Hey Bloggees,
Back again with more lessons from the Circles Conference. I realized that at this rate it will take a while to go through each session. Instead, I’m going to summarize the lessons over the next two blogs (beginning with this one). So, without further ado… Let’s dive in!
One Item = Multiple Solution
Creative tinkerer Kelli shared she has found multiple uses for paper. The key was thinking outside the conventional usage of the medium (i.e. can I make a functional camera out of just paper). The lesson here is that the medium shouldn’t challenge your creativity. Instead, use the creativity to develop the use of the media.
Check Your Motivation
Photography expert Helena Price gave some great advice on checking your motivation. This motivation ranges from the work you produce, the career path you take, and your interactions with others. Two things she shared stuck with me. The first was Don’t put work in your portfolio you don’t want to do again (advice from one of her teachers). The other was to get out to know people (as opposed to using people for future jobs).
Masters of the Universe
Harnessing his love for the 1980s, designer / illustrator James White, shared how he combined his childhood memories with his artistic talent to create pieces that he loved. These passion projects have led to paying projects.
Application
These sessions have inspired me to make some changes in the way that I do design. When it comes to creativity, I need to be open to different solutions to a problem. In how design work is done, I need to focus on work that I want to do and to treat people as people. Finally, James White’s talk has inspired me to start creating car pieces (which you can see on my Dribbble account. I’ll be back next week with more lessons from Circles. Till next time Bloggees!
Hey Bloggees!
After a long hiatus, I'm restarting with the miniblogs. A week ago I got the opportunity to go to Circles, a design conference held in Grapevine, Texas, just outside of Dallas. It was a great chance to catch up with friends I had made at Creative South, a chance to hear some great speakers, and, to be honest, a chance to take a small vacation from the chaos that had become my life... I was letting myself get overwhelmed with my work and struggling to find the balance between it and home life. The conference was just what I needed. It gave me the chance to clear my head and get a fresh perspective of my job as a graphic designer. Over the next few weeks I'll share some of the lessons I've learned and am planning to apply to my life.
Creativity is a Fight
Online Writer Shawn Blanc started off the conference with a session entitled "Fight to Stay Creative." His message resonated with my work struggle and creative burnout. To help out the rest of us, Shawn gave us a strategy to fight the good fight...
• Showing up every day.
Having the discipline to show up mentally and creatively.
• Rest well and take time away from the screen.
Take time out to clear your head.
• Set clear goals and celebrate success.
Have daily goals and rewards to celebrate completing those goals.
• Have fun while you create.
Relax and enjoy the creative process.
• You are not alone.
Stay connected with the community.
Application
Shawn's message made me realize that I wasn't alone with my struggle. His guidelines made me realize that I didn't have to be bogged down by this mental load.
Instead, I plan on using his strategy to fight for creativity and learn to enjoy the process. Till next time bloggees!
Hey Bloggees and a Happy Belated New Year to you. Once again, life decided to happen and the blog got set aside for other things. During that time I’ve been doing a little bit of house keeping (narrowing down my decent size T-Shirt collection, reworking my home schedule, etc). I’ve also been reevaluating how I prioritize my time and how I use it. Two things that I spend a lot of time on are “design” related activities and tech (watching Netflix, Social Media, etc…). Now, before you think I’m going to denounce my design interest or use of tech and go live as hermit, that is not where I’m going. I enjoy design. I enjoy sitting down and enjoying some great shows on Netflix. Where the issue is how I use those things and why. For this post, I want to be open and honest about letting go of design and tech, and what my game plan is for a more balanced usage of both…
A major use of my time is design, or should I say, design related activities. That includes perusing Pinterest for ideas, designing side projects, and studying up on design related news. This doesn’t sound bad, and to be honest, it isn’t. Where the problem has been the heavy drive in this area and why. You see, I feel like I need to do something “productive” (i.e. design related), otherwise, I’m wasting time. What’s worse, I feel like that design is my identity (something we guys struggle with). I identify myself by what I do, not who I am as a person. This drive and personification has resulted in me desperately working on something design related to feel complete. This dependance on design goes right into the next area, tech.
