Day One... Check!

So after spending 20 frustrating minutes trying to back out of my drive way through mounds of snow, I had finally made it to my first day of college!

And it wasn't exactly what I had been expecting...

First, when I stopped by orientation, the B.O. smell in the room was almost too much to bare... I wanted to puke instantly. I still can't understand why some people haven't figured out the benefits of deodorant!

After the orientation sh-peel I hurried out to attend my first class, Drawing in Illustration and Storyboarding. It seemed as though everyone already knew each other and the teacher/student relationship was familiar and lax. After going over the syllabus she starting teaching us about Contour Drawing. I admit, I was a little bummed that we would be starting out so basic (I learned this type of drawing during freshman year of high school), but I had to remind myself that it was only day one and went along with it. Then the teacher gave us a handout describing the homework assignment which was Hatching...

*yawn*

I admit I was hoping for a bigger challenge, but, it had been a while and it would be good to remind myself of the basics and familiarize myself once again. I guess I would rather start off simple and look forward to more challenges ahead.

I began working on my assignment while listening to everyone's conversations. It's so funny how there is still the same mix of personalities that form your average classroom... you know, that one kid that can't stop voicing their opinion, the rebel in dark clothes sitting in the back corner, the chatty kathy informing everyone of her lifestyle choices... etc. Interesting how some things never change.

While slightly disappointed with my first class, I went on to my Typography class hoping for something new and challenging. I am happy to say that this class upped the ante!

I really liked the teacher, his humor, and his passion for the class. He started off with some of the basics, the history of type, some technical jargon like the difference between serif and sans serif... it was all so fascinating and interesting to me! I left the class with a page full of notes and a smile on my face. I am definitely excited to learn more and work on the upcoming typography projects.

Also, I now have to keep a "drawing journal" and draw in it once a day. That means I have to turn in 7 drawings every Wednesday. I was a little worried that it would be too much, but then again excited since this is exactly what I need... to get back into the habit of drawing just for the hell of it. It could be anything we wanted, no exact directions, just simple drawings.

So today I thought I would share with you my first drawing in my journal....

What do you think? :)

My first day of school...

...and I have these conditions to drive in???

This is going to be more challenging than I thought... wish me luck!

Thankful

Thanksgiving
by Fr. Brian Joyce

I am thankful for the mess to clean up after a party  because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

I am thankful for the taxes I have to pay because it means I have a job and I am employed.

I am thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have had enough to eat. 

I am thankful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home. 

I am thankful for all the complaining I do about the government because it means we have freedom of speech. 

I am thankful for the parking spot I find at the far end of the lot because it means I am capable of walking. 

I am thankful for my big heating bill because it means I am warm.

I am thankful for the lady behind me in Church who sings off-key because it means I can hear.

I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby. 

I am thankful for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive. 

And finally, I am thankful for the alarm that goes off early in the morning because it means that I am still alive.

Josh's step dad read this at the dinner table before we all dug in. This list of things to be thankful for reminds me of how many little things in life we take for granted and how blessed we are. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Quitting of the Job

My father always told me to not be a quitter. He encouraged me to keep playing softball, keep practicing, keep going... even though I found myself terrified of going up to bat, terrified of the pressure and everyone watching, and hated wearing that ugly baseball cap. Even though I happened to be good at softball, it wasn't really making me happy anymore. I later quit softball and focused on dancing, which I not only was good at, but loved as well and continued for many years.

This is similar to me recently quitting my job. I was really, really good at what I did but I found the harder I  worked, the more stressful everything seemed, and the less happy I became. I would try to pick out reasons why I should stay, convincing myself that I really was in fact, "happy". 

I got to thinking about how my choices, both good and bad, have brought me to this exact moment in my life. It fascinates me when I sit down and wonder at the fact that we all are creating our own destinies... one decision at a time.

If you know me, you know I'm extremely indecisive. From deciding on what cereal to buy to deciding which career path to take, my Gemini twins always seem to be talking to one another, constantly fighting back and forth between what I should do.

But once my gut tells me what to do, I usually do it.

