Fresh-brewed tea, rice krispies, and warm jammies. Just a few of the things that I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. This holiday is all about giving thanks for the people and things that you are thankful for. My "thankful" list has been expanding as of late. I think it's easy enough to overlook the things we should be grateful for, but this day has a way of reminding me, and everyone, of just how important it is to be grateful.
So, to start with, I want to thank God in particular for helping me through the last two weeks. They have been some of the most stressful and exhausting that I've had to deal with, but he took me by the hand and led me through. Several papers, a speech and two tests later, I am done with all of that and am currently relaxing at home with my family (most of whom are asleep right now).
Which brings me to the second thing: family. I love every single one of my family members, and I don't know where I would be without them. I could go on a huge spiel about all the things that they've done, but that...would be a very long blogpost. Safe to say, they're totally awesome-sauce and I love them like a gamer loves his console. <---Which is a lot, by the way.
Then, of course, comes my friends. I don't have to name you all; you know who you are. I love all of you oodles, and you make getting up in the morning worth it (usually!). To the friends that I've had for years, thanks for putting up with all of my crap, and I do mean all. And for those of you that I've only just met this semester of college, thanks for getting to know me. I've enjoyed cultivating those relationships, and you've really been an encouragement to me. I hope that we get to be closer friends in the future.
And, finally, there's everything else. Hah! I'm too lazy to go through all of the other things that I'm thankful for. There's a lot to be sure. God has been faithful in providing the things that I need.
I hope that this Thanksgiving, you also are taking stock of all the things that you're grateful for too. It's good to stop and be reminded of everything that you have. May your Thanksgiving be enjoyable and your bellies stuffed.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Flying Fingers
I have a huge appreciation for people who can do things I can't...and do them well. There's so many things I wish I could do: crochet, ride a unicycle, juggle, kidnap David Tennant and keep him in my basement forever and ever.
Hehehe. *cough* Tonight in my Fine Arts class, I was reminded of one of the things I wish I could do: play an instrument. A long time ago (farther back than I'd care to remember), I took piano lessons. I decided pretty quickly that I had more important things to devote my time to, aka go outside and play. I regret, now, not sticking with those lessons. While I believe I never would have had the talent to play the piano well, I still would have liked to have the ability. Because I can't play, though, I think I have a better appreciation for those who can play an instrument. That being said, I want to share a video that my professor showed us in class. It's a recording of an accordion player performing "The Flight of the Bumblebee." You may think you've not heard the piece before, but I'm sure you'll recognize it once it starts. More importantly, watch the man's fingers...
It's intense, isn't it? I can't even imagine the practice that was required for him to be able to perform the piece so rapidly. That's dedication!
I suppose what I'm trying to get at here, is that finding and utilizing your God-given talents is very crucial in forming the person you will be for the rest of your life. I'm still on the journey to discovering mine. I only hope I'll be as dedicated and talented as this man in my own area.
Hehehe. *cough* Tonight in my Fine Arts class, I was reminded of one of the things I wish I could do: play an instrument. A long time ago (farther back than I'd care to remember), I took piano lessons. I decided pretty quickly that I had more important things to devote my time to, aka go outside and play. I regret, now, not sticking with those lessons. While I believe I never would have had the talent to play the piano well, I still would have liked to have the ability. Because I can't play, though, I think I have a better appreciation for those who can play an instrument. That being said, I want to share a video that my professor showed us in class. It's a recording of an accordion player performing "The Flight of the Bumblebee." You may think you've not heard the piece before, but I'm sure you'll recognize it once it starts. More importantly, watch the man's fingers...
It's intense, isn't it? I can't even imagine the practice that was required for him to be able to perform the piece so rapidly. That's dedication!
I suppose what I'm trying to get at here, is that finding and utilizing your God-given talents is very crucial in forming the person you will be for the rest of your life. I'm still on the journey to discovering mine. I only hope I'll be as dedicated and talented as this man in my own area.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Under Pressure
I'm sitting here in front of my computer feeling like I have something to say but not knowing how to put it. These last few weeks have been some of the most difficult ones I've ever faced. In fact, the last few months have been a struggle. I've had to deal with financial insecurities, a failed relationship, changes in friendships and severe stress brought on by college life. I kept looking up to the sky, begging God to explain why I've felt like he's abandoned me. I've been drifting, trying to avoid confronting a lot of my problems, but still expecting God to take care of them. But at some point, I mentally sat myself down and said, "You need to do something, not just expect God to take care of everything for you."
Now, before you start think I'm being sacrilegious or something, I'm not saying God isn't capable of taking care of us. Not at all. What I am saying is that God, at some point, expects us to accept his help. I was so busy running away from my problems that I kept missing his helping hand. And it was always there, if I had only looked closer.
What I'm trying to get at here, is that God provides, no matter what. After I got myself back in the right mindset, I accepted his help and started putting the pieces of my life back together. It's hard, and there are nights I still cry myself to sleep, but I know that if I keep praying and seeking His will, I'll be fine. He's proven to me that if I ask for His help, he's willing and able to provide it.
With each problem, God has stepped up to fulfill that need. Financial problems? God has provided me with several jobs. Relationship issues? I'm still following his guidance. Changes in friendships? He's helping me sort them out. Severe stress? I've gotten back on track and am managing my time better. At each point, he's been faithful and been there for me. So, I will continue to pray and follow his will.
Now, before you start think I'm being sacrilegious or something, I'm not saying God isn't capable of taking care of us. Not at all. What I am saying is that God, at some point, expects us to accept his help. I was so busy running away from my problems that I kept missing his helping hand. And it was always there, if I had only looked closer.
What I'm trying to get at here, is that God provides, no matter what. After I got myself back in the right mindset, I accepted his help and started putting the pieces of my life back together. It's hard, and there are nights I still cry myself to sleep, but I know that if I keep praying and seeking His will, I'll be fine. He's proven to me that if I ask for His help, he's willing and able to provide it.
With each problem, God has stepped up to fulfill that need. Financial problems? God has provided me with several jobs. Relationship issues? I'm still following his guidance. Changes in friendships? He's helping me sort them out. Severe stress? I've gotten back on track and am managing my time better. At each point, he's been faithful and been there for me. So, I will continue to pray and follow his will.
When I got back from Fall Break, this is basically what went down...
Haha! Jo was still looking for a job, and she said, "I'm not going to be happy for you until I get a job too!" Teehee :D You have to understand our relationship to get why this is so hilarious.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Planes, Trains and...
...Superheros? Yeah, doesn't make sense to me either.
Well, hello there! It's been a few weeks since I've had the chance to breathe, let alone update my blog! I know you all missed me very, very much.
No?
