Monday, August 3, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
I regret to inform you that...
After careful consideration and debate I regret to inform you that DesignMeKnot will be shutting down for an indefinite period of time. A lot has been going on in my personal life and I am unable to dedicate an adequate amount of time and energy to make her into what she could be. Thank you for your time and consideration. any questions or comments can be emailed to dizzybrown@gmail.com. Good luck to any other future design students.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Haters to the left Haters to the right...
Jealous- feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages :
example: he grew jealous of her success.
One of the things that I have began to notice is that Haters are more prominent in our lives than we think they are. The problem is not when you have a of haters the problem is when the haters appear in your family or inner circle. You find yourself stifling your joy in front of them to avoid their snide comments about your success or dreams. I'v always heard my brother say that he keeps his grass trimmed so he can see the snakes in his yard (or something of the sort) but how then do you deal when the snakes reside in your house. DO you risk exposing them to be banished. In watching the Jackson 5 Story I wonder if Joe Jackson was jealous of his sons because of all the opportunities that they were afforded that he never had. All of us have been jealous of someone at one point of time or another in our lives, but do you allow the jealousy to overpower your lives to where every statement is to belittle some one else then it's to reevaluate your life.
Definition of a ‘Hater’ by Maya Angelou
A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all
their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever
good enough! When you make your mark, you will always attract some
haters…That’s why you have to be careful with whom you share your
blessings and your dreams, because some folk can’t handle seeing you
blessed…
It’s dangerous to be like somebody else…
If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given
you what He gave them! Right? You never know what people have gone
through to get what they have.
The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but
they don’t know my story… If the grass looks greener on the other side
of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there
too!
We’ve all got some haters among us! People envy you because you can:
Have a relationship with God
Light up a room when you walk in
Start your own business
Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn’t about the right thing)
Raise your children without both parents being in the home
Haters can’t stand to see you happy, Haters will never want to
see you succeed, Haters never want you to get the victory, most of our
haters are people who are supposed to be on our side. How do you handle
your undercover haters?
You can handle these haters by:
1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)
2. Having a purpose to your life? Purpose does not mean having a job.
You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having
a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not
defined by what others think about you.
3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not
human manipulation. Fulfill your dreams!
You only have one life to live…when it’s your time to leave this earth,
you ‘want’ to be able to say, ‘I’ve lived my life and fulfilled
‘my’ dreams,… Now I’m ready to go HOME! When God gives you favor, you can
tell your haters, Don’t look at me…Look at Who is in charge of me…’
Maya Angelou
It's hard discovering that members in your family seek to belittle you in your face or behind your back. Often times they don't even view it as criticism they view it as "Constructive Criticism, but the key is that COnstructive criticism has a positive aspect to it. If all your hearing is negativity then chances are they've been but by the hater bug.
example: he grew jealous of her success.
One of the things that I have began to notice is that Haters are more prominent in our lives than we think they are. The problem is not when you have a of haters the problem is when the haters appear in your family or inner circle. You find yourself stifling your joy in front of them to avoid their snide comments about your success or dreams. I'v always heard my brother say that he keeps his grass trimmed so he can see the snakes in his yard (or something of the sort) but how then do you deal when the snakes reside in your house. DO you risk exposing them to be banished. In watching the Jackson 5 Story I wonder if Joe Jackson was jealous of his sons because of all the opportunities that they were afforded that he never had. All of us have been jealous of someone at one point of time or another in our lives, but do you allow the jealousy to overpower your lives to where every statement is to belittle some one else then it's to reevaluate your life.
Definition of a ‘Hater’ by Maya Angelou
A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all
their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever
good enough! When you make your mark, you will always attract some
haters…That’s why you have to be careful with whom you share your
blessings and your dreams, because some folk can’t handle seeing you
blessed…
It’s dangerous to be like somebody else…
If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given
you what He gave them! Right? You never know what people have gone
through to get what they have.
The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but
they don’t know my story… If the grass looks greener on the other side
of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there
too!
We’ve all got some haters among us! People envy you because you can:
Have a relationship with God
Light up a room when you walk in
Start your own business
Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn’t about the right thing)
Raise your children without both parents being in the home
Haters can’t stand to see you happy, Haters will never want to
see you succeed, Haters never want you to get the victory, most of our
haters are people who are supposed to be on our side. How do you handle
your undercover haters?
You can handle these haters by:
1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)
2. Having a purpose to your life? Purpose does not mean having a job.
You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having
a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not
defined by what others think about you.
3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not
human manipulation. Fulfill your dreams!
