So far, so not dead yet.
I have a pretty good idea of what I should be doing with my career: getting myself into a BFA Industrial Design program. CMU has an excellent program, and if I work my ass off, I can get in. In lieu of a portfolio, I can submit a design project, said assignment will suck up most of my free time between now and the due date. If I’m stuck out here, SJSU is the best choice for me in terms of price and location, and since I’m already accepted, it should be a no-brainer to get the degree.
On a purely personal level, my life is great — I’m getting married to someone I really love and my friends (including my exes) think the world of my bride-to-be and are quite happy for me. I got a lateral promotion at work and will be able to focus on something I’m good at while reporting to one of the nicest guys I’ve ever worked with.
I’m learning the basics I need for an ID career starting with basic drawing, something not as hard as I thought it would be. It’s still really scary how crappy my drawings are compared to those of other students my age, but I’m betting on my ability to focus under pressure and Get Things Done. With a bit of luck, I’ll be not-embarrasing by the end of the year. Drawing is a core skill for my new career, much like “forming complete sentences” or “writing code that compiles” are core skills for my current job. If I can’t get this right, I need to plan on a career in goat-herding or making little rocks out of big rocks.