graphic design will be the death of me

Haven't updated in a while. in fact this one will be rather short. I just wanted to post some of my GD work so that I can get some feedback maybe. First ideation stage and my first ever attempt at logo work. so be gentle...

This first one here is actually the kanji for "dream" tweaked a bit to look even more like a rose than it did when I started. I really like this one, maybe not as a logo, but as an idea. I'd like to play with it more.


Sorry about the horrible picture layout...not quite sure how to make it look better... I know they all need a lot of work. but maybe just look at them as ideas, not finished works.

Okay, time to get ready for bellydance...I want to go back to bed...*sigh*

It is done

Well, yesterday I talked to my boss and gave him my two weeks. He was pretty cool about it, took me off the schedule and whatnot. It feels weird at work now. Like I'm already gone, but there in ghost form. They know I'm leaving, they all want to get out themselves...I've started the trend and my boss knows it. He feels it in everyone, so he wasn't talking to me most of the day because of all of this.

Anyway, it feels good to get that out of the way. Another new chapter to begin.

The other day I stumbled across a new blog that fascinated me. This person posts a drawing everyday. It's her goal to post a picture everyday this year. I think that's intense, I can hardly imagine doing a drawing everyday with how busy I am. But that's an excuse really. I should give that a shot...oh time for class, gotta go!

building excitement

Tomorrow is another day...but not just any day...it's the day that I'm putting my two weeks in...I have never looked forward to a monday this much in my entire life. But tomorrow, shortly after I get there at noon, I'm going to talk to my boss and tell him I'm leaving. Just thinking about it makes me smile. Boyfriend and I haven't it all planned out that on my last day at work he's going to bring me Famous Daves and I'm going to take a real lunch break (at my job we take working lunch breaks where we go get our food then come back and site at the desks and do what we do while we eat. however we do have the option to extend our shift by a half hour and clock out for lunch if we'd like and that's what I intend to do). It's sad how big a deal this is for me...I just don't like my job that much I guess.

Today was excellent. Got some homework done, spent time with my grandma and aunt, got my car washed, ate Dairy Queen, watched an awesome movie with my aunt, did some homework (although not nearly as much as I should have...oops), went to service, watched a crazy World of Warcraft movie with Boyfriend (yeah, we're nerds), and worked out...Working out felt awesome. I've never actually walked out of a work out session feeling happy and awesome about working out because of my crappy knees. but today I felt improvement and that really made me happy. I'm going to fix my knees this time and stick to the physical therapy plans. There is no excuse for a 21 year old to have bad knees. at least not this 21 year old, I've never really done anything straining on them...

okay, enough boring blather from me, it's late and I'm making breakfast for boyfriend tomorrow morning

new job!

So I just got back from my job interview and I got the job! So very very awesome. plus, while I can't start at what I am making at Macy's, I'm getting more than I was expecting, which is very very very cool. Plus it's more than what I would get as a sales associate at macy's. always good. The bosses are really cool and the overall job premise sounds like some fun. It'll be nice to put up some of my own junk too, get that out of my way. I can see me being used as the family junk get-rider-ofer. and I'm cool with that, I'll just take a little on the side...hehe. They're super flexible with the hours I work, which is my main reason for needing a new job.

okay, enough blather...back to work. whee!

Firedance

I just got home from my fire dance class. Twas fun as always. Didn't actually light tonight like we were thinking we would. still too cold. besides, I forgot my props anyway so that wouldn't have been fun. We're going to light next sunday as a group, which will kick much ass. I may also get together with one of the other women in the class and go clubbing with her. she's pretty awesome and knows places that we can get away with spinning poi at without getting kicked out. Now that's making me consider getting better indoor props cause my beamers have seen better days. I can't wait to get my taxes back...*sigh* money money money.

But anyway, class was cool. we did a bit of salsa fire palm choreography and I got that down pretty good.

Earlier today I had belly dancing and we started a new choreography too. I'm excited for that because so far I could easily convert it to a fire fan dance, actually it would be awesome with palms too but I don't have those...yet...soon though. I just love fire.

Also did physical Therapy for my knees and I can kinda start to feel them getting better. I'd say they're at 50% now...maybe 60% whereas before when I started PT they were at about 40%...Progress is good. After PT got my back adjusted and that went smoothly. Then, best of all, Boyfriend and I got massages. awesome stuff right there. This was a very good day. I love thursdays.

