Concentration is professed to be the “Magic Key” [his words, not mine] to success. Concentration is thus defined ...]]> I have been revisiting a book by Napoleon Hill called the Law of Success written during the 1920s that presents a life manual for happiness and success, monetary or otherwise. I re-read the chapter about concentration and he had some very interesting arguments concerning the interconnections of concentration, attention, and habit.

Concentration is professed to be the “Magic Key” [his words, not mine] to success. Concentration is thus defined as “the ability to control your attention and focus it on a specific problem until that problem has been resolved; moreover, it is the power to discard old unwanted habits and form new habits of your liking.” We tend to think of habits in a negative light, yet really this is only in regards to habits that we believe to be counterproductive (i.e. watching four hours of Battlestar Galactica on Netflix) and Hill reminds us that we have the ability to create new, productive habits.

He also tells us that the beginnings will be rough as we replace our old habitats with new ones. He assures us, however, that with each successful attempt, the process will become easier and easier. We shall break here from Napoleon to take a look at one of my habits: a complete and utter inability to fold my laundry (to be clear, it is not the process of washing or drying, but rather the “folding” and “putting away” that is of difficulty). My laundry moves slowly from the middle of the bed, to the foot of the bed, to the floor of my room and inevitably, some of the clean laundry finds itself right back in the dirty laundry bin and this whole ungodly process begins again. So, what is the crux of the problem? I lack the necessary “concentration” to put the laundry away. I always find another justified task (taking out the half empty trash, watching another Battlestar Galactica because after all we are only three episodes away from the Season 3 finale, etc.).

But at the end of the day, it’s just laundry. And even if the laundry is “put away” on my floor, I won’t lose any sleep that night. But what about other goals we neglect or create excuses for? You tell yourself you want to become more skilled in your profession and take an online class, but you never quite get around to it. Or you say, “I should really call my grandma back” and you don’t. Here is where guilt comes in. And here is the guilt recipe, as I understand it.

INTENTION + LACK OF CONCENTRATION = GUILT

Let me be clear for a minute, it does not actually matter what the content of the intention happens to be. It will be different for everyone depending on your personal beliefs and values or current life circumstance. For example, in my life at this current moment, finishing my portfolio and securing a job is of utmost importance. I feel a great amount of guilt if I haven’t dedicated the appropriate amount of concentration to this task during my day. So what is it to live “guilt-free”? It is to live with intention and be satisfied with becoming an intentional person. In fact, I think it is the only sustainable “happiness” out there.

But what about mid-life crisises? What about when driven, type-A people continue to achieve and achieve, but continue to set their intentions higher and higher thereby chasing the unattainable carrot? The issue here is that they have (I know this, because I have done so as well) confused static “achievements” with the satisfaction and confidence of knowing oneself as one who achieves.

You’ll notice the difference here is grammatical. The first is a noun, a thing, a trophy that one points to with pride and yet at the same time, fears they can lose. In efforts to keep this fear at bay, they continually accumulate larger and larger trophies to prove their own value in a never ending Russian Doll style of unhappiness. Oh, look at all my achievements, see them glisten! The second, is a verb. I achieve. Meaning, I can achieve anything. I do not need to attach to one specific thing that I have accomplished, but rather rest assured in my ability to accomplish. Now specific events no longer seem daunting nor do they provide the illusion of “once I [...get a new job, find a new mate, find a cheap pure bred corgi, refinance my house, buy new blue wedges, get a better car, have more friends, call my grandma more often...], I will be happy”.

So back to the laundry issue. Should I choose to make laundry a priority (and for this example, assume that I have) and I use concentration to create a new habit of folding my laundry in a timely fashion, I will experience happiness as a person who can set an intention and follow though with concentration to create results. I will not lie in vain hopes of a shiny, squeaky clean (get it) laundry trophy, but rather find fulfillment and confidence in my ability to achieve anything that I set an intention for, be it laundry, a new job… finalizing my portfolio. So, I give you the full equation:

INTENTION + LACK OF CONCENTRATION = GUILT

INTENTION + CONCENTRATION = SATISFACTION

So with this in mind, I have decided to practice my ability to achieve my intentions by setting a new intention: I will set an intention every morning and record it as my blog post title. Then, I will write about my concentration or lack thereof in pursuit of said intention. Plus, there is much more to explore within the topic of concentration, intention and habit and this will provide me with the appropriate fodder.

