Hey guys!

I am movin on up, and not posting on here anymore. I've always had a tumblr, just haven't used it a whole lot, and now I think I'm going to start. I will eventually post it on facebook, but just ask if you want the link if you want to keep updated on my crazy busy life. :)

I will miss you blogger! We have been friends for quite some time :(

Peeeeeace!

Are you going to get a release form before or after he cheats on you?

I've recently discovered I have some fans who like to creep up on me. I realize that I am literally all over the internet, who isn't? But for someone to take time out of their day, to google me, find my blog, my website, or anything else...there must be a reason.

9/10 times people have seen my blog, and my website on facebook. I have posted links to it, and mostly share it with my Omaha friends, to keep them updated on my life and my work here in this crazy city. When I'm not friends with you on facebook, I begin to wonder. Sure you could've gotten it from someone else, but I just don't know that many people in chicago for all of them to be connected.

So here rises the question....WHY?

When you tell someone you don't want anything to do with them, that usually means you are scum of the earth, and not worth even talking to, or knowing. Why they would take the time to google my blog to find out how I am, or what I'm all about it, is ridiculous.

Why do you care? Sure as hell didn't before.

I've had a lot of things stolen from me, but my pictures....this is the first time. You don't really think to get release forms from your boyfriend or girlfriend the time you are with them, because you think "oh hey...they won't give a shit" right? You don't ever think about the after effects, or think they have a crazy girlfriend who wants to check up on your pictures also. But when they deliberately go out of there way to find it, and then put it on their facebook, like "oh i just think its a cool picture" and then get all these comments on it about how people like it, and not tell them who took it....could that be considered stealing?

There is a reason (believe it or not) why I don't have any of my photo's on facebook.

1. I don't have a watermark, or know how to put one on there.

2. Once it's on facebook, facebook owns it.

So to my very special fans reading this, or creeping on my pictures....grow up. I know...it is hard for you, you don't know how, and I'm flattered you're jealous of me, but really...leave me alone.

Looking up

I thought I'd give everyone a lil update on my happenings here in the windy city, (seeing as its been awhile since I've really blogged).

There's been a lot of bad things that have kept happening to me here, and after this last one I decided it wasn't going to bring me down anymore.

My wallet was stolen from again, right out of my purse, without even knowing it until I tried to get on the bus after getting off the train. Within a half hour, they bought 2 $92 bus p

asses, and spent $130 in groceries at Dominicks. I STILL haven't gotten all this money back.

A couple days later, the guy I was seeing had his so called girlfriend break up with me in a text message. Of course this was followed by lots of harassment, threats, and telling me he fucked 4 other girls when he was with me. Good guy right?

I started to work at the Museum of Science and Industry a lot more.

It's on the south side, and it takes me awhile to get there, but I enjoy the ride. From the view on the train, it kind of reminds me of Omaha a lil bit.

I take touristy pictures of people in front of the U505 submarine, yelling at people all day. I literally just buried myself in work, and tried to work as much as possible and be as positive and happy around everyone as much as I could. To my surprise, this actually worked out tremendously well. The people there are really great. Not just the people I work with at photogenic, but the people that work at the museum are truly awesome.

Since I've been working my ass off there, my supervisors put in a good word for me and one of the managers called me asking if I wanted to get some more training in to become a trainer/lead. What did I say?

Hell yes!

I've never been a lead or a supervisor/manager anywhere I've worked. I had the opportunity lots of times, but never wanted to take on all the responsibility, or didn't think I could do it. This time, I really want to. It's easy to be good at this job, and there's no reason why I shouldn't try to move up and do it to the best of my ability.

I'm being trained tomorrow, and I'm nervous as hell. BUT I'm also excited. :) I've met a lot of really cool people through this job, and I'm finally feeling ok with everything and where my life is going. Because of this training, I will receive my own id badge which allows me to get into every museum in Chicago FOR FREE! And I can also bring up to 3 people with me. How amazing is that? I had no idea.

I am also moving to the west side of Chicago in 3-4wks. I'm talkin like waaaay the fuck west. I will be sad to leave the north side though. It's very quiet and I will definitely miss the lake.

