A few years ago I woke in the night with an idea about a little snail going on an adventure. I quickly sketched it down, and incorporated it into Motion 101 class, which led to this.

Lately, I’d been thinking about creating a 3-dimensional slug, but just of its bust. Sort of a “happy face” to hang on the wall. Or a hunter’s prize, which is rather silly – not just because how could you stuff a slug for a wall bust, but rather why would you be proud of being able to snag a slug? Well, silly things give me joy, so here’s to some clay, slime and love.

Posing on the wall

“Spludge” – what I call wonderful slug neck fat. Looks better in person.

Slime test

Painting clay. Forgot to take pics of sculpting process…

The Spaghetti Spoon Phase.

Few seem to go through it and survive. Well, few seem to go through it at all. While going through my archives, it seems I passed through it circa 2001. Glad I have emerged, unharmed from any other kitchen utensils.

Jacks, oil on canvas

Working from home/cafe can start to get to one after a while, but at least the interwebs provide some sort of distraction.

I noticed, while going through a regular gamut of sites today, that the word “creative” is a predominant theme. Well, I am looking at thing related to art and design, but golly it seems to be a bit overused in the ol’ URLs. Don’t worry, you won’t see me promoting CreativeSquirrel.com anytime soon…ok, so I just looked and it’s taken anyway.

First stop we go to Creative Hotlist to see if there are ever any new additions in Atlanta employment opportunities (rarely) and skim over New York positions to read and dream about positions (gotten some interviews off this, but no bites). While I’m browsing for gigs and hitting the C button, I check out Coroflot (even worse for ATL) and Craigslist (usually rotten egg opportunities for ATL, good for NY freelance) as well. And I’ve just found Creative Circle, which looks good for NY, but doesn’t cater to ATL.

Gig hunting takes me also to Motionographer, which then reminds me to look up some After Effects tricks….which leads me off to CreativeCow. A nice place for feedback and tutorials, and free. I still use Lynda.com, but it’s a good place to turn for random inspiration and I can put their tutorials on an ipod and watch em when I’m stuck in line at the post office (ew).

What to do this weekend? I stopped reading Creative Loafing in college, but I go back to the website every so often…got some inspiration, got some broken links, and even got a place I wanna check out tonight. Independent opinionated Atlanta newspaper, I’m still happy you are here through the ages.

It seems there’s much more “creative”ly named stuff out there, but that’s all on my mind for now. Ok, one more, which requires hitting the A button instead: AtlCreatives.com . I haven’t gone here much, but I probably should. I see their stickers around town, and anything with a sticker tells me I should be going there.

This guy just looks creative.

I’ve been wanting to paint lately, but I feel a twang of guilt each time I get close to the canvas.

The fact that I have downtime is new to me. I’m not used to having this time for creative exploration, and since I don’t know how long it will last, I want to use it wisely. Or it may go on forever.

So, should I be spending this time learning new skills or refining current ones? By these, I mean sitting in front of a screen. This fall, I got a really nasty note from a big client regarding my programming skills for a Flash project. I never promised to have any, but alas I was called “uncommitted” among other things. I was urged to learn Action Script until my mind exploded. That, with my creativity, would get me writing tickets anywhere (stated as a compliment). I never set out to be a coding master, but no one wants just a creative – at least when it comes to bottom level Interactive (i.e., recent grads trying to get the most basic of jobs).

When I was in the Interactive program at PC, we were constantly told to focus on the concept, design, functionality, usability, etc…find the limitations and benefits of technology, but someone else will handle what goes on behind the curtain. Well, right now people want both, and it’s a big game of catch up.  So, when it comes to sitting in front of a canvas or a screen, I hear that angry voice yelling “YOU ARE UNCOMMITTED!” and it’s back to sleepy AS3 tutorials….with my creative energy scratching at the back of my brain, ever so distracting.

