Career Update!

As I'm writing this, I'm currently installing Autodesk Maya in preparation of starting a 6-week Maya Workshop: Animation Basics class in a few weeks with the online animation school, Animation Mentor. Given that I've heard many good things and that I'm lucky enough to be in touch with someone that has a lot of experience in this career path, this felt like a fantastic place to start in beginning my future in animation. Which is scary enough as it is, even though I am very excited. You can't see my face right now, but I assure you I am excited, as shown here: !!!!

Nothing else too exciting to report these days, other than the fun podcasts I've been listening to while travelling or plugging away on my bike trainer. I'll keep those to myself for now though, just like the cartoons I've been watching; I'm still working on finishing Totally Spies! in its entirety. :cP

Meditation & New Bicycle!

I forget where I found this resource, but since I did it's become one of my favorite apps on my phone. I've dabbled in meditation for a while, but never consistently and always as a sort of hodge-podge based on the various tips I've picked up. I do have this goal of one day meditating on the same level as Elizabeth Gilbert does in Eat, Pray, Love; I would love to be able to be caught up in peace or long chants for hours. I have no idea how I'll ever make that happen though, given how difficult it is to keep my mind clear for even 3 minutes some days. This app from Tools for Peace (TFP) is really helping me with that.

It's called Stop, Breathe & Think. It's not only very easy to use with a great interface, but it's easy to understand - nothing is over complicated.

There are 15 free guided meditations and a few available for purchase as bundles for as little as $0.99! Already purchased one because I was enjoying the other ones so much. Plus it benefits the people that at TFP that doing cool things as a non-profit!

PSA: As someone that has interned at a non-profit, they truly do rely on donations. Definitely consider supporting your favorite non-profits at least once a year.  :c)

So remember how I said I bought a new bicycle? We have a name! You can now refer to my Trek Crockett 5 as Chihiro, named for the heroine of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.

Very excited for all the future adventures I have waiting for me with her, from padded shorts to going clipless - this year will be very exciting. Now if I could get rid of these damn allergies. Anyone else out there suffering from sinus issues? Cannot wait for these to go away. Ugh.

Also, seeing as I'm going into animation and all I seem to watch regularly these days is animation, I decided I should end these posts on what I've been watching recently. I've already blogged about how much I love some shows, such as Regular Show, but let me mention what I've been eating up recently:

Steven Universe. I honestly thought this show was going to be garbage when I first saw previews, then I watched a couple episodes at different times and suddenly got hooked. This isn't the first episode that really hooked me, but this part, oh man. When those two reunite. I just lost it. Absolutely beautiful. And on a kid's show? APPLAUD APPLAUD APPLAUD.

Archer. Again, why why why? Because H. Jon Benjamin. I love his voice and that somehow was enough to make me love all these weirdos in a misfit spy agency. Archer Vice was the best season. <3

Totally Spies. I only caught bits and pieces when it was on Cartoon Network, but when I saw the first season was on Netflix it turned into a nostalgia binge. Now I'm on watching the rest on YouTube. Thank you, YouTubers! 

Lastly, I read about Hey Arnold! which was one of the most underrated television shows that DESERVED A REAL MOVIE and this list almost made me cry. Seriously, kids cartoons are so much deeper than people realize. I can't wait to make things like this.

Reintroduction

So hello.

I uh, really fail at keeping a consistent blog. I think it's because I try to undertake too many things at once and so this became some grandiose idea that never fully came to being because I over conceptualized it. So let's take it back to square one, with a new design (which may change, I'll be honest) and a more simple goal. I want to post regularly about what I'm thinking about and what I'm doing, that I think other people will either like or could benefit from. So basically, that will include:

• research about animal/human welfare
• ways to save the environment
• healthy eating and/or living
• film geek-outs aka movies I want to see or hype I want to comment on
• adventures I take on my bike that are really insightful (possibly brag worthy)
• art things I love from web comics to animation to the classics. expects lots.

On that topic, after years of soul-searching, I went back to my roots and my first love, animation. As a kid I used to draw all the time, on anything, because I wanted to be an animator. To make a long story short, I was worried that doing something I loved would turn into something I hated so I searched for things that I thought were fun in a different way and pursued them. Unfortunately, I realized too late that just because you think you love something and you work really hard, doesn't mean you actually love something and you're not exhausted from pretending. 

So here I am. In my mid-twenties. Trying to start over by working full-time in one of my hobbies (cycling!) as I search for schools where I can study animation. Life is pretty good. 

Also, I got a new bike. She's gorgeous and as soon as she tells me her name, she'll be posted all across social media because she's my new soul mate in adventure and I want everyone to know she's mine. Especially Bike Index because I refuse to lose her to some selfish, awful person; I will go all The Bicycle Thief on them and be endlessly sad. 

FYI if you haven't seen The Bicycle Thief, you should put that on your To-Do list right away.