Power of Design, or Why I Still Have a Job

The world of graphic design has exploded now that everyone's mom and dad have photoshop and "vector" is becoming a household word. Everyone is a designer and lots of people seem to be pretty good at. How hard is it to create things that you think look good? Especially when we can be "inspired" by all the eye candy that has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. Even my butter package is beautiful! But I came across this today and was reminded, yet again, that design is no wrapping paper solution. Combined with critical thinking, design can help affect the change in the world that is needed. And critical thinking is what we get paid for. Photoshop, Illustrator, color theory, all those pantone chips are just tools that we use. A hammer and screwdriver. The power of design does not lie in the eyes, it lies in the mind.

(Paper towel dispenser that directly connects the environmental impact with the individual's consumption.)

The Remarkable Forgiveness

I've just read TUP 2 cover to cover. I laughed out loud at Eli Hopkins' The Remarkable Intruder. It was a dizzying and full of tiny recognitions of my own incongruities. What made me laugh out loud and for a long time was that the story starts out, "Did I mention I have just been beaten?" Four paragraphs later, "I might as well admit that I was never beaten, not strictly. I was thrown a birthday party..." Next paragraph: "Actually, there was a beating, but it wasn't my beating. That's where I got confused. There was something called a pinata, I have no idea what it means. I have a condition characterized by the intense and involuntary suffering that comes from sympathy for inanimate objects. It was horrible what they did."

I laughed so hard and what's more, I can relate to this. I also do not know what pinata means though I used to know a guy who made them. It was his passion. He was an "internet friend". I don't remember his name, but I think I might have met him once.

I really want to say how much I enjoyed Tup 2 and to tout it's brilliance (and all the wonderful entries), but since I know and love most of the contributers, I feel more than a little biased. So, I refrain. Tomorrow, I'm going to hear a lecture with Art Chantry at PNCA.




PNCA, incidentally, is the school that the cyclist who got killed last week went to. ........................................................
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I guess I should write about it. Maybe it will help. A block from my work, a cyclist got run over by a cement truck. I happened to be walking to work a bit after it happened and I walked right onto the scene. I was so struck with the reality of it and the tragedy (god, you'd think I could come up with better words than that). I couldn't get much done for the rest of the day. A made up scene kept playing in my head of the whole accident. The girl's terror, thankfully brief. And the driver's realization. I've heard that they aren't pressing charges and I've heard some people be irrate about that. This guy was not on drugs, not speeding, not doing anything illegal. She was in his blind spot. But, I'm thinking of the guy's innocence or lack there of. What keeps coming back to me is that this guy is going to have to live with the knowledge that he killed a young girl. The "punishment" of that knowledge is far worse than any external punishment could ever be.

Okay, I digress for a moment. I used to be part of NA (there, I outted myself). I have like 12 years clean and I really don't think about it much anymore. But I used to got to NA meetings and there were people there who's lives had gotten worse than I could imagine. There was one woman in particular who had a lot of recovery both in years and emotionally. She and her husband were both like ideals for us to look up to. Then a young guy in a truck hit and killed her husband when he was riding his motorcycle. It was a horrible thing and she suffered greatly. A year later, she asked the guy to come over and he did, with his mother. He was terrified and unsure what to expect and he couldn't forgive himself. Who could? She told him in no uncertain terms that she forgave him and she expected him to forgive himself. He needed to live a full life and more forward. I was floored when I heard about the healing capacity we have. I still am.

Picking Punk Mans

Oh lordy, how I love Pumpkin Picking. I had made some vow that I would only get one - but I think I meant that I would only carve one. And did I ever. My subconscious is working on the ultimate carving. Actually, my subconscious is working on a number of designs. It is the time of year to start thinking about my wood blocked cards. I have decided that I would delve further into self-expression. This year's cards will still be botanical in nature, but with a heavy dose of ilonaism. Yes, I am going to Ilonafy them. Maybe one day I will be able to sell sets of them. For now, they will be gifts. Unless you want to buy them (shameless plug, I know - especially for a prodcut that hasn't been produced yet). I am signing off now before further embarassing myself. Check out this punkman (that's a Savanna-ism. She's 4. I give her a lot of kudos for that one.)

