oshibana

I haven't seen Wreck-It-Ralph yet.
But I did see this darling animated short (which was apparently shown before WIR):
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=…
THIS BETTER GET A FLIPPIN' OSCAR.
Watch it.  Just... just watch it!

I just cannot get over how beautiful the animation is!  Each character's movement, expression... So genuine.
The story is so precious - quirky, yet elegantly told.
And man, the MUSIC!!
Just the encouragement I needed to tackle my school projects.

Anyway, that's all the time I have for now.
Hope the film lifts your spirits like it did mine.

God Bless,
Mana

Well, it's another year!
Last semester was rough, but we'll see what next semester brings.
I really have been enjoying school and have been learning a lot... It's just the struggle of transitioning to a new stage in my life, I guess.
Also, asking a lot of those annoying questions like, "Is what I'm doing really worth it?" or "What do I really want to do with my life?"
It's annoying as heck.
All of these things are keeping me from truly expressing myself.  I'm too worried about what others might think, which is kinda silly!  I've lost a lot of confidence in my abilities.
What I've been submitting since August isn't stuff that I've done through classes, just stuff that I've done during my free time.  I don't like what I've been producing in class... That, plus I don't have the time to properly photograph/scan things.
Anyway, hope things are going well for ya'll.

God Bless,
Mana

Just a quick journal on staying up-to-date with what I've been doing lately!
I got started on a bunch of different things, including tweeting, recording covers, selling gigs on fiverr and listing items on etsy.
I edited my deviantID/profile with links to areas in which I've been active outside of deviantart.
Here they are again - stay connected!

twitter.com/ManamiMaxted
youtube.com/ManamiMaxted
fiverr.com/manami
etsy.com/shop/FlimFlamFoyer

Also, I'd like to take the time to thank all of you who have supported me through these years.  It's been almost five years since I got started on here, and I know that deviantart has aided me in growing as an artist and will continue to inspire me in the future. I know that I still have a lot to improve on, but this community has encouraged me to not give up and instead move forward. Sure, I've been discouraged many times by fellow artists - "Oh my gosh, he's/she's so good... I'll NEVER be that good!" *looks through her own gallery, deletes poorly done work* - but I've learned to try my best to push through negative thoughts like that and channel my energy toward becoming a better artist.
I'm excited to see what I'll be producing in another five years.

God Bless,
Manami

For those of you who actually read my journals, you may recall my conflicted rant about whether I should reveal my identity (the journal just previous to this one fav.me/d4pj11q).

Well, I think it's about time I tell you all who I am - still withholding some information - just because I feel that I should...
------

My name is Manami Maxted.  Mana for short (pronunciation: rhymes with 'Donna').

Yes, Manami is a Japanese name; I grew up in a bi-cultural household, with my father native to the United States and my mother native to Japan.  I spent several years of elementary school in Japan, so I am quite fluent in the language (though I've forgotten some, it's been ages since I've gone to grade school ... However, I've since been communicating with friends from my time in Japan and speak to my mother and Japanese relatives in Japanese).

Side Note:  though my physical features are quite Asian looking, I'm a little unique because I have green eyes ... something that I like about myself...  And I'll admit, my self-esteem isn't all that high.
I'm proud of my Japanese heritage, AND my predominantly English side (as in, my ancestors on my dad's side are from England).  

My family has moved from place to place quite a bit, but right now we have settled in a somewhat rural town in Ohio.
I'll be getting the heck out of there this fall, when I attend college.

My future plans are not set in stone, but I'm hopeful that my career will involve the arts.
Some careers that have interested me include illustrating children's books, advertising, or working at Walt Disney Animation Studios (dream job!).
Not only do I adore fine art, I also feel very strongly about film, theater - acting.
I've received minimal yet intensive training in the field of performing arts, and would be interested in getting involved in the entertainment business.
Music is another big part of my life, and I hope to keep feeding that passion too.

The classic mindset is that once you've found a career, you've paved the rest of your life, so you'll be working that same job forever.  
I hope that that is not the case for me, or for many others.  There are many role models out there that I look up to who have accomplished so much from trying different things, branching out to new fields, and so on.
Though some of my dreams may seem realistic or unrealistic, I want to pursue them because I want to live life with no regrets.

Another very important thing that you should know about me:
I am a Christian.  Now, I know that might not be a popular occupation, but my religion plays such a big part in my life that I had to share.
I'm not here to push my beliefs on anybody, or to start any heated debates on the legitimacy of Christianity.  Using my talents is my way of praising God, so if you don't like it, then fine.  

Anyway, that's the real 'Oshibana' in a nutshell.

God Bless,
Mana
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By the way, I just got started on fiverr.com:
Ever wonder what you look like as a cartoon character? Well, there are all sorts of styles out there, but how about an illustration of you or your friend by yours truly? Check out the link for more details! fiverr.com/manami/use-a-photo-…

Hogarth: "I know you feel bad about the deer, but it's not your fault. Things die. That's part of life. It's bad to kill, but it's not bad to die."

Iron Giant: "You die?"

Hogarth: "Well, yes, someday."

Iron Giant: "I die?"

Hogarth: "I don't know. You're made of metal, but you have feelings, and you think about things, and that means you have a soul. And souls don't die."

Iron Giant: "Soul?"

Hogarth: "Mom says it's something inside of all good things, and that it goes on forever and ever."

[Hogarth leaves. The Iron Giant lays back to look at the stars]
The Iron Giant: "Souls don't die."

The Iron Giant is one of my favorite movies.  This particular scene always gets to me; all these feelings just well up inside of me and it all just makes my heart ache and at the same time puts this sad smile on my face and ...
The maturity of little Hogarth accepting that he will die one day, and his understanding that dying is not a bad thing just blows me away.  Plus, Hogarth's careful teaching of how souls live on, and the Giant carefully taking it all in is too cool.  It's awesome.  IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

It's hard to come by movies like that nowadays.  At least I think so.  Sorta.  I donno.

*
Anyway (totally not related to the previous), I've kept my identity a secret here on DA for a while now (haha I feel like a superhero writing that ... "who is my secret identity?" ... *is slapped*), and I was wondering if you all would be open to the idea of me revealing who I am.  
I guess it isn't much of YOUR business, since I'M the one that decided not to talk too much about my personal life, and I probably shouldn't be making a big deal out of this.
But lately my artwork has come from an area of my life that I shouldn't hide (nothing dramatic!), and since I really want to update my gallery, I think you should all know a little more about me.  If I do reveal myself, I'm not going to post angry rants about, for example, how my life sucks, how my job sucks, or friendships or relationship problems - not that I'd feel tempted to do something like that (at least I don't think I would! ... No offense to anyone who does).

Terribly sorry if I'm not making any sense!

Yeah, so um ... I need some encouragement here, to be honest.  I'm not quite totally buying into telling you all, but I think it might be for the best if I do.

Thanks and God bless,
Oshibana