(Do y'all like the new theme? Still not sure if I'm happy with it. Be prepared; it may change. Ten points if you can name where the background image is from)
I am officially done high school. Forever and ever. Amen. That was exhausting.
And I got early acceptance to one of my back up Universities.
And yesterday I got an interview to one of my first choice Universities AND I got accepted to a 5 month school I'm doing from March to July this year.
And I only have 33 more days before I officially move out. Like out of my house. To do.... adultly things.
Wow, that sounded much more inappropriate than I meant it too.
A month. That's really soon.
I'm excited and slightly terrified. But mostly excited.
Eep.
I'm just looking back at posts like Looking for a House in Neverland and realizing how far I've come. I'm an adult now. Like a legit, proper, legal, age of majority in Canada adult.
If you remember, a few posts ago, I talked about my genius realization that I should go into film, as I love writing and working with a camera. Well, shortly after I posted that post, I signed up for film camp in Toronto and two weeks ago, I actually went. Le gasp! Sarah interacting with other humans! Le gasp!
It was such an amazing experience. I typically find it really hard to be with other humans for an extended period of time as I get really tired, but at the end of these eight hour days, I left the group of twenty six feeling energized and inspired. I got to work with amazing people and amazing equipment and it completely confirmed the fact that I should go into film.
Ten points to you if you can spot me.
Every day we did one or two little films and then attended workshops with guest professionals (one was the writer and producer of Orphan Black, another had shot music videos with Drake and was scheduled to film a movie with Donald Sutherland, another had just finished directing and writing her first full length movie, you get the gist).
We were split up on the first day into groups and in our little groups, we were to come up with an idea for a short film, write a script and then shoot and edit it. This was my group's movie. I got to write and direct some of it and act in a bunch of it as the main girl. Just a warning, my acting is not great. In fact, it's pretty terrible. The funny thing about this camp was that everyone was so much more comfortable behind the camera, so no one really wanted to act. Therefore, I was stuck with the job. I am not an actor. Don't judge. But enjoy. Because I really enjoyed making it.
It was an amazing experience and definitely one of the high lights of my year.
So it's done! My music is completed. My album booklet and artwork stuff is all done. YAAAYYYYY!!!!!
Anyways, here's the artworky stuff.
The cover... oooh, ahhh.
The little thank you, speech-y thing on the inside of the cover.
Le picture of me opposite the speech-y thing.
Le track list one.
The picture behind the CD.
And the back! :D
So I'm kind of like uberly excited here and cannot wait to actually release this. You guys are getting like a sneak peak here. I haven't burned the CDs yet. :)
Senior year is stressful. I'm just going to put that out there. You have to do all your assignments knowing that their grades will be put on a transcript that has the power to possibly dictate your future education.
And then, there's the whole matter of University. You're supposed to choose what you want to do for the next four years and then, it's implied, for the rest of your life.
Now, I'm kind of lucky. I get to do my senior year over a year and half instead of a year, due to a wonderful friend who may have accidentally kicked me in the head and given me a concussion for six months. So, I'm currently reaching the end of my "official" grade twelve year. Next fall, I just have to finish up two or three courses.
But as I'm, well, me and I'm someone who likes planning ahead, the stress and need to plan things out has been immense. For the past year or so, I've been desperately trying to find a University that will let me study photography or film and creative writing together to contribute to one degree. You'd think it'd be easy, but noooo. Apparently, photography or film works towards a "BFA" (bachelor of fine arts) and creative writing works towards a "BA" (bachelor of arts). And that darned "fine" is getting in the way of me doing both together.
Then, about a week ago, about half past midnight, I had an epiphany.
Why don't I just do a BFA in film? It would let me work with my camera and do creative writing at the same time, just not under the name of "creative writing". And the University I'd probably take film at has the possibility of me taking actual creative writing courses and actual photography courses! Plus, it'd be close to home and I wouldn't have to fly all the way out to UBC.
I've done film projects before and I absolutely love making them. I've been writing scripts since I was about twelve. I've been filming people and skits since I was about ten, when my little kiddie camera didn't even have sound. So I don't know why it never occurred to me before.
This realization's got me feeling a little like this.
