As a BFA student in a Typography course, I’m currently reviving this typeface from vintage, engraved street signs. These were removed from a local city and replaced with aluminum signs. Friends and I discovered six of the signs that had been discarded in a wooded area. i’m fascinated by the hand in the craft and the weathering of these planks. These rubbings will help me recreate the available letterforms digitally and use the structures to create new letters with which to complete the alphabet. I cannot wait to see where this goes! I’d love to a signage system designed around this revival.
Champagne Hat Cat: A Photoshop Tutorial
In this Photoshop tutorial I'll show you how to use masking and some other basic tools to combine images and create this adorable, goofy image of a cat wearing a glass of champagne for a hat!
“Creativity can survive its own failure.”
As long as I can remember I have wanted to make music and art. For me, that was “home.” The ability to go inward and retrieve something can be presented outwardly always leaves me feeling alive. I can’t begin to count, though, the times that I’ve felt the frustration throughout the journey. At times it has seemed as though my talent had no outlet, or felt stagnant, or was lacking in some way.
When it’s one of these times, I find refuge in motivational speeches from people in the know. “Success, failure and the drive to keep creating,” by Elizabeth Gilbert is a good one. In her TED Talk, Gilbert discusses the difficulty she had living up to her own successes after publishing an award-winning novel, “Eat, Pray, Love.” It took her six years of failure to reach this monumental life achievement. What’s more, she was able to overcome the daunting task of continuing to create despite the chances that her past work could be the best work. Where was she to go, though, after life’s successes? Home was the only place. And her home is her writing. Her writing was the only thing that she loved more than herself, so she sank back into it.
This sentiment strikes a cord with me. I do love myself more when I’m free to live in my creativity. Behind the microphone, the camera, the paintbrush (digital or otherwise), I look out of the metaphorical window in the metaphorical home that is my authentic, best self. From that window the bright, hopeful, fun qualities in life are clear. Finding my way back here, to this perspective, to this self, has helped me make it through the times life’s been hard and I’ve been the hardest on life. Sometimes all it takes is the reminder to myself, “I have created before. I can and will do it again, because that’s who I am at my foundation; who I’ve always been and who I always will build upon through my successes and failures alike.”
Below, in order from left to right: a self portrait from my first painting class which was painted from a photograph I staged and took; a photo of me at the Student Juried Exhibition when my photo was chosen; the trophies won by the film my crew made for the 48 Film Festival; a photo from a live performance.
Time Management and Procrastination
As an adult who’s been managing Attention Deficit Disorder for half of my life, I’ve learned a thing or two about procrastination. According to Tim Urban’s TED Talk, none of us are strangers to this activity, which is defined as “the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished by a certain deadline. It could be further stated as a habitual or intentional delay of starting or finishing a task despite knowing it might have negative consequences.”
While A.D.D. presents some of us with particular challenges (some of which are addressed in this article about ADD and procrastination), I think I could offer the following experience to anyone looking for ways to make it work in their favor:
First, I needed to know myself. I had to examine my patterns of thoughts and behavior and their outcomes. ADD medications can be helpful but they can’t do it alone and come with their own challenges and side effects. I knew that it was best to use them sparingly and devise a long-term treatment plan I could implement with or without insurance, doctors, or prescriptions. I asked myself the hard questions and worked on understanding their meanings. Why I am putting off a task? Am I doubting myself? Am I doubting my ideas? After the Q & A came the acceptance that this is me. Just one part of me, but a part nonetheless; a part that can influence other parts positively or negatively depending on my attitude and approach.
In knowing myself, I can see that my stints of procrastination have caused unneeded stress and worry, but the outcomes haven’t always been negative. Sometimes, in fact, procrastination has lead to a more creative outcome that I’d expected. Expert research supporting such a notion have helped guide my ongoing attempts to accomplish healthily. This article from Harvard, for instance, discusses the perks of procrastination. There’s much to be learned from these findings, for creatives in particular, as they point out that procrastination can actually lead to more innovation. The key, though, is to do it tactfully.
Advice and research are great, but they have to be put to use.
As you can learn in this video, the trick seems to be to start right away. One must jump in and get the ball rolling for any subsequent amount of subsequent controlled procrastination to be helpful. This resonates with me. I’ve noticed letting thoughts and questions flow leads to more divergent thinking that trying to knock out a task right away.
I am mindful to set realistic goals and do my best to stick to them. This helps me to stay in a place of encouragement.
Sometimes I just have to do something – ANYTHING – and I’ll spark a chain reaction. It sounds easier than it is, so this tip has spawned its own tips and tricks.
I’ll craft my environment to my needs. I work best in my home studio spaces (pictured below) alone or with an accountability-buddy where I can adjust the lighting, move around freely, listen to music and access all of my inspirational tools. I don’t like getting started on something when I suspect my flow will be interrupted. I like to clear my schedule, set up my space with anything I’ll need, and work for long, uninterrupted blocks of time. (Fun fact: folks with A.D.D. often experience often exhibit hyperfocus when working intently on things that interest them. In essence, hyperfocus is the flipside of another ADHD symptom: distractibility.)
I break things into chunks. Sorting the tasks can be the first step in achieving them. It’s helpful, especially in times of stress, to have lists, but lists work better when I ACTUALLY CHECK THEM. Sometimes, strangely, making a list almost feels like I’m accomplishing the task itself, but it’s a necessary tool for us naturally forgetful, busy humans.
I’ll do a fun task first. Maybe there’s an interesting topic to research or a task that seems easy in comparison to the others that can kick my creativity into gear while checking something off the list.