A girl that I work with, her family rents out their basement to people, and she showed me it one day. It was amazing. I'll have a kitchen, a living room and my own separate bedroom, a giant window letting in lots of light, all utilities included and pay cheaper than what I'm paying now. Not only that but her mom is super nice. Her family is Guatemalan, and they make delicious food, and said I could come hang out upstairs sometimes, or when they have family reunions, or whatever. I think this will be a really really good experience for me and to be with a family. I am so stoked. AND now there really is no reason why I shouldn't speak spanish fluently.

I start school the week of Sept 7th, and I am totally not ready. It's going to be so much more work this semester, and I haven't really given it as much thought as I should be. I'm really anxious about it.

I've also FINALLY put all of my work on ONE website. Check it out here. For those of you photographers, illustrators, graphic designers, photoshop gurus and all you other arsty fartsy, if you haven't heard of deviant art, definitely check it out. It's an awesome website.

Alright guys, I'm all typed out.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Much love

Thoughts

I'm not sure if anyone reads this anymore..

I wish everyone had blogs, it'd make things a lot easier.

I'm going through some things I'm not sure I'm ready to handle. I feel like I'm trapped in a 3oyr olds body, thinking "this is it." I hate it. I want so much more, yet lack any motivation, or any confidence. I don't understand it. I've never felt like this to this extreme ever before in my life.

I have to get out of this, and I have to push myself more now than I ever have.

I have too much alone time, and too many thoughts racing.

My mind is always in the past, and the future. It needs to be in the present.

"Step right this way, alright. Smile big for me now!"

I have finally found a new job!! Well, another job. Unfortunately it doesn't pay as well, but I am there for the experience, and from what I've seen so far, it seems like it will be a really fun job for the summer. 

I found this company called Photogenic on craigslist, thought it sounded cool, so I sent an email with my resume attached. I didn't hear anything back for like a week, but was invited to a group interview. At the interview I met some really cool people and ended up getting hired! :)

Basically, the job in a nutshell is taking tourist pictures of people. The cool thing about this is they're stationed on 3 different boats at Navy Pier (one of which you actually get to ride on the cruise FO FREE!) and also at the Ferris Wheel.  The other locations include The Hancock Building, The Sears (Willis) Tower, and The Museum of Science. EVEN COOLER THING ABOUT THIS IS.....I've never been to any of these places except the pier, and the first time I do I can get in free? Helllll yeaaah! Sometimes I can also get free cruises for my friends and family too. Sweeet!

I will officially start next week! I am currently still looking for a job at a club or some high end restraunt downtown as well so I can finally leave Office Max. It is doing nothing for me except giving me a headache and making me angry. 

I had applied to the Cubby Bear in Wriggleyville a couple weeks ago and was rudely told to "get some more experience," so that didn't work out. I was so bummed. I really wanted to work there. I was talking to a girl who used to work there and she said she'd pull in $500 in an 8hr shift sometimes on game days or weekend in the summer. Isn't that insane??!! 

For now I'm just going to keep my head up and try to stay positive. I've been feeling real shitty lately, and I hope this new job is just the boost I need. 

On a different note.......

I love this picture. 

The past 3 months..

MAN OH MAN DOES TIME FLY!

This semester has been totally insane. I've had soooo much work to do, and have even gotten behind on a lot of things. My darkroom teacher is absolutely crazy. I'm convinced. She gives us assignments on top of the assignments we already get in my lecture class, which means twice as much shooting, and twice as much 

printing. OY! She keeps wanting us to join all these weird blogs and made a twitter just for our class, and no one has done any of them, but she keeps trying. She also contradicts a lot of things she says, and forgets half of it and just says "Oh I didn't say that, that's not right." OOOOOKKKAAAYYY....

Other than that class, I've really come to enjoy my painting class a lot. My teacher is in love with color. It's so great. She can sit there and talk to you about paint and colors all day if you asked her to. She's so laid back too, its a huge relief. All we do is come to class and paint and talk and listen to 50's music. I'm in the process of p

osting pictures of some of the stuff we've done so far. 

