Details of Normality

  Back of Tuck Box for Card Deck Design Project (notice the text and border are off-center) One thing I would really like to work on is my polish and professionalism. I think I have a lot of knowledge about art, but I can sometimes sacrifice a nice piece for a professional piece. My work could use some refining and some technical work to be better, and I am glad that I’ll have plenty of opportunities to work on that as I work towards my degree.

I think my favorite part of Colorado is the weather. When I was a young child, I used to live in the South, where it’s too hot, and muddy almost all year round, but Colorado is much more interesting. There’s warm weather here as well, but there is also snow, rain, and unpredictable forecasts. I love that one day it can be warm and sunny and the next there could be a blizzard.  Growing up in Colorado, I’ve gotten to see the weather change and develop year to year, and it never ceases to keep me on my feet. And while I would like to live somewhere else some day, the variety in the weather always leaves me excited.

  Image Used in Final Project for Intro to Digital Design I feel that this semester has really forced me to think outside of the box more, and interact with art in a way I hadn’t before. I’ve always been pretty critical and opinionated about things, but this semester has opened me up to the idea that not only should I have opinions about something, but about what I would change about something to make it better. It’s easy to have an opinion without offering solutions, but now I’m in a place where I need to be able to recognize how I can improve my work and focus on growing as an artist. I want to be the best artist I can be too, I want to thrive and do better, and part of that is knowing not only what is good or bad about a piece, but what would make it even better, how to take it to the next level, in matters of taste and professionalism, and I’m excited to be learning and growing in that way.

I started this semester as a digital design major, but quickly switched to illustration once I realized that was an option. I’m sufficient at graphic design, but I feel illustration is where I really thrive, and is the trade I am most passionate about. Luckily I didn’t have to change my schedule either, as all the skills and classes I’ve taken this semester also will advance my illustration degree. I’ve been drawing since before I remember, and I’ve never really stopped, and I’m always working to improve and get better the more I do it. My favorite show ever is an animated cartoon called Steven Universe , and part of what I love is that all of it is illustrative work. It also includes LGBT themes, and themes of depression, abusive relationships, and self reflection, but the fact that it’s also an illustrative work also appeals to me so much. Art and illustration is my passion, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to major in it.

In the last year or so I’ve learned more about teamwork than I ever have in my life. Being married means being part of a team, and like with all teams, you have to work together to be successful. For example, I don’t mind doing laundry, but I hate putting clothes away. So, how we do laundry at home is that I wash and dry the laundry and my wife is kind enough to put it all away. It takes a huge burden off myself, and distributes responsibility in a way that is satisfying to us both. In this way we successfully achieve our goals by operating as a team.  Sometimes, however, teamwork is difficult. For example, my wife and I both hate taking out the trash, and sometimes we’ll argue about who should have to do it. If we had a system where we work together to make sure the trash is taken out when needed, maybe we could avoid this conflict.  

                I had heard about Meow Wolf from a woman at Xfinity, which in its own is mysterious, given that most people at Xfinity aren’t in the mood to make chit chat. However, her description could never have prepared me for what I discovered. My brother and sister in-law were in town, and generously offered to take my wife and I, and I couldn’t have been more mesmerized. Each room was more magnificent than the next. To be frank, I’m not sure that I could accurately put the experience into words.  Art is my life, and to see a creation of art on this large of a scale, where there are endless details, and more to find each time is something I could never have imagined. Going to Meow Wolf truly is like entering another world, one that’s more interesting and visually engaging than any other work of art I’ve ever seen, because not only are you there to look, but being there and talking to the workers, and discovering the mysteries of Meow Wolf are also part of this amazing immersive a

Something I’ve learned about myself this semester is that I need to set realistic expectations for myself. Sometimes I really am passionate about an idea or concept for a project or assignment, and while it may be a cool idea if I had an unlimited amount of time, it isn’t always feasible when I have time constraints. I’ve also learned to hold myself accountable more, which I believe ties into setting realistic expectations. I hold myself to a standard that is sometimes unfair to myself, and so when I hold others to the same standard, well, I can hurt people’s feelings without meaning too. I’m in therapy again, finally, and I’m glad that I am because it helps me to remind myself that I, and no one else is perfect, and that mistakes are a part of life, and I don’t need to be so afraid of failure and making mistakes. Another thing I’ve taken away from this class is that it’s okay to fail, and to try again. It’s okay to take feedback and make changes to something. I’m learning to be more f