Life does not start after school nor does it seem to start after IDP nor does it start after the ARE. Starting a private practice does not come all of a sudden it involves the secret life of the moonlighter. A double life that requires knowing people,creating connections, being always on and ready for that chance, taking some risk and finding that first client. It may start with family (caution) or friend. It happens at obscure hours and feels a bit clandestine juggling a 9-5 and the distant dream. It does not happen at milestones it happens now when you feel you are not ready because it is a process.
Share your stories both successes and failures they all teach us something.
i'm in the middle of it right now...just upgraded my computer (should arribe next week), am upgrading my chair, and am working some serious hours in pursuit...
i'm starting to get paranoid at the 9 to 5....every time i see one of the principals i think to myself - "they looked at me funny - they must know....they're gonna fire my ass." ugh.
have fun straw - I finally convinced my mom to redo her bathrooms. I gave her detailed plans, called out all the fixtures, paint colors, everything... she called me literally every day, sometimes twice, for the 9 months it took to finish them (4 bathrooms, plus she added all kinds of scope). Luckily the contractor was great and money was not involved for me, but it took so much time it was unbelievable. She would call, ask for 4 white paint colors, test them, call again and ask which one I liked better (even though I couldn't see them), you get the idea :-)
I'm plunging myself into the moonlighting world as well. I have to say, it does have that romantic, 4h30-in-the-morning-you-know-because-you-heard-the-garbage-men-
drive-by-just-like-back-in-studio feel. A loose cigarette hanging from your mouth and a sharpener full of lead, finally an idea begins to emerge.
you know.
all that bullshit.
I'm in the early stages of rebuilding my aunt's cabin, and I know how Randolph feels. So far i've just been making the calls, getting new septic installed etc, from two states away.
When these guys find out i'm a scrawny little art skool geek the fun might begin to wane...
But you get to do what you want.... how else will you develop your own architecture voice?
yeah, there's a romantic feel to it... Without going into any details (my screen name grants me absolutely zero anonymity), I will say that these kinds of unexpected things always come at the wrong time -- try at the same time as graduate school decisions. Oh the humanity. Needless to say, I'll be facing some serious decisions in the next 3 weeks when I have to report back to the schools. Stressful, but it sure is fun.
despite my post above, i have moonlighted in the past... for family only and for no pay.
i am also working on an addition to my house, as well as renovations to my mom's new vacation home. i haven't gotten into the thick of either project yet, as i am burnt out by the time i get home from work.
the reason for my post above; i am scheduled to become part owner of the firm in july.
i have another moonlighting job i forgot about - kind of weak but nevertheless, i am to do an interior remodel of the 7 bedroom shelter house i volunteer at. of course it is unpaid. picking out bedspreads and paint and curtains...
Tim, I have some small moonlighting jobs during grad school decisions as well.. i wondered why i ever took them becasue i have no motivation to work on them. I kinda wanna give em what i have and say "No Charge".
A retirement home for my mother and father in the Abacos, kindof a raumplan kinda thing goin on, nothing but the sincerest graditude to be able to get something built so young,
Well, what I have isn't necessarily "a" project... it would be more of a challenge that would encompass many small to medium projects that I would be in charge of.
A funny thing is... after posting last night, a project has come up this morning that I could take on myself if I wanted to make it happen... it's on the other side of the country, and it definitely would be a paid project that I do from wherever I am living, and paid travel expenses. Hmm... at least there are options. This is crazy, I've never had a stretch of so many options as there are right now. Some of this wouldn't be a big deal for an established architect... but I'm just out of school and am not registered, etc. It's big stuff to me, but things are very feasible though.
My thinking is that I will try to get the best of all worlds... get the schooling (requires a move), get the girl (requires travel back to the midwest), and get one of the projects (also requiring travel). This is starting to sound like a Bond story-line, and I love it.
MOONLIGHTING DOES IT LEAD TO THE DREAM?
