3 Lamp Prototypes.

Bleeding Man.

I love Max Oppenheimer. The lighting, the brushstrokes, the emotion. Just wonderful.

capture

to take by force or stratagem
to gain control of or exert influence over 

Color Quiz Results

I am slightly offended.

Your Existing Situation

"Needs extra attention and must feel she is very important to those around her. If she doesn't think she is being spoiled enough, she may shut herself off from others."

Your Stress Sources

"Let down from hopes and dreams being unfulfilled or disappointing her. Is doubtful and uncertain about the future and weary of choices she needs to make. Feels conflicted between hope and necessity, causing undo pressure and stress. Is unable to make smart choices and helpful decisions to find solutions to her problems. Spends too much time and energy pursuing minor insignificant issues as a means of escaping."

Your Restrained Characteristics

Current events leave her feeling forced into compromise in order to avoid being cut off from affection or future cooperation.

"Feels she is not receiving her fair share and is unable to rely on anyone for support or sympathy. she keeps her emotions bottled up, leaving her quick to take offense to small things. she tries to make the best of her situation."

Conceited and is easily insulted. Holds back emotionally but is able to find satisfaction through sexual activity.

Conceited and is easily insulted. Holds back emotionally but is able to find satisfaction through sexual activity.

"Believes her hopes and dreams are realistic and sticks to them stubbornly, even though circumstances are forcing her to compromise. Very precise in the qualities she seeks in a partner."

Your Desired Objective

"Strives for full life which includes activities and experiences, as well as, a close relationship offering sexual and emotional satisfaction."

Your Actual Problem

"Feeling tension and stress brought on by situations which are out of her control, leaves her feeling helpless, anxious, and in adequate. she escapes the situation by throwing herself into new activities and insisting she get her own way. Appears to be in control of himself, which she isn't, leading to outbursts of anger."

Your Actual Problem #2

"Is disappointed and let down, feels there is no point in making new goals as they will leave her feeling the same way. Looking for friendly, pleasant relationships with others, who will further develop her intellect. Feels her current relationships are empty and holding her back. Reacting with an intense desire to become involved in various activities aimed at achieving her goals."

SMA all the way.

Today I went into the Spencer Art Museum for the first time. I have walked passed it numerous times on my way to HA 100, but never had the time to go in. It opened at 10 AM and I had to meet my best friend at 11:30 for brunch. All I needed to do was go in, observe and take notes on a sculpture, and leave. Before going in I told myself that's all I was going to do, no looking at anything, just in and out. But, it didn't work that way. While passing a doorway on my way out (I was so proud of myself, I finished note taking early and took two pages worth, it was great) I looked over and saw a pseudo black wall, coming from the right, and another tilted back more, from the left. It looked like a maze. If there's one thing I can't resist, it's a maze. So I went in, and there was so much ART! One piece caught my eye, so I looked at it for a while, then another, and another. It just kept happening. Needless to say, I lost track of time, and at 11:21 my friend texted me with "Seeya soon?" she knew I was with art, always dangerous. Then I made it, not too late, and ate a hamberger. It was great.

Here are my favorites:

Much to do about nothing.

Until a presentation in my art class Junior year, I didn't really know anything about Graphic Design. I had no idea what to do with my life, I knew I wanted to help people, and started to look at art as something that could be more than just an intense passion. Before then, I said I was going to be a social worker, because it would fulfill my commitment to the human race, and I wanted to save children's lives. The more I learned about it, however, the more bureaucracy I found, and I could actually make much of a difference, everything is controlled by higher ups, and it turns into nothing but endless paperwork at a desk. The only other possibility I had was the military (I'm currently in Army ROTC). I've always had a strong desire to serve my country. Not to mention, war pay as an officer is ridiculously high, and with no bills or dependents I'll have massive savings when I'm out, and I can pursue what I really want, Graphic Design. It allows me to communicate to others, use composition, color, and other elements to grab their attention and make them think.

