I was very anxious to get back to Iowa City in the fall of ’99 to start my senior year. If you hadn’t guessed it, Dan was the boy that followed me from camp. It was obvious to us that we were compatible and both really liked each other; however we had previously gone through some ups and downs. So we talked. Like adults. (It was crazy). I was surprised to hear the words come out of my mouth because I really, really liked him and didn’t want to, but near the end of the summer I told him exactly how I felt. I said that I liked him, but I was tired of the game. Simply put; I was moving on. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened. From that moment on, we were inseparable.
I have to admit, having a boyfriend came in handy when I moved into my new apartment. And that was one of the many reasons (after moving my stuff NINE times in THREE years between summer camp, dormitories, and apartments) my dad really liked him too. My new apartment was on the corner of Church and Dubuque Street and I shared it with two new roommates. A major benefit to my new place was the much shorter walk to and from the Art building. I would still look goofy carrying 18”x24” drawing pads of paper, art projects, my design tool tackle box and portfolios to class, but it would be much easier. My new apartment was also one of those places I mentioned in Part 1 that had parking spots available for rent. And by now, I saw the advantage to renting one. Why wouldn’t I want a VIP spot? Heck yes. Of course I also thoroughly enjoyed the adrenaline rush upon returning to my apartment to see some fool (probably some dumb freshman girl) parked in my spot, subsequently requiring me to call a tow truck, show them my signed lease and rightful ownership of the spot, and have her ass towed. Heh heh. I miss that. I do. I really do.
My art classes would include drawing, painting, and design. By this point I had eliminated all of the required puke coursework so what was left to finish up was my favorite types of art classes and gym. It was awesome. This year there was a married couple from Montana visiting as art instructors, and I am so thankful for them: Terry Carson and Sara Mast. Terry was my professor for “Life Drawing” and Sara for “Painting I.” In all my years of school they are the two teachers that stand out; they are the two that I will always remember. I’m sure they had a similar impact on all of their students, but I especially felt like when I was in their class they were teaching to me alone; they were speaking just to me.
In “Life Drawing” we spent our class period drawing the human body in the naked form. Yes, I have seen lots of people naked and drawn them. Yes, completely naked including their boobies and pee-pees. When I tell most people this first their eyes get all big, they gasp, and then snicker. It just seems ridiculous to most. The truth is that I owe a lot to those models. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to learn how to draw the human form. Through the semester I gained an appreciation for the human body and learned to see it as a work of art.
Terry encouraged me at each class, giving me constructive criticism when I needed it. I started to notice that when I tried to draw perfectly or like the others in my class, he didn’t approve. He liked it when I drew the way that I wanted to; fast, big, always with charcoal, smudging and blending with my fingers and an eraser. Through class discussions and reviews I gained confidence in my drawing abilities. I still remember the day back when I first arrived at Iowa and ran into a friend and talented artist who was in the Art Education program. We were talking about our art projects and he told me that artistic talent is not hereditary. I was shocked to hear that because I had assumed he was just born with the ability to draw. “You learn the skills, and you learn to see things differently,” he told me. That was happening to me.
“Painting I” was a totally new experience for me. Outside of walls, furniture, and some camp signage, I had not painted since I was a kid. Our primary medium was oil paints. We painted both on paper and canvases that we learned how to prepare ourselves. To this day I love to assemble and gesso my own canvas. For that reason I will never buy one that is “ready-made.” If you know me well, this shouldn’t come as surprise.
I was thrilled for the chance to use color in painting. None of my previous art classes involved color. For design we created black and white technical drawings, and for drawing classes we used black charcoal. Color was new and exciting. I found myself intimidated at first but it became empowering. I am the artist; I can use the colors I want to. I loved making my own rules; altering and replacing colors as I chose, using swift strokes of paint and understated lines to create form. Just as Terry encouraged me to do things with my own style, Sara provided the same type of encouragement. I noticed that of my paintings, the ones that I painted quickly (Maybe because I procrastinated on the assignment?) were her favorite. I soon realized that it was because when I painted quickly I didn’t over think it.
The freedom of loose expression in drawing and painting were balanced by rigidity and problem solving in my design classes. I needed both. My final design class was titled “Problems in Design: Form and Function.” My instructor’s name was Cory; I had him for a couple of other design classes already so I knew his teaching style well. All of my design classes presented a challenge of some sort; I particularly enjoyed the challenges he presented in this class emphasizing the necessity that a design not only be appealing but also serve its purpose. Make a chair out of cardboard. I knew fully well that he had to be able to sit in it. Build a bridge out of a single repeating block. The catch - it must support a bucket of sand hanging from it. The projects almost always required annoying trips to Menards for plywood, dowels, wire, etc. I had a slight advantage in the class having a boyfriend that worked construction! I would show Dan my sketches and he wouldn’t try to change my design or do (much of) the work for me, but he would help me find the best materials and tools that I needed.
