Some Words About Leaving

It's interesting, I've just been reflecting. In previous years it's been true and it's all true again: when the seniors get ready to leave, they check out early. They loose touch and disappear into their rooms and studios and only come back out when the senior week rolls around. (There are exceptions)

But I pretty much did exactly that. Well, not all the way, but I'm emerging out on the other end and realizing that a lot of very good, very important friends have shuffled off campus one by one without a very proper goodbye. At least not from me.

It's also really tempting to want to say something meaningful at a time like this; when the year is closing it seems about time for someone to get up, clink a glass, and give a toast to bring the house down. The trouble is when you have the desire to say something meaningful, without having anything meaningful to say. Then you just wind up sounding like an idiot. 

I'm just feeling like I could use the space here on this blog to set down a little marker and really give the end of RISD all it's due. Even if it is just a dumb blog entry that few RISD students may ever read. 

All that said: I don't know quite what to say. Which leaves me in the unenviable position of  sounding like an idiot. And I'll be giving the commencement speech on Saturday, so what do I need another soapbox for? 

So here it is for now: it's done. It meant the world to me and it's over, and now I can only hope the next phase and place is as good as this one. I can have confidence wherever it is, I won't be moving further from the presence of God and his blessings. This has been one of the greatest I've ever experienced, though. 

I'm nervous about the future and where to head from here; it's a whole lot sooner that I thought it could be. I hope the best for everyone reading this whose graduating, or staying behind and watching a crop of friends leave: may God bless you guys. I mean that sincerely. 

It may be a little bit before I have new work to post, but I'll be keeping this blog up as I move forward! 

Very soon my first ever published work will hit the web right here: http://www.myspace.com/darkhorsepresents

And eventually the other comic I've been working on will be published as part of an anthology...I'll keep y'all posted! I've got a summer full of continuing video-game design at MIT with some of my favorite people in the world, and we'll be trying to keep eachother doing work for fun as well.  Hopefully the games we worked on this semester will be up soon, and I'll link over to those!

I'm looking into real-person jobs doing real-person art and some really exciting things have been looking likely! All-o-y'all: make sure, even if I get a "real job", that I don't get complacent and stop doing work for fun and for the love of it! If I start dropping off, yell at me! 

I need to stop blogging and get back to packing. Just had to type something in! 

I updated my blog background, which probably means more updates to the "look" of this blog are on the way!  Don't freak out!

My youtube recommendation for the week: a beautiful senior thesis project from an animator at Ringling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPyjGkZqwUc

Much love,

-Nick