Why the Long Faces?

Pardon the hippie reference, but there seems to be a lot of bad energy lately when it comes to designers. In forums, emails and blog posts, I've read about designers being frustrated with their clients, clients being frustrated with their designers and when it's time to cut the cord. Don't get me wrong, we all get frustrated. We all have those little glitches that arise as we go about our day. But whatever happened to staying positive?

I recently had a troubling client situation. Of course I turned to other designers as a resource, asking how they'd handle the problem or if they had experience with it before. In looking for help, I found a lot of finger pointing and answers pertaining to, "it's you vs. the client."

I know it's bitterly cold outside (At least in Wisconsin. Today's temperature is a goosebump raising -8˚ F) and we're all getting a little itchy to go outside and enjoy some sunshine. But whatever happened to positive thinking? I've come to realized that when I'm down, not only do my client relationships suffer, but my work does as well.

For a while now, I've been reading positive affirmations everyday. These can be inspirational, focus on love, success or happiness, or even be religious if you're into that. Mine help me to stay positive during the winter blues and help me to keep an edge on my client situations. They help me to remember that being nasty and finger pointing is no way to solve any client dilemma. It's true what they say - you can attract more bees with honey than with vinegar.

Pardon my rambling, ranting or whichever you'd like to call it. I'm just sharing my thoughts on something I've seem to come across several times now. Cheer up!