At the end of each design class we were required to turn in a portfolio, which counted for the majority of our grade. You could skip every class if you wanted to, but you had to be able to complete the portfolio (which would be difficult even if you missed one class). It included slides that we were to have taken of each project created, along with absolutely perfect photocopies of the line drawings of the forms. It took a ridiculous amount of time, bottles of white-out, and many trips to Kinkos to assemble all necessary parts of the portfolio. They were so time consuming in fact that the previous year I made a little call to Bath and Body Works and quit my job over the phone because I didn’t have enough time that week to both work and complete a design portfolio. (I can still hear my manager’s self righteous voice “You will never work for Bath and Body Works or a Bath and Body Works affiliated company again!” Darn). The portfolio was a lot of work, but it was such a sense of accomplishment when finished. With this design class I felt that more than with any other as I opened my portfolio and saw an ‘A+’ scribbled in Cory’s handwriting. It wasn’t a grade normally given, especially by him. It was the frosting on my cake.
3.23.2010
3.18.2010
Senior Year; part 1
After thirty two years, if I had to pick one year of my life where I experienced the most discovery of self - without a doubt it was my senior year of college. It was back in ’99-’00. I had spent the previous year adapting to some very big changes. My junior year was my first at The University of Iowa; Iowa City was new to me and much further away from home. I changed my field of study from Education to Art and instead of a dorm room; I lived in an apartment with two roommates. I definitely went through an adjustment period, and I’d say it took about a year.
This may sound silly but by the time my senior year rolled around I was adjusted to walking to and from class. Upon arrival to Iowa I immediately refused to drive my car or ride the bus to class. I had already been warned that driving was not a good idea because parking was a nightmare. In fact, parking was so scarce that many apartment complexes had to charge you a monthly fee for a parking spot. Rent your own parking spot? The idea was crazy to me. I didn’t ride the bus because: A. I’m just not a big fan of them and B. they seemed confusing and scary. So I walked and walked and walked, through the sun, rain, sleet, and snow. And when you have to walk over a large hill, it is uphill both ways. A brisk walk to the art building alone took about 20 - 25 minutes from my apartment at the end of South Johnston Street. Iowa is not like many campuses where the buildings are all clustered together so your only challenge is just getting to campus. Oh no. The campus is very spread out and by the end of an average day I had spent about two hours walking.
I was adjusted to a vegetarian diet. I have never really been a big fan of meat and living with two vegetarian roommates my junior year was just one more thing that swayed me. (I have since eaten meat again - although had a large aversion to meat when I was pregnant - but I go back and forth all the time about returning to a vegetarian diet.) People always ask how I ever found anything to eat, but I never had a problem finding non-meat items to fill me up and there were plenty of places in Iowa City serving delicious vegetarian meals.
I was adjusted to buying my own groceries, working part time, and paying bills (Although the real lesson of paying bills would come after graduation because it doesn’t really count when your parents are giving you a large portion of the money you pay the bills with. Wait…my parents helped me with my bills for awhile after graduation too. Crap. Never mind.) Of course some of the discovery of self comes about by realizing what is not for you and my junior year I tested out the world of working retail and found it to be among those things. Bath and Body Works may you and your over powering headache inducing aromas and round wooden apple picking baskets die in a fire.
I was fully adjusted to having divorced parents. Everything was finalized the spring of my sophomore year and by the time my junior year ended I had already muddled through feelings of loss; what it was like not to have a “home” anymore and sharing time between my parents. The second year was easier than the first; time was a huge part of the healing process. So by the time my senior year came, I was no longer sad about it all the time. About a year after the divorce my dad found a new love and Bev would become my stepmom in the fall of my senior year. I couldn’t have been happier that they found each other.
I was adjusted to being an adult. I survived my twenty first year, turning twenty two a week before my senior year began. At eighteen you might technically be an adult but everyone knows that twenty one is the real thing, with so much more to celebrate. We all know what that is! And can I mention that Iowa City is a great place to celebrate?
Lastly, I was adjusted to the fact that my summer camp days were over. I drove away from my fourth summer working at Twin Lakes Christian Center and I knew that I would not be returning for a fifth. Summer camp was one of the things I loved most and always proved to be a great experience. I looked forward to going every summer, so much that I would request to come early and spend a few weeks there working before the entire summer staff arrived. I knew it would not be possible for me to work there after graduation. I made many life long friendships and had so much fun spending my days lifeguarding and playing with kids at the lake. After four summers it was time to let go and leave it behind…well, at least most of it. That last summer, a significant boy followed me when I left.
