Why be bored in school? Go to a Skateboard School! This Toronto District School Board alternative school design program helps students earn high school credits and graduate by creating their own brand and running a skateboard business / professional design studio. OASIS SKATEBOARD FACTORY (OSF) "ON THE GRIND": TDSB's ART & ENTREPRENEURSHIP O.G.s since 2006!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Centre of the Universe



I am a Toronto born and bred writer, entrpreneur-in-training and most recently designer. I've lived all over the city but I've never lived outside of it. I've been through a dozen social scenes both online and off. I've lost a great many people and a good chunk of my mind. I've got plenty of issues but I know what I want from life and I've even got an idea of how to get there. I've also spent most of my high school career at alternative schools, but I've only been at OSF for this semester.

My first board is a collection of a variety of symbols which mean something to me. The triple moon symbol with the five pointed star is a goddess symbol. I've never been very religious, but I do have my beliefs and I'm pretty firm in them. I'm also strongly connected to the moon, and I always have more energy after it rises. The night sky represents the time when I feel most comfortable, most alive, and the idea that the stars are always within reach. The laughing skull represents death, and the idea that death is always an adventure. Last but not least, the swirl in the centre represents my brand, Centre of the Universe, and was my original logo idea.

If my board communicates anything, I hope it communicates that beauty can be found in anything if you look hard enough—whether that be the night sky or death itself. On a higher level, I hope it communicates that anything is possible. This was an incredibly complex design, but I managed to pull it off—with help from some other members of the OSF team—and I learned a lot in the process. I'm extremely proud of this board, and for someone who's not used to being proud of art projects, that's an amazing feeling.

I'm excited to continue building boards. I love the woodworking and the new medium. As someone whose primary focus is on writing, it's awesome to be doing something more physical. Over the next year I hope to grow as a designer and build the skills and connections I'll need to start my own business.