IT'S A CELEBRATION!

This is the song I'm singing because...

I'M DONE WITH COLLEGE!

I completed my final final today.

Celebrate good times come on!! Yahooo!

A New Chapter

Hey there everyone!

I apologize for the lack of posting for the last month or so. Due to my slacking, I have plenty of updates to relay so here we go!

"Ahhhh" - that my dear friends is a sigh of relief for I have, indeed, successfully completed my Senior Project. If you don't believe me, because I had doubts myself, then visit this page to view my project in its glorious entirety. I was very pleased with the end results as were my professors and Ericka Bennett from Adventures in Missions. They are planning to use the materials and begin printing them as the funds become available! It's very exciting to see my work be put into use instead of collecting dust in a portfolio.

With that said, I am graduating on the 19th which would be in exactly 4 days and 12 hours. To go ahead and answer your question I would like to state "No. I do not have a job yet." I have applied and inquired with several places such as: Speak Creative in Memphis, TN Harding Creative in Memphis, TN Harvest Creative in Memphis, TN Midtown Church in Atlanta, GA to name just a few. Obviously I would like to end up in Memphis but I'm pretty open so, if you know of anyone in need of a Graphic Designer, please keep me in mind!

In the meanwhile I will be in Auburn until I secure some form of employment. Thankfully there's a grace period with my parents ha ha! To be honest it is slightly overwhelming trying to find a job and the state of the economy isn't exactly working toward anyone's favor who just graduated college. Even so, something will work out.

Also to update from previous posts I was accepted to be a Roadie for Invisible Children. Crazy, I know! But after several days of consulting about a dozen different individuals wiser than myself and plenty of prayer I concluded that being on the road for 6 months just simply wasn't where I needed to be. Of course it was very difficult to turn down, but I didn't have a peace about accepting the position. I also thought that I have been working for four and a half years on this degree and I am ready to put it into practice which I would not be able to do while on the road. Regardless of my decision, I still greatly support this organization and who knows - maybe some other opportunities will come my way that involves IC. You never know!

I have one more final left on Tuesday then I am officially finished with my college education. Wow. It feels like I just started my Freshman year and in other ways it feels like I have been in college for 10 years. Either way, a new chapter is opening up in my life and I have no idea what the pages hold. Really. No. Idea. Thankfully God knows and He has a plan which is a great relief even when I feel the pressures after answering "Do you have a job yet?" about 20 times.

In the meanwhile, I plan to enjoy some time during the holidays here in Auburn. I will also be traveling to Louisiana shortly after Christmas so I am very excited about that time we have planned. I will be sure to keep you in the know concerning my job quest!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Give HOPE

If you have a few moments I would really encourage you to read the following links. These two stories really moved my heart and I just adore what AIM is working to do on an international level!

Give Hope to Orphans in Cambodia

and...

Meet Michael Angelo

Man, doesn't that stir something in you!? It certainly does for me as well as a personal reminder that my graphic design work really is for something bigger than a panel of professors.

Along those lines you have another opportunity to partner with me and the campaign that I've been working on this semester for my senior project. We had these shirts made and you can purchase one for $15 and the profit will go towards helping orphans across the globe! If you're interested please let me know. They are chocolate brown, American Apparel sizes S-XL in Mens fit. Better grab one quickly because I only have 45 to sell!

Thanks so much for reading! Have a beautiful week!

Strengths

To say that I have several things on my plate right now would be a little pretentious. My epic senior project is due in 4 days and everything is going to the printer tomorrow. Over the weekend I was offered the opportunity to be a Roadie for Invisible Children which I have to decide by tomorrow if that is the path I want to take. On top of that I was presented with the maybe possibility of being a graphic designer for Adventures in Missions. (The fellow who determines this is in Africa, so at the moment it's on hold). I am graduating in December and starting a completely new exciting yet foreign phase of my life. All the while being sick for the past week with a cold. And there is one more amazing thing happening but you can just ask the details about that one :)

In regards to my future I have been trying in the past 36 hours to decipher what I am going to do with my life that will bring the MOST glory to God. I could be a Roadie which is an AMAZING opportunity or pursue a graphic design job that I am truly passionate about. Through this process a friend of mine recommended researching what my strengths and talents were so I could use them to the best of my ability. I ended up reading a book called "Strengths Finder 2.0" (which sounds cheesy) by Tom Rath. Along with the book you take a 45 minute test online to decipher your specific strengths. Well here are my top five: Positivity, Developer, Includer, Achiever, and Connectedness. I wanted to share a few of those highlights with you because they matched up so well it was kind of creepy:

"Because of your strengths, you capture others' attention with your open and talkative style. You support and inspire people. You boost their confidence and support their resolve to respond to change, overcome obstacles, acquire new skills, gain knowledge, or reach lofty goals. Instinctively, you repeatedly go out of your way to support, inspire, motivate, or embolden various individuals. You likely regard this task as worthy of your effort and time. It’s very likely that you read for relaxation and pleasure. Your carefree, cheerful, and easygoing approach to life is apt to be reflected in the types of books or publications you regularly peruse -- that is, examine studiously. Whenever you can pull together lots of information, ideas, or facts for later use, you feel quite content. By nature, you feel wonderful about life, especially when you become a link between individuals or groups. Many people would not have known one another if you had not stepped into their lives." - I've actually had that last sentence said to me before! Bizarre...

"Sharing in the company of people probably is much more important to you than keeping score, winning prizes, or capturing championship titles. Instinctively, you occasionally solicit the thoughts, feelings, or advice of certain people." - no wonder I never was competitive! Sorry Ben...)

"you need to interact with others on a regular basis." - FACT. I do not do well in isolation!

"Consider roles in which you can take responsibility for representing voices that are not usually heard. You will derive a great deal of satisfaction from being a spokesperson for these people" - Honestly if I had to sum up what I want to with my "career" it would be that. "Look for opportunities to bring together people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. You can be a leader in this area." "By nature, you actively seek out advisers whose judgment and expertise you trust. Whenever you find yourself in a questionable situation, you likely ask them to help you identify the proper course of action. Why? You are committed to doing things correctly." - Um that's exactly what I'm doing about the Roadie position! How funny! So here's my ultimate question for you: do you think I should be a Roadie for Invisible Children, if so please explain why! Let me know what you think in the comment section and as always, thanks for stopping by!

News

Hey everyone!

Hope this post finds you enjoying the wonderful week before Halloween. I just wanted to take a few minutes before I get too busy to update!

On Friday I was contacted by the Invisible Children office to set up a phone interview for the Roadie position. My interview is on Monday at 6pm and I'm excited to see how that works out. I have also applied for a graphic design job with Invisible Children but I have yet to hear back from that.

This week is going to be INTENSE as far as preparation for my final review is concerned. I have 4 meetings with professors and a peer review on Monday (AH tomorrow!). If it is humanely possible I plan to begin production of my pieces after the Halloween weekend. My final review is at 8am on November 13th and our show which will hang in Biggin Gallery is Monday November 17th from 4-6pm! Mark your calendars! I would just love to see you at the show!

After the 13th I can breath again and enjoy the rest of my last semester at Auburn. I still have no idea what the future will hold but I'm positive God has something pretty amazing up His sleeves.

Thanks for stopping by and reading! I appreciate it!

You'll Never Know

Today I was sitting in Big Blue Bagel eating lunch with my dear friend Jess when my phone began signaling me through furious buzzes that someone had left me a voice message. I picked up the phone and didn't recognize the number so I went to my voicemail to check it out. Turns out, it was John.

