[NOTE: This is the long version. If you don't want to read this much, check out the short version instead.]

Introduction

After almost literally 20 years of formal education, I'm now qualified to work in the "real world." Don't believe me? I have 2 fancy-looking certificates and $60,000 of debt to prove it! Over the years I've had a lot of good experiences, made a lot of close friends, and learned more than I ever could have imagined.

On May 16th I graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, IL with a Bachelor of Science degree in Multimedia. People always ask me what that means, and fortunately the department's name is about to change to (hopefully) help fix that. This fall "Multimedia" will be renamed "Interactive Media" with defined concentrations in design and development. You still might be asking what that means, so here's a short list of things I have been trained to do and have done:

• Audio/Video Production
• Design, shoot, and edit a music video and short film.
• Create a commercial (for TV, radio & web).
• Graphic Design
• Design a logo or mascot.
• Create a personality or character which expresses emotion.
• Interactive Development
• Design, manage and develop a game for the web, iPhone, PC or gaming system.
• Create a user interface for kiosks, web sites, etc.
• Photography
• Plan, shoot, edit and print photos of your graduation, reunion, or sporting event.
• Shoot and write reports on newsworthy events and people.
• Print
• Use typographic techniques to create interesting books, posters or magazines.
• Utilize effective white space for newsletters, announcements and invitations.
• Web Development (my focus)
• Design and develop a website to do almost anything that any other website can do (really).
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Wikipedia
• eBay
• Amazon
• Craigslist
• Kongregate
• Twitter

It's a lot, I know. I usually sum that up with "I make websites." Yeah, I guess I can still do tech support and PC repair too... but after about 10 years of IT, I'm a little tired of fixing the same problems over and over. Don't want spyware, viruses, crashing, etc? Buy a Mac. Problem solved. Yes, it will cost you more than any other computer, but my 3 year old Mac performs just as well as it did the day I got it and outperforms other computers that people have got recently.

So I've graduated and apparently I have some skills. What am I going to do now? Since graduation I've had a couple job offers, but I've decided not to accept any of them and start my own business instead.

Even before high school I've been interested in entrepreneurship and in college I've taken an entrepreneurship course and had a lot of experience doing freelance jobs. I feel confident in my resources and abilities, and after a lot of prayer I have felt even more sure that this is the right decision. Getting all of this set up will take time though. In the meantime...

Short-term

Until mid July I will be on the campus of Lyon College in Batesville, Ark. I have a teaching / counseling position with the APPLE Project / Upward Bound, which is the same summer job I had for the last two years and a program I was part of as a high schooler. In a sentence, the APPLE Project is all about helping high school students make it to college. During the summer, the students get the "college experience" by living in a dorm on campus and taking college classes for actual credit.

Last summer I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to teach an introductory multimedia class - which was an amazing experience. This summer I'm leading a video production interest group which will hopefully take the video production part of my class last summer and expand upon that. It should be a great chance for the students to get some experience writing scripts, shooting video, and using a non-linear editor (in our case, Sony Vegas).

So yeah, I'll probably be in Arkansas until August at least - but possibly even later depending on how things with setting up the business go. Want to hang out before I leave again? Shoot me an email. I should be available on the weekends, or after APPLE ends.

Enjoy Creativity (EC)

I'm creating the business Enjoy Creativity to manage my multimedia work. I will probably be the only full timer for awhile, but I expect to have more work than I can handle alone. Friends in college joked that I'd be giving them work someday, but I bet they weren't expecting it to be so soon! Fortunately most of my college friends are freelancers and I sometimes get lucky and meet new, talented freelancers looking for work (like Adrian, who I've met since coming back to Arkansas).

EC hasn't even officially started yet, but I have couple prospective clients and a list of over 100 potentials. We're looking specifically at "local" (more on what "local" means below) businesses and organizations like churches. I'd like to go out of my way to help not-for-profit groups and will offer special rates - even free under certain circumstances. Contact me if you have any questions about a job. Interested in making some money? Tell people about me and have them drop your name for a sweet referral fee!

The way things are looking, EC should do really well, even with the messed up economy we have these days. Businesses don't seem to want expensive full time staff to manage their websites or media resources anymore. They're much more likely to hire freelancers because there's no real commitment and no benefits to pay out.

