Love letter to a project manager.

Dear Project Manager,

I never really thought we could be a thing. After all, we come from different worlds. You with your spreadsheets and processes. Me with my blank pages and open-ended questions.

But the time we’ve spent together has stirred something inside of me. I find my heart yearning more for you with every OOTO day you take. And when you return to me, your mere presence fills my head with philosophical musings. Today, for example, I caught myself thinking, If the content can’t be quickly found on Dropbox, does it really exist?

With every passing day we spend together, I come to realize that … Dare I say it?

I cannot live without you.

The truth is, dear Project Manager, I love you. And I know for a fact that our clients love you, too. How, you might ask? Let me count the ways.

When my dreams get wild and vivid, you chart a course in black and white. 

I’ve got big ideas floating in my head. You’ve got budgets nailed down to the nickel. I’ve got concepts that’ll make the CEO cry. You’ve got contracts that’ll seal the deal. With your yin and my yang, we really do complete each other.

While I’m busy creating my masterpiece, you’re making sure it actually gets done. 

Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? Oh, you do! Thanks for that! Your timelines push me to show up and get the tough creative work done, without ever having to plead with clients for an extension.

When I dive into the deep end, you always throw out a life preserver. 

In my enthusiasm for the sheer joy of creating, I sometimes forget that things can go wrong. Like, really, really wrong. But you don’t. You’ve seen it all before and thought through all the risks. So no one’s ever going to drown. Not me. And certainly not our clients.

While I’m reaching for the stars, you’re ensuring a stellar outcome. 

I’ve told thousands of stories. You’ve managed thousands of projects. I’m prone to trying daring creative feats, and you’re always there to make sure I stick the landing. Together, we see to it that our clients get all the thrills and none of the spills.

Each and every day, you make me a better version of myself. 

Sure I’d still be creative and I’d still tell stories even if you weren’t in my life. But could I ever have turned my habitual daydreaming into a professional career without you? I shudder to think of it!

And so, my dearest Project Manager, through our relationship I’ve come to understand what you’ve probably known all along (because you are eerily All Knowing). We do not have to be peas sharing the same pod to love and honor one another. On the contrary, your strange and orderly pod is what fascinates me and keeps me coming back for more. So please keep being you, sweet pea, and stay right where you are. I promise to come visit, and I trust you’ll come calling for me on a regular basis, too—preferably Mondays through Fridays, from 9-5.

Love always,

Your Favorite Creative Professional