I suppose that's okay too. Getting to the nitty gritty here: I've put a bit of a hold on my fanart for ThunderCats. Now that I'm back at college, Kyle and I have been talking about getting started on those Marvel redesigns. He's officially sent me a list of the different characters with descriptions of what he wants each one to look like. I was squeeing during most of it. There's no doubt I'm going to thoroughly enjoy myself during this project.
Originally I had planned to do this entire project with traditional media, namely, pen and colored pencils. Instead, I received a graphics tablet from one of my close friends, Chris, and after fiddling around with it, I've decided to do digital paintings of the characters. I'm hoping that this project will help me increase my ability with the tablet, as well as learn knew ways to use Photoshop. Just in the past few days I've learned so much about the difference between just editing photos and actually creating digital artwork. It's insane how much Photoshop can do. I would marry it if I could!
Alright, perhaps not.
I'm ridiculously excited for this whole thing, though. The chance to better my artwork in the areas I'm lacking is making me a little crazy-happy. So here's the first piece! Spider-Man redesigned! (This is just the front of the suit. There will be more to follow of the suit and Peter Parker.)
I'm also being challenged in my 3D Design Class. I've found that my brain works in a very two-dimensional manner, which makes this class a bit of a pain. Literally. In some ways it physically hurts to try and work through a project that has to be three-dimensional. But I've found that I have other people in the class that help me work through processes and ideas. We're all learning together and attempting to help the others along. That's a spectacular aspect of IWU: the small classes and tight community allow for that kind of professional fellowship.
We've already done one project in the class and we're well into the second. The requirements for this one is unit forms (which is going to be some sort of shape we create or find) and repetition of that form. I already have an idea for what I want to do, but getting the materials for it is going to be a challenge. One of the major downfalls of being an art major is the extra strain on your budget for art supplies.
One last thing! I promised that I would add pictures of the air force museum! I'll feature of few of them here, but to see the rest you'll have to follow the link to my deviantART gallery: Pretty Planes! (They're worth looking at! The planes are gorgeous.)
Well, hello there! It's been a few weeks since I've had the chance to breathe, let alone update my blog! I know you all missed me very, very much.
No?
I suppose that's okay too. Getting to the nitty gritty here: I've put a bit of a hold on my fanart for ThunderCats. Now that I'm back at college, Kyle and I have been talking about getting started on those Marvel redesigns. He's officially sent me a list of the different characters with descriptions of what he wants each one to look like. I was squeeing during most of it. There's no doubt I'm going to thoroughly enjoy myself during this project.
Originally I had planned to do this entire project with traditional media, namely, pen and colored pencils. Instead, I received a graphics tablet from one of my close friends, Chris, and after fiddling around with it, I've decided to do digital paintings of the characters. I'm hoping that this project will help me increase my ability with the tablet, as well as learn knew ways to use Photoshop. Just in the past few days I've learned so much about the difference between just editing photos and actually creating digital artwork. It's insane how much Photoshop can do. I would marry it if I could!
Alright, perhaps not.
I'm ridiculously excited for this whole thing, though. The chance to better my artwork in the areas I'm lacking is making me a little crazy-happy. So here's the first piece! Spider-Man redesigned! (This is just the front of the suit. There will be more to follow of the suit and Peter Parker.)
I'm also being challenged in my 3D Design Class. I've found that my brain works in a very two-dimensional manner, which makes this class a bit of a pain. Literally. In some ways it physically hurts to try and work through a project that has to be three-dimensional. But I've found that I have other people in the class that help me work through processes and ideas. We're all learning together and attempting to help the others along. That's a spectacular aspect of IWU: the small classes and tight community allow for that kind of professional fellowship.
We've already done one project in the class and we're well into the second. The requirements for this one is unit forms (which is going to be some sort of shape we create or find) and repetition of that form. I already have an idea for what I want to do, but getting the materials for it is going to be a challenge. One of the major downfalls of being an art major is the extra strain on your budget for art supplies.
One last thing! I promised that I would add pictures of the air force museum! I'll feature of few of them here, but to see the rest you'll have to follow the link to my deviantART gallery: Pretty Planes! (They're worth looking at! The planes are gorgeous.)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Cat Fight
Well, I'm back from my mini-vacation to Dayton, Ohio. Nate, Dave and I went to visit the National Air Force Museum there. I ran off with Nate's camera and took hundreds of pictures before he got it back. I'm hoping to get a hold of them soon for you guys to see! The planes are absolutely gorgeous. I was having a heyday running around snapping the shutter. I thought Nate was going to break my fingers for taking pictures of him too. He wasn't the best model, that's for sure. Still, I managed to get some decent shots, and I'll have them up here as soon as possible.
The Lion-O picture is finished! *happy dance* It took the better part of forever, but I finished the background. There are parts of it that I'm still not satisfied with, but for now, the piece is being put aside for the other requests I have. I'll be working on the Panthro piece while I can, but because of my classes at IWU starting it's going to be difficult to find the time. Whenever I actually get my homework done, I will attempt to cram drawing time in.
For now I will show you the final Lion-O piece. From there, we'll see when the next update will be. I do apologize for another late update, but for now the Monday art update is suspended indefinitely. I'll try to update whenever I can for those of you who actually read this.
The Lion-O picture is finished! *happy dance* It took the better part of forever, but I finished the background. There are parts of it that I'm still not satisfied with, but for now, the piece is being put aside for the other requests I have. I'll be working on the Panthro piece while I can, but because of my classes at IWU starting it's going to be difficult to find the time. Whenever I actually get my homework done, I will attempt to cram drawing time in.
For now I will show you the final Lion-O piece. From there, we'll see when the next update will be. I do apologize for another late update, but for now the Monday art update is suspended indefinitely. I'll try to update whenever I can for those of you who actually read this.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Snerdy Time!
Sorry for the late update (yet again D: ) There were some "technical issues" with my camera. For now it's out of commission, and so I had to find time to wrestle with my Mum's scanner. Tonight, though, I was able to go and celebrate my Grandma's birthday with her, so while that also caused a delay, you'll have to deal! Haha!
The Lion-O drawing is nearly finished at this point. I still have yet to do the background, but I've been looking up pictures of stormy skies to use as references. I think you'll all like the ideas I have for it. It's still a little sketchy at this point, so I'm only going to show you the picture I took prior to that stuff being added. Other than the background, there is just the lightning and lighting (confusing, right?) issues. I still don't know the best way to do that, because I kind of want the bolts to look semi-transparent. I'll be looking up some techniques on that, but depending on my success I may scrap the idea.
