Sirius Sunday: Be Still My Bleeding Heart
Written by Rose - April 25, 2010 1 Comment
On Thursday night I was up until 5 am.
One would think that my rocking college days of late-night partying and all-night study sessions would have finally come to an end, but there I was, blinking at a computer screen and gulping espresso while the early-rising birds sang a mocking song outside my window to welcome the cheerful dawn.
(For the record, I now officially hate birds—even more than I did before, when all they did was poop on my bike seat and stare at me cock-eyed.)
I was editing. Hardcore editing too; there were thirty pages of scholarly documentation that needed to be proofread and revised before Friday morning. And this was after working for several hours on three short-short academic pieces that needed to be crisp, articulate, and pristine . . . by Friday morning as well.
I was scrambling to be clever, rushing to be pithy; I’d been up since seven am and my brain was dead, offering me scholarly no-no words like “bad” and “stuff” when I tried to find the vocabulary to make the writing make sense. When I finally toppled into bed, documents safely emailed and submitted, I had read almost fifty pages of notes, drafts, comments, and brainstorming.
Want to know the really ironic thing about this situation?
I wasn’t even doing my own work.
How a Bleeding Heart Leads to Bleary Eyes
One of the truest things about the people who work at Sirius Graphix is that we care about the people we work with. You aren’t just a name on a paycheck; you’re a valuable person with important things to say that we don’t want anyone to miss out on. We want you to succeed for your sake, not just so that you’ll write a glowing review.
The trouble with this altruism is that it means we’re so intent on serving others that sometimes we—and I say “we” because I know I’m not the only one of the Team who does this—sacrifice our own time and health.
Now we all know that any private company is going to have more output than input in its early stages. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the work.
What We’ve Been Staying Up Late For
The team’s been busy! On Monday Deb shared her heart for comments with us, and the response was inspiring. It’s so good to know that you people are still out there to fill our comment box with your lovely personalities and hilarious insights. Thanks, guys, for sticking around.
In honor of the comment conversation, I wish I could say something inflammatory or witty to win some love, but my brain’s still a little fried, so instead I’ll just tell you something I learned late on Thursday night. There’s a lighter app for the iPhone whose flame moves realistically as you move it around. How awesome is that?
Allison brought us some html loving on Thursday and delved into . . . well, to put it unprofessionally, into how to make something on a website do something cool when you put your mouse over it even without clicking. Hover properties! Who knew life could be so beautiful? Keep bringing the glory, Allison. We’re here to take it.
If you think learning html is psychedelic, you’re gonna love Wendi’s Friday post. Clairvoyance, dudes! Years of experience as a business consultant have practically given Wendi superpowers when it comes to analyzing and predicting a fledgling business, and we have the special treat of learning how to read the cards for your business–without ever picking up a deck! Check out the article and get some ideas about where you fall on the spectrum (or get a nice kick in the pants, for those of you waiting for the grow-up fairy), or shoot us an email and let us help you predict your future today.
Methinks It’s Time for a Sirius Nap
I have to admit, I’m not nearly as resilient as I was in the days of my youth. I’m still bleary-eyed, and it feels like someone stuck a sheet of sandpaper behind my face to provide some nice friction for my eyeballs whenever I look around. Now I’m learning how to yawn and scratch my nose at the same time, which takes more talent than you might think.
But at the same time, I’m really proud of the work that I did. Even at 4 am, I have to admit that I’m a better editor than many people are in the primetime of their day. It feels good to be a part of a project that means something to someone, and there’s something energizing about working with someone else towards a greater goal. This friend sat up with me while I worked on his writing, but when he started snoring on the couch at about 2 am I let him sleep. Kind of me, no? Maybe I’ll start considering rates for rush jobs.
As much as I love editing, I will say that I wouldn’t mind if maybe the next time a friend needs a huge project edited, he planned ahead and granted me the kindness of a few extra days. See, the Sirius team is populated by kids who care more about you than their own sleep, and we’re so intent on helping you get your message across that we’ll do whatever we can to make your goals possible.
But don’t forget that whenever you write, you need to leave time to finish with a good edit. How much time? Well, friends, kindness goes both ways. Siriusly.
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