A few favorite wallpapers
If your anything like me, you love change. I change my desktop image at least once a week so I’m constantly looking for new ones. One of my favorite places to browse for new wallpapers is InterfaceLift.com. They also have cool icons for your folders and files and great themes (if your a mac user). Check them out sometime.
Here are a few of my favorites:
15 Ways to Enhance Your Creativity
For the past week I’ve found myself starving for a creative bug to i guess ‘bug’ me. For designers like me and persons in the field of being creative professionally, its very vital to keep your mind stimulated. Sure, drinking coffee is one way, but never-mind that for now. I’m talking about staying focused and genuinely interested in your work. It could be a tough tasks at times for some of us. Especially if there are distractions in your work place.
While searching for great mind exercises I came across an interesting article full of attractive ideas to help stimulate my mind, creatively. Its perfect timing because I was thinking of a great topic to blog about all day. We’ll here it is:
From Broadcast to Web
Many people may not know, but I dropped out of high-school a year before I was to graduate. Back then, the idea of no school was a breeze. I took advantage of lots of things that I wasn’t responsible for at the time. Being as young as I was, I didn’t have to worry about a rent, cable bills, electric bills and other common expenses of today’s typical adult. I was living the life. Out of school with magical dreams of starting a business and absolutely no clue on which foot to put first.
So instead I crawled. I started surrounding myself with people who I thought ‘may’ have a clue, and those people led me to people who actually knew what they were doing. They actually owned healthy-stable businesses and made a pretty good living for themselves. People like Jon Brunson, Keetha Lowe and Harold Simons simply get it.
I always knew I was going to work in the Digital Media industry. But there’s so many branches on that tree. You have your Print Media and Graphic Design, then your Audio Production and Recording, then your Photography, Your Web Design; I love them all. I eventually settled on Television and Broadcast, designing video and lower-third graphics for television. I loved it. But not as much as my fascination with the web.
Most of the skills I know today are self-taught. However, I’ve picked up many different techniques and strategies of web design from other web designers’ blogs. I own a small web design firm today and Im doing okay for myself.
Its awesome when your a creative person. Your mind is constantly ticking and those creative juices you depend on to make life a wee-bit more interesting evolve as you grow older.
Quality time with iPod
I live in Devonshire, which is a 15 minute speed walk from my office in Pembroke. Not exactly a stone throw away, but worth it. And I’ll tell you why. I don’t walk the distance very often. Maybe 3 - 4 times a month. But when I do take the challenge my iPod is a common choice of company. No matter which of my favorite artists I listen to, the one I choose always is a perfect match for my walk.
I’m a fast walker. Even with a laptop messenger bag around one shoulder and a bag of oatmeal and raisin cookies in my hand. But the energy in the music really pumps me on and for those 15 minutes the power-walk feels like a stroll in the park. I look forward to the nights I do walk home from the office. WIthout them, I wouldn’t spend as much time with my iPod.
Rock Island Coffee
What is it about coffee that drives us bonkers? Is it the sweet aroma that finds its way into our noses? Is it the taste of the caramel in your Capu? The hint of Vanilla in your Latte? Who knows? Just about the only thing we do know, is its addictive.
I love coffee just as much as the next person. But there was a time when I wouldn’t touch it. The brew my aunt loved when I was younger always smelled like burnt toasts. And the smell of the toast that I ‘actually’ burned smelled worst when mixed with her coffee. Those are the mornings I dread. Its funny. Now I practically sail the mocha-promo ship, and she sails at full speed through my days at my office.
I love coffee + people. If your the same. I’ll love to coincidently run into you at Rock Island Coffee sometime.
Mary: iPod + iTunes Ad
And yet they keep getting better. Today Apple released one of their famous iPod + iTunes commercials. Which in my opinion is the best yet. The commercial features a performing silhouette of HipHop/R&B superstar Mary J. Blige and what sounds like a new song from maybe an upcoming album. Nevertheless, very hot.
Video:
[qt:http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple/ipoditunes/home/2007/ipod_itunes_queen_r560-9cie.mov 440 200]
Isn’t Mary so cool?
Comfortable listening
Okay class. The first person who could tell me the difference between a peanut and George Bush? Anyone? Okay, bad question. But seriously, when it comes to this years most original musician and artist, the answer is just as obvious.
Regina Spektor was born in Moscow, but has been evolving musically from the age of nine since her and her family moved to the Bronx in New York . Her unusual style and remarkable ability to captivate audiences with her voice and ’sound’ has been her ticket to success in the music business.
Im only 2 decades, 1 year old, but for as far back as I could remember, again - which isn’t far, I cannot think of another artist who has put a kung-fu grip on my heart.
Where I went to school alternative, rock and classical music were never genres you had discussions about while skipping Miss. Fraiser’s math class with friends. Well, unless of course you were me and you were used to getting funny looks. Sure, I was different. I mean, Eminem is a great artist and all, even wanted to dye my hair like him once. But I’ve always been attracted to alternative forms of music opposed to what we know in most public schools here as the norm. I tried so hard to fit in with kids my age who idolized 50-Cent and took magic markers to their undeveloped abs to imitate the “THUG LIFE’ tattoo 2-Pac so proudly wore. I’d have gave the last of my soggy cornbeef sandwich and sun-warmed juicebox for a chance to hang with the popular kids. The ones who wore their pants on their knees and refused to where the school tie. They knew the hip-hop slang which I guess pretty much made them all that and a bag a doritos.
Im older now. Im comfortable listening to artist like Regina. On an island of 60,000 people. Its so exciting meeting new folks who have acquired taste in the genres I’m interested in. Those are the kind who most likely enjoy coffee and fine arts also. Just like me.
