The Test

“Nothing succeeds like excess.”

- Oscar Wilde

My life is going to change. Yes, I know it's changed already since I relocated to Chicago and began a completely different career path than anyone but me expected. However, the field of animation requires a certain adjustment in attitude and dedication.

I have been at this art institute for a little over a month and have learned consistently that in order to succeed in animation, one must work their butt off. Yes, everyone knows this...but what does it actually mean? It means I need to want this more than anyone else in this field, and I need to act like it. I need to stay up until 3:00am working on my assignments, a concept or personal drawing. It means I need to tell my friends that I'm busy and tell that lazy voice in my head that I can't spend hours bumming around tonight or this morning because I need to practice my skills. I need to train myself to be an artist 24/7...yes of course, but what does THAT mean exactly? It means that I must, at all times, be either observing the world or drawing the things I've observed. When I'm sitting on the train, hanging out with friends, working at my job, etc., I must be looking at people's movements, the way light shines on objects, etc. and then I'll end up drawing some of those things because I have learned about them through observation. Being able to draw a multitude of things is essential in animation. The more an artist sees, the more of a palette they'll have to work from. On top of that, anything drawn for fantasy is best drawn from references. Fantasy is what is known, except that an artist has twisted the heck out of it. An animator is trying to make things appear on a screen that have never existed before, yet to make it believable, it must follow the laws of physics and the universe. This is why I was required to submit a portfolio to get into this program. I needed to be at a certain level of drawing skills, and I am expected to go much higher.

I've read quite a few success stories from this school of animators being hired full-time within six months of their graduation, and even some who were hired right after graduation. I've attended two workshops so far that have educated me on particular things these students did so that they shone the brightest. One of the workshops was this evening, lead by two alumni who were hired as soon as they graduated. If I am to get there, I must (and I do) want it badly enough to:

1.) Work hard...harder than I ever have before. I heard from somewhere that being an artist is like being an athlete or weight trainer. In order to achieve higher levels of performance, one must train daily but also push themselves constantly. If it's becoming difficult, push past the pain and the exhaustion, and the person will find themselves advancing to higher levels each time they train. Just because you make it to the Olympics doesn't mean you sit back and chill because you're the best. It means now you have to compete at an Olympic level. It never stops if you want to continue bettering yourself in anything.

2.) Be dedicated to the highest degree. I'd better be working. I'd better want it. I need to be a soldier. This is important. Sometimes I'll have to turn down spending time with friends or even going to bed at a reasonable hour. I'm going to be busy...a lot. I'm going to learn to manage my time such that I can work this hard, have a job to pay the bills, and have the balance of rest and recreation in there so that I can still think. It may be three hours of sleep at a time, but I will find a way to make it work. One of the alumni attested to working a full-time job, going to school full-time, having a full-time girlfriend and sleeping four hours at a time. And yes, he's with the same girl still. It can be done. It's the power of mastering time-management.

3.) Step out of the comfort zone and just do whatever I need to do. If I don't know how to do something, learn it. One of the alumni told a story of how in his new job, he was approached about designing a magazine cover in MS Illustrator and had the afternoon to complete it. He had never used Illustrator and had never worked on such a project before. However, you never want to say "no" in this situation, or you'll be gone on the spot. It's the truth. So, he had to learn Illustrator in record time and design the magazine cover. Sometimes they just throw you in and say "swim". This is the kind of industry I'm getting into.

Fortunately, all this hard work does pay off. Eventually it becomes a lifestyle with some flow and obtains more normalcy. When you get a full-time job in animation, you can have a significant other, get some sleep, and have a life outside of workplace. For instance, one of the alumni talked of how his company that gives their employees free massages and sometimes two hours lunches. This could all happen on a day when they only work from 10:00am - 4:00pm. Meanwhile, he's getting paid to make things move, play games (he's a game art animator), and draw, amongst other things. Now, the whole time the employees are working, it's intense and they're working their asses off...but they're doing what they love and it's FUN for them because it's ever-changing and challenging. There's always something to figure out and learn. It's a great thing to aim for and something worth working my hardest for.

Bring it.

Full of Love

So, I sprained my foot 1.5 weeks ago, and I don't mean to whine, but grr it's been a pain!...In more ways than the obvious one!

So, I have been housebound for the past 1.5 weeks except when I have had to get to my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays (an adventure in itself). I am using a cane to take the weight off, yet allow me to test how my foot is doing by "accidentally" putting some weight on it occasionally. When I'm in my apartment, I'm elevating and icing my foot while trying to keep myself occupied. Boring. Very boring. I am not a homebody.

