Yes I have fallen off the face of the planet into the abyss known as design.
I haven't updated in quite a while so this might take some time!
Academia is like a continual punch in the throat - excruciatingly painful yet survivable. I turned in my second project for Design I this morning. Currently, I am operating on less than 2 hours of sleep and I have been trying to get my lost zzz's in today but evidently my body has a new "I will not sleep in the daylight policy". Trust me - it's brand new development.
I think the project went well. The final result will be up on my Flickr page within the week.
Art history is presently a lost cause. My professor is.... oh I think I've just run out of a proper adjective for this one. I have a test on Thursday and she wants to move the final exam to a Sunday. Yes a Sunday. (for those of you unfamiliar with Auburn University policy this is completely unacceptable) On top of that she wants to have a comprehensive ESSAY over the entire SEMESTER. "Summarize all of 20th century art. Ready? Go." Hah. Look I have my essay ready it is as follows: "The defense of certifiable insanity. That is modern art."
Painting and Biology are at par. I still ache to know how to paint but alas every time I say to my professor, and I quote, "I do NOT know what I am doing. Please, TEACH ME." They laugh and walk away. I speak nothing but the truth dear reader. During our last critique my professor questioned some of the techniques and methods I was using to paint. I said "I didn't do this. God did. It only makes sense that way because everything you see on that canvas is complete intuition. No one has ever taught me anything about painting - good or bad." Response: laughter.
Apparently my lack of knowledge and desire to learn is quite comical.
In other news: Last weekend I got the amazing pleasure to attend the WSYG Girl's Retreat. Talk about pure, glorious fun! Man I wish every weekend could be like that. As of late my posse here in Auburn has been struck with the "we're getting old" syndrome so laughing hard in a hammock so much so that you fall out hasn't been common. We had a great time grasping where we find our worth and to see what God sees in us. So many times we seek our worth in other things - people, relationships, school, popularity, looks, performance - instead of in the One who sings over us. Our perfect Father. Incredible stuff.
On Friday night I attended the Invisible Children's Halloween Party. We had an impressive turn out with a lot of good costumes. I went as Zorro with my two key essentials to any Halloween costume: a cool hat and a billowing cape. I haven't heard how much we raised for Schools4Schools through the event but it was a entertaining evening.
The rest of the weekend I spent glued to my computer managing to complete my entire project in less than 36 hours. I think I said that at least 10 times during our critique today. Ha.
Encounter has been rocking my face off - par usual. This week Matt talked about God's kingdom being revealed in the Nations and I always get so antsy when he talks about this particular topic. I think about Ghana every day. I'm serious. Every. Single. Day. Sometimes I get annoyed that God put this in my heart because it bugs me constantly then I remember it's there for a reason. What that means exactly I have no idea - but at least He knows.
Random side note(s): My fingers get numb when I type sometimes...that's weird. My goldfish, Peanut, had a burial at sea this week. And then, there were two. Presently the 2 fish have become EXTREMELY aggressive. It's one of the following: 1.) Courting 2.) Re-establishing territorial dominance (yes goldfish do this) 3.) Competition for food (reverting to cannibalism) or 4.) Temperature balance. The last two are good but the other I'm not so sure on.
Only time will tell...
For now I'm going to go run some errands then hopefully my ability to sleep will return.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Rain Rain Go Away
If it was possible I wish I could push rain clouds to other parts of the world like Ghana. They need a stronger wet season in order to produce enough electricity to keep the power on and trust me in the warm months you want power. Granted there isn't air conditioning but fans are more influential than you think. It also plays into the purification of their drinking water which is vital.
I know that was random but I just thought about that as I was walking to my car today.
I'm leaving tomorrow to go on the WSYG Girl's Retreat at the Double Head Resort in North Alabama. I'm excited and eager to see all of the girl's that I've been missing these past 2 months.
