Hahaha! How did I know I'd find a picture of sheep in your gallery? Too funny. I've got to +fav this one.

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Words are loaded pistols.

thats the obligatory "i'm a shire dweller" photo............
they look quite pretty, don't you think? the one second from the back is my girlfriend..... mwahahaha

just read your journal. an excellent outlook and eloquently put. i have much the same view as you about the whole DA business.....to me, it is just about being able to be part of a community, and having the chance to have someone whose views you respect giving constructive criticism. if that doesnt happen for 6 weeks at a stretch, fine. it is still more often than i get it at uni........and by creative people who know their stuff. and, as with any great idea, you get people jumping on the wagon who maybe don't get the idea...its how all the great ideas were raped, and why should that be different for DA? like you say, anything creative should be for your own personal benefit/improvement/satisfaction, and anything else it brings is a bonus. i make work for me, and (at the moment) to jump through the hoops of criteria in order to get my degree. i can make a mockery of my morals and whore myself in order to get a degree. if thats what it takes to make a bit of money doing what i love, great. if not, i'l still do what i love, but without the money bit. i don't like the concept of pimping my creativity doing something that entices people to buy shit they really don't need, but hopefully if i get a job doing something graphics-orientated, then i'l be making more art than "crappy chewy chew-chews" logo design/advertising campaign.
and thanks for the too, man. its always a bonus.

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_{forever was over ages ago.}

Well, you know... I've come to terms with the whole "whoring myself for the degree" thing. I guess its a lot easier to look back at that, now that its all over and done with. I know where you're coming from though. The memory is not quite so distant yet. Sometimes, you get lucky, though. I'm working with a bunch of complete psychos now. I love every second of it. Its actually a joy to go to work. This is my 6th job, so it really doesn't happen immediately, unless you have freakishly good luck. I find its not so much the skills or the talent, its more the fact that you get on with the people you work with, and you think on the same wavelength. When I have these guys with me, no job is a drudgery. It could be an ad for plastic liners or even dog poo... I don't care what it is, we just love working together... Everyone is completely twisted. Its great. It doesn't happen immediately, though. Maybe that's why I was feeling a little dissapointed with DA... Here I was, thinking that I would find another great group of people. Granted, I've met some really nice people, but well... I've seen some real pieces of work, too. The prima donnas! Whoa, there's one around every corner here.
In regards to work... Well, I had to do the crap when I first started out. It seems to be an unwritten law that you get all the garbage before anyone notices you. Yes, I really resented being a cog in the wheel of the capitalist behemoth. Hell, I've lost jobs because I refused to apologise to some suit who thought his fucking logo was 1 pixel too big. Dude, tell me how the fuck you can see one pixel on a 720x576 screen, and I'll show you the colour of my my sweet pimpled ass. Then the dick says its one pixel too small after my correction. By that point, I was ready to tell him that my retarted cousin had better eyesight than him... I still held my tongue. I just walked out. Then he made a huge mistake. He grabbed me and spun me round to face him and said "Do you know who I am?!" At this point, I think the rage took over. I shoved him away... Called him the most obnoxious prick I'd ever had the displeasure of working with. I think that did it, because he hit me. That was the end of that job! How do you explain to your boss that you broke your clients nose because he was being a dick? Damn did that feel good though. Point is, I actually regret doing that now. I felt trapped in this company full of idiots, all of which had no idea where I was coming from. Fuck I never want to be in that situation again, not when I can see what it really SHOULD be like working in a creative environment.
Best thing to do? Get your own little side projects together. Show those idiots what real work looks like when your heart and soul goes into it. Do something about an issue you really care about. Hell, design is meant to exist for the betterment of society in general. One of my favourite lecturers used to say " You need a subject? What the fuck is wrong with you? Take a walk around the block. If you can't find a good subject by then, don't come back into my class. "

You're welcome for the +fav. I had to do it! Sheep! Fucken hilarious, especially after the conversation we just had.

