Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Pulled muscles are murder

So...any prayers you could send my way would be much appreciated, as it seems that my penchant for accidental-injuries-with-no-clue-of-how-they-could-happen seems to be back. On my other blog (mentioned earlier) describes it in detail.

I still don't quite know how it could happen, but it hurts like nobody's business. It must be mentioned that this is the first time that I've pulled a muscle like that, so at least I can scratch that off my bucket list...

In other news, I'm editing the Janice Wyatt Summer Arts camp video again this year after filming it a couple of weekends ago, and again, I CANNOT believe how talented these kids are. I am so glad that there is a place for them to express themselves year after year. Growing up, theatre was my get-away from problems with school and being a teenager. On stage, no one judged you for wanting to talk in a strange accent to release some tension, or breaking into some song, even if you aren't currently performing a musical. I was blessed to be able to experience that, and I'm honored that I get to film this for posterity so that these kids can see how talented they are.

If you have the means to, please consider contributing to your local theatre, because most of them could really use the help, if only to keep the camps going for the talented kids of MS, or wherever you call home.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

New

In an effort to get me life on a track I like, I started a new workout blog. It's there to make me consistently work out because of the added pressure I've put on myself to post every day, or at least every other day. Hopefully, it'll help me stick to it. We'll see how that goes.

If you want to give me encouragement, or some good, old-fashioned ribbing, check me out at www.onlyoneforemily.blogspot.com

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What's the word?

Happy Wednesday, Bloggers,

So, as you can tell, I've been kind of ambivalent about my future in the Graphic Design industry. I think I've made a decision on that front: I'm going to finish this degree and then go back for another, one that I can see myself loving for the rest of my life. I'm beginning to feel happy about this decision, because if my second degree doesn't pan out, at least I'll have this to fall back on. Keep me in your prayers. It has kept me up many a night. Life has something more in store for me than I think, I think.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Frustration

Tell me Bloggers: When you get to the real world, is there ever a time when you find the perfect balance of personal time and work time? And a love of both?


Recently I've been feeling very burned out in school and life. I had a mini breakdown the other day when it occurred to me that I'd chosen a major that I don't think I'll love in 5 years. Don't get me wrong, I'm very interested in it, but it is a "pusher" industry, and I've never really been that person, especially if I don't personally like it. I worry that I'll fall into a job that I'll hate and then mete out that hatred of said job to everyone that surrounds me. That thought terrifies me.

I really enjoy creating art, even for mass consumption, but do I have to forego all the teachings of my previous study that said that I should create something that I love? Designing for the consumer is something that I've had to deal with a lot in the recent years, and I find that what I like about a piece of work that I've created is exactly what the customer doesn't like, and vice-versa. I used to think that I was fairly capable of producing work that appealed to the masses, but it hasn't been the case (more often than I'd like to admit). I feel like a loser (self-esteem discussed at a later time) when I make something that no one likes, when the CUSTOMER is supposed to like it. I feel like I'm selling out when I put something out in the world that I would NEVER in a million years want my name on (not that it's come to that point yet), and I just feel...like I'm just pushing a product that isn't new or fresh. I've found that clients either like a very specific thing that is hard to replicate in a way that will make it look presentable, or their ideas span a HUGE variety of designs which, when boiled down, are exactly what everyone else is doing.

I think I'm losing my touch. I feel very ambivalent about my future in graphic design. But I will finish my degree, because if I didn't, I would feel a crushing disappointment towards myself about my cop-out. What happens in the real world when you feel such distain for what you do?

Friday, March 4, 2011

School has gotten in the way of life...

I have decided to change the way I do this blog. In the past, I divorced myself from it, didn't use any personal pronouns, and limited myself to only four lines. That is going to change. Get ready world...

I like to write, but I haven't had time to in about a year. With this blog, I wanted to keep a kind of living journal of my experiences, but present them in a way that would change the way people felt about verbiage. That was a hard thing to do because sometimes I could even remember what I'd done because I'd also stopped taking pictures as a remembrance of events. School had taken over my life. I didn't think about anything other than what was due next and how long I could work on another design project before I had to get back to the one with the deadline looming. In short, I got burnt out.

That had never happened to me before. I was always good about working with deadlines, and although I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator, I always met them, and sometimes I even got them done early (shocker!). But college was a horse of a different color, and it didn't really hit me until my junior year. I had gotten all of my pre-requisites out of the way my freshman year and the first semester of my sophomore year so that I could work only on art, which in hindsight was probably the worst thing I could have done. My brain was always working on only one side, so my art suffered.

So I've revamped this blog in an attempt to redistribute my brain usage. Day one. So it begins.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Truth

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
Anton Chekhov
So true.

Though, I hope this year is different than the past few.
I have vowed to live by the Serenity Prayer.
Hopefully, this year will be the least stressed,
most fulfilling, and best year yet.

Friday, September 24, 2010

'Quik'

Recent innovations help reduce environmental impact substantially.
If more people felt responsible for the world we live in,
it would be a better world. This guy has the right idea.
How interesting and modern.