For me, a painting is a big commitment. I can spend weeks, months on one. I’ve already spent hours sketching and digitally composing. I want to take a projector and sketch my work on the canvas, for the sake of time, but I feel guilty doing that as well. Am I not missing out on beautiful mistakes that could take me in a new direction? Both art and design are about exploration, and my end is not concrete (the beauty of personal work). Yet technology fuels faster production. which can lead to more time spent on other things – like mastering dreaded AS3.

The ideal is a balance between the two, where upon I just might find myself stressed about both and tinkering with After Effects projects instead.

Last painting, completed fall ‘06 before I started Portfolio Center. Oil on Canvas, 30×40 (no black bars)

Portfolio & Demo Reel

This is my portfolio reel, featuring interactive, motion and graphic design projects. It reflects the past two years at Portfolio Center and current work. Includes client projects and conceptual pieces.

More info on featured projects can be found on my portfolio site, www.mightybelka.com

“Prekrasnoe Daleko” remix by 4cus

No, I couldn’t let you be, dear blog. I tried writing an anonymous blog, but what fun was that? I’ll be back for business. No, probably not very frequently, but I’m here, I’m open. It’s been a very rough 11 months without you, but I don’t blame you.

What else is new? A pile of crazy and bizarre things have happened, with little specks of goodness in between.

• I have graduated from Portfolio Center
• I made it into CMYK’s Aspiring Artist’s edition
• I was awarded a scholarship from one of the most amazing firms, Leo Burnett
• I have worked on a variety of different projects with different clients, some wonderful, some causing health problems
• I’ve gotten to talk to some very big people and firms and received positive, constructive and very negative feedback

It is rough out there, I fall a lot, but I carry a spatula and keep getting back up.

I am still around, believe it or not…surviving the critique, one fried computer, a terrible interview, sickness, and the holidays – which include Pig’s birthday, Thanksgiving, my birthday, Hannakuh (step-father), Christmas (my mother and myself) and Novy God (Pig – the Russian New Year, which is like their Christmas).  Old Christmas on the 7th and Old New Year on the 13th are still left to go, and yes graduation is looming on the 19th.

Again, I won’t be posting too much…in fact, I’ll probably be shutting this blog down soon.  It’s been hinted that it’s too negative and might turn of potential employers doing their research.  I just wanted it to be an honest look at my journey through the past 2 years…but alas.  So, I’ll keep this alive until that journey has come to an end, and then go deep into anonymity and chart my new journeys.

Meanwhile, welcome 2009.  May you be a positive 365 day adventure…

The sun will be coming up soon.  Seems like that was happening just a few hours ago when I left for work.  But I’ve long since returned, and have been spending my hours making a chicken fall from the sky.  Seriously.  Maybe someday I’ll show you.

So I thought I’d be disciplined tonight and go to bed early with the Pig.  So, at 1:30, I was in, played on the laptop til 2, then lights off….then my mind raced, so it was Sonata time.  Of course, I have such a wimpy prescription for it, it doesn’t do a thing, so second Sonata and here I am, 3:30, wondering if I should just get up an do some work.

I had an 8 am class this morning, a 3hour group meetings, and bookmaking til 10pm, so I should be a little tired.  However, before my 3pm group meeting, I stopped by my personalized Starbucks and was prescribed something for the evening.  Not sure what it was (some sort of Americano?), but its strength seems to be much more enduring.  Starbucks defeats Sonata hands down.

Come on brain, go to sleep!  you know you’re going to be dead tomorrow morning, take advantage of this time I’m giving you!

I probably won’t be writing much in the next couple of months…I had to do an hourly breakdown of what it will take to finish my grad projects and keep up with my classes – 860 hours…in 61 days.  I get 10 hours a day to eat, sleep, and socialize.  Hopefully I overstimated, but so far things are taking me longer.  Right now, venting will make me sad, so I just have to keep moving forward.

Alas, PC is always a crazy place…here’s a sample of what you can get in your email on any given day.  I was acutally sitting in a classroom for a group meeting when this was sent out.  I guess email is replacing fire alarms, and PC is replacing Craigslist for finding homes for cats and other lost items…