Welcome to Funcupcake. There’s big news over here! I’m very excited for my next big adventure, and now I can finally share it with you all! I’m turning in my paper clips and fax cover sheets for something more brilliant and exciting, and more creative! I’ve given notice at my current administrative job, and am about to embark on a whole new phase of my life! At the end of May I’m off to New York for 6 weeks to study Accessory Design at the Fashion Institute of New York. My friend Rose has graciously agreed to have me stay with her as well as take me on as her understudy and teach me all she knows about footwear design! As a former instructor of Footwear Design as well as a Design Director, she knows a lot! I am so excited to be pursuing something that will link my background in Art and Design, I think my Sculpture background will help me with the 3-D aspect of footwear and handbag design, and my computer graphic design skills will really come in handy! After a year looking at the fashion industry through the eyes of Manny and friends, I see my place in the grand scheme of things… and I see a chance to be creative on a more full time basis.

These 6 weeks are going to very interesting, busy, fast-paced, and somewhat foreign. And although I’m delighted to be focusing on being creative full time, inside I am a bit scared. You see, it’s completely outside of my comfort zone to not have the details figured out ahead of time. This is not to say that I’m not spontaneous, but It’s hard for me! But I know that for this endeavor, if I sat around planning out every single thing, I’d waste a whole lot of time! The time is right, I could go through a number of reasons why this is true, but just trust me!

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for, the juicy details!

Huh? This is all so sudden? No, not really. I was accepted to grad. school last year and almost went, but pulled out when I discovered, through student teaching, that teaching art to high school kids wasn’t really my thing. I’ve been looking for my next big adventure since graduating in ‘03, and I have been considering the options pretty seriously since moving back to California… I didn’t involve a lot of you, because I wanted it to be, actually be happening, not just in the realm of thought or idea. Now, it is happening!

Why do you have to go to NY? Because they have one of the best Fashion Schools around, they offer 6-week summer classes (unlike the schools in L.A.), and most importantly, Rose is there!

What exactly will you do there? I will learn the in’s and out’s of the footwear design biz by studying with Rose, and I will be furiously working on my portfolio and attending 2-3 summer classes. Though it would be ideal to go to a full, 2-year program, who has the $40,000 and two years for that? I need an option that is viable for me, my finances, and time, and I really believe that this amended program will get me where I need to be in order to go where I want to go. In creative jobs, your portfolio and work experience go a long way, and I’ve met quite a few artists with art degrees working in the business, they crossed-over, and it worked for them. This is inspiring! I’m willing to work hard, and the resources have offered themselves to me. I think doing an “apprenticeship” with a Master (like in the old days) is a great idea!

But how can you just quit? How will you pay your bills? Hmmm. It will be tough! But funny you should ask! I’m selling my car that doesn’t get too much use anyhow, that will help. And my friends have decided to throw me a big fundraising party. I will spend the next 2 1/2 weeks producing major quantities of art and craft to help me fund this trip, and it will all commence in a send-off/benefit party here in Santa Barbara, around May 25th. And I’ve had generous offers from talented friends who will donate their art to auction off, with the proceeds benefiting my endeavor! I’m becoming like a public investment here, invest in me, invest in me!

Hey, but I don’t live in Santa Barbara, and I want to support funcupcake! Don’t worry, you are still invited to participate! I will have original art and craft for-sale online, and you’ll all be included in this via email updates and the site! There’s even a way to donate securely online (through paypal!) Hey, my contributors may someday be memorialized with a shoe or a handbag named after them by Sarah, the fantabulous designer!

What the heck is funcupcake? I needed a domain name for myself, something catchy, something memorable. Simply, it represents my addiction to all things good and yummy and cute. The details of things are the best part, at least to me. Plus, doesn’t it just roll right off your tongue? Or is that the frosting…

Are you going to continue to update even though you’re going to be so busy? Yes! I aim to update at least twice a week, more if I can. I will be charting my adventures in NY right here, so stay tuned to funcupcake.com… and please leave me comments and send me emails, I will be a bit out of sorts not having the daily structure in place, but this is a good thing. I anticipate a big unleashing of the creative floodgates once I leave the daily grind.

Okay, that’s enough to digest for now. Whew! Can you believe it? I’m thrilled beyond belief to see my little plan start to fall into place, I’m really excited. Yay!