Lie to Me

Today's class was an interesting one. We engaged in the fine arts of storytelling and lying. In the field of graphic design, presentation is as important your design. Whether or not your design is strong or not, you have to be able to sell your idea and design to your audience. If that means exercising the fine art of storytelling or lying. Either way, be sure to do it well.
In class we did two exercise. The first one was a game of truth and lie. Each of us had to tell two truths and one lies. This exercise was a two way system. The speaker tells his or her truths and lie, while the audience tries to tell them apart. This challenging job required our judgement, self awareness and observational skills. The ability to when we are lying, and when we are lied to, consist of being able to tell fiction from reality, being aware of the lies, as well as the physical reaction from lying.
Some students were able to fool us well, while some needed more practice being in the spotlight. I was able to fool some of my classmates. I claim I was a martial art instructor, I was almost kidnapped in front of a police station, and that I was a survivor of cancer. So which was the lie.... I have never had cancer. In fact, I'm not even a cancer. While most of my classmates, thought the first two seemed like obvious lies, the last one was much too heavy for anyone to lie about. Boy did they underestimated my shameless ways. My own mother thought, it was an abomination to lie about such a serious topic. I am however shameless about my lie and saw no harm in it because the truth came out in the end. I did however, learned that there is more to it the lesson plans that what I gathered in class. Lying is the easy part, being able to live with it is the difficult part. Therefore, when presenting your designs before your audience, chose your words well, and be sure to be able to live to them.
The other exercise worked on our storytelling ability. we only had a few sentence to tell a story about our thanksgiving weekend. In a few sentence I told my story: We had our Thanksgiving meal, that my mother made. She was sick when she cooked it. Today I woke up with a sore throat. It was not the most amusing story, or the most impressive one. Therefore, I need more practice in my story telling.

That was what my last monday of class was like. I had so much fun lying to you all, that I came up with another fun multiple choice test. It wont be the same as me telling the lies to you directly, but feel free to try to guess my lie.

1. I was once suspended from school for stabing a classmate with a pencil
2. I finch at the expression "pulling teeth because I had mine pulled when I was four.
3. I once shot down an entire hospital all by myself.

Can you guess my lie?

Final Week Words

KNAVISH:(ADJ)Like or befitting a knave; untrustworthy; dishonest.

SAGACIOUS:(ADJ) Having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd.

LEWD:(ADJ) inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious.

Thanksgiving week

This week is a short week. We had our critique over our latest design ideas, along with our creative briefs. I've learn that my briefs was standard and that my idea were annoying my classmate's sense of aesthetic. It was a helpful criticism, but rather vague. Later in class,however, we voted on the strongest image. Naturally, the strongest was not mine, that honor belong to Christ's piece of the evolution from monkey intern to C.E.O. However, my golden eagle constructed of word was strong enough to be on the ballot. Jimmy then asked us why most of us didn't vote on our own piece? He then answered if you do not believe that your own piece is strong and valid, then why would anyone give a rat's @$$!? (not his exact words, but you get the idea).
It is hard to decide what to make of his statement. On the one hand, why not choose your piece. Why not favor yours over the others, but one the other hand do you look foolish or arrogant in doing so? mostly, because if your peice is not strong, then where is the point in voting on it. I suppose its a matter of picking your battles. Choosing your words carefully, design well, and witha passion.
the last thing we did in class was listen to a story, and vissualize what we see by the end of the story. In my case I saw nothing but darkness. A place, in which I been finding myself. Lastly Jimmy Handed Us our final for the class (lousy timing). Its been a a long 9 weeks since we first step into that ghetto shaped class. Now the pressure is on, as we face finals.
Good Luck and stand strong comrades.

words of week 9 -part 1

ARELIGIOUS:(ADJ) Unconcern with or indifferent with religious matters.
ECCLESIASTICAL:(ADJ) of or pertaining to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical; not secular.
AUSPICIOUS:(ADJ) Favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate

YouTube - Sick Puppies - Pitiful/ Just Another Other Day

YouTube - Sick Puppies - Pitiful


I can honestly say this has bee a long week. Not because I have and overwhelming amount of work, or finals is just around the corner, or even factors outside of my control have been overwhelming me. No, this week has been long because it feels I'm in a rut day in and day out is the same routine, and Jimmy's class is no exception.
From the time that I am up to the time I sit on the bus next to some questionable people or a noisy kid with snot running down his noes, to the time class begins, it has been rather consistant. Even when Jimmy is in one of his perky moods, and has us sit by birthdays, names, or even heights (don't act so shock if he does), class has been ordinary. In the beginning, it was exciting because we were all new little Ginnie pigs to the experimental class, and all we had was a 7 page syllabus and a crazy teacher who organized it. Now, still the same syllabus and still the same crazy teacher, but we've adjusted. Perhaps this is what Kim Baer was felt when she hit a comfort zone. It is stable, yes, but boring. That kills creativity.
This week as usual we got out our homework. As usual we criticized in our heads, while jimmy verbally abuse some of the work. Today went the same as any Wednesday, we talk, Jimmy Questions, our heads were dizzy with more questions than answers, we saw some slides that nearly put us to sleep by the middle of the lecture.
This has been just another other day.

words of week 8

VEHEMENT:(ADJ) Passionate, opinionated.

COVENTOUS: (ADJ) Eagerly desirous.

LIBIDINOUS: (ADJ) Full of sexual lust.

ACQUISITIVE: (ADJ) Tending or seeking to acquire and own, often greedily; eager to get wealth, possessions.

FLAGITIOUS: (ADJ) Shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.

ABERRANT: (ADJ) Not normal; varying from the usual.