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Words are loaded pistols.

sorry man refresh my mind on the sheep conversation.........
glad you got a job working with people you like.....i'd love to end up in a job like that, using skills thats you enjoy with people who you get on with....for the moment as professional i get is arranging photoshoots and promo stuff for a friends band...but at the moment i charge nothing. they are friends and i need the experience. but i think soon i will have to make a decision whether to bury my morals concerning consumerism or whether to keep believing what i believe in and make my life harder for myself. the more i learn about the harder it seems to be to keep track of my opinions as they stand, yet the more i learn the more i wish to learn.....and at the moment thats what i want to get most out of uni. i've met some legendary people here already, and i'm sure i'l meet more. i'm just dissapointed that i havent been very excited about the standards of my peers....i know it is only the first term of the first year, but i was expecting at least enthusiasm and maybe skill. i have seen little of either so far in most of my classmates, and i question quite a few people's ability....in short, i was expecting higher standards here. the only other person i have met with talent, skill, and dedication, is *bionic7
but yeah, refresh my mind on that sheep conversation....you lost me

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_{forever was over ages ago.}

sorry man refresh my mind on the sheep conversation.........
glad you got a job working with people you like.....i'd love to end up in a job like that, using skills thats you enjoy with people who you get on with....for the moment as professional i get is arranging photoshoots and promo stuff for a friends band...but at the moment i charge nothing. they are friends and i need the experience. but i think soon i will have to make a decision whether to bury my morals concerning consumerism or whether to keep believing what i believe in and make my life harder for myself. the more i learn about the harder it seems to be to keep track of my opinions as they stand, yet the more i learn the more i wish to learn.....and at the moment thats what i want to get most out of uni. i've met some legendary people here already, and i'm sure i'l meet more. i'm just dissapointed that i havent been very excited about the standards of my peers....i know it is only the first term of the first year, but i was expecting at least enthusiasm and maybe skill. i have seen little of either so far in most of my classmates, and i question quite a few people's ability....in short, i was expecting higher standards here. the only other person i have met with talent, skill, and dedication, is *bionic7
but yeah, refresh my mind on that sheep conversation....you lost me

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_{forever was over ages ago.}

Heh, bit of a double post situation going one. The Sheep thing? " Stop Stealing sheep" ring any bells?

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Words are loaded pistols.

Well, you know, that's why its university. I'll admit, its probably a lot worse these days... Some kids go to uni not knowing why the hell they're there, and don't end up doing what they train to do anyway. I believe more in the whole apprentice thing. I think its a lot more focused. Sure, you only train one person at a time, but when you see what a little focused attention can do for the learning process, its really miraculous. You learn much quicker that way. University seems like a hit and miss thing. Like I mentioned, not many people every know why the hell they're there in the first place. I've been lucky, I suppose. I went to uni twice, once when I was younger for the stupid bit of paper, and again when I was older, because I WANTED to. Its very different when you really WANT to be there. You expect a lot more from it, push yourself a lot harder and gain a lot more from the whole experience. I'm guessing you want to be there, rather than were told to go or did it because it was the natural progression of things. Well, if its any consolation, most design graduates don't end up in design anyway. As a profession, its pretty damn cruel out there, and most young designers never make it past the first 5 years and give up, ending up doing something else. I've almost given up once or twice. Those who don't have the passion and pure love for the art just end up stopping. Kind of a strange form of natural selection. Maybe try looking at your classmates with different eyes... they're standards at your university may not be very high, but I'm sure they can bring at least SOMETHING to the table. When you push someone, they can either go in the direction you push them, or resist. You're looking for the ones who are moving in the direction you're going in, no matter how slowly. They're not designers yet, they're all potentials. If they don't show much potential, then hell, don't work with the bums. When I was in uni, I brought an outside project to the class... Out of a class of about 16, know how many people were interested in doing it with me? One. Just one. Screwed, you might think... But It doesn't matter. One is enough. Once you get out of uni, you'll see what I mean. Its really really not that easy finding like minded people to work with, Technical directors/Creative Directors take years to build up a good team to work with. Just file all your frustrations away to some dark corner of your mind. Its a good source for subject matter, if anything.

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Words are loaded pistols.

got ya. sheep-rustling, sheep book. sorry. i'm not too hot when it comes to remembering things. i sorta suppress that side of my brain with narcotics. the only way i can sleep.

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_{forever was over ages ago.}

Hahahaha! God damn you remind me of me when I was younger. Not to worry, the need for narcotics fades with age, once your head starts to calm down. Sometimes still have trouble sleeping, though. Head just wont shut up.

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Words are loaded pistols.