I enjoy technology. I like the fact I can catch up with friends and family on Facebook, laugh at a great show, or catch up on art and design. The question arises though, am I a master of the technology I use, or a servant. Am I so dependent on being entertained that I miss out on life. These points were brought home from two completely different sources. The first came from an article in Communication Arts by Ernie Schenck (you can read the article here). In it he shares how, if we are not careful, technology could effect creativity, but can cause us to lose “awareness of the real world”. In essence, technology, if used incorrectly, will cause us to miss out on life, not enjoy more of it. The second came from our Church’s youth pastor. His message, which you can hear (here) made me think of how dependent I have become on it (and not in a good way). So, how do I get these two areas sorted out? By learning to let go and step away.
Learning to step away from these areas is tough. I’ve come to be dependent on both areas for major portions of my life. I have to do this though for a couple of reasons.
1. My identity is not jobs or possessions, it’s who I am. It doesn’t matter what I do or if I’m aware about the latest gossip. What matters is what makes me unique (personality, interests, hobbies). Most importantly, my identity, as a Christian, needs to be Christ. My identity (who I am) needs to be found in Him.
2. Too much of a good thing can be harmful. My over-obsessed drive for creative could be hampering my ability to create new ideas. My tech driven focus could cause me to miss out on quality time for myself, loved ones, and God
Here’s my gameplay for stepping away…
Design - Limit my at-home design time to no more then an hour in the evening and remember that it is okay to rest and enjoy…
Technology - Limit my TV intake daily and to unplug from all tech entirely for a day or two each week.
I hope my honesty is an encouragement to you. I’ll keep you posted on how this goes. ‘Till next time Bloggees!
Hey Bloggees,
If you're anything like me, chances are you that you crash onto the couch after a day of work, flip on the TV, and start scrolling through Netflix. With the thousands of choices and changing inventory of shows, it can be a little daunting to try and pick something to watch. Recently though, I've come across some great documentaries that are worth checking out. If you're not a documentary person, at least give these a shot before trolling for 80's TV shows or British Sci-Fi (which I enjoy)...
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
(WARNING: Some language and imagery toward the end of the documentary / credits may not be appropriate)
Back to the Future, The Walking Dead, and Alice Cooper, what do they have in common? One man, Drew Struzan. This documentary delves into the story of the man behind some of the most famous movie posters of all time. The documentary includes interviews with George Lucas, Harrison Ford, and Micheal J. Fox (just to name a few). Definitely great for movie lovers, designers, artists, and illustrators.
Muscle Shoals
(Mild Language)
Every wondered about that one line from Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama? Well this documentary will help answer that question (just stick around through the credits to find out). Learn about the little town in Alabama with big music impact. Here from Bono, Keith Richards, Aretha Franklin, and many others. Great for music lovers.
Superheros: The Never-Ending Story
Ever curious about the history of modern American mythology? You'll definitely get quite the education with this PBS series. The documentary chronicles the history of comic book superheros from the arrival of Superman to the high-grossing Avengers movie. Stan Lee, Adam West, and Lynda Carter are just a few of the many guests that share their story. Definitely for the true nerd of heart.
So there you go, three great documentaries to check out on your next round of Netflix. Hopefully this should make for a more relaxing evening (as opposed to getting overwhelmed by the selection). Happy viewing and...your welcome! 'Till next time Bloggees!
Hey Bloggees! It's been a while since the last post and figure you should be rewarded for your patience. With that, I'd like to share with you ... websites where you can download material to use for your next project. Get your bookmarking tool ready for this...
FONTS
dafont.com: This was one of the first font websites I learned about. The website is full of fonts available for commercial and personal. Before going wild on the downloads, do realize that you can't use personal fonts for commercial use. My advice is, go for commercial use and donationware.
Font Squirrel: This is definitely a site you will want to come back to time and again. Unlike dafont, Font Squirrel's collection of fonts are commercial free and free to use. This site is definitely a personal fav.
IMAGES
Free Images: Formerly know as stockxchange, Free Images is a good starting point for finding free images. If you are willing to pay for images, the site's search bar can help you find images on istock.
Pic Jumbo: Great commercial free photo site to explore. The photos are divided up into categories. The site itself may not have as much as say shutterstock or istock. However, there are some real gems in there.
Unsplash: is set-up like a scrolling page website. The site provides unique, artistic style photography that is free to use. I've used unsplashed images on this blog on a few occasions (including today's posting).