Anyways, a weight has been lifted off my brain and I'm kind of excited.
If you have any interest in looking at some of projects I've done, I've attached two videos beneath.
Last Saturday, I had the amazing privilege of seeing Ed Sheeran live, in person, in 3-D, in all of his talentedness. I will try to convey the amazingness in words, but I am sure that I won't do it justice.
My friend from Quebec, Kara (if you're reading this, hi Kara!), came down the night before so we could go to the concert together.
After driving halfway, getting on the subway, getting on a bus and then getting on the subway again, we finally reached the Air Canada Centre. We got inside, found our seats and began freaking out at how extremely close we were, only to have a security guard come over and tell us that our tickets were frauds. Yeah, we'd accidentally bought fraudulent tickets. You can imagine our horror and panic. But, maybe because the arena is used to this sort of thing, or maybe because we were all so pretty, or maybe because I live in Canada, they let us stay. We had to move about eight seats to the left in a section directly beside the stage. The view wasn't quite as good, but we were all just relieved we weren't going to be kicked out.
And then Ed Sheeran came on the stage and all our worries about tickets went out the window. He was so amazing. With one guitar, two microphones and a loop pedal, he could sound like an entire band. Not only was he an amazing singer and guitar player, but to have the creative instincts to be able to layer and loop and build up all the momentum? That's insane talent right there.
Here's some of the pictures I managed to get throughout the show. I'm really proud of the way they turned out!
Photograph. One of my favourite songs off of the
new album.
I really like this picture.
During Thinking Out Loud, my mummy giggled with
happiness the whole time.
The lights and smoke made for a really cool effect during
Bloodstream. Bloodstream live was such an incredible
experience. Honestly, there are no words.
The lights during A Team.
He was literally this close at one point. The camera I was using
doesn't have that great of a zoom.
Leading the crowd in harmonizing during Give Me Love.
He has the voice of angels and unicorns and chocolate
all mixed into one.
The lights at the end of the show.
And here's just a little taste of his incredible voice. Please excuse the girl directly behind me, she sang along for parts of it. :P But seriously. just listen to this; it's amazing. Even if you just listen to the first 30 seconds.
It was an amazing concert. If you ever have the chance to see him live, take it. It will be one of the best nights of your life.
(And as you can see, I've done a bit of blog renovating. I originally put up the boat picture, but then I saw this one and couldn't help myself. It's just so cute!)
Like many teen girls in our society, I do indeed have a tumblr *cough cough* rainlody *cough cough* self promotion *cough cough*. And I don't know if I'm the only one who does this, I can't imagine I am, but when I find pictures I really like, I grab them and save them to my computer. Every once in a while, I'll go look over them and smile. I have a bunch of different folders; stuff like "pretty" or "funny" or "words" or "celebrities/fandoms". The biggest is by far the "words" category. No surprise there. It's basically a collection of pretty word edits or quotes. So I was looking through this folder and I thought, "Hey! I should post some of these on my blog so that my awesome followers can see them."
Here are some of my favourites. Enjoy!
And to all my fellow Star Wars fans, happy May the 4th!
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
I heard this quote about four years ago at an evening seminar down at the University of Toronto and it's kind of stuck with me. I've thought about it numerous times. What does it really mean? Does it mean that you should work hard to change others, thus being the actual change? Does it mean you should be speaking about change, informing others? Does it mean that you should always be changing? There's lots of change going on in my mind when I think about this quote.
Nope. I've realized that, at least for me, it's less about the actual change. It's about the example you set. The leadership skills you present. The chances you choose to take and the things you stand for. It's what you do, not what you change. This quote is about leading by example.
And this is something that's really challenged me over the past while. I have (according to some people I know) high moral standards. Intense ideals for how I want the world to be. But I've had to ask myself recently, how many of these ideals am I following? Yeah, I can write an essay about what Utopia is to me and then comment and judge others for not living that way. But should I be?
No. This quote is saying to take that ideal world that you have in your head: that perfect society or way you wish everyone behave and embody that. Become the change. Become the thing that's different. Choose to live the way you're always wishing others did.
