Baton Rouge Bound.

(So much to blog about....so little time....I'm on Audrey's computer right now...mine is still in the hospital...my logic board needed to be replaced! Imagine the irony of that...MY logic board. It should be back soon...I can't wait....2 weeks without my laptop has just about sent me over the edge.)

I go home this weekend as well to see my family in Baton Rouge....so I'm sure I'll come back with a load of good family-time stories. I do love to see my niece; she is absolutely precious...and I like to wisper things like "democrat" "liberal" "lesbian" and "my daddy is gay" in her ear...just in hopes that maybe ONE of those could be her first multi-syllable words/sentences. Only kidding, I just say "fuck" over and over...I KNOW she can learn that one.

In actuality, going home is always a mixed bag. On the one hand, I do love my family...they are fun, we have great meals together, and my mom is very sweet and nurturing now that I live 8 hours away (and never come home). Plus, as an added bonus, I am single. They are always much happier when there is no one significant in my life...because maybe, just maybe there is hope I can be changed into the perfect, straight daughter. Alas, tis impossible and so we just drink our martinis and have lovely conversations about a lovely bunch of nothing. The part I hate the most is that a HUGE part of me is invisible. But what do you do? I just continue to live my life, make the best choices I can and hope that one day...that is good enough. Ultimately, it really doesn't matter...ultimately, I am the one who has to live with me...regardless of whether or not I get anyone's approval or recognition. And knowing that in my head versus knowing it in my heart are are two very different concepts. Luckily, for me, I learned a long time ago that asking people to give you something they are absolutely not capable of giving is an exercise in emotional exhaustion. At some point, whether these people are your family, your spouse or your friends, you have to let go of the need to GET something from them and the needs have to be met elsewhere. This is why I have a AMAZING, wonderful group of friends who are my family...my family of the heart.

So wish me luck...as I embark on my mini-bayou-adventure!

At the beach.

So Audrey and I have arrived at the beach...we have sporadic internet access...at best, but in an effort to keep everyone up to date on our exciting lives...here are some pics. So far, we have gotten really bad sunburns on our backs...apparently, the INTENTION to apply sunscreen does not qualify as actual protection from the sun. Luckily, Audrey had some 45...whereas, my silly ass only brought 15. Yeah, I know...what was I thinking? Do I own a mirror? Has my love for Oprah gone so far that I think I'm a black woman? I'll answer those questions later....in another blog.

We have slept a ridiculous amount, eaten lots, consumed many margaritas, taken tons of photos and are in a competition to read the book, "A Whole New Mind." In addition to this, we have both "perfected" our beachfront handstand skills. I think you can tell who has better gymnastic skillls....


Audrey and I bought a football at the ridiculous beach store, Wings...okay...this place is out of control...talk about consumerism gone bad. They sell every stupid beach item known to man. Including airbrushed t-shirts. I think I may get one for Tania with a unicorn on it...I know she'd love it...and I'm certain we'd be best friends forever if I got it for her.


So far, we only have 2 injuries from our frolicking on the beach. Audrey got some blisters on her foot...nothing nearly as dramatic as what happened to me. I was DIVING for the football, making a heroic effort to demonstrate both my impressive ball-handling skills (now there is something you don't hear me say everyday) and my overall athletic prowess....and I CRASHED into the sand...on my very senstive knees, there was BLOOD everywhere...I am lucky to be alive...and not on crutches. Here are some pictures of my knee and her puss filled blister.

Overall, we are having a fantastic time...I forgot how much I LOVE running on the beach in the morning....there is nothing more peaceful and relaxing. I hear the theme song from Chariots of Fire everytime I go out there. I hope everyone is having a fabulous and enjoyable break...more to come later.

yeah, that's my body.

So tomorrow, Audrey and I take off for a week at the beach...how great is that? I am so ready to get away and have some downtime...it's been a long time since I've had a real vacation. I don't know that I will have ready access to my computer...I know...I am already going through withdrawal....and I know it's going to be hard for you, my fellow, bloggers to live without my regular insights, commentary and general sharing of wisdom.

On my trip, I plan on doing a little reading....I know...I am a geek...what can I say?


I may indulge my celebrity fascination and read an InTouch magazine or two...I had no idea Jennifer Anniston was getting married....I am so out of the loop.

Most likely, I will sleep, run on the beach and relax as much as possible...I'm sure we'll take lots of pictures and I'll blog ALL about my trip when we return. Life is good...

You know you are a loser when....

You come home from 3 nights of virtually no sleep, a VERY mediocre critique and a few cocktails with Audrey and blog.

I can't help but be introspective after all that I've completed this quarter...I pushed myself harder than I have to date at PC. Maybe it wasn't in regard to perfecting my type treatment or picking the right typeface, but I put myself into my work. I guess that is the part that sucks about the critique I had...none of that is acknowledged. None of the struggle is important when it comes down to the brass tacks of things...I guess I am being too sensitive about it...my type does need help...I know I have so many things to work on, to make better, to pay closer attention to.