The past week I have been researching all of my options for the summer. Basically that means I've e-mailed every non-profit organization I can find inquiring about the need for a graphic design intern. I would equate this process as the same that one encounters when "searching for a needle in a haystack" - frustrating and quite exhaustive.
I'm still not sold on if I even want to do a design internship. I feel like I "should" but I'm not closing any doors especially when so few are open.
I have found only one design option that is very appealing to me (besides Invisible Children). It's a firm in Memphis called Disciple Design. They're a Christian based firm (needle) that does non-profit design (haystack) and a few corporate things here and there. The entire staff are designers so I would be right in the middle of a professional firm without suffocating from corporate mentalities. I e-mailed them yesterday and they responded in less than 8 hours! Incredible. They sounded interested in me and wanted me to send on a pdf of my work as soon as I could.
If you want to check them out their website is as follows: www.discipledesign.com
In a perfect world I would like to combine all of my passions: Africa, ministry, and design. That's a lot harder than you think it would be but who knows, maybe something will work out.
Well I'm going to take a power nap before my 3 hours of painting class. Thanks for stopping by!
I know that was random but I just thought about that as I was walking to my car today.
I'm leaving tomorrow to go on the WSYG Girl's Retreat at the Double Head Resort in North Alabama. I'm excited and eager to see all of the girl's that I've been missing these past 2 months.
The past week I have been researching all of my options for the summer. Basically that means I've e-mailed every non-profit organization I can find inquiring about the need for a graphic design intern. I would equate this process as the same that one encounters when "searching for a needle in a haystack" - frustrating and quite exhaustive.
I'm still not sold on if I even want to do a design internship. I feel like I "should" but I'm not closing any doors especially when so few are open.
I have found only one design option that is very appealing to me (besides Invisible Children). It's a firm in Memphis called Disciple Design. They're a Christian based firm (needle) that does non-profit design (haystack) and a few corporate things here and there. The entire staff are designers so I would be right in the middle of a professional firm without suffocating from corporate mentalities. I e-mailed them yesterday and they responded in less than 8 hours! Incredible. They sounded interested in me and wanted me to send on a pdf of my work as soon as I could.
If you want to check them out their website is as follows: www.discipledesign.com
In a perfect world I would like to combine all of my passions: Africa, ministry, and design. That's a lot harder than you think it would be but who knows, maybe something will work out.
Well I'm going to take a power nap before my 3 hours of painting class. Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Pancakes and Love
Do you ever have one of those experiences that just take you by surprise?
Tonight was one of them.
Jessica (whom I always fondly refer to as Jess) and I were sitting around my apartment. We just finished up a movie and decided to do something.
Earlier in the day I had coffee with Kelly and she mentioned a thing that one of our fellow Encounter buds, Chris Locke, had started up. He and a group meet to eat dinner at 8pm on Fridays, pray, then hit the griddles. That's right I said griddles. He and some other friends from different campus ministries made over 1,000 pancakes one night. With said pancakes they took them around downtown Auburn on Friday night to give to anyone who wanted to share in some of the warm fluffy goodness. The purpose: to show Auburn that we love them.
That's it and that's all.
So, Jess and I decided to check it out. We drove to Toomer's and spotted a small group from the ACSC. There was a mass of people standing around tables with pancakes, syrup, juice and milk. Every 10 minutes or so some people would grab a tray and start to walk around the streets of downtown offering anyone a free pancake.
After milling about Jess grins at me and says "Let's take a tray and walk around". I admit I was slightly hesitant. I'd had quite a few run-ins with drunk people and they always made me uncomfortable. Regardless of my inhibitions, we started to walk around with a buddy we made named Aaron.
The first group we came upon were a bunch of girls dressed to the nines and a guy tagging along. Aaron simply said "Want some pancakes? They're free!" as Jess added "Yeah! They're warm too!" The entire cluster stopped and said "Seriously? SURE! I LOVE pancakes!" They all grabbed some and began to ask "Why are you doing this? For free?" We replied "because we love you." They couldn't get over our reasoning behind standing in the chilly weather passing out free pancakes to drunk college students.
