now i ain't sayin she a gold digger

a place for you to rack up the fruits of your failed relationships.

what i did learn

i've come to the end of my first week on MA advertising (creative planning) at bucks new university, here are my goals for this year:

• find a mentor within the industry
• have great ideas and communicate them in a dynamic book
• to strengthen my online presence
• not to squander being a student - i don't just mean with discounts and lack of council tax
• to challenge the briefs that we are set 
• make the most of my time off

i'm really looking forward to the workshops that will be running, especially the stand-up comedy - it's always something i've wanted to have a go at. this whole week; from meeting everyone on the first day, to going to a lecture given by tom murphy from BBH, to being suffocated by lynx boy spray at the SU bar, it's all got me really motivated about what lies ahead this year. i can't wait to get into agencies and to start producing work that's innovative and exciting, that i can be proud of.

bruce's top tips:

• go into the industry through the planning route
• experiment, take risks and don't be afraid to make mistakes
• seek feedback: you're entitled to ask for thorough, honest feedback
• become informed about lots of things, not just advertising
• have something to say
• never stop producing
• don't be boring and don't get too comfortable
• become invaluable
• challenge everything, don't take it all at face value
• get discussions going
• identify what you do best and don't compromise on it
• don't hold back on pushing a concept, don't follow convention
• if you're on a roll, keep going

here is what i have learnt and experienced so far:

• many people have never seen falling snow - a small-worldy observation, nonetheless true.
• roland from the library is a delight - in fact everyone i've met at bucks has been friendly and helpful. ♫ maybe it's because i'm a londoner ♪, maybe i spent too long in paris, maybe it's in such stark contrast to my previous uni experience or maybe i'm just a die-hard cynic, whatever it is it came as quite a shock.
• the backwards commute is not for me, next week i shall be decamping to the sunny heights of high wycombe.
• there are 24 hours in a day. this first week has been painful but hopefully my body clock will have set itself to 'productive' before too long. thank you caffeine.
• i'm going to have to up my game in terms of asking people for what i want.
• i've picked the right course.

self love

this one goes out to eadaoin via ifeelunmotivated.com

an hour in the life of me

i have recently been cooking in a kitchen that is not my own. this of course takes much more brain power than cooking in your own kitchen where it's badaboombadabing, finished! this is not a metaphor. it can often involve minor compromises - they have a plastic spatula, you're used to using a wooden one - that can throw you BUT CONCENTRATE!

hypothetical situation: "i have laid out my ingredients, now where can i find a potato peeler?"

exhibit A

you know it's in there but you won't be able to start the rudimentary preparations for your dinner until you have sorted through the egg slicer, coffee frother, pineapple ringer, potato scrubbing brush, potato scrubbing gloves and not one but two melon ballers of equal size. why? who's that ambidextrous or in that much of a rush that melon-balling becomes a two-man job?

it'd be ocd and quite rude to tidy up a mess that is not your own in a house that is not your own.

"there. isn't that better?! see how i have conveniently arranged and categorized each item using the dewey system. i've even taken the effort of capturing this beautiful moment on film and uploading it to thingsorganizedneatly to share it with the world. aren't you glad you invited me to house-sit?"

this is not a true story but the fact it could be and the time it's taken to think and write about it has led me to evaluate the priorities of my saturday night, blog and life. yay (pity me)!