Life does not start after school nor does it seem to start after IDP nor does it start after the ARE. Starting a private practice does not come all of a sudden it involves the secret life of the moonlighter. A double life that requires knowing people,creating connections, being always on and ready for that chance, taking some risk and finding that first client. It may start with family (caution) or friend. It happens at obscure hours and feels a bit clandestine juggling a 9-5 and the distant dream. It does not happen at milestones it happens now when you feel you are not ready because it is a process.
Share your stories both successes and failures they all teach us something.
OR, you could work hard at your 9-5 and be offered partnership in the firm, eventually leading to "the dream."
i'm in the middle of it right now...just upgraded my computer (should arribe next week), am upgrading my chair, and am working some serious hours in pursuit...
i'm starting to get paranoid at the 9 to 5....every time i see one of the principals i think to myself - "they looked at me funny - they must know....they're gonna fire my ass." ugh.
both my parents and in-laws insist that I remodel/put additions on both their respective houses right now, like this week.
have fun straw - I finally convinced my mom to redo her bathrooms. I gave her detailed plans, called out all the fixtures, paint colors, everything... she called me literally every day, sometimes twice, for the 9 months it took to finish them (4 bathrooms, plus she added all kinds of scope). Luckily the contractor was great and money was not involved for me, but it took so much time it was unbelievable. She would call, ask for 4 white paint colors, test them, call again and ask which one I liked better (even though I couldn't see them), you get the idea :-)
I'm plunging myself into the moonlighting world as well. I have to say, it does have that romantic, 4h30-in-the-morning-you-know-because-you-heard-the-garbage-men-
drive-by-just-like-back-in-studio feel. A loose cigarette hanging from your mouth and a sharpener full of lead, finally an idea begins to emerge.
you know.
all that bullshit.
I'm in the early stages of rebuilding my aunt's cabin, and I know how Randolph feels. So far i've just been making the calls, getting new septic installed etc, from two states away.
When these guys find out i'm a scrawny little art skool geek the fun might begin to wane...
But you get to do what you want.... how else will you develop your own architecture voice?
yeah, there's a romantic feel to it... Without going into any details (my screen name grants me absolutely zero anonymity), I will say that these kinds of unexpected things always come at the wrong time -- try at the same time as graduate school decisions. Oh the humanity. Needless to say, I'll be facing some serious decisions in the next 3 weeks when I have to report back to the schools. Stressful, but it sure is fun.
despite my post above, i have moonlighted in the past... for family only and for no pay.
i am also working on an addition to my house, as well as renovations to my mom's new vacation home. i haven't gotten into the thick of either project yet, as i am burnt out by the time i get home from work.
the reason for my post above; i am scheduled to become part owner of the firm in july.
congrats 3ifs on the partnership
i have another moonlighting job i forgot about - kind of weak but nevertheless, i am to do an interior remodel of the 7 bedroom shelter house i volunteer at. of course it is unpaid. picking out bedspreads and paint and curtains...
Tim, I have some small moonlighting jobs during grad school decisions as well.. i wondered why i ever took them becasue i have no motivation to work on them. I kinda wanna give em what i have and say "No Charge".
A retirement home for my mother and father in the Abacos, kindof a raumplan kinda thing goin on, nothing but the sincerest graditude to be able to get something built so young,
mokeyboy,
Well, what I have isn't necessarily "a" project... it would be more of a challenge that would encompass many small to medium projects that I would be in charge of.
A funny thing is... after posting last night, a project has come up this morning that I could take on myself if I wanted to make it happen... it's on the other side of the country, and it definitely would be a paid project that I do from wherever I am living, and paid travel expenses. Hmm... at least there are options. This is crazy, I've never had a stretch of so many options as there are right now. Some of this wouldn't be a big deal for an established architect... but I'm just out of school and am not registered, etc. It's big stuff to me, but things are very feasible though.
My thinking is that I will try to get the best of all worlds... get the schooling (requires a move), get the girl (requires travel back to the midwest), and get one of the projects (also requiring travel). This is starting to sound like a Bond story-line, and I love it.
OE,
that looks great!
post more pics please
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