When you are working with a client on branding their new business, what questions would you ask them?
All posts by Angie K Millgate
Born and Raised
A New Practice
I’ve created a new practice that I try to do daily. Actually… it’s an old habit that I’ve rationalized into being a practice, and I’m quite happy about it. I’ve taken something that I’ve used in the past to distract myself from something I need to get done and have turned it into something productive.
I’m talking about surfing the web.
I am a social, curious person so I can spend an entire day on the web. I love to ask questions – and get satisfying answers – so if I’m wondering about something, I start exploring. In the past, I would get distracted by the shiny squirrels that were everywhere to look at on the internet. It was becoming a real problem; a big enough problem that I spoke to my mentor and she suggested that, because I actually thrive in this practice, I find a new way to look at this time I spend on the internet. Rather than making it be a “sin” and a “waste of time,” could I see the value in it – or create the value in it?
I really liked that idea!
One of the things I stayed away from was Pinterest because the only feedback I heard about it was, “Oh! It is SOOOO addicting! I waste hours on there!” And this was coming from my design and artisan friends. Seriously, I couldn’t afford to find one more thing on the internet that could distract me. I tentatively set up a profile and promptly went away from it for awhile, not looking at one thing. And, I stayed away.
Then my mentor introduced me to the power of Pinterest. She showed me how it is a graphic driven social network. She showed me how every single post has a image with it. She showed me the eye candy. And then… she showed me that every. single. picture. can be linked to a website with more information, education, entertainment. Oh my!
I could see how a Creative could spend hours there, lost, and following all the shiny squirrels. I really wanted to play in this playground, but I couldn’t rationalize a new addiction, so I wondered about her questions… Angie, can you find a way to see the value in the time you spend on the internet? Can you CREATE value in it?
I’ve discovered that if I add intention – and a time limit – the time I spend on the internet can be productive, instead of just a waste of time. AND! There are amazing things I lovingly discover now.
Like this great article on hand lettering: The “How To’s” of “I do’s”
When Disciplines Collaborate
As I near the end of my career as an SLCC student, I’ve come to truly appreciate the amazing faculty, adjuncts, and superior quality of work that is being produced by my peers. I’ve noticed how much more I look around these days, noticing logos, checking out color schemes, looking for harmony and contrast and continuity. I’m more aware of images, typography, layout, and design. I reach out to touch things more. I look longer. I explore deeper. I question further. I watch. I listen. I, sometimes, even close my eyes and experience “it” purely without my primary vision interfering.
I’m also noticing that I’m more available for beautiful work to find me. Collaborative efforts that take my breath away. Works of art that I witness in wonder… How did they do that?! How did they create it?! Could *I* do something like that?
This morning, I came across a piece of work that touched me for several reasons. I’m sharing a link to my blog here, where I wrote about it and where I also posted the video. For those of us that are in the Visual Arts field, the video I’m writing about is a smorgasbord of sensory delights! Typography… layout… animation… color… words… design… music… movement… stories… a message in images, sounds, and words all together at once.
May you also find inspiration within these 7 minutes and may you also be touched by the incredible message that comes through it.
Taking a Break
As I finalize my projects for Kerry’s Advance Design class, I sat back for a moment and was just amazed at all I have done this semester! It is really quite empowering to have it all laid out before me and just look at it and be impressed…
Research Treasures
I am in the middle of working on Illuminated Text dropcaps for my zine project. I’m loving the whole process of this project… gazillions of thumbnails… roughs more than I imagined I would ever do – all by hand… and I haven’t even hit the computer yet! Eight weeks into the project and I still am not on the computer. That is a first for me.
In the beginning, I loathed the whole idea of “by hand.” It sounded archaic, time consuming and laborious. However, I’ve discovered that it’s taking me back to my roots. It is giving me the opportunity to feel the paper with my fingers, watch the graphite spread across the surface, listen to the gel ink roll out of my pens. It is taking me back to the heart of why I chose into this career path – the opportunity to express myself artistically in all that I create.
In looking for inspiration on my Illuminated Text, I was perusing some blogs on wordpress and discovered there is a “freshly pressed” category for design. Hours later, I realized I hadn’t done a stitch of homework, but I surely do love all the stuff I discovered out there. One of the treasures I discovered was this beautiful company and their incredible products. I thought I would share it here as a way to show that design truly IS everywhere.
Monstrum’s Awesome Playgrounds
And I am inspired!
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