~RufusDarkstar

I do it every day, unless I'm ridiculously lazy. I even took a class on it for credit, though I didn't really need to, because I already knew how. And so did pretty much everyone else today, but we still had to do a quick little rehearsal.

I traveled maybe 40 feet today. Shook two hands, held my head up high, took a tiny, insignificant slip of paper from a stranger. What's written on the paper isn't even important, but it felt great to take it from him. Everyone in the room was really anxious. My hat wouldn't stay on as I finished my trip, my hair kept pushing it off. I sat down, and immediately everyone cheers. I know, I think I rock, too.

I'm the last graduate of The Art Institute of Houston for March 2008.

No honors. No National Honor Society. Just me and a little slip of paper I'm pretending is my diploma. I look around, and not one person in my major has anything else to their outfit, either. "Oh yeah" I think, "I guess it was pretty hard to get here".

If you weren't in the room, and you probably weren't, being mostly online and all, I'd like to thank you. Those who watched me, both in DeviantArt or in school. Those who supported me, be it by lifting my moods, distracting me right around finals so I'd forget my work long enough to be able to approach it with fresh eyes, by random chats, useful critiques, picking up the lunch bill or giving me a lift. Thank you.

I'd also like to say special thanks to people who will probably never read this here, but I put it on the internet because I can't seem to say it in person. Thank you, Norman, for helping me redefine what I consider Art to be, and my fundamental way of approaching it. Thank you, Scott, for always giving advice when my work just wasn't cutting it, and creating so much for me to look up to. Thank you, Nick, for chasing your dreams, showing me by example how I could do the same, even if our dreams lead us to entirely different places. Finally, I'd like to thank my grandparents, for believing in me enough to continue to help with my education after I'd misstepped, and for respecting me enough to support me in my new choices in life, even though they could have potentially been as disastrous as the first.

Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann is a relatively lighthearted anime about humanity's desire to achieve independence. The anime really comes in two stages. The first season deals with humanity's attempts to wrestle their destiny from cynicism and hopelessness, while the second season is about humanity's struggle to not repeat the mistakes of their ancestors.

I find myself in the exact point that the show's cast does after the first season. Yes, I've overcome obstacles to get here, and I know I have the capability for greatness in me. But I keep asking myself one question: "Am I good enough to meet these new challenges?" Never in my life have I really thought the answer to that question was yes, and I doubt that is going to change anytime soon. I've said it before, and I'll say it again (Even though the graduation speaker let us know, as well, and so it feels less than original to me right now), "I never want to work a day in my life." And I hope I don't have to. I love what I'm trying to do professionally, so it can hardly be called work. Now all I need is the ability to continue doing it, and not starve on the street. I have the knowledge of what I need, the capacity to learn new techniques, the curiosity to chase down that knowledge, but I fear I don't have the social network to actually find, and land, a job.

But I'm not the type to give into that fear, and so I'll figure it out the hard way if I have the contacts.

If you're a long-time watcher, but unfamiliar with my school works (Which I don't post here, because I consider most of my DeviantArt works more of a hobby) check out my website under my DeviantID for what I've got done up until now.