Note to 1st Qtr. Emotive Type
Hey, Cowboys and Hot Rods!
So, here it is your 1st quarter in studio week, and you are a little in the headlights. I hope you had a good night getting together for the potluck and then some— and you got deep into the ‘Dirty Words and the Flip book projects’ from this morning’s discussions… (sounded like you were having a good time in the background when I talked to Rachel about 9 last night… so much can be achieved when you get together like this amongst yourselves at Rachel’s apt.) So, be ready for a session again on Tues.
We hit on a lot of high energy subjects at yesterday’s 6 a.m class and covered a lot of bases…. and, with me you just have to hang on— it isn’t a class, rather an experience… about 5 years out from now it’ll become clear— just what I was saying, but in the interim you have a lot to do… I can tell you guys are excited and probably would have stayed all day into the night… but, considering you came out of the woodwork at 6 a.m. on a Sat. morning… that speaks volumes about where your passions are.
Hopefully, a little bit of what we did this a.m. will live with and in you for a long time to come, and it will bring you to understand what the subject, these projects, and Portfolio Center—at it’s soul—is all about. You have to be a little scared and a lot excited from it. Bet none of you will ever forget what ‘connotation,’ ‘denotation,’ or ‘association’ and ‘emotive type,’ means into your future lives… but, if you learn these things and a few more now, you’ll be ahead of the game. You have to realize there are professionals out there who don’t get it. You will be bringing in the charge. It is not enough to be equal to, but rather greater than…
From this point on, you have 216 hours— well, that would be as of yesterday morning to create in essence two projects. If you consider God made the whole world in 168 hours, then the energy to create 2 projects that haven’t or aren’t in your world just isn’t that difficult.
You have to persevere, commit, and be patient… particularly with yourselves. You’ll get there.
Remember, you can sleep when you die.
Here you are. Who would’ve though this a year ago in any of your lives— or mine either… we’d be doing this on stage and live? Consider this… ‘As an artist your values are absolute, to be found and satisfied only deep within yourself — where you search for your most naked integrity and where, as a result, you stand mostly alone. As such you perform for an audience, you exercise showmanship, you demand attention.’
Enjoy, Hank
Perhaps we’ll revisit these at graduation in ‘08: 
Okay, so maybe you guys aren’t GOD, but you still do have 200-odd hours to get this done. That’s plenty of time. Don’t get discouraged about that.
We all know how you feel and we know that it is possible. If you freak out over something, feel free to talk to somebody that’s been through it. I personally remember being up at 4 a.m. cutting paper into precise one-inch squares, watching the Discovery Channel and bawling my eyes out.
I wish I could say that it gets easier, but this shit will challenge you every day for the next two years. It will also cause you to grow internally so much that your “civilian” friends won’t even recognize you anymore. You probably still have no idea what you signed up for, but take it one quarter at a time. You’ll be surprised.
Keep your chins, up, ‘lil dudes. I hear that all your work is amazing and I can’t wait to see what comes out.
*Alena, fifth quarter writer.
Let me simplify, how bad do you want it? In less then 200 hours it will all be over, enjoy the rush of studio week! Remember it will all workout!
John Falkiewicz
7th quarter designer
P.S. Get some Redbull
The worst part of critique is waiting two weeks to get your scores.
There’s a quote, I can’t remember exactly where I read it, Sally Hogshead’s book i think, but the quotes is “Work ethic trumps talent.” The only thing you can control when it comes to critique, and this school in general, is how much time and effort you put into your projects. If you do the work you’ll be okay. People are still going to shit on your work and tear it apart, but if they know you’re trying they will go out of their way to help you.
Craig Lennie
8th quarter writer
Remember, you signed up for this!
So did I, whether I knew it or not. I am still figuring out what “this” is. Hank’s right when he says it’s an experience. Don’t worry about what you can execute, people can help you with that. Spend your time thinking. You owe it to yourselves to reach deep and surprise yourselves. You don’t want comfort. (Bare with me through the cliche, here.) Comfort means that you are not growing. Not learning. Not testing your limits. If you are comfortable, you don’t need this experience, you need one that makes you try harder.
