January 27, 2009
Veering away.
January, 1989
Twenty years ago, I began what could be considered “my career”. I didn’t think of it as occupational choice at the time … it was supposed to be a simple, six month contract position. An interesting second job that would help me pay the rent, save for an upcoming wedding in the fall, and feed a voracious appetite for late 80s import vinyl.
Every weekday afternoon, I would check out of my day job as a high school instructional assistant and head off to work a 4:00 pm to midnight shift, digitizing typefaces for a young, snappy company called Image Club Graphics. Image Club was founded the year the Macintosh was released and grew up alongside the “desktop publishing revolution” thing. Now I was building type into the night in a room full of brand new Mac II boxes. And taking home another paycheque.
This might just go somewhere.
January, 2002
Seven years ago, a group of friends and I started talking about a project we’d like to tackle. It was code named “Groundhog”, with an obvious nod to the Bill Murray flick. Our idea was to focus on the gap that formed in the creative industry after Getty Images finally shuttered operations of EyeWire here in Calgary, and then left the carcass out to dry and shrivel for months on end.
Groundhog became Veer.
January, 2009
This Friday will be my last day at Veer.
It wasn’t a decision that was made in haste or out of frustration. I’d been mulling it over for months. The time I’ve spent helping build Veer into something cool has been equally exciting, edifying, and — at times — thoroughly exasperating. The people I’ve worked with over the past few years have made me laugh, asked questions that needed to be asked, forced me out of my box, and encouraged me to keep learning. It’s been a blast, but still … it’s time for a change.
Less work. More family. Less commuting. More walking the dog. Less time spent cooped up in windowless meeting rooms. More time sipping dark roast on the patio with my wife.
So, what’s next?
I have no idea. Ask me again in a few months.
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Brian Burke