Ultimately, I have 4 things to consider: 1) The project I'm trying to build is proving to be in need of quite advanced code from pretty much any point of view. I suspect that also means, since I'm getting more passionate about Flex/CF as I go, this won't be my last project, and that neither will my next apps be 'simple'. I fully desire to be capable of building world-class Flex/CF projects. Money is not a motive, it never is with me, but the ability to create a beautiful and CAPABLE application is.
2) I need to learn OOP concepts at the same level I learned things like colour, line, curve, composition, emotional conceptualization, physical-chemical pigment reactions & archivability (and with photography, camera operations like exposure, shutter speed, focal lengths, distance, relationships between all the former, light sensitivities, etc.) - all the things that go into 'making art'. <i>I need to know deeply what the computer is expecting from me as an input, to get the desired output - precisely as I need to do when making art.</i> You can't build beautiful red overcoat on your subject by slapping down some red paint because you saw a painting that had a red overcoat...you need to dig in and figure out HOW that overcoat was created (pigments, glazes, drying times, brush techniques, oil, resins and other levels in your medium, etc...i.e. the techniques of the trade). I heard the term 'cowboy coding' lately on a Flex presentation from one of you guys, and I am definitely not planning on being a cowboy coder, anymore than I'd be happy trying to build a Rembrandt-inspired portrait with a layer of acrylic paint. I'd rather chew glass,actually. 3) I need to be able to ensure I develop a style that I can come back to later, that allows me to rapidly and with a sense of order that is indeed 'a sense of order'. This implies a framework approach. To extend this to my knowledge of art, I DID THIS, DO THIS, and continue to augment as I move on. I grow from a solid foundation, none of which I consider dogmatically, but ALL of which I studied like a spiderweb in the beginning. 4) I need to do all of this before I die, and what with a full-time job, sleep, looking after my mother, and the occasional bath, Time is against me (as it is with us all). I agree with every word you wrote. To finish this analogue, when I have an important piece to create, I spend MORE TIME ON STUDIES than on the art, in many cases, and having said that, it seems to me that my project (1 above) needs to take a back seat to both 2 and 3, which should be approached in that order - 2 first, then 3. Time (4 above), as with all things in life, and the boredom of learning the basics to get to the 'fun stuff' are my biggest enemy right now, and as such, should be the aspect I most consciously work towards gaining control over wherever I can. Organize my time, and prepare to be bored for a couple of years. This isn't going away, it's a huge passion, so maybe the project should be put on the back burner for now. I wish I was in a position where I could take, in a classroom setting, some courses. I suck without a classroom environment for this type of learning. Anyways, now that you know way too much about me, and are most likely thoroughly bored, I'll just say, again, I take your points totally to heart - they've been heard, and are much appreciated. Thanks Michael. Shawn
