Coldplay's 10 Rules

1. ALBUMS MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 42 MINUTES, OR 9 TRACKS.

2. PRODUCTION MUST BE AMAZING, RICH, BUT WITH SPACE, NOT OVERLAYERED. LESS TRACKS, MORE QUALITY. GROOVE AND SWING Drum/rhythm are the most crucial thing to concentrate on; diff. between bittersweet and science of silence

3. COMPUTERS ARE INSTRUMENTS, NOT RECORDING AIDS.

4. IMAGERY MUST BE CLASSIC. COLOURFUL AND DIFFERENT. COME BACK IN GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOUR

5. MAKE SURE VIDEOS AND PICTURE ARE GREAT BEFORE SETTING RELEASE DATE. And highly original

6. ALWAYS KEEP MYSTERY. Not many interviews

7. GROOVE AND SWING. RHYTHMS AND SOUNDS MUST ALWAYS BE AS ORIGINAL AS POSSIBLE. Once jon has melody, twist it and weird it sonically

8. Promo/review copies to be on VINYL. Stops copying problem, sounds and looks better.

9. Jaqueline Sabrido, ns p c c, face forward

10. Think about what to do with charity account. Set up something small but really enabling and constructive. Ref; j oliver fifteen

from here.
via here.

Verb List

Richard Serra, Verb List Compilation: Actions to Relate to Oneself

"When I first started, what was very, very important to me was dealing with the nature of process. So what I had done is I'd written a verb list: to roll, to fold, to cut, to dangle, to twist...and I really just worked out pieces in relation to the verb list physically in a space. Now, what happens when you do that is you don't become involved with the psychology of what you're making, nor do you become involved with the after image of what it's going to look like." (Richard Serra) Read more: Man of Steel

Why blog?

I was browsing old journals when I found this entry, a perfect reminder to blog a little more. I think it's time to jump in again.

The one thing I could do that would make a difference in my professional life would be to blog on a regular basis:

1. Increase my level of discourse in the design field
2. Keep abreast of trends and new stuff
3. Networking possibilities
4. Inspiration and an opportunity to inspire others
5. Increase my level of awareness and observation
6. Opportunity to develop a brand/identity
7. Learn some HTML; new technical skills
8. Have a place to organize my finds, a filing system of sorts

March Links

Spring Cleaning
Architecture in Helsinki
Wordsmith
I'm Not A Plastic Bag
Little Wraps
Kerning Tracking Leading

By the way, the above image is scanned from my Moleskine, an entry from last summer... ah what sweet memories.

Spring

Above are colours from Pantone's Spring 2007 Fashion Colour Report. The pantone numbers and CMYK equivalents(!) are available from Design Edge Canada (scroll down).

Whenever the season is ready to change, I am generally ready to change along with it. I start thinking about new things I want to try, new images, new wardrobe items, new paint colours for my apartment... This season I am thinking BIG. I was introduced many years ago to the idea of a Mondo Beyondo. Images of sweepingly general, easily forgotten new year's resolutions may come to mind. But no. The mondo beyondo really encompasses the big things, things that seem impossible, things you only dare to dream. Things that make your heart jump just thinking about them. These are some of my current (unedited) thoughts:

1. Embrace improvisational cooking.
2. Design for Designers.
3. Be able to pick up a guitar and sing a tune.
4. Attend the Ecole du Louvre.
5. Learn to speak French fluently.
6. Show in a gallery. Or curate an exhibit.
7. Wear dresses all the time.
8. Be a published author.
9. Host a large dinner party.
10. Bake for friends.

Why not? I smile thinking. This is a really great exercise. And writing it down really makes it real. Already I am thinking of small ways, small steps that I can begin to take. eee.

February Links

Since February is all about the love....

The Surrealist Compliment Generator

John Gall, book designer; here too, via Ace Jet 170

Home Hotel, via Matt Bites. This place looks awesome. Check it out. chintzy wallpapers, cheerful colours of fuscia, yellow and grass, guilded mirrors, a mid-century modern / vintage / scandinavian aesthetic. woooow.

Lomo Documentary

Bottega Vaneta, via Love Made Visible. These colours make me melt.

The above image is a photo taken at The Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver. Created with pencil crayons, these two works show such attention to detail amid yummy child-like colours.

