hey eyelikeart, tell us about yourself

a book about me

ok here goes...

I’m 24 years old & have lived in New Orleans all my life. I’m a production artist for a printing company and do some freelance work on the side. I own a PowerBook G4 for personal use, and use a PowerMac for work. I’ve been working with Macs for 5 years now and don’t see any chance of me looking the other way. I’m pretty fluent with traditional Mac OS....and haven’t even begun to learn the technical sides of OS X...not enough hours in the days anymore. I’m not a complete computer nerd, but I am looking toward the future with the woman I’ve met through the internet. I’ve actually made a few really good friends through the net. God bless AOL... 😀

I’ve been into art all of my life, so naturally it seemed like the thing for me to do when I got out of high school. After a year of screwing around, I ended up at a community college studying illustration, and decided to try out a computer graphics class for fun. I got bitten....BAD! I found I really liked the use of a computer, and even more with Mac. I then convinced my mom to get me my own....so I got a Motorola Starmax clone....nice little machine but very limited.

After a year and a half I decided college wasn’t for me since I didn’t want to take the prerequisite courses, so I dropped out. Soon after I saw one of those Tech Schools being advertised on tv. Got into their Graphic Design program, came out with an Associate’s degree in 18 months. While in school, I got an internship with the NBC affiliate tv station in New Orleans and also worked in a 1 hour photo lab.

After Tech School I got a job with a freelance designer, learned more, and got turned on to my present job through her. I’ll be going on 2 years this May. I’ve slowly started to see where the future of graphic design & desktop publishing is going, and I’ve decided I need to do something different. I don’t want to learn animation, and do not wish to freelance full time (and end up working 7 days a week!), so I decided I need to pursue a different avenue. Earlier this month I decided to go back to college to finish my undergraduate and eventually move on to my master....all in fine arts of course. I think when I’m finished I am going to pursue teaching college level art (hence the term “reformed college student”). New Orleans also isn’t the best place to make a living unless u are in the service industry, so a move is evident at some point soon. Maybe I can get some help from some of u guys for tips?

I plan on continuing to build my computer skills through all of this, but not for my primary means of living. I post to this site throughout the day while at work because I find so many interesting things being discussed....it also helps break the monotony of my work days...he he he... 😛

sorry this turned into a book...sometimes when I start writing it just keeps going and going and going...maybe we can get some responses to other people stories as well from this?

Neat

Southeast College of Tech., end of veterans near McDonald's eh? I know somebody who did that as well. good school. what printing company you work at? I used to work at one, but in the graphics dept. (which was only one person anyway)

ha ha ha....

something tells me I may know u.... 😛

i'm not if i belong in this interesting post but i guess its too late to turn back...

i'm a junior in high school and don't know what to do exactly. i'm supposed to make a decision about where to go to college but don't know what i'm truly interested in. i am a technician at my dad's place of work and fix computers and maintain their network (its a school with about 600 computers with only 3 technicians!!). i used to absolutely hate macs but then i began to play with photoshop and the other adobe products. one of my mac friends convinced me i should get a mac to do that stuff so i got a powerbook (the best decision of my llfe). i loved it and now am in love with my quicksilver and fcp3. i play with video all the time and am considering getting into more photography (besides video) for my school newspaper (oh yeah i write for the paper and also design/create their web site http://focus.mhs.mps.k12.mi.us).

the point of this long rambling is: i love to do all of this but dont know what i should do in college or soon there after. another issue is financing--my spending habits on mac stuff make funding for my education pretty grim

you guys seem to have done it all. what should i do?

(oh p.s...... THANKS!)

eyelikeart's so cool!

I enjoy his posts, and the "eyeball" graphic is a treat!

In a post where network man asks him to tell us a bit about himself, not only does he give us a neat synopsis, but shows the courtesy of inviting OTHERS to give reponses as well.

Ya got C l a s s, eyelikeart.😎

re: reformed (networkman)

I'm glad I got into computer generated art....

but to be honest, the market has become so saturated with second rate work that I want to get out....which warrants my decision to return to college and move on. I know I'll be doing this, however, while I'm still finishing up school so I won't be leaving anytime soon.

but u understand where I'm coming from....sort of anyway. I'm not burned out or anything, but I don't want to become a freelance and work 7 days a week and put off my life to work....but then again I do want to work as much as I need to.....

all that said, I'm definitely keeping an open eye (no pun intended) to what's going to make me happy vs. what's going to make me money....and I know somewhere there is a happy medium between those 2 worlds.... 😉

Originally posted by kishba
the point of this long rambling is: i love to do all of this but dont know what i should do in college or soon there after. another issue is financing--my spending habits on mac stuff make funding for my education pretty grim

you guys seem to have done it all. what should i do?
(oh p.s...... THANKS!)

Click to expand...

that's pretty cool that u get to do that website...the only one I've ever really worked on was the cl*** project I had to learn the basics of html....sucked royally, but was still a lot of fun! 😛

School....financing....financial aid....uggghhhh.....right now I'm lucky enough to be getting help from dad for tuition bills for the next few semesters....hopefully....I'll be paying my school loan from Tech School for the next several years....