From Invisible Children.

For about a year I have been bouncing around the idea of being a roadie for Invisible Children after I graduated. I have been passionate about this organization and what they're all about since I was a sophomore. If you have no idea what I'm talking about then visit their site! They are the reason my heart turned towards Africa: www.invisiblechildren.com

Basically what a roadie does is we fly out to California and live in the Roadie and Intern house for 4 weeks where we are trained on everything IC and the history as well as the present situation concerning the conflict in Uganda. After the 4 weeks we are assigned with 3 other people to hit the road and tour for 10 weeks throughout our assigned region. While on tour we host screenings of the film and advocating for the Acholi people of Uganda to promote awareness concerning the injustice that is occurring there. Then we return for 2 weeks to California for debriefing and decompressing after our travels.

Okay for my friends and family out there who read this please, please, don't panic!

I merely applied and there are hundreds of individuals who apply for this position so I am completely uncertain if it will even be offered to me. I just felt that you will never know unless you try, and when I reach the end of my life I do not want to look back with a sense of regret for not taking opportunities in life because they were uncertain.

So, I will know sometime around Thanksgiving if this is even an option.

Like I say, you'll never know unless you try.

Question

Is anyone out there?

Hello?

Just Stop and Think

For the past month or so I have been slowly working through the book entitled Crazy Love written by Francis Chan. I had the delightful experience of hearing Francis for the first time at Passion a year ago - if you want to hear the talk that he gave just let me know and I can get a copy for you. I went to Passion again and Francis spoke once more. I quickly became a great fan of what he had to say and while working for Relevant this summer I came across an ad for his new book.

Eventually after the prodding of my best friend Jessica I picked up the book and began to read.

I am slowly processing everything that I'm learning but there was one thing I wanted to share with you. He has cleverly created a website that contains videos to go along with the book. I want you to take a few minutes and do the following:

Visit the site www.crazylovebook.com
On the left side of the site click on the word - Videos.
Right below the word video, click on the link - Just Stop and Think.
Watch the video.
Stop.
And think.

You better check yourself

before you wreck yourself.

I just got into studio after a rousing class in History of Christianity. I felt compelled to share and this is a reminder that the following are mainly my personal opinions so take them with a grain of salt ;)

Somehow during our lecture today about the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval time period (700 AD-ish) my professor who is an Anglican Bishop asked the following "Class raise your hand if you believe that women should be ministers in the modern church." Around four to five hands slowly emerged into the air. As soon as he uttered the question I immediately took the position that it was a trick because the answer would depend upon the definition of the word "minister". The simple word "minister" has the possibility to encompass many avenues of church involvement from preaching to serving in the toddler worship.

After the awkward silence that quickly followed a guy in the front row spoke up. For my purposes we shall give him the title "Baptist Boy" because all I know is that he's Baptist and that he's a boy.

Baptist Boy quickly remarked "Well in 1 corinthians 14:34-35 it states: 'women should remain silent' and that's how it would be in my church".

Granted I cannot convey the tone in which that was stated, but it felt condscending from where I was sitting. Growing up with my church background this particular scripture has always left a sour taste in my mouth. For years I have watched that and other verses be used out of context to make women feel inferior or even useless in the work of the church. As I sat there I wondered if Baptist Boy even considered the audience to which Paul was addressing when he made that statement or if he forgot that women were involved in the ministry of Christ even before the roots of the modern church began to sprout.

I personally believe that Paul's tone here is not one of a modern "shut up woman!" connotation. He is also addressing a specific issue that the Corinthian church was facing. In the synagogue the women sat separately from the men and had the habit of calling out questions to their husbands during the service which was distracting for the congregation. If you take a panoramic view of the Bible and more specifically the life of Jesus it is evident that He uses both men and women for His glory.

I personally believe that men are meant to be the head of the church and are designed by God to lead. Our role as women are to respect those men but it is a challenge. In the garden of Eden God annouces the curse of Eve stating: "And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you". By control I believe it means our desire as women not to control the men in our lives like robots but our struggle with affirming our men and enstilling in them the confidence to lead. As women of Christ in our "silence" we have the choice to step back and build up the men in our churches which is a respectable position to be placed into, not one of inferiority. I believe that the differences between a woman's role and a man's role in the body of Christ should be celebrated - not suffocated.

Also I have heard many arguments in congregations along these lines of "women's roles in the church" and I feel that along the way many of us (including myself) have lost sight of our original purpose. Our purpose both individually and as the body of Christ is to KNOW God. That's why we are here and it is my hope that our churches will seek that more than the differences between men and women.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section! I'd love to hear them!

Too Good Not To Share

For the past few months I have become a great fan of the blog Stuff Christians Like.

Basically a guy writes about all of the hilarious absurdity that Christian sub-culture tends to generate. If you have any sense of humor check out his site that I've linked here:

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com

And this was just too good not to share:

Jesus Is My Friend

On a more serious note he has another blog that contemplates spiritual matters - but this is my favorite entry that he's written to date because it addresses some things that I've been working through as well:

Trying To Find A Cause

Hope you enjoy the links! As always, thanks for stopping by and remember - Jesus is your friend - ZAP!

Updates and Confessions

Hey everyone!

Well obviously by the presence of this post I did indeed survive my mid-semester review. Overall it went well and I received plenty of great feedback which is going to make my project even stronger than I originally conceived that it could be. I had every aspect of my project worked up to a color comp and I felt very prepared for the entire endeavor. I have not received my grade or official letter of feedback, but God continues to prove His faithfulness day in and day out!

I also went to Birmingham today for my first adult interview with the organization called Student Life. This event also went smoothly and I enjoyed spending some time to get to know two of their staff members, one of which is an Auburn Alumni so we had plenty to talk about! I'm not sure if this is exactly where the Lord intends for my path to go, but as I've always said I am trying to be as open as I can to whatever direction He's tugging.

Speaking of that tugging, I have a confession to make.

For the past couple of months I have honestly been struggling with what kind of direction my life will be headed after I get that lovely piece of paper from Auburn University. After my experiences in Brasil, Memphis, and Ghana my heart really hasn't been the same. During my search for an internship I stumbled upon the organization called Adventures In Missions. (This is the same group that I am designing my senior project around too.) I met with Ericka Bennett who works for AIM and we hit it off instantly. Before our meeting while I was delving into the web site I found out about The World Race. The basic idea is as follows: You and three other young adults travel to 10-11 different countries over the span of a year. You and your team mates spend a month in each country participating in various ministry efforts with the missionaries in that particular region. I like to call it the nomadic missionary trek - but you get the idea.

As I was reading the site sometime ago a few things stuck out to me that I wanted to share:

"An entire generation that has a sneaky suspicion that maybe they're on a path that is too easy. Maybe they've been tempted to sell out to a career track and a lifestyle that doesn't or shouldn't define them. Maybe the versions of themselves that the world is starting to see is not the best one.Not just a few wild eyed adventurers are looking at this and thinking, "That's it, that's what I need to do!" Thousands resonate with the idea, maybe dismissing it as impractical, but secretly wishing they could say goodbye to society's expectations for a year and go on a pilgrimage."

