model for the workplace was created by old school white men. I think if we want to get anywhere in the global economy, we all need to tear down those gray walls install lavender sofas, and all sit down with a puppy, next to a bouquet of roses with a cup of Chai tea, a sketchpad and ideate (that's a product design term) together.