F that S

Or: A little about me…and why exactly I started this blog.

I was born & raised in rural Maine, to hippie parents who composted, didn’t allow sugar cereal in the house and forgave me when I poured wet cement down the sink during one of my early art/construction projects. While drinking cheap beer in the woods had its moments, by the time highschool was done, I was ready for big city life!

I graduated with a graphic design degree from Pratt Institute, and after a string of design jobs, moved up the ranks to become Playgirl’s Art Director, bringing my level of personal debauchery to new heights. In spite of being lucky enough to fill my days with art and porn, professional life had begun to lose its allure. Cubicle culture can really sap the artist outta anyone.

So that’s why I say F that S! I love design, and will always utilize the experience I’ve gained, but I’ve had it with the cube, with answering to dbag dudes in suits, and especially with not using my varied artistic abilities to their fullest. So what’s a big New York City gal to do?

Back to my roots, and back to school! First, I earned my Certificate in Floral Design from Molloy College (Under Michael George from 1800Flowers), took a course in Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) from the Shambhala Buddhist Center in NYC, started my Horticulture certificate at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and have volunteered with Prospect Park and Fritz Haeg’s Lenape Edible Estate.

I am currently earning my Certificate in Permaculture from the New York Open Center, under Claudia Joseph. This may then be followed by a teacher’s Certification at the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute or a Horticulture degree from the NY Botanic Garden. We’ll see which path I end up on…

Besides all this schooling, I’m also working as a plant technician for Manhattan Plant Design Experts, freelancing as a graphic designer (see www.divineconception.net for the portfolio and resume), and am on the “board of directors” of a wonderful budding environmentally sustainable education center/artist retreat upstate called Better Farm.

So this lil’ blog is a way to stay motivated, to keep all my friends informed at once, and to maybe inspire someone else to F that S and start out on an alt-career adventure of their own.

Wanna chat? corinneweiner (at) gmail (dot) com.

F that S and all photos and subject matter contained within (unless otherwise noted) are © 2008

Endnote: I have been VERY bad with properly crediting photos on my blog, so I’ve started the long, but responsible, process of going back through EVERY post and crediting properly. If you see something that is yours, just drop me a line and I’ll fix it sooner. Thanks!