13 posts tagged “design”
I'm making an update out of sense of duty, really. I fear I've lost all desire to make lengthy in-depth posts as I used to. I swear, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Plurk (which is awesome BTW) have completely robbed me of any attention span. Any post more than 140 characters is a chore for me. God, even Facebook is growing tired for me lately. As always, I hesitate to give up on my blogs entirely because of the friends I've made through them. And although I don't write nearly as often as I used to.. or comment for that matter... I read everyone else's entries every day. I imagine it'll only be a matter of time before it's time to throw in the towel and delete at least one of my journals. I don't need three or four blogs out there -- all with the same sporadic entries. ANYWAY! Life has been going really well. Work is excellent. I sent two jobs I'm really proud of to the printers and am excited to get them back. I've already accumulated a few portfolio pieces from this job that nicely fill in the gaps of my previous somewhat limited collection of work. I'm also getting a lot of valuable experience with client relations, pre-press, production, invoicing, etc. I'm trying to get a grasp of the important stuff for when I work for myself, (which WILL happen one day, gosh darnit) My bosses have been quite receptive to suggestions I've made in the last little while too. In fact, based on a few comments I had about their current website, I've been put in charge of completely re-designing their web presence. It's a big job but I'm loving it. I presented them with roughs today and they seemed quite happy overall. Tara in particular is extremely excited and asked if we could launch a new site next week. No. No we can't... but it feels good that she's that pleased. Other than work, not much has been happening. I'm looking forward to the long weekend. My bosses, bless 'em, are giving us an extra day and a half off so it'll be a very nice break. I've been trying to get some personal stuff done (illustration, as always and also re-designing my own website) so hopefully I'll have some opportunity this weekend. I'm feeling extra creative lately and just can't seem to find enough time. There. I made an update. :) Go Jared. Ta!
As usual, not much of importance has been happening for me. I still find myself longing for some sort of adventure or discovery, but I figure I'm the type of person who will always be searching for something else so I'm coming to terms with it... I guess. ;) I'm just bored. I want to learn new things and I'm horribly impatient. There are a few things that I've wanted now for quite some time and none of them seem to be getting any more attainable. Anyone who actually reads this journal should know by now that the top of my 'to-do' list is to get to Asia. (Tokyo preferably but Bangkok more realistically and likely) At this point, even I'm sick of hearing me talk about it so I really just need to get there in order to get it out of my system, I think. However, maybe upon arriving there I'll be even more infatuated and only return to Canada with a stronger desire to get back to Asia. I guess we'll see... eventually.
Another item on that list of things I'm impatiently waiting for is to get my dog. Unfortunately our new apartment, though ripe with perks, also comes with the drawback of not allowing pets. The other building in the complex does, however, so there's always the chance we'll move into that one sometime in the future. The idea of moving yet again just so we can get a dog seems pretty silly though. Who knows. Mike and I are both pretty serious about it and I think we'd get a puppy tomorrow if we could. I really miss having that companionship. I've always had a dog since I was two years old, so it's been strange not having one for so long.
Work has been going more or less good. I've gotten into one of my design-funks where I lose all confidence in my work and can't seem to produce anything. Fortunately, I've spent the last two weeks doing realistic renderings of things so I'm at least in my comfort zone. I find that even though I still lack a lot of finesse as an illustrator, I feel much more comfortable with it than design. At some point in life I can see myself focusing on it entirely, though it'll be a long time coming I'm sure.
I also have a hard time reading people at work and tend to worry about how I'm perceived. I really like everyone there and think two of my co-workers in particular are hysterically funny but in typical Jared fashion, can't seem to open up to them. I can't figure out whether they intend to lengthen my contract when the woman I'm covering for is back from maternity leave but if I'm being realistic, I really don't think they will. For one, they don't really have the room for me in the office so they'd have to make special arrangements just to bring me on. Plus, I'm not sure if they'd really need an additional person. Things are pretty hectic at work right now, and I know the bosses are working crazy overtime but I get the impression it's not very common for them to be that swamped. And plus, I haven't really done anything impressive enough for them to think I'd be valuable enough to keep in spite of any complications that may come along with it. That's not me being negative, just honest. I think I'm fairly decent at what I do but I can identify my shortcomings and know that there are several areas of design that I struggle with. I think it's fairly lucky that they just happen to have a few illustration jobs coming through the office at the moment.
Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that at this point, I assume I'll be looking for another job in July if only because they simply don't need another full-time employee. I won't worry about it until then though. I'm making this seem much more dramatic than it actually is. :)
Speaking of work, my whole office and Mike went for dinner and drinks last night. I had an extremely good night. My bosses are ridiculously funny and light hearted. They crack inappropriate jokes, poke fun at some of their more eccentric clients (and there are so many) and are just all-around fun people. I find that I'm a lot more open when I'm not in the office setting so at least they get to see a little more of my personality when we all go on outings - whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen. ;) Not to mention, they're crazy generous. They paid for everyone's cabs but also paid for seven people's dinner, (steaks with blue-cheese and chocolate sauce :) ) drinks, desserts, etc. Plus, they bought me and my two other co-workers awesome new jackets from Veer. (picture below) Of course, they also bring treats into the office ALL the time, take us out for lunches, buy as coffee, and so on. I think I got very lucky with my first job - which makes it a little crappy that I likely won't be staying around after the summer. <:)
Anyway, I'm ranting. Here's my new design-themed jacket which is geeky as hell but awesome all the same. Oh, and I finally got my beanie from Scott last week and have been wearing it entirely too often considering the unusually warm weather around here. :) I love it.
Ta ta.
I'm really tired and my eyes are aching pretty badly. I think I need to get an eye-test stat. I've always had perfect vision but lately I notice I'm squinting a lot more when I'm working and I'm getting headaches pretty much constantly. I've been popping Advil like it's going out of style and I can only blame it so much on the fluorescent lights at work.
So, speaking of work, I've been there for two weeks now. Things are pretty good. I work with two guys and two girls. I like them all but naturally I get along better with the chicks. ;) The guys are into curling and rock-climbing and other butch things that don't suit me. Everyone is very nice, however, and charming, funny, and talented as well. It's a tad intimidating at times... but then again, I could work with a bunch of retarded chimps and I'd still be self-deprecating. I look forward to getting to the point where I'm comfortable and confident at work and no longer second-guess every decision I make.
The work I've done so far is actually pretty rewarding. I have a lot of creative freedom and have done three projects entirely on my own which is something I didn't expect as they stressed the 'working in groups' aspect of the job in both of my interviews. Currently I'm doing a brochure for Albertan farmers and a guide to Rights and Responsibilities in the Albertan workplace - both of which are government jobs that should look good in the portfolio along with the Parks Canada stuff. I've gotta say, the Alberta identity system is absolutely ridiculous! It's like 45 pages of contradictory rules for incorporating three colored swooshes into government documents. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there was another page stating several other things that were allowed even though the previous page had (I thought) prohibited it.
So all and all, the job is going well. I have a deadline for Monday afternoon that I'm not going to make so I'm going to have to put in some overtime this weekend. It's coming at a bad time too since this is the last weekend we have at the current place. We move next Friday and haven't started to pack yet. *sigh* Guess I won't be getting much rest before Monday.
And now on a somewhat depressing note:
I've been desperately searching for something beautiful in my life lately. Now doesn't that make me sound like the biggest EMO loser ever? I can't really describe what I mean other than to say that nothing has really thrilled or inspired me in a while and I'm craving it. Back in Halifax, there were a lot of things in my life that genuinely made me happy on a daily basis. I liked my apartment, my studio, the city itself... I liked seeing the familiar faces at school and on the street. I had my favorite spots and my routines. All of that stuff contributed to my contentment and I was able to find beauty in a lot of different things. The harbour, the Public Gardens, the walk to the Grocery Store, the market, etc etc etc. I felt like I was always experiencing new things despite living a boring lifestyle. I'm just not articulate enough to get across what I'm trying to say I guess...
I'm going to make an effort when we get to the new place. I want to start collecting those things that make me happy so that at least my home will be a place I feel content in. I've already started picking out prints I want to hang and I've really thought about the colors and textures I love. I have never actually decorated a place before and really hope that this will be an opportunity to start. It's weird that the small bedroom I had in my crappy Halifax apartment felt a lot more comfortable than the whole townhouse I'm in now. I miss having that feeling that I really lived somewhere, you know?
