"It's been a long time....shouldn'tve left you...without a dope beat to step to..."
I can't believe they haven't deleted my account for this thing
What can I say? I've been trying to do what I told myself I'd do for the longest time before leaving. I've been trying to live the kind of life that someone would read about if a book were ever written about it. Or if I ever decide to write an autobiography, I'd want to read it at least more than once.
I've been on a spectacular journey so far. I did it. We did it. Decided not to settle for what most of our families fall into, the what I call "comfort trap." I couldn't stand the idea of staying in Arkansas after I'd completed 5 1/2 years of college. Even now I'm not so sure that getting in any kind of debt with student loans was worth it. Sure the thought of life after school was intimidating, but what else could I do to make it sound even more crazy? That's right: move halfway across the country to a state that's expensive as hell to live in without having a job promised to me when I got out here.
But I did it. We did it. Pulled together, came out here and did our research/networked, and that has ultimately let to the single most important decision I've ever made that's made me feel more like an adult than anything else I've done so far.
It's hard, but yet it's so great. So awesome. I've seen and done things most people won't ever get to do in their entire lifetime. Who knows how long we're going to stay out here, but while we're out here, I'm going to make sure we see as much as we can see and meet as many people as we can. The trip hasn't been a waste, and I want to keep up that trend.
Next move might be Austin. But it won't be till another 8 months go by when our lease is up before we make that decision.
L.A. Film Festival: Freaking Awesome. I had a blast. Met a lot of crazy talented people. I can't believe it's over already. I would definitely do it again though.
Pet Portraits: Yes this is one of the things I'm trying to push while I'm out here, and it's turned up some good commissions so far. The latest one I did was for this girl who live in a loft in Venice Beach. A 41"x44" oil painting on wood panel of the smallest dog I painted at an angle which gave her a HUGE head! I'm also working on some costume illustrations for this new Billy Bob Thornton movie called "Jane Mansfield's Car," which is being shot as I write this in Atlanta, GA. We actually got to meet Billy Bob. Shook his hand and talked about Arkansas (Billy Bob:"The one thing you've got to understand is, we're all white trash...") xD Love it.
So yes, I've been hiking up to the Hollywood sign, have explored Griffith Observatory, discovered Trader Joe's (OMG THIS STORE NEEDS TO MOVE EASTWARD!!), have experienced the wonderful event known as the Downtown L.A. Art Walk, and other many other memorable/great things. But I've also walked around Skid Row at night, went shopping at the smallest and porest mexican grocery stores, and have seen the more dirty and dilapidated parts of this vast (and I do mean VAST, this place is huge!)county. So yeah, I don't dig the overpopulation, the smog, and lack of proper forestry, but like I said, I'm here to experience it all. I got a job at Starbucks down the street to tide me over and hopefully serve as a link to anywhere else we might go within the next few years. In the meantime though I am hoping to grow more as an artist and find the direction I'd like to go in. There are many, MANY artists out here and lots of competition, but I'm not gonna let myself get discouraged. I've just got to keep myself in check and constantly remind myself why I'm out here.
Who knows what's going to happen between now and March 1st, 2012!
Survival that's what
What can I say? I've been trying to do what I told myself I'd do for the longest time before leaving. I've been trying to live the kind of life that someone would read about if a book were ever written about it. Or if I ever decide to write an autobiography, I'd want to read it at least more than once.
I've been on a spectacular journey so far. I did it. We did it. Decided not to settle for what most of our families fall into, the what I call "comfort trap." I couldn't stand the idea of staying in Arkansas after I'd completed 5 1/2 years of college. Even now I'm not so sure that getting in any kind of debt with student loans was worth it. Sure the thought of life after school was intimidating, but what else could I do to make it sound even more crazy? That's right: move halfway across the country to a state that's expensive as hell to live in without having a job promised to me when I got out here.
But I did it. We did it. Pulled together, came out here and did our research/networked, and that has ultimately let to the single most important decision I've ever made that's made me feel more like an adult than anything else I've done so far.
It's hard, but yet it's so great. So awesome. I've seen and done things most people won't ever get to do in their entire lifetime. Who knows how long we're going to stay out here, but while we're out here, I'm going to make sure we see as much as we can see and meet as many people as we can. The trip hasn't been a waste, and I want to keep up that trend.
Next move might be Austin. But it won't be till another 8 months go by when our lease is up before we make that decision.
L.A. Film Festival: Freaking Awesome. I had a blast. Met a lot of crazy talented people. I can't believe it's over already. I would definitely do it again though.
Pet Portraits: Yes this is one of the things I'm trying to push while I'm out here, and it's turned up some good commissions so far. The latest one I did was for this girl who live in a loft in Venice Beach. A 41"x44" oil painting on wood panel of the smallest dog I painted at an angle which gave her a HUGE head! I'm also working on some costume illustrations for this new Billy Bob Thornton movie called "Jane Mansfield's Car," which is being shot as I write this in Atlanta, GA. We actually got to meet Billy Bob. Shook his hand and talked about Arkansas (Billy Bob:"The one thing you've got to understand is, we're all white trash...") xD Love it.
So yes, I've been hiking up to the Hollywood sign, have explored Griffith Observatory, discovered Trader Joe's (OMG THIS STORE NEEDS TO MOVE EASTWARD!!), have experienced the wonderful event known as the Downtown L.A. Art Walk, and other many other memorable/great things. But I've also walked around Skid Row at night, went shopping at the smallest and porest mexican grocery stores, and have seen the more dirty and dilapidated parts of this vast (and I do mean VAST, this place is huge!)county. So yeah, I don't dig the overpopulation, the smog, and lack of proper forestry, but like I said, I'm here to experience it all. I got a job at Starbucks down the street to tide me over and hopefully serve as a link to anywhere else we might go within the next few years. In the meantime though I am hoping to grow more as an artist and find the direction I'd like to go in. There are many, MANY artists out here and lots of competition, but I'm not gonna let myself get discouraged. I've just got to keep myself in check and constantly remind myself why I'm out here.
Who knows what's going to happen between now and March 1st, 2012!
Survival that's what