How Did Ghandi Do It?

It's official. I'm back on Facebook after a month of abstinence. It was tough. It was grueling. It was epic. I don't think Bristol Palin knows what she is talking about. Oh, wait. It didn't work out for her.

Anyways. . .I can't tell you how many people asked if I had Facebook, mostly as a courtesy, and was completely surprised when I said no.

But mostly, after reactivating my Facebook and updated my photos and general information I didn't have much else to do. I know that I missed this piece of social media, but honestly, now it feels weird to sign in.

It's still a handy tool to find people, but for the most part. I don't check it all that often. Maybe once a day, which is a huge change to the hundred times (not exaggerating)I would check it before this little experiment in strength.

I'm can't believe this, but Twitter has replaced my Facebook. I love Twitter. I love all the great information that is shared. I can follow people that post things that I'm interested about and it's not awkward to wait for their friend request okay. I don't have to know these people, just enjoy the stuff that they post. It's great.

Not to mention, it's short and sweet. Twitter let's me see what other people in the world live their lives and what they think is important enough to share. I love it.

I will never have a MySpace again. I got rid of that a year or two ago. I will keep my Facebook, but Twitter is now my number one. I did not see this coming. Oh, social media, you keep me on my toes.

No Wonder No One Graduates from This Place

As part of my plan to go to graduate school, I thought it might be good to take some extra classes before I started my graduate work.

I thought that I could move to Boise and take some classes from Boise State University. Please keep in mind that I went to Boise State for two years of my undergrad and wasn't impressed. However, I thought one semester would be tolerable and I would get to move out of Moscow and hang with my cousin in Boise.

I was excited. It sounded like an awesome plan. I could live with my cousin, go to school for a semester and gather more work to put in my portfolio for grad school. I know, it was a great plan.

I emphasize was because Boise State sucks. Of course I got in. Who doesn't? It probably didn't hurt that I already have a degree. It took them weeks to process my information. I had to send in extra information, for whatever reason, that could be found on my FAFSA.

So okay, the office work to get me in was a little crazy, I guess I can handle that. I finally get the okay to sign up for classes and there aren't any. The art classes I need are either filled or not being offered for Fall 2009 semester. Awesome. Even better, they don't have wait lists so it's looking like I'm SOL.

I my next option, or so I thought, was to contact a professor in the art department that could maybe guide me through the kind of classes that would be helpful for my portfolio and what I want to do.

HA! I can't get a single one of them to write me back. Call me or otherwise acknowledge my existence in this universe. Assholes. You became a professor to help students. To teach students. Well, here I am, a student. Help me. Grr!

I can't believe this. It shouldn't be this complicated. My god, getting into grad school and getting everything set up is easier than this. People in major universities like Stanford, San Francisco State University, oh and the University of Idaho are willing to work with students. Help them.

Boise State sucks and they need to take a check of there operating practices. They have a great football team. Well, woop-de-fucking-doo! I don't play football and quite frankly, football isn't going to build my portfolio.

Okay. That was my rant about Boise State and my adventure towards getting into grad school.

I have an addiction, and it's real.

=
ad⋅dic⋅tion
–noun the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

I never thought that I would say this, but I'm addicted. I never expected for this to happen. I mean, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs and I drink on rare occasions. But, I am. This is my cry for help. I am addicted to Facebook.

Perhaps some backstory is in order. I recently deactivated my Facebook as it was taking crazy amounts of time and energy to keep up and to be quite frank, most of my 'friends' weren't really friends. They were people I never talked to, but shared some event, be it high school or junior high.

I deleted my Facebook over a week ago and at first it was kinda nice. Like a relief that I would no longer be getting inane information on people I didn't care about. Then a few days past and suddenly, I wanted to know, needed to know what was going on in this social media world.

Let me remind you that I'm not completely cut off, I do have Twitter (@_BrandiMarie_), but it's just not the same. It's getting worse. One, I'm writing about an addiction to a Web site on my blog and two, I keep trying to talk myself into reactivating my account. I tell my self "It's okay. You're an adult. You can handle this. You can just go on and peek at what people are doing and then deactivate again."

What is wrong with me!! I am such a snoop.

I'm going to try and hold out for the rest of the week. Wish me luck.

Dirty Little Secrets, and Everyone Has 'Em

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a PostSecret event at the University of Idaho. I met the famous Frank Warren, the keeper of all the secrets.

I was a little nervous going to the event because I heard that the audience is expected to share secrets, and I wasn't sure I wanted to do that. However, I did go and I learned so much about the human condition and PostSecret and what Frank is trying to do that I felt it was necessary to share.

It was so amazing to see secrets that weren't allowed in his books. I was cool to hear some of the stories that when along with some of the cards. I was better to hear the audience trust each other and tell secrets.

I was surprised by the secrets that people trusted with this group. Some were painful, some funny and some insightful and all of them very real. The event was in the SUB Ballroom and it was a million degrees. I seemed uncomfortable both in temperature and sometimes subject matter.

As the full house began to shuffle out of the Ballroom, I heard said what I was thinking. I was on the verge of tears throughout the finale portion of the show. I'm glad that I wasn't alone and that will be my secret to share.

Finally, I am going to post this video because if you look closely in the background you will see secrets sent to Frank. All the postcards in this video are actual PostSecret cards. Plus, it's a pretty good song. Enjoy.

One Cute Pup

This is an album of Ty Paddington, a boston terrier.

Water Collection

LaPush, Wash. Amazing. The beach was beautiful. The road there cut deep through the tree and after a final turn, the beach, the ocean and the village just appeared.
Cresent Lake, Wash. Early evening. Mountain surrounding the lake with what was deemed on this trip at 'creepy mountains.'
Port Townsend, Wash. This photo was taken in October 2008 on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Georgous. I could move there in a moment.
Mexico 2008. Warm, salty air. Spray in your face. Beautiful.

What happens when you're a little masochistic . . .

. . . you decide to go to grad school. Yes, that's right, I'm going to pay (well, hopefully get scholarships) for some more research, quizzes and general tests of endurance.

Even better, I'm doing a 180 in terms of study from my bachelor's to my master's. Ah, yes. From writing to art. After taking a toll of my life, my job and what I really want, I know that I need some serious change.

This should provide lots of change, and not the kind Obama is talking about. I guess you could say I opened my eyes and decided that I needed more out of my job. I needed different personalities to surround me. And I needed to get out of this God-forsaken podunk town.

So here I am. I'm back to drawing. Looking at the world, like I used too. Enjoying colors meshing. Watching people. Finding patterns in the world around me. I have pulled my camera off the shelf and have started using it. Soon, you will see the beginnings of the reborn creative me.

This blog will serve as a way of sharing my creativity, sarcasm and everyday life with the world. It should be an interesting ride. Let's see where it takes me.

You can follow my adventure on Twitter too at

twitter.com/_BrandiMarie_