The Best Piece of Design Advice.

OKay, so I just found this site

http://www.questionablecharacters.com

which in turn linked me to this site

http://www.frankchimero.com

which in turn linked me to his ethos page

http://www.frankchimero.com/ethos

which in turn lead me to add it to my RSS feeds on mac mail.

Which in turn lead me to read the last ten most recent posts.

The last one said:

There are no secrets or shortcuts. Just work hard.

Which in turn made me feel motivated and empowered.

Seriously. I need to stop being a career failure and just get on with it. I might have to redesign my site first off :)

Well first off I need to do the work that I have waiting to be done.

And I need to get out of debt. I just attempted to apply for two credit cards with 15 months 0% on balance transfers. Sadly I got rejected for both. I think it's because i'm self-employed. B'tards.

How Do You Get Great Ideas?

Ideo are a design company that I hold in high regard. If Fabrica would ever reply to me I would be applying for jobs with them... or doing my masters in design writing in New Yoik.

Anyway.

I just downloaded a widget that asks a new question every day.

Today's question is: How do you get great ideas?

The grammar seems a little incorrect, but who am I to judge?

My thoughts are: that great ideas are not gotten. They do not just appear. They are not something that wakes you up in the middle of the night and by morning you are done masterminding your ideas.

A great idea is something that grew from an idea.

I'm going to use a quick and partially appropriate metaphor. It is like (or a simile if you're Ed Byrne) the Great Wall of China. It is great. It started with an idea, it started with a thought, it started with one brick, and one pair of hands, followed by many thousands of others. There was one person though that laid the first stone/brick.

And then as the chinese proverb says 'Many hand make right wolk.'

That's what an idea is. It's not something forced, and more importantly it comes from the want to fulfill and need (rather than the need to fulfill a want).

That is how great ideas come to be. From one thought, that is built on over time, and developed by other people to the point of it becoming great. More than likely your 'Great Idea' will far succeed your own meandering existence.

I love shoes.

Last week after church I went to the park to kill time before going to Patsy's. The only problem with going to the park after church was that I was wearing high heel shoes and my vintage awesome dress. That was no problem for me, but for everyone else they just stared.

I was stalking through the park quicker than most of the people there with their hiking boots and short shorts. And they looked at me as if I had fallen out of the 50s or something. I won't deny that I wasn't loving it and slightly amused at the looks I was getting. I was not wearing typical park attire.

I walked for about 10 minutes then sat on the grass and finished the end of eclipse. I was joking that I would read all three of the Twilight books before the fourth was released, but I managed to do it with no effort at all, with a week to spare. I've had no vampire fix for the past week though. Although tomorrow is the day, I'm so excited for lunchtime tomorrow.

The week has been a bit crazy. It's been all work and no play, and then I had a minor breakdown which made me felt quite psychotic. Although, to know that I'm being psychotic means that I'm not actually. I need to reset though, and when I reset I'm going to hit the ctrl, apple, shift and s button too. (or f. I can't actually remember.)

I'll be grand though. I just need to take more time for doing the things that I want to do with work and career etc.

Anyway, I love Macbook Pro. It makes me so happy, and I wish I worked for apple, although I would probably start resenting Apple if I worked for them.

I wish I had more shoes, I wish I actually had more occasions to wear real shoes. I always forget how much I love shoes.

I was planning on doing a total photo montage, because I've switching all the files over I've found tonnes of images that i've taken off my phone that I've never put online, but they are somewhat amusing. But It's almost 1am, and I slept the Sunday away, and I have to go to work in the morning.

Things that make me happy (dot com):

Sliced dried (soft) mango.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pasta and Cheese (with Pesto)
Rice Krispie cakes
Cheese
Travelling
Driving (while listening to amazing playlists)
Zero (the ghost cat)
Watching Back to the Future with Deanerio at the same time in different countries (but the same time zone) while on msn.
Shoes

Seven Point Nine Hours

It's Thursday. Which means the swimming stats will come later. However, first and foremost something amazing just happened.