What u should do depends solely upon what u are interested in doing. If u want to pursue the creative end up computers, then seeking out education to learn it is the best thing u can do for yourself. I know school is expensive, but there is always financial aid....and I'm not sure what the financial situation with your parents is, but if it's feasible don't feel ashamed to ask them for help. I think at the point the industry is slowly reaching, being just a graphic designer just doesn't cut it so much anymore. I know a few people who are more into video production....primarily with Macs. I think, eventually, there are going to be more opportunities in video and web work than there is going to be in print design....but that's my opinion.

I understand how u feel with the tech issue. I've gotten info from a number of people (including networkman), and all of the responses I've received say the same thing in one way or another: Macs are great, but it's really difficult to make any money working on them. Remember that 95% of the market is on Windows. The Mac market is pretty small, and there isn't much of a calling for technicians. One guy I know here in New Orleans who is Apple certified, is a reseller, etc, etc, advised me to keep with my creativity on the Mac rather than trying to turn into a tech. He says it's hard enough to do what he does and that he's known a few people in the same boat as me who tried to become techs.....all of whom have gone back to other jobs simply because they can not make a living working on the computers.

Of course, this is what college is all about....finding yourself. The best thing u can do is just to go.....experience....get exposed to new & different things....u never know what u will find when u do...

😛

Re: eyelikeart's so cool!

Originally posted by voicegy
I enjoy his posts, and the "eyeball" graphic is a treat!

In a post where network man asks him to tell us a bit about himself, not only does he give us a neat synopsis, but shows the courtesy of inviting OTHERS to give reponses as well.

Ya got C l a s s, eyelikeart.😎

Click to expand...

thanks a lot....it's good to know my rambling didn't bore too many....

good to hear the eyeball is acceptable....when I first had a kewpie doll everyone freaked out!!😱

I hear the improtant thing for any aspiring graphic artist is that they be "ARTISTS" meaning that they have it in them to think of creative things and the rest will be taught...the programs....by whoever may be hiring them. Also that the three major programs to know are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Quark Express. If one know is fair enough with these programs then they increase thier chances of getting in. I believe most agencies are more interested on looking at projects who have done in the job world as oppose to those who have done at an art school or whatever.

Web design is hot and Im going to work my but off learning dream weaver, flash and the baisics of HTML on my own...best way to go i believe.

I hear also that in 10 years we "the artists" will be having the option of moving into working on the art in holograms for advertising. This will happen before full blown VR which the government is trying to contain.

Okay Kishba, here goes. You have to ask yourself what you do you REALLY like to do. I have a hunch it's EVERYTHING right now, and that's a good thing. You like to see what's out there and as a digital artist, the broader your skills the better. Most of the 'artists' I've met have had rocky academic backgrounds but they are phenomenal ARTISTS. Having a art knowledge base to draw from is crucial. I've met people who've sunk a lot of money into buying a lot of whiz bang computer stuff but they just let it sit. They are not creative types.
As for me, I've dodged the fact that I am a creative type much to my detriment at times. I've discovered 3D computer animation and it has me absolutely hooked.
Talk to a counselor about art colleges that may be specializing in the digital arts field. It is exploding right now. Schools are scrambling to meet demand. Talk to pros in the field. Anyone and everyone, every tidbit of info is precious. I have free tuition for state colleges where I live because I was in the service for a little while. Also, I participated in the Army GI Bill, and I get that monthly check in the mail and instead of paying for school it goes in my savings account for you know what. Buying killer computer systems. I believe my military experience gives me a little bit more of an edge where animating military themed projects go. I was in the mechanized infantry. But, for you I think it would be wiser to go into military media. They have all the latest stuff. Talk to a recruiter and check it out if you're interested. Good luck.

the military huh?!

how bout the C.I.A.?

You gotta love what you do...

I feel that you really gotta love what yo do. Bottom line. I like what I do, I don't dread goin' to work every day. I do feel that I'm lucky to be able to do so.

When I was growing up through grade school and into high school I would watch my dad come home from work everyday and complain how he hates his job. He was miserable. He would come home tired, mad, and I quickly learned that you had to stay out of his way when he had those days. I saw this and decided that I was definately not going to follow my dad's footsteps.

Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you guys....

I have a friend from High School that was so into money. I mean, his life revolved around it. He went to college to become an environmental engineer, because they were supposed to make buko bucks. Anyway, his parents paid a whole buttload of money, (like $60,000 I think) and now he hates his job. He told me that, "he doesn't know if you wan't to do this anymore"

You gotta love what you do. And do it with passion.

Just my two cents

674!

I went out of town for a week for Bussness and I eyelikeart is all ready up to 674 posts. He was at 500 when I left. Did i miss anything exiting on macrumors while I was gone? Congrats of breaking the 500 post mark and getting to use an icon. I think I still have a little ways to go for that. They have been keeping me too busy at work to paly on Mac sits latly

Re: eyelikeart's so cool!

Originally posted by voicegy
I enjoy his posts, and the "eyeball" graphic is a treat!

In a post where network man asks him to tell us a bit about himself, not only does he give us a neat synopsis, but shows the courtesy of inviting OTHERS to give reponses as well.

Ya got C l a s s, eyelikeart.😎

Click to expand...

im cool too you know

Tommy!'s so cool!

I enjoy his posts, even though he doesn't have an avitar graphic.

😛

700 here i come...