On thrusday night

Despite the holiday break, we made it up for the loss of class time by attending a lecture delivered by the legendary designer, Kim Baer. Even though I was cold and tired, and had to wait until 7:30 at night, for the lecture, it was amazing experience. Baer was surprisingly very down to earth, and intensely passionate about her career. Having no college background, she took on the challenges of a self-taught journey. She use the example of a constellation to illustrate her journey. Like a constellation, its confusing and rather hard to find your way to your destination, but with knowledge and understanding you can find a way.

Baer, not only was understanding about her craft, but also very passionate, challengingly, and above all curious, in which a creative careers demands.

words of week 7 part 2

AGNOSTIC:(ADJ) asserting the uncertainty of all claims to knowledge.

EERIE:(ADJ) Uncanny, so as to inspire superstition fear; weird.

BEATIFIC:(ADJ) Saintly

It Never Ends!

Last class was a nightmare. Jimmy had us play a game that he played WAAAAYYYYYYYY back when he was a kid. Idealy, it was a game that teaches up concentration adn listening skills. The rules of the game was to sit in a circle, have one person introduce the one item to each sides, pass and introduce the item all around the circle until they return to the person. It was simple...SIMPLE BUT IMPOSSIBLE. Everytime we get it across the middle someone always gets the items mix tup. I am ashame to admit that the game never ended. It was "this is a who" this, and "this is a what" that. I felt I was in a Dr. Seuss's Books. I was dizzy and tired by the end of the game.



On the otherside, I did learn a valueable lesson, the older you get shorter your ability to follow orders becomes. This is a game that requires patcience, concentration, Participation, and most of all team work. Skills that we need in the working feild.

words for week seven part 1

MELANCHOL:(ADJ) A gloomy state of mind.

PULCHRITUDIOUS: (ADJ) Physically beautiful; comely.

INEPT: (ADJ) Clumsy, unskilled; incompetent.

comics and graphics

Last Wednesday day, we evaluated our class. As you recall, concepts and development is a new course and we are the Ginnie pigs. After a long list of likes highlights and low lights, I can safely say that was a waste of time. To be frank, I think that should have been saved for the end of quarter when we have a more developed concept of concepts and developments.

Later on, we saw more of TED's youtube videos. Two of them, Scott McCloud and John Maeda, and two of them I could have gone without hearing them. McCLoud presented his passionate for comics. At an early age, he was encouraged by his father to pursue his passion and talent, which says a lot considering his father was blind. As he said in the video, it gave a new meaning to the term, blind faith.

McCloud believed in four simple rules that can make you a success, not just in art, but in life:
-Learn for everyone
-Follow no one
-Watch for patterns
-Work like hell

McCloud states that his career felt natural because he embrace his nature. Something very similar to what Sir. Ken Robinson said, follow your passion. No matter what you plan to do in this world, be sure to have a passion for it. That are a handful of people in this world who get to do what they want. Faith or no faith, guidance or no guidance, just be sure to be one of them.

The next speaker, John Maede, spoke about his passion for graphics, and his child like curiosity. After taking a cheap shot on how he resembles the character in the so-and-so for Dummies, he brings up the concepts of complexity and simplicity. We love complexity in art but not in life. We like simplicity in task, but no in beauty. We want more when we want to enjoy, and less when we have to work. Maeda, however, finds beauty in all. Whether, its a dead moth or Cheetos, he takes a picture of it and convert it into art. People, like him, are one of those rare kinds of of souls, who's curiosity was either nurtured or unbreakable. As a result they will never grow bored.

words of week 6 part 2

CATHARIC: (ADJ)Good for one's health.
FOREBIDING: (ADJ) A storng inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune or evil.
SALUBRIOUS: (ADJ) Health giving

The soul of concepts

Today in class, I heard something I never thought a teacher would say," You don't watch enough television" (Jimmy Moss). However, there was reason behind his madness. Watching and Critiquing television involves understanding it, and it goes beyond that. It extends itself to understanding culture. Let us acknowledge, that they don't just put anything on TV. It is a business, and as a business they have to investigate wisely, and therefore require an understanding with a specific audience. That my dear readers, requires and even more research and understanding.
Why is this important to design. Design is a method of communication. In order to communicate, understanding the audience is crucial. To be precis, a specific audience. after all, the audience is what breathes life into your work, with their opinions and judgement. Furthermore, clients (a type of audience) will need to understand, invest and believe in your work and ideas. Design will influence all decisions that we make. Therefore the right design can make a different between a selling product and the product that sits on the shelf just collecting dust. However, it extends even further than just the design. The right word can change the world, what makes you think it won't change design and product. The right presentation, can make or break the design. No matter how brilliant or beautiful your design may be, the wrong choice of organized words and sentences, can and will blunt it.

words of week 6 part 1

POIGNANT: (ADJ) Kneenly distressing to the feelings. Kneen or strong in mental appeal.

AUSTERE: (ADJ) Severe in manner pr appearance; Uncompromising; strict; forbidding.

ASCETICAL:(ADJ) Rigorously abstinent.

TED

Wednesday's class was movie night. We watch an online video, called TED, an annual invitation-only conference that is devoted to "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks in 1984, has been an annual event since 1990, and has become avialable to the public online since 2006 ( its is severly cheaper than attending ). It is well known for its TED talk, lectures, which consist of technology entertainment and design (hints the name TED). However, its extends its borders to other extensive topics, such as politics, arts, science, culture, global issues, business, education, and more. In addition to its vital topics, TED consists of famous, influential and powerful people, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Bill Gates, and more of the brightest and fascinating minds in the world. According to its web site:

"We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other."

It is changing the world with one mind at a time, one right word at a time.