So that's a rambling summary of my life right now.
After a much longer than planned break from the workforce, I'm back to the grind. I signed my contract this morning with Plumbheavy. I had my first interview with them back in November and was told that they probably wouldn't have room for an addition to the team until January. Instead of making any serious effort to secure another job, I waited it out and now I start next week.
I actually got really lucky. I only applied at two firms in Edmonton. One was a very small studio and I wasn't really expecting them to need another designer. I LOVE their work though, so figured it was worth a shot. They were incredibly sweet and complimentary but "just didn't have the budget for another designer," which is cool. I might apply there again if I'm in Edmonton a few years from now. Plumbheavy was the second place I applied to and I got the interview right away. I had found their site while living back in Halifax and thought the principle designers seemed really cool and the work was along the lines of what I wanted to do. I'm happy it worked out in the end.
The studio is really nice too. Well-lit and spacious with lots of inspirational work on the walls and very random stuff on shelves. I spotted a Napoleon Dynamite action figure on my boss' desk sitting beside his jewel encrusted tiara. :) Hopefully that's a good indication of their personalities. During my first interview, I didn't get a great impression from anyone and was a little worried about not getting along with them. Today, however, everyone was really awesome so I'm hoping that first meeting was just an off day in the studio.
So hooray. I'll be back to regular pay-cheques by the end of the month. I'm totally going on a shopping spree for at least one or two items. I was just going to settle for a Nintendo DS Lite and possibly a Wii, but my iBook computer is really starting to die on me so I'm thinking it's time to get an iMac decked out with RAM. :) *drool* We'll see. I'd also love a Cintiq tablet but I think that'll have to wait for a while. I'm getting ahead of myself and still have that Asia trip to plan.
xo
I guess I really have lost a lot of my motivation to update my blogs lately. It's funny, because I've had plenty of free time lately to update. I guess a lack of interesting stories contributes to my fading desire to update. There have been plenty of changes for me in the last month, however, so I guess I should at least jot down the main ones.
1) I graduated from University, yessiree. Got me an Honours degree. Pretty sure I lost my diploma though because it wasn't in any of my luggage when I arrived in Edmonton. Bummer. Knowing me, I wouldn't have gotten around to framing it anyway. I'm not very good at getting stuff like that done.
2) As mentioned in #1, moved to Edmonton. :) Here with the boyfriend, the best friend, and the boyfriend's friend. Things are swell. We moved into our new place which is pretty swanky if you ask me. I have pictures up on Facebook but doubt I'll ever get around to posting them anywhere else unless there's a strong desire from someone to see them.
That's literally just about it. Since moving, I've just been getting adjusted and very slowly starting to look for work. I've lost a lot of motivation in the last few weeks and I'm trying to get it back. I keep finding convenient exuses for why I deserve one more week of freedom but reality is setting in. I'll need to start making payments on my loans soon and that'll be no fun without an income.
I just feel like I want to spend a little more time on my own stuff before I devote myself to working for others. I want to experiment with styles, learn some new tricks, and add some cool pieces to my portfolio. Basically, I want to have a clearer sense of what it is I really like to do before I start applying. Unfortunately, all of my time has been spent reading, watching, and viewing other people's work and not really making much progress on my own. The only new thing I've done since getting to Edmonton is an illustration I did for my friend Jenn whom I miss very much and credit with my new love of illustration. While I know there's still huge room for improvement, I'm really starting to enjoy illustration in a painterly style instead of typical vectors, which is what I've been accustomed to for so long. I'm posting a video of some of the process just becaue I think Gawker is kick-ass and like to document my work.
Two posts in two days. What's gotten into me? You can tell the school year is wrapping up when I have time to update the journals again. Hopefully I'll make a habit of it as more time frees up.
I was up until six thirty this morning talking to the boy on the phone and working on school stuff. My head is playing tricks on me lately, fooling me into thinking I have more free time than I do since things are so close to being over. I anticipate at least two more all-nighters before I get out of here, but probably more. Mike is home in less than two weeks and I leave for Edmonton in roughly three. :) I never like to wish time away, but nine months is a long time to be away from my guy. I want April 14th to be here now.