MISCELLANIOUS
Blog.Spoon Graphics: This web blog, hosted by designer Chris Spooner, provides great material (from Photoshop actions to patterns). For a monthly fee, you can access even more material. The free elements are definitely worth a visit.
DBFreebies: I just discovered this site this summer and it is definitely a gold mine! The site is a portal that keeps track of free design elements (fonts, backgrounds, etc...) that are posted on dribbble and behance. One of my personal favs is the font Streetwear.
I hope this makes up for the lack of articles faithful Bloggees. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to write again soon. 'Till next time!
How's your dribbbling Bloggees? If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the design show-and-tell website, Dribbble (you can check out the site here). This Salem, Massachusetts based site has grown to be a go-to site for showcasing design work. As a matter of fact, my personal website is directly connected to my dribbble account and updates each time I post a new shot. One problem though is finding the time to create pieces that you can show off on your account. As with each year, it seems like life goes by just a little bit quicker. It won't be long until designers everywhere will be neck deep in projects for Christmas. However, before you give up the idea of a dribbble account due to time constraints, here are three useful ideas to produce productive, shot worthy designs (without taxing your schedule).
PERSONALPROJECTS
Create projects for items that you need for your home (grocery list, checklist, etc.). Treat it as a two-fold venture, a design problem to solve and a potential dribbble post. For example, when we were moving to our new home, I created moving invites to encourage people to come help us out. As opposed to simply slapping something together and shooting it out to people, I took the time to develop a unique design in order to make it memorable (you can see the final product here). The end result became a shot worthy piece (and has created interest in my design skills).
Moral: Don't skimp on personal home projects. Invest in them.
WORKPROJECTS
You can showcase work that you have done in the office. I do strongly suggest though that you check your workplace policy in regards to posting work from your job (to avoid any legal or job issues). If they do, however, allow you to post work from your job, this is a added incentive to add your own spin to a project. In our line of work, it's easy to just want to brush through a project we don't like and get it over with. When you do that, you miss out on a chance to produce something shot worthy. Even if the project is canned, you can still use it as a dribbble piece (see some examples of my work-related designs here and here).
Moral: Make work work for you.
COMMUNITYPROJECTS
Whether its a community band that needs programs and flyers, or a ministy that needs graphics for a banquet, look for opportunities in the groups you are involved in to sharpen your design skills and create some great shots. For example, last year, our church's VBS had a Western / Gold Rush theme to it. I took the opportunity to create Wanted Posters for the team leaders and kids. The project proved to be a success, both to the kids and the adults. This allowed me to come back the following year to produce design work for VBS (see them here, here, and here).
Moral: Look for opportunities in whatever you do.
I hope these can be a good jumping off point for your dribbble projects. Do you have any time-saving ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. Leave your thoughts in the comment portion of the blog. 'Till next time Bloggees
Hey Bloggees! I'm back with another post. This time however, it isn't about design or how to improve your life. Instead, I want to share with you a need of a really good friend of mine, Pastor Tom Craig.
When we first arrived in Knoxville, a co-worker invited me to a church out in Oak Ridge. When we visited the church during a fall festival, we were surprised by how welcoming and personable people were. As it turns out, the church had a pastor just as welcoming, personable, and human. Tom and his family have been a huge blessing to us as we have gotten accustomed to our new life outside of Florida and dealt with issues in our marriage. His humor and fun-loving nature are balanced out by the seriousness that he has about the Bible and the importance of following Jesus. His faith in Christ just took on an added challenge this past June, when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (with a 6-12 month window to live). For a man who has given his life to God and trying to be a great leader (both to his church and to his wife and three daughters), it would be easy to raise a fist at God and go "I don't deserve this!" Instead, Tom has been showing us how God is good, even when it seems He isn't. You can hear some of his messages here (start on June 15th and the sermons afterward). Trust me, they are worth listening to.
I share Pastor Tom's story because he needs your help. First and foremost, with your prayers. Specifically for healing, hope for him and his family, and for physical and emotional strength during this time. This would mean the world to him and his family.
The second is through financial support. The church has set up a fundraising page on idoitfor.org (you can find the link here). In short, these funds will help out with medical and insurance costs and a way of showing support to this man and his family.
Thank you for your time and support on this Bloggees! 'Till next time.
