Tight knit group of 8, broader group of ~20+, met almost 15 years ago in NYC, and Beijing on a school trip. Most of us went to the art school (New School/Parsons), others the liberal arts (Lang) and music (Jazz) schools.
The 8 of us still talk daily, most of the rest on a monthly if not weekly basis. Still live in the city except for 1 who moved out West, but is still in touch with us at least weekly. Post graduation, we used to meet up 1-2x a week before the pandemic and during the pandemic outdoors, but have Steam nights at the same frequency. We always have a good time, always showing love for each other and each other's work. Always open and honest to each other's constructive criticisms/suggestions (regarding our personal and work projects) and there to support one an another. Which is of huge value, as in most of our cases it's rare to get that honest/altruistic insight in a work environment or situations where money and time is on the line.
The 8 of us alone are a mixed bag, but even more so the broader group. We range from introverts (myself included) to extroverts, male/female, many of us skaters, we look like the UN both in terms of ethnicity, origin, languages, but we're one fam. Some of us partied hard during our school years, some didn't at all but still attended/enjoyed parties, most of us were in moderation (my belief = work hard, then blow off steam but never to party too hard), but all of us were/are dedicated to our work and helping each other along the way.
Our professions range from animators/motionographers, plumbers, illustrators, devs, ux/ui designers, graphic designers, musicians, fashion designers, painters, doormen, game designers, marketers, critical/political theory writers, hospitality workers, photographers. Some work a mix of those by nature of our schooling, some by necessity, some focused on one skillset more than others.
Having this kind of diversity in our group is not only beneficial in the selfish sense of networking, but more so in opening up one's perspectives on life, the world, practices, general thinking, etc. And aside from the diversity, even though we're all different in some way we have this bond where we feel like we've found "our people" and that we've known each other our whole lives.
It all sounds corny, but really it's an incredible thing and something I'm more and more appreciative and grateful for with each passing day. Sure the debt sucks ass, but I wouldn't trade my friends, our love and respect for each other, and our experiences together for the world. We're family.
The 8 of us still talk daily, most of the rest on a monthly if not weekly basis. Still live in the city except for 1 who moved out West, but is still in touch with us at least weekly. Post graduation, we used to meet up 1-2x a week before the pandemic and during the pandemic outdoors, but have Steam nights at the same frequency. We always have a good time, always showing love for each other and each other's work. Always open and honest to each other's constructive criticisms/suggestions (regarding our personal and work projects) and there to support one an another. Which is of huge value, as in most of our cases it's rare to get that honest/altruistic insight in a work environment or situations where money and time is on the line.
The 8 of us alone are a mixed bag, but even more so the broader group. We range from introverts (myself included) to extroverts, male/female, many of us skaters, we look like the UN both in terms of ethnicity, origin, languages, but we're one fam. Some of us partied hard during our school years, some didn't at all but still attended/enjoyed parties, most of us were in moderation (my belief = work hard, then blow off steam but never to party too hard), but all of us were/are dedicated to our work and helping each other along the way.
Our professions range from animators/motionographers, plumbers, illustrators, devs, ux/ui designers, graphic designers, musicians, fashion designers, painters, doormen, game designers, marketers, critical/political theory writers, hospitality workers, photographers. Some work a mix of those by nature of our schooling, some by necessity, some focused on one skillset more than others.
Having this kind of diversity in our group is not only beneficial in the selfish sense of networking, but more so in opening up one's perspectives on life, the world, practices, general thinking, etc. And aside from the diversity, even though we're all different in some way we have this bond where we feel like we've found "our people" and that we've known each other our whole lives.
It all sounds corny, but really it's an incredible thing and something I'm more and more appreciative and grateful for with each passing day. Sure the debt sucks ass, but I wouldn't trade my friends, our love and respect for each other, and our experiences together for the world. We're family.