Over the past six months, I have gotten increasingly detached from the AAF-KC and the Art+Copy Club.

It’s not because I have no more interest in these organizations. Both clubs have served me well over the years, and while what I seek from these clubs has changed drastically or has even ceased to matter, I still feel there are things I can continue to do to make these clubs worth something to someone else.

The one thing that I will continue to do through these clubs is find ways to help students figure out what it is they want to do when they grow up. Although, I think my motivation for this is slightly less altruistic than it is a method of psychological redemption with an altruistic slant.

When I was in college, I had a less than stellar academic experience. Let me be clear. I had a less than stellar academic experience because I made it less than stellar. And as such, I got less than stellar results. While I shoulder most of the blame for this, I realize that part of my problem was the time during which I attended college.

I was interested in motion graphics and interactive design/development when these disciplines were very, very young (read: starting around 1993). As such, there was virtually no way to learn anything about either topic without seeking that knowledge out for myself. Since there were no courses that covered these topics at Oklahoma State University, I lacked the interest to really immerse myself into my studies (which at the time was Electronics Technology). As such, I spent a lot of time ditching class and playing with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and HTML/CSS programming to learn what would eventually become the crafts that make the foundation of my career.

Had I heard someone speak about the fields that most interested me during this crucial time, I could have realized that I was wasting time and money in my current academic quagmire and perhaps enroll in a school that was offering curriculum more suited to my interests.

By helping guide students along the path to realization of what it is they truly want to accomplish, I get a good feeling knowing that I’ve at least helped one person avoid the decade or so of aimless wandering and soul searching that eventually led me to my first agency job in 1999. Aditionally, all this makes me feel like the years of poor class attendance coupled with intensive (yet unrelated) self-study are validated.

So, I’ll continue to help the students for as long as I have something helpful to offer. That practice continues today as I co-present on a panel pertaining to digital art direction at AAF-KC’s Career day. It’s going to be a great experience.