NEW ADDRESS MOVING ON

It's official. I'm moving my blog to www.artpoliticslife.com !

I'm excited. Creatively I knew it was time for a change. Sorry it took so long. There was a definite learning curve since I switched to Wordpress. I guess I never fully appreciated blogger! Working through a completely new layout was a challenge. Then I got really busy with stressful not very exciting life stuff. Regardless, I feel really good about the direction the blog is going in. I'm trying to focus in on the visual and breakout of the standard blog post. I'm still trying to work around some issues mostly with load time and pluggins, but I feel like its ready to share. If you follow me on bloglovin' you should be transferred soon. Everything here will remain as an archive. Please stop by at www.artpoliticslife.com !

FRESH FIVE

Peach Sundress, Resiling, Channel, Loki Cola,  Jellyka Saint-Andrew's Queen

GOOD TO NOTE

How to Reflect

Notable: take time to self reflect, take time to remember

I've been drawn to the concept of self reflection lately. These are my favorite I ideas to add a little self reflection to an everyday schedule.

1. One Line a Day Journal. This is an easier way to keep track of thoughts. I like that it's not much of a commitment. I tend to be fickle about long term projects. Only having one line forces a choice of the most important thought or idea. Simplifying down thoughts and ideas is a great benefit of self reflection.

2. A Self Portrait a Day. I love this idea.
Jeff Harris took on the project and got incredible results:

If you need motivation stay with the project Flickr has a daily portrait group and Bonnie from A Compass Rose has a weekly self portrait linkup.

3.Thought and Sketch Diary. It's basically just keeping a journal but the guide has great ideas. I've actually been able to start this and keep it going. I also like to include little sketches and patterns in mine.

Check out How to Make Your Life Seem Longer by Aaron Lewis on Snapguide.

KEEP CALM

My life has gotten a little crazy in the past couple of weeks. These are my go to songs when I need to calm down.

Notable: halftone, songs to calm down

YOU ARE INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE ON PINTEREST

I have know doubt that if you are reading this you love art and are on pinterest. So, come join my "every day art" board! It's a mixture of interesting art styles really. When I find something I really like but don't know where to pin it I put it there. Only requirement for content is that is has to be some type of art form and visually interesting. To be invited comment on this image on this image on pinterest [link for the board: http://www.pinterest.com/artpoliticslife/everyday-art/ , link for the image: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/435371488948334296/] or click the pin it button and pin it to your pinterest account [I'll find it I have my ways].

Notable: working on accomplishing these goals, can't wait to see what is pinned

VIRTUAL WONDER

 

Textbook, a tumblr blog

Notable: fashion with an artistic flair

40 days of dating, friends try dating and record their progress online Notable: it's like a romantic comedy brought to life

Handmade Globes, bringing back a lost art of globe making Notable: emphasis on the creation process

FOLLOW THROUGH

Here is a cold dark uncompromising world. Sure it may seem that there are advertisements of happiness, of belonging. Humans are suppose to care. The people that are close should stay close forever. There is follow through. Interactions have meaning.

But, if you are an idealist like me, you should be alerted you're up for disappointment. People will fail (you). The world won't change (like you thought it would at your voice). Like I said before: here (right here) is a cold dark uncompromising world. 

Then, in the midst of everything, the most unexpected of people will act in the most unexpected of ways (like in the ways the advertisements noted). Here is still a cold dark uncompromising world. But, it is to contrast the people that follow through- the humans with whom interactions have meaning.

PERSPECTIVE

Theme of my life lately: perspective. I don't know why but it seems like whenever I gain something I immediately begin to undervalue it. Instead, I focus on the one job rejection, bad grade, or lost friend. How is happiness ever possible with that kind of thinking? Why is it so easy to let failure be the headlines in life? 

I think it stems from self value. When I evaluate my life I can just as easily find instances where I have rejected or undervalued good friends, internships, boys, and school work.