Or, maybe I’ll tackle the hardest, most challenging things first, giving myself a boost of accomplishment and a load off my chest when working on smaller tasks later.
When I can’t do, I THINK. I’m a multi-style learner and a verbal processor, so sometimes I’ll talk it out. The ability to have a discussion about something helps me to understand a topic, engage with it and go deeper. I’ll often research through Podcasts, videos, articles, and exploration, fleshing out the details of a project as I go. I allow my mind to wander through a series of questions and answers. I imagine what the final outcome might look like, feel like, sound like.
When the reality of a deadline and the feeling of impending doom set in, I have to catch myself and try to refrain from negative self-speak. I’ll only end up sucking away time in a spiral of self-esteem-draining banter if it starts, stealing my own motivation to achieve. I try hearing the words of a strong, wise person I admire as if I’m saying them to myself. I remember my strengths. When I am feeling stressed, stuck or crunched for time, I try to remind myself of the times I’ve succeeded in the past through the tough times. This can help me see the end in sight and even look forward to the knowledge I’ll be able to draw on when needed for a future situation.
When all else fails and I’m caught in a loop, I can always appreciate the areas for growth that come to light. I tried. I took a chance. I will try again. And again. And again…
Below are images of some of spaces in my home I have crafted for minimal distractibility, optimal efficiency, comfort and inspired creativity.
Burning House
These items are precious to me. So precious, in fact, that I would grab them and take them with me if given a chance to in the event of a fire.
The 30+ year old rubber tree that was a gift from my grandpa to my grandmother when she first moved into the very house the plant still resides today.
Polly Pocket, a keepsake I found in a parking lot many moons ago. She has made the tree her home, so I would take her, too.
A vintage butterfly belt that was passed down to me and serves as a reminder of life’s delicacy and to take care of our things, for they can outlive us.
My grandfather’s vintage guitar pedal, which I’ve never used. The right moment, the right song, will come along and the pedal will be ready.
An mbira from the streets of Zimbabwe. The artist who brought this back to the states payed a homeless man a pretty penny for this gem. He had used this very instrument to teach children on the streets. Remnants of the written markings still remain, faintly.
No One Belongs Here More Than You, a collection of short stories by Miranda July, a successful multimedia artist who inspires me to reach, dream, and narrate my own story.
An Interview With Me
Sara sits down with a friend to determine how she became an artist.
What age/time in your life did you find yourself interested in art?
I can’t quite put my finger on an exact time in my life that I defined myself using the term “artist,” though I think it was an inevitable evolution. My grandmother loves to tell the story of singing The Beach Boys’ Barbara Ann with me as a wee toddler. Though I couldn’t pronounce “Barbara” just yet, I sure love to sing “Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba!” over and over again. I dabbled in music again when I was five or six years old, I would take out the kiddie keyboard and make up my own lyrics and melodies with the demo songs.
How did your visual artistry develop from there?
My mom became my Girl Scout troop leader soon after, which gave me the perfect opportunity to be hands on with planning and crafting. I think I took up my interest in visual arts then. I also liked to write, so when I was gifted a computer in the fourth grade I’d type and format fake, comedic news articles (think The Onion) in Microsoft Word. That’s the first graphic design work I can remember, when I think about it!
Did you return to music?
I returned to music again in middle school, playing saxophone for three years. When I hit high school and it became a requirement to participate in marching band I lost interest in the saxophone and took up guitar and refocused on singing.
Who are some artists that been an influence on you?
I had an art teacher in high school that noticed I had talent but wasn’t engaged during visual arts classes. When I explained that I didn’t see art as an assignment but an expression she gave me a the biggest gift; a freebie to make whatever I wanted using what we had learned in class. I painted a picture from my mind of what I imagined my grandmother would look like as a little girl growing up in my times. It opened me up to the possibilities of art and their healing power in my life.
The Fonts We All Love to Hate. . . Right?
We’ve all seen it.
Papyrus.
On “hookah bars, Shakira merch, off-brand teas… ” just drive through your city and you’ll see this typeface used to advertise yoga classes anywhere. You’ll see several others, too. Like weeds, overused, outdated, and just plain cheesy typefaces compromise the design sense of your surroundings.
Papyrus
Comic Sans
Bradley Hand
Trajan
…… I hope you see where this is going.
If you’re into graphic design, as I am, you know exactly how Ryan Gosling’s character is feeling in the SNL skit about this infamous font. Early on in our training, we are slapped with the list of typefaces that are prohibited to use. Despite this suggestion for a successful career, some manage to get away with, and are even making money off of, their decision to use sworn enemy typefaces. (Cough. Cough. AVATAR.)
So what compels one to choose these fonts outside of their intended, outdated uses? I feel like overuse coupled with the internet help perpetuate the perceptions that these fonts help businesses express themselves. I’ve had a few clients that do a quick google search for, say, “yoga,” or “old font,” and see Papyrus in use. It’s easy to follow suit based on perceived associations to draw clients. The unfortunate side effect, however, is that the more it is used the less opportunities we have to incorporate new, better-suited typefaces into the worlds around us.
Recently, I fell into the group of lucky designers who succeed to bring their clients around to using a less hated font within their branding. They had implemented Papyrus into their website and videos. Instead of opting to do the work as they wished and avoid putting it in my portfolio, we discussed their brand message and what they hoped Papyrus would communicate to her audience. This lead to narrowing down some alternative typefaces and, in turn, modernizing the brand’s look and feel. I wish more designers would have the kind of conversation we had to come up with a better solution, meeting viewers where we are today and evolving our design senses.