On another note, though, one of my friends from the WU has asked me to help with some designs. Specifically character redesigns to go with his own Marvel continuity. I'm snerding (our own term "super nerding") it up with all of my ideas, but at the same idea I'm terrified about whether I can make a decent redesign or not! That and it'll be my first time stepping into superhero genre in my work. Still, I'm bouncing around with excitement and I can't wait to get started on it. I still have that Panthro piece to work on for the dA (deviantART) person that I've been talking to. But after that I'll be in the position to devote my time to the redesigns. (I have it on good authority that the first redesign will be Spider-Man.) <--- :D
Here is the newest picture of the Lion-O drawing. Enjoy!
The Lion-O drawing is nearly finished at this point. I still have yet to do the background, but I've been looking up pictures of stormy skies to use as references. I think you'll all like the ideas I have for it. It's still a little sketchy at this point, so I'm only going to show you the picture I took prior to that stuff being added. Other than the background, there is just the lightning and lighting (confusing, right?) issues. I still don't know the best way to do that, because I kind of want the bolts to look semi-transparent. I'll be looking up some techniques on that, but depending on my success I may scrap the idea.
On another note, though, one of my friends from the WU has asked me to help with some designs. Specifically character redesigns to go with his own Marvel continuity. I'm snerding (our own term "super nerding") it up with all of my ideas, but at the same idea I'm terrified about whether I can make a decent redesign or not! That and it'll be my first time stepping into superhero genre in my work. Still, I'm bouncing around with excitement and I can't wait to get started on it. I still have that Panthro piece to work on for the dA (deviantART) person that I've been talking to. But after that I'll be in the position to devote my time to the redesigns. (I have it on good authority that the first redesign will be Spider-Man.) <--- :D
Here is the newest picture of the Lion-O drawing. Enjoy!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tired of ThunderCats?
I'm not!
*Trumpet fanfare* Thank you, thank you! I love you all! And...now, the moment you've all been waiting for! *drumroll* This Monday's Art Update!! *crowd cheers*
Okay, okay. I'm done being silly. Still, thank you so much for reading this blog! I appreciate any and all feedback (unless it's mean, in which case, poo on you!) Currently I'm working on ThunderCats fanart. I've decided to pull out all (okay, most) of the stops on this next piece. It's taking awhile to color. I've been picking away at it whenever I've had time this past week, but it's still going rather slowly. I'm trying to really take my time and try to make it look the best that I can. I'm going to post a couple step by step pictures for you guys to see, just so you know where I am at this point. So, enjoy!
At this point I was struggling to get the Lion-O on the left's face to look right. Whether I accomplished that or not is debatable, but I just ran with it. (Trust me, at some points it looked much, much worse.)
Here I had managed to get everything drawn the way I wanted (...alright, close to how I wanted) so I inked in the drawing and started to add color.
This is where I am at right now. Later on when I start adding in the glow from the lightning, the color will change slightly on the arms. I'm planning on making the lightning a purple-blue color, so I'll add shades of that to anywhere the light hits them.
And there you go! Hope you didn't get too bored!
Lain
*Trumpet fanfare* Thank you, thank you! I love you all! And...now, the moment you've all been waiting for! *drumroll* This Monday's Art Update!! *crowd cheers*
Okay, okay. I'm done being silly. Still, thank you so much for reading this blog! I appreciate any and all feedback (unless it's mean, in which case, poo on you!) Currently I'm working on ThunderCats fanart. I've decided to pull out all (okay, most) of the stops on this next piece. It's taking awhile to color. I've been picking away at it whenever I've had time this past week, but it's still going rather slowly. I'm trying to really take my time and try to make it look the best that I can. I'm going to post a couple step by step pictures for you guys to see, just so you know where I am at this point. So, enjoy!
At this point I was struggling to get the Lion-O on the left's face to look right. Whether I accomplished that or not is debatable, but I just ran with it. (Trust me, at some points it looked much, much worse.)
Here I had managed to get everything drawn the way I wanted (...alright, close to how I wanted) so I inked in the drawing and started to add color.
And there you go! Hope you didn't get too bored!
Lain
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
First Contact
Impressions. Ever have that awkward first meeting with someone and you royally screw it up? Sometimes it's hard to be true to our personalities, especially when we're trying to impress someone. I, personally, have been told on occasion that I make a horrible first impression. This, sadly, is very true. I come off as a socially-awkward, quiet girl that, while maybe cracking a joke or two, mostly just looks like she'd rather be anywhere else. And I really do avoid "first contact" as I put it, because I can't help but make it feel awkward for everyone involved. But, as my close friends will tell you, get past all that initial quietness and really get to know me, then comes the endless chatter. I have a chronic need to hear myself talk, and have others hear it too.
Once you get me talking, though, you start discovering things you hadn't expected. Would you imagine, just by looking at me, that I'm an avid PC gamer? Probably not. Nor would you guess that I have a special place in my heart for Star Wars and Star Trek. Or even that I could talk about old and new cartoons for hours. I'm not exactly "what you see is what you get," but I'll never lie about what really interests me. This is just how I am, but how many people do we misjudge just by a first impression?
I know for a fact that I've misjudged people because I didn't mesh well with them on our first encounter. But in some cases I've gone on to become friends, even best friends, with those people. However, more often than not, I let that first impression drive me away from truly discovering the uniqueness of that particular person. And we all have a story, or a personality quirk that makes us interesting. It's those that discover it, that really have the chance to become great friends. So I continue to challenge myself to dig around and try to find the redeemable qualities in everyone. They certainly have to struggle to find mine!
So, I talked to a few of the people who read my blog and asked if they would be interested in me adding a comic to each regular blog. (Basically, anything that is not an art update.) They said they'd love to see it, so I've decided that's exactly what I'm going to do. Typically the comic will just be a single panel that has to do with what I'm talking about. Also, the artwork is probably going to be poopy because I'm not going to spend a huge amount of time on it. *Hopefully* when I get a graphics tablet I'll be able to do this on the computer instead of by hand and it'll look MUCH better. But for now, enjoy a bit of my silly comic humor!
Once you get me talking, though, you start discovering things you hadn't expected. Would you imagine, just by looking at me, that I'm an avid PC gamer? Probably not. Nor would you guess that I have a special place in my heart for Star Wars and Star Trek. Or even that I could talk about old and new cartoons for hours. I'm not exactly "what you see is what you get," but I'll never lie about what really interests me. This is just how I am, but how many people do we misjudge just by a first impression?
I know for a fact that I've misjudged people because I didn't mesh well with them on our first encounter. But in some cases I've gone on to become friends, even best friends, with those people. However, more often than not, I let that first impression drive me away from truly discovering the uniqueness of that particular person. And we all have a story, or a personality quirk that makes us interesting. It's those that discover it, that really have the chance to become great friends. So I continue to challenge myself to dig around and try to find the redeemable qualities in everyone. They certainly have to struggle to find mine!