From where I sit tonight, in my living room, f’ed up on Sudafed (thanks, T. It does work better than Clariton.), I am staring down the barrel of my 8th quarter. After reading this entry, I realize that being at the end is so much like being at the beginning. I am anxious, worried, and scared, too. But it’s taken me most of the quarter to realize that I am also [still] excited—that’s what’s important.
The 2 years ahead of you are going to change your life. I know that sounds a tad on the cheesy side, but it’s true. You will be different. You are building a whole new mindset, skill set and vernacular. You are changing a piece of who you are.
Just trust the process and yourselves. The beauty of a close deadline is that it forces you to do just that. Also, trust each other.
You will get it done. You will survive critique and you will be laughing about this in a few short months when you see the next crew come in.
Good Luck, Everyone!
It seems 1st quarter studio week “freaking out” is a Portfolio Center right of passage. So us 1st quarters are paying our dues. I just wanted to thank all the PC students for their encouragement, words of advice, and assurances that “everything will be ok.”
A special thanks to Hank, Tania and Claire for taking the time to help us out. I think you recognized our eagerness to learn (in spite of studio week madness) and I know we all appreciate it greatly. Just look at our smiles in the pictures…
I take comfort, solace, and indeed inspiration from knowing that, right at this moment, someone, somewhere, is dancing in their underwear to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”.
Frankly, that mental image is better than any caffeinated beverage on the market.
You kiddos are going to do just fine, I believe in you all. We are all so proud of you first quarter students. I have had the privilege of seeing some of your work, fantastic. Not to mention Sylvia just goes on and on about you all.
Don’t worry too much just yet on the execution, focus on THE STORY. You have plenty of time to work on the aesthetics. Hello, that is what your eight quarter is for. Just make sure your thinking is solid.
I’m here for you. Always.
Fern
It is a rite of passage, as our most of the classes you’ll get into and either loathe or love. In addition to the few things I mentioned the other day, and if I had more time that moment I would have given a lecture about everything, I’ll add that doing your homework is so important. Show up to class, take part in your class critiques and be honest with each other. You will all be much happier about it in the end…
Ask everybody anything!
Since I timed critiques last night, I got to see you all go through the process for the first time. I was so impressed—with the way you presented yourselves, the work you produced, and your positive attitudes. You guys were awesome.
thanks for taking time to talk to us and help us out with our work everyone. it was a huge help, and i can speak for everyone in first quarter. we had a blast, but i know none of us would want to do that again. we will see you in october, sans the first quarter remarks.
later suckers.
mickb
The first quarter work from this summer was hot…nice job you guys. You definitely set a high bar for the fall kids.
Each quarter I work harder than I have the previous quarter. One thing I that know is true, Sylvia mentioned 1st quarter she said, “Enjoy the struggle…it is the best part.” There is always a sense of “now what?” once I leave critiques…I LOVE the months, weeks, days, hours leading up to it and it is the process of design that I have fallen in love with. I love the problem solving…the pushing, the growth that happens when you really engage with a project. My advice: commit 100%. GET INTO IT. When you think you have pushed yourself as far as you can, push further. That is when it all gets exciting. Get so beyond yourself that you become barely recognizable to yourself. Take risks…all of this will guide you to your most authentic self…and THAT is where you begin doing the work you are here to do.
It’s been a real treat reading all of the encouragement and advice you’ve all been giving to the first quarter students. I’ll be starting at PC in October, and judging by the stories here, and tour I got last week, it’ll definitely be quite a challenge pushing myself creatively and intellectually in regard to design; however, as I’ve read here so many times, it isn’t so much about the final destination, but rather, the “beautiful struggle” by which you arrive there.
See you in October & congrats on finishing up,
~joe
i really dont understand how professors can expect quality work from sleep deprived students. its a fact, less sleep=shitty work.
WOW. I was just perusing the PC website and wow was that a terrible/amazing morning. That was my first Hank experience and a boy was it an experience. Looking back at that first morning it is insane to see how much growth has occurred in the last year and a half. Being a 7th quarter now is truly amazing. Each new quarter brings excitement and new challenges. This school is a truly different way to learn and shows you a new way to think. PC IS GREAT. The time is flying by.