Found Type

Spotted this sign on the door of a costume shop in Paris. I could not resist its innocence. More signs should be made of paint and paint brush... you only need one anyway.

Miscellaneous:

Things only have the value that we give them. -Moliere

Computer Love my new design addiction.

Beautiful Use and the amazing jewelry of swapee Heather Guidero.

Hunting for a better laptop bag...

Repainting the walls of my living room. Change of space, change of pace.

January Link Drop

Ted Rives: a spoken word artist talks about the internet. Fascinating and funny. Requires multiple viewings. This guy can talk.

Mike and Chris: mm great jackets.

Colorstrology: Pantone's fun interpretation of color astrology.

Archinect: a good resource for what is happening in the world of architecture. I like this article. and this image.

Brand Camp: perfectly illustrates "The Eight Types of Bad Creative Critics." It's just so true. (I personally like the wannabe).

2006: a site dedicated to links of lists of the best of 2006; covers everything from music and movies to ads, words, photos and gadgets.

By the way, the above image is a brass deer resting on a piano in the hallway of my apartment building. Sometimes I feel the urge to touch his nose and make a wish.

On Using Time Wisely

This list is a peek into my professional life. Or possible lack thereof. It is part of a series of questions to help uncover one's professional calling. Sometimes I wonder if I am cut out to be a graphic designer. Sometimes I wonder if it's what I really want or what really suits me. Sometimes it's foggy. But then, sometimes it's clear as an afternoon in June. I like those days.

List ten things you do to avoid working.

1. Watch the Food Network. I work from home, where the tv is rather dangerous.

2. Go for a walk. When it's sunny, I feel walking is necessary. Sometimes walking turns into wandering... into stopping for coffee... and into the bookstore where the hours inevitably wilt away.

3. Call a friend. Because I need some human interaction.

4. Get lost amongst the mass of creative blogs. It helps to set a time limit. And stick to it.

5. Go shopping. Shopping is a great source of inspiration. All the colours and textures, surprising the senses.

6. Organize. Think about organizing. I like to be organized. I am not so organized.

7. Snack. Energy. Yum.

8. Download new music. This always takes longer that I expect.

9. Nap. Because I'm tired.

10. Make lists. I think I waste a lot of time planning. It sounds productive, but it actually borders obsessive.

Now I just have to figure out how to focus more on the task at hand. Is it just a matter of discipline? Perhaps I can find ways to incorporate some of the things on this list into my work. I'll have to put a little more thought into this.

By the way, this clock, as shown above, would undoubtedly use up hours and hours of my time. It's diy-ness would have me forever playing with different combinations, splayed out on the wall, stacked on shelves, hanging like a mobile from the ceiling...

My 2007

My 2007 so far has been lazy lazy lazy. So I have decided to follow the rest of the world a little and make a list of resolutions.

1. Involve myself in Design in as many ways as possible. Write about my findings and experiences. Hence: blog.

2. Embrace the comforts of home. Less electronics. Less convenience. Turn everything off and sink into the couch with a good book and a big blanket. Indulge in more slow cooked meals - pot roasts and apple crumbles. mm. Make more stuff. Enjoy silence and rain sounds.

3. Volunteer.

4. Learn new things. The first on my list here is French. Fluent. I love the idea of knowing the dialect of more than one language. Also, I have the mondo beyondo to attend the Ecole du Louvre.

5. Be kinder to myself.

6. Be driven by the opportunity to inspire others.

My 2006

Just a few of my favourite things. From top to bottom:

World Changing, a book designed by Stefan Sagmeister, full of social and environmental goodness. Cache, a beautiful and thought-provoking French film. By Hand: The Use of Craft in Contemporary Art, an inspirational book that makes me want to resurrect my old Singer sewing machine. Apex, a simple sans serif font that actually feels new without being obvious. Smitten Kitchen, a sweet blog with amazing photographs, ideas and recipes. Karin Bubas, a new photographer whose exhibit in Vancouver made me swoon. Blueprint Magazine, from Martha, great layout, flawless typography, and fun diy ideas to boot. Laura Letinsky, another photographer who caught my eye. Joanna Newsom, well, those strange sounds have kind of grown on me.

Ah 2006. My original list of favourites was a neverending story. So I stopped at nine. What a slice.