"this generation will respond in numbers that overwhelm us. We owe it to them to gear up and do it right. We owe them not just this experience, but the opportunity it represents to tap their deepest yearning to not sell out, at least not before they've given a wild alternative their best shot." - Founder, Seth Barnes

"World racers abandon everything, depend completely on God, give as they go, live with the poor while building a community and a deep sense of family"

So after reading that I thought - wow that's powerful, but isn't that unrealistic? I mean how does someone just up and go be a missionary for a year? How do you know if your want to do something as insane as that isn't motivated by a selfish desire for adventure and not for the glory of God? Does God simply hop on His trusty heaven PA system to say "Hey - GO! Yea I'm talking to you. GO!"? Am I crazy for even considering such a journey?

I sat on those questions for a while, and I am still sitting on most if not all of them as I type this. Then I read a blog by a girl named Amanda that is just finishing her 10th month on the World Race. Click here to read it - and you should. Seriously.

I say all of this as a form of confessing to you that I don't have my future figured out, but I do know that I want to learn the same lessons that Amanda is learning. I admit that I need wisdom by the tons because I know that things like ministry or missions are HARD. It's not just about the sweet postcards! So I invite you to plop down beside me as I sit here sorting through my dreams and desires to discern really where God is leading me for the next chapter of my short blip here on this blue dot.

Thanks for reading the epic post - and if you have any comments leave them! I'd love to hear from you :)

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Bedoins and Biscuet

Hey everyone!

I am surviving senior project - although in the next 4 days sleep will be slim to none. Anyway that's not the reason of this post! The last time I talked with you I mentioned an organization named Bedoins International. I did a sad job of really projecting what they're all about so I wanted to link this video so you could check out exactly what they're doing and how they started it all.

http://vimeo.com/1783787?pg=embed&sec=1783787

The fellow on the left is a friend of mine, Jonathan (aka Biscuet) Smyth and of course Stephen Devries founder of Bedouins on the right. Jonathan is in China teaching English and sharing his journey of faith with the students there. He's an AMAZING guy and worked closely with Grace Campus Ministries. For more on his life and efforts in China check out his blog - it's worth the read!

http://www.biscuet.com/

So be praying for both of those ministries and my survival of mid-semester review on Thursday!

As always, thanks for stopping by.

There Are Bigger Things Than You and I

Hey everyone.

So to say the least the past few days have been a whirl wind. Senior project is giving me a good run for my money with our mid-semester review coming up next Thursday. Ah, but this is not why I'm writing this post.

While I have been working continuously on school, through a few books that I've been reading I've been getting this resounding message: we are very, very small. Our world and our lives - microscopic. I have found myself getting so caught up in running between classes and studio that I forget anything even exists outside of my zip code. Well God decided that I needed a wake up call.

One of my good friends that I went to high school and some of college with named Stephen Devries started up his own non-profit organization entitled Bedouins International. Basically they provide media and design for groups that need to get their message out there but might not have the finacial means to do so. It's an AMAZING thing they've got going and God has been blessing it left and right. They're also featured in Relevant's latest issue too! Presently the Bedouins staff (Paul, Roger, Jessi, and Stephen) are in Haiti filming and photographing the condition of life there. To really know what's going on please check out Stephen's blog and the Bedoins blog. It will literally blow your mind away, so if you have a few minutes check it out.

On top of that as you know I have been doing my senior project on a campaign called the Sound of Hope. For the past week I have been spending a lot of time editing and going through photos from the 3 orphanages. Through this process I was slowly forgetting why I was really doing this project. With all of my professors and meetings they kept focusing on the actual design, which is what they are meant to do, but really the reason I'm doing this is for kids like Jyoti. I was reading a blog from the Founder of the Sound of Hope, Ericka, and it turns out that Jyoti is in ICU. I was heart broken. This beautiful little girl that caught my eye with her sweet smile is in the hospital in critical condition due to a seizure. To read more see Ericka's blog here.

I say all of that as a reminder to myself that there are bigger things out there than myself. The comforting part of it all is that God is even bigger and the simple truth that He has everything in His hands is the best comfort of all. So, please pray for the people in Haiti as well as Jyoti, and my friend Maribeth who is in India as well.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Can Festival and Progress

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that I haven't curled up in a ball under my studio desk refusing to come out - yet. Ha, really things are going well. My project has been approved and all of my faculty are on board with what I will be doing. I've had 2 meetings and 1 peer review with 6 more meetings next week AND two tests.

Even with all of the work, and lack of sleep, I'm making progress. I've worked up a logo which I'm making changes to. Through my research I decided to make some stencils and spray paint them. I think have found my next artistic obsession. Graffiti art. Basically it's like a poor man's version of Print Making which I took a class in last semester.

Through this realization I came across what is called the "Can Festival" in London. Basically they let loose tons of urban artists and they go to town on an underground tunnel. It's absolutely stunning. Pictured above was my favorite piece from the show, especially the fact that it provides some social commentary. Good stuff.

Well I better get back to work! I hope everyone is having a great week!

September - Don't Panic.

Happy September!

So just by looking at my calendar here in studio the next 29-30 days are going to be simply insane.

Here's a little run down:

My letters with all of their signatures are due Thursday at 10am.
I'm meeting with my Korean reader again on Wednesday at 4pm.
I'm leading an interest meeting for our drama group at the Student Center tonight.
My book report on Saint Augustine's Confessions is due on the 12th.
My first History of Christianity Exam is the 15th.
My first World History II Exam is the 16th.
(I HATE it when exams are back to back like that...)
LSU vs AU is the 20th and if it is possible I want to go to the game.
My 8-12 page research paper proposal is due on the 22nd.
The ever dreaded and highly intense mid-semester review for my senior project is the 25th.
I'm going to Atlanta to see Les Miserables with my mom on the 26th.
I have an interview in Birmingham on the 29th at 10:45.

All during this time I have to be designing like a crazy person for my senior project. I fear that this simple month may cause me to relapse back into my caffeine addiction. I don't think I can survive the madness without my little happy coffee buzz.

Regardless, if I can make it through mid-semester and have at least a B after that it will be GREAT! Ah wish me luck. In the meanwhile I have more meetings to get the signatures that I need as well as that little task of going to class.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

An Interview? Already?

Hey there!

Well life has been pretty crazy. Lately it has been nothing but rain clouds over these parts. Classes were canceled on Monday due to the bad weather and on Sunday night my sleep was interrupted by tornado sirens going off at least 5 times. At one point I considered constructing an ark to get to classes, or investing in a good pair of flippers. Finally, the sun has decided to show itself again and I believe we were already for it to return.

Yesterday regardless of the intense down pours, I turned in my research brief and letter of proposal for my senior project. I had two meetings today with my committee and my letter is going through the changes of editing. Our final letters are due on September 4th at 10am so I have a few days to get everything together. I fear this is the deep breath before the plunge because mid-semester review is the 25th giving us only 20 days to touch on every aspect of our project. Basically, I will be living in Wallace so I better find that cot and sleeping bag. I think I might be needing it again.

In addition to the work of senior project, I was notified today by an organization called Student Life based in Birmingham, AL. They are on the hunt for a new graphic designer and one of my old class mates passed along my name. I talked with them on the phone today and have to send my resume as well as dates to set up a time for an interview. That's right, a job interview and it's only 2 weeks into the semester. Pretty crazy right?

This firm is right up my alley - check out their website: www.studentlife.com They focus on youth ministry and as you know, that is something very near and dear to my heart.
I can't really describe just how much their design aesthetic mirrors my own. It's really incredible honestly. I'm eager to meet the staff in person and get a better understanding of what they would expect from a designer.

We'll see what happens! You never know what God has up his sleeve, that's for sure.