It seems like the one thing my critique panel liked the most was the thing I did in the least amount of time. My wine bottles. I literally spent 2 hours on them this afternoon because I was determined to complete all of my work. There were definately some issues to be resolved with the design, but I just did it from a place of sheer enjoyment. I was tired, over it, ready to be done, but I had fun. The concept was a S T R E T C H, but I actually made sense of it enough to defend it....until....I got honest. Questions regarding production and some details came in...and what did my dumb ass do? I told them that I didn't HAVE TIME to take care of those details because I literally started them this afternoon...but I didn't want to lie...they were obvious things that I would've noticed had I not been applying the labels as I was walking out the door, but my dumb ass told them the aforementioned information. S T U P I D. Why did I do that? I don't know...let's just blame it on sleep deprivation.

Bottom line, critiques are a learning opportunity. Would I tell a potential employer that...no...but I understand critiques to be a place to be honest about your work, your process, your strengths, your weaknesses. How else does one learn? By lying? By saying that I slaved away HOURS at those wine labels...only to produce something with obvious flaws? NO. Why shouldn't I say that? Maybe I spent hours thinking about them and this was my first crack at production....

I get that we need to learn presentation skills. I get it. I get that we need to be able to defend our work...but fucking defend something grounded in truth...not bullshit. I can defend substance and truth all day long, but don't ask me to make up some stupid story about how long and involved my process was if it, in fact, was NOT. That just seems ridiculous to me. I really understand that in the "real world" one has to improvise sometimes...but we are in a learning environment...it is one step removed from "reality." It seems as though we should be encouraged to be honest about how we arrive at the design solutions that we do. What if you went to the doctor and suffered high blood pressure but refused to acknowledge to your doc that you consumed a diet high in sodium. One could spend MONTHS, YEARS, LIFETIMES trying to determine the cause of the problem...simply because the patient refused to be honest.

Clearly this bugged me. I think it may be time for some sleep. I'm sure I'll return to my normal, reasonable self tomorrow. The good news is...it's over...quarter 4 is over! I am, officially, half-way through and I love where I am and what I'm doing more now than ever...I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to be with these amazing people at my school and to be doing what I do. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't question, analyze and measure the quality of each experience that I have.

CRITIQUE WEEK.

So these are the staples of critique week at Fortpolio Center. This week I've actually had Willy's twice...what a treat. Somehow, food and sleep seem to become less important than obsessing over details of our projects during this time...this may explain some of the erratic behavior. Tonight has been a fun night of cutting out fucking banners for my Olympic Branding project and touching up paint on my airplane...I'd really rather slit my throat than touch up paint on model cars...I am not a detail painter...I prefer the broad strokes. Alas, it is required that I do things I do not like to do...life just isn't fair. Perhaps I should go ahead and publicly endorse using spray adhesives and spray paints indoors with the windows shut if you are looking for a cheap high. I am quite certain that I have killed several brain cells in the past 5 hours...please no comments from Tawnya or Sarah...I know what you are thinking...but let me remind you it is not wise to fuck with sleep deprived individuals with a cache of exacto knives on her person at most times these days.

Sleepless in Atlanta.

Why is it that sometimes night time feels so utterly desolate?
I usually love the night...it's quiet...comforting...solitary.
Tonight I hate it.
Tonight I just want morning to come as quickly as possible.
I'm restless.

Yeah, I'm procrastinating.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

SO this website....www.similarminds.com....is really fun. I took this short test and found out that I am Einstein...I mean, I always knew I was somewhat brilliant, but now I guess it is confirmed. Watch out world, here I come.

HELP!

Greetings blogging pals.
I need some help.
I am working on a project for Hank...wine bottles.
Here are the questions:
1. What does it mean to have a "crush?"
2. What does it mean to fall in love?
3. What does it mean to be in love?
Three difference scenarios...sometimes a progression...sometimes these things happen in isolation.
Think big.
Any adjectives, thought, quotes, ideas will help...what does it look like, feel like...colors, tastes, smells...think sensory reactions.
I'll keep you all posted.
Thanks, in advance, for you help.

A Natural Multi-Tasker.

So this is me as a little baby tater tot. Not too different than me today...in fact, that is the very expression I am sporting these days...looking just a little stressed, biting my finger and twirling my hair. Luckily, I have progressed past the high chair...but I think I still have the blue velour robe.

Studio week is almost over and do I have one thing completed and in my possession?
That would be a big, fat "no." I'm not really worried about it right now...I made a commitment to myself that I was not going to do what I did to myself last quarter...drive myself mad at the very end trying to make everything perfect. I am definitely going to do the best that I can do...and that may not be 100% of what my potential is...it's been a very hard quarter...not so much for the workload, but the emotional nature of all of the content. We work so hard at PC...I know I really push myself...further and harder than I would have done on my own...it's like running in a marathon....you get to "rest" but it is never restful...there is always something to think about...something to work on...something to read...something to just catch up on.

But it's all over on Thursday...at least for a short while.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Cheers.

So I am breaking the "rules" by not visually blogging...but it is studio week at Portfolio Center...that means life is freaking nuts. Hank calls it "miracle week" and many times it is...especially if you are in his class... Just for fun, we had an extra assignment to complete...the "Champagne Chair"...basically we had to take two champagne bottles and using the cork, wire cage and foil wrapping, make a small chair. These are mine...they were actually pretty fun...and the first one is conceptually very similar to the chair I am doing for Hank's class...more of that to come later...but I'll post a pic of my model soon. So as we enter the dark hours of studio week...full of anticipation of critique, full of the stress of project completion...say a little prayer for us...and send cases of Red Bull (sugar free, of course) at your soonest convenience.

Visual Blog #2