Stoking the Soul Coal
Side project time!
Here’s an official pre-launch unofficial sneak peek at Random Tim Roth. It’s basically going to be a Brain Stretch location for me to experiment with design (and words). The results will be LOL-larious in that they will probably mostly suck. I’m not a designer – I’m a writer by trade – so this is just me making myself uncomfortable and leaving my poor ego open to the crushing anvil of failure.
Why? Because I have declared 2011, Year of the Brain. I want it to operate outside of its comfort zone and go back to a time when art was all I cared about. When I was 16 or 17, I had to make a decision about which direction to go: design or writing (or nursing, but let’s not get into that). I chose writing and I’ve been reasonably successful at that. But why did I feel I had to drop the art/design side of me completely? I use it in my career (design is very much a part of my day-to-day), but I don’t actually MAKE the stuff anymore. I don’t execute it.
This year, it’s about finding ways to get design and art back in my life. Taking my design eye and oiling up my rusty design hands so it can use them. And maybe weave writing into it too in some way? Time to shovel the soul coal.
But to do that, I need a project. Several projects. Weekly projects. Quick and dirty and lesson learning. While I have no doubt I could sit around thinking of weekly design assignments, I know it’s slightly easier to have no choice in the subject. It’s like being handed a brief for adult diapers: if you’re unprepared for it, the direction your mind takes is unexpected.
So that’s what I was looking for. Unexpected briefs. Things that would make my brain stretch. And that’s where Tim Roth came in.
I follow him on Twitter. Yeah, that’s a little ‘fan-girlish’, but I’ve always kinda dug how he just seems to live a little outside the mainstream in his choices. He’s one of the more ‘real live boy’ verified people on Twitter. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. The point is, he started doing these quick little ‘random’ tweet sessions where he’d throw out a question. Short. Sweet. Gut reaction stuff. Some are funny. Some are serious.
An idea was born.
Each week, I’m taking those Random Tweets and making stuff out of them – not illustrating them, but making stuff inspired by them. There is a time limit, so they’re never fully polished things. You can read more about the project at “Wtf is this shit?” The other thing I want to do with them is show the thought that goes into coming up with the idea in the first place so I can see how my brain wanders about in the landscape of my head.
It’s Year of the Brain people! I should just stop banging on about it and show you.
Here’s the finished piece from the second project (which you can embiggen at the site): “Is coke with your meal really fucking necessary?”
Something Else by Rick Moranis
Quite possibly the longest image I’ve posted. Yes, EAT MY PAGE! And also yes, that Rick Moranis.
Via Doobybrain
One Year in Cycling
Once again, a personal project rears its ugly head (which reminds me, I better get back on the Speed Poetry Challenge wagon!). This one involved looking at stats from a new passion of mine – cycling.
You can read a little about it here.
We are gathered here today
Glorious. I would’ve crashed that wedding in a heartbeat. I may have even brought a gift.
Nicked from Bad Banana
Speed Poetry Challenge – Take 2
It’s time to see the second output of the Speed Poetry Challenge. As per usual, I left everything until the last minute and as a result, I didn’t end up producing as many as I thought I would. 
For this round, rather than use the full text of the poem as I did in Take 1, I focused on the line “The motivational farewell note left on the counter”. And instead of notes, I did posters. I’ve tried to keep them at-first-glance-cheery-like, but I doubt a cheery poster would kill the pain of someone having buggered off on you. You’re welcome to try – pin one up and see what happens.
So, without any further ado, I give you my MOTIVATIONAL FAREWELL POSTERS. Perfect for all your uncomfortable farewell needs.
UPDATE: Just to be clear, as there seems to some confusion. Yes, I made these. I had to learn all sorts of exciting things to do so – like how to use the pen tool in Illustrator. Fun!
Click an image to see it large on flickr.
