Thinking in the ABSTRACT

Well I have made it through a week of school.  It is definitely going to be a challenging semester.  I am taking what I have been informed is called four "Studio Classes".  On the first day of class every Professor asked students to raise their hand if they were taking two studio classes and pretty much 3/4 of the students raised their hand.  Then the professors all asked how many were taking three studio classes and about 5 out of 40 raised their hand.  Then they asked no one is taking four correct??   Um....yeah that would be me....the dork....taking four studio classes I thought to myself.  But I proudly raised my hand and of course you could hear a feather drop.....then I heard the whispers...she's crazy....she's nuts.....and a few other comments and giggles.   They all looked at me and said they NEVER EVER EVER recommend taking more than two studio classes and three is pushing it....and four well they wanted to know if I had rented a classroom as my residence for the semester.   But hey I am not worried.......ok well maybe I am little....hmmmm well maybe a lot!!! 

But then I started thinking about it.   I asked myself if I could handle the workload and started taking an assessment of all of the requirements.  I have a complete list of all the projects for each class that will be required.  I have a complete list of all the homework.  I have a complete list of the required reading.  I have also been informed to expect an extra 10 hours of work outside the classroom for each class....OK so that is 40 hours of extra work.   Add in the class time and that is another 14 hours.  All together that is 54 hours minimum a week.   

OMG.....54 hours.   Eeek!!   CRAP!!   Ok....deep breath.

Excuse me for a  minute while I get into my lotus pose and meditate.

So it is then that I realized working for 54 hours a week will not be that unusual for me. Until very recently I held a very demanding position in a VERY STRESSFUL business.  Twelve to fourteen hour days were not uncommon.  Very short deadlines were not uncommon.  I am used to handling very challenging and sometimes very complicated situations.  It was not uncommon for me to work 12 to 14 hour days.  Those hours were not always in the office but at least 8 were and the rest were done at home or in a clients home.   My job required strong technical skills, strong communication skills,  and strong ethics.  It also required you to problem solve in creative ways and to think outside the "box" on a regular basis.  Everything needed to be done with a big smile of my face.

Haha....and no I was not an Interior Designer.   I was an Escrow Officer that managed a Title company branch in a very high end luxury real estate market.  I did not have a badge or a gun......although in retrospect that certainly could have come in handy in a few situations.

Ok...so what does this have to do with design....and design school????

Well I realized that my previous career was the perfect foundation for not only school but for everything that will be needed in order to complete my schooling and become a credentialed Interior Designer. My career taught me many things. It taught me to think in the Abstract.... to manage my time...... to be exact and to be efficient.  It taught me to communicate effectively.    Well having said all this it sounds like I am perfectly prepared .....right?

I mean I can think in the Abstract so what is the problem? 

 Ok.........well then why can't I see that the above sculpture represents: SERENITY

Or that this sculpture embraces the concept of CORPORATE GREED

And of course isn't it obvious that this sculpture represents ORDER.

All of these photos are from my little excursion last week to Colorado.  My husband Jeff and I were able to squeeze a quick little visit to the Denver Art Museum.

OK...OK..OK....   So to be fair I just came up with concepts about what these sculptures may represent.  I mean no disrespect to the artist and I am sure that it is obvious to the artist and others what these sculptures represent.....BUT IT ISN'T ME........

I HAVE NO CLUE.   

Hmmmmm..............It should prove to be a very interesting semester.    Stay tuned.  

The colors of Colorado

Colorado was everything I had hoped for and more.  It was a fantastic last trip of summer and actually a good way for me to get my mind design ready.  Colorado is of course full of amazing scenery. Colorado is full of contradictions and everywhere you look it is full of the most amazing color.

Ok excuse the cliche but the spacious sky was an amazing blue.

Big Country Blue - Benjamin Moore

The majestic mountains really did appear purple at times and yes the vast open prairies were amber.

And of course that Colorado red is everywhere.

Amber Waves  - Benjamin Moore

Purple Haze - Benjamin Moore

Red Rock - Benjamin Moore

Garden of the Gods

Majestic Violet - Benjamin Moore

Rock Gray - Benjamin Moore

Colorado Gray - Benjamin Moore

On the first night my husband Jeff and I stayed in Colorado Springs and witnessed one of the biggest thunder and lightning storms we have ever seen.  I wished I would have taken pictures but have you ever tried to catch lighting with a camera.....that is no small feat.

So this is a picture of the Colorado Skies during a lighting storm from flickr.

The sky was stone gray, greenish gray and twilight blue.  Truly amazing colors.

Image by striking_photography via Flickr

Durango - Benjamin Moore

Black Forest Green - Benjamin Moore

Twilight - Benjamin Moore

The lobby of our hotel was full of amazing colors too. 

The next morning we went  to Pikes Peak.   If you have never been to 14,110 feet well let's just say it is breathtaking..........I mean really.....it takes your breath away.    The air is so thin at 14,110 feet that after about 15 minutes at the summit most people start feeling the effects......and Jeff and I were no exception.  I wasn't surprised that I was dizzy ......I mean have you met my husband........yep he still takes my breath away and makes me dizzy.  But the cause this time was totally the altitude.  However I was surprised that Jeff was also dizzy and no it wasn't me that made him dizzy this morning.........(hee hee) .....  

It  was a very romantic little trip.   

The weather was not the best up at Pikes Peak so we didn't get a view of the valley below.....but we can say we were at 14,110 feet. 

This was some of the scenery on the way up.....and also along the way on the many roads we traveled. ...seriously check out those amazing colors.

Color and inspiration is everywhere no matter where you are.

Sometimes you just have to pause for a minute and look.

So tomorrow is the first day of school and I think Colorado and her colors were the perfect prep for what I am sure is going to be one of my favorite classes called Color Theory.  It also happens to be my very  first class

I feel like a Kindergartner.
I hope she lets us color.