I didn't have much going for me when I entered high school, as a result of my childhood, I was very angry and wandering with no focus. I slacked off in school, but made friends with teachers so I wouldn't have to go home after my last class. My sophomore year I had an English teacher that really made me want to try, so I got nearly 100% in her class. I also started taking art (because it was required, I liked to draw, but I was absolutely horrible, and I thought I could never make something good). My art teacher, Mrs. Schmidt, encouraged me and worked with me, she always said, "Drawing is not a talent, it is a learned skill." that anyone could learn how to draw, the only difference in talent was creativity, and I had that going for me. I worked with her for hours and hours outside of class, stayed after school until 8 at night some days and improved considerably by my senior year. I had gone from draw a shoe that looked like a deformed brick, to mixed media paintings rooted in emotional expressionism. I was always working on independent paintings simultaneously with assigned work, always in the art room, even after I graduated. At graduation she presented me with a "Most Improved Artist" award and medal.

During the same time period I discovered and became enthralled with organization such as The Joyful Heart Foundation (Started by Mariska Hargitay, the actress who plays my favorite character on Law and Order: SVU) and Safe Horizon. These organizations provide information and assistance to survivors of domestic and child abuse. It is my life goal to be a Graphic Designer for one of these or another like it. And with my intense savings from the Army, I can paint outside of my work and not really have to worry about much. I also want to work with Big Brothers Big Sisters and after school art programs with kids.

IDEO designs things good.

Where is IDEO?
Palo Alto, California.


Who is the founder?
Dave Kelly

Who is on the team, what are the roles?
Peter Skillman - Project Leader

Design Team Members:
Whitney Mortimer - MBA
Peter Coughlin - Linguist
Tom Kelly - Marketing Expert
Jane Fultonsurie - Psychologist
Alex Kasax - Biology Major

But everyone is equal.


What is the deep dive process?
Total immersion in the problem.
They split into groups and find real experts on the subject in the field like anthropologists. Then they all go back to IDEO and tell each other what they learned. Based on that, they all come up with and present every idea they have, no matter how insane and put them on the walls. Then they vote and merge them into one.


What are the rules (montra) written on the walls around?
One conversation at a time, stay focused on topic. 
Encourage wild ideas.
Defer judgment, build on the ideas of others.

What is the motto?
Enlightened trial and error succeeds over the planning of lone genius.


How can this process work in your major? (it can work in every major).
In graphics, the designer has to find a way to communicate what the client wants or needs to say in an effective way. So, he is always required to come up with new ideas. This process is the most creatively nurturing for ideas and new concepts just waiting to be discovered.

I love Banksy. So excited.

A depressing pick me up.

This is my favorite chapter from my favorite book, Futureproof by N. Frank Daniels

"We were never here.
We are a blip, a mass of energy dissipated in a matter of moments, a flash in the pan, a twinkle of the eye, a prehistory lost in the passing of millenia, the minutiae of nothingness, a blink, an afterthought, a shallow stream evaporated in the first light of day. We are the misunderstood. We are the unclassified the oversimplified the target market the failing demographic. We are all already dead, the untalented, the ugly, the wasted, the underused, making way for the new. We are the bleeding. We are the profusely complaining, the overfed. We are the holes. The empty. The vacant. Carved out and hollow. Blankly starting. Echoes. Not ourselves. Not anyone."


I absolutely love this paragraph. In context, he is sitting in a basement with a group of people, all are on LSD, and he is tripping but observing them in this magnificently beautiful way. I wrote this in the front of my sketchbook, and whenever I need some inspiration or need to figure out what to draw I read it again, just for the visual.

I found a use for illustrator.

So, I have this friend who is really good at directing and musicals and such, and he is now working at our high school doing just that. They are doing "Zombie Prom" this fall and wanted me to make a poster for auditions. Which, is cool. My instructions were "I want, like, purple and green, and 11x14, and an atom, something that will get high schoolers' attention" along with the information of course. I usually draw things up by hand, copy them, outline them, then scan them for use in photoshop. However, I came home from college this weekend for a doctor's appointment and didn't have my scanner. Thus is my life. Before last night I had never even opened illustrator, I thought it was just this weird confusing thing, and why would anyone use it when you have photoshop? But, I had to make an atom. That is when I turned to illustrator, and I have a whole new appreciation for it, though I still do shading and everything other than "drawing" on photoshop, illustrator does exist for a reason.