Part of my tasks today was aging some signs for our exhibition space. I figured out a cool technique in Illustrator using Opacity Masks which is giving some great results. I like how it remains editable which is something I couldn't'achieve in Photoshop. I really am a geek for this stuff. I love learning tricks.
Anyway, back to work. Got to get the files ready for printing tomorrow.
P.S. Steve and Julé are still my favorite bitches.
I woke up happy today. I was refreshed, alive, and ready to start my day. That has not happened in a very long time. I've been putting in long hours to get work done, but things are winding up nicely. The exhibition is underway and it looks as if things are going pretty smoothly. (I better not have just jinxed us because that would suck.)
My morning was pretty productive. I started off by learning the stripper dance in Beyonce's new video seen here:
Beyonce - Sugar Mama
Yes, I'm that gay. :)
Now pleased with my new slut moves, I went window shopping with Trevor and wound up at the studio to get a little bit of work done on the exhibtion piece. The twenty minutes I intended to spend turned into two and a half hours as I realized my prints were mis-cut and my backing board was fucked as well. Many measurements later, I was back on track and finished my task.
Home, candy, television, and mindless internet surfing filled the time left before I met up with Jenn, GY and Erin to see The Hills Have Eyes 2 which turned out to be as equally gruesome as the first. I know a lot of people think these movies suck, but they're some of the few horror/gore movies that still effect me so I plan to keep seeing them. It's no fun seeing a horror movie without being scared.
Now home, I'm downloading a few horror movies I've been recommended and various music tracks. I also just got some freaking awesome news! Mike found us a place to live for May. Not only is this very relieving, but the place sounds MUCH better than I was expecting. It's a three level, three bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse with a basement, fireplace, and fenced in yard. :) I can't wait to have a yard again. Barbecues in the summer, and space for the pug to run around.
I feel very happy and very in love. Things are good for me right now and I'm very lucky. Any hesitations I once had are so far gone I can't believe I ever had them. My boyfriend is going to be here in two weeks and I'm going to be a happy little fella. :D
MWAH!
So I obviously am not good at keeping up to date with blogging anymore. It looks as if I'll only be updating when something significant happens in my life. I guess that's better than nothing right? Hopefully the majority of my posts from now on will be happy ones.
We've been working dilgently on our thesis/exhibition. It's very intimidating. It took me a month to decide on a topic and even still I'm not compltely sold on it. I should be writing my thesis proposal right now actually but Mr. Procrastinate is in the house. I'll get it done. The theme of our exhibition is 'image' and the name is: "eyecons. seeing is believing" It took quite a while to get to that point and we actually developed several names and identities before settling on anything. The new identity incorporates a camouflage pattern of signage icons which hides the type. My friend Trevor and I are in charge of the invitations to the show and we're really excited about it. The front will be a full-bleed icon-camo pattern with a spot varnish which reveals the hidden logotype when the card catches the light. It hasn't been resolved just yet, but soon. There are two people on my community who will recieve the real deal eventually anyway. ;)
I also recieved some exciting news yesterday evening. Last semester I had
Okay, I'm wasted enough time. Back to work. Later days.
Trevor came over yesterday because he needed me to take photos of him for a Christmas card he's designing. I can't show those particular photos because of the high levels of semi-nudity and skanky inappropriateness. The tag line of his card is "Don we now our gay apparel" and has him wearing nothing more than a santa hat, a red bow, and a christmas sash saying Merry Christmas. A candy cane is involved as well but I'll leave that up to your imagination. ;)
Anyway, after the skanky Christmas goodness, we took a few photos of us together because we didn't have any good ones. I don't really have photos of anyone in my life (btw - perfect gift for someone imo) so I hope to fix that this year before leaving the province. I like how these ones turned out. The entire shoot was really fun because we decided to act out shoots we've seen on America's Next Top Model. Those, like the nudey pics, are a tad too embarrasing for public viewing, however. ;)
I just really need to learn how to take a decent picture. A better background would help.
I just had my second big discussion with my instructor. They're scheduled to happen at the end of big projects - this one being the editorial/poster/web banner/newspaper advertisement that I've been working on. I think I posted an image of some of my process a while ago.
