1 Year In!

A Timeline Story by Rasheedah Billups


NOVEMBER

On November 14, 2016 I walked into The Artoholiks for my first day as a copywriter. Truth be told, as excited as I was to be joining the team, I was also nervous and unsure about how things would unfold. I was worried that my right brain had been neglected for too long. I was worried about how useful my background and skills would be on this new team.

December 17, 2016 the day I fell in love with being an Artoholik.

2017

The new year rolled around and I was in the thick of it. By this time, the part-time schedule, I worked out for myself had become a full-time schedule. I found a rhythm. I was loving every moment of it, but talks about impending tasks and responsibilities terrified me. But I’ve got a mean poker face so I don’t think Iquan knew (cat’s out the bag now lol). I did my best to quiet the fear and kept trucking.

Spring came and The Artoholiks leveled up again and shit got real. One day I looked up and I was pumping out content for clients’ social media, managing a blog, and a load of other things I never saw myself doing. I was in it so I didn’t realize how much things had changed, how much I evolved. By this time my right brain was feeling completely loved on, the Wacom had become my favorite thing ever, I “spoke” fluent PhotoShop, Indesign, and Illustrator – lol – and I was totally dissing anyone who shot in auto mode on their camera (just a joke, no judgement).

MAY

In May I smiled. We received copies of the Scotch Porter Spring/Summer ‘17 manual  that we put together and I was the editor. This was the moment it came full circle for me. For someone who has dreams of being an award-winning author, this felt good. It felt real. This moment brought me a step closer to seeing my name on the cover of a book.

SUMMER

…pulled up real smooth. Much like the holiday season of ‘16 it was all love. Not only had I been growing creatively, professionally in a new field, but culturally and socially the journey had been packed with growth, new discoveries and the planting of new relationships.

November 14, 2017 we toasted to me being at The Artoholiks for one year. I was astonished. The year had flown by, my life had been transformed in so many ways. I traded in my suits for an Art Is Dope tee.

I can’t wait to see where I’ll be this time next year. 🙂

The thought of not being an Artoholik is a joke to me. Peace out!