A Banner Year

Worked some more on Batman and the suprise holiday attack last night while watching Red State (Geeze!  Disturbing movie...good, for sure, but...damn.  I mean, seriously.) Anyway, here that is: 

(The snow is coming back...that layer is just turned off.) 

This has been a big year for me, both personally and professionally, in a lot of ways.  

I started to post a detailed recounting, but it was too long.  Who wants to read that?  Instead, a summary, perhaps: 

In January, I began my final quarter at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. 

The next three months were spent frantically working to complete my schoolwork, portfolio, business cards, etc., and doing full-page illustrations for a children's book of terror and tragedy that I made.  

In March, I graduated.  My portfolio got glowing comments from my teachers and I got 'best in show' at Portfolio review.  Then...I was done.  After four years of art school, I was on my own.  

Over the next two months, I tried to find a job, did a little freelance and generally felt depressed about my lack of ability to find a job.  I doubted my skills and my talent, and became convinced no one would hire me ever.  

But then, at the end of May, I interviewed at two places -- the Post-Gazette (where I was surprisingly relaxed, engaging and all-around awesome in my interview) and Inventionland -- a place I had never heard of inside a business park (where I received my first ever in-interview high-five). 

At the beginning of June, I accepted the job at Inventionland, despite the fact that I would need to be there at 6am every day, and turned down the job at the Post-Gazette.  

On June 06, 2011, I became an official graphic designer.  Technically, a packaging concept designer.  One of the coolest jobs I could want at a place that looks like a fantasy land, issued me a company-financed nerf gun (necessary) and has parties at the end of each month (...which, to date, I have been too socially awkward to attend.) 

In August, my boyfriend of almost 10 years broke up with me.  Honestly, it had been coming for a while and we are still friends...but it brought about a big life change.  Specifically, having to get my own place. 

At the end of September, I moved into my own apartment.  

I am still only partially moved in...I have boxes of books that still need shelves and my kitchen drawers are too small to fit a silverware caddy. the floors aren't flat and everything is messy.  But I aim to improve it all.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I got pulled into a giant high profile job at work, doing illustration for a product that will actually be in stores (most of my work is for prototype packaging -- a package to send a company to show what the product would look like, in the box). 

In mid-October, my dad passed away.  I skipped out on work and an illustrative art show a friend of mine was throwing and flew back to California.  

In November, I learned that networking can sneak up on you when you least expect it.  

Now, it is almost New Year's.  I can't wait to see what next year has in store for me.  I hope it is good things.