So, I talked to a few of the people who read my blog and asked if they would be interested in me adding a comic to each regular blog. (Basically, anything that is not an art update.) They said they'd love to see it, so I've decided that's exactly what I'm going to do. Typically the comic will just be a single panel that has to do with what I'm talking about. Also, the artwork is probably going to be poopy because I'm not going to spend a huge amount of time on it. *Hopefully* when I get a graphics tablet I'll be able to do this on the computer instead of by hand and it'll look MUCH better. But for now, enjoy a bit of my silly comic humor!
Monday, August 15, 2011
That Time Already?
Wazzat? It's Monday? Where have I been?
Another Monday has come and that means a new-improved (not really) art update!
I'm still working on ThunderCats fanart. I'm keeping up with the show that's currently airing and it's curling my toes with excitement! I haven't seen a decent cartoon from Cartoon Network in ages. (There are a few exceptions, but most of those were on Adult Swim and weren't even from America. Japanese imports, baby!) That aside, because the show is getting me so pumped, I've been more than willing to try my hand at drawing their characters. While trying to stay true to the character design, I'm also letting my style of drawing rear it's (ugly?) head and make itself known. Besides, it's rather boring fanart if it looks exactly like the artist's original design.
The Lion-Os have their claws sunk into me at this point. I've already shown you the 80s version of him, and I've drawn the '11 Lion-O now as well. I'm currently sketching out the two Lion-Os having a friendly match with each other, but since I've decided to take it a step further and give it a decent background, this next one will take a bit longer to draw. I'll keep you updated on the progress of that.
On a slight side note, I'm really excited to say that I've gotten some decent feedback from an artist on devianART. He's really excited about my ThunderCats fanart and has even placed a request for a piece. (Not an official commission, but at least he's interested.) He and I have talked about my doing other 80s fanart, and overall the whole thing has been a huge encouragement. It's nice to know someone is getting something out of your artwork (Besides yourself, I suppose!) For now, though, I'll let you see the reboot Lion-O looking all prettified for you! And, as always, here's a link for a larger size: Lion-O
Another Monday has come and that means a new-improved (not really) art update!
I'm still working on ThunderCats fanart. I'm keeping up with the show that's currently airing and it's curling my toes with excitement! I haven't seen a decent cartoon from Cartoon Network in ages. (There are a few exceptions, but most of those were on Adult Swim and weren't even from America. Japanese imports, baby!) That aside, because the show is getting me so pumped, I've been more than willing to try my hand at drawing their characters. While trying to stay true to the character design, I'm also letting my style of drawing rear it's (ugly?) head and make itself known. Besides, it's rather boring fanart if it looks exactly like the artist's original design.
The Lion-Os have their claws sunk into me at this point. I've already shown you the 80s version of him, and I've drawn the '11 Lion-O now as well. I'm currently sketching out the two Lion-Os having a friendly match with each other, but since I've decided to take it a step further and give it a decent background, this next one will take a bit longer to draw. I'll keep you updated on the progress of that.
On a slight side note, I'm really excited to say that I've gotten some decent feedback from an artist on devianART. He's really excited about my ThunderCats fanart and has even placed a request for a piece. (Not an official commission, but at least he's interested.) He and I have talked about my doing other 80s fanart, and overall the whole thing has been a huge encouragement. It's nice to know someone is getting something out of your artwork (Besides yourself, I suppose!) For now, though, I'll let you see the reboot Lion-O looking all prettified for you! And, as always, here's a link for a larger size: Lion-O
Friday, August 12, 2011
ThunderCats! HOOOOOOO!
I wonder if that is enough "OOOO's?" :3
I decided to do an early art update because I'm really excited about this new thing I'm working on! And you've probably guessed what it is...Yes, ThunderCats fanart. For the rest of the summer I'm planning on doing a ton of fanart. Mostly because I don't have to think about concepts as much, among other things. (In other words, I'm being lazy) But I enjoy drawing the fanart and it still helps me improve my skills so it's not all bad. But back to the point! Most of the fanart will be of ThunderCats, because, let's be honest, I'm obsessed with the reboot of it and I'm falling in love all over again with the 80's version. I'm planning on doing the whole main cast...I might even include Snarf if I'm feeling generous. At this point I've drawn and colored the 80's Lion-O and I've drawn and inked in the lineart of the reboot Lion-O. For now you get to see the 80's Lion-O looking smexy in his blue spandex underwear (which was a pain in the booty to color!)
I decided to do an early art update because I'm really excited about this new thing I'm working on! And you've probably guessed what it is...Yes, ThunderCats fanart. For the rest of the summer I'm planning on doing a ton of fanart. Mostly because I don't have to think about concepts as much, among other things. (In other words, I'm being lazy) But I enjoy drawing the fanart and it still helps me improve my skills so it's not all bad. But back to the point! Most of the fanart will be of ThunderCats, because, let's be honest, I'm obsessed with the reboot of it and I'm falling in love all over again with the 80's version. I'm planning on doing the whole main cast...I might even include Snarf if I'm feeling generous. At this point I've drawn and colored the 80's Lion-O and I've drawn and inked in the lineart of the reboot Lion-O. For now you get to see the 80's Lion-O looking smexy in his blue spandex underwear (which was a pain in the booty to color!)
*strokes the pretty kitty* >.>
Be looking forward to more updates soon!!!!
Lain
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Lifetime Goal, or Pipe Dream?
Maybe a little of both...
Uncertainty. Not knowing when or how something is going to pan out can be terrifying. There's nothing more comforting than knowing exactly what to expect from a situation. With no uncertain factors, comes no uncertain future. But life is constantly changing. What was certain today, may not be tomorrow. We just have to learn to bide our time and go with the flow, fighting back when we can, and just letting go when we can't.
I'm one of those people that wants to know what to expect from life. I want to make a Lifetime Goal, no matter how vague and stick to it like the plague...but even I'm aware that while I dream big, I may not have the chance to see those dreams come to fruition. I want to continue going to IWU for four years and graduate with my degree. I want to search around for a job in my field and then move to a big city, preferably Chicago; I want to join a growing firm and work my way to the top doing what I love, designing new and pleasing products for my clientele. Do I see anything else in my future? Not really. This has been my goal for awhile, and as of now I don't want things to change. I realize though, that I may not have a chance to follow this dream. IWU's tuition is so expensive, and unless I pick up my game, continuing to go there for another year is going to be next to impossible. While I love the atmosphere and the people, I just can't see coughing up that much money over and over again. And, technically, it's not even my money, but the government's. Money that they'll be wanting back in three years. That thought terrifies me and makes me wonder how realistic my dream really is.
