In the fourth grade, I have a distinct memory of my teacher going through one of my folders to help me find a worksheet I had misplaced. She was shocked at my degree of disorganization, but absolutely appalled by the fact that every crumpled piece of paper was covered margin to margin in drawings and doodles. Classwork, homework, take-home papers for my parents- it didn't matter what. Her voice in my head still plays as clear as it did then, "Angela, no more drawing on school stuff, okay? This is your work." Although I nodded yes to her in that moment, my fourth grade mouth withheld the retort I still agree with today: "Um. Fuck no."

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Since my childhood, I have had an incurable passion for combining "work" and "play." When you're as young as the fourth grade, you are unfortunately forced to abide by the rules placed before you by others. Given time, I have learned through trial and error how to successfully integrate what others deem as "work" into what I feel is play. Being an artist, I often access the right side of my brain for creative brain-barf, as I like to say. Being a designer, I can access the left side of my brain to filter that barf into something structured, systematic, and precise. Like a sculptor crafting a form out of a wad of wet mush. My work is vigorously fueled by my play, and since that day of the fourth grade, I made it my destiny to never have work feel like work ever again.

Also, yes, my organizational skills have drastically improved since then. No, my potty-mouth hasn't.  

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