$200 is nothing to sneeze at. We can hook you up with a great market research opportunity on Wednesday, February 10, from either 10:00AM to 1:00 PM or 2:00 to 5:00 PM. MDC Research is an independent research and consulting firm. Currently they are setting up a paid research study in Chicago with graphic designers. This is strictly for research purposes only, nothing is being sold before, during, or after.

The sessions are open to 12 participants total and each participant will receive a $200 thank you at the end of the session just for saying your opinions and feedback. What do you have to lose? Call Barbara Angele directly at 1-866-392-3629 or email Barbara<at>mdcresearch<dot>com

You got laid off and what did you do?

Getting laid off can feel like a death sentence. It doesn't matter if you know another job is inevitable or just around the corner, you feel like you're done and things will never be the same. But what if getting laid off meant starting a new beginning?

We've all heard the saying of turning lemons in lemonade but check out a website for a film that documents ex-agency folks who've done just that. "Lemonade" is a film that documents the paths of those who were products of advertising agency staff slayings caused by the recent economic downtown that we're all too familiar with. Instead of grousing around and applying for the same ol' creative director jobs, the people featured in this film dusted off their boots and walked a path destined by their dreams. Intrigued? Check out this trailer. You can even upload your own war story. 

Maybe it's not possible to chuck your resume out the window and open a yoga studio, but this film certainly will get your wheels turning. "Lemonade" is on tour with screenings across the country including Chicago on Tuesday, February 9, at 6:00 and 8:00 PM at the Chopin Theater in Wicker Park. We hope to see you at one of these free screenings. If anything it certainly is nice to relate to a film.  Admission is free but you need to RSVP here for the 6:00 show and here for the 8:00 show. See you there!

Design by ViKDesign.

Another perk to my job satisfaction of helping creative artists advance their careers is getting cool gifts during the holidays. Thanks to Lidia Varesco Design and VikDesign, I will will plan my 2010 events in the company of good design. What better way to stay front and center in a potential client's mind than to give them a gift of a calendar? Every day I think of these two studios when I glance at their beautiful design. Check out the calendars here and pick one up--VikDesign's apple-a-day calendar gives your daily apple's sticker a comfy and proper home while Lidia Varesco's nestles perfectly on a cubicle cork-board. Beautiful!

Having trouble deciding what Santa should stuff in your stocking this year? Add Shel Perkins' book, "Talent is Not Enough: Business Secrets for Designers" to your holiday shopping list. This gem of business savvy for designers had received great reviews and is available on the cheap from half.com.

50 beautiful, creatively decorated and wrapped gift boxes held much needed food, goods, and even niceties like candles and lotion to comprise the 1,000 total gift boxes donated each year. These boxes deliver not only necessities of life but good tidings to those less fortunate. That was 50 tangible results. But the camaraderie, the connections of our hands united in good doings-those results are what sustains a community even when times are difficult.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation extends to every single guest and contributor of Artisan’s 2009 MTGB. We are so fortunate to have assembled the best of Chicago’s creative community. Our reputation of representing the best creative talent in Chicago is a direct reflection of you and the relationships you help us build. We all sincerely enjoyed this year’s MTGB and know that the other 50 people directly impacted across many different communities are happy because of your efforts, too. Thank you for making the evening such a huge success.

Artisan talent representative Suzanne Shannon graciously opened her dramatic south loop loft space to accommodate our guest list. Suzanne masterfully handled all location and party arrangements to make this event a success. She coordinated delivery of enough canned goods through the folks at Pilsen’s La Casa Del Pueblo to fill 50 boxes; arranged space for the packing and box decorating activities; coordinated the menu, food, and drink preparation for our guests; divided her loft space into conversational, mingling, and work stations; and coordinated the delivery of the 50 packed boxes via a U-Haul van to Mercy Hospital. The boxes were delivered to the individuals on Saturday morning, December 12 via volunteers associated with Mercy Hospital’s Christmas Basket Program. Chef Nikki Stenger and her team of sous chefs prepared delicious appetizers including deviled eggs with smoked sea salt and white truffle oil; roasted barbeque pulled-pork sandwiches on home-made buttermilk biscuits; grilled southern style cornbread with sage butter; and mini grilled cheeses with roasted roma tomato,onion, garlic and sriracha bisque. For dessert, Nikki and her team created mini lemon squares, espresso brownies, and fresh pecan pies. We drank cider and Tequila-spiked hot cocoa—what a fun evening!

 

 
  

It’s what we do best whether at work or play: Match Talent with Success. Our 2009 holiday party was no exception. 2008’s holiday party, “The Match that Gives Back” donated $20,000 in design resources to a deserving charity. How could we top that this year? We partnered up with our creative talent and clients to decorate and fill 50 boxes to bring holiday cheer along with everyday necessities to homebound patients of Mercy Hospital’s Christmas Basket Program.

Talent who’ve worked with Artisan over the past year along with selected clients and guests teamed up to pack food and gift items while mixing and mingling with peers in an incredible south loop loft provided by Artisan talent representative Suzanne Shannon. The boxes contained much-needed food and canned goods along with gift contributions from our talent and the commerce community of Chicago. Our heartfelt thanks extend to Edison Giles, a freelance art director who has worked with Artisan throughout the years, for partnering Artisan with Michele S. Levitt & Associates. Her unique boutique contributed over $300 in merchandise including beautiful soaps, candles, and lotions. These beautiful gifts certainly will help lift the recipients’ spirits; most who live alone and can find Christmas to be a very lonely time.

Many other freelancers and clients went out of their way to drop off gifts for the baskets to our office the morning of the party. The holiday spirit is certainly alive and well despite the economy. The graciousness and kindness we witnessed both during the planning stages of the party and during the event itself were truly heartwarming!

Be sure your weekend plans include Art on Track, the largest moving art gallery in the world on October 10 from 11 am to 8 pm. You can learn more about the exhibition here. For a $10 suggested donation, participants and hop on and off selected cars to view different aesthetics and media. Come and enjoy--we hope to see you there!

 

Unemployment hits an all-time high and we never know where our next paycheck will come from. It's enough to make any non-millionaire worry. Check out this article for a few worry-relief tips. Yes, it's written for women but it appeals to both genders! Check it out here.