So! Happy St Paddy's Day!
I have not been taking part in the festivities this year, I have however gotten sooooo much work done today, I gathered a lot of information on the services that my university offers. In hope that I could find a new sort of market for my own book. I below is just a few pics of some of the material I have found available:

I have found that my university really does have a lot of areas covered, and there is a LOT of information for all students. So have been thinking about what to do all day. Looking over the materials found and trying to decide what my next step may be within this project.  So while I have been allowing this information to sink in. I have turned to one of my other projects, my deck of cards project. I did say I would try and get a new deck of cards designed every week, that being 12 new designs every week. which I do realize is a lot. I haven't however really started this, so I have just been finishing off the previous deck. I am just finishing off on the Diamond suit.

I  only have the Jack of diamonds to  finish off, then go onto the next suit. I know that these are still not completely finished, I would however like to design something that will go across where the figures join.  I have decided to do this more nearer to the end. The King Of Diamonds was a lot of fun to do. Please note the detail on the kings bling.  I plan to do this with the Jack's bling too. 

So as I have been working on the deck of cards and thinking on my main project, I have come to the conclusion that throughout the material I have found, there was not primary sources, no experiences from other students. So what if I created a book with just pure advise from past students to future students.  On a few carefully chosen subjects, I would like to be able to get really funny stories, I don't however really know how to go about this. 

I could do a survey,  have a box that people post their stories anonymously through, they can even post as many stories as they like. Set  up a section on my website that people can email or again virtually post their stories and advise through...... there's a lot of different things I can do. I think I really need to talk to a tutor about this, as  I can even up with no one answering. and be out of having a book. 

I do think that this idea could be very amusing and probably in most cases rather shocking. I do also know however that, other websites have done something similar to this and while some stories were grim. It was all really funny and in a way made up your day.  This would also make the book not only aimed at just my university but it can also be advise for others.  So yes, I think I will email my tutor tomorrow and ask her advise on whether or not to continue with this idea.

Short blog today, My tutorial went really well today, there was again much talk about the dissertation, but I'm glad I managed to get to talk about my work, I now have another meeting on Monday to discuss, where i'm going with my main project. As it turns out I have done so much work, they believe that within my main project alone, there could be at least four side projects within it......  I have also been playing around with the idea on how to hand in my dissertation next week. And yes, I can officially say that this time next week, no more talk of the dissertation, as it shall all be done away with! YAY!!!!!!
So, I have been thinking of possibly putting my dissertation in a really pretty shopping bag, make it look really nice, and then you open it, (expecting luxury) and it's just my blood, sweat and tears in a thesis!

This will be me tonight, just chilling. but catch  a grip, I won't be drinking bud light.  I think I deserve a real drink!

So,  I had my meeting today with my tutor, I ended up getting a lot of new ideas for my dissertation, so now going back and looking at my work.  I was also reminded of this part of my research a video by Annie  Leonard, she looked into where all are stuff comes from and where it goes when we throw it away. It is a very interesting video, I highly recommend you watch it: 

So as you can see there is a lot more to things and stuff than we originally thought. I was also asked a pretty big question today by my tutor, regarding my dissertation,  which was:

Q:    As a designer how I felt about happiness, especially when put in a scenario of working with a company specifically designed to sell people products they don't need. What would I do?

A:    I have to admit, I would take the job. We all need money to survive, to a certain degree. However, I would give back to my community in my spare time. I have previously volunteered at local charity shops, it was actually a lot of fun, and I met so many people. Giving things to charity and helping people, is not something I just simply write about. It is something that I already do. I encourage people to do the same.

And that's my answer and I'm sticking to it. I also gave my dissertation to my brother to read over. Mainly due to him continually nagging to see it. As he has already been through uni and written his own dissertation.  I have to admit as soon as I pressed send. I regretting everything. However I will admit, instead of him telling me everything I did was wrong, like i thought he was going to. He was incredibly helpful,  I actually think I will get a good grade on my dissertation now.  YAY!!!!! :)

So I realized I didn't mention much of what I did yesterday, Or should I say  I left a bit unsaid. So basically we had an external examiner come in to have a look at the interim show and  ask us a few questions. He even put us into small groups, and gave us a task. We were asked to  go over to the show and see the other peoples  work within our groups. Read their statements and look at their work, we then had to write them questions that had to be answered by midnight last night. So just in case you've forgotten, this is  my work and my statement together:

I was then given 3 questions , so here is what I asked and what I replied:

• Would you say you have a “Style” of illustration or our you still trying to keep this diversified?
  
  

I wouldn't say I have a style, I have been told I do. But I don't really see it, perhaps because I am too close to it. I still feel like I need to discover mine, however I do like the idea of keeping myself diversified for future jobs.

• When you say “Working with others”- do you plan on taking a collaborative project?
  
• What kind?
  
  

When I say working with others, I more meant within photo shoots. Such as working with make-up artists, hair stylists, models. However I wouldn't say no to a collaborative project. I am currently not planning on taking any due to the amount of projects I already have. If I was to take a collaborative project I would like it to be a mix of photography and illustration. As long as it's fun, although I know that you can't always have that, but if I could choose.

• When you say illustration can be anything – so can photography. How do you plan to explore both – together/ separate? 
  
  

What I more meant with photography being different. It takes a bit more effort to create a really crazy scene, to simply just pen and paper. I understand even this statement could even be argued. 
I plan to use both photography and Illustration. I am unsure how this will look. But I am planning on exploring this path within my main project. I want to merge both illustration and photography together. This could even be as simple as drawing on a photograph. I will also be exploring these separately

  So yes, these were my incredibly long answers. Today!
I went to my meeting with my tutor, I got a lot of great advise, I have to admit it is rather nerve racking when speaking of my project and everyone around me is so interested in it and really love what I'm doing..... A little more than me. Maybe this is due to being too close to my project at the moment. 

But I am so pumped for my dissertation now, I got a great confidence boost today. My only worry is really getting everything together. 

 I also heard today which sort of brought me down, I understand it, I do just think it's B.S. I heard that even if you get over a C  grade for the dissertation work. this grade doesn't effect my studio work grade. If I get below a C grade for my dissertation, it actually drags my studio work grade down. Not happy about this. Feel like packing it in. 

Planning on working my wee butt off tomorrow on this dissertation.  Possibly going into uni to do this, I have to admit though I'm having my valentines day early and having a fatty night with my flat mate. So watching Walking Dead, eating pizza, chicken wings,  ice cream, a lorry load of chocolate, and  having a few bottles of wine.....  hoping I wont be hungover tomorrow .. eeeek!

So, today  I mainly  got my pieces placed for the interim show. 

I also looked up a for more things on the theory of happiness.  Confirming some of my  own thoughts. I also spoke to a few fellow students on different courses to get their opinions. I was surprised to discover that.  This graph by  Mihaly Csikszentmihaly

Depicts that over the past 50 years. Although pay has gone up. Levels on happiness and well being  have went down.  I was surprised to find out that actually, this hasn't been something that has gone on in the past 50 years. But very early on in the 10th century economy this was a similar thing. So yea an interesting thing I learnt today. Also just to warn, I may not be able to blog tomorrow as  I will be travelling home for the weekend.  Hopefully the only disruption will be tomorrow and blogs will go back to normal by Friday.