I've been thinking a lot about my life and where I plan on going from here, and while I'm still uncertain, I know that, for now, I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm terrified at the prospect of things not going according to my "master plan." But I know that, no matter what, God's plan for me is the best. And while that may not always match up with what I want, in the long run I'll appreciate his guidance.
For those of you who are feeling as uncertain as I do, I leave you with this. Hang onto your dream for as long as you can. If you've had the imagination to dream it, it's worth working for. But also know when to give that dream up. For all either of us know, something else even better is coming along. And if we're supposed to give up that dream...I think that in our hearts we'll know that it's time. So keep looking inward and upward! God will tell your heart that it's time!
Uncertainty. Not knowing when or how something is going to pan out can be terrifying. There's nothing more comforting than knowing exactly what to expect from a situation. With no uncertain factors, comes no uncertain future. But life is constantly changing. What was certain today, may not be tomorrow. We just have to learn to bide our time and go with the flow, fighting back when we can, and just letting go when we can't.
I'm one of those people that wants to know what to expect from life. I want to make a Lifetime Goal, no matter how vague and stick to it like the plague...but even I'm aware that while I dream big, I may not have the chance to see those dreams come to fruition. I want to continue going to IWU for four years and graduate with my degree. I want to search around for a job in my field and then move to a big city, preferably Chicago; I want to join a growing firm and work my way to the top doing what I love, designing new and pleasing products for my clientele. Do I see anything else in my future? Not really. This has been my goal for awhile, and as of now I don't want things to change. I realize though, that I may not have a chance to follow this dream. IWU's tuition is so expensive, and unless I pick up my game, continuing to go there for another year is going to be next to impossible. While I love the atmosphere and the people, I just can't see coughing up that much money over and over again. And, technically, it's not even my money, but the government's. Money that they'll be wanting back in three years. That thought terrifies me and makes me wonder how realistic my dream really is.
I've been thinking a lot about my life and where I plan on going from here, and while I'm still uncertain, I know that, for now, I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm terrified at the prospect of things not going according to my "master plan." But I know that, no matter what, God's plan for me is the best. And while that may not always match up with what I want, in the long run I'll appreciate his guidance.
For those of you who are feeling as uncertain as I do, I leave you with this. Hang onto your dream for as long as you can. If you've had the imagination to dream it, it's worth working for. But also know when to give that dream up. For all either of us know, something else even better is coming along. And if we're supposed to give up that dream...I think that in our hearts we'll know that it's time. So keep looking inward and upward! God will tell your heart that it's time!
I'm Seeing Stripes In My Sleep...
Art Update! HO!
This past week has been a little hectic as I cram as many hours into my work schedule while preparing to go back to college for my second year. I've filled out loans and applied for jobs. I've set up dates with my roommate for moving in and tried to meet up with my friends from home one last time before the summer has ended. Scrambling around to buy books, pack things, and tie up any loose ends, it's a wonder that I've managed to get any artwork done, but I have! (Lookie at me, oh so proud!)
My commission for Jasmin has been moving right along. Coming up with a concept was a little slow at first, but after the initial week, some ideas took off and I ended up with the basic background for it. Pretty quickly I decided I didn't quite like how that looked, so I made some adjustments to it. Once satisfied, I went on to adding the zebras.
I wanted the zebras to look recognizably real, but still have a cartoonish quality to them to give that feeling of childlike-ness. Luckily when I was sketching them out onto the canvas, I didn't have any trouble erasing the unwanted lines. I had been a little worried that I'd mess up the base, but everything turned out alright.
Now we're getting somewhere, right? All that's left at this point is to paint the zebras and add Brelexis's name! It was pretty late that night, and even though I wanted to finish the whole thing, I gave up after finally completing the zebras. I'm still not sure I have them the way I want, but I'll add any finishing touches after I've painted on her name. But for now!! Here ya go!
There's still a ways to go, but I'm confident I'll have it done well before I'm headed off to college. Be looking for the final piece!! And, if you're interested in seeing the last update in a larger view, follow this link: ZEBRAS!!! FTW!
Thanks for keeping up with me! Be looking for art updates next week!
Lain
This past week has been a little hectic as I cram as many hours into my work schedule while preparing to go back to college for my second year. I've filled out loans and applied for jobs. I've set up dates with my roommate for moving in and tried to meet up with my friends from home one last time before the summer has ended. Scrambling around to buy books, pack things, and tie up any loose ends, it's a wonder that I've managed to get any artwork done, but I have! (Lookie at me, oh so proud!)
My commission for Jasmin has been moving right along. Coming up with a concept was a little slow at first, but after the initial week, some ideas took off and I ended up with the basic background for it. Pretty quickly I decided I didn't quite like how that looked, so I made some adjustments to it. Once satisfied, I went on to adding the zebras. 
I wanted the zebras to look recognizably real, but still have a cartoonish quality to them to give that feeling of childlike-ness. Luckily when I was sketching them out onto the canvas, I didn't have any trouble erasing the unwanted lines. I had been a little worried that I'd mess up the base, but everything turned out alright.
There's still a ways to go, but I'm confident I'll have it done well before I'm headed off to college. Be looking for the final piece!! And, if you're interested in seeing the last update in a larger view, follow this link: ZEBRAS!!! FTW!
Thanks for keeping up with me! Be looking for art updates next week!
Lain
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
It's Monday, right? ...Right?
Coming to you, live (not really) from Lain's bedroom: it's Monday's Art Update! (except it's not Monday.) Darn.
Anyway. I'm really embarrassed at my lack of stuff to put up here. I have done a little on the art front, but not nearly as much as a planned for last week. Due to some unexpected problems involving friends I spent most of the week wallowing in self-pity. Hm. Obviously I don't learn my lesson well. However, the problems have been resolved and I'm hoping my desire to paint comes back with it. I did make a sketch a few days ago and even inked it in and colored it.
It isn't finished yet, but if things go as planned, it will be. As to how my commission is coming along, it's still in the pre-painting stage, but now that I have my room cleaned thoroughly I should have the space to work. There still needs to be some sketching done to figure placement of the objects. Clearly I haven't been working hard at all. >.> I think I have my motivation back after some good, quality time with friends though. So, soldier on self! We'll tackle these new projects with lots of...vigor and..stuff. Yay!
And on another note, my Deviantart account is getting some attention. I haven't gained anymore watchers, but I have had quite a few works favorited, so I'm looking forward to a bit more exposure. I'll keep working on getting my stuff out there! Just for the heck of it I'll post the link : http://ellairefenwick.deviantart.com/ Be looking forward to more updates soon!