Try it out for your self. Could be interesting.

Benefits, as I see them:

1. Speed of communication: allows for a much quicker turn around ...]]> Given that I have been working for an in-house marketing department for the past few months, I have been giving some thought to both the advantages and disadvantages to this set-up as well as the need, both as a business owner and designer, to be aware of this.

Benefits, as I see them:

1. Speed of communication: allows for a much quicker turn around of ideas as I can walk to Bill’s desk and ask him what he thinks about the current color scheme or I can send an email and expect a fairly quick response as we happen to work on the same floor and I will most likely run into him at the coffee bar. Moreover, if there is a last minute change, you can reasonably expect the designer to make the changes an hour before the deadline. Or thirty minutes before your meeting. Know though, that twelve minutes is pushing it.

2. Saturation of communication: working in-house as a designer, one begins to understand the “client” side at a much deeper level. No longer are you bouncing from project to project, client to client all with different products or ideas to sell. No, you are saturated into the business, and therefore build a deeper level of understanding in regard to that which you are trying to market.

3. Idiosyncrasies of communication: when you work on the inside, you are not only able to build a much deeper rapport with your “client”, but you also begin to understand what makes them tick. For example, Bill may happen to have an unfounded disdain for the color green. You’re not sure why, but after a few months you realize that when working with your client/peer Bill, you leave the emeralds and the chartreuses to the wayside. No need for anyone to get hurt. This also feeds into the speed of communication as this allows for a faster, overall turn-around.

There are undoubtedly more, but these are just a few to get you thinking. Now, for the disadvantages, or rather opportunities for awareness.

1. See-saw of communication: Because Bill’s designer sits just over 45 feet away, any idea that pops into Bill’s head is now up for discussion. It takes more than a whim of colors for Bill to email an external agency, after all it is 4:30pm in the afternoon and that might be considered rude, but low and behold, we have internal designers, and isn’t that what they are for? The answer is yes and no. Of course, if there are brillant last minute ideas or the context has shifted, we should include Bill’s 4:30pm input. However, we must be aware of the design sink hole and be able to see what is best for the business as a whole. For every design change one project has, another project must go on hold and be completed later. Again, no right or wrong here, just a need to hold an awareness at the broader level to avoid unnecessary back and forth edits.

2. Hierarchy of Communication: This one is a bit tricky. Sure in an external agency, your client is your “boss” so to speak for the moment. But, at the same time, as an external agency you are brought in under the context that you are an “expert” and a certain level of trust is handed over. However, in an internal setting, you may be designing for your actual boss or someone a bit higher up in the corporate ladder. So now Bill’s your boss, and Bill still doesn’t like green, but given the project you are both working on, green is the most appropriate color. You as the designer are the expert in the colorful wonderland, but Bill is your boss and peusdo-client. This is now delicate ground. Can you tell Bill that we have to use green? Can Bill extend the necessary trust to allow you to make the judgement call? Can you move past your personal ego and explore possible solutions? Maybe compromise on a dark green that is approaching brown? But, is this compromise now compromising the design in a fundamental way? As before, now right or wrong answers, just an issue that both the designer and boss/client/peer need to be aware of. Plus, this usually effects larger issues than the color green, but I’ll leave this to your imagination.

