Jephyr Posts Third MCC Declare Success Your Major Video

Hi again,

Working Towards Two Degrees

As you may already know, I've been slowly working towards both Fine Art and Digital Illustration Degrees at Mesa Community College, taking one or two classes a semester.  

Initially I was only enrolling in courses that interested me...and wasn't honestly looking for anything else.  I primarily just wanted to learn about computers and computer art, and study fine art techniques.

But more recently I've discovered that I had taken most of the core classes for those two areas of study and have gotten serious about finishing up, and from now on will concentrate on only classes that apply to those tracks.

It'll be good to put a period on both programs and then if I want to continue taking classes I can just go back to taking what interests me.

Video Competition:  Newest Video Posted At Bottom

Over the last few years MCC has hosted a video competition for enrolled students.  I entered in 2011 for both the spring and fall semester and won 1st and 2nd places respectively.

The idea behind the contest is to promote the school...which isn't hard for me to do because I've had a very good experience there and think it's an excellent opportunity for prospective students.

Here's my first place video from spring 2005:




Two weeks ago an instructor told me the contest was going to be held again this semester and sugggested I begin working on a video and so I started putting one together right away.

Last week I received an e-mail from the school saying that the contest was "officially" on.

I began working in earnest then and put in a number of hours...and was approximately two thirds of the way to having it finished.

Then on Monday of this week I received word that the school hadn't been able to secure funding for the contest and would have to cancel it.

I was disappointed...but they also indicated that they knew a few of us had already been creating our videos...and that MCC was willing to buy them.

But only IF they were finished by Wednesday!!

Now that was an offer I couldn't refuse...so I quickly finished my video...changing a few things I had planned (like a voice over) so it could be completed on time and had it posted late Tuesday evening. 

So far it appears I was the only one to take them up on their challenge. 

Here's the result of those efforts:




Wednesday, when I went to school I was paid in cash!!! 

Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!  : ) 

Later I thought to myself:   “Any day I can make money from my art (including videos etc) is a good day”!

Thank you for stopping by!

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Stop by Jephyr.com to see more of my artwork and photography!

Jephyr's Dream: On A Lake In A Storm, Alone And Blind

Warning:  This post contains several blatant references to God.

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The Knight's Dream - Antonio de Pereda - 1655
Public Domain

I've decided to share a dream I had recently...and then offer my interpretation of it. 

I don't always think there are meanings to our dreams...but sometimes when one really sticks with me...I feel it takes on a greater significance.

Also, usually if I don't think about a dream immediately upon waking...it is quickly forgotten.  But in this case, I didn't start to think about the dream until I was already up and moving around...and to me that gives it an even greater weight.

The beginning of the dream was much longer and involved but none of that stayed with me.

But here is what I vividly remember:
 
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My Dream:

I'd fallen asleep on one of those pool rafts you inflate and lay on...and was floating out on a lake.  

I began to slowly wake up and was very groggy.  I found myself laying on my belly with my arms hung over the sides of the raft and into the water.  I could hear and feel the water splashing up on and around me, and that and the movement of the raft on the choppy waves was part of what woke me.

Artist's Interpretation Rather Than
An Actual Photo From The Dream

Earlier I knew I'd been with a group of family and friends but now, after falling asleep, I was alone.

At the same time I began to come fully awake I realized that a storm was rapidly moving in. 

I thought to myself, "Why didn't anyone wake me or help me...why would they leave me sleeping out here on the lake alone with a storm moving in?"


Suddenly....it became PITCH black.  I literally could NOT see my hand in front of my face.

I felt very uneasy and knew I wanted to to try to make my way to shore as soon as possible, so I began to blindly paddle with my arms hoping I could find my way to land in the absolute darkness.  

And in my desperation I prayed:

Something simple, like:  "Oh...Dear God, in the name of Jesus, please help me."

Rembrandt - Christ in the Storm
Public Domain

Immediately I could see that I was within reach of some grassy, reedy plants along the shallows of the shore.

Then in the next moment I was out of the water and up on the bank.

As dreams often go, it got a bit more jumbled from then on and my memory of it gets more and more dim...but I do remember that it went on for quite a while longer.

It was only after waking up for real that I began to really think about the part of the dream I've just related, and decided it it was a very interesting.

First:  That I prayed...something I've not done often in my dreams that I'm aware of.

And second:  It was amazing and ultra cool that my prayer was answered so quickly!


But I also wondered if it had a deeper meaning.
 



Some Info On Dream Interpretation:

Painting:  Ivan Aivazovsky - 1898

 
After writing about that dream above, I searched for:  "what does water mean in a dream".  The first link took me to DreamDictionary.org - Dreams About Water.

I don't always put stock in such things, but in this case some of the "meanings" they suggested there really resonated with me.

 



They suggest that:

• Water is a powerful dream symbol that holds deep messages to the dreamer and shouldn’t be over looked.  
• Water as a dream symbol represents your current emotional state of mind. 
• Sometimes when we are unable to show our emotions in our walking life our dreams tend to bring them out in different forms.  
• Recognizing the events in your water dream can benefit you in many ways mentally and physically. 

They go on to define different symbolic meanings that apply directly to events in my dream:

• Splashed by Water - This is a dream symbol where you unconscious is telling you to wake up!  Get back on track with your life and stop stalling.
• Water Storms – Storms in dreams can represent a deterioration of the past experiences or relationships. Storms represent a bad situation that we are in emotionally. 

As I related, in my dream I couldn't see...or it was too dark for me to see anything...it was utterly pitch black.  So I also did a search about "not being able to see in our dreams"...but couldn't find anything specific on that.

But I found something that I feel applies on http://www.dreamgate.com/.  They say there that we can and should interpret our own dreams and if that interpretation seems right and makes sense to us...then we can be reasonably sure that it IS right.




My Dream Interpretation:

In my dream I was alone, blind and helpless, floating out on a lake with an approaching storm.

Photo:  Alessandro Zangrilli

At times, I've felt that way in my life...that I'm alone on an ocean of water with storms all around me and I can't figure out how to change my situation or what I can or should do...and there is no one willing or able to help me.  I'd had a strong case of those feelings in the days around that dream. 
 

BUT...I've also been "sleeping"...or groggy and not fully awake...and there are definite things I should finally "wake-up" to...things I know I can and should be doing.


And finally, while it appears I am alone in these circumstances...when I pray God is able to quickly answer me and provide the help I need.