Anyway. I'm really embarrassed at my lack of stuff to put up here. I have done a little on the art front, but not nearly as much as a planned for last week. Due to some unexpected problems involving friends I spent most of the week wallowing in self-pity. Hm. Obviously I don't learn my lesson well. However, the problems have been resolved and I'm hoping my desire to paint comes back with it. I did make a sketch a few days ago and even inked it in and colored it.
And on another note, my Deviantart account is getting some attention. I haven't gained anymore watchers, but I have had quite a few works favorited, so I'm looking forward to a bit more exposure. I'll keep working on getting my stuff out there! Just for the heck of it I'll post the link : http://ellairefenwick.deviantart.com/ Be looking forward to more updates soon!
Finish Last? Not in My World.
Unbelievable. Girls make the worst decisions in dating. Do you ever get tired of hearing about women who stay with a guy just because they "love them," even though this person has done nothing but treat them like trash? It's the appeal of the bad boy, they say. Hopelessly romantic girls can't help but try to get underneath all those layers of bullshit to uncover the true sweetness inside of that person. I shake my head at you. If that guy hasn't exposed that sweetness to you by the time you've reached second base...sorry girls, but he's probably not worth your time. Look at all those nice guys on the sideline wearing their hearts on their sleeves, being totally neglected. Here you are chasing around your man trying to scrape off those grimy layers of arrogance and rage, when you could have that sweetness and sincerity handed to you for free.
Why do I bring this up? Simple. Because I have this quirky, but catchy song lodged in my cerebellum (see what I did there?) about just what it's like to be a Nice Guy. One of my favorite Youtube artists collaborated with his friends to produce this original song. And while some people think surfing Youtube is a colossal waste of time, I counter with this: If it entertains, inspires or speaks to you, it's worth it. While this song is geared mainly toward guys, I still can take something out of it. I don't need to settle for a bad boy. I deserve a nice guy; someone who will cherish me and treat me with the love and respect I deserve. So why would I have it any other way?
Why do I bring this up? Simple. Because I have this quirky, but catchy song lodged in my cerebellum (see what I did there?) about just what it's like to be a Nice Guy. One of my favorite Youtube artists collaborated with his friends to produce this original song. And while some people think surfing Youtube is a colossal waste of time, I counter with this: If it entertains, inspires or speaks to you, it's worth it. While this song is geared mainly toward guys, I still can take something out of it. I don't need to settle for a bad boy. I deserve a nice guy; someone who will cherish me and treat me with the love and respect I deserve. So why would I have it any other way?
Monday, July 25, 2011
"I Don't Believe in No-Win Situations" But...They Believe in Me
"Space. The final frontier..." I just got done watching the newest addition to the Star Trek universe. (Again.) Kudos to them, it's a spectacular reboot. I'm looking forward to sequels in the near future.
Now! On to the more important things. (Or less important depending on how you see it.)
Frustration. How are we to deal with this? It's irritating when you're forced into a place where, no matter what you do, your decision will be wrong. It's a no-win situation and we're certainly no Captain Kirk. When the feelings of other people get involved, it's difficult to not step on anyone's toes. So, what can I do? Take the path of least resistance, I suppose. Compromise. Hear all sides. Consider all parties' opinions. While I won't go into detail, I've recently been put in a situation where I'm forced to evaluate what means more to me, friendship or love. Contrary to what many of the other people involved would say, that's exactly what's happened. It wasn't the intention of anyone to make me feel that way, but yet I'm still faced with a problem that requires me to take a side, where the loser will feel nothing but hurt and rejection. Is that fair? No. I'm frustrated with everyone who took a part in this. We're all to blame. Myself included. And maybe that's where most of the fault lies. With me. Is that frustrating? More than you know. Still, all I can do now is pray and hope that maybe things will work out in a way that we can all avoid most of the pain. Be praying. I will be.
ART UPDATE! (Sort of!) Sooooo. Someone has been slacking in the art department. *shifty eyes* Wonder who that is...However! I do have a semi-sort of-kind of update! Yay, right? Okay, maybe not. Anyway, as I mentioned before, I've recently received a commission for a painted name plaque for a fellow employee at work. It's for her soon-to-be-born daughter Brelexis. The little girl's stuff is to be decorated in zebra-print so that's the theme I'm currently working with. I've got a few ideas swimming around in my head, but for now here are some of the sketches I've been working on. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with the one on the top right. (But since I'm about as fickle as they come, that's subject to change.) Wish me luck on it though! I'll probably start piecing it together tomorrow.
Lain
Now! On to the more important things. (Or less important depending on how you see it.)
Frustration. How are we to deal with this? It's irritating when you're forced into a place where, no matter what you do, your decision will be wrong. It's a no-win situation and we're certainly no Captain Kirk. When the feelings of other people get involved, it's difficult to not step on anyone's toes. So, what can I do? Take the path of least resistance, I suppose. Compromise. Hear all sides. Consider all parties' opinions. While I won't go into detail, I've recently been put in a situation where I'm forced to evaluate what means more to me, friendship or love. Contrary to what many of the other people involved would say, that's exactly what's happened. It wasn't the intention of anyone to make me feel that way, but yet I'm still faced with a problem that requires me to take a side, where the loser will feel nothing but hurt and rejection. Is that fair? No. I'm frustrated with everyone who took a part in this. We're all to blame. Myself included. And maybe that's where most of the fault lies. With me. Is that frustrating? More than you know. Still, all I can do now is pray and hope that maybe things will work out in a way that we can all avoid most of the pain. Be praying. I will be.
Lain
Monday, July 18, 2011
Pity Party Over Here
(Due to the week-long visit from Allie, I wasn't able to have an art update this week. Still, I felt like enough stuff happened that I would just do a normal post.)
Do you ever have moments when you stop and realize that your life, however much you complain about it, is all sugar and spice and everything nice compared to the lives of others? Recently I've been faced with a situation where someone close to me has let me see, just a little, of what it's like to live a life that's not sugar-coated.
I know we've all been in that place where we feel that no one could possibly understand how terrible it is to be "you." I, personally, am an expert at throwing pity parties; I'm the best host, and do I ever love company. But when I reflect on the events of my life, the good and the bad, I can say this: Yes, I do have things that have happened to me that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I've never been wanting for a stable family or loving friends. Every time I've fallen and struggled to pick myself back up, there has always been someone close to reach down and help me. Without my family and friends I wouldn't have the strength to carry on. I admit that readily. Maybe that makes me a weak person, maybe not. I'm not saying that I rely entirely on them for support when things in my life get screwy, but it's comforting to know that they are there if I ever ask for help.