Today, I realized I had eaten the same foods four days in a row. I needed to buy some more food to mix it up a little, even just to add an ingredient to one of the dishes. Sadly, I then realized I only had one option, and that was to hobble down to the grocery store on the first floor of this building. It's reeeeeeeeeeally expensive down there, but the more I thought about going to my usual grocery store down the street, the more I knew it wouldn't work. I happened to be talking to a friend from back in Ohio when I thought of this, and I mentioned it to him just thinking out loud. He then did the sweetest thing for me. He offered to order me a pizza online. He insisted. I couldn't refuse. So, I chose my pizza: the Super Taco Pizza (rowr!), and he threw a cheesecake in there for me because he knows I love that stuff. Ohhhh how I love cheesecake.

I finished half the pizza and the entire slice of cheesecake. I was full of delicious food and very happy. What a wonderful thing to do for someone. I will remember this and do the same for someone else. It truly made my week.

Detournement

The past few weeks have been so busy for me that my intention to write an entry has been consistently pushed to the bottom of my to-do list. I apologize if anyone was checking regularly for a new post only to be disappointed.

First off, I've made it to Chicago!!! I'm going to art school and I am SO HAPPY! Things just fell into place and it all happened so quickly and so close together that my head seemed to be constantly spinning. Oh wow, I am so happy this worked out!

The transition from Toledo to Chicago has been quite a ride. It’s funny how it doesn’t feel tumultuous on a daily basis, but when I look back, I realize just how busy I have been, even just mentally.

Chicago is shaping up to be the perfect place for me at this time of my life. I do miss the advantage of having a neighboring region as open and green as Holland, OH, where I can enjoy the open skies and beautiful stretches of farmland on occasion. Being in downtown Chicago, there’s not much empty space and not much green, but I know when the weather warms up, I’ll be seeking bus routes to take me to metro parks such as the gigantic Chicago Botanical Gardens northwest of here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city. I love being able to look at this awesome architecture on a daily basis and feel the energy of all the people here. It’s almost as if I’m in a whirl-wind of dreams, with everyone striving to achieve them in the same place. The attitude in this city is actually quite positive. I find that a lot of people here are good-hearted, helpful, and willing to make a joke or chat while waiting for a bus or train. Meanwhile, we’re all making caution a habit without letting it get in the way of making connections with each other. It’s very cool. Hehe.

I had to move into an apartment sponsored by the school because the loan they gave me required I live in their housing until at least June. I’m sharing a studio apartment with a roommate and it has made me realize just how valuable having my own room is. In Toledo, I had a whole apartment to myself. Here, I have only a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a closet to call my own…and actually those came with the apartment, so they are not actually mine. The rest of the space, I am sharing with my roommate in one way or another. We are even sharing a single Ethernet cable for our internet, so we have to switch back and forth, depending on who needs it. Living in such close quarters with another person is quite a lesson in compromise.

I love school so far and though it’s been difficult to meet people, I am having a wonderful time. I do not hesitate to talk to my classmates, nor to ask any faculty/staff members for advice. I met a senior in my major (Animation/Media Arts) and he gave me advice that he wishes he had received when he was a sophomore. There’s an animation software program I’ll be using eventually, and I can actually begin learning it now. Each computer lab in our school has a tutorial for this program on their computers, and so if I can just familiarize myself with the software ahead of time, I’ll have a real edge when I finally need to use it. Another piece of advice was to hang out on the 2nd floor at the school as much as possible because it is the floor primarily for Animation classes, etc. I will more than likely meet other animators there, faculty members, and maybe hear of tech jobs opening up when people graduate. A job in the school, even being a tech for audio/visual equipment is a great opportunity for networking and references. Hehe.

The city itself is amazing, as I knew it would be. I love the public transportation, especially the train. I can get across the city and even visit the few friends I know who live almost an hour away, as long as I’m willing to walk a small distance from the train station when I arrive in their neighborhood. I currently live a block away from the Union Station which houses the Mega Buses, which can take me to Toledo, Cleveland, Minneapolis and many other cities for just $15.00 round trip, with just a couple weeks notice. I live even less than a block away from the Metra train station, which can take me to even more cities in this country. So, basically, it is true that you do not need a car when you live in Chicago…as long as you live fairly close to a train or bus stop. How wonderful!

A couple weeks ago, I finally got into contact with the Chicago Baha'i community and was able to attend a prayer devotional meeting Monday evening. It took me about twenty minutes to get to the place on the train, but so far I enjoy the train rides very much and did not mind spending that time. Train rides give me time to knit or read/study. Hehe. It was wonderful to be at the devotional and to be gathered with people whom I knew would welcome me, whether they knew me or not. This was a great comfort to me since I was discouraged by not having made friends since moving here. With prayer and warm conversation added to the mix, I had a wonderful time. It sort of recharged my spirit so that I felt ready to take on the rest of the week and keep trying to meet more people at school.

So, basically, this was a very good idea.

I hope to post more entries soon because this particular one was just to update in general on how well things are going. Details are more fun. :)