The Diary of Queen Mothy |
Junior Year of College! Yikes. written @ 11:27 PM on August 27, 2004 It always makes me nervous when I'm away from the ol' diary for awhile because you know that means that I have returned to my natural habitat: that is, the kingdom of chaos. Yup, back in school is right. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were fantastic because it was just me and the college capadres. Throw the new freshmen into the mix and it's a party, fo' sho'. But then by Monday it was back to business-- the two-major, 19-credit-hour-a-semester, 15-extra-projects Hell with a capital H that I ended with last year. That's right, I am right on track this semester! Want the low-down? Observe... Survey of Asian Art: First of all, this class is at frickin' 8am, which, to the average college student, is God's time. FYI: We don't operate on God's time. Having started with Indian art-- to be more precise, the archaeological finds at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro-- I realized that my only saving grace is my professor, who is this spry, ADHD, little older woman who talks about baked earthen seals and proto-Shiva statuary like it's the latest thing at Tiffany's. If the material fails to catch my interest, at least she will entertain me substantially. Myth & Magic: Okay, this class officially rocks (clue: right now we're watching Spirited Away, which you ought to rent if you haven't already). My professor for this class at first glance seems like the type you'd find sitting in a comic book shop playing Dungeons&Dragons. When he began talking about the psychological effects of myth and fantasy literature on society I was hooked. What a thoughtful guy. And cool. We're reading the following classics: Witch World, American Gods, Hogfather, A Scattering of Jades, and Legends Walking. And already we had a fabulous discussion about Harry Potter. And how the Brits are smarter than Americans, based on the organization of their London bookstores. Which most of us already knew anyway. Essentials of Theatre, aka Theatre 101: I should have taken this class as a freshmen. My professor likes to point this out to me-- and the three other upperclassmen who took it. Survey of Western Art II (Late Gothic-NeoClassical Art): God help me. Intro. to Graphic Design and Intro. to Typography: Now that I have three major projects due next Tuesday between these two classes, I've never desired a cigarette more than now. But since I don't smoke, strong coffee will have to suffice. Because they are the first graphic design classes I've ever taken, I'm a little tense. I have finally wandered out of comfortable territory and have crossed into a land of stiff competition and a thousand possible answers, none of them necessarily right. It's going to be tough. I know this. I don't understand how my classmates seem so indifferent to it. Due to the flooding of designers on the market and in the schools, my professors have decided to instate a review at the end of the semester to decide who will go on to get a degree and who won't. I'm not scared. I know I can do this. It's all in my hands and in my mind. It's nerve-wracking because everything that I've worked toward in my life has come to this moment-- and it's only a beginning. I was scared at first. But after completing a good session of homework tonight (of which I have a collection that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy), and doing some thinking while I researched Neo-Confucianism for Asian art (the whole Zen thing, you know?), I realized that, yes, I have worked my entire life for this moment and I swear that I won't fuck it up! Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I had a second art reception at Treillage and... drum roll... got an offer for another piece. My latest client isn't sure which one he would like, but he is buying art from Pattie and me before the month is up. He took my business card. I was also a featured artist in what you may call the "local townsquare" in the W.C. Wednesday. Local artist Mark and I reproduced a Murillo painting on the street with chalk. The idea was to get the kids and other community gentry involved with the process of making art, and I'd say we had a good dozen kids scribbling their vision with my old pastels. The next day two of those kids walked up to me at Treillage and handed me drawings they had made in my honor. One is of a cache of teal circles and dots (chocolate chip cookies), and the other is of a big round face, purple eyebrows, tiger eyes, and teal hair ("It's you, Sam!" Amusing when my hair is blonde, my eyes blue, and my face not nearly so round). I have these drawings hanging in my dorm right now. Because suddenly it just all seemed worth it. The stress, the constant go-go-go, the diet consisting of carbs and coffee, the looming deadlines-- all of that is worth it when you know your work and your passions has possibly persuaded two little kids to go after their dreams. And not only that, it reminds me where I've come from, how far I've come, and what I still have left to do. My path is still long. I know there will be times when I fail. But it's worth it.
A Bit of History ~ And Onward! L'Amour Toujours! - August 08, 2005 |
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