Sunday, February 23, 2014

Part II: The Art of Doing Everything.


 To see Part I, click here.

So, a quick aside before I start Part II of my Summary. I forgot about a nonprofit organization very near and dear to my heart... Deep Center. For two semesters, I was a part of this incredible family, composed of volunteers working together to teach public middle schoolers of Savannah, Ga the art and the fun of Creative Writing and that everyone deserves a voice. 

Me and my latest Deep group

My Fellow and the same group



 
My First Semester Group and Teaching Fellow (she's in the light green-blue jeans)

This organization was where I found myself as a writer, learning to write and edit better from both teaching Creative Writing and practicing it as a team with other Writing Fellows. I miss my Writing Group and the Deep community every day. If you ever get the chance and you're down in Savannah, working there is a life-changing experience.

Anyways, back to Part II.

Aside from Part I, life after college has been really difficult. I haven't been able to secure a steady job, I've been having a hard time drawing for fun or drawing at all when I don't have a project, which has been most of the time. I feel like I've lost my goal and meaning in the world.

 (photo:themetapicture.com)

I've always been in school... my whole life. So I've forgotten how to teach myself things, since they were always spoon-fed to me (or shoved down my throat, either way). I haven't been able to give myself any projects and all the rejections made me less inclined to create any. That left a huge hole in me, and I had to ask myself,  "Am I not an artist anymore? A writer either?"

 (photo: http://atheistthinktank.org/articles/who-am-i/)

Jumping around with undiagnosed ADHD and OCD, I have also not been able to focus on any one thing, and with my Depression (which is diagnosed), it's proven to be a toxic cocktail of non-productivity and frustration. The Depression would push me past doing the best thing for myself, creating, while wondering if I'm worth anything. Then, when I did try to create anything, my ADHD would make it REALLY difficult to actually focus on anything, but my mind focused on it with my OCD while I pushed past.

 (photo: http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u45/adhd.jpg)

So the result of that has been some VERY slow-moving comics pages, my novel moving forward at a snail's pace, and my mind coming up with a new hobby and career path every week.

 (photo: http://osqar.suncor.com/2012/03/is-slow-the-new-fast.html)

Luckily, some cool things have come from that (I'm IN LOVE with Professional Organizing, which I never even knew existed, and Book Restoration and Binding as well), while some things have fallen by the wayside (Forensic Anthropologist--very squeamish around dead, bloody remains and rotting flesh-- and Tattooing--I will faint or become faint at both the sight of blood, and the sight of needles).


(photo: http://home.howstuffworks.com/household-hints-tips/professional-organizer.htm)

My fiancé and I will be moving to Portland on March 11th, finally putting things in motion. But on the way to my, now, slow growth back to productivity and work (that is FINALLY not Pinterest), I have learned some REALLY cool facts about everything I've tried to do and more. An example of this is:

1. You can train your brain to be eidetic (photographic) through brain training games like the one below (my interest in the science of memory).
 
2. Cleopatra was not Egyptian (Egyptology).
 http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/11-things-you-may-not-know-about-ancient-egypt

3. Making Ball-Jointed Dolls (BJDs) is not nearly as difficult as it seems (I WILL make these, as well as, Ball-and-Socket Armatures).


 This brings me to the point of my starting this blog. The Art of Doing Everything.

(photo: http://www.fmaynard.com/scouting/archives/2497)

 This will be a place for me to upload art as well as the latest and greatest in what I'm doing. My writing, probably not so much, since I am a bit protective of it. But this will be a place for me to post different interesting things I learn about productivity, from all the things I'm trying to do, what works and what doesn't, etc.

So, with that long-winded post, I close this out. I will do my best to keep up with this as well (I have a hard time staying on top of my blogs, so this is a nice new challenge for me). I will also be working with a large amount of pictures in my rants, to keep those of you from falling asleep who are visual learners/readers, like myself.

And I guess that's it. Have a great week and thanks for reading (or skimming) this. Night all.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Summary Part I

So, for reasons both my own and otherwise, I have decided to move on to a post-college, real life blog. Many things change after graduating college for the first time, and I thought that those changes deserved a new start.

Also, for the record, you might want to know that I'm an artist and a writer who is addicted to every single thing she tries... well, most everything.

My undergrad blog, if you're interested, is below:
                         http://rosered91.blogspot.com/





(photo courtesy of: me)

Also, this blog has a point, I promise. But first, I must share a few things and catch you up.



So where was I...? Oh, right. Changes. I guess I should tell you what those are, or at least, the changes I have gone through personally.

Well, let's start with what I've been doing since graduation.

(photo courtesy of: http://en.hdbuzz.net/115)


Oh, wait. You probably want to know about graduation. I probably shouldn't... nah, I'm proud of my education. Ok. You've twisted my arm. I'll bite.

(photo courtesy of: me)


For the past four years, from the fall of 2009 through the spring of last year, I have attended Savannah College of Art and Design for Sequential Art with double minors in Business and Storyboarding. I rather loved what I was doing and had (and still have) high hopes for the future.



Oh, and then I got engaged to the love of my life (timing expertly chosen to thwart any advance of a French boy... which is, for the record, a stereotype--the French boy ruling all romance-- it could be true, but I should be ashamed of myself for stereotyping). We are happy and in love.


(photo courtesy of: Laura Shephard Photography)
 



I even had an Apprenticeship set up for the summer...and in Paris, no less.


(photo courtesy of: a google search)

The company, Full FX Studio, was a French company of journalists and designers with a magazine (one of many that they worked on) reporting on American comics.

 (photo: by me)

They took a big chance on me to not screw up their way of being and to learn and help put their magazines together (and basically do whatever they needed for help). I thank them so many times for putting up with my struggling french language, and, thankfully, they stayed patient with me. I learned so much being there,


 (photo: by me)

 and from Push It Up too.



(photo: by me)

Those were the best changes. Ones that I enjoyed. But then things got tough.

Stay tuned for Part II, where you will find out the second part of changes AND the POINT of this blog.