3. Unreasonable expectations of communication: Boss Bill has never once opened illustrator just as you have never once stepped foot in a budget meeting. Just as you might expect a new, state-of-the-art Mac desktop and all other supported devices, Bill may think that you can scrap the design that you have been working on and turn over a new, polished final draft in just under 45 minutes. After all, that’s when Bill’s budget meeting is scheduled. As designers, one must be aware that your client/peer/boss/green-hater, might not realize how long certain tasks may take. Simply swapping out a photo may take two minutes, but changing the font (which at the surface seems quite simple) in a 45-page InDesign file may take time in order to adjust the kerning, spacing and leading so that we don’t have rivers and hyphens all over the place. Here is where over-communicating is necessary. Explain this to Bill. He will be understanding. Much more understanding than if you say “Sure, Bill!” as you initiate an internal panic because you know there is know way you can reasonably do this before his budget meeting (you agree though because you think if you accomplish this feat this may get you an “in” with Bill who will then get you the new Mac…not the case).

Most of this boils down to the fact that I am also a new designer and still learning how to best communicate. So far, I have found it to be helpful to be as transparent and open as possible while taking advantage of all the benefits that working in-house has to offer as well as being aware of solutions to the potential disadvantages.

So today is dedicated to finding art that uses “the unexpected” mediums. First up, Jamie Vasta, who paints with glitter on dead cows. I’m in love. She also does a whole lot more with full size paintings made entirely out of glitter. I saw her work on a lovely blog called inthemake.net where a writing/photographer duo travel around visiting different artists’ studios.

Next up, painting with coffee. Now, I don’t know that I am particularly in love with the art itself. But, upon seeing a coffee painting of George Costanza, I couldn’t help myself. So, without further ado, here is George in a hazy, sepia, coffee stain tone. But, that’s not the end of this episode. While attempting to share this image, I realized they have somehow protected it and all you get is a blank image entitled “thoushallnotsteal.gif”. Ok, I am a designer, and I get it, no one wants their work stolen. But, let’s be real, you paint images of Seinfeld characters with coffee. So perhaps we should just follow the age old saying that even “bad publicity, is good publicity”. Plus, I would love for people to share images of my work. Now, I am not saying that I want to walk into a stranger’s home and see one of my designs plastered on the side of their coffee cup. But, a friendly shared link on a blog post? Sure. In fact, I would buy them a cup of coffee for their kind publicity. Anyway, even though I didn’t want to after the oh-so-witty image title “thoushallnotsteal”, I have still linked the image back to their site. So, go ahead. Maybe even drop them a note about screen shots.

On a side note, I have learned through this process that very rarely are my blog post ideas particularly novel. I tend to begin searching for images to use and instead find pages and pages of blog posts about the exact same thing. Either way though, it’s still entertaining. Blogging, though, is more than that. It is a feeling that you have somehow contributed, even if every time you go to approve a comment it’s from a gucci spam site. It also gives you a sense of completion, an activity that can be drafted, reviewed and ready to go in an hour. A hey-look-at-me, I achieved something today. Similar to making the bed or going to workout, just more type-y.

Ok, this blog is slowly moving away from Unusual Mediums to Weird Shit. I give you, artfromashes.com. Is this art made from charcoal, you say? Perhaps a sculpture from volcanic ash, you ask? No and no.

“The ashes of your loved one are integrated into a unique, handcrafted glass memorial, creating a lasting, meaningful remembrance.”

But not to worry, “the glassblowers use less than a teaspoon of cremains, just enough of the ashes to maintain the integrity of each piece.” Ridiculous, but interesting. “Hey, David. Um, it says here in Mom’s will that she wants to be made into a paper weight?” I began picturing myself as a collection of said paper weights on my loved one’s desk. Or my future children using me as a glass vase. Here’s just a sample of what Art From Ashes has to offer. And that’s all.

Eyen / acrylic on wood 65 cm diam / 2012

Like Archigram, it is the combination of styles and exploration of layers that gets me to say “dang” to this artist. Moreover, she uses both paintings and small installations to make the viewer feel as if they have stumbled upon something. I say “Something” because ...]]>

Eyen / acrylic on wood 65 cm diam / 2012

Like Archigram, it is the combination of styles and exploration of layers that gets me to say “dang” to this artist. Moreover, she uses both paintings and small installations to make the viewer feel as if they have stumbled upon something. I say “Something” because her work has a “thingness” to it. And what do I mean by “thingness”? Well, I mean something (will it stop?) similar to finding a historical artifact, art that feels as if its not really art, but rather a thing that someone used and interacted with in everyday life. With her work in particular, the medical references give an automatic thingness and she heightens this with the use of actual things (yep) like petri dishes. I know, quite cool.