Tomorrow I have my interview...which reminds me, I have to get up early and print off my resume...shit...I need a printer here...stupid me. oh well. yay for new job!!! Time for some change in my life. I've had the same job for a very long, torturous year...been at the same company for two and I have learned one thing...I am not cut out for retail...at least not a grunt level, or security level...Maybe when I can manage a shop or something then we'll see.

Okay, time to get some progress on my Animatic outline and perhaps work on Graphic Design again...whee!

Inspiration

I made the mistake of thinking that inspiration to work on a project I really didn't want to do would eventually come to me right in time to get it done. In this case, I did not work well under pressure. I got a little sick last night at work, so again I put my homework off until I had a nap. At midnight, boyfriend woke me up and I started by getting to work on the assignment due first, creative and critical thinking. Got the two drawings I needed to get done, done. Then my stomach got to me again so I went to bed, thinking I could get it done if I woke up early. Set my alarm for 7am, heard it, ignored it, woke up at 7:30 thinking oh shit...not a nice way to wake up. Started working on the Graphic Design assignment by hacking up the old version a bit. But I realized that my lack of time wasn't going to allow for the amount of creativity I needed to put into this. I watched a movie to keep myself awake and it ended up distracting me more of course.

So here I am, in C&CT trying to think of ways to talk to my GD teacher so he doesn't think I'm a total waste of time slacker...

My real excuse is that I'm the kind of artist that can make paintings or drawings look realistic, but when it comes to fun cool looking things my mind goes blank...I'm afraid to be adventurous because I'm afraid to fail and look like a fool for doing something different. The only way to fix this problem is to just push myself to do the thing I don't want to do, over and over and over and over until I come up with some cool idea to apply to the project.

an audience

It now seems that I have a fan out there. or at least an audience. It feels strange, I didn't think that would end up happening. I don't imagine this blog to be all that interesting but I hope they find something in it worth their time.

Work today was rather boring, but lots of walking was involved so my knees are killing me. I'm sick of having bad knees, I feel like an old woman. And I'm being bad by skipping my workout, again...I need to stop doing that. bad habit. Saying I have no time is a bad excuse for being lazy. I'm really lazy

I just spent the past hour and a half watching the boyfriend play a new video game. I didn't even play myself, just watch. It's so pretty and the story-line is so very engrossing I can't help it. even now I'm watching him get his ass handed to him by a big griffin thing... lazy lazy lazy.

I still have to finish the Creative and Critical thinking homework and Graphic Design homework... luckily I'll get out of class early tomorrow and I can work on that crap...grrr

But boyfriend is being all cute and catlike, telling me it's time for bed. so goodnight sunny, sweet dreams

job update

So there is a good possibility that I could be getting a new job. I just talked to my friend's mom, who runs the place and while she doesn't really remember me she's excited to interview me and talk to me about a job. so Friday we're going to meet at 9:30 and talk about it. I'm so excited! Then if it all works out, I'll be able to put my two weeks in on friday...oh life is good. life is very good. Now I just need to put it out there that she matches what I'm making now. I'm worth every penny. I think it's kinda funny that I was just talking to my minister yesterday morning about how I needed to quit my job but am afraid to because I need income of some kind. She told me not to worry and that something would show up. Sure enough, last night while reading my friend's blog, he says his job is hiring and his job sounds like a blast... things just fall into play when you need them to I guess!

Last night I also got more progress in on the character design for my animatic. I'm getting closer and closer to finding the right guy. still needs some simplification though. It's quite liberating to think that he doesn't have to look realistic. Cartoony is good for this.

Life is good.

progress!

The hardest part about any project is starting the damn thing. I finally sat down and forced myself to start my creative and critical thinking homework. didn't get very far, but essentially the hard part is over. I did the listing of variations and view points and now I'm taking those and turning them into sketches. after that all I have to do is take those sketches and put them on 8x8" sheets of paper. easy enough...

otherwise today was rather wasteful. possible simple job opportunity through a friend at a local pawn/ebay shop...worth pursuing if it gets me away from security. I can't do this job anymore, I'd be ready to put my two weeks in tomorrow if my boyfriend wasn't so goddamned right about me needing something else before I can leave what I have. He's logic and reason, I'm emotion and passion. At least we balance each other.