It might seem a little backwards, but EC should exist to supplement my side projects. I have a lot of ideas for web-based businesses that I would love a chance to try out, but I can't afford to not work. It looks like EC will keep me from being dead poor while allowing me to label the work of my side projects as done by Enjoy Creativity - expanding the portfolio and hopefully getting a name out for ourselves. So I guess in reality it'd be a symbiotic relationship.

I don't want to openly talk about most of my side projects because I'm a paranoid freak that thinks someone will steal my idea if I say too much. Instead, I'll talk about a project that I've already started!

Make it Play it (MiPi)

I've always wanted to make video games, and with Flash, it's easy. Make it Play it is a flash gaming website that is focused not only on playing games, but making them as well. It's also my first large-scale side project and hopefully a soon to be blockbuster hit. Rather than write extensively about Make it Play it, it'd be much easier to just head over there now and read about it.

MiPi's estimated launch date is currently July 1st. Hopefully it's a date we'll be able to meet, but we could use some help. Do you know flash and/or any game design concepts or theory unrelated to flash? We're in need of some quality tutorials and wiki entries to help flesh out the "Make it" side of the site. It'd be a really great opportunity to promote yourself and help out the community. We'll also be looking for game submissions soon after our launch, but we have plenty of starting games so far.

Travel

As many of you already know, I took trips to Japan the previous two summers. Unfortunately I wont be able to do that summer, but that doesn't mean I wont be traveling. Since my work is almost all online, I'm not really tied down to anyplace in particular. Where would I move though? I have a lot of friends in Arkansas, but I don't think that's really an option. I have tons of friends in Peoria, and really like the city... but I feel like I need to get out and see new places.

My solution? Well, I have friends spread all over the country - some I haven't seen in years. I'm thinking a suitable solution would be to become what is known as a "couch surfer" - going from friend to friend and couch to couch (or floor if they don't have a couch). Kind of crazy, I know.

Besides just wanting to visit my friends and see the nation, I have some other reasons for wanting to do this. Some good things have happened in my fraternity in the past year... life changing things that only come from God. I need to tell my fellow brothers about these things, and I'd like to try to hunt down people we haven't heard from in awhile. Are you a friend of past or present and willing to let me sleep on your couch or floor? Let me know! I'm already planning my route, but I'm very flexible.

You might be asking yourself how I'll make money while road tripping. Easy! As long as my friend has wifi or there's a McD's or starbucks nearby (for wifi), I can still work 9-5. If you're like my parents, you're still concerned. I know there are risks, and I almost dismissed this as a stupid idea, but I feel like it's where God is leading me. In about a weeks time, 3 people lectured on a need for complete trust in God (my preacher, a frat bro in my Bible study, and one other). None of them were talking to me directly, but it sure seemed like God was!

So here's the plan for work:

• Start Enjoy Creativity
• Get clients
• Start traveling
• Continue seeking "local" clients wherever I go

Sure, I'll spend more on gas and food, but I wont have rent or utilities. It should even itself out, if not save me money. Even if I make a huge mistake and dig myself into a hole, I'll just stop and be no worse off than I was before I started. It's not like I have a family to feed.

Long-term

Speaking of family, I don't have a wife or even a girlfriend yet - another reason why I'm not tied down anywhere. I've had some girlfriends over the years, but nothing has seemed to work out... you know how it goes. Long term goal #1, have a family... someday... but I'm not in a rush.

As many of you know, last fall I applied to teach English to school children in Japan. Unfortunately I was rejected because they apparently lost my application, but I plan on applying again. If accepted, I'd leave for Japan in the summer and be there for up to 4 or 5 years (with yearly visits back home). As you can imagine, my parents aren't very excited about this, but I think they'll be OK.

I pretty much love it in Japan, and am really sad that I can't go back again this summer. The Japanese people are awesome and their country is beautiful. Maybe if my business / travel plans work out, I'll be able to go back next summer. Before that, though, I owe a visit to my most favorite Finnish friend in the world, Sini! I've always wanted to explore Europe anyway!

Conclusion... or is it?

Hm, well I suppose that's everything! I warned you that this would be long! I'd like to say a special thanks to everyone who's gotten me this far, and thanks to you too for reading as much as you have. I realize this is an epic blog post, but you stuck through it! (Either that or cheated and skipped to the end... tsk tsk!)

Any questions or comments? Feel free to post below if you don't mind other people reading it, or just send me an email. As always, I appreciate constructive criticism as much as words of support. Please pray for me!