I'm writing this from the Philippines. Still on vacation (but working my 3D Visualization Studio virtually). Still with my woman. Coffee, ocean, and a laptop.

If you've read the last 15 posts on this site, you've seen a lot: divorce papers, a move to Indiana, financing struggles, and a lot of 3D modeling. It's looked chaotic. Because it was.

But chaos isn't the same as failure.

Let me show you where the pieces landed. And let me finally explain clearly: one studio, three phases, and a fourth I'm not ready to talk about yet.

This is the story of a 3D visualization studio that almost didn't survive—and why it's stronger now.

Phase 1: What This 3D Visualization Studio Actually Does

This is the part that pays for everything else.

Clients in engineering, law, medicine, and architecture commission me – and a small network of freelancers I bring in when a project needs extra hands – for 3D visualizations, prototyping, and animation. The Unirise cables in our portfolio? Client work. The office chair? Client work. The rigging and CAD visualizations? Client work.

That's the core of this 3D visualization studio: making the invisible visible before a single physical part is manufactured.

But I owe you an honest distinction.

The Cobra Rattler airplane and the Allis Chalmers dozer? Those were not client projects. Those were exercises to keep my skills sharp during the darkest months of the divorce. I built them in silence, often at public libraries when I didn't have a stable workspace.

One exception: The Cobra Rattler did eventually sell. A customer saw me modeling it at the library, walked up, and made an offer. One-time deal. Serendipity. But mostly, these projects were me refusing to let my hands forget their craft while my life fell apart.

And yes – "commission us" on the site really means me, plus freelancers when needed. No full-time employees yet. I believe in being transparent about that. This 3D visualization studio is intentionally boutique.

Phase 2: The Film Studio – Traces Retraced

This is the dream that started everything. My MFA studies pushed me to create Traces Retraced, a short 3D film. This 3D visualization studio exists to fund it.

The film isn't dead. It's hibernating. And every client project teaches me something I bring back to it.

Phase 3: The Academy – Why This 3D Visualization Studio Exists Beyond Money

The academy is the reason I'm writing more consistently. But let me be clear about its purpose, because I haven't explained it well before.

The Daca Daguao Academy exists to:

• Retrain displaced artists – People who lost jobs, lost their way, or lost their confidence.
• Help homeschool families – Parents who want serious art education for their kids, not busywork.
• Train our own future employees – Because I want to staff this 3D visualization studio with people we taught ourselves.

Yes, you are welcome. But the academy isn't built for an audience. It's built with an audience. There's a difference. And if you've been following my journey – the homelessness, the divorce, the nights I didn't know where I'd sleep – you'll understand why retraining displaced people matters to me personally.

The Thread That Connects All of This

Some of you read Spanish and saw the post I published on May 10th from the academy site: "De la calle a Filipinas: 3 años después mi academia de arte online renace."

For those who don't read Spanish, here's the short version:

In February 2026, on my birthday, I decided I wanted to live, not just survive. I bought a ticket to the Philippines for two reasons:

1. To solidify my relationship with a woman I met in person, in Houston – strong, sensual, humble, inspiring. We stayed in touch after she returned here. This trip is about building our future together.
2. To visit animation studios that friends use for international projects.

That woman has received me like a king. She makes me feel like every fall I took was preparing me to become the man she deserves. She reminded me why art matters: because it connects people who never would have met.

While on vacation here, I finished the membership levels for the academy, connected everything to NAEA standards (for homeschool families), and built the forum systems with minor protection in mind.

The academy is still closed. But the wheels are turning. And they're turning with solidity.

(And for those wondering about Indiana: that was my ex-wife's home. I tried to make peace with it and find opportunities there before she betrayed me. Nothing there for me now. I live in Texas.)

Why I Keep Running This 3D Visualization Studio

Not everyone runs a 3D visualization studio for the same reasons. Some want to scale to fifty employees. Some want to sell to a conglomerate.

I have a different path.

This 3D visualization studio is Phase 1 of three. Phase 2 is my short film. Phase 3 is the academy. The commercial work funds the dream. Every client project teaches me something I pour back into the film and the academy.

That's why this 3D visualization studio exists. Not to get rich. To build something sustainable and meaningful.

And now, to build it with a woman in the Philippines who drinks coffee with me while I design the future.

Closing

In that Spanish post, I wrote:

"La perseverancia y la paciencia no son virtudes bonitas que adornan un currículum. Son armas de sobrevivencia. Y funcionan."

Perseverance and patience aren't pretty résumé words. They're survival weapons. And they work.

One studio. Three phases. A fourth I'm not ready to describe yet. And a woman in the Philippines who believes in me.

More soon.