[Current Music|BT, Dragon, Jontron, Senadee - Lifeline]

Hey, friends! First of all, I'd like to quickly thank the people who started following me on Twitter. I'm getting into it gradually; I was afraid of turning it into a big time-sink, as I've seen it become for some people, which is partially why I held out on using it for so long. But, in moderation, it's actually a relaxed, low-commitment way to socialize with people. I like it so far.

In my last journal, I punctuated the entry by saying that I'd have some good news to announce. I was holding out because I'd wanted to celebrate with my friends in person before spamming into onto the net. So, I popped the cork on an expensive bottle of port that I'd been saving for a special occasion, and mentioned it:

Does anyone remember Anthrocon 2010? That was my first one, wherein James Gurney, super kick-ass artist and creator of Dinotopia, was the guest of honour. I went to his panels; his work inspired me and permanently changed the way I approached art. Well, next June, he'll be one of numerous instructors teaching at a workshop in Massachusetts called the Illustration Master Class — alongside Mike Mignola (the creator of Hellboy), and a load of other hella-talented professional artists.

I've enrolled!

It's a $2800 tuition for a week of hardcore, top-tier art instruction, plus the flight and ground transport to and from my home in Canada. But because of my unique skillset and my record of excellence in my job, I'm not just going for free — I'm being paid to attend! After much continuous persuasion, I convinced my company that it'd be a worthwhile investment. My hard work and charismatic skills are finally paying off; this is going to be all kinds of levels above any formal instruction that I've gotten thus far. I am so stoked!

It's a while away; I've got eight months to prepare for it, and I'm gonna need every single day, so I won't be just totally outclassed. I've got a long way to go and I gotta learn everything. The pool of talent there is just incredible.

I bought James Gurney's Imaginative Realism at AC 2010 and had him autograph it. I gotta remember to bring Color and Light to the States and get that one signed to complete the pair, haha.