Semester 7.3

Anyway, I jumped on the assignment early, feeling impressed to do so. That was the miracle. As the days and weeks progressed I felt impressed WHEN I should work on the assignment and when I should instead focus on my family.
As always, I even worked on my lunch breaks at my day job assignment.

As the critiques continued, the mocking continued. However, I was one of the few people to arrive at class with anything to show. Others showed up with thoughts and ideas or questions; not physical work to show their progress.

The weekend the assignment was due I poured my heart and soul into the assignment. Because of my previous paced work I was not stressed and had tons of excellent material to work with and off of. It was excellent.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you choose to look at it, I worked so long in one sitting the Sunday before it was due I ended up hurting my neck and I made myself sick. As a result I was unable to finish. I also discovered right before I decided I had to stop for the night that our class instructor emailed us templates that we were supposed to include our work with. I did not have the current version of the program needed to pull up the attachment he provided so I was not able to apply it.

The next day I was still overcome from the day before and decided to call in sick to work so that I could recover. I slept in and woke up 2 hours prior to class.
I hustled to school and pulled up the program I couldn't access the instructor's file in the night before. I finished applying my last minute changes and was just finishing the application of my pictures to the template when the instructor walked in to start class.

I was set up to go third but I didn't save the file from the template program correctly into the PDF file I needed in order to be able to see everything. So, I ended up going next to last. Now I'm glad I did.
Most kids only provided the minimum of 4 pictures. 2 of the students' work strongly suggested that only the minimal amount of time was spent on the assignment (20 minutes or so. Sometimes the students do the assignment right before class, just to have something to turn in).
4 of the students did only a red, white, and black theme. Several of them conveyed how they didn't know anything about the convention they picked and had not done any research.
More than 2 students used cut-out people in their designs to show size vs. dimension, as opposed to real people. Multiple students either didn't use perspective in their designs or claimed they didn't know how. My arguement to that is we were given 3 weeks to do this, so if they didn't know how to do it why didn't they ask?
Only 1 other student created some time of shadow effect and none of them used any lighting effects.
Many actually showed up with questions about the assignment!

When it was my turn I had heard and seen enough of the competition I knew how to present myself. All I can say is, it was awesome. I spoke, what I felt, was with power. I conveyed my ideas clearly enough, with excitment and energy. I had 3 more pictures than required, for a total of 7. I used photos of people in costume at the convention to show dimision, which is a big deal at those conventions. I had the posters I used for my inspiration (Mood Board) decorating the walls. I told them that I wanted to do more than just put up banners; I wanted to decorate for a party!
In my research I also included copy on the banners regarding who the guest speakers would be, upcoming movie stars/directors, and various events. I do a lot of artwork that could be seen at conventions like that one so I even included a banner of my own work at the convention. I used shadows, illumiation effects, posters, cardboard cut-outs for fans, and even a 3D globe in the signs!
I wanted to make it an event that everyone would want to go to.

When the discussion came around I got lots of good reports. One student tried to argue a piece of my designs. To my surprise, another student, who was a fan of such conventions, spoke up in my defense. That had never happened before!
She and I then had a quick banter specifically regarding the topic. Our instructor looked at us as though we were speaking a different language (which we pretty much were) and said, "Well, at least you know what you're talking about." That was proof that I had discovered the way to connect with the target audience!
I also made a special mention to the student whose previous critique made me so mad. I mentioned how I actually decided to take her advice and I pointed out where and how I did it. Her response was simply, "Cool..."

So I was really pleased with how it turned out. I'm actually looking forward to adding those pieces to my portfolio.
I've yet to receive my heart-shaped Package Design box back. The instructor said he wanted to hold on to some of them so that he could put some of them up on display. I should be getting mine back after the next semester starts.

Semester 7.2

The next story didn't seem like much, but that's why it was such a miracle.