For now I have to get ready for devotional at the Student Center, then get a little more work done before the night is over. I was notified this afternoon that I have to be at the coliseum tomorrow morning BEFORE 8am to get my Alabama ticket. Ugh. I'm sorry, but after my decision to stop drinking caffeine anything before 9am is a challenge. Wish me luck!

As always, thanks for stopping by.

I'm Alive

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to take a few minutes here and let you know that I did indeed survive the first week of classes. I've been in studio a majority of the past week working on my research brief and letter of proposal for my senior project that is due on Monday before noon.

I'm in the process right now of printing out 4 copies of my 23 page brief and have yet to write, design and print my letter. That is up on the agenda as soon as I get these pages through the printer!

If you need me, I'll be in the basement of Wallace. I hope everyone is doing well! Keep in touch :)

Closed for Business

I have an announcement to make!

I will NOT be taking on any freelance projects during this semester.

For me, freelance means any design work that is not related to my academic pursuits. The reason for this decision is I will begin my senior project for my major tomorrow. I must focus on this because it is the last ring of fire I will be required to jump through before receiving my diploma. This is a very extensive, detailed, and important project so in order to ensure my graduation and a successful project for my final portfolio I will be unable to do any design work besides what is needed for my efforts with school.

You have to realize that is hard for me to say, because I love helping anywhere that I can and especially where design is truly needed. Even so, I have to focus on this last semester of college and I hope that my desire to do so will be respected.

If you are in search of design help or a specific project that you would like to complete I would be delighted to point you in the direction of my fellow graphic design students and friends. They are eager for an opportunity to help anyone with their design needs, and I would love to point you in their direction.

Thank you so much for understanding! I apologize for any inconvenience this might cause you, but have no fear - I'll be open again for business after December!

Birthdays and Desks

Hey there!

Well I just got back from Memphis this afternoon, and let me tell you - I had a wonderful time. It's always hard for me to leave Memphis because of the dear friends I've made there. I spent the past three days hanging out with the youth ministers George and Courtney as well as the fellow I interned with last summer named Nick Hall. I also got to see a lot of the seniors, soon to be freshmen in college, before they headed off to their first semester.

It was slightly bizarre because when I was there I felt like I had never left! Also during my stay some exciting opportunities about my future were presented to me so - please pray about it! I know I will be.

Also while I was away I turned 23. Crazy? I think so. In some ways I still feel like I'm 18 and many will attest that I appear to look at least 12 or 14 on a good day. My dad is always saying "I can't believe it. Time is just flying by even faster as I get older! Did we just have Christmas yesterday?" Ha ha I love my Dad, and now I can slightly relate to his sentiments. It's been a great birthday, plus the 50 or so messages on Facebook made me smile. Thanks friends!

I came upstairs this afternoon and I looked over into the study. Since I started college I had this long card table that I used as my computer desk. I think it was a table Dad had at work that was going to the thrown away. The running joke has been that eventually I would have a "real" desk. I never saw the need for one because I do most of my work at studio but since the arrival of my beautiful Mac desktop, it just looked sad sitting on that scratched gray surface.

And this is what I saw:
Absolutely gorgeous. I mean, could there be a more beautiful desk? I think not. My wonderful family decided this would be a great present and they were right. My brother had to put it together, which I'm sure was a monstrous task. Thanks Jason!

So, thank you everyone for the sweet cards and messages. I've had a glorious 23rd birthday and you know what that means - I'm only TWO years away from being 25 and can, in the state on Tennessee, drive a 15 passenger van! YES! So close...

Ha ha well friends, as always, thanks for stopping by.

I'm back!

Hey everyone!

As you can see the blog here has gotten a little face lift. The intense green was starting to get to me, so I went to a cleaner format similar to my internship blog at Relevant.

I'm back in Auburn and I'm gearing up for the semester to start on the 18th. My birthday is only a few days away - that's right I'll be 23! Last week my parents and I went to look at a new Honda. Much to my dismay the car dealer said "So...are you in high school? Freshman in college?"

Seriously.

I'm headed up to Memphis on Sunday and I can't wait to see everyone there! The new building is finished and I'm curious to see the all the offices since everyone moved in. I'll return to Auburn on Wednesday then continue to research for my senior project presentation.

Okay I'm just going to go ahead and answer the two top questions that you have for me. Ready?

1.) What are you doing your senior project on?
I'm working with an organization called Adventures in Missions to create their campaign entitled the "Sound of Hope". Its purpose is to pair bands and musicians with specific people groups to raise awareness concerning poverty and promote orphan sponsorships. I would create their entire campaign, meaning merchandise (tshirts, stickers, buttons, etc) logo, logo suite, posters, brochures, and a few other odds and ends. I am very excited about my project and the fact that Adventures in Missions will use everything that I design.

2.) What are your plans after graduation?
At the moment I am still searching for plans. In an ideal world, I would love to work for church doing design and ministry in some capacity. If such an amazing opportunity doesn't come through I would love to work in Memphis. I have also heard that the Passion Conferences are searching for new designers so I am looking into that. Basically I have no idea at the moment, but I know God will open doors in the right direction.

Well I have a lot of freelance I need to get back to, but stay tuned and as always thanks for stopping by!

Change of Address

Hey there!

I have made a decision dear readers. In order to keep everyone from mass chaos and confusion, I have created a new blog to record my summer experience during my internship with Relevant Magazine in Orlando, Florida. I felt it would be easier and besides I'm no longer "walking in Memphis" but in Orlando. Someone should write a song about that...

Here is the new address, so please be sure to keep up:

http://megan-at-relevant.blogspot.com

In other news the semester finished out decently. I didn't get the grade I hoped for in Advanced Drawing but hey - I put about as much effort into the class as the professor so I think I acheived my academic duty. In the fall I will only have 2 classes to attend - World History II and History of Christianity. Yea the last one is just because I needed the hours and I thought it would be really interesting to take a religion class. (Plus the yoga class was full...)

I'm working on some design work again for WhiteStation in Memphis. Basically it's exactly what I did last summer with some slight variations. I'll be heading up there on Sunday and will spend a few days seeing everyone since I haven't visited since December - far too long. I'll come back on Wednesday, pack everything up, say my goodbyes and head to Orlando on Sunday.

Whoooohoooo! Summer time!

Alright that's about all I have for now. Keep your station tuned to my new blog for my change of location and yes I will post pictures of me, my living space, working space, and my wonderful co-intern Sarah!

As always, thanks for stopping by.

It's Official

Hey everyone!

Well for all of my curious readers out there I have successfully secured a place of residency for my internship in Orlando!

I'll be living with a family in Winter Park which is about 15 minutes or so from Alden Road which is where Relevant's offices are located. The family consists of Hannah who is 13, Justin who is 20 and in college (the same age as my brother Jason) and Preston who is my age and is getting married right before I move in. I will also be accompanied by two chihuahuas.

I'll be keeping this blog updated so you can keep tabs on me during the summer. I hope to post pictures as well.

I will move down to Orlando on the 19th or possibly the 18th, then begin work on the 20th. I'll be in the office from 9am to 6pm Monday through Thursday and 9am to 1pm on Friday. I have connected with the other intern as well. Her name is Sarah Qually and she's from Gran Rapids. She's a sophomore studying design and I think we will get along quite smashingly.

Come visit me while I'm there! I mean Disney World, and me, it could be the best vacation EVER.

So it's official. I'm a design intern for Relevant and I will start in 25 days!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be sure to keep you updated in the next couple of weeks.

Are you RELEVANT?