I created the best playlist in the world ever. Now, I know I have claimed this in the past, but those playlists (that I usually make for other people) are the best playlists in the world that they've ever heard. This playlist is the best playlist in the world that I have ever heard. I thought that the June playlist, which was inevitably the China playlist as well, was pretty amazing, but this tops the lot.

I made a smart playlist on iTunes that gathers the top listened to 111 songs. yes I am obsessed with the 11's and the 1's.

I just finished my first ever listen through the whole thing. 7.9 hours of the most amazing music and memories ever. I am well pleased. As time progresses so will the playlist. That is the beauty of it, it will always be the best playlist in the world ever. This is a fact.

I have some amazing pictures of the past couple of days to post as well. Possibly tonight after swimming, while watching still Game perhaps :)

I've also been eating peanut butter M&Ms like they're going out of fashion, and the supply is running low. GASP.

I'll tell you me though, I made an absolutely spiffing dinner last night. AMAZING. I should screenshot the playlist, I'm that much in love with it.

My 17inch Mac Daddy Pro will be with me on Saturday. Pleased.

I also have no ceilings in the bathroom and kitchen, a possibility that I'm breating in asbestos and a bedroom and living room filled with junk from the aforementioned ceiling-less rooms. BAH. My stress levels and acid levels are beyond high. I need to get a grip of my life. Hmmm. I also need to call the docooootototor for some more prescription. The magic of the NHS. NN HHH SSS.

Also, I downloaded The Lost Boys last night because I'm far too cheap and skint to buy it, but there was no sound, so I am re-downloading it again. I got an overwhelming desire to see it because I've been reading the twilight saga. I think it's because I want the ending to be how I see it, and I'm not concerned with Bella, Jacob or Edward. What I want is for for Bella's Dad – Charlie – to make some sly comment at the end about how he always knew there were vampires and werewolves. I actually want her Mum and Dad to do that. Just like how The Lost Boys ends. I love that scene, I think it might be one of my all time favourite scenes.

I looked for it on YouTube there to no avail. When my version downloads I'll chop it and post it for you to see what I mean. It's the best part of the whole movie. Perhaps the best part of the 80s.

There's some crazy competitions just now that I keep hearing about, one is a straight out art competition, there's one that encourages people to make a movie of their home town, one to make a flag that will unite the world, and a church art competition. I want to enter them all. But I am severly lacking in time. What was it that Wee John told me, 'Is time on your side?' No it's not wee john there's far too much to do. Far too much. On top of that I still have Ross's website (if he still wants me to do it), Justin's logo, Mary's work too and now Mark's sister's poetry book. I'm happy to do them all, life just gets in the way of everything. And then I want to start my record label, publicise Bleary (I <3 Bleary... you will see how much when I post my 111 playlist haha), save the world, start one of my many books that I plan on making. Who honestly has the time. On top of all that I am actually working and paying back my debts. I don't know how normal people manage it, then all I want to do is knit, bake, and sew things. I love being me and having my strange desires but I am so busy it's unreal. So busy. If you ever see me looking bored or moaning that there's nothing to do send me home and tell me to do one of the many many things that need done.

I also started redesigning my tunasandwich site, so that needs finished off and coded. Bah. And I have countless pictures that I want to make in to stencils, as well as actually grow the balls to stencil outside. For which I would need my logo stencil done and some text. I don't want to just put up imagery I want to make people think.

Anyway. Time is pressing and I better do some more design work before hitting the pool and re-assembling the house.

I kind of want some salmon. Shame i have no money. noooo money. Grrrr. Anyone want to buy me salmon for dinner?

Left Over Pastry.

Okay, so I had left over pie crust from last weeks baking endevours, so I made some jam tarts today. Yes, I know what you're thinking, 'That dough is a week old.' Well, I'm cooking it, so I'm sure it's grand, and it's been in the fridge, in tin foil. That's tin foil, not aluminum foil. Pah.