Yeah, you and I may be the odd ones out. I'm known as the "good girl" in so many areas because I speak out about what I believe is right and what I think isn't. I've been shunned by different groups of people because my beliefs are too liberal or too conservative. But let me tell you, I've had a lot of people come up to me afterwards and say stuff like, "Thanks for that, I didn't want to say anything, but I'm glad you did," or "You know, I never really thought about it like that before".
You can cause a ripple. The world around us both hates and loves ripples. It loves them because, somehow, everyone's got an ideal world and to see someone moving to make the world a better place is encouraging. It hates them when the ripples ask them to move outside their comfort zone. Therefore, you will have people who will join you in your rippling and others who will try to stop you.
Can I encourage you to try and make a ripple? It doesn't have to be a big one. I'm not asking you to donate your savings to charity or go on a community service trip to Africa for a year. I'm not even looking for you to stand up in front of your school and talk to them about an issue you see. Hold the door open for someone. Buy the person behind you in the drive-thru's lunch. Smile at a stranger. Compliment someone you don't usually talk to. Ask your friends to stop when they start making fun of that kid. You might not see a change after a day or two or even a week. But the ripples will start.
I challenge you. This week, make three ripples a day. I'll do it too. Make a ripple. Be the odd one out.
Happy October! I'm so happy it's fall. The trees are turning colours and it's rainy lots and I'm getting out my sweaters and scarves. *Happy Sigh*.
Today, as I'm doing my homework, my mind can't help drifting off to pleasanter places (5 points for alliteration). I just can't help it! Especially now that it's autumn and it's currently rainy and I can hear the sound of the rain hitting the window.
I think one day, I'd like to live in a row house. But not an ugly row house. A pretty one. Maybe like this one.
Or this one. I love the colours.
And I'd have a cat. I don't know why I'd have a cat, but it seems to fit. I'd drink lots of tea and wear my hair up in messy buns and wear lots of large sweaters. I'd have an old fashioned type writer and in the evenings, my friends and I would walk into the city to the little coffee shop that we loved and talk about literature or music or something wonderful. And there would be a little record shop around the corner from my little row house. Because of course, I'd have a record player.
Maybe there would be a guy with brown eyes who always worked there when I came in on Wednesday afternoons. And we might have the same taste in music and one day he'd give a recommendation and I'd invite him to our join coffee shop group and we'd become great friends. Great friends with endless possibilities of where we might end up.
Maybe it'd be New York. Maybe it'd be a little town in England. Maybe it'd be as close as Toronto.
On the other hand, I'd love to live in a cute little country house. Somewhere in Britain. Maybe Wales. I've heard Wales is nice and my ancestors are from there. Ooh, or Ireland.
A little house like this one.
Or this one.
During the days, I might work at the bakery that was a few minutes into town. Or as a part time journalist of the newspaper. Or a photographer. On my days off, I'd spend the days reading in all the little, cute corners my house would have, writing, visiting friends or walking the few acres that I would have as my backyard. I'd wear long skirts some days when I wanted to feel like Elizabeth Bennet, but other days, I'd just opt for leggings and a comfy shirt.
During the nights, I'd take my acoustic guitar and my song book and head to the small cafe or pub in town. The warm lights from the inside shining out on the streets. And I'd go in and play a set to a group of familiar and unfamiliar faces, maybe make a bit of money off the tips, maybe not. I wouldn't care. I'd just be happy to be playing my music and having a good time.
I'd have a group of friends there too. A group of friends that people would look at and wonder how we all managed to get along. We'd all be so different and we'd have our little squabbles and fights but we would all really love each other.
Maybe there'd be a guy, maybe there wouldn't. Either way, I'd be happy because it would be because I wanted it that way.
There are so many options! So many possibilities. Sometimes it's dreadfully overwhelming, other times I love thinking it through, imagining how it might turn out. What's the opposite of nostalgic? That's what I am right now.
Song of the Day
Lately, I've been listening to a bunch of Ed Sheeran. Well, more than usual I should say. Did anyone see his iTunes Festival performance?! Insane, just, there are no words. I mean, his Bloodstream performance?! Mind boggling. Anyways, I've been enjoying listening to this song as I drift off into la la land. It's so soothing and pretty and I love the voice his voice matches this song. It's probably my favourite version of "The Parting Glass".
