Don't Look Back in Anger, I Heard You Say

Ever heard of the "starving student" stereotype? Or is the term "starving artist" more appropriate in this situation? Six years ago, I was given the opportunity to experience life as a starving student even though I was unaware about it at the time.

"Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?

"Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan came on the radio at local art supply store as I was buying school supplies. I had received a $10,000 education award and I decided to go back to school to improve my drafting skills. I decided West LA and Santa Monica was going to be a good place to take classes because it was central to many people connected to the design industry.

I found my niche during those two years. My grades were very good in all my classes. I spent so much of my budget on school supplies. A lot of my final projects were used as examples for incoming classes the following semester. At one point, one of my class instructors liked the work I was producing for her class that she invited me to help create 3D models in SketchUp for freelance concept art.

Having to move out of Los Angeles that last time was a sad moment for me. My resources were going to dry up and the only callback I heard in my never ending job search was for an internship that did not pay its interns!

"You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal

The other day I was looking up my old instructor, the one that saw endless potential in me. I stumbled on a website and I was shocked to find a whole page full of illustrations created by my instructor. The work was good and crisp. It was the type of work that meets the standards of high-end design. That was when it hit me like a ton of bricks–at the time I was working for my instructor, I was given a golden opportunity to work with someone well-connected to the design field. I was living in Los Angeles, which is also a city that thrives on creativity. However, my memories of living in that city at that specific time revolve around having to eat popcorn for dinner for many nights in a row and not having quite enough money budgeted outside of my immediate needs and very little wants. I suppose perspective changes a lot when looking back in time.

Tuesday will mark the fourth year anniversary since I started helping Oz with the comic features and Monday news on Drunk Duck. Tuesday is also the 32nd anniversary of the day that I was born. On that day, I will be celebrating my birthday.


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