So go check out all that she has to offer at taniablanco.com. Plus, you can test your translating skills as she is from Spain (but lives and works in Spain, Paris and other parts of France so, you know, it’s a tough life). To that point and also on a tangent, the other day I realized I had bought a Spanish version of a National Geographic and so naturally I proceeded to translate for almost an hour rather than do my homework. I mean, who are we if we aren’t cultured? Get a dose of it below.

The paintings are as follows:

Pearl nurse / acrylic on wood 65 cm diam / 2010
Royal Grey Suite/ acrylic on canvas 180 cm diam / Painted between December 2010 and January 2011
The Hummingbird song / acrylic on canvas / 180 cm diam / 2010

*all images and title information are from her site at taniablanco.com

I uttered a strange sting of offensive language and promptly called up my personal computer technician, my boyfried. He ...]]> So I experienced my first “hacking”. I arrived at my site, eyes a sparkle and ready to write a new post, and what did I find, but this little number.

I uttered a strange sting of offensive language and promptly called up my personal computer technician, my boyfried. He kicked brokd’s ass, as he should, and now my site was back. Luckily, this Hacker McHackerson didn’t actually gain access to the database, so he didn’t do anything to the actual content. All he did was change the wp-configured file to be a plain html file that displayed his ever so fine landing page. I. I was a victim of online terrorism, plain ole rudeness. Anyway, all is good now so I shall end this tirade here.

The Working Proof

Theworkingproof.com is a site where artists and graphic designers can sell their own prints and donate a portion of the earnings to a charity of their choice. Aside from being a great philanthropic idea, the site provides a yet another rich hub of inspiring images for those “I’m stuck” moments. Those times when you have designed twelve different comps that somehow all happen to look the same. Below are some images of my own fancy,

There are moments when you stumble upon artistic styles that so deeply resonate with your own intrinsic sense of design, that you are not sure what to do with yourself. You begin fervently flicking through every available image, hoping desperately that someone has taken the time to archive the treasure you find so ...]]>

There are moments when you stumble upon artistic styles that so deeply resonate with your own intrinsic sense of design, that you are not sure what to do with yourself. You begin fervently flicking through every available image, hoping desperately that someone has taken the time to archive the treasure you find so appealing. Today is one of those days. And thankfully, an amazing group of students at the University of Westminster, have created a very well designed online archive of Archigram and their work at archigram.westminster.ac.uk. Go visit.

Archigram, my new found love

It sounds weird, but I honestly experienced a physical reaction to the work, pure excitement with a mix of misunderstood anxiety. Otherwise stated, it’s freaking awesome. Awe inspiring, if you will. If I tried to put into words my own artistic bent, it would be something like a “collage style”. Yet, I don’t actually care much for collages, strictly speaking. Rather, I am drawn to a mixed media style, that is aware of itself as such, so that it purposely layers two starkly different media types (i.e. photo with a pen line drawing) on top of each other to create a stark contrast, a crispy feeling. This is also done through the juxtaposition of color, for example using black and white images in tandem with bright pops of color. Archigram does all of this. You get a sort of, “POW!” combination when this is done right, and, my friends, Archigram is “POW!”. Hence, the fact that we are now in love (…although Archigram has yet to return my affections…soon though, soon). Plus, for every designer who prides themselves on perfecting their infographic craft, the inspiration here is endless.

About Archigram

Archigram, a group of architects from the 1960s and 70s, primarily created conceptual design pieces though there are some that were actually built. Known for their unusual style, in reaction to the status quo, the group’s work could be called everything from whimsical to radical. They were also known for the production of their own magazine entitled, “Archigram”.

Even more

I mean, could you ever really get enough of this work. The answer: no. I have added more of my favorite found images below. Again, to see all of the work, go visit archigram.westmisnster.ac.uk and find your top choices.

*all images and caption explanations are from archigram.westmisnster.ac.uk