We were given three weeks but I wanted to jump on it early. The Final assignment in the 3D class was to create outside and inside signs for a convention at a local expo center. I had lots of ideas and I was hoping to encorporate them all.

At the next class period, our regular instructor was again off on business. The same substitute again 'graced' our class with his foul attitude and snide, mockery-remarks, I did manage to take one helpful piece of advice away from his critique, although I did unfortunately lose my cool over one of the really dumb remarks from one of the other students. In the end I not only felt bad for loosing my cool but I decided to 'make amends' by finding a comprimise with their suggestion and applying it to the final design.

For the past 1.75 years I've been going to school there have seemed to be no end to really, really bad and/or dumb critiques launched at me and others during the "helpful" critique time. I've even seen some obvious stuff simply looked over (one particular scenario in the 3D Design class is too embaressing to even mention here), for whatever reason I don't know. I have been at my wit's end over many of the critiques and have had my limit passed. I do not find it fair that I take my frustrations home with me, to relate the sad tales to my poor wife who doesn't need to hear my complaints.
So, when I received yet another dumb (and often times hypocritical) critique I couldn't let 'dumb just slide.' So, part of me is glad I spoke up (although a bit verbally stronger than required) and part of me is not so much.

Semester 7.1

I'm beginning to see a miracle in each class and each semester. Sometimes, each assignment.

The first story was for my 3D Design class. When I first presented my rough draft package design to the class it received lots of unnecessary ridicule. Without the image representations to show what it was intended to look like it drew lots of skeptisism, mockery, and unhelpful critiques. It also didn't help that the instructor was a substitute, as our regular instructor was away on business. This particular instructor was not helpful, in either offering any of his own useful critiques nor quelling the disrespect of the others in the class. It didn't help when he admitted that, as Graphic Designer, he considered himself a snob. There was little in his demeneor, attitude, or speech to help prove otherwise.
The report of that class' critique that I took home to my family was less than satisfatory but it was very frusterating.

I spent my time home after work on my family, following my gut that I would be able to complete the Package Design class on the weekend. I don't regret having spent my time with my family; that was important. I'll always be a dad and husband first; I'll only be a student for the next 2.25 years. My wife and son didn't argue, either.

I hit the assignment hard on the weekend. When Sunday rolled around I attacked it with zeal after dinner. I didn't feel that I could put my trust in school's print shop, given how they'd messed my assignments so many times in the past already. So I purposefully designed the package so that I could print the templates at home.

I had worked on the assignment by myself for several hours and had to come to conclussion that I was burned out. I was exhausted and realized I was spinning my wheels without getting anywhere. I needed a fresh set of eyes and hands.
I quickly called my wife, who was next door at her mom's, visiting. I swallowed my pride and asked for her help. She agreed without a moment's hesitation. I considered that a miracle in and of itself.

I had direction but didn't seem to know how to go about it. My wife was a great help with that. Between the two of us we were back on course. She had put our boy to bed so we both worked as quickly and feverishly as we could.
It was frusterating in the fact that we would try to apply printouts with the new changes, see something that had to be changed, and have to start again. We did this several times. I was worried I would waste the entire brand new cartridge of ink and full pack of photo paper before we were through.
There was lots of cutting, editting, printing, and gluing.

The big miracle came when suddenly it started to rain outside. The rain was followed by very large cracks of thunder that seemed directly over our heads. The night sky was lit up by increasing bolts of lightening. We hardly ever get storms like that here in Utah.
My wife looked out the window to see the power go out on the houses on the hill. Then, the people across the street lost power. Then her parents next door.
I had a silent prayer in my heart and my breath in my throat as I printed like mad, hoping we would not lose power. The assignment was due the next day.

Sure enough, our prayers were answered. The storm passed on by without taking out our power. We were able to finish around 2:00 AM.
It turned out it was worth it; as my box (though far from perfect) was one of the best presented in the class. I got lots of great feedback and it made me feel really good.

Heavenly Father does answer prayers - even the ones offered silently in our hearts.