Slave to the arts

Recent Works

T-shirt desgin for my youth service. dubbed 'to strange'

one of my mom's birthday presents. It's hanging on her wall.

First thing I ever did for fun on photoshop. Kick ass, no?

A poster design for my friend's band. Working on t-shirts as we speak.

I made a back-ground for my computer. :))

Hunger-Fireflight

It's been a super long time since I posted.

Updates on my life since then :

School sucks. My classes are hard, my teachers are mean, my grades are barely acceptable.

The camp high from bigstuf began to wear off, and I started to slide downhill. Thanks to my close-knit group of friends, I've managed to stay focused on what matters most, and keep my life (however pathetic it may have become) all about God. Our youth service continues to get bigger, which makes me very happy, since I invite people all the time and get used to hearing 'hell no'.

I am obsessed with photoshop. :)

I got a job at a fast food place. It's slowly destroying my soul.

I have a very adorable boyfriend. XD

My best friend is moving in a little more than a month. TO OKLAHOMA. Who the heck up and moves to Oklahoma? I have no idea how I shall ever survive without her. She keeps me grounded, reminds me what I really need to be focused on, and that sort of thing.

Slowly but surely, my dream of becoming a missionary got flushed down the toilet. My mom told me she wouldn't pay for me to go to the christian college I want to attend, and that she would never support my decision to 'waste my life in the woods with savages'. Her words sting like GETTING MY BRACES OFF did. I still don't know what to do about this, whether I should stick with my dream or go be a graphic designer like she expects me to be. I don't know what God wants, yet.

So yeah. Life goes on outside of the blog word (shocking, I know). I'm going to try and keep up with this, but who knows.

Your Hand In Mine

Your hand in mine by Explosions in the Sky

I am having major mood swings or something. I feel like being people you read about in books, who are always thinking deep things and doing meaningful things. I will never understand how a good author can make sitting on your couch eating Chinese food sound like the most philosophical thing a person could do. But I don't know, I feel like I need something deep in my life. I get this ache in my chest like I do before I'm about to have a panic attack and the only thing that makes it go away is listening to chill music and reading my bible. I've been reading Mathew lately, because I've never read through all the gospels at once. So I'm starting with Matthew, then Mark, then Luke, then John. It makes me feel better, which must be a good sign.

You know it's strange, going from the weak Christian I used to be to the one I am now. It happened practically over night. I always thought "Oh, give it another year or two, I'll feel like a mature Christian who can talk to other people about God and not be all awkward and weird." Like there was some sort of mark I had to meet before I could officially be considered a good Christian. But then.. big stuff sort of rocked my world and put things into perspective. So unlike before, I actually like reading my Bible. I need to read it or I get that weird panic-attack-chest-hole- feeling and can't catch my breath. It's kind of nice, actually.

Still Running

So I realized that while I know all the titles for my blogs are song names, I would be willing to bet no one else does. They are the title of whatever song I happen to be listening to. Tonight, it's Still Running by Jon Foreman (ya know, the guy from Switchfoot?) he has a series of four EPs, Fall, Winter , Spring, and Summer, all of which are awesome and all of which you should have.

So it's kind of a weird feeling. Every night for the last week, various band friends have come up to me and a very good friend, S, and they have invited her to stuff after camp, and completely ignored me. This is really unsettling, because I finally was happy with where I was and felt really loved and all that stuff. I mean, I've always made friends fast and stuff, but I always have to work to get certain friends. And I have finally worked up to be in really good with everyone I wanted to be friends with. Until band starts up again and I realize no one really cares about me.

It's very upsetting.

Fever Dream

I feel like it would be easier to fall in love with someone while you're listening to Iron and Wine. I always wish someone would sweep me off my feet to one of their songs.

My sister had her baby! The most beautiful child in the world.

My mom and I finally went head to head over the whole job thing. Looks like I have to give up some-well, most, actually- of my church activities and get a job at Subway or something. I feel like punching a wall or something every time I think about it. For the first time in my life I actually have direction, I feel passion for something. And who is there to stand in my way? My own mother. She still thinks this whole church thing is a phase, even though I haven't missed a Sunday in two years almost. I mean, I'm completely different person than I was before I started the whole 'church' thing. Can she not see that? Is she not happy about it? I just don't understand some times.

We were talking today about my father. You see, he's kind of a bum. He doesn't ever hold a steady job, complains about child support non-stop, and calls me spending the weekends with him "Getting his money's worth" as if I'm some sort of thing to be bought. It pisses me off so much when he starts to talk about money. Because I know when he's loaded and he's trying to hide it. Not that I care, he could be dirt poor and never pay child support and it would never make me any difference. I mean, the man taught me to play guitar and piano, taught me everything I know about music theory, bought me my first set of paints, encouraged my graphic design, freaked out over my drawings... I mean, he truly is a good guy. Like a nice uncle or great shop teacher or something. But a father figure... not quite.

Well, we were talking about how we think he signed over his parental rights to my half brother, Sam, whom I've only ever met twice and lives somewhere in Southern Missouri. We think he did this so he wouldn't have to pay child support. You see, in all truthfulness, my dad mostly sits at home with his weird art projects and never contributes anything to society. My mother's words, but they are true nonetheless.

