UsernameEmailRegionInterestAOL IMICQ IDYahoo! IDMSN IDJabber

 I apologize for the lack of updates. 

Things have been crazy busy, and I don't often have time to spend online anymore other than just a few seconds here and there to post on Facebook or whatever. Crazy busy is a good way to describe how I've been, I guess. My week goes something like this...

Monday I have class from 9-4, 415-545, and 6-9. So in 12 hours from 9-9, I have only two fifteen minute breaks between classes. I get home around 930 usually, make dinner, read a little, and then go to bed without having done anything else. Tuesday I have class 9-4 at the Field Museum, meaning I have to get up extra early and I get back later than usual. After class, I usually have about 4 hours until a staff meeting at 930; I use this time to have dinner, prep for the staff meeting, and get work done that will be due the following day. Not much free time otherwise, because the staff meeting takes me to my bedtime. Wednesday I don't have morning classes, but I get up early anyway to prep for meetings. I meet with my hall director for a 1-on-1 every Wednesday at 11AM, and then with Todd Pavlisko (for whom I'm doing an unofficial internship) at 12. After that, I have about 3 hours before class begins- 415-545 and 6-9. I use most of those three hours to finish homework for the former, and get material prep for the latter. By the time I get home (930 again), I can only have dinner, read a little, and then sleep. Thursday I have class only from 1-4, so I have some free time, however, Thursday through Sunday is sort of amorphous work time. These hours of have to be divided between-

- Reading/writing for my VCS class (Thursday afternoon)
- Animation homework (for Monday)
- Math homework (for Monday)
- My internship (usually a 2-hour meeting in his studio Saturday or Sunday, plus a half-hour commute each way)
- My artist collective projects (short films, etc.)
- My comic anthology (No. 6's Information, with Carlos Enriquez & Andrew Shen, and now getting submissions from others such as Isabella Rotman)
- Designing and Printing flyers/posters for RA stuff
- Being on call as an RA (every Friday, 930PM-230AM usually)
- Doing RA programs and community-building programs
- Working on committee obligations (organizing the Halloween ball, etc.)
- Trying to finish my dog-drawing commission that's taking FOREVER because my commissioner isn't good at getting back to me
- Grocery shopping
- Laundry

In addition, the social obligations of now having a girlfriend, plus trying to get some time in with other friends who I just want to spend time with for the hell of it. Relaxing every once in a while is nice too.

I don't want to complain. I've made my own bed, and I have a lot on my plate, or whatever metaphors you want. I'm tired. Anyway, I'm tired of complaining of my schedule. It's sometimes overwhelming, but I'm never bored, and I feel like most of it will be worth it in the end. I'm almost done with my obligations to the special events committee (being that the Halloween ball is near), and as soon as Cindy gets her ass in gear and sends me more source images, I can finish the commission. Hopefully sooner than later.




//months later…

So I started writing this thing months ago, but it kept deleting what I wrote and it only autosaved up to the point before that “months later” bit right above this.

Anyway, things are going well now. Better. Halloween Ball is over with, so that’s one less thing to do. ¾ of my programs are done, so I only have one left to plan for. I only have a very small number of drawings to go, so long as Cindy doesn’t lead me on with dozens of minor edits. I finally feel like- while still busy- I’m working on a functional schedule with an appropriate and manageable amount of work. I still have classes, RAing, internship, comic anthology, artist collective, girlfriend and friends to juggle, but it’s getting more in line. Next big challenge is going to be prepping for the future. I’ve got to apply to be a Senior RA in the next month or so, and I’ve got to take a hard look at internship possibilities for the coming summer, and apply to such places- Pixar, Williams Street, Fantagraphics, Dark Horse, Calabash, Chicago-based comic artists (Lucy Knisley, Geoff Darrow, Chris Ware, etc.)… Gotta figure something out, and gotta make sure I get some school credit for it.

Things are going well with Corinna. Being in this relationship has been really rewarding, and it’s changing me in ways I can very actively feel. Friendships will often slowly change me, but I can feel myself becoming a different person because of Corinna, and for the better. Not massively different, a lot is shifting. Also, something I’ve wanted to say for a while, but I’ve had no one to say it to in Chicago and I know I can confide in you all, even if you don’t want to hear it, but I need to see it to someone and I can keep it brief enough- sex is great, and while I never thought the physical relationship would matter much, I genuinely feel that it deepens my emotional bond to Corinna.

Classes signed up for next semester. This semester has had my best class line-up ever, and next semester will be better, and if all works out, semester after next will be even better. For the Spring, I’ve lined up the following-

Tuesday – History of Film Animation, 1-4
Wednesday – Animation II (Sound to Image), 9-4
Thursday – Intro to 2D Computer Animation, 9-4
Friday – Lady Drawers: Women & Comics, 9-12
Saturday – Indie Comics, 9-4

It’s a solid, concentrated schedule. Well spaced. Gives me at least a little free time every day, which is good. Looking back at previous semesters, I REALLY wish I had gotten into these sorts of classes earlier. I meandered too much, too just “whatever,” seemed okay at the time. I’m not going to regret anything of my freshman year any more, but my digital print class, watercolor class, and “how to steal,” painting class last year were complete wastes of time, and I should have switched out of them all when I got that “Should I stay or should I go?” doubt in the first weeks. This semester I haven’t wasted a class yet, nor next I hope, nor next after that. I’m already thinking about what to take next Fall, should it be available. Advanced Animation is an obvious one, but there’s also apparently a Poster Illustration class that sounds AWESOME to me. C:

I’ll try to update Scribbld more. I really need to, for my own sake.

Also:



I've listened to the soundtrack for this movie, like, 10 time in the past 2-3 weeks. Haven't seen the movie, but the music is SO good. My figure drawing teacher introduced me to some of the songs, and I really liked them, so I picked up the CD at Borders super cheap with a coupon. Great stuff. Marieke, Jackie, Alone (Seul), My Death (La Mort), Madeleine, Mathilde, Marathon, Amsterdam, The Funeral Tango... large number of great songs. Well, what I bought is actually a recording of the play the the movie is based on, and the play's recordings are WAY better than the movie's, but I digress.