Sunday, September 21, 2008

There's something new on my website



I just added a new segment to the "ongoing" section of my website...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Be Kind Rewind

I just got done watching the movie Be Kind Rewind. I downloaded it awhile ago but I just got a chance to see it. I think anyone who has even a fraction of a creative bone in them will like this movie. Michel Gondry is a very resourceful director and has a lot of wild ideas; he definitely showed that in this film and in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. If you get a chance, check it out.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Inspiration

I find myself to be a person who is easily motivated and inspired, and it sometimes comes from the most unusual places. A writer/animator/director by the name of Brad Neely said this about his inspiration (which I feel I relate to): "I prefer to be a liker of things as opposed to a hater of things, so I end up being a fan of most movies and books. I can watch Regis and Kelly and get inspired."

Michelle Rago, a designer and event planner wrote: "We all have inspiration. Even those who do not consider themselves creative have interests and inclinations that inspire them, and when I say "inspire" I mean it in the truest sense of the word, which at its root means "in spirit". Being inspired simply means feeling motivated, enlivened, enthusiastic, and "in the flow".

I get criticism for watching tv too much or being on the computer all day; but I do it because it's a way for me to stay in the loop with everything that's going on: politics, sports, news, cartoons, latest celebrity gossip, design, new commercials, etc. I think if there's a method to the madness of sitting on the couch watching tv, fine, do ya thang. Stay inspired.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Advertising vs. Design

I just got done reading an article written in the latest issue of Creativity magazine, and it kind of made me raise my brow to what was said. The article was a comment on the Design Lions, which was recently added to the Cannes-Lions Festival this year. One of the judges expressed his concern about the design section needing to focus on design, and not just be an extension of the advertising categories. I understand that they want to be more clear on what's design and what's advertising, but I don't really understand, "...we had to be clear that our focus was not about beautiful art direction but about compelling design." What's the difference? Is "beautiful art direction" only for advertising, and "compelling design" only for design? I thought art direction was about directing the art so that the design articulates the ideas in a compelling way. If that's true, I don't know how "beautiful art direction" and "compelling design" can be separate. Unlessssss, "compelling design" is just that, compelling, and not attached to ideas. But I don't believe that to be true.