Please understand I did not want more along the tree line! I had that in excellent designs from Tere and Nymalba. Placing other designs in first were to see for myself if I felt or saw them any differently. I don't know what clues you were drawing from for your missed opportunity to work on other designs, but i hope that you do not discontinue to give your best to each contest. If your efforts are honest, you should enjoy a self-satisfaction without regretful feelings that you gave too much. I connected with the simplicity and clean in yours as I stated. I didn't think that the bird was too realistic or too pretty, it is what I liked about it and why I actually did connect with it !! There was however something that I wanted more, that was the slogan, without loosing the simplicity and the brightness. Also, when I suggested the sun, I was looking for something memorable and that caught the eye, so i liked the colors bold ,but then I did not want it as bold as McDonalds or Shell. It wasn't quite right, like a cafe logo. I liked the blue bird, and the finish was the request for the bright fade out yellow which really worked! And I really agonized over the choice. In the end, I am happy. I can not please each designer. Unfortunately the contest is designed to compensate only one! But I took the time and effort to let you know my sincerity. I have been in earnest. I am sorry that you didn't feel you grew from your experience -at least and that what I appreciated from you , you regretted :( I ONLY wanted your contact to send another thank you with a small gift compensation for what I felt you enjoyed working on with me. I understand that you are not good with that and that is ok here too. All the best to you in your future.
I told you that you were right to go with what you connected with, as i told you throughout. This is your logo, you have to feel good about it--that is what will get you to use it more and feel good about what it says to the world. you state "And I really agonized over the choice. In the end, I am happy. I can not please each designer. " You are right and you don't need to please each designer. I am glad that you are happy.
RE: me. You state, If your efforts are honest, you should enjoy a self-satisfaction without regretful feelings that you gave too much." I always give my best and one always (hopefully) grows from experience. And I was enjoying working with you. But, when i was in first toward and at the end and it was then you then wanted to start working with other designers and I told you that you could cycle the designers through first if you wanted to hone their design, , it should have been a clue to me What i felt at that point, IF I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO MYSELF was that I should have set limits for myself then, and backed off and and not get too invested. Recognizing for myself that kind of up and down wasn't healthy for me at this point. And, especially when there seemed to be a constant cycle of who was in first. At that point I could have and should have walked away and said that I had enjoyed working with you but had invested what i felt comfortable with. That it probably would have been healthier to move on to spend my time and hopes on other contests. And that itself is a learning experience. (it sometimes has to war with my monetary needs, but I definitely need to find that balance.)
In future if working with desingers: Truthfully, Re: the sun or slogan feedback the feedback you just gave now would have been a more helpful feedback. Throughout, knowing what one does or doesn't like helps. Both give helpful clues to move forward. But in actuality knowing what someone DOESN't like about a logo is actually often more important and prevents spending a lot of time going down a lane that goes nowhere. (it will help your designer). since the only feedback I was getting was "Im loving the sun,it really stands out when in reality you were thinking..."Also, when I suggested the sun, I was looking for something memorable and that caught the eye, so i liked the colors bold ,but then I did not want it as bold as McDonalds or Shell. It wasn't quite right, like a cafe logo." I didn't play with other places, styles, etc. of the sun. And the only feedback i got after a very early certain point was directed at that one logo. A a designer I actually thought that sun weighed it down too much, but was trying to work within what you were feeing you needed and felt connection to.
I told you I appreciated the kind words (and I did) and relayed in my message to congratulate Tere that I thought you were very nice but the constant up and down had left me worn, so that even though you had asked for my email to contact me I didn't feel up to it. More kind words about a logo effort that obviously didn't connect, at that point would have only left me more frustrated.
When you said "Please send me your email where I can send you another message after this contest. I want to further express my gratitude for your generosity and effort. I admire your work, your honesty and believe you are a gifted artist. I will be able to share my contact info after this contest is complete. All the best and many blessings to you , Kathryn " was again a very nice message and appreciated. But didn't feel emotionally able to be open to a thanks you were great, and sorry, message. That doesn't take away anything from the fact that you were being very nice. It was just the fact that I was not in a good place and didn't want to deal with more nice words that weren't helping at the moment. To be honest, the fact that you are saying now there would have been a monetary gift, of course would have been welcome (As unflattering and mercenary as it sounds) I am not lying, times are very tough these days in lots of ways), but I did read where though you wished you could reward more than one, you obviously were not in a position to do so at this time. (again totally understandable).
Again, not saying you did anything wrong. It was your contest and you conducted it in your way. You got the results you needed. You are happy with them. I know you are a good person. I did enjoy working with you and the fact is if i started resenting the time I was putting in, knowing that I could be reading the signals wrong and could lose--it should have been up to me to stop at the point i was feeling uncomfortable.
As I stated before, good luck in your venture--that is genuine.