37 days

Recently, while reading one of my favorite blogs, I came across a "call for artists." This amazing blogger whose ideas, philosophy and purpose deeply resonate with my own is publishing a book based on her blog. Anytime I can put my creative energy to work for a good cause, I am in! Here are the illustrations I did for my two assignments:

Close the boardroom closet

Celebrate every orange flag

Einstein.

So I got the best book for my birthday. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson.
True, he's my man crush. As I've said before in previous entries, looking in a CA, Print, or other design publications does not really inspire me. I rely on reading things about ideas (history, philosophy, religion, psychology) for inspiration. It may seem counterinutitive as I create in a visual format, but I need content in order to create and content builds on itself. It is important that I expose myself to new ideas, new ways of looking at things, whether that requires a trip to the library or a trip to the mountains. Each time I do this, I renew my perspective and my sense of wonder and curiosity are rekindled. I think this constant exposure and willingness to look at new things and new ideas is essential to the creative process. Here is a piece I did this weekend inspired by my man crush.

Stories.

I have always felt a particular draw to Atlanta. I love that it is in the South, the weather is not too extreme, it has a "big city" vibe without being overwhelming and MOST importantly, the green space. I love the trees. I love that, everyday, I can accesss natural beauty by simply walking out of the front door. I now live in Decatur, a "suburb" of Atlanta and I live about a quarter of a mile from the Decatur cemetery. Several times a week when I run, I go through this beautiful space. Some people think it's weird or "dark" to spend time in a place dedicated to those who have passed but I never think about it that way. Not only is this a beautiful and perfectly maintained green space, but it contains acres of stories. Stories that have fallen silent through the the passing from life to death, but stories that exist somewhere in some space. I try to imagine what life was like for these people. There is one woman, Barbara Dean, who lived to be 100 years old. Born in 1895 and died in 1995, I wonder what all she saw in her lifetime. The advent of automotives, air travel, several MAJOR wars, she was thriving through the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's...and so on, she saw man land on the moon....she saw huge cultural and social changes in her lifetime...I cannot imagine a time more full of innovation, progress, change and conflict than what was her lifetime. And there she is, right in my backyard. She lies alone in her single grave. I wonder what her family was like, if she had any, how she died, who was with her in her last moments. I imagine that she had so many amazing stories and I wish I could know them. When I look out onto this beautiful space, I think that there are so many millions of stories that have passed onto the "great beyond" and I think of how important it is to share your own stories. That sharing something of yourself is the greatest gift you can give.


At Portfolio Center, we spent a LOT of time discussing the importance of story telling and how allowing your personal stories to inform your work could make your work more poignant and authentic. This is, perhaps, the MOST important thing I walked away from PC understanding. At Brighthouse, it is something we talk about daily. Walking through that cemetery reminds me to continue to tell my own stories and ask others to share theirs.

N*E*X*T

Here is this month's word-it for SpeakUp..."NEXT."
Two things I love: hand drawn type and pattern making. Yeah, I'm a design-geek.

Logo Cream.

This is fabulous.
Make My Logo Bigger Cream.

Me and Carl Rogers.

As artists, we have such an amazing opportunity to touch the lives of others; we may not administer advice, conventional healing or physical protection, but I think, at our best, we can share something of who we are, impart wisdom, reach beyond ourselves and make connections to other human beings. I have always thought that our lives are to be lived as an expression of our most authentic selves and what we believe. I also believe that we are all here to serve others, whether that is in the "obvious way" (as a nurse, priest, policeman, counselor, teacher) or a more abstract way. Clearly, I chose the route of abstraction.

When I was in high school, I was certain I would study psychology and pursue my PhD to become a clinical psychologist. Obviously, that did not happen (at least the PhD part...for now), but, in that period of my life, I read a LOT of books. A mentor of mine turned my attention to Carl Rogers. "Rogers' person-centered theory emphasized the concept of "self-actualization." This concept implies that there is an internal, biological force to develop one's capacities and talents to the fullest. The individual's central motivation is to learn and to grow. Growth occurs when individuals confront problems, struggle to master then, and through that struggle develop new aspects of their skills, capacities, views about life. Life, therefore, is an endless process of creatively moving forward, even if only in small ways." (from www.mythosandlogos.com). Rogers also believed that, through remaining somewhat transparent in his own feelings with his clients, the client would feel more immediately understood and accepted, and would, therefore, heal more quickly.

As an artist/designer, I have the opportunity to put a visual language to my own experiences. Through sharing this with others, ie, allowing for some transparency in my own life, I am *possibly* able to put form to another person's experience. Only when I am my most authentic, most honest and most real does this work. Never, is the work effective or relevant when it is forced or contrived. It is amazing to me when I think of the tremendous potential art and design has to influence an individual and change the world, ultimately.

I think the following except sums it up rather succintly.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others. Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature. Life is an exciting business and most exciting when it is lived for others. You cannot do much about the length of your life, but you can do a lot about its depth and width." From Laws of Simplicity blog.

Welcome.

Welcome to my new blog!
I've decided to devote this virtual space to all things design-art-idea-related. In other words, I won't bore you all with the details of my collection of pets, silly birthday videos or other goofy Mary-centric stuff. You can visit mary pages for all of that jazz.

If anyone has any suggestions, feedback or ideas, please let me know!