Compromise

It's been years since I've had an oppurtunity to be artistic.

That's what's so great about the new jobby. For the first time, in a long time, I get to be creative again.

And one the first lessons my new position has taught me is the art of the compromise. I hate compromise. I do it poorly, which is to say I don't generally do it at all. All of my greatest artistic achievements have been in situations where I've had complete control from top to bottom and my poorest where I've been forced to make decisions by comittee.

Which is exactly in the position I find myself today. The great thing about stickhandling this magazine to print is that I've been left alone to do my own thing. Aside from prefunctory check-ins by manager it's all been up to me. Considering the number of bodies who COULD\SHOULD be overseeing me, at least half a dozen, it's pretty spectacular that I have this kind of freedom. And, I think for the most part, I've absolutely risen to the occasion.

But the problem I'm running into is now that I've brought the mag along about 80% of the way we've reached the review stage. And the review stage is where everyone throws in their two cents, trys to suggest changes, without any idea about how I reached my initial decision in the first place. It's frustating, literally like swimming with sharks. I have to play the political game as all of these individuals are in position of authority over me. So I can't just reflexly nay-say. And, I'll admit it, sometimes a valid point is being made.

And some changes are literally cosmetic and not worth me fighting for.

It's the decisions I feel weaken the mag that are hard to take. I realize it's all subjective. People are trying to make decisions they feel are best for the greater good. But I'm a strong believer in a strong central vision. To many cooks spoil the broth. But even if I flat out disagree, I don't have the authority to make my vision stick.

That's frustrating.

I'm hoping part of it is proving myself. That once I do these and do them well people will start to trust my opinion. But in reality there will always be individuals wanting to stick their oar in and for as long as I do this job I'm going to have pick and choose which battles are worth fighting and which ones are a lost cause.

I don't have to like it but I'm gonna have to learn it.