Hey everyone!

So, I have precisely 13 days left in my semester which means that life around here has been complete chaos as I'm doing my best to keep up with the last few projects. I'm finished, including my last final, on May 1st which is pretty crazy because I typically have the last final on the last day of the exam period. Oh man I'm ready for this semester to be OVER!

I have some good news to announce so, drum roll please....

I was accepted as a design intern for Relevant Magazine starting at the end of May!

I have met with 3 of my professors and each were eagerly excited about the opportunity. There will be 2 other interns and one will begin their internship on May 19th which is hopefully the same start date as me. In all there will be nine of us - three in design, three in marketing, and three in editorial. Evidently, there is a guy from Auburn who is an editorial intern so I'm hoping to catch up with him in the next couple of weeks.

There is only one more thing I need. Oh you thought that getting the internship would be the end of it, but not quite. I'm still trying to find a place to live. We do have one option, but if you know of anyone in Orlando that has an extra room or needs a summer sub-leaser PLEASE let me know! I'm clean, friendly, responsible, great with children and pet friendly so - tell your friends, family, or anyone that this awesome AU girl needs a roof over her head for the summer!

So yay! The internship search is over! Finally.

In other news, I went to Passion last weekend and man...the word "awesome" just isn't enough to describe how Passion was for me. For those of you who aren't familiar, Passion is a Christian conference for college students. This year we met in Atlanta and over 9,500 people came to worship and learn about God. The 2 speakers were Louie Gigglio and Francis Chan while David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, and Charlie Hall performed and lead worship. If you want to see more about the weekend check out the link: http://www.268generation.com/2.0/splash5.htm

I'm headed to Mobile on Saturday for an area wide meeting of youth groups in Mobile to see our drama group Speak perform. We are having a full day of hanging out with the teens, eating together, playing games, performing our skits, and teaching classes. It should be a good learning experience for Speak and hopefully God will use our time and silliness to reach out to the youth groups that attend. Also if you're free on Tuesday night at 7pm, and are aching to see Speak perform, come to devo at the ACSC on College Street! We're performing skits based on the themes of Acts which should be entertaining so I hope you can make it there!

Well that's about it for now. I better get back to my classes! As always, thanks for stopping by.

Happy April!

I can't believe April has already arrived. We have about 5 weeks left in the semester and that is quite intimidating. A lot has been happening in Auburn so I wanted to give you guys an update (and continue procrastinating on my website!)

Ah the internship hunt. Well, after all of that leg work beginning in November I have 2 offers on my plate at the moment. The first is with Adventures in Missions - I would be doing tons of design work for their new program Sound of Hope which connects sponsorships for orphans with musicians and their fan bases. I would also focus on the design aesthetic for the World Race.

The second possibility is with a firm in Birmingham, Details Communications. They focus on church and mission media. The rare bonus about Details is that they pay. I am still waiting on a phone call to inquire about a few things, but it does sound like a great place.

As far as Relevant in Orlando goes I was e-mailed last week. They said I made it to the "second round" for the internship. I had no idea there would be rounds...but I was thrilled to have made it through the first cut. I should hear from them sometime this week but honestly that would be my first choice at the moment. Granted I have no idea who I would live with or where, but from a design perspective I feel like they would have the most to teach me which I feel is the main purpose for having an internship in the first place.

Academia is beating me into the ground at the moment. I only got about 1 or 2 hours of sleep and for the past week it has been less than 6. If you know me, I always say that in a perfect world I would sleep 12 hours a night - when is the sun goes down till it rises again but that is ideal. I'm running on empty, and I am really behind in my classes. I have had so much going on outside of school from tons of freelance and other things with the ACSC that it has been hard to keep my head above water.

I have a printmaking critique today and it could be dreadful. I also have a biology test tomorrow that I just started studying for. If I could have any super power it would be to not require sleep.

I registered for my FINAL semester when I got back from Spring break. Isn't that insane? I will never register again. Soon I will be able to say "Oh when I was in college...." I'm going to be a "real" adult soon and that's intimidating. Even so, I will be excited to have a job where I can go to work and then leave my work AT work. No more sleepless nights. No more working in studio alone covered in staining ink.

As Frank Sinatra says "The best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine!"

That's about all I have to update. I've been pretty consumed with school and design which doesn't make for too much excitement.

Well I better study for biology and work on my website and my logos for San Diego and the logo for Sound of Hope and send off the Speak T-shirt and send mail to Casey in Chicago and check on my internship and prepare for my reader today and go to critique and take photographs of my projects for my professor and figure out why the IRS is sending me letters and go over my checks and...oh sleep.

Ha. Everyone have a splendid day, and if you a resting do a little for me. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Excuse me...

Dear design firms, organizations, non-profits, churches, and any other manifestation of businesses,

I would like a design internship before May.

Just in case you forgot.

Love,

Megan

Drum Roll Please...

Yesterday was the opening of Auburn's Graphic Design Juried Student Exhibition in Biggin. The show was awesome and full of tons of talented student work. I'll let it explain itself:

"Each Spring Semester the Graphic Design Students put their best school work from the past academic year on display. This year we are hosting Auburn’s own Chad Bottcher as our guest juror and lecturer. Chad is the principal of MindVolt, the absolute finest, full-service design and advertising agency in North Alabama. Work from sophomore, junior and senior level students will be shown in Biggin Hall Gallery for the week."

The reception and opening was yesterday at 4:30 in the Biggin Gallery. The show will be up until Friday. Jessica Sabo, Daniel McCoy and Katie Rhea all had pieces in the show. I had a total of 4 get in as well.

After looking through all of the work each category was given an award (usually a sweet and expensive design book) as well as merit awards basically the runner up. The judge went through each category and in my head I though "Eh, not me." Then he got to the last category and talked about how he couldn't help but love this particular project and how practical it was in a business sense. He looked down at the book and said "Life Straw by Megan Forrester".

I was like "Whaaat?"

I won Best in Show for the Exhibition! How insane is that? I got to talk to the juror, Chad Bottcher after wards and he was extremely complimentary of the piece. To be honest I didn't even consider that to be one of my best pieces. I remember having a complete emotional break down the night before it was due! Just goes to show that God can turn even the smallest bad things into something good.

The project itself was re-designing the identity of a German product called LifeStraw. Basically it is a personal water filtration system in the shape of, you guessed it, a straw. We were assigned to create a complete identity and ad campaign then assemble it into a book aka an ID manual.

I will have pictures of the work up on my Flickr site soon!

In other news, the internship hunt is still ongoing. I have no heard a word from Relevant in 2 weeks. I have decided that if I don't hear a yay or nay after Spring Break then a follow up e-mail will be in order. I did hear from Erika and AIM and within the month, hopefully, we will get to meet and have coffee to discuss the possible internship opportunity.

In the meanwhile, I am doing some non-profit projects with Collaboration Reverberation (CR) in San Diego. It's been pretty sweet so far and I'm working on a logo identity for Elhelo which is an umbrella organization based in California that supports mission efforts. I'm also doing a T-shirt and banner design for Jireh Mission.

On top of that I'm finishing up a logo for Harding in Memphis as well as a new T-shirt design for our drama group Speak and more sign-age for my grandparent's auto shop in Opelika.

Busy busy busy!

Spring Break also begins this Friday. I'm headed to the lake with a group of my closest friends. We'll be back on Monday afternoon then I'm going to Birmingham on Tuesday to hang out with some people I haven't seen in ages. On Thursday I shall return then head off to Destin, Florida with my family until Saturday.

