More Adventurous

as I sit here, about to embark on the two most seemingly daunting assignments this semester, I am overwhelmed by things I can not control and have no involvement with. There is so much tragedy, heartbreak, pain, and hurt that happens constantly, that I just, feel this pang in my chest that aches to see love take over.

It hurts.

… thus concludes my emotional side note.

run their mouths and say stupid stuff.

This is the summary of my Sophomore review that I received one year ago today. I submitted my portfolio in both painting, graphic design, and my general art classes and our board of professors evaluated my progress and what not. Although I was surprised when I got this back, amazed even, that they could tell me this about myself, I tried my best to take it in stride.

1. Communication 2.75/3
2. Formal Exploration 2.25/3
3. Creative Visual Problem Solving 2.61/3
4. Exploration of Tools, Materials, and Techniques 2.4/3
5. Investigation of History, Theories, and Methodologies 2/3
6. Progress and Evaluation Summary 2.3/3

Total: 14.41/18

Overall, your performance is above average, or well above in most areas. Your creative process is extremely strong in some disciplines, but could improve in others: you generate a massive amount of creative possibilities when brainstorming, which is commendable - we wish all students could be as creative at this stage. Sometimes you have difficulty knowing when to transition from exploring ideas to selecting and executing. You almost seem paralyzed by the options, even thought many of them are excellent options. We encourage you to be confident in selecting a path sooner. Your ideas are good. Recognize that the ideas you don’t pursue can always be investigated later. Your sketchbooks are yours forever. But being able to start the execution sooner will five you more time to polish your product. We encourage you to recognize that sometimes timple visual solutions are enough, and may need to resist the urge to over-embellish, or “decorate” a design. Sometimes “less is more (as long as its enough).” We also recognize that you are willing to explore new ideas and techniques, but are not always comfortable if the success isn’t immediate. in this case, trust your professor’s guidance. Don’t be frustrated by this, instead, we encourage you to accept and take joy in the happy accidents that may happen along the way, if you are loose and free. Overall, we see tremendous potential, and are impressed by your successes so far. Move forward with confidence, and the sky is the limit for you.

After all that was said, I began to look at how I approach things, how I handle the intense ideation they mentioned, how I respond to failure, and how I deal with my own confidence level. So, as this year has progressed, I’ve worked to grow in all three area - quite diligently. 

As my third year of school draws to a rapid close, I keep trying to take a few moments and just, revel in the year that has passed. So much has happened, so much has changed - I’m probably a better, stronger person today than I’ve ever been. But I digress…

My ideation has not wavered, but rather I’ve learned how to better wield it. I separate my thoughts into segments, directions, and areas of emphasis … it helps me organize my thoughts. Taking all of that and putting it on paper has also helped tremendously, and because of that I can look at these thoughts that I’ve segmented out into general directions and make a decision. It’s then that I can narrow my thoughts into a more focused storm, thus getting the momentum going faster. It’s exciting to see and I’m proud to say that I’ve learned to do this - it may seem like the normal way of doing things to you, but I assure you it’s been one of the biggest mental challenges I’ve even undergone.

I’m extremely sad that this year is almost over, but it’s been a huge year of growth in my work, and my process. I’ve gained confidence in a lot of regards, and I learned more than I can express. My Sophomore Review seems more real now that it ever has, and I’m so grateful for this report to constantly look back upon and see where there is room to grow.

Now that I’ve rambled on, I’ll be finished… I just got really excited to share this.

openstudio:

Great and engaging… “Sexidents” is the new prevention campaign produced by MTV.

these are fabulously smart