We walked around the sidewalks and we got some pretty interesting responses like: "Where's the syrup?" "Over under the Toomer's tree, we have tables set up." "SERIOUSLY!? That's incredible! What about milk!?" "Yep, and juice" "DUDE! I'm all over that! LET'S GO!" or a guy that kept running back to our tray saying "I LOVE PANCAKES!!!!"
Some called us hippies, others asked what church we were with, and some said they were too full of beer. The thing that stuck out to me most was their surprise. First off they couldn't grasp that it was free. They kept asking "Is it laced with something?" or "Are you going to give me a Bible?" Secondly they couldn't believe our reason of "We just love you. We love people and we want to share pancakes." There wasn't "Oh we're with such and such church" since we were all from different places. That's all we really could say and honestly I thought that's all that I wanted to tell them.
I've never felt that way about college students. I've always been condescending about the people I see wasted on the sidewalk next to Skybar when I walked by with my backpack from studio late at night. Part of that is my pride and lack of compassion but tonight really surprised me.
Jim always said that Auburn was our mission field. Sure I nodded in agreement thinking "Well I should talk to that girl in my class or that guy on the transit" but until tonight I really didn't believe him. I saw a need that Auburn tries to hide every day. A need to be loved without any labels, gimmicks, or insincerity. What they truely ache for is someone to show them what love is.
I sing this song all the time from the 80's "I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me". Granted the writer of that song probably wasn't singing about agape love, but I really do believe that is what humanity wants more than anything else we try to offer.
I saw that in the dirt huts of Senya, in the smiles of orphans in Ghana, in the streets of Atlanta, on the park benches of downtown Memphis, in the DTC on the faces of 7 year olds, and for the first time in the faces of my peers in Auburn.
That's what I want to do with my life. Love people.
Biscuit shared a lesson at Encounter this week and it just rocked me. He focused on what it means to love people like Jesus calls us to do. I sat there in the pew and begged God to open my eyes.
Well, He did. With pancakes and love.
Tonight was one of them.
Jessica (whom I always fondly refer to as Jess) and I were sitting around my apartment. We just finished up a movie and decided to do something.
Earlier in the day I had coffee with Kelly and she mentioned a thing that one of our fellow Encounter buds, Chris Locke, had started up. He and a group meet to eat dinner at 8pm on Fridays, pray, then hit the griddles. That's right I said griddles. He and some other friends from different campus ministries made over 1,000 pancakes one night. With said pancakes they took them around downtown Auburn on Friday night to give to anyone who wanted to share in some of the warm fluffy goodness. The purpose: to show Auburn that we love them.
That's it and that's all.
So, Jess and I decided to check it out. We drove to Toomer's and spotted a small group from the ACSC. There was a mass of people standing around tables with pancakes, syrup, juice and milk. Every 10 minutes or so some people would grab a tray and start to walk around the streets of downtown offering anyone a free pancake.
After milling about Jess grins at me and says "Let's take a tray and walk around". I admit I was slightly hesitant. I'd had quite a few run-ins with drunk people and they always made me uncomfortable. Regardless of my inhibitions, we started to walk around with a buddy we made named Aaron.
The first group we came upon were a bunch of girls dressed to the nines and a guy tagging along. Aaron simply said "Want some pancakes? They're free!" as Jess added "Yeah! They're warm too!" The entire cluster stopped and said "Seriously? SURE! I LOVE pancakes!" They all grabbed some and began to ask "Why are you doing this? For free?" We replied "because we love you." They couldn't get over our reasoning behind standing in the chilly weather passing out free pancakes to drunk college students.
We walked around the sidewalks and we got some pretty interesting responses like: "Where's the syrup?" "Over under the Toomer's tree, we have tables set up." "SERIOUSLY!? That's incredible! What about milk!?" "Yep, and juice" "DUDE! I'm all over that! LET'S GO!" or a guy that kept running back to our tray saying "I LOVE PANCAKES!!!!"