I watched/listened to Ed Byrne on You Tube, his entire DVD is on there in nine parts, and there was one section that spoke about Americans and how he hated the way they said aluminum foil, aluminum cans, because everyone knows it's pronounce Tin Foil. It made me laugh a lot. A LOT. In my head though because I was in work.

So, I've had a lot of realisations this week, and I suppose I have two choices, I either ask questions to get a clarifying and confirming perspective, or I just continue down this path that might lead to self-destruction. Fact.

Anyway, let's show you what we all came here for.





Check out that plate.

I have this amamzing tea set that I got with Eilidh in Inverness once. It's china with gold sparkley designs on it. I decided to sell it on ebay. I sold it for £9, but then I outbid the bidder with my Mum's account because I decided I wanted to keep it. It is amazing, and it will look wicked in my totally kitsch future house, with my Hello Kitty Toaster - if I didn't blow it up the day I got it back from New York. I wonder if Canadian Steve ever fixed it.

Anyway, check out my jam tarts. They are not like any other tarts because they are not the traditional round shape, no no, they are heart and star shaped. Why? Because that's the only cutters I could find.

I ate a gazillion of them already. I'm eating for two now, so I'm allowed. (two being me and the cat.)

Today was another day of 'I remember every Kiss' by Jens. I love Jens. I love his little accent that peaks through while he sings. I think I might marry him. I've decided. I'm going to tell him tomorrow at 1:37pm and then he can write a song about.

I should really update my vector/avatar because i no longer have my skunk hair. I'm growing all the colour out. A person with money would die over it, someone cheap like me would let it grow out.

I am shattered and I'm going to bed now. I want some chamomile tea, however, I am far too lazy to walk downstairs and boil the kettle.

I also went for my second violin lesson today. I'm so excited the music I was given was so exciting. I can't wait to be a professional. It will be wicked.

I finished twilight today. It seems to have come to a bit of an anti-climax. The whole action section seemed to just end, and it got very same-y. It was the same thing over and over again. I mean, it was entertaining, it's the most romance i'm getting this summer haha, but i started to get irritated at how needy Bella was. The vampire needs space girl. Then I realised how obsessive I am about boys, and how I need to stop that (again), because it just ruins everything, and my only comfort is that it might not be too late. But it more than likely is.

Still no word from fabrica. Two months, exactly, today was when they received my folio. So, it's any time from now. I don't even know if I want to go any more. I feel like it's holding me back from making other decisions now. But I suppose whatever is meant to be will be and it will work out in the end.

I hope.

I faith.

I robot.

I hungry.

I need tea.

I sleepy.

I need teeth brush.

I need to read the next twilight saga book.

I need vampire love.

I need love.

I cat.

iCat

iFreak

iAddict

iScottish

iGeek

iCrazy

iObsessive

iAsleepOnFaceNow

iMeow.

ixxx


iStillFrameAnimation. I've decided, after animating some 360 degree laptop views in flash that I want to make my third still frame animation. I decided it a few weeks ago, in passing, but now I'm serious. Now I need a song, and a plot and a script, and some willing actors - or toys.

Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far.

The time has come for me to impart some wisdom that does not belong to me.

Stefan Sagmeister's Things He has Learned speaks volumes for the things I should be learning, the things I have learned, and about the things I think we have all learned in life so far.

Here is his list of twenty with my own commentary in italics underneath.

I salute you Sagmeister.

1. Assuming is stifling.

Fact. I assume too much, and never clarify anything, and it drives me insane. I get lost in my assumptive thoughts and think and replay people, events, and things over and over to the point that it does stifle me. Less assuming. More fact inquiry perhaps.

2. Being not truthful works against me.

I actually can't lie, people can tell I'm lying, so I'm with Sagmeister on this one. It also just leads to stress of maintaining the un-truth.

3. Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.

Being British, I have to complain. That's what we do: moan to each other A LOT about nothing then move on. I think we dwell in more of sentimental memory way rather than a bitter way. We also like to keep our complaints for further conversation. But then I suppose it does drag down the tone and demenour of the conversation.

4. Drugs are fun in the beginning but become a drag later on.

I don't really have a comment on this one because I have no first hand experience of it.

5. Everybody (always) thinks they are right.

Of course they do. They will always think they are right until they are proven wrong. You know?

6. Everybody who is honest is interesting.

I like this one. I hope I am an honest person. I don't lie, but I do tend to avoid being upfront, honest and open. Again this is attributed to being British I think, and being partly cowardly. However, there are times in my life that I have been open and honest and the benefits have been greatly rewarding. But then opportunities to explore further honesty expire, and then I just fear the bad timing and I assume the responses and answers. No assuming, no shut mouthed dishonesty. Perhaps it is dishonesty to not speak what we are thinking all the time?

7. Everything I do always comes back to me.

Everything has consequences. I've not had direct experience of this in a negative. I think I watch my own back too much. From a design perspective it is a fact, everything always comes back eventually. I have had things I've said come back to me, but I never remember saying them. Always things that I try and pass off as facts - because everything I think and say is right.

8. Having guts always works out for me.

I don't really have any of those. But I'll let you know if I grow any. Well, travelling I suppose. It's always worked out. I've never been stranded, I've always made friends, I've made things happen. That takes guts I suppose. Talking in public, having an opinion takes guts too. I wish I had more passion about my convictions again. I get so easily trodden down, and decide that my voice isn't worth much in the noise. I need to have more guts. Decide what I believe in and preach it.

9. Helping other people helps me.

Fact. I always feel really good about myself when I can be helpful. I also like to not talk about the things I do do for people. It seems to take away from the humble happiness and strength I am awarded when I am of some kind of service to other people.

10. If I want to explore a new direction professionally, it is helpful to try it out for myself first.

I've never been that brave. I'm trying to. But we'll see how it pans out.

11. Joemmera isch bloed. I soet eappas tua odr's vergessa.

Your guess is as good as mine. FreeTranslation.com?

12. Keeping a diary supports personal development.

I cannot tell you how many diaries I have. I have a few completed, I have some that were abandonned, but, right now, I have a sketch book diary that I do crazy drawings and write really basic things in (it's almost david shrigley esque), I have my blog, I have an actual writing diary somwhere, I have a blessings and gratitude diary that I use to think about the things in my life that are blessings, I have a feelings, emotions and confidence notebook (that i've not written in in a while) that I use for quick notes to work out patterns in my life and emotions. I think it's tremendously important, because it helps to focus and channel everything that's in my mind. It helps me to think clearly, chart a path, and realise my real thoughts, feelings and reactions. Without my diaries, I would be mental - moreso than I am.

13. Low expectations are a low strategy.

This has always worked for me. It might seem tragic, but it's not. I mean, I have aims, goals, ambitions etc etc and above all I have passion, but I also don't expect too much from myself because I know myself too well, and if I keep letting myself down and don't achieve the things I set out to do I will just hate myself and then not trust myself to accomplish anything. So small goals, low expectations that lead to high and promising goals is how I work.

14. Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.

Yes. I am an anti-consumer. Well anti-unnecessary consumer. And having too many things just makes us sick. What to we do with them all, when do we have the time to use them all? We're too busy working to pay them all off. I hate money, I hate things. My most valued possessions are all books, journals and other artifacts from my life that bring back happy memories and prove that I existed.

15. Money does not make me happy.

It makes me miserable. Once I am out of debt and I actually have no money rather than negative money I will be the happiest person in the world. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT DAY. Just to be legitamitely back at zero again. It would be nice to not have to worry about money, or where the food's coming from etc etc, but I don't think that security would make me happy either. Where's the excitement?

