Black Coffee

I never thought I'd say this, but I've developed quite a fondness for jazz. I never thought I'd enjoy Miles Davis or Coltrane but here I am.

Don't get me started about Ella Fitzgerald. I can't stop listening to her. She's fantastic.

The thing I've discovered is jazz helps put me in a creative and funky mood, helps the juices flow.

So if you weren't afraid of the world ending in 2012, you might want to reconsider, because when Rachel starts LOVING jazz music, fire and brimstone aren't far behind.

Buffalo!

I've had turkey, chicken, pig (ham/bacon), steak, shrimp, crab, squid, .... even octopus. That octopus was nasty. Anyway, I've never had buffalo.
And guess what? I probably never will.

I went to Buffalo Wild Wings tonight - pretty cool although we got back kinda late hence this post at..... 1AM. Thank goodness I have no friday classes.

I found out that the portfolio review for Comm isn't nearly as demanding as I thought, quantity of work-wise... The quality of work is what concerns me.

I think I'm going to go to the football game on Saturday. I really don't care for football, but I've had some pretty fun times at the games back in Aledo. And I have to go to at least one game!!! (Actually this morning I had breakfast with a guy who had never gone to a game and he was a senior.... so)

My art classes have a very high-pressure atmosphere. trying to think creatively in them is like trying to breathe in outer space. (Don't gripe to me about space and pressure. Physics isn't my strong suit)

Today should be pretty fun. I think I need to sleep for a while though...

Deluge

It was very lucky that I got those rainboots. Denton recieved generous amounts of rain Tuesday and today was a great big storm! There must have been a foot of water in some places!
I felt very safe wading through the rain in my boots. =)

But there was so much rain and mist that my iPod started messing up! And that worried me. But I've been enjoying the rain a little too much I think...

My design homework is really frustrating me. I try not to be intimidated by the people around me, but their designs are really great, and mine.... ohhhh
My drawing homework is turning out better though!

The shine is starting to wear off UNT. Not that I don't like it now!
It's that my blind and total appreciation for it is turning into a genuine and realistic view... and I still love it, I'm just ... settling into things?

Each night before I go to sleep, I feel excited, because I can't wait to see how wonderful the next day will be! And I'm never disappointed! =)

Mister Grey Comes Back to Play

There's a special joy in walking in the rain...
I LOVE rainy days



I've been drawing in my sketchbook with colored pencils lately - I bought some at target.
Don't worry, I asked my teacher and it's all good!

The thing is I can use colors to portray my images in a new way! And my imagined form drawings get way more interesting!

Hey-la-lo-ah, Denton

it was so good to come back home and see everyone. My heart had really been aching to see their faces!
But I sure am happy to be back here again. I can't wait to get started with my work.

I will be staying for another two weeks, and then back home for my birthday. =)

I feel oodles more confident with this reminder that I have people cheering me on to do well here.

Good times never seemed so good =)

Oh!!! This is Yandi Tenorio's web portfolio! She's a member of the BSM with fantastic talent! Here: http://yanditen.carbonmade.com/

She's fabulous! I hope I can be that fabulous someday!

First Homecoming

Well, after two crazy weeks of adventure and craziness, I have returned home. What excites me though is that it isn't the end! It's just the beginning! And I have so much to learn.

I guess I'm used to coming home. So the journey was familiar, the feeling of revisiting my old things. After spending three weeks in Maine, I was kind of broken-in to the feeling of independence.
But coming home, it feels very similar. Except this time, I feel vastly different. I feel like I've grown so much these two weeks. And everything here is changed because I'm looking through a different lens.

I can't wait to see everyone - there's just so much to tell.

That one movie about that one guy

I am in love with Michael Cera!!!
Not really, but yeah.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was fantastic.

Today was a good day. I got to sleep in and I got my gesture drawings done and this weekend I'll work on my design thumbnails >:) yeah!

Chats with Veterans

They call people who dropped Communication Design "ex-coms" and "ex-commies."
So far, I have only met a few people who are still in the program - most of the Comm Design people I've talked to have been the "ex-coms" with words of warning, "you'll never make it!!!"

Last night I met an ex-com who gave me a lot of encouraging advice. He told me not to listen to the people who were trying to scare us off - it was just to weed out the sickly kinda thing.