Some called us hippies, others asked what church we were with, and some said they were too full of beer. The thing that stuck out to me most was their surprise. First off they couldn't grasp that it was free. They kept asking "Is it laced with something?" or "Are you going to give me a Bible?" Secondly they couldn't believe our reason of "We just love you. We love people and we want to share pancakes." There wasn't "Oh we're with such and such church" since we were all from different places. That's all we really could say and honestly I thought that's all that I wanted to tell them.
I've never felt that way about college students. I've always been condescending about the people I see wasted on the sidewalk next to Skybar when I walked by with my backpack from studio late at night. Part of that is my pride and lack of compassion but tonight really surprised me.
Jim always said that Auburn was our mission field. Sure I nodded in agreement thinking "Well I should talk to that girl in my class or that guy on the transit" but until tonight I really didn't believe him. I saw a need that Auburn tries to hide every day. A need to be loved without any labels, gimmicks, or insincerity. What they truely ache for is someone to show them what love is.
I sing this song all the time from the 80's "I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me". Granted the writer of that song probably wasn't singing about agape love, but I really do believe that is what humanity wants more than anything else we try to offer.
I saw that in the dirt huts of Senya, in the smiles of orphans in Ghana, in the streets of Atlanta, on the park benches of downtown Memphis, in the DTC on the faces of 7 year olds, and for the first time in the faces of my peers in Auburn.
That's what I want to do with my life. Love people.
Biscuit shared a lesson at Encounter this week and it just rocked me. He focused on what it means to love people like Jesus calls us to do. I sat there in the pew and begged God to open my eyes.
Well, He did. With pancakes and love.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
It's not just me
I got an e-mail this morning from one of my friends in studio and Memphian - Katie Rhea. She found an artist who went to Africa and her interview is on YouTube.
Click this link to watch both parts of the interview:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=84RVRy0jFT4
To listen to the song she discusses about Albertine follow this link:
http://www.myspace.com/brookefraser
It's just something about Africa that gets in your skin and runs in your blood. Apparently it isn't just me.
Click this link to watch both parts of the interview:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=84RVRy0jFT4
To listen to the song she discusses about Albertine follow this link:
http://www.myspace.com/brookefraser
It's just something about Africa that gets in your skin and runs in your blood. Apparently it isn't just me.
Monday, October 8, 2007
What's with all the Boxes?
Box. Box. Boxity. Box.
If any of you have been looking at my Flickr page and have inquired to the appearance of so many random photos. Well it's visual inspiration for my new project in my DesignI class. We had to create a company and I have envisioned one entitled "VoiceBox".
Here's what it's all about: “VoiceBox” is an organization based on the principle of helping individuals with communication disorders by providing therapy, counseling and a community of people with a comforting atmosphere on college campuses. This organization is focused on providing individuals with communication disorders a place where they can simply be who they are around others that understand. “VoiceBox” will provide one-on-one counseling and therapy sessions but more importantly focus on orienting new students to the college campus as they deal with their disorder. College can be a challenging time full of new experiences, adjustments, and a wide variety of social obligations as well as academic requirements that enforce verbal communication. “VoiceBox” will be there to aid students by teaming them up with their peers who can relate in their experiences and provide a sense of belonging within the University community.
The organization will be located in a house, apartment or loft close to campus that will generate a welcoming, hip, and comforting place for people to hang out, grab coffee, or study on a daily basis. “VoiceBox” will also implement a “MentorMe” program that teams senior and junior students to help orient, advise and form relationships with freshmen. Weekly “Family Meetings” will take place where students can gather over a cup of coffee to discuss their struggles, concerns, and victories with each other as they work through their communication disorder on a daily basis within their college experience. “VoiceBox” will also be able to sponsor a lecture series to educate other students on communication disorders as well as anxieties about public speaking that any college student can relate to. The lecture series and other events held by “VoiceBox” will be publicized in local publications such as the campus newspaper entitled “The Plainsmen” in addition to “The Circle”. Fliers and posters can be used to inform students of the mission of “VoiceBox” as well as its events and presence on campus. "
Okay so that might sound a little boring, but I think it has a lot of potential visually speaking. That's why I have all of the boxes and random photographs on my Flickr page. Basically I'm grabbing at any loose straws to conjure up this logo. I should have some of my sketchbook pages up soon so you can see what I do during my other classes. Yes I sketch in class. C'mon I'm a design major, what do you expect?