Design Inspiration.

Fingers and Toes. No, no, just fingers.

I am obsessed with potted plants. Not your grandma's potted plants, but, surreal 'pots growing things'. I have sketched them since I was in middle school and just love them, my newest has a finger on it.

As I mentioned 3 seconds ago, yesterday, I love fingers. Which kind of saved me in trying to place the layout of my 'foam core display for good design thing'. And that's cool. Moral of the story: The finger has saved me yet again.

Books take so much time to write.

Today was fairly uneventful. PT this morning, class, waiting for my friend who goes to USC to ichat with me, and... what else? OH! Dan the bus driver is the coolest person ever and I love him with my soul.

The biggest part of my day is the last three, well, three and a half hours, which I have spent reformatting the novel I am working on called Rhino Lips. Before, it was just in a word document of 'la la la, I'm a creativity fairy full of creative thoughts and know nothing about what writing a book entails'. And I don't really, I just kind of write and see what happens, but today a publisher-y woman named Melanie (kind of funny because my favorite English teacher's name was Melanie)(...well, I thought it was funny) so I figured I should look into it, and I found a wonderful template that you can write in and it makes it... right. YAY! So, that was the last part of my life I will never get back again ever in my ever.

I really want to paint. I want to paint a finger. I don't know why, but they are so useful and they are really nice to me all the time. They hold my pencils and brushes, and type my papers and hold incriminating evidence if I ever murder someone or steal a kitten... Well, that last one was kind of a negative about fingers, but overall they are wonderful. And I love them. I love them for all day.

When did this happen?! And why is the love of my life being covered by Tori Amos?

Thinking of my studio project of good design I have decided one thing about my life:
I want to be the LOCTITE Super Glue Dispenser of the human race.

When creativity creeps up on me.

Today, I had a rather interesting day. By that I mean, not at all. It was hot and I walked to my first class of the year. While walking, I listened to Amanda Palmer singing a Radiohead cover drunk somewhere. I was tired and fantasizing about Scooby Doo mac & cheese and non-existent hot dogs. When I got to my class (30 minutes early, which is surprising, I don't think I was ever even on time in high school) I sat. Just, sat. I didn't really have anything substantial to do, I didn't have a laptop like the girl beside me, and I didn't want to look dumb, so I pulled out a notebook and my ROTC papers (that I already completed) and pretended to look productive.


After about 5 minutes of just looking from the papers to the notebook, trying to appear I was diligently studying the profound formations of words, I decided I should at least pretend to write. The girl beside me was typing, typing, typing. Actually, she was just on facebook stalking some weird guy, insanely common in this day and age, but I imagined her writing a short story about a small homeless boy in Seattle. Anyway, she was using her hands, and I have always been entirely fascinated with hands, fingers, muscles. So I somehow began writing a poem in my Army 101 notebook. What started out pretending I was doing something as to not look awkward and lonely in front of my peers, turned into something I highly enjoy doing. Usually in awkward situations like that I pretend to text, or actually text people who happen to be unable to text back.
This is what my mind gave me:

i extend my hand to Yours,
offering complete protection
from everything my alternative has done.

Your words lighten as
Your hand hesitates.
You want to believe me
but all instinct tells You
i will let Your fingers fall through
when temptation glistens in my irises.

"It's fine." i say,
with my fingertips beginning to numb.

Usually I spend many hours writing and editing my poetry, and this is just a start if I decide to actually finish it. We'll see. I'm not much of a "Yay Poetry!" person. I prefer art and short stories, but I do like the freedom of format. I can honestly say, every halfway decent poem I have written in my life came about while I was doing anything other than sitting at a computer or looking down at my journal. It's an inspiration that hides from me until I'm not looking for it anymore, then ambushes me when I least expect it. Just like that matching sock, only a mutant, carnivorous, terrifying sock, that happens to be extremely beautiful.

The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering. - Ben Okri

I love this man.