A couple years ago by a random stroke of luck, I met and later worked for Rod Stewart. He picked me out of the crowd of 80,000 at New Orleans Jazz Fest and invited my friend and me backstage. We met him, his band, and his family over a glass of wine (we turned down tequila shots). I was completely freaking out, but my friend had enough forethought to hand Rod one of my business cards and explain that I was a graphic designer. I will never forget the moment he turned to me and said, “I need cover art for my new album. Want to have a go at it?”
Even though I communicated with Rod through his manager via email over the next few months, I quickly learned, that like most artists, he had NO idea what he wanted his new album to look like. He did, however, have plenty of opinions about what he DIDN’T like. Even more challenging was that I was not allowed to listen to any of the album before designing for it. By the end of the project, I submitted a total of ten design directions. Although Rod’s final decision came down to one of my designs and that of another designer, he chose to go with the other designer. But honestly, I felt like I had already won (especially since he paid me!). The experience of working with someone of Rod’s caliber is invaluable, and he taught me that nothing is impossible if you just put yourself out there. Sometimes being in the right place at the right time, along with hard work, can go a long way.