In other news: I got my grade for the last design project and man...I'm slightly nervous. I mean I did AMAZING on the first one now I'm just worried if I can keep up such an insane (almost to the degree of inhuman) level of expectation. I don't think I've ever rocked out a project this good. Granted it's not my favorite one I've ever done but I guess those "Dunlopian" days of the perfect cube have paid off in the craft department. It's weird after the past 3 years of being kicked to the curb about your design work and then a compliment comes along from your professor you just find yourself unable to handle or even believe it. Thanks Auburn.
I have a big biology test coming up tomorrow. I'm not too concerned but I know it's going to be rough. Eh...it'll work out.
Well this class is almost over and now I'm going to dig myself a hole in some coffee shop to study through the day. Wish me luck!
If any of you have been looking at my Flickr page and have inquired to the appearance of so many random photos. Well it's visual inspiration for my new project in my DesignI class. We had to create a company and I have envisioned one entitled "VoiceBox".
Here's what it's all about: “VoiceBox” is an organization based on the principle of helping individuals with communication disorders by providing therapy, counseling and a community of people with a comforting atmosphere on college campuses. This organization is focused on providing individuals with communication disorders a place where they can simply be who they are around others that understand. “VoiceBox” will provide one-on-one counseling and therapy sessions but more importantly focus on orienting new students to the college campus as they deal with their disorder. College can be a challenging time full of new experiences, adjustments, and a wide variety of social obligations as well as academic requirements that enforce verbal communication. “VoiceBox” will be there to aid students by teaming them up with their peers who can relate in their experiences and provide a sense of belonging within the University community.
The organization will be located in a house, apartment or loft close to campus that will generate a welcoming, hip, and comforting place for people to hang out, grab coffee, or study on a daily basis. “VoiceBox” will also implement a “MentorMe” program that teams senior and junior students to help orient, advise and form relationships with freshmen. Weekly “Family Meetings” will take place where students can gather over a cup of coffee to discuss their struggles, concerns, and victories with each other as they work through their communication disorder on a daily basis within their college experience. “VoiceBox” will also be able to sponsor a lecture series to educate other students on communication disorders as well as anxieties about public speaking that any college student can relate to. The lecture series and other events held by “VoiceBox” will be publicized in local publications such as the campus newspaper entitled “The Plainsmen” in addition to “The Circle”. Fliers and posters can be used to inform students of the mission of “VoiceBox” as well as its events and presence on campus. "
Okay so that might sound a little boring, but I think it has a lot of potential visually speaking. That's why I have all of the boxes and random photographs on my Flickr page. Basically I'm grabbing at any loose straws to conjure up this logo. I should have some of my sketchbook pages up soon so you can see what I do during my other classes. Yes I sketch in class. C'mon I'm a design major, what do you expect?
In other news: I got my grade for the last design project and man...I'm slightly nervous. I mean I did AMAZING on the first one now I'm just worried if I can keep up such an insane (almost to the degree of inhuman) level of expectation. I don't think I've ever rocked out a project this good. Granted it's not my favorite one I've ever done but I guess those "Dunlopian" days of the perfect cube have paid off in the craft department. It's weird after the past 3 years of being kicked to the curb about your design work and then a compliment comes along from your professor you just find yourself unable to handle or even believe it. Thanks Auburn.
I have a big biology test coming up tomorrow. I'm not too concerned but I know it's going to be rough. Eh...it'll work out.
