In the beginning...

I am working on a project in Portland right now. I like the city very much and it has a personality all its own - different from Los Angeles. There's a sizable "green" culture here. People are concerned about the quality of the water, etc., but the tapwater in Portland is delicious. Try drinking from the tap in L.A.! I had a visitor at the studio today from Los Angeles. A recent grad from my alma mater CalArts (Valencia, CA). The alumni association has a mentor program so this was my mentoree (there must be an official name for this). We toured the studio and talked about his career goals. He met with Human Resources and he submitted his samples. I remember my mentor, Lee Blair, arranging a visit to Disney studios for me when I was just a sophomore in high school. What a dream come true it was to visit the studio that I had read about so much in books and in periodicals that I hunted down in my hometown library! I was able to meet with Eric Larson and get a tour of the studio. Now I feel like I have "paid it forward".