Because of this friend's current situation, I've been given a chance to re-evaluate how I see my life and I ask that everyone do the same. People get so wrapped up in their own worries and forget that there are other people suffering just as much as they are. Some don't have the support and love that a family provides. Some don't have friends to cry to. Some don't have anything at all. So I urge myself, and others, to ponder before pitying. Our lives aren't always as cry-worthy as we think.
Do you ever have moments when you stop and realize that your life, however much you complain about it, is all sugar and spice and everything nice compared to the lives of others? Recently I've been faced with a situation where someone close to me has let me see, just a little, of what it's like to live a life that's not sugar-coated.
I know we've all been in that place where we feel that no one could possibly understand how terrible it is to be "you." I, personally, am an expert at throwing pity parties; I'm the best host, and do I ever love company. But when I reflect on the events of my life, the good and the bad, I can say this: Yes, I do have things that have happened to me that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I've never been wanting for a stable family or loving friends. Every time I've fallen and struggled to pick myself back up, there has always been someone close to reach down and help me. Without my family and friends I wouldn't have the strength to carry on. I admit that readily. Maybe that makes me a weak person, maybe not. I'm not saying that I rely entirely on them for support when things in my life get screwy, but it's comforting to know that they are there if I ever ask for help.
Because of this friend's current situation, I've been given a chance to re-evaluate how I see my life and I ask that everyone do the same. People get so wrapped up in their own worries and forget that there are other people suffering just as much as they are. Some don't have the support and love that a family provides. Some don't have friends to cry to. Some don't have anything at all. So I urge myself, and others, to ponder before pitying. Our lives aren't always as cry-worthy as we think.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tree of Spiritual Fruits
Let's hear it for my second artist update! Anyone? No one? Well, I suppose we'll still get this show on the road.
First of all, apologies for the late post. I had decided that I'd update this blog every Monday, but due to a few time constraints (namely, I have a friend staying over at my house this entire week) my blog post was a teensy-tiny bit delayed. Excuses, excuses, I know. I'm slacking at only the second update! But, in my defense I did have the piece done late Saturday night/early Sunday morning (depending on how you roll). Now that I have the apologizing out of the way, let's move right along.
When I sat down and thought about what I wanted to do for this next piece I was a little bit stumped. I knew that one of my goals for the summer was to just, mainly, improve my skills in all areas of artistic work that I had available to me (in this case I have acrylic paints, charcoal and graphite). I've already done a piece with graphite (see Study of a Bird) so I decided to move on to painting. But one of my other goals was to create some decent decorations for my dorm room this coming year. I'll be sharing a suite with seven, yes SEVEN, other girls. Which, of course, means a conflict in taste, especially on how the room is to be decorated. While my actual room will only be shared with one other girl, there is a common living space that is shared with the other six girls. Now late last semester I and my other artistically inclined suitemate, Krystal, were given the go ahead to decorate the room as we saw fit. Still, both of us want to make things that all of the girls will like and appreciate. With this in mind I stared at my sketchbook for awhile just trying to come up with ideas.
As I know most of you are aware, I attend a Christian college. So, naturally, one of the things I share in common with all seven girls is our faith. Realizing this, I wanted to make sure I incorporated a religious and spiritually uplifting sentiment in my pieces. I started thinking of different passages from the Bible that would be applicable to college students and I recalled the fruits of the spirit. These are traits that are encouraged and in some ways, required of a faithful follower of Christ. More than anything I wanted to remind these girls and myself of the importance of keeping these traits in the forefront of our lives. This piece is to be one of the main things that I put up on the wall, so I intended to make it big. Eventually I chose to 11x14 canvases to work with.
Doing the sunset for the background was frustrating, but ultimately very rewarding. Learning to work with the paint and to LET IT DRY was challenging, but it was a refreshing change from graphite or even charcoal. Keeping a steady hand to paint the words was difficult as well, but I'm satisfied with the results.
Next week's post could possibly be delayed as well, but I'm excited because I have (basically) my first commission! It'll be for an employee at work who is having a little girl soon and wants a name plaque painted for her. I've bought the canvas for it and I'm looking into a few other things as well. Be looking for the update about it soon!
First of all, apologies for the late post. I had decided that I'd update this blog every Monday, but due to a few time constraints (namely, I have a friend staying over at my house this entire week) my blog post was a teensy-tiny bit delayed. Excuses, excuses, I know. I'm slacking at only the second update! But, in my defense I did have the piece done late Saturday night/early Sunday morning (depending on how you roll). Now that I have the apologizing out of the way, let's move right along.
When I sat down and thought about what I wanted to do for this next piece I was a little bit stumped. I knew that one of my goals for the summer was to just, mainly, improve my skills in all areas of artistic work that I had available to me (in this case I have acrylic paints, charcoal and graphite). I've already done a piece with graphite (see Study of a Bird) so I decided to move on to painting. But one of my other goals was to create some decent decorations for my dorm room this coming year. I'll be sharing a suite with seven, yes SEVEN, other girls. Which, of course, means a conflict in taste, especially on how the room is to be decorated. While my actual room will only be shared with one other girl, there is a common living space that is shared with the other six girls. Now late last semester I and my other artistically inclined suitemate, Krystal, were given the go ahead to decorate the room as we saw fit. Still, both of us want to make things that all of the girls will like and appreciate. With this in mind I stared at my sketchbook for awhile just trying to come up with ideas.
As I know most of you are aware, I attend a Christian college. So, naturally, one of the things I share in common with all seven girls is our faith. Realizing this, I wanted to make sure I incorporated a religious and spiritually uplifting sentiment in my pieces. I started thinking of different passages from the Bible that would be applicable to college students and I recalled the fruits of the spirit. These are traits that are encouraged and in some ways, required of a faithful follower of Christ. More than anything I wanted to remind these girls and myself of the importance of keeping these traits in the forefront of our lives. This piece is to be one of the main things that I put up on the wall, so I intended to make it big. Eventually I chose to 11x14 canvases to work with.
Doing the sunset for the background was frustrating, but ultimately very rewarding. Learning to work with the paint and to LET IT DRY was challenging, but it was a refreshing change from graphite or even charcoal. Keeping a steady hand to paint the words was difficult as well, but I'm satisfied with the results.
Next week's post could possibly be delayed as well, but I'm excited because I have (basically) my first commission! It'll be for an employee at work who is having a little girl soon and wants a name plaque painted for her. I've bought the canvas for it and I'm looking into a few other things as well. Be looking for the update about it soon!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Study of a Bird
Here is my first official blog post dealing with my artwork! So, earlier this week I was surfing my favorite artist's community site, DeviantART and happened upon this gem: Steinadler
I adore this photo! Kudos to the photographer; it looks amazing. (I browsed his gallery and, believe me, this isn't even his best photograph. They're all very beautiful.) Still, something about this photo begged me to sketch it, and who was I to argue? So, off I went with sketchpad in hand and this is what I have to show for a few days work.