Well this class is almost over and now I'm going to dig myself a hole in some coffee shop to study through the day. Wish me luck!
Monday, October 1, 2007
A Little Bit o' This and That
Hey everyone!
Life sure is hectic isn't it? Things have been chaotic around here for the past few weeks. I just got through my first HUGE project of the semester for Design I. We haven't gotten any grades back but I was pleased with my end product. I should have some photos coming soon of the identity system that I created called "By a Thread".
Update: My Flickr page is about to have an extreme makeover. My professor has decided to follow the new wave of technology and require us to put all of our work on Flickr. By "all" I mean EVERYTHING. Sketches, visual inspiration, business proposal, logo board, and final project. In summary you will now be able to see what I do on a daily basis from 8am to 2 in the morning via Flickr. The link will be at the bottom of this post and on the left of this blog. The only thing you will be missing out on is my continual caffeine buzz and sleep deprivation.
In other news: I went to my new CADC (College of Architecture and Design Construction - since they switched colleges on us) adviser and she informed me that it was "technically possible" to graduate in May. Unfortunately with that work load required of me before graduation I believe I would cease to exist. I'm thinking not such a good idea. No matter how you slice it I believe I have a year and 79 days to go until I enter the *dun dun duuuunnn* "real world".
I have been researching options for my future/career/life *gag* on the internet. I just want to say that every non-profit organization (excluding Invisible Children) are in agonizing need of websites. I mean it's just atrocious. Seriously, I feel like I should have an organization to help organizations organize themselves in a way that people can actually READ their sites. The saddest thing is that they claim to "have designers" and all I can do is shake my head in disbelief. Have no worries dear friends, I will always be able to use my degree that is if I ever get that beautiful diploma in my hands.
Also if you are an avid reader of this here blog and you know me well enough - what do you think I should pursue after graduation? I'm doing my best to "seek wisdom" (Psalms) in order to make the best decision possible. So, if you've got some wisdom laying around how about you toss it into the comment section, aye? Sounds good to me.
That's all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Here is the Flickr link and expect changes within the next day or so: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meforrester
Life sure is hectic isn't it? Things have been chaotic around here for the past few weeks. I just got through my first HUGE project of the semester for Design I. We haven't gotten any grades back but I was pleased with my end product. I should have some photos coming soon of the identity system that I created called "By a Thread".
Update: My Flickr page is about to have an extreme makeover. My professor has decided to follow the new wave of technology and require us to put all of our work on Flickr. By "all" I mean EVERYTHING. Sketches, visual inspiration, business proposal, logo board, and final project. In summary you will now be able to see what I do on a daily basis from 8am to 2 in the morning via Flickr. The link will be at the bottom of this post and on the left of this blog. The only thing you will be missing out on is my continual caffeine buzz and sleep deprivation.
In other news: I went to my new CADC (College of Architecture and Design Construction - since they switched colleges on us) adviser and she informed me that it was "technically possible" to graduate in May. Unfortunately with that work load required of me before graduation I believe I would cease to exist. I'm thinking not such a good idea. No matter how you slice it I believe I have a year and 79 days to go until I enter the *dun dun duuuunnn* "real world".
I have been researching options for my future/career/life *gag* on the internet. I just want to say that every non-profit organization (excluding Invisible Children) are in agonizing need of websites. I mean it's just atrocious. Seriously, I feel like I should have an organization to help organizations organize themselves in a way that people can actually READ their sites. The saddest thing is that they claim to "have designers" and all I can do is shake my head in disbelief. Have no worries dear friends, I will always be able to use my degree that is if I ever get that beautiful diploma in my hands.
Also if you are an avid reader of this here blog and you know me well enough - what do you think I should pursue after graduation? I'm doing my best to "seek wisdom" (Psalms) in order to make the best decision possible. So, if you've got some wisdom laying around how about you toss it into the comment section, aye? Sounds good to me.
That's all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Here is the Flickr link and expect changes within the next day or so: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meforrester
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