It's HERE!

For 3 hours I've been sitting in the presence of greatness, completely UNAWARE!

I totally missed the fact that this beautiful thing (17" Macbook Pro) was sitting in just inside my office door when I arrived this morning. And in a few hours, Mr. IT (Charlie) is going to wisk it away and tinker with it and love it until it hums and then he is going to bring it back to me, whence I will make it sing!

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

I, like many people I'm sure, have been a bit anxiety ridden about the approaching state of the economy. I called my Mortgage Adviser (who I absolutely LOVE), Seth Warren at Alpine Mortgage, with just the tinies hint of worry in my voice. He told me to shoosh and keep in mind that the job market is a good indicator of the economy and thus, the housing market. Well, things are going strong here in Portland. Its one of the few places in the country that the housing and job market are both going strong. The voice in the back of my head is saying, "yeah, but...Portland has historically been a late bloomer, catching up with the rest of the US economy months or even years later." I tell that voice to shut up! I don't want to know!

But then... Today, I heard the employment rating has dropped significantly (in the US, not Portland only). *sigh* I am thinking seriously about persuing a part-time teaching gig. And maybe even trying to persuade Daniel that we should get a roommate for a while.

On the positive side, I am going to have my vision checked and get glasses and daniel will be getting glasses for the first time in like 7 years!

Personal Iconography

Lesson: Over the first 1/2 of the term have students scan new doodles in their sketchbooks. These can be random (not drawn with conscious thought) and deliberate sketches. Regular assignments are to develop complex, but succint illustrations combining or using their personal iconography. The end result is a database of original, self-reflective, emotive illustrations that develop both the students' illustration ability, narrative skill, and ability to convey succint, personal expression. Example

I Want To Go Back To School

...as a teacher. Part-time, maybe evening classes. I really enjoy teaching and think I could help students deveop their critical thinking skills. I am developing my syllubus now. Just in case...

Blogtastic

Sometimes I wonder if these people have day jobs, or if they really do blog all day long. I can't stop looking at these blogs Oh Joy! and Decor8. The photos are faboulous. Here is a small sampling of their colorful sites and hopefull shows why I can't stop looking at them.

1000 Bricks

Daniel and I spent all of yesterday obtaining 1000 bricks. We had to rent a uhaul and do this in 2 trips because it turns out, bricks are REALLY heavy. It was a particularly dirty job and Daniel and I both killed a LOT of VERY VERY BIG spiders. At the end of the second load my dad and Keegan came to help us unload which is good because I don't think we could face it alone at that point. So there are now 1000 bricks piled in the back of our house. What are we going to do with it, you ask? We are going to pave and build retaining walls and who knows what else, but here is an inspirational photo of brick in Belguim

Annual Report Love

I love designing Annual Reports. There is something about the little booklet style that makes my heart go pitter-patter. I am currently designing one for a very cool hospital in Oregon and I am in the concepting phase. I came across this website annualreports.com and have a found a few gems. Anyway, it probably speaks to my dork factor that I like this site, but there it is, and I am not ashamed. Now, if only I could find a project that could 1) afford and 2) would be appropriate to use Yupo paper on, that would rock. Yupo is a synthetic paper (not made from trees) that is silky smooth, velvety, and super luxuriant feeling. It reminds me of my silk-laminated business cards that I once had a woman rub all over her face (it was a strange moment - I felt like I was intruding on something quite private).

What are labels for anyway?

Emily Post Would Be Proud

Some collegues and I were just discussing various ways to tell off angry customers when they are really mean and, well, wrong. So, I thought I'd share this recent and favorite "telling off" from a website that I love: Airfare Watch Dog

The Blog Formerly Known As WhistleFish

The world has definitely not slowed down in 2007. In fact, it will soon by 2008 and I haven't even started thinking about Christmas crafts. In the spirit of re-invention, look at this humming bird birth (the last photo with the toothpick is the one that got me)

Also, I would like to highly recommend Pandora Radio. My beautiful 80 GB Video iPod is buried in the bottom of my bag unused as I listen to Pandora Radio at work all day everyday. Sign up easy and I dont get any emails, There are no commercials, and I've discovered a lot of great music like Band Of Horses