So lately I've been debating, since this past summer, whether I should start promoting my beta/pilot offer (The Brand Bud Project), which would basically be a free brand service just to get some experience in exchange for getting feedback and testimonials (that’s the gist of it at least), or would I be better off looking for paid freelance work on sites like Contra or Upwork. Given that I've yet to be hired full time or gain any actual work experience after graduating college three years ago, especially given the volatile market and unpredictable job climate (no matter how many positions I’ve applied for and not even hearing back from over half of them). Not to mention I'm just tired of being broke and stuck at a part-time job that barely pays me enough to afford the bare essentials by myself without relying on my parents financially. Sorry if it sounds like I’m complaining like a bitch, but I don’t really know what else to do at this point. What do y'all think?

My results as promised: Warning before meeting Sha’myá: she looks soft, colorful, and approachable, which may lead you to underestimate how intensely she is observing everything. She is the kind of person who can say, “I just want to make one tiny tweak,” and three hours later has uncovered a positioning problem, a customer-experience problem, an accessibility problem, and six places where the wording doesn’t quite match the brand. The tweak was never just a tweak. She has very little patience for things that are technically fine but don’t actually make sense. If your reasoning is vague, your design choice feels arbitrary, your advice sounds like recycled internet wisdom, or you’re doing something because “that’s just how it’s done,” she is going to quietly start pulling the thread. And eventually the whole sweater may come apart. She asks questions underneath the question. You may think you’re discussing a button label; she is thinking about buyer psychology, emotional safety, accessibility, brand consistency, whether someone will misunderstand the instruction, and whether the CTA describes the outcome instead of the mechanics. Also: do not mistake indecision for lack of discernment. Sometimes the reason she takes a while to choose is that she can genuinely see the merits of A, B, and C. She doesn’t just want “a good option.” She wants the option that fits the larger ecosystem. Unfortunately, this means she is perfectly capable of turning “Which green should I use?” into a small research dissertation involving color harmony, WCAG contrast, light/dark variations, and naming conventions. She is highly creative, but she is not satisfied with creativity for creativity’s sake. She wants the whimsy to have a job. The cute little flower, rounded shape, playful phrase, unusual palette, or sensory metaphor needs to contribute to the experience rather than just decorate it. And if she cares about something, she cares a lot. Not performatively. She wants people to feel considered. She notices whether an experience gives someone room to be themselves or quietly pressures them to conform. That means she can be extremely thoughtful—but it also means she may keep refining something long after another person would have said, “Looks good enough.”

Any TN residents here living in Clarksville/Montgomery County area? I'd like to meet some of y'all IRL one day (maybe at a public library, local restaurant/cafe/park, or somewhere).

@Andrea Nichol 🌻

@Amy E Sparks 💐