Dean's List

A few weeks ago on my way to work I was scrolling through emails on my iphone when I came across a message from my school. Usually these emails are about my finances or an invite to some fashion show being presented by the fashion majors. I almost bypassed it but decided to give it a gander. The message was congratulating me on my academic accomplishment in my program of Media Arts and Animation and for making the Dean's List. Wow! The only list that I made in high school was the principal's shit list or the detention list. The event would be held at this joint in NoHo right across the street from my school called the Federal Bar. Now let me fill you in. Aside from the lead in a few musicals, I accomplished very little in high school. High School in my back asswards southern town was hell for me....HELL. I had been so caught up in all of my projects that I didn't realize that I was actually doing a stellar job. I'm a full time waiter, full time student, and I do graphic design on the side which will hopefully turn into something more down the road. In short,I'm a very busy person and I forget to stop and smell the roses. I arrived at the "ceremony" just a touch late, but to be honest most of the attendees were a bit hammered along with some of the faculty. I collected my award, stuffed a few hors d'oeuvres in my face and I was out the door. I didn't know anyone there and I was flying solo, I also had projects to work on back home. Tonight as I write this I'm tired...very tired. Finals are in full swing and my apartment looks like an arts and crafts atom bomb has exploded. I haven't had a real day off in weeks and I haven't seen my friends in an age. Spring break is just around the corner and I'm looking forward to some much needed rest, but knowing me I'll still find some project to get lost in. At the end of the day I'm that same kid from Arkansas that likes to scribble in his sketch pad.

Mama I'm Stayin' Home

I love concerts. Always have. Always will. I've been to nearly if not over a thousand shows since I was old enough to make my own money. I've seen everyone from Aerosmith to ZZ Top and I can remember (almost) all of them. I'm sure I've suffered some hearing loss (and liver damage). I love the whole build up, the crowd, the stage, the lights, and of course the music. I like it loud. Real loud. If my ears weren't ringing for two days after the show then it wasn't loud enough. I like to be close enough to the stage to have the speakers blow my clothes off. I had seen Madonna back in '08 while she was on her "Sticky and Sweet Tour", so when she announced that she was touring for her "MDNA" album my buddies and I agreed to get tickets and I was stoked to see her again. As the show loomed ahead I went into my usual pre-show mode of where we would meet and what I was going to wear. I guess that it was about a week to show time that I found myself up to my neck in school projects. I was slammed with work and school and had absolutely no social life so I kept putting the concert out of head. The night before the show it suddenly dawned on me...I DON'T WANNA GO. I thought that it might be because of school, but it was more than that. Yes I was busy, but the idea of getting to Staples Center and navigating the endless L.A. crowd and trying to break my neck to see her suddenly seemed like a big pain in my ass. And epic fail on Madonna's team for allowing such horrendous seating. They had placed at least 800 seats BEHIND the stage. I wasn't going and that was that so I sold my ticket to a friend of mine and stayed home to finish my Typography project. Did I miss a good show? Yes. She's Madonna, she's fierce, she puts on an amazing show, she's a diva and all gay men must worship her billion dollar vagina...I get it, but it just doesn't appeal to me these days. I wasn't angry or bitter about it at all. I just truly had no desire to go. I still like her, but her music just isn't what it used to be. When I was a rebellious 15 year old who was coming to terms with his sexuality her music truly resonated with me, but now her music seems thin and the lyrics feel more like an after thought... or maybe I'm just getting old. I still love a good show and that will never change. I got an A on my project.

New Kid In School

When I first landed here in L.A. I moved into an area known as The NoHo Arts district. Located in a pocket of the San Fernando Valley called North Hollywood. Apparently this area used to be the equivalent of a demilitarized zone and then people with lots and lots of money came in and started buying up all of the property and turned it into a thriving area of business and art with trendy shops, restaurants, and nightlife, not to mention overly priced apartment complexes. During my time living in this area a construction company broke ground on a massive project just a stones throw from my back balcony. I could see the construction and hear all of the racket, but assumed that it would be nothing more than a generic office high rise. Little did I know that this structure would be providing me with my future education. The Art Institute of California, Hollywood. I had done the whole school bit after high school and it wasn't my thing. I even attended cosmetology school in Kansas City, but like most early twenty-something gay men I decided to party and dropped out. True story, I'm a beauty school drop out. I never thought about nor had any desire to return to any level of higher education. I was stubborn and far too consumed with my party boy ways to be bothered with school and I thought I was too old. Now after a very roller coaster year I'm proud to say that I'm once again giving college a go. This time I'll be going for a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Animation. The campus is brand new and full of every kind of artsy-fartsy, high tech, movie making gadget you can think of. Since the school is located right next to Universal and Warner Brothers Studios the overall atmosphere of the campus is very "film industry", which isn't a bad thing. I'm a 35 year old freshman just closing my second quarter at A.I. and I'm welcoming every opportunity that this school is providing me with. I'm a self taught artist until now and the experience is tremendous and exhausting all at once. I'm learning new ways to draw and different ways to develop my craft. This is just the beginning of a long journey. The next chapter of my life after turning the page on a very dark one. I'm willing to learn. Ready to create and truly blessed to have this.