Catalogues

So I just got the new CalArts grad catalogue for Film, which includes info on the character animation program, and experimental animation program, both of which I am very interested in. Not much information on courses in the books, but lots of lists. These are the professors. These are some alumni. Ooh, look, pretty! Not much for student work, i.e. stills.

Ah, the age of computers. Guess I have to do the internet shuffle to look at my schools in more depth.

The other day, when I told my mom, that I wanted to go back to school for an MFA, she said, "Why? Wasn't that RISD's job to prepare you to go out into the world and make a living making art?"

You see, I am an art educator, not a full time artist. And I know deep down, somewhere, my mom wanted me to be "bigger" than that. I know that she's proud of me, but she did say, when I was accepted into the MAT program, "Oh, that's great, just your father and I had such higher hopes for your future." I know she's proud, don't get me wrong, teachers, in her eyes are pretty close to the top of the totem pole.

Anyways.

RISD, you didn't fail me.
RISD, you sent me out into the world to be me.
To take risks, chances, and to put more creativity, communication design and art into this world.

Every day I teach 200 kids how to communicate with art.

Every year I teach 800 kids how to see, write about, think about, and create art.

I think that's pretty rad.

Sure, I want to make more art for a living. Sure, I want to have a career where I go to work, to make art.

But damn, there's something amazing about having 34 12-year-olds all MAKING stuff.

There's an energy in a classroom, working on a project, it's like sitting under high wires with head gear, I think, it hums.

And I love it.

So, you see, RISD, I'm in no way not on the path I want to be. I just took a detour to Nevada, to work at a school I love working at, with kids that need me maybe almost as much as I need them.

I love detours.