SITUATION: I AM RUNNING AWAY
Awesome under bridge photo by: Irargerich
SITUATION: IT’S TIME WE SEPARATED
Photo credits: Y=Patrick Q O=EJP Photo U=dreamagicjp A1=colodio R=Don Solo E1=Me A2=bbaltimore W=Andy Field E2=Drift Words S=Me O2=MarkyBon M=jquiz E3=I wish i was the Royal Trux I’VE=Ollvander TAKEN=Thomas Hawk THE=A Hermida KIDS=fortinbras
SITUATION: STOP STALKING ME
Summit dude photo credit: Izzard
SITUATION: JOINING A CULT
SITUATION: FLEEING WITH LOVER
All photos used from Leo Reynolds. Letters from his Letters set, some random fillers from the square circles collections, and the fence.
Related: Speed Poetry Challenge – Take 1
I Can Read Movies
I keep forgetting to post these. I love this project by spacesick, where he takes a movie and creates an old style book cover out of it. Minimalist awesomeness. Check out the full series in one scrollable piece of lovely goo right here. You can even request the next one, if you like.
IT IS possible to make Robocop look good.
Totally diggin’ on these illustrations/movie posters for the Alamo drafthouse by Tyler Stout. There’s a few more at tstout.com, plus other posters of extreme rawkness. The Robocop one goes on sale tomorrow, and I think they might sell out fast.
Via Made in England by Gentlemen
Nothing is original
I could say something about this, but why complicate something that is so perfectly expressed.
But let’s take it in a different direction and focus on the “things that speak directly to your soul” part. It’s time to care less about what people think of the things you make or write this year – it’s time to ignore the haters. Make some real “wtf?” things this year – things that speak to you, or make you curious and kick their arses out into to world. And then forget about them. Move on to the next thing.
The way I figure it, as long as you do the things you love or speak to you, you’ll be f*cking bulletproof (or if you aren’t, you’ll at least learn when to wear the bullet-proof vest.) The point is to get it out and to be constantly on the creative move. A recent viewing of an old “The Show” reminded me of the following:
“If you don’t want to run out of ideas, the best thing to do is not to execute them.”
Don’t get addicted to brain crack, kids!
When good packaging goes…good
Today I received my first t-shirt order from Oddica. I don’t usually reveal my t-shirt sources, but I just wanted to call out the awesome packaging and contents. (And of course the awesome artists!)
Actually, the whole experience has been warm and fuzzy. The email felt 100% personal, even telling me what day I should expect to receive my little Oddica bundle; the packaging felt lovely, and when I tipped the contents of the bag out, I particularly enjoyed the metallic tinkle of badges hitting my floor.
Here’s the bag and one of the shirts. I’ve added all three new ones to T-shirts (aka Rackspace) on flickr.
Which way in to your shimmering tower?
Talk about an awesome way-finding system. This rockin’ signage is in the Eureka Tower Carpark in Melbourne – just be in the right position in the right place and you can see perfectly which way to go. Bunch of photos at Axel Peemoller‘s (the designer) site, showing angles where letters are stretched out and sexy.
Via Aaron
It’s cuss like a sailor day!
Well, not really. That’s just my way of saying there’s some F-bombs in here. But we’re all grownups. Right?
This is a sneak peak of the Draplin Project, a three part doco that ain’t out yet. I love his passion for the love of culture. I’m not sure it’s realistic to hope that people think of the bigger picture, the heart and soul of a place when making a sign in this disposable world – people just seem to love making shit – but I’d love to think it was.
The art of Blade Runner
Interview with Sid Mead, the concept artist and designer on Blade Runner. Really fascinating seeing the thought that goes into every little detail. Stupid me – I always thought the purpose of the sci-fi city was aesthetic ‘coolness’. Never even thought that someone might actually be thinking about what the lights on a building might indicate, or how to stop coyotes from being obliterated on high speed rail of the future.
7 minutes of worthwhile viewing that’ll make you realize how cool it is to be an artist and to love your craft.
via Drawn (athough it should be via BoingBoing – I’m just really behind on my feeds)
My flickr
