A Year on Saturn

...is approximately 29.7 Earth years.


"A Year on Saturn" is the website of Shannon Fay,
freelance and fiction writer.



On Project Runway and Clarion

Posted on: March 23rd, 2013 by Shannon Fay No Comments

This will probably not be the last post where I talk about ‘Project Runway.’

One of my goals for this year was to apply to both Clarion West and Clarion USD. I found out this week that I have not been accepted into either. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and a few daydreams about going on a giant robot rampage, or at least a bender that this town had never seen (I didn’t do either because I don’t have a giant robot, and because I was already drinking when I received the first rejection e-mail Thursday afternoon and I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to keep going).

I’ve been trying to think of the positives. A friend pointed out that now I don’t have to spend thousands upon thousands in tuition, but I pointed out to her that that’s not so much a tick in the ‘pro’ column so much as an absence in the ‘con’ column. I mean, it’s a relief that I won’t have to spend all that money (to put it in perspective, the cost of Clarion USD is roughly ten months rent for me), but since the new year I’ve been saving up  my freelance pay, saving it so I could go to Clarion.

And now I’m not going to either Clarion, I have no exciting summer plans, and my stories keep getting rejected. Wail! Teeth gnash!

One thing that’s gotten me through this crappy week is catching up on Project runway season 11. I don’t consider myself trendy (unless you are taking the very long view of things. Sneakers have only been around since the start of the 20th Century, right? When you consider the whole span of human progress, I’m downright cutting edge) but I love Project Runway. The idea that you can rise to the top through originality, talent, handwork, and being true to yourself and your vision appeals to me even if I’m working in a different medium than the designers on the show.

On season 11 there was a designer named Joseph Aaron Segal. From episode 1 onward Joe is clearly dancing to a different beat from the other designers, which is dangerous seeing as this is Project Runway: Teams Edition. “We don’t want our dress to end up on the ‘Worst Dressed’ list,” the other designers say. “Actually, I’d like that,” Joe says, explaining that he likes different, avant-grade stuff. “You don’t want it to look like the dress is consuming her,” Tim Gunn warns him. “Actually, I think that’d be cool,” Joe says. When Joe gets kicked off, he accepts it with the same zen-like calm as he’s taken everything else. Joe knows who he is, and who he is is a guy who screen prints cats onto thrift store sweaters. Getting on Project Runway and getting kicked off it won’t change that.

My new spirit animal.

I’ve been trying to emulate Joe in accepting this setback. Getting into Clarion, not getting into Clarion, I’m still the same person. I have my own projects to work on, my own rainbow cat sweaters to share/inflict upon the world. I just have to keep on writing and let summer take care of itself.

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