This may sound silly but by the time my senior year rolled around I was adjusted to walking to and from class. Upon arrival to Iowa I immediately refused to drive my car or ride the bus to class. I had already been warned that driving was not a good idea because parking was a nightmare. In fact, parking was so scarce that many apartment complexes had to charge you a monthly fee for a parking spot. Rent your own parking spot? The idea was crazy to me. I didn’t ride the bus because: A. I’m just not a big fan of them and B. they seemed confusing and scary. So I walked and walked and walked, through the sun, rain, sleet, and snow. And when you have to walk over a large hill, it is uphill both ways. A brisk walk to the art building alone took about 20 - 25 minutes from my apartment at the end of South Johnston Street. Iowa is not like many campuses where the buildings are all clustered together so your only challenge is just getting to campus. Oh no. The campus is very spread out and by the end of an average day I had spent about two hours walking.
I was adjusted to a vegetarian diet. I have never really been a big fan of meat and living with two vegetarian roommates my junior year was just one more thing that swayed me. (I have since eaten meat again - although had a large aversion to meat when I was pregnant - but I go back and forth all the time about returning to a vegetarian diet.) People always ask how I ever found anything to eat, but I never had a problem finding non-meat items to fill me up and there were plenty of places in Iowa City serving delicious vegetarian meals.
I was adjusted to buying my own groceries, working part time, and paying bills (Although the real lesson of paying bills would come after graduation because it doesn’t really count when your parents are giving you a large portion of the money you pay the bills with. Wait…my parents helped me with my bills for awhile after graduation too. Crap. Never mind.) Of course some of the discovery of self comes about by realizing what is not for you and my junior year I tested out the world of working retail and found it to be among those things. Bath and Body Works may you and your over powering headache inducing aromas and round wooden apple picking baskets die in a fire.
I was fully adjusted to having divorced parents. Everything was finalized the spring of my sophomore year and by the time my junior year ended I had already muddled through feelings of loss; what it was like not to have a “home” anymore and sharing time between my parents. The second year was easier than the first; time was a huge part of the healing process. So by the time my senior year came, I was no longer sad about it all the time. About a year after the divorce my dad found a new love and Bev would become my stepmom in the fall of my senior year. I couldn’t have been happier that they found each other.
I was adjusted to being an adult. I survived my twenty first year, turning twenty two a week before my senior year began. At eighteen you might technically be an adult but everyone knows that twenty one is the real thing, with so much more to celebrate. We all know what that is! And can I mention that Iowa City is a great place to celebrate?
Lastly, I was adjusted to the fact that my summer camp days were over. I drove away from my fourth summer working at Twin Lakes Christian Center and I knew that I would not be returning for a fifth. Summer camp was one of the things I loved most and always proved to be a great experience. I looked forward to going every summer, so much that I would request to come early and spend a few weeks there working before the entire summer staff arrived. I knew it would not be possible for me to work there after graduation. I made many life long friendships and had so much fun spending my days lifeguarding and playing with kids at the lake. After four summers it was time to let go and leave it behind…well, at least most of it. That last summer, a significant boy followed me when I left.
3.05.2010
3.03.2010
10 Minutes
I saw a commercial once; I think it was for a cereal bar. I don’t remember the specifics including the brand of cereal bar – wait…was it a cereal bar? It was a healthy breakfast product of some sort. (Due to the fact that I can’t remember what product or brand name the commercial was for, I have to conclude that it might have been a BIG FAIL for their marketing campaign. It didn’t work for me anyway). However, I do remember the point and it stuck with me.
It first showed a person eating an unhealthy breakfast product; we will call it a breakfast burrito. Then for lunch they chose pizza and pop. And throughout the rest of the day, candy bars, junk food, more pop, etc, etc. Then it showed the same person starting off the day with their healthy breakfast product. For lunch they chose a salad and water, and they continued to make healthier food choices, fruits, vegetables, etc. throughout the rest of the day. And the ending statement was:
Because one healthy choice will lead to more healthy choices.
The commercial made me stop and think. It is true – and not just in regard to the food I eat. I can apply this also to my attitude and how I spend my time throughout the day. But what is one choice that I could make to potentially change the outcome of my day?
When I think about how my day usually begins, I am a little amazed that some days I actually do overcome my poor attitude. There is never enough time to get completely ready (confession: I frequently dry my hair in the car), the house is a disaster, the clothes I want to wear either aren’t clean or don’t exist in my wardrobe, the kitchen counters are covered with clutter and the sink is filled with dirty dishes, I don’t have anything to bring for lunch, and I’m late. This is how my day typically begins. If only I had 10 minutes alone - to be still and focus - before jumping into the craziness of my day. It sounds so easy, but it isn’t, for me at least. I have this thing I do where I like to make very simple things difficult. This is what it would take for me to have those 10 tiny, itsy bitsy, measly minutes:
• Energy to get out of bed instead of snoozing
• A child that doesn’t wake up when she hears my alarm or me sneaking downstairs
• A dog that stays quiet in my bedroom when I sneak downstairs
• A clean kitchen; which means that I have to clean up after making dinner the night before
• Breakfasts & lunches ready to go, otherwise I would just do that instead of the whole “be still and focus” thing; which means that I also have to do that the night before
• Plenty of time to get everyone ready and out the door so that I can actually relax and focus instead of just thinking about how late I’m going to be for work; which means I need to get up earlier
Could the 10 minutes really be worth all of this?
