Summer is almost officially over. But I've been in LA long enough now to know there will be at least one more suprise heatwave.
After a year and a half now of studying my ass off to try and get some new credentials that will help me get into a new career... I DID IT! I got a new job! Of the many jobs I applied to over the past couple months this is only the 2nd I even heard back from. But this job is shaping up to be exactly what I've been looking for. It's just off one of the Red Line metro stops so I'll be able to commute to work in 25 minutes by public tranist, which has always been a dream of mine. It seems like it's going to be a perfect entry level job in IT and the team seemed to be intent on hiring someone they liked, so I am hoping that means its a very friendly environment. I'll be working as an IT Customer Care Technician, which basically means tech support when someone forgets a password or cant get the projector to work. I think it's something i'll be really good at. I have not been excited about work in a long, and I think the stability of this job is going to be very good for me.
Nithya and I took a trip back to the Midwest for Labor Day and spent the long holiday weekend with my Mom, my sisters and their husbands. It was the first time I've had a partner spend that kind of personal time with my family and I was nervous about it. But, of course, it went really well. She fit in perfectly and enjoyed playing cards with us, which is a necessary trait for living with my family.
I'm keeping the below update here (from January) because it just thrills me to look at it again. Its shocking to me how much progress is possible.
This past fall semester I took an Intro to Drawing class.
Here's what my drawing was like when it started, from a self portrait:
and here's what my final self drawing was, from a self portrait after 16 weeks of class:
I have learned that anyone can learn to draw. It is a skill, like driving or reading. You simply need to learn the techniques, get used to the tools, and practice a lot.