I should put more work into this assignment, I should go work out, I should do a lot of things yet tonight but I'm not going to because I'm tired. However, I think I will research gardening more for that other creative and critical Thinking project...yay research! or I could do something fun like character sketches for the animatic...so much to do...I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow and could just focus on homework. I wish I could be paid for being a hard working student...that would be the best job ever.

motivation

It was one of those days that I got home from work and did not want to put effort into something...I sat, watched comedy central and eventually forced myself to go work out around 11:30...Here I am now at 1am knowing that I could have gotten a lot done and I'm filled with regret...The problem was that I just didn't know where to start...I just don't know and that freezes me up. I can't just dive into something. It's the lazy artist in me thinking that I need to be inspired to do something...Tomorrow I don't work, I was going to go to a play but the girl I was going with canceled cause she has to work. Maybe that's a sign of some sort...Homework day!!!!

Monday I work 12-8 so some potential for work getting done there...but will likely end up much like today did...no.

Tuesday is class from 9:30-12 then work 2-10...but hopefully I get out of class really early because all we are doing is reviewing outlines in the order he got them...mine should be one of the first ones, after that I can be out to get something else done! woohoo!

Beginning Progress

So I should probably establish current projects here so that I can maintain status reports on them as this goes.

Visual Thinking: The on going project for the semester is to create an animatic, a short (1-5 minute) minimally animated slide show put to music or dialog. I'm choosing to redo a project I did last year at Normandale. Using the song "Capital G" by Nine inch Nails, I'm essentially creating the music video I see in my head every time I hear the song. All that's due next week is the basic outline of the idea and I've already emailed it to him. So that's all good.

Creative and Critical Thinking: Three projects are on going for the semester. The first for me, which is due March 12 is the Research Project, where we research a topic related to creativity and ways to unblock or encourage it. I currently have no idea what to research...I'm considering something related to procrastination, possibly a book I'm reading or using blogging as a method of organization...hence this blog to see if if works.
The second, which is due April 9 is our personal project. Basically anything and everything goes here all we have to do is learn or practice something creative that we've always wanted to do but have never made the time to. I'm debating between two project ideas. The first and most likely option is Gardening because it would relate to my UCON classes website assignment. It would also teach me more about sustainability at a minor level. Plus it would just be fun... The second would be to pursue Clothing Design, creating new clothes and present a line of clothing to the class at the assigned date. This would pretty much just be fun...Cause I used to really want to do clothing design but I gave it up since I would have to move out of state to get an education in it. Plus I really only enjoyed making clothing for myself, not other people... Still haven't firmly decided which one I want to do...
The last main project is the group assignment where we get into groups of 3-4 and work on something in the community. We haven't selected our clients yet so I don't have much to say there.
Plus, in addition to all of those, we have to work on weekly assignments. This week we have to take an ordinary object and look at it from 15 different points of view (ex. how would an adult look at this object vs a child?) from that we have to create 10 variations of the object and present them on an 8x8" format. I'm not 100% sure I understand this assignment so I emailed a classmate to see if she can help me.

Graphic Design: We are wrapping up the typography portrait assignment by redoing our collage images to improve them by Wednesday. Mine needs a lot of work...
We also just started the next main assignment, creating a logo for an imaginary company. We have to pick some animal, vegetable or mineral to research, sketch and eventually turn into a logo which will then be photoshopped into pictures to make them look like they're being used. This week all we have to do is research our thing, which I have done already. I'm going to use a cat as my logo, big surprise. Just an excuse to look at cats really.

Last but not least, Understanding Contexts: Probably my least favorite class...we have to create a website for a non profit called Renewing the countryside and their cookbook being released next month. The main focus of the site will be to push people to buy the book as well as educate people on the importance of sustainability and supporting local farmers. There will be a photo gallery, a collection of videos from event and podcasts from various people. We're just getting into the Information Architecture phase. I'm not the biggest fan of this class because I know absolutely nothing about web design and I don't know where to start... but so far things are going well I just have to avoid the mistake I made last semester and stay involved with the group.

That's good enough for this blog entry... a good solid foundation of what I'm working on. More to come soon enough.

Time to stop avoiding this and get to work

Let's try this again...

So this is my attempt at creating a blog that isn't hosted on something that encourages drama and ignorant thought...*cough* myspace, facebook, livejournal *cough* I'm hoping to use this as a way to keep track of my career goals, my art and my school work. Things like current class projects, volunteer work and simply organizing my life a bit more. In the past, my blogs have been silly dramatic displays for my amusement. we'll start anew...