16. My dreams have no meanings.

My dreams have meanings to me, but I don't think they do mean anything more than that I was doing that or thinking that on that day. I've read up on some of my dream interpretations before and they all say the same thing. It's like reading the daily horoscope.

17. Over time I start getting used to everything and start taking it for granted.

Fact. Especially people. Then the people leave, or I just assume they will leave, so I take them for granted so it makes it easier when they do leave me. I was on the train today and I was thinking about my 20 minute journey out of the city and I was thinking about how many people in the world would probably kill for my Glasgow/European life, because it is an experience. I've just been experiencing it for so long I take it for granted.

18. Starting a charity is surprisingly easy.

Good, because I want to start one.

19. Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.

This is so true. Everyone sits around, or gets stuck in their routine with the decision and idea that everything will be better eventually, that things will work out, that everything will get happier, that everything is just a temporary event until they can 'afford' to do what they want, that the future will hold everything they ever dreamed of and more. I hold my hand up guilty as for this one. I mull around waiting for something to happen rather than taking the Bull by the horns and making my life happy now. I know what I need to do. So I should be doing everything within my means to do it, instead of waiting around hoping it will all work out for me and I will be happy with no effort on my behalf.

20. Trying to look good limits my life.

This is by far my favourite one. I have spent so many years trying to work out how to dress to attract people, to attract friends, to look cool, to be viewed as amazing, unique or different. But now, I couldn't care less. I think this, essentially, will lead to my demise or the loss of some kind of competition. But I really can't be bothered any more. There's so many more important things in the world than being super skinny, than having straightened UK hair all the time, than having eybrows that have been plucked to nothing, than wearing high heels, skirts, low cut tops and anything else that I used to do to try and be noticed. I can't be bothered any more. I would much rather just be unnoticed. I haven't brushed my hair since Sunday morning, and I do my make up on the train every morning. I mean, I still take a certian amount of pride in my appearance, but I do dress like a scruff most of the time. Gone are the days. I wish I did look like Tank Girl though. That would be amazing.

21. Worrying solves nothing.

This is true, but I am a natural born worrier and it makes me ill, I think. That's why I seem to stress so much over the simplest things. I get so worked up and so involved in my own worry about everything from the world to what I said on Sunday night at dinner. You know? I just think too much and worry too much, especially about what other people think of me. But nothing ever is resolved with worry. Honesty, truth, being up-front: that solves problems, not worry. But I continue to worry regardless. Worrying really hinders my life. I need to be free to feel like I can do whatever I want, be whomever I want without worrying or caring what other people think or their reactions. When did I start caring so much?



So it turns out there's 21. I think the one in Austrian/German/French may or may not count.

Who knows.

Anyway.

In other news.

I started reading Twilight. While I was in Utah I was leant a copy of Twilight by Stephanie Mayer. And because of my 'working from home' situation when I was home I felt like I should be working, so I had a tendency to not do the things that entertained and relaxed me, like reading.

I only made it about 60 pages into the book and then I had to come home.

Last week I had a hankering to find out what happened. It had been a few weeks and I kept thinking I wonder where that story was going. So I got on it, bought it on Amazon and received it on Friday.

I've been reading it since. I'm more than half way through and so in love with the vampire main character dude.

It's pretty much Buffy and Angel but in a less developed manner, without the passion of Buffy and Angel.

Buffy and Angel were the best Vampire/Human couple ever. So amazing.

But yeah, I am totally taken by twilight because it essentially is a romance story with a vampire. So I'm getting my kick of love and romance through a book just now. Living my life procariously through fictional characters that exist in my head haha.

I wish a tall dark handsome muscle-y vampire would fall in love with me and try and read my thoughts and rescue me from dangerous situations.

Go me and my awesomeness.

Still no news from Italy. I hate waiting, but that's it though, everything rides on that response.

Ahhh.