The Begining

Ok so, i should have started this ages ago...... around 8 weeks ago to be honest. Not a good way to start the year or my degree, which cost money. So yeah... disappointment right from the start, well at least now i can only improve on the tutors first expectations of me.

The reason i have been putting this off : sitting down at my laptop, with the radio on, a cup of tea and blogspot open, is that my brain will be paralysed by the fear of having to write something interesting. My head has suddenly emptied, and now I'm have become the sort of self-indulgent person who thinks that there private thoughts and unintelligible ramblings are actually worth publishing to the world, or anybody who has the misfortune of stumbling across it. I find writing about myself really difficult so bare with me and hopefully the quality will improve- I will take this opportunity to apologise to Andy, Georg, Kathy and Ann for all the utter drivel i might produce, and all the grammatical and spelling errors.

Wow, its always good to start positively????.... I'm really not this negative and sarcastic. I think I have stage fright.

I will start off by explaining how i ended up here, doing Digital Animation in beautiful Cornwall with an amazing group of people. I come from Twickenham in London, and went to Wimbledon High school, where my focus had always been on pursuing an artists career. This was unusual at such a highly academic and pressurised school, and where all my friends graduated and went off to Oxbridge or medical school to become responsible citizens, i was the only person in my year to go to art school, at Chelsea College of Art. The foundation course had a prestigious reputation but after the introductory weeks, i found that i loathed the Fine Art department. They didn't appreciate any of my work which was mostly figurative painting, realism with high verisimilitude and attention to detail. Tutors said it was worthless and decorative, over intellectualised and boring. Skill and depth were disregarded, and no matter what i did to improve, changing my style drastically just to please them, it never made a difference. The haven of self expression and creative freedom turned out to be nothing of the sort. This was a major crisis, Art School had been my goal for at least 10 years and to suddenly find out that it was not what i wanted after all was heart breaking.
There was a one day introduction into animation before we had to choose our permanent Art area, and it was the most fun i had had since the course started, so on a whim i picked it. With no previous experience, prior knowledge or even interest in the subject i decided to choose animation as a career path. I through together a portfolio with character designs, life drawing and storyboards and applied to degree courses. Falmouth University College replied first, and when i came down for the interview i FELL IN LOVE with Cornwall. The course sounded innovative, relaxed and personal, and i already had amazing respect for the Course Director who i had previously encountered at the Animate Exeter Festival. When i was offered a unconditional place during my interview i accepted straight away and so far i think it was one of the best spur of the moment decisions i have ever made.

So there it is. I have never been happier. But get back to me on that point- im sure it will change once the work load increases.