On another note, I've been seeing someone for the past couples months as well. :) 

His name is Pedro and he's an exceptionally good looking puerto rican man, (not that that really has anything to do with it, but he speaks spanish and lets face it, thats pretty damn hot.) He is so great, and so supportive. Things have been really good with us. (minus you know half my job thinking I'm a shady bitch....buuuut thats a different story). Ha. 

We've been having so many good times together, and finding lots of new things. We randomly came across this cute little diner not far from my apartment and I absolutely fell in love with it. It's quiet and has red vinal seats and mirrors surrounding the place. Surprisingly, I haven't taken any digital photographs of it yet. I'm currently documenting it and taking a series of photographs for my documentary assignment, but it might just turn into my final. (Again...haven't had the time to scan in any of my color stuff yet, and probably won't till after finals.) 

We have also been starting to go on bike rides together, (considering how the weather is of course). Pedro rides his bike everywhere to get around and he had an extra one he gave me. 

Pretty bad ass eh? Eventually I want to ride on the streets by the time summer comes, but I am terrified!  I don't want to get hit by a car and die! But it's been a lot of fun riding on the lake so far. We came across this bad ass skate park the other day, and I didn't have my camera and I was so upset. I will definitely be going back there soon. I've never seen so many fine dudes on skateboards and bikes on such a huge skate park! 

We also found this really dinky little movie theater that only had 4 theaters in it. It was so cute though.  It was by the Loyola campus so I assume a lot of college kids go there. 

AND

On Thursday, we went to see P.O.S, Dessa, Astranautalis, and F. Stokes. 

Man was that a great fuckin show. Pedro had never heard of them, but he was down to check them out, so that was fun. Astranautalis is crazy mother fucker, and I love him. His voice is so low and raspy and he just kept talkin to us about how if we hated our jobs, that we should just quit and become a rapper and drink a lot of whiskey. He even put on an epic freestyle for us. Dessa was amazing too. She got on the stage and said, "We're gunna sing some sad sad love songs, fuck yeah." P.O.S just blew my mind. I can't get over his lyrics man, it's insane. 

On a good note, I am allllmost finished with my black and white portfolio. I'm hoping I can have it done by the end of the week to show you guys!

Until next time....PAAAYYCE!

Keith Carter

What a freakin cool ass dude. I never thought I would see him right in front of me. 

For those of you who don't know anything about him, he's a self taught photographer from a small town in Texas. His mom was a photographer in the 50's, and he said he never paid attention as a kid, but that his mom would always turn their kitchen into a darkroom at night and print photographs to sell to the neighbors and locals around the area.

You can check out some of his work......here.

And thats not even the half of it! In a lot of his work he likes to create fantasy throughout his photographs, but also like nature and animals a lot too. I didn't know this but he did a lot of commercial work also and some bands have his photographs as their cd labels, and authors have them on their books, and that the Gap called him up once and asked him to make a photograph for their shoes. He showed us that photograph and he placed their shoes in the mouth of an alligator and sent it to them and got a call back saying, "this isn't what we're looking for." I just thought was hilarious. He also told us a story about how he got a call from the band The Hives one day wanting one of his photographs for their cd label. The photograph was of a man carrying his girlfriend on his back in a lake. (I've looked for this photograph online and can't seem to find it anywhere) They asked him if he had a release for the people in the photograph and he told them, "Well, no. I was walking around and saw this couple and just thought they were beautiful and just said... 'Stop' and made this photograph." He said, "Now this is the first thing they teach you at Columbia....never forget a release! But....I'm a dumbass," and he laughed. 

Throughout his lecture he gave a lot of great advice. He told us The 5 things to keep creativity:

1. We all need to work of others.

2. Make friends with uncertainty.

3. It's all about making choices.

4. Belong to a place, belong to something.

5. The full weight and mystery of your art rests upon the relationship between you and your subject.

He spoke a lot about what each of these means, and he even added, "You don't always need weed to be creative." 

He even showed us a sneak peak on what he was currently working on. He's doing a series of photographs of women with ridiculously long hair, (which let me tell you is incredible). Some of these women he found have hair as long as them!

He concluded with his lecture by saying, 

"Don't ever think you can't make a difference. Don't ever be afraid someone is going to "copy" you or think you're crazy, just do it. Take a secound to look around you, look in your backyard, your block, your street, it all starts there."