Burning the midnight oil

'Burning the midnight oil'

An expression that gives that all too familiar sinking feeling to any creative that hears it. Why? because it means pain... emotional and physical pain but to us students it simply means normal working hours for a big project.

I'm in full deadline meeting mode with my first big presentation of the new year looming, I'm armed with my cups of Tea, Relentless (aka legal speed) and so I'm ready for a week of barely any sleep, blood shot eyes, mood swings, minor psychotic episodes, major forgetfulness (did I remember to...) and very irregular eating habits e.g. buttered toast and prawn cocktail crisp sandwiches at 3 am (don't knock it till you've tried it honestly...)

Why do I do it? because there's nothing quite like putting your all in to something to have it pay off, you feel like god, well I imagine thats how he must feel anyway.

It is easier to forget the work you put in than to remember what you got out of it, however this comes with one massive howling exception... if you fail.

Then it really was just a few weeks of your life you could have spent having a lot more fun.

But hey nothing in life comes easy and all that shit that was designed to make you feel better in the face of crushing defeat.

Am I a pessimist? I don't think so I'm not afraid to fail, your talking to the guy who in his first year did a whole presentation and was told at the end I had missed everything on the brief, needless to to say I learnt from that particular mistake.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hate working ridiculous hours for weeks on end for something that could be shit anyway, unless its a success then I love it, hows that for profound...