I loved this, thank you. I wholeheartedly agree. I've been studying animation for 2 years and I became very discouraged recently because I couldn't pick up an internship anywhere and I wanted to finally support myself without the help of mom and dad - so to fix that, I've started to work at my dads pizzeria and just... Do something for the time being while I wait for a foot in the door anywhere.

Shudd! I didn't know you were going into animation! The best of luck with your career and if you need any help or advice (or programs for free ahahaha) I gotcha. My biggest advice is to start applying for internships immediately. You will be great!

Thanks again for this, I wish you the best of luck.

you're welcome man! I think its always good to spread good vibes like this.
Thats awesome! where are you studying?? Atm im just studying classical drawing for a few months then hoping to get into the character animation here :)

That's a very good start, classical drawing will help you. I attend the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan for traditional animation. ;w; seriously I love good vibes like this! We need more journals like these, we really do. Thank you again.

damn thats awesome, i'm at The Drawing Academy in VIA University Viborg (Denmark) and the animation degree is called The Animation workshop :9 I wish you good luck in your studies, work hard! :^D

Preach. Anything worth doing is not going to be easy. Personally I find it annoying when people sit around and complain without action. I was in a terrible state as well around drugs, drunks, abuse, But then I moved states away to one of my favorite states. And not only do you feel better for removing yourself from a bad situation you have a great feeling of accomplishment.

Thats awesome man I'm really happy for you to have moved out of your situation and onto a new chapter of your life :) it does make you feel so much better!

Truer words were never spoken. Sometimes when the hard times hit you just got to keep on keeping on and look for something better.

When I got out of high school I had no idea who I really was, what I wanted to do, or anything else of that nature. This led to an identity crisis and, after a number of other factors, depression. I just kind of 'existed' for the next two years, I was miserable most days and just plainly bitter and confrontational other ones. Then my parents took me with them to the NAB Show in Las Vegas in 2010 and that trip helped me realize that I needed to get my shit together. Another year passed and I was still pretty miserable most of the time, but I was beginning to understand that I needed to bring about the change that I wanted. By March 2011, I was living with my sister, her husband, and her kids. I worked a shitty retail job and had to walk 3 miles to and from work every day (6 miles total), but I had also applied for the fall semester at a university. Since that time I haven't looked back and I am clear to graduate in May.

Story time aside, I spent roughly three years sitting around and complaining about life. I didn't try to improve my situation, I just sat there like I was waiting for something to come to me. In the real world that doesn't happen and the sooner we realize that fact the sooner we can get around to being happy. I spent three years being miserable when I could have improved my situation in six short months by sitting down and objectively looking at myself and asking, "Okay, maybe the issue is me and not everything else. What do I need to change?" While I doubt the answer back then would have been college when I was 18, I could have figured out what I really wanted at the time and avoided a lot of pain.

Nothing worth having comes easy, but when you earn something, it is something you can hold on to forever.

Awesome! thats exactly what i mean, all you need to do is be enthusiastic and it will all work out. I'm glad you could sort out your situation :v)

Enthusiasm is certainly part of it, but I think its equal amount of determination and a good bit of some good old fashioned stubbornness. You can be enthusiastic about something all you want, but if you don't have the drive to keep moving when you hit a bump in the road, it's probably not going to last.

I think that's the problem a lot of folks have, honestly. They want for something, but have no discipline or desire to stick through the rough bits to get it.

And thanks! The degree will be a long time coming, but I earned it!

:^)