It's so much easier to strive for things that might not be the best fit for me. For instance, I recently had two internship interviews. One was for a smaller, less prestigious, but more innovative position. The coordinator literally found me through my universities career center and emailed me this position for which the coordinator thought I was a good candidate. I was offered the job pretty much on the spot in the interview. The other was a position I found, and trust me I wanted it. It was for a very corporate well connected company in which I would be at the very bottom. It was impressive going downtown and up nearly to the top of a skyscraper for the interview. But the person that interviewed me was incredibly unprofessional. It was pretty obvious by the end of the interview I wasn't a priority nor would I get the position. I pretty much went straight to my car to cry. 

I pulled myself down about the second interview, even though someone had went out of their way to give me a different opportunity. In this economy someone randomly finding my resume and going out of their way to find a place for me is pretty much a miracle. So I am trying to appreciate those rare (but awesome) people who truly value me and the credentials that they help me attain.

Notable: linking up (late whoops) with the happiness project ( a really cool linkup, trust me I'm picky about these)

BUDGET FRIENDLY TOOLS FOR GETTING GREAT PHOTOS

It has been fun to learn more about photography. There are so many resources out there. Here are my favorites.
VSCO look alike action by Hannah Beasley (free), Rainbow imaging lens and converter ($26), Camera Strap by couch ($35), HDR by forfie (free), CS2 photoshop (free)

SAILING AWAY WITH SUMMER

Notable: night sailing is awesome, low light photography is hard, summer is over

GOALS

Notable: with the start of a new semester comes goals,  why not blogging goals too?

1.Quality over quantity. Expect less posts (because I want to focus on posting better quality and will be much busier this semester). As always I am trying to improve+grow my blogging skills.

2.Get out there. I want to explore art locally. It's way to easy to rely on the internet.

3.More from me. I've tried a few posts where I produced the art (like this one). I love the creative challenge. Expect more.

4. Unique and unified. I'm in the process of updating my other social media outlets. Expect each one to have a unique function yet relate back to ART+POLITICS+Life.

REST.

Take a break.

Notable: Original shot, time for a break (before the fall semester starts)

Glance

Point: I saw this and fell in love instantly. 

Sony Nex Sample

Notable: Sample photos, No edit photos, taken in what normally would be bad light, definitely still amateur but much better quality 

Point: I got a new camera this week! It's a Sony nex5. I'm so excited. It works like a point and shoot (and is easy to carry around) but gives DLSR quality. It was a good choice for me, because I don't have much photography experience (or much time to learn about it) but still want better quality pictures. I can't wait to try some cool projects with it.

The Time Being

Notable: indie movie, the paintings

Point: This looks like a great movie. My question is who is the actual painter behind all of the movies paintings?

Do you know who was behind the art from this movie?

Paint the City Bright

About: In the spirit of changing international perception of Jinga, Uganda, the community takes to the streets painting and restoring buildings. This is followed by much celebration. Read more here.

Notable: community, positive thinking, the color choice

Point: I stumbled across the best idea like ever today, it's called paint the city bright. I just get it. Last week for the first time since a year ago I sat down and painted just to paint. It felt so good. There is something so transformative about paint. Why not make it a community action?

The before and after vision:

spotify ads

Notable: Marketing genius

Point: I'm never going to get spotify premium. Why? I love the spotify ads. I am not even being sarcastic. To me, they are like the visual essence of music. 

Do you like spotify ads? What marketing campaigns do you love?

wanderlust

Studio: Mohentin

Notable: the view

Point: It's been a crazy emotional roller coaster of what should have been an average day. At the end of it, I am left with an intense sense of wanderlust. I want to see the world and feel how connected everything is. My facebook feed filled with other people's crazy adventures isn't helping very much either.

Graphic Concrete

For: the surface junkie like me, forgive me for the amount of pictures

Notable: fairly new engineered surface, stunning when used right (as shown by Graphic Concrete the company who designed the concrete shown above), ugly is turned into something pretty

Watch out: this could totally be used to make permanent advertisements in the future (not good at all)