Well I better get back to work. I have a super hard lab practical in a few hours that I need to stuff as much information into my head as possible! As always, thanks for stopping by!

Auburn's Loss of Lauren Burk

Hey everyone.

Well I'm coming to you with some very sad news as of late. I will let the University explain the situation from the following message we students received earlier this week:

"On Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at approximately 9:08 p.m., Auburn Police responded to a call of an injured female on Alabama Highway 147 (North College Street). Upon arrival, officers found a female, later identified as 18 year old Lauren A. Burk, an Auburn University student, suffering from a single gunshot wound. Ms. Burk was transported by EMS to the East Alabama Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries.

At approximately 9:27 p.m., Auburn Police received a call of a vehicle on fire in the Hinton Field parking lot located on Lem Morrison Drive on the Auburn University campus. The vehicle, a 2001 Black Honda Civic, was registered to the victim and was fully involved. Personnel from the Auburn Fire Division responded and extinguished the fire.

The case is under investigation by the Auburn Police Division with assistance from the Department of Forensic Sciences, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, and the Lee County District Attorney's Office. Law Enforcement officials are continuing to follow-up on all leads."

There will be a campus wide Memorial Service for Lauren on Samford Lawn this Monday at 3pm.

Please pray for her family and those on campus who were close to her. It turns out that Lauren was a pre-graphic design student and in one of my favorite professor's classes this semester. She also had a heart for Invisible Children and attended a screening we had a few weeks ago, but I was not fortunate enough to meet her.

The campus has been on edge in the past few days so pray for peace, healing, and God to work through such a tragedy.

As for me, it's just been shocking. I've lived here for so long that I have always felt very secure and safe in Auburn. It just reminds me that life is fragile everywhere, even at home.

I have a few updates as well. I submitted 5 pieces to the Auburn Student Juried Design Show and got 4 of them in! The gallery opening is Monday at 4:30 in Biggin Hall if you would like to come. The work should be up until Friday.

The internship hunting still continues. Right now I have two options in the works. I should meet with Erika to discuss details about interning with Adventures in Missions. That's exciting and I can't wait to meet her! Secondly, I applied for the Relevant internship and I'm just awaiting a response. Another guy from Auburn (not design) applied and was accepted for a position. He was notified 5 days ago, so I'm getting anxious. I'll be sure to keep you posted on all of that as the month goes on.

Spring Break is coming up and I think it's going to be a great one seeing how it is my last "Spring Break" as a student!? Crazy! I'm going to the lake with my friends for the first weekend, up to Birmingham for a few days to see some more friends, then down to Destin with my family for the weekend. I love traveling through our grand state! Ah, good stuff.

In the meanwhile I am swamped beyond recognition with design work. I have just accepted a TON of freelance work with CR Design firm in San Diego. I'm slightly intimidated by how "official" this is, seeing how I will be working with real clients and real printers and a real firm. I think it will be a good learning experience and hopefully more knowledge about how design works in the real world, not just the student simulation.

I will keep you updated on life in Auburn, but for the meanwhile I must dive into the pit of design for the final push before Spring Break.

Keep Auburn in your prayers and as always, thanks for stopping by.

Update

Hey there everyone.

I have no idea why I titled this post "Update" because that would imply that something has actually happened therefore presenting a reason to inform you of said event. Well there is a little something that you might be interested to know:

I was offered an internship in San Diego but I can't financially make it work to move out to California for the summer. Unless I wanted to live in a box...which I decided after sleeping in one for a night would be a bad idea for my health. I really liked the firm and where their hearts were anchored. Even so, it has a possibility of employment for the future which is super exciting. Another firm in Philadelphia e-mailed me back and said they already had interns. I applied for another one in Washington DC but that was about 2 weeks ago.

I would like to say that to date I have contact/applied for at least 40+ internships.

I should hear from Relevant within the month so at least that's something to hope for.

Basically I'm playing the waiting game.

In the meanwhile I've just been doing school work and relaxing. I've had a lot time on my hands most of which I've been sleeping or working on some freelance projects. I know that sounds like a waste (the sleeping part that is) but I have been exhausted over the past 2 weeks. Perhaps my body just needs to catch up.

I started reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. The only fall back is that I wish I had someone to talk to about it because it gets pretty deep into some serious issues of spiritual warfare. Bible study anyone?

I did get an e-mail about registering for graduation! I got really excited because it just makes that a reality. I'm graduating. In 291 days. And I have no idea what I'm doing. Or where I'm going. Or, well anything.

To be honest I would love to do ministry and design. Together. Everyone keeps telling me it's possible but right now I just need a door to open somewhere. Or just like...a crack in the door. Regardless of my doubts, God is faithful for sure.

Well I'm headed to lunch with Jess. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Like They Said

So I stumbled across this article about graphic design and its relationship to a Christian heart. I have to say it pretty much expresses a struggle that every designer deals with. Even though I'm still a graphic design student I can relate to what is being said here. Take a few minutes and check it out:

"I can't tell you how many designers I've spoken to over the last year who have expressed to me a deep discontent with their work. Not that it wasn't good enough or that it didn't win awards, but because they felt empty and passionless doing it. I saw this expressed in several ways:

I called a fellow graphic designer the other day, and he told me that he just didn't think he could possibly design another corporate newsletter for a client.

I walked into a well respected, up and coming ad agency and found very bright and creative designers dragging themselves through the motions with another less than inspiring project.

I myself have recently tried to establish some client accounts that I new I'd be miserable doing.

What do all these things have in common? Fear. Most of the things we do, our bosses do and our coworkers do are driven by fear. Primarily fear that we _______. You can fill in the blank…fear that won't be able to pay the bills; will get fired if we say no; won't be able to maintain our lifestyle; will close the door on other opportunities, etc.

So what do we do? We toil the ground as Adam was cursed to do after the Fall. We take on clients and projects we don't have any interest in or flat out dislike. We compromise our creative convictions for fear of losing a client. We rush ourselves to produce for fear of missing a deadline and produce unsatisfactory work. We take jobs at big agencies when we want to start our own studio. Think about how many times today you did something where fear was an underlying motive.

Fear is the Enemy's number one weapon for getting us to do what we don't want to do when our hearts are calling us to do otherwise.

There is good news though for folks like us. Jesus is broke the curse of toiling the ground (or computer) so we no longer need to design from fear. He is calling us to risk it all to create and design with passion for His Kingdom. Remember the story of Jesus and the fishermen. These professionals had been out all day working hard. They were toiling the water, so to speak. They caught nothing. They were empty. Then Jesus tells them to go into deep water and try it again. You know the rest of the story. They caught so many fish their boats almost sunk, and they even called for help. They were stunned.

Check out Jesus words to one of the fisherman, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women." In one act Jesus ignited their true call (still related to their profession but on a new level) and showed them that there would be more than enough to supply their needs. Their response: pulled their boats up, left all their professional equipment behind and followed Him.

I know this is what God is calling me to do. Could it be we only need to listen for the call in design work and follow Him. Can't He handle the bills? Does the world really need one more cool product to sell or snappy ad produced? What's one more logo going to identify? Is there something deeper He is calling you to design? What's the passion He's designed in your heart? Are you willing to leave it all behind?"

False Alarm

So, yeah.

I'm not going to Washington. Somethings have fallen through and apparently I'm just not going to make it.

It's been a long day friends, but for those of you who are going have fun and lobby a little for me.