Last week I took about 10 minutes during my lunch break to read one chapter in a book that we are reading for my women’s bible study (I have only read the first few chapters and I already highly recommend the book if anyone is looking for a light and humorous read). My point is that those 10 minutes changed the rest of my week. And all it took was 10 minutes. This is what I read:
God who knows me and keeps me
Forgive me
Help me get over who I think I am
Help me let go of who I am not
Help me let you be who you are
Don’t ever leave me
Amen
These words have helped me to realize that I need to wake up - literally. I have been a little depressed and developed some really lazy habits. I’m not even going to blame it on the season, how much snow we have, or how dark it is at night. I have flat out been lazy. And I need to snap out of it because this isn’t who God designed me to be. I don’t want to be that mom that is so focused on the fact that she is running late that she backs out of the garage before she puts the door up. Or, while parallel parking she slams on the gas instead of the brake. Everyone knows that a mother’s mistakes while driving will haunt her for the rest of her life! (I know you are laughing because you are now recalling of all the dumb stuff your own mom did while driving). Looking over my list above, if I just did a little cleaning and made lunches at night – maybe that would be enough encouragement to wake up 10 minutes earlier? I’ll give it a try.
Stay tuned for random pictures of what I see in those 10 minutes.
It first showed a person eating an unhealthy breakfast product; we will call it a breakfast burrito. Then for lunch they chose pizza and pop. And throughout the rest of the day, candy bars, junk food, more pop, etc, etc. Then it showed the same person starting off the day with their healthy breakfast product. For lunch they chose a salad and water, and they continued to make healthier food choices, fruits, vegetables, etc. throughout the rest of the day. And the ending statement was:
Because one healthy choice will lead to more healthy choices.
The commercial made me stop and think. It is true – and not just in regard to the food I eat. I can apply this also to my attitude and how I spend my time throughout the day. But what is one choice that I could make to potentially change the outcome of my day?
When I think about how my day usually begins, I am a little amazed that some days I actually do overcome my poor attitude. There is never enough time to get completely ready (confession: I frequently dry my hair in the car), the house is a disaster, the clothes I want to wear either aren’t clean or don’t exist in my wardrobe, the kitchen counters are covered with clutter and the sink is filled with dirty dishes, I don’t have anything to bring for lunch, and I’m late. This is how my day typically begins. If only I had 10 minutes alone - to be still and focus - before jumping into the craziness of my day. It sounds so easy, but it isn’t, for me at least. I have this thing I do where I like to make very simple things difficult. This is what it would take for me to have those 10 tiny, itsy bitsy, measly minutes:
• Energy to get out of bed instead of snoozing
• A child that doesn’t wake up when she hears my alarm or me sneaking downstairs
• A dog that stays quiet in my bedroom when I sneak downstairs
• A clean kitchen; which means that I have to clean up after making dinner the night before
• Breakfasts & lunches ready to go, otherwise I would just do that instead of the whole “be still and focus” thing; which means that I also have to do that the night before
• Plenty of time to get everyone ready and out the door so that I can actually relax and focus instead of just thinking about how late I’m going to be for work; which means I need to get up earlier
Could the 10 minutes really be worth all of this?
Last week I took about 10 minutes during my lunch break to read one chapter in a book that we are reading for my women’s bible study (I have only read the first few chapters and I already highly recommend the book if anyone is looking for a light and humorous read). My point is that those 10 minutes changed the rest of my week. And all it took was 10 minutes. This is what I read:
God who knows me and keeps me
Forgive me
Help me get over who I think I am
Help me let go of who I am not
Help me let you be who you are
Don’t ever leave me
Amen
These words have helped me to realize that I need to wake up - literally. I have been a little depressed and developed some really lazy habits. I’m not even going to blame it on the season, how much snow we have, or how dark it is at night. I have flat out been lazy. And I need to snap out of it because this isn’t who God designed me to be. I don’t want to be that mom that is so focused on the fact that she is running late that she backs out of the garage before she puts the door up. Or, while parallel parking she slams on the gas instead of the brake. Everyone knows that a mother’s mistakes while driving will haunt her for the rest of her life! (I know you are laughing because you are now recalling of all the dumb stuff your own mom did while driving). Looking over my list above, if I just did a little cleaning and made lunches at night – maybe that would be enough encouragement to wake up 10 minutes earlier? I’ll give it a try.
Stay tuned for random pictures of what I see in those 10 minutes.
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