Architecture school started off with a bang- a three-day, grueling competition to design a project from start to finish. And then the next assignment was to work on a presentation of abstract objects in a certain order, which sounds really easy. This was harder. I am totally having to retrain myself to use drafting tools. I spent about 8 hours working on this morning's assignment, and I have been working or going to school literally from 5:30/6:30am-11:30 at night every day this week. But you know what? I wouldn't change it one bit. I am exhausted, but I am happy with my little "non-house" that I am creating. It is a challenge.
I didn't know what to expect, honestly. Instead, what I found was that in architecture, my world is timeless. It passes, but I lose track easily. So intent on my work and perfecting it, everything else in my world seems to disappear. Some people find God in churches or tenement halls. I found God in the form of the studio environment. I feel like, for once in my life, I am precisely where I need to be. Everything else is falling into place. Financially, I am more than likely selling my scooter tonight. I received my excess check from school and it was much larger than I ever anticipated. And I am still allowed to work at my job, even if my hours are crazy. It is a humbling experience to realize that there are higher powers at work; the militarization of life and the petty dramas are all going away and I am left not as a human being anymore but as a process; a standard for the implementation of design. And all with the divinity of nonconformity at my fingertips. I feel like I can accomplish anything. And if I don't succeed, I will practice, practice, practice until I do. It is a good feeling, this productivity.
My newfound enthusiasm for life also stems from the fact that AUTUMN IS ALMOST HERE. For those of you that know me well, Autumn is pretty much my favorite season. Knitting, cozy cardigans, campfires, tea, wine and cheese with friends, photoshoots, reading, and yard work are all on the agenda for this season. I recently went on a cardigan-buying binge in anticipation of the cooler weather and am looking forward to MAYBE having a few free weekends to create some new things. My folks recently found me some Herman Miller-style chairs for my house so renovating those is my next project (if I can find a new table, I may end up selling my chrome set..). I can't wait to play in piles of leaves and get my house back in shape now that it isn't so miserable outside. I look forward to a Saturday or Sunday of open windows, a crisp breeze, and listening to Claudine Longet on vinyl...