In the mean while, I shall defend my parking spot from my drunken neighbors while trying to finish 5 prints, a CD cover design, and a presentation by Friday.

Graduation come quickly.

Lobby for Peace

I literally just got off the phone with some extremely exciting news that I want to share with all of you.

There is a organization that I'm a big fan of called Invisible Children. One of their recent focuses is on becoming more political with their organization to push for peace in Uganda, Africa from another AMAZING organization called Resolve Uganda. Here's an update on the situation there:

"The Ugandan military issued the strongest reiteration yet of its threat to renew military hostilities against the LRA if a peace deal is not reached by the end of month. Despite recent progress in Juba, UPDF spokesman Chris Magezi said, "The February 29 deadline is still on and I can tell you in no uncertain terms that [the] government has no plans of renewing or announcing other deadlines. After the expiry of the deadline, the government will have an array of options, including the military option."

Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, a highly respected advocate for a peaceful solution to the conflict, spoke out strongly against the ultimatum, saying, "They should not be impatient…Both parties should know that the people of northern Uganda would not want a bloodbath again after both the government and the LRA took the decision to go to peace talks. Those who propagate war should be ready to answer for the lives that would be lost and be ready to face the consequences of the resumption of war."

Since the peace talks have been very shaky in the last few weeks, the Lobby Days have come into existence. Basically, Invisible Children is rounding up all of its supporters to come to Washington DC and meet with their congressmen to put pressure on the US government to support peace in Uganda.

Well....

I'M GOING! That's right! Dean Green our Dean of Students is sponsoring me and two other girls to fly to Washington this Sunday to represent Auburn University! We'll leave Sunday and return on Wednesday and yes, our classes will be excused so have no fear!

I couldn't be more pumped! I've never "lobbied" for anything or met a congressman, or even really been in Washington. I went once when I was in the University band but I didn't see anything besides being stranded somewhere in Virgina and walking through the snow for a day. I'm so excited to actually be able to SEE D.C. and have the flight paid for is just...wow.

So, if you see me on MTV freezing my bum off for Uganda please TiVo it! (Hey it's better than sleeping in a box for a night like last time) Haha anyway, I just wanted to share and I'll let you know how everything goes.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Internship Update

Since I know all of you are eager to hear what's up for my summer plans since at least 10 people have inquired in the past week...here's an update.

I received a very random and EXTREMELY belated reply (by at least 3 months) from Jireh Ministries Foundation. Basically they are a non-profit Christian organization that focuses on Uganda and other countries in Africa. Click the link to check them out! Anyway, in the e-mail they said that they were "ready for me to join the team". The main office just moved to Montana. Their designers are in San Diego, CA and trust me there are tons of details I need to hear back from them but at least it's an open opportunity. Yes I would be in California if I took the internship. Crazy.

I called Disciple Design today and left a message with their creative director. Yes, I still have Memphis on the brain but these people have been difficult to get in touch with. Hopefully they will call me back, but for now it's in God's hands.

The Change in North Carolina has gotten back to me but stated that they wouldn't decide on interns until March. The same theme is going on with Relevant magazine. Honestly I would be amazed if I was offered anything with Relevant because their creative team is HARD CORE.

My main contact, Erika, from AIM (Adventures in Missions) is still in India. It's been awesome seeing her videos and reading the blog about her work there. Once again there are more details to iron out but I confess it's my favorite option at the moment. The people there seem AMAZING and it's just what I'm looking for. Who knows...maybe that would open doors for my goal of going on the World Race before I'm 30. Yeah, it's a new goal. Don't freak out Mom!

Anyway, that's where everything is at the moment. I'm still going to apply for the internship with Blood Water Missions because they're pretty incredible. I did hear back from a firm in Seattle and they flat out said they didn't need interns. Haaa it was almost laughable but hey, a closed door is a closed door.

Oh and just so you know that when the words are GREEN that's a link. Just click on it and it will take you to the organization's website that I'm talking about.

Alright I'm going to pack and work out before my next class. I'm going to Montgomery for the evening to hang out with the Invisible Children Roadies. I think it'll be good to get some fresh air outside of Auburn and branch out to meet new people.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Briliant.

"She passed the time quietly in a world of her own in which she was surrounded as far as the eye could see with old cabin trunks full of past memories in which she rummaged with great curiosity, and sometimes bewilderment. Or, at least, about a tenth of the cabin trunks were full of vivid, and often painful or uncomfortable memories of her past life; the other nine-tenths were full of penguins, which surprised her. Insofar as she recognised at all that she was dreaming, she realized that she must be exploring her own subconscious mind. She had heard it said that humans are supposed only to use about a tenth of their brains, and that no one was very clear what the other nine-tenths were for, but she had certainly never heard it suggested that they were used for storing penguins."

- Douglas Adams

Happy February!

February...that is a word that I could never remember how to spell correctly. Thanks spell check!

Well I would like to tell you that a million amazing things have been going on in the life and times of Megan Forrester but that wouldn't be the truth.

At the moment I have nothing exciting to report. No internship updates. The entire process has come to a lurching halt and at the moment I am too exhausted to keep pushing forward. There is one more that I plan to apply for, but I'm still waiting to see what happens with AIM.

School has been rough the past few weeks. I did have several critiques since my last post and all of them blew up or simply offered no valuable feedback. I have decided that I would enjoy web design more if I knew how to speak the HTML/CSS coding language.

I would like to add that the most pointless class I have ever taken at Auburn University is Advanced Drawing. I kid you not. I adore the professor and all of his crazy antics but as far as progressing in my art the conditions are not favorable. Oh well at least it's a credit!

I have a full weekend coming up. Saturday morning I hope to go re-stain a play ground set for a family that fosters several kids. I think it'll be good fun and I hope we get to meet all of the kiddos. Saturday night the ACSC "Seniors" are going to cook and watch LOST! That's right I haven't seen it yet so if you spoil it for me we're going to have some issues. On Sunday afternoon we're taking gifts and flowers to the seniors, widows, and shut-ins of our church. We've done it every year but this is the first time I am going to be able to go. Hooray!

I feel like there's something else...oh yes the freelance is still going. Ha! I'm doing the logo for Harding Academy's Campus Ministry in Memphis, another invitation for the Auburn CoC Youth Group and putting the finishing touches on Roger's CD. Oh yes and making a sweet self promotional video for an internship application. Wow, I just realized I'm a lot busier than I thought I was.

Well for now I'm going to go take a walk at Kiesel. Who knows, maybe I'll get up enough stamina to run again.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sickness

That's right. I caught the sickness.

Just like the rest of Auburn!

I got rather ill last week and I'm still recuperating. I just had the virus ickiness that's been going around. At the moment I still have a pathetic cough and sinus issues, but I'm well enough to do the whole student and class gig.

It's been one crazy weekend. If any of you know my dearest and closest friend Jessica Sabo was baptized on Sunday! I know, it just...rocked my world. She's precious to me and that was a beautiful moment overall.

As far as the internship quest goes I do have some new information. I got a phone call late Saturday night from AIM with Erika Bennett. We talked for about an hour and the crazy thing is she's probably already in India right now. Yes, she called me the NIGHT before leaving for another country. Talk about cool chick right there. At this point we have to work a few things out, and she won't return from her adventure for 3 weeks, but I'm really hopefully that I might get to work with AIM this summer.

I did hear back from Holy Cow Creative. They liked my work but their firm is only freelancers that work "off site" so it's not what I'm looking for.