I went to this Christian dinner thing that apparently goes on every thursday at 5:30. Pretty cool to meet Christians from other organizations and denominations.
Then I went to worship with the BSM. You don't realize how refreshing and less-stress it is to worship without thinking about just the musical elements until you step back into the congregation.
The BSM had a small group thing for the art majors, and I got to have fellowship with other Commies, and some studio art majors and RTFVs, so that was pretty nice.

After that there was a pancake dinner. It was an unplugged open mic night kind of thing. I met the amazing watercolorist Yandi Tenorio, which was awesome because I've only seen her awesome artwork, so it felt like meeting a celebrity.
She said that we could do "art nights" and watercolor together. Sounds awesome to me!
She sang that song "Bed Intruder" at the open mic. Funny =)

I also got to meet a CURRENT Comm Design major who was in her senior year. She was ABSOLUTELY fabulously talented. I was totally blown away.

I know that Comm Design is what I WANT to do, but is it something that I CAN do? I don't know if I have what it takes, but I'm willing to work to get to that point.

Peachy

I'm just peachy. Not in a sarcastic, villain from 'Hercules' way - the "I'm doing fine" way =)
But....The internet is being finicky... >:(

Today was another fabulous one! And I'm not just saying that.

I AM NOW OFFICIALLY A DISCIPLE! As in I'm being discipled. By none other than the amazing Maggie! I'm not sure what that makes her, "Rabbi" sounds like an old Jewish man. But it will be really cool because I already considered her my personal role model! God is providing. God is moving! God is working!


I found out my Drawing class homework wasn't as demanding as I thought. I will still need to work vigorously on it this weekend however.

In honors argument class, one girl mentioned something about craving a peach, and I turned around and whipped out my fake peach for my still life. It was really pretty awesome. Especially her reaction.
I don't know, I wish my life had more cool moments like that.

This is the cool flower I found at the 99 cent store.



It's bizarre. I love it.

A Lego Brick

We youths spend many years trying to figure out where we fit. Are we doctors, professors, artists, hippies, politicians?
Those years could be high school years, for some it's college.

But finding out where you fit comes from knowing yourself well. If you don't know your edges (your limits), how will you know where to put yourself in this world-puzzle?
I like to think that I have artistic and creative strengths.

Turns out Communication Design isn't the final branch in the tree of the art world. There's two more branches from it - Graphic Design and Art Direction.

Graphic Design is grueling projects and designing logos and ... well, I don't really know that much about it, but it's tough, I hear.
Art Direction, that really appealed to me. I like what I've heard so far.
Not that I wouldn't love Graphic Design. I mean, that's what I thought I was going to do for a while. But hearing about Art Direction - it sounds like my dream job!

Of course... what do I know? Right now my idea about the future is... misty.
I know I will be content as long as I can make other people happy. That's what brings me more joy than anything else, and it's something I practice more than any instrument or art form.
And you know what? I really believe God has called me to exhortation. Not that I'm doing a 180 and changing my major to social work, but I think that it's a spiritual gift that I should use in whatever environment I get placed in.

I actually ended up auditioning for the show choir because I was on my way somewhere else and then I went into the Union to get out of the rain and boom, there were the Glee auditions. I may not do glee, even if I get in, because of my demanding Comm Design schedule. I sang All of Me, but the actual audition wasn't so important.

I could really relate to all the nervous girls in the room. One girl came out looking a little discouraged, and I asked her how she did, and she told me she that it was "terrible", that she was "off pitch"
I said (wish I could remember my exact words) 'Never say that about your singing. If you sing from your heart, and you're conveying an emotion, it's always good' And I hugged her, because sometimes that's just what someone could be needing. I really believe that.
Technical skills aside, singing is at its basic level intended for expressing emotion, and it's the most pure/organic musical form.

The glee team leaders were impressed by my attitude and I went up and it was solid. But I realized that the most passionate thing I had done that night was encourage the girls who had just performed.


Today was FLOW (free lunch on wednesdays)

It also thunderstormed today.

Comm design is even more demanding than I've heard previously. That's why I'm writing this lego brick entry - because if I'm going to do this, I'm going to have to give it everything I've got.

So what do you think? Am I an Art Director? Or a motivator? Or something else?

Oh, and I'm incredibly busy, so my posts will probably be less frequent
I do come home this weekend! Looking forward to seeing my lovely family again.