Drifting away.....

 You don't have to like cars and speed and hook-slides to appreciate this kind of stuff. But since your here, chillax for a while. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bjWJ52m0b4&feature=player_embedded#!

10 Tips for Creative Success

If you are in a creative field, then you have most likely at one time or another encountered that dreaded feeling: Creative block. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can make you question the merit of every idea you’ve ever had.  However, we can all take comfort in the fact that it strikes even the most talented of creative professionals. Here are ten tips to help you power through the toughest projects and succeed in every creative challenge.


1. Embrace confusion.
Realize that creative haze is normal.  Despite our wish to have a clearly defined path that leads us to the Big Idea, realistically that path can often be obscured by a thick cloud of haze.  Be patient: you will eventually reach that moment of clarity. You may even be the person who leads everyone out of the smog.

2. Understand your audience.
Ask for a clearly defined target demographic for every assignment.  With a more focused goal, you can better tailor your ideas and concepts so that they speak to your intended audience.

3. Ask questions.
Step outside of your office for a walk and talk to people about your product or design problem.  You’ll be surprised at how many people are actually willing to stop and chat.  Go to a nearby bookstore and browse the aisles for inspiration.  Illustrations from a children’s book or even a cooking recipe may ignite the creative flame.

4. Go back to basics.
If you are at a standstill, just start laying elements out in their most elementary form, even if all you’ve got are the title, graphic and a small blurb.  Take a step back and see the design problem for what it is.  Then make it better.  Add to it and eventually you will arrive at the solution.

5. Seek inspiration.
Check out design annuals and awards books for inspiration.  After all, those represent the work that’s deemed to be the best in the  field.  But don’t spend all your time looking at other people’s work.  The great ideas are within you—you need to  grab a hold of them and make them real.

6. Know when to call it a night.
When you hit a wall, it may be time to go home, get some sleep and come back refreshed.  Good ideas that may have seemed great the night before may be revealed as less-than-inspired in the cold light of a new day.  By the same token, it’s amazing how the ideas start to flow when you return to work rejuvenated.

7. Listen and learn.
You may fall in love with a concept.  It may seem like the idea of a lifetime—but then it gets rejected.  Your first instinct might be to fight for it but, before you do, take a step back.  It might be well worth the fight but first solve the problem according to the conditions you’ve been given.  You might want to bring up the original concept again later, or you may find yourself moving on to something even better.

8. Recognize that they’re not just doodles.
You’ve already got the talent but you have to keep the creativity flowing.  The next time you go to a museum or watch a television show, jot down noteworthy pieces or clever scenes.  Keep a notebook with you and write down thoughts and ideas that pop up.  You never know when the clever bug might bite.

9. Revisit the cutting room floor.
You start designing a few concepts and you end up with a collection of drafts, some good, some bad.  Print them out, spread them out on the table and take a closer look at the ideas that you’ve developed.  Seeing them laid out this way helps you to compare the pieces and identify the ones that really shine.  Let the good ones guide you and you’ll end up with a masterpiece.

10. Take the good and take the bad.
We all enjoy a warm pat on the back but that doesn’t mean we should show our work to everyone in search for approval.  Ask a few people whose creative opinions you trust to look at your work.  Accept their advice and criticism along with their praise.  If they tell you that the idea is not good, they might be right and it might be time to move onto your next idea.  Embrace the bad news along with the good.

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie (video)

I like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

More design stuff...

There's a ton of design sites out there, but this one is always guaranteed, fresh. http://theroxor.com

Free documentaries!

Watch, download free, full-length, political documentaries here. You're welcome! http://freedocumentaries.org

Dalai Lama’s 18 rules for living

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
   • Respect for self
   • Respect for others
   • Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

It's gotta be the food!

Zillions of good recipes in here, from vegetarian dishes to grilling, from meats to desserts to drinks. It sucks I'll never be able to create every dish on this site. But I can always lick the screen! http://www.tastespotting.com

A little history of TV presentation and graphic design

This is a make-up of old TV show intros, trailers and animations. Mainly shows from the UK, but all the while, still pretty cool. Check the technique!  http://www.tv-ark.org.uk

Developing memorable characters

How much about your characters do you really know? Small details might seem superfluous even irrelevant to the story you intend to write, but the smallest detail informs the bigger picture. The more you know about your characters, the better you’ll create believable characters who live and breathe on the page and in their own fictional world.

1. What do you know about this character now that s/he doesn’t yet know?
2. What is this character’s greatest flaw?
3. What do you know about this character that s/he would never admit?
4. What is this character’s greatest asset?
5. If this character could choose a different identity, who would s/he be?
6. What music does this character sing to when no one else is around?
7. In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith?
8. What is this character’s favorite movie?
9. Does this character have a favorite article of clothing? Favorite shoes?
10. Does this character have a vice? Name it.
11. Name this character’s favorite person (living or dead).
12. What is this character’s secret wish?
13. What is this character’s proudest achievement?
14. Describe this character’s most embarrassing moment.
15. What is this character’s deepest regret?
16. What is this character’s greatest fear?
17. Describe this character’s most devastating moment.
18. What is this character’s greatest achievement?
19. What is this character’s greatest hope?
20. Does this character have an obsession? Name it.
21. What is this character’s greatest disappointment?
22. What is this character’s worst nightmare?
23. Whom does this character most wish to please? Why?
24. Describe this character’s mother.
25. Describe this character’s father.
26. If s/he had to choose, with whom would this character prefer to live?
27. Where does this character fall in birth order? What effect does this have?
28. Describe this character’s siblings or other close relatives.
29. Describe this character’s bedroom. Include three cherished items.
30. What is this character’s birth date? How does this character manifest traits of his/her astrological sign?
31. If this character had to live in seclusion for six months, what six items would s/he bring?
32. Why is this character angry?
33. What calms this character?
34. Describe a recurring dream or nightmare this character might have.
35. List the choices (not circumstances) that led this character to his/her current predicament.
36. List the circumstances over which this character has no control.
37. What wakes this character in the middle of the night?
38. How would a stranger describe this character?
39. What does this character resolve to do differently every morning?
40. Who depends on this character? Why?
41. If this character knew s/he had exactly one month to live, what would s/he do?
42. How would a dear friend or relative describe this character?
43. What is this character’s most noticeable physical attribute?
44. What is this character hiding from him/herself?
45. Write one additional thing about your character.

Academic Earth...mind your video.

If only college was like this when I was there..  http://academicearth.org

When something is done so right, words are useless.

 I stumbled across Nick Brandt's work by accident. On sight, it looks like simple wildlife photography. But look closer, closer. Can you get closer - Do you even want to? Didn't think so. Enjoy.

http://www.younggalleryphoto.com/photography/brandt/brandt.html