Monday, October 06, 2008

Welcome, Class of 2010!

Hello Juniors! It's come to my attention recently that at least one of "the new class" has been reading my blog. I haven't met you all, but so far you seem like nice enough folks. And it's apparent your drawing skills are ridiculously good. Your drawing teacher basically flaunted your summer work at us like we were inferior morons. (We don't take it personally. Well, I don't at least.)

If you've read my entries from the last year, I guess you've gotten a nice preview of your life ahead. I hope it hasn't worried you too much. I'm still in the program, and despite my blogging about all the work, lost social life, lack of sleep, toxic chemicals, ridiculous schedules, physical injuries, emotional breakdowns, crazy demands of teachers, rants about quitting school... wait, where was I going with this?

Oh yes, it's still a lot of fun and you are learning some really great skills.

As you have found out by now, first semester (plus Winterim) of the Toy Design program can be, how can I say it? Grueling? Crazy? Yes. It is a test of your patience, persistence, listening ability, resourcefulness, creativity, and willingness to learn. But just think! If you can just get past those few months, school will get just a little bit more manageable. And you will sleep regularly again in 2009. I promise!

That said, I will offer some general advice; sorry if it came too late:

1. Do what you can.

Improve as much as you can, and do as much work as you can, but don't stress that much about the grades. (–Especially don't worry about getting A's in drafting class. It's best to just be happy with a passing grade there.) Yes, you can lose some sleep, but we all hit a wall at some point. Just brush yourself off (when you wake up) and keep going!

2. Ask Questions
Sometimes the faculty likes to mix it up and try something new. This can lead to confusing assignments and guidance. If you are confused, just ask! That's what they're there for. Some teachers, are a bit reserved and will require you to be a bit more pro-active.

Or if you have a classmate that seems to be good at something, ask them how they did it or what tool they used.

Also, we "Seniors" are generally nice folk and would be happy to answer questions about what to expect. We definitely have some goofy weirdos, as I'm sure you do too. But don't be afraid. We will try to be honest and helpful, as much as we can.

And of course, you can always ask the Internet for answers.

3. It's about the TOYS!
Some of you know this already, but do not take criticism personally! Your concept teacher is wise and is just telling you what the real world will tell you about your work, but he says it in a much nicer way.

He is not talking about you, he is talking about your design and whether it'll sell on a toy store shelf. Listen and learn. Focus on what you can do to make your toy more appealing, easy-to-use, unique, accessible, and fun!

If you need to vent, just perform the necessary impersonation of whichever teacher amuses you the most, all Project-Runway-Santino style (not in front of the faculty, of course). I always thought of our concept teacher as our own Michael Kors. Have a laugh and move on.

4. Watch your health!
Okay, you're going to lose sleep, but it doesn't mean you can dismiss the rest of your body's needs. Drink lots of fluids, take vitamins, and remember to eat your meals! Don't touch the subway with your hands. Wash hands, carry sanitizer, and don't share cups and food. You do NOT want to get sick. Falling behind is a bitch.

5. Nobody likes a sycophant or a smart-ass.
Being a smart-ass is not cute to the faculty, and being a kiss-ass will irk both the teachers and your classmates.

6. Try not to annoy each other.
Be considerate of other classmates, apologize when you've offended them, and let bygones be bygones. Don't copy other peoples' ideas! The class itself is a small group, in a small space, and you are spending most of your waking hours with these same people for at least TWO YEARS.

Even after you graduate, you will enter a small industry, and stories of your being an ass will come back to haunt you! Especially now with the INTERNETS! So be respectful to each other!

Better yet: watch out for each other. If someone's missing from class, check on them, see if they need a missed assignment. Someday when they are VP of Hasbro, they'll remember what a nice person you were.

7. Give your brain an occasional reboot.
If you are freaking out, or you're really stuck on a design, you probably just need a short break. During my all-nighters, I would turn on my dance playlist and jump around for 5 minutes and then maybe grab a snack. Or a blueberry beer. Or a short nap (but make sure someone's around to wake you up).

We each have our own methods of coping. Don't do the booze if it you are a lightweight, because it will put you to sleep. Some of my classmates sing. If you're at home, have a short IM chat with a classmate to vent, then let them get back to work, because you should finish that rendering too.

8. Get your head out of your butt.
The rare moments that you get away from class to see friends, relatives, meet new strangers, or just see the city are also valuable for inspiration.

Watch kids play, look at what's going on in museums, window-shop, ask what people like, how things work. Play with gadgets, take a video game break, browse the Fashion Week coverage. Surf your favorite blogs. Look at cute animals. This all works for inspiration for toys. It comes in handy when you do actual research for your portfolio (during Winterim and Senior year) and future work.

9. Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be.
You may not want to hear this part.

I hope this doesn't happen, but the reality is that there may be a few of you that will not make it through the semester. It may be too much. Even with all your hard work, they may tell you that you aren't improving enough. Maybe you just don't have the discipline for it now. Maybe you've got too much else going on in your life to focus like this.

As the oldest person in my class, who has had a previous career and has witnessed many friends switch careers and endure quarter-life crises: your life is not over.

For one thing, you don't need a Toy Design degree to work in toys. Secondly, there are lots of other ways to apply your love for creativity and design. Whether or not you decide to stick with the toys may require some soul-searching. Listen to your gut.

If for whatever reason you don't stick with the program, you are not a failure. It's just a bump in the road, and you will find another success. If it's meant to be, you will come back to the world of toys. Just keep exploring what you can and like to do and something great will work out!

10. Have fun.
Who knew Toy Design school would be so hard!? But just remember: YOU GET TO DESIGN TOYS. Your friends outside of school are jealous, right?

This sounds cheesy, but when I ride the subway to and from school, even when I'm tired, breaking out, dateless, getting fat, cramped up, covered in clay and sawdust, and have too much to do:

I think about how I am one of the luckiest people on earth, to have this opportunity to live in New York City, to hang out with other creative, smart, and funny people, to draw, to make things with my hands, and to learn how to design toys!

Sometimes I even smile about it, like a secret joke, and people on the subway probably think I'm crazy or in love.

Best of luck! Now get back to work!

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Miss O'Crazy- you are so wise!

Honestly, your entry inspired me today! Like how I should maybe stop procrastinating and get my presentation finished for work...

Can't wait to see you this weekend and feel the wisdom exude in person. ;)

9:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually I think there are quite a few more of us that read your blog (certainly more than one).

Thanks for the advice! While I have yet to browse your archives, I'm sure it will become a dialy stop. Thanks again!

Thomas
thegwynfamily.blogspot.com

6:15 PM  
Blogger Rocío Cintrón said...

guilty!!! thank you very much, it may be to late for #4, sadly I've been spreading the disease that's making its way through the dept!

your advice means so much, I try to keep a lot of it in mind when it gets so overwhelming!!!

10:11 PM  
Blogger shaunnie said...

Ditto to being too late for #4. When will the cycle of germs stop?! Nonetheless, this list is pretty inspiring. Onwards!

7:47 AM  

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