Not really an artist

Show us your weiner.

Tonight, my wife and I attended a gallery opening. One of her college class-mates was the artist. Of course, looking around at the stuff being done reminded me that I am not really an artist. I am not really sure what I am, but artist is not it.

Of course, part of this realization delusion is the simple fact that I never went to art school, outside of a couple of continuing education classes at the Colorado Institute of Art. It is not that I didn't want to go to art school; it was the fact that at the time I was interested in going to art school, I could not qualify for the student loans because I dropped out of high school (long story for another day) and not yet taken my GED.

The fact that I did not possess a high school diploma did not prevent them from putting me on the continuing education mailing list. It was during one of those evening workshops that I had an instructor (someone who had went to CIA---as the students called it then) tell me that I would be so wasting my money going there. And not because I lacked talent.

He thought that I could teach myself everything I needed to know for much cheaper by investing in books and materials, and spending some time working on my craft. I already could draw what I saw, and had a better work ethic than the other students in the workshops (who spent more time gossiping than doing art).

Which is why I do not have an art school education...I could have went to Metro for art, but decided to go with history and literature instead...and therefore am not really an artist (among other reasons).

Wrong way to protest

How to fail when protesting injustice.

I will admit that I do not understand protestors who riot, burning and looting their own neighborhoods. It makes no sense to me to protest that others are treating you badly, and then go destory your own neighborhood. But I guess that is human nature. Last semester, I took a class covering the development of cities in the United States, and every riot that we looked at in that class happened in the very neighborhood of the class that were protesting that they were being oppressed and taken advantage of. It is ironic that by destorying their own neighborhoods, protestors often make it easier for building projects that further displace them both in location and economical standing. On that note, the current round of protesters must be given a failing grade. Sorry guys, I would love to get behind your cause, but the disturbing lack of foresight scares me.