In all honesty, I'm proud of it. For the work I put into it, (which isn't as much as I probably should have) it turned out okay. But to get into a in-depth critique: the head is the part that I spent the most time on and that's pretty obvious. Why? Because it has the most dramatic use of shading and texture. I wanted the focus to be on the eyes and that is where they're drawn to first.
Getting to the rest of the sketch though. The wings are poorly done. I took a shortcut and instead of building up the shading by adding more the the small lines I had been using, I just scribbled a little to get the basic sense of darkness and the difference in feather color. While the feathers are defined, they're not very accurate in their placement. Again, I cut corners.
The chest also isn't shaded properly. In fact, it isn't at all. I but the base texture down and said, "for a study, I get how to do it in the future so this is good enough." For the purpose of the sketch, shading in the rest of the chest wasn't necessary.
Conclusion? I'm very satisfied with what I learned while I was working on this bird. I got a good sense of the basic anatomy and how the feathers are placed. And it was fun, which is the most important part!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Challenging Myself
Flaws. Everyone has something that serves as their "fatal flaw." It can be a challenge to realize what that flaw is in ourselves, but once discovered, it's just as difficult to try to fight it. That flaw can be such a hindrance, such a setback to accomplishing anything worthwhile in our lives.
I've always had a vague idea of what that flaw was for myself, it just didn't manifest itself enough to be put into words until recently. But what I struggle with the most is procrastination. I will do anything in my power to not do what I'm supposed to. Using all of my favorite distractions: reading, Youtube, DeviantART, Facebook, I'll try to put aside any niggling thoughts that I really, really should get working on that homework or cleaning the house. I think to myself, "There's 24 hours in the day; plenty of time to take care of everything." That thought which I typically end up cursing when it comes down to crunch time.
Procrastination isn't even the end of my flaw either. There's a tendency of mine to make a plan, then put it off so long that I miss out on important opportunities. Which brings me to the point of this blog. Not only did I create this blog to help myself express what I'm thinking and to refine my writing skills, but also as a way to share my artwork. Even if no one reads this blog, I want to be able to share my work and put into words how I'm improving as an artist.
So here's the challenge. I want to submit a piece of artwork once a week to this blog with a detailed critique/update about my work as an artist. In this way I hope to push myself to write and draw as much as possible, and through that improve my skills in both areas. Certainly there is still much for me to learn.
With Love,
Lain
I've always had a vague idea of what that flaw was for myself, it just didn't manifest itself enough to be put into words until recently. But what I struggle with the most is procrastination. I will do anything in my power to not do what I'm supposed to. Using all of my favorite distractions: reading, Youtube, DeviantART, Facebook, I'll try to put aside any niggling thoughts that I really, really should get working on that homework or cleaning the house. I think to myself, "There's 24 hours in the day; plenty of time to take care of everything." That thought which I typically end up cursing when it comes down to crunch time.
Procrastination isn't even the end of my flaw either. There's a tendency of mine to make a plan, then put it off so long that I miss out on important opportunities. Which brings me to the point of this blog. Not only did I create this blog to help myself express what I'm thinking and to refine my writing skills, but also as a way to share my artwork. Even if no one reads this blog, I want to be able to share my work and put into words how I'm improving as an artist.
So here's the challenge. I want to submit a piece of artwork once a week to this blog with a detailed critique/update about my work as an artist. In this way I hope to push myself to write and draw as much as possible, and through that improve my skills in both areas. Certainly there is still much for me to learn.
With Love,
Lain
Friday, March 4, 2011
Dual Passions
Passion. We all have something we're passionate about. Something we could discuss for hours. Something that defines us. I've always had two passions, art and writing, and people knew. I'd hear, "Yeah, Lain, that girl who's always doodling in her notebooks," or, "Oh, that chick that writes a lot...and likes it.". Silently I'd continue scribbling in my notebook, but somewhere inside there was a part of me that smiled. I love being defined by my passions. It's almost a...stamp...of honor. Worthiness, perhaps. Being branded an "artist" and "writer" was always a source of pride.
Still, had I been told I'd be attending Indiana Wesleyan studying to be a Graphics Design major I would laughed in that person's face. For one, a Christian college? Don't misunderstand, I'm proud that I'm a Christian and being saturated in a Christian environment doesn't bother me a bit. But I've had my experiences with Christian schools, and none were good. Still, I could accept that with a little convincing...but an Art major? Now that would have sent me for a loop. As much as I love art and expressing myself in a creative manner, I've never taken a formal high school art class, as opposed to Honors and AP English classes I'd taken in pursuit of my writing passion. The reasoning for that? Well, good class or not, if you don't mesh with the teacher, you're bound to have difficulties. On top of that, they didn't offer a course on what I was really interested in: Computer Graphics. Sure, they had one through the local career center, but taking it meant dropping a lot of my AP courses. I was so sure that I was going to be a journalism major that I didn't even consider cutting those.
Often, as we find out, God has other plans for us. So, I sit here now, currently a Graphic Design student (who's minoring in Creative Writing), and I think: I've been put in a position that I can still chase after both my passions. My love for each is equal, and I'm hoping to find a way to mix them together within my career. That's exciting. More than anything I want to take the passions that God has given me and apply them in a way that glorifies him. So maybe I'm not where I expected myself to be, but I'm where he wants me.
Still, had I been told I'd be attending Indiana Wesleyan studying to be a Graphics Design major I would laughed in that person's face. For one, a Christian college? Don't misunderstand, I'm proud that I'm a Christian and being saturated in a Christian environment doesn't bother me a bit. But I've had my experiences with Christian schools, and none were good. Still, I could accept that with a little convincing...but an Art major? Now that would have sent me for a loop. As much as I love art and expressing myself in a creative manner, I've never taken a formal high school art class, as opposed to Honors and AP English classes I'd taken in pursuit of my writing passion. The reasoning for that? Well, good class or not, if you don't mesh with the teacher, you're bound to have difficulties. On top of that, they didn't offer a course on what I was really interested in: Computer Graphics. Sure, they had one through the local career center, but taking it meant dropping a lot of my AP courses. I was so sure that I was going to be a journalism major that I didn't even consider cutting those.
Often, as we find out, God has other plans for us. So, I sit here now, currently a Graphic Design student (who's minoring in Creative Writing), and I think: I've been put in a position that I can still chase after both my passions. My love for each is equal, and I'm hoping to find a way to mix them together within my career. That's exciting. More than anything I want to take the passions that God has given me and apply them in a way that glorifies him. So maybe I'm not where I expected myself to be, but I'm where he wants me.
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