one year

(Work on THEM! has come to a slight halt as I juggle 6 different animation tasks right now)

Warning: failosophical/slightly angsty post ahoy!

A lot can happen in a year

One year ago today (well, one year and about 12 hours) my life was completely turned upside down, this hopeless romantic finally found a girlfriend. Three weeks ago, that relationship was ended because one side didn't want it to go on. Things change. Situations change. People change. If I could go back, I would, but who she is now is drastically different than one year ago, and who I am now can almost be called unrecognizable

If you asked Jerry from one year ago what he wanted out of life, the answer, straight away, would have been "Go to Pixar. Animate. Write stories. Direct films." If you asked Jerry today, Pixar, Disney, and Hollywood as a work environment isn't as important, not so much because that's what EVERYONE want to do, but because I can do cool stuff with local studios.

(let me get this straight: I would still LOVE to work at Pixar. I would LOVE to get the old school Disney training)

Within that year, I've had my point of view completely flipped. After 21 years of being a hopeless romantic, I found love. I learned what it meant to actually live as a human being, to live a life for someone else. I've written, produced, directed, and animated my own short film, pouring my soul into a 5 and a half minute short. I've graduated from college, won a couple coveted school awards. I worked on a production crew as an animator, I've lived by myself for the first time ever, and I've known what it means to be truly alone. Over the past year, I've been the happiest in my life (perhaps the only time I've ever really been happy) and I've also been the most miserable.

I've applied to over 100 animation and graphic design jobs. I only heard back from 3 places. I'm currently working at Hitpoint Studios. The work is awesome.

And though I've gone through all of these experiences, emerged from the protective shell of academia and into adult life, I feel as though I really should have learned something profound, some huge life lesson and wisdom I can impart on others. The truth of the matter is that I haven't really learned a damn thing from all of this besides "Life happens. People change. Get over it."






If you ask Jerry today, he still really misses that girl from a year ago.