I also was thinking how fast time has gone by. How so many things are changing from day to day. And sometimes people like myself get stuck in a momentum... like getting caught in the tide and not being able to push through the waves, swimming as hard as you can, but only staying in one place, not paying attention to other directions you could go.

This is how I found myself one October evening... wondering why I was so exhausted, so stressed, so lost. Who had I become and more importantly, why was I doing it? I had been caught up in a career path that was leading me in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go. Being a graphic designer has been in my head for years now, but I have been settling and avoiding the hard work of school. I was also a bit afraid of really trying because, well, I might fail at reaching that dream...

And sometimes I start regretting some decisions I've made. For one, quitting school when I did. I think back now and wonder where I would be if I continued school. I would be graduated. Maybe would have had  a killer job and loving life. Maybe...

But I'm not sure if I would have my husband in my life. I wouldn't have met the friends that led me to my previous employment..... which led to experience with designing..... which led to my interest in graphic design... which led to my last job..... which gave me the fire to start school again.

Furthermore if I didn't quit at that precise moment, I wouldn't have applied for jobs that week and wouldn't have found the job I have now which is nothing short of absolutely perfect for me.

The point I'm trying to make is that we should all be living without regrets. Our decisions have led us to exactly what we need in life from moment to moment. For me, it took one meeting, two hours, several accusations, and plenty of harsh and unnecessary criticism to realize that my last job was not where I needed to be. I would much rather be working that hard towards a goal that I actually want, and be satisfied knowing that I'm doing something I love. To me, that is happiness.


So I ask you, what are your thoughts on happiness? What big decisions have you made that have led you to where you are today? Please leave a comment with your stories!

Shopping Spree!

So I finally got my schedule for school and I will officially be starting on Monday, November 29th! I will be taking Drawing for Illustration & Storyboarding and also Typography! Woohoo!

Eagle Gate College automatically creates your schedule for you so I was really happy with their choices! One big issue I have with designing right now is the limited amount of graphics available to use that aren't copyrighted. With the illustration class I hope to learn how to draw and create my own graphics, which is something I have been wanting to do forever... I can't wait :)

Even though Eagle Gate College provides you with all of your supplies I knew I didn't want anything generic (how diva of me!) so I made a trip to OfficeMax over the weekend to find some cute supplies. I haven't gone school shopping in over five years so it was really fun to see all of the new designs. There were so many choices I had a hard time deciding!

Here is what I took home with me...

I got a fun binder, a notebook, a couple folders, and a super cute planner to keep all of my due dates and assignments organized in one place. 

Eagle Gate College also provides you with a backpack, which is nice and all, but come on now! Backpack? What am I in the 8th grade? I looked around for some messenger bags and the decent ones all ranged from $80-$200! So I made a visit to one of my favorite stores, T.J. Maxx to find my perfect match. 

I snagged this gorgeous black leather knockoff for only $19.99...

It's perfect! It looks like a giant purse but has tons of room to hold everything and has a laptop pocket (perfect for my Macbook) and side zipper extenders. 

Woot :)

Practice makes perfect!

So, my sweet mother has decided to venture in to her creative side by making custom greeting cards featuring her very own photography with matching crafty flower pens! I am very supportive because I think this would be something great for her to focus on right now and I definitely think she can do it!


After talking business logistics, naturally, I offered my assistance in creating her logo design!  Here are some ideas I initially came up with...

After many, many adjustments and editing she narrowed her choices down to these two...

Which one do YOU prefer? 

Please leave a comment with your thoughts and suggestions!

Fearless

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~ Marianne Williamson

Recently I came to a fork in my road... follow a career or follow my dreams? It was really difficult to do, but I decided that in order to really enjoy my life I need to love what I do, and that required me to make some changes.

It's come to a point where I can no longer fear the unknown, fear reaching my dreams, or fear letting my light shine. So, I have decided that it is finally time to liberate from my fear and enroll back into college to get my degree in Graphic & Web Design. I will be attending Eagle Gate College at the end of the month :)

This blog will be my place to share what I'm learning, post pictures of my works of art, and vent my stress as I'm sure there will be challenges ahead... but hey, I've always liked a challenge!