And I started to wonder what it meant to contribute to society. I want to be a missionary, right? Well am I contributing to society when I go over to some third world country to try and improve lives? I would be forced to say no. Because I am removing myself completely from society. And then I decided that contributing to society really isn't that important. The World could use some contributions in a lot of areas, but today's American society? I think not. Really, in my eyes, what you contribute to yourself, those you love, and God is what matters. And my dad is not doing so to any of those but himself. And that is what makes me very very sad and angry. And a little scared for his sanity. No joke.

I will Posses Your heart

This is my favorite design I've ever done for Elevation t-shirts. I think it's because since we're planning to actually have t-shirts this year and use them as a fundraiser, and I was actually asked to make something for it. I mean, I make stuff like this all the time but now it just seemed more real and purposful. I didn't make the background, I found a myspace icon and I figured since it was just there on the internet it was free for the taking...

This may or may not be the design Jon asked me to do for the new Sabreline t-shirts *winkwink*. I didn't like the idea at first, but I think it turned out pretty good. It's the Sinclair gas company logo, but I figured since they are just a local band then it didn't matter much...

This is the way I like to do Sabreline stuff. The other design is nice, but I find it boring so I just sat back and thought... If that was a piece of paper in fron of me,I would have scribbled all over it. So I cyber-scribbled and this is what happened. It won't be a t-shirt, but I just like it anyways :)

Disturbia

My mother has taken away my phone until I clean my room. This worries me.

I was really hopping to get a job this semester, so I could get a car and have my own money and finally gain some independence. Because that's all I have ever really wanted, is independence. And that seems to be the one thing my mom can't give me.

Because let's have an example of why I want some freedom. I wanted to go to a meeting about volunteering locally tomorrow, and so I asked my mom if it was cool. I wasn't even going to but I figured it would be polite. Well, she said I was trying to do to much and I overstretched all ready anyways and that I would have to beg a ride off someone because I didn't have my own car. I mean, what kind of mother won't let her daughter volunteer? Gee, it's a good thing I'm not in National Honor Society. She would have had a cow over that.

Well, that's just one reason why I wanted a job. Plus I just feel really coddled and stupid when I have to ask my mom for money. But, we have both now come to terms with the fact that I have no time for it. So she decided that if I did chores around the house, she would give me an allowance. Which nearly made me barf. I mean, I want more independence, not less! I reeled at the idea and refused to consider for a moment. But then I caved. I mean, money is money, right? And even though my mother now controls even more of my pitiful life, sooner or later my schedule will lighten up. Next semester, in fact. After Christmas I will have my Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays back because band will be over, and then I can get a job. And hopefully my own car. But that's prolly a long shot...




Twilight Review *Warning, Spoilers!!*

I am so disappointed in Stephenie Meyers. One of the reasons I loved the Twilight books so much (and I'm about to sound like a total innocent Christan girl, but bear with me) is because it was a really good love story, one of the best I'd ever come across, and it didn't have any awkward sex chapters anywhere! I mean, that's like pure gold if you're like me, and that stuff still makes you uncomfortable. There was a complete... trust, I suppose would be the right word, of Edward. And, while I was completely in love with Edward in every way possible, it weirded me out to read (or rather skim, because I was uncomfortable) the intimate parts between him and Bella. I'm glad good ol' Steph didn't elaborate much, but what she put in there was enough to make me angry.

In short, I didn't like who sex driven the whole thing was.

Next : BELLA A MOTHER?? I used to connect with her so much! I mean, there is a little bit of Bella in every pre teen/ teenage girl on the planet, but the moment she became pregnant, I could no longer relate to her at all. Especially as someone who isn't crazy about kids.

Renesmee? Are you kidding me? Did Stephenie run out of cool names? I much prefer Nessie, even though I always think of a Scottish man yelling "WHOA, NESSIE!!" whenever I hear it.

I used to be a Jacob fan. I mean, I was totally in love with Edward, no doubt, but I totally thought she should go for Jacob, the man who didn't need to turn her into some freak of nature just so they could be together. He didn't scare me like Edward did (even though that's part of the fun of Edwards character) and he seemed to big and gentle. Or maybe it's because I have a thing for tall guys. But the moment I realized he was going to imprint on Bella's kid (which was right after she became pregnant, I think) I totally wasn't feeling it anymore. So that was disappointing, because Jacob was my perfect man in every way possible. Except for long hair, I hate long hair.

So, I know it sounds like I didn't like the book, I did. I was glad to see Edward and Bella married. Even though I openly resent marriage, I guess a part of me wanted to see it happen. And getting to actually read about Bell a being a vamp was cool, along with her power, which pretty much kicked ass. Over all, I was satisfied with the end of my favorite series. I felt like it was over, resolved. It didn't leave me wanting more, because I was happy with the ending.

But I really didn't like some of the major points, and I'm a little disappointed in the woman I thought I knew really well. If any of you have read The Catcher in the Rye, you will understand me when I said I wanted to call her up and have a chat.

I guess she probably folded to the pressure from the outside world to come up with something shocking, and put sex in her books. And I honestly can't blame her for that... but at the same time, I really wish it hadn't been like that.