First off, to anyone reading, hope you guys are all well and doing fine. Let us know.

I go home next week for Easter break. I've almost finished my degree now. Have two exams in June and a small 2000 word essay but that's it. Was very busy over x-mas with work. So couldn't ask for a more relaxed end to my degree. Few more months and it ends.

I haven't been too busy with the comic artwork, but I have been keeping creative still with other graphics and non-graphical work. New hobbies (yeh that includes the very manly activty of ballroom dancing) and friends have kept me from being a recluse in my room and hitting out those wonderful images that I seem to only do once in a blue moon. I'm back playing soccer and lifting weights..... which was always part of my life and I'm glad its back.

Next term, I'm gonna try whip out a lot of portraits as parting gifts for all my friends. Hopefully you'll see a tonne that way! However, seeing as its my last ever time as a student, beyond those gifts, I'm gonna dedicate all other time to spending it with people here. Its the last time I'll ever get to do that. I wanna make the most of the oppotunity. My old friends graduated last year and I never got the chance to do that. I made friends with the guys I lived with last year, but in many ways me returning was so lucky because we've grown so much closer. I'm now upset that I'm finishing solo when I'll be leaving so many friends behind. Ironic.

That and the current economic crisis means I'm probably not gonna enjoy the next few months after I graduate as there's no jobs about.

Having only half a final year's worth of work has been so cool too. It has meant more time to explore and grow. I've done so many things I would never have done if I graduated last year and at the same time never had time for last year. Its also cool going into the same lectures again, because now I can really pay attention and get more out of them, because I already know the topics somewhat. Going over a second time I can think much more in depth at the lecture. Definately glad I'm back in one Professors lectures. His genius alone was worth it last year and now I'm getting to watch him comment on history as it happens, I'm better understanding his own thought processes and gaining better insight into what he thinks and thus another way I could think. Another year's worth of debt, but in hindsight, I'm thinking, its worth it all round.

If anything, the last four years has been more important for me growing in knowledge and enhancing how I think for thought design purposes. I personally believe that's been more important for me than practicing refining the technical side of any artform. You end up doing that for life. But having the right ideas is hard. From the point I suspended, the time I've had amassing knowledge and thinking is probably more than all I did in the 3yrs prior to that moment.

As for the title, well an old friend wrote to me a couple days back about my idea I told him about in 2006. I'd started work on it when I came to college in 2005, but struggled with writing back then. I can probably just about write now. And cos of that really want to work solo for the rest of my life illustrating my ideas. But I really wanna hear his pitch! I'll probably hear what he's gotta say, let him know my side. See what happens. The main problem was, he had great ideas, but never actualised the script.

Finally, my old manager from my internship came to visit the other day. He said my CV/resume reflected nothing about what I'm really like. he felt it was too technical and academic based to get down the kind of guy I am. He felt i need to go make a web site. So I'll probably look into that over Easter.

ciao guys and take care
Smy