Cliché (Andy Biersack)

Dream Job, Actually

The company I started working at did designs for movie posters, album covers and other stuff like that. I am actually surprised I got the job, seeing how high end it is. But I guess I'm good enough.

For the first few weeks I had to follow one of the more senior designers around to get the hang of my new job. I learned to work with a new programme. Luckily, it isn't too difficult to use. It's pretty similar to what we worked with at Uni. So, when I had the tools down, the next step was co-working on a client with somebody who had more experience. After they saw that I was capable of doing everything by myself, I only had to wait for a new client to book us.

When I got my first solo project, I was excited about it. The only thing to keep in mind was that the customer was always right. I can't let my own creative ideas get the best of me. I don't think I have too much of a problem with stubbornness. We'll just have to wait and see.

Among other reasons why I'm looking forward to having a client is that I'll have less time to myself than I do now. I don't like sitting at home and staring at a TV screen. I know I said I wanted to be alone for the rest of my life, but I still have to learn how to do that. It's been three months since Michael and I broke up and I still find myself thinking about him and regretting how it all turned out. But I guess that's normal. We did date for almost an entire decade. Learning how to be single after such a long time is no walk in the park. But I'll manage. I always do in the end. I'm still pissed off about the whole situation. He said that he didn't want kids, so I said I didn't want kids either. But apparently, he just didn't want to have kids with me. What a coward. All of this could have been discussed. He could have said that he didn't feel like being with me anymore, before he cheated.

Every time I start remembering what we had and how it ended, I decide that I'm never dating anyone again. All the work you have to put into getting to know the other person, the time it takes to get used to every single one of their quirks, the eternity you need to learn to coexist in the same home... Never again. It's way too time consuming.

"Sophie?" My boss knocked on my office door. "Yes, Mr. Wayne?" I asked, getting up and opening the door for him.

"I am happy to announce that you've finally gotten a client," he said happily and handed me a file. I was ultra nervous. I'd imagined this moment in my head so many times over the past 2 months. I opened the folder and saw Epitaph Records written at the top of the page. The name of the production company rang a bell. I scanned the whole page.

My job was to design the cover for a music single. Okay, I can do that.

"You're going to meet with the producer and the singer. We've worked with them before, and they expect nothing but the best. I suggest you do your research of the band," my boss told me.

"When am I meeting them?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Can you handle that?" He asked. I nodded and he gave me a smile, then he left my office.

I went straight into research mode. I opened YouTube and started listening to the band's songs. It was my first time hearing their music. I liked it a lot, so that was good. After listening to almost all of their music, which took me a good 5 hours, I read through the files again. The single was a reimagined version of one of their first songs. I listened to the whole album containing the original song, again, and checked out its album cover. I didn't know if they wanted to do a more complicated or different thing, or if they're looking for simplicity.

When I heard the word 'reimagined', my first thought was 'Nightmare Reimagined', which is an album featuring different bands doing their own take on the soundtrack from 'A Nightmare Before Christmas'. The thought wouldn't leave my mind, so I embraced it.