Hey all! So this post has less to do with what I have done the past few days (work, eat, sleep, work, eat, proctor english exams, sleep, work, eat, blogging now, soon sleep), and more to do with the ridiculous realizations about where I am in life and how I got here. Be forewarned, there is absolutely no guarantee that any of this will interest you, as I am writing this to help myself process as well.
WHERE I AM
I am currently in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq working for the Preemptive Love Coalition as a graphic design intern. I am working on branding, layout, web, advertisement, posters, shirt designs and more. More importantly, I am serving God and the people of Iraq in the process. These are my two passions in life.
HOW DID I GET HERE:
PART ONE: DESIGN
Oh goodness. Its hard to say what in my life specifically contributed to the decisions I have made and the directions that I have gone in other than God ( and my mom knowing what was what and raising me right). I first got interested in design at this music festival called Spirit West Coast. Its a giant Christian band fest that I went to summer of my junior year in HS I believe. Other than music it feature huge quantities of vendors (selling band merchandise) and Christian clothing companies. That to me was the coolest thing ever. I feel like I must have been living under a rock at the time, I cannot believe that was the first time I had seen a Christian clothing company. So that set the cogs turning, and by the time I had gotten to senior I was deciding between pursuing architecture, or graphic design.
I chose design.
Backing up a bit. I had not taken a single art class in high school, and while I loved to draw and had my mother's innate artistic ability, I had no formal training. Furthermore I had never even touched Photoshop, or Illustrator, let alone InDesign.
Anyways, I decided, based off of the fact that I liked t-shirts, that I would pursue an education so that I could fulfill my (very) new life goal to have my own Christian clothing company. Was I insane? Maybe...probably...most definitely...looking back, this seems like the worst idea ever. They say you don't develop the capacity to understand long term consequences until age 18 or 19. Pretty sure they were right.
This poor decision could only be topped off by my desire to go to a small liberal arts private school in Orange County. One that would cost about $200,000 for my degree. Chapman University. I am just making bad choices like nobody's business.
Lucky for me God had orchestrated it all. I went to visit Chapman, and met the head of the Art Department, Eric Chimenti, who happened to also be a graphic design professor and a Christian (Mom was stoked). I was pretty much certain this was where I was supposed to go by this point... and it was.
Flash forward 3 years. Professor Chimenti is a huge part of my life. He is my teacher, my academic advisor, my mentor and bible study leader, he is family. I can never thank him or God enough for whatever grace he had accepting me into the program. I have been so blessed through the silly, uneducated choices I made. Maybe, they weren't silly. Maybe it was a revelation or something...it is so far back I can't even remember. What I do know is that the catalyst of a few Christian clothing companies has brought me to a place in my life that I cannot even imagine. I am attending one of the best schools for design in the nation and I am excelling in design, thanks to the tutelage of the great faculty. I have met some of my best friends in the world (Devin James Valdivia, Megan, Cameron, Jake and so many more), I have an incredible Christian support system, and an amazing fraternal brotherhood ( Hoorah, Phi Tau). I honestly cannot fathom what has come out of that crazy decision. I have been blessed, undeservingly no doubt.
I know you are all already tired of reading this post in my obnoxious voice, so I will break this post into two. ( This is more of a selfish decision than anything else, I am exhausted).
Anywho... Stay tuned. I will post
PART TWO: IRAQ tomorrow!
WHERE I AM
I am currently in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq working for the Preemptive Love Coalition as a graphic design intern. I am working on branding, layout, web, advertisement, posters, shirt designs and more. More importantly, I am serving God and the people of Iraq in the process. These are my two passions in life.
HOW DID I GET HERE:
PART ONE: DESIGN
Oh goodness. Its hard to say what in my life specifically contributed to the decisions I have made and the directions that I have gone in other than God ( and my mom knowing what was what and raising me right). I first got interested in design at this music festival called Spirit West Coast. Its a giant Christian band fest that I went to summer of my junior year in HS I believe. Other than music it feature huge quantities of vendors (selling band merchandise) and Christian clothing companies. That to me was the coolest thing ever. I feel like I must have been living under a rock at the time, I cannot believe that was the first time I had seen a Christian clothing company. So that set the cogs turning, and by the time I had gotten to senior I was deciding between pursuing architecture, or graphic design.
I chose design.
Backing up a bit. I had not taken a single art class in high school, and while I loved to draw and had my mother's innate artistic ability, I had no formal training. Furthermore I had never even touched Photoshop, or Illustrator, let alone InDesign.
Anyways, I decided, based off of the fact that I liked t-shirts, that I would pursue an education so that I could fulfill my (very) new life goal to have my own Christian clothing company. Was I insane? Maybe...probably...most definitely...looking back, this seems like the worst idea ever. They say you don't develop the capacity to understand long term consequences until age 18 or 19. Pretty sure they were right.
This poor decision could only be topped off by my desire to go to a small liberal arts private school in Orange County. One that would cost about $200,000 for my degree. Chapman University. I am just making bad choices like nobody's business.
Lucky for me God had orchestrated it all. I went to visit Chapman, and met the head of the Art Department, Eric Chimenti, who happened to also be a graphic design professor and a Christian (Mom was stoked). I was pretty much certain this was where I was supposed to go by this point... and it was.
Flash forward 3 years. Professor Chimenti is a huge part of my life. He is my teacher, my academic advisor, my mentor and bible study leader, he is family. I can never thank him or God enough for whatever grace he had accepting me into the program. I have been so blessed through the silly, uneducated choices I made. Maybe, they weren't silly. Maybe it was a revelation or something...it is so far back I can't even remember. What I do know is that the catalyst of a few Christian clothing companies has brought me to a place in my life that I cannot even imagine. I am attending one of the best schools for design in the nation and I am excelling in design, thanks to the tutelage of the great faculty. I have met some of my best friends in the world (Devin James Valdivia, Megan, Cameron, Jake and so many more), I have an incredible Christian support system, and an amazing fraternal brotherhood ( Hoorah, Phi Tau). I honestly cannot fathom what has come out of that crazy decision. I have been blessed, undeservingly no doubt.
I know you are all already tired of reading this post in my obnoxious voice, so I will break this post into two. ( This is more of a selfish decision than anything else, I am exhausted).
Anywho... Stay tuned. I will post
PART TWO: IRAQ tomorrow!
Yes, it all comes back to me now Anton. All those crazy life changing moments you experienced and I as your loving Mom, always had the Privilege to either be a part of, or hear about afterward in our heart to heart conversations. I always had the feeling God was up to something, and He has been. How He gets a hold of your heart, and plants a little seed that eventually sprouts into a dream become reality. Always amazing! He is an Amazing God. Praise Him for His goodness and the Glory we shall one day see!
ReplyDelete"Hi its me Daniel" Sulaymaniyah is almost impossible to pronounce.
ReplyDelete