now what is it that you do?

In most recent social situations I have been asked, "What do you do for a living?"
I answer knowing that i have the coolest job ever, "I'm an art director"
"oh."
conversation continues and a little later...
"now what is it that you do?"

So, I've found some resources from my most recent issue of Step Magazine that might help some of you understand. what I do.

and by the way, I do it well.

"Whence did the wonderous mystic art arise,
of painting speech, and speaking to the eyes?
That we by tracing magic lines are taught,
How to embody, and to colour thought?"
William Massey

Top 10 Reasons Being an Art Director is the Best Job in the World
10. Being a whiney, tempermental crybaby is completely excusable.
9. You get to have all the mystique of a fine artist with none of the clean up.
8. "I'm an Art Director" sounds so great no matter who else is at the table.
7. Throwing clients off by explaining why the EPS on the FTP makes a poor PDF due to the lack of PPI
6. You can rock an all black outfit in the summer that would put the goth kids to shame.
5. You know enough key comands to virtually type an entire layout.
4. The coolest offices in the building.
3. In a world full of corperate rules you're bound by none.
2. Given a small buget, a suffocating deadline, and a client-generated concept, you channel Mac Gyver-like skills and get the job done.
1. Creating cool work and having little pieces of your ego printed, published, and plastered all over the place!
Craig Brimm