Shaking Things Up

On Jan. 14, 1994, I had a job at St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica. It was a good job and I enjoyed my work, but it wasn’t one of those jobs that makes you run out the door in the morning. Whenever I thought about finding something more exciting, which wasn’t often, I’d end up telling myself, “Well, this is what I’m trained for so I guess I’ll be staying here.” I was 27 and settled into a routine. Leaving my job was the last thing on my mind when I went home that Friday evening.

Then, on the following Monday, my job left me. That was Jan. 17, 1994, and the earthquake that hit Los Angeles in the early hours caused so much damage at St. John’s that the hospital was forced to close its doors. It would only be for a few months, I was told, and the hospital wanted me back at my old job when it opened again. But it did leave me with time on my hands. Hearing that a friend of a friend named Mary DeMarle was looking for temporary help in her creative services department at Hanna-Barbera studios, I applied, got the job and haven’t looked back since.

That first job was basically shuffling artwork back and forth. Working in a creative environment was such an exciting change, though, I actually went home and dreamed of Dino every night for two weeks.

From there, I moved into a permanent position and then up through the department. Now, thanks to the Turner-Time Warner merger, I work for the creative services division of Warner Bros. Consumer Products as the print production coordinator.

And it’s all due (forgive the pun) to an earthquake and the world of new possibilities it opened up for me.