The Beginning of the End

Last week marked the beginning of my final semester of school.  I must admit that I didn't have a great attitude about it.  Towards the end of Christmas break I was ready to get back into a routine, but not ready for that routine to be school.  I wasn't excited about my classes and I was feeling overwhelmed by the thought of getting back to working on my thesis.  I may or may not have had some real anxiety about it.

However.

Once things got started I quickly realized that there is potential for this to be a great semester.  In fact, this might be the perfect semester on which to end.  I am taking good, fun classes: period understructures (corsets and a crinoline), masks, and thesis credits*.  Getting organized also helped me feel hugely better - it's so amazing how that works.  I was able to look at my schedule and - since my thesis credits aren't a concrete class, but rather something I have to schedule on my own - I set aside time each week to work on writing that as well as chipping away at my portfolio (we have a portfolio review at the end of each academic year.)

In addition, I will be assisting my mentor and professor, Linda Pisano, in her design for La Traviata.  Linda is an incredible designer and I am very excited to be working with her.  The designs are quite exciting!

The only downside is that I seem to have developed tendinitis in my right wrist/arm... but I suppose it's better to learn to deal with it now while I have a student health center a short walk away.

Other than that slight hiccup, I am feeling optimistic about the upcoming months.  I may just finish this thing after all!

*My thesis is designing IU's production of Woyzeck.  Once the production is over (it opens February 7th!), I meet with my committee and discuss the final product.  After that I have to write roughly 30-50 pages about the production and design process that I will turn in with all my paper work and renderings.