I'm trying not to get too attached to AIM at the moment because there's so much to work out but man - it's just feels exactly right for what I want to do. We'll see where God leads I suppose!

School is going well. I am EXTREMELY behind due to my period of illness. I have my first web interface due tomorrow and I'm struggling to get something I like out of that. My first printmaking critique is Wednesday and I still need to churn out at least 4 more prints in the next 36 hours. Not to mention working on a cd design. Yes that's still going...

I also want to put it out there that I'm taking a break from freelancing. I'm creatively exhausted and I just need a break. So, if you were planning to ask for my design services I'll be sure to let you know when I open up shop again. For now this girl needs to regroup.

Tonight, besides frantically designing a web interface, I'm going to hear the African Children's Choir! I'm SO excited! My drawing professor saw them this weekend and said it was phenomenal. I'm really looking forward to the show.

Well I'm going to go make some coffee and get back to studio. Yes, coffee at 3 in the afternoon. Oh the life of a student designer...only 323 days left of it.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

What is your quest?

To find a design oriented internship for the summer.

At this point in the story I feel like the knights on Monty Python that get asked the question before being catapulted off the bridge.

As far as the internship quest is going along, not much has developed. I did hear interest from Egg Design in Seattle, Adventures in Missions in Nashville TN, Holy Cow in Minnesota, and a few others.

I have sent off my resume and portfolio about a week and a half ago. There has been complete silence since then. No e-mails. No phone calls. Nada.

I went to Gulf Coast this weekend and it was GREAT! I'll post more details later, but I went to a panel discussion about missions. All of them clamored to the idea of using the talents God gave you in His Kingdom here on earth. Basically if you're a business major mission organizations need you to. Or poultry science. Or engineering. Or pre-med. Or pharmacy. Or nursing. Or even plant-biology. Or..."anything". After the discussion I went up to each mission rep and asked simply "I'm graduating in December with a major in graphic design. Can you use me?"

"No."

They all said in various tones of course, but still. Disappointing. Well, I wasn't that easily shaken so I went into the next room where about a dozen display areas were set up for mission organizations. I went to each one and asked my favorite question "Do you need a graphic designer?"

"No."

"Sorry, what is that?"

"Uh.......no thanks."

Well to me it was obvious that they did by scanning over their brochure and fliers but I simply shrugged and walked away.

I mean c'mon. That has to be slightly humorous right? "Oh yes! We'll use everyone! Just tell us what you do and we'll fit you in!" Oh, sorry to get your hopes up kid. We didn't really mean it - is what I tried to not think after my attempts.

I know it's God way of leading me to the right place, but part of me wished they had at least been in the slightest bit helpful. Or encouraging. Or polite even.

Well, on through the quest I must go. At least there's some humor and a few empty cocoNUTS along the way.

Link-ity Link Link

Hey everyone!

Well school is back and everyone is slowly slipping into the swing of things around Auburn. I have to say that I think my classes are going to be a little bit more manageable than last semester. Of course that's all bound to change, but at the moment it's all good.

So far Web Design is okay. Granted I know nothing about what I'm doing but it's refreshing to actually LEARN something in class. It's been a while since that has happened and I'm enjoying it. I've learned how to link in HTML so, this post is full of them to show my new web skillz. Speaking of design I am still in the epic quest for a design internship this summer.

In the past few months I have e-mailed 26 to 30 different design firms, organizations, ministries trying to scope out who would be interested in offering me the opportunity of the rare internship. Amazingly I've heard back from 5 and they are as follows: Holy Cow Creative in Minnesota, Details Communications in Birmingham, Relevant Magazine in Orlando, Florida, The Change in North Carolina, and EGG Design in Seattle, WA. All of those have requested portfolio samples and resumes so we'll see where it goes from there. I'm trying not to get my hopes up at the moment. There are 2 more applications I want to put out. One for the organization called "Church Marketing Sucks" which I happen to love and Blood Water Missions that drills drinking wells for people all over the globe.

If only that firm in Memphis would return my e-mails. It would be my top choice but of course nothing has happened with it. Maybe they fired the guy I've been e-mailing or something... I'm going to try another staff and see if they would respond.

Also while Googling like crazy over the past week I stumbled across this diamond in the ruff: BLANK a blog about the heart of a Christian Designer. Let me tell you, I've never read anything on the web that has really rung true with who I am as a person more than this blog. So, if you want to pick my brain, not literally of course, just read this blog: B L A N K.

Right now I'm reading Sex God by Rob Bell. He does the NOOMA videos and if those don't ring a bell then, man, you're missing out. It's pretty much amazing and if you want something to stir you up, just pick up that read. On top of that I've discovered a great new musician named Sufjan Stevens. Granted most of you probably know and love him, but if you are one of the rare few who don't just check out his latest album Illinoise.

Okay I think that's enough links to keep you busy for a while. Haha! I'm off to work on a cd cover design. It might be more complex than I anticipated but hopefully I can get that off the list before the day is through.

Coming up Next: GULF COAST GETAWAY! Waaahooo get EXCITED!

Happy 2008!

Some of you might be of the belief that I have fallen off the face of the Earth or simply moved on from this happy blog.

Well, you're in luck because neither of those speculations are true! Lucky you!

I'm here to give some brief updates and ring in the New Year.

Fall semester ended well academically. All of my projects for Design I were hits with my professor and it always was a challenge but I was pleased with more additions to my portfolio. I finally was vindicated in Painting proving that I can actually make a decent portrait resulting with my first A in any painting class!

I've been up to quite a lot since the end of the semester. I went to Stevenson, AL with the posse for a relaxing weekend thanks to the McCoys. I did visit Memphis for a few days right before Christmas. It was wonderful to see everyone and the more I'm in Memphis the more I want to stay there! I visited my grandmother in Fayetteville too and on Christmas eve we spent some time with my Mama Anne and Papaw. We had our traditional Christmas day at Mama Anne's with the rest of our extended family from my mom's side. It's also the season of engagements once I realized that I know of 10 couples that have agreed to tie the knot including my Uncle Steve! Crazy how that happens, isn't it?

After Christmas I drove to Nashville for Youth in Action with the WSYG. I remember YIA when I was in youth group myself so it was pretty sweet to see how it has changed over the years. I also got to see Nick, our guy intern, from this summer. Unfortunately I came down with a bad virus/cold and have been sick since Monday.

Regardless of ailments, yesterday Zach and I spent the day in Atlanta which was AWESOME to say the least. We visited the aquarium, in my opinion, was hands-down the best one I've ever been to. We also went to the High Museum of Art and you know that's my cup of tea. It's been a while since I've visited the High and it's gotten twice as big! It was an eventful day and I was glad for the adventure.

Coming up for this semester I'm taking what I like to call "my last full semester" of college. I say that because I will have a full load of classes while next fall I will only have my Senior Project and World History II to complete. By this time next year I will hopefully have secured some kind of job or at least move from the 'Burn into "adulthood" or the "real world" as I've been told.

As far as classes go I'm taking Web Design (that's the one I'm worried about), the second part of my required Biologies, Advanced Drawing I with Flemming, and Printmaking I with Laroux (my FAVORITE fine art professor).

There are a lot of changes coming up for me in the next year. Most of my closest friends are graduating in May so that makes it hard to let go and move on to the next stage of life. Even so, I know that this semester will be exciting, stressful, and lots of fun because that's how college goes.

So now that you're up to date and hopefully forgive my leave of absence, I've got some errands to run! As always, thanks for stopping by and take care!

Happy New Year!