You only have one life to live…when it’s your time to leave this earth,
you ‘want’ to be able to say, ‘I’ve lived my life and fulfilled
‘my’ dreams,… Now I’m ready to go HOME! When God gives you favor, you can
tell your haters, Don’t look at me…Look at Who is in charge of me…’
Maya Angelou
It's hard discovering that members in your family seek to belittle you in your face or behind your back. Often times they don't even view it as criticism they view it as "Constructive Criticism, but the key is that COnstructive criticism has a positive aspect to it. If all your hearing is negativity then chances are they've been but by the hater bug.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson
Life is short. We often take for granted the time we have with people until it is entirely to late. if you love someone or care about someone you should tell them while you can. Michael Jackson will always hold a special place in my heart because he is symbolic of a special bond between my father and I. Never-mind the fact that he is the symbol of a celebrity that everybody hates to love. It is not very well known he suffered from Vitiligo and Lupus and was recently diagnosed with a lung disease though the latter had not been confirmed. Jackson worked from a very young age and from my point of view never had a real childhood or developed relationships where people didn't expect from him. It's sad. And I know that he is finally in a place where no one will pretend to be his friend or lie on him or have larger than life expectations. I wish him well and hope that all of us will remember him for the wonderful legacy that he leaves behind.
Michael Joseph Jackson
August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
more than words... the ultimate wisdom
this was posted on Love crusader by a good friend of mine...
What is love?
This is a controversial question that, in some shape, form or fashion, puzzles each individual. Last night while browsing Facebook, I happened to notice a close friend’s status in which asked this somewhat polemical question.
This was my answer:
“My favorite definition of love comes from my one of my mother’s favorite movies, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin:
“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident…we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”
…however, i’ve grown to learn (and am still learning) that love is the quiet understanding and mature acceptance of imperfection. It’s real. It’s elevating. It lifts up your spirit in a way nothing else can. Even at your lowest, love allows u to feel your best.
Love is not always about having a candle-lit dinner or exchanging expensive gifts. It means way much more than that. Love cannot be measured with materialistic things or romantic rhymes. It is an unconditional feeling that inspires, revives and even sometimes hurts.
At the end of the day, you don’t have reasons for loving, you just do.
The 13th Chapter of Corinthians explains love in way more detail…
READ it in ur spare time…”
So now…
What does love mean to? Care to share?
via biblegateway.com
Corinthians 13:
Love
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
To be able to love is the ultimate wisdom. true love is forever it is infinite and perfect. love is the only perfection in a world of imperfections. it is not judgmental or immature or unforgiving. it is all that is good with the world and nothing horrible. love is completely beautiful.
What is love?
This is a controversial question that, in some shape, form or fashion, puzzles each individual. Last night while browsing Facebook, I happened to notice a close friend’s status in which asked this somewhat polemical question.
This was my answer:
“My favorite definition of love comes from my one of my mother’s favorite movies, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin:
“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident…we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”
…however, i’ve grown to learn (and am still learning) that love is the quiet understanding and mature acceptance of imperfection. It’s real. It’s elevating. It lifts up your spirit in a way nothing else can. Even at your lowest, love allows u to feel your best.
Love is not always about having a candle-lit dinner or exchanging expensive gifts. It means way much more than that. Love cannot be measured with materialistic things or romantic rhymes. It is an unconditional feeling that inspires, revives and even sometimes hurts.
At the end of the day, you don’t have reasons for loving, you just do.
The 13th Chapter of Corinthians explains love in way more detail…
READ it in ur spare time…”
So now…
What does love mean to? Care to share?
via biblegateway.com
Corinthians 13:
Love
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
To be able to love is the ultimate wisdom. true love is forever it is infinite and perfect. love is the only perfection in a world of imperfections. it is not judgmental or immature or unforgiving. it is all that is good with the world and nothing horrible. love is completely beautiful.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
baby steps...
I've been feeling really blah lately... questioning my purpose on this earth. It seems that everyone around me knows exactly what it is they want to do with their life and are making bold leaps toward achieving their goals. I on the other hand sadly am not. Everybody has something that is holding them back be it others expectations, the absence or presence of funding or it could be your own fear and distrust of yourself. This summer I planned to take two drawing classes to begin the path to master sketching. unfortunately the mental health of my mother and the physical health of my father have caused me to abandon this quest and tend to them. The frustrating part is that it seems that I am at a standstill. I don't have a job because at this point it would be pointless because of all the traveling. And I can't take a drawing class because I will not be in one city. I long to be free from my parents obligations and chase my dreams. And so I am forced to take baby steps while every one around me leaps...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Research: A Brief Guide to Design Education
For the hopeful design student, selecting the right program is no easy task. There are many factors that will guide your choice of school, and not all of them are as obvious as the school's location, size and cost. In fact, many of the most crucial traits of a design program are things that won't show up in the guidebook at all: the department's focus, its record on placing graduates into good careers, and details about the faculty. Such details can often be learned only by visiting the school in person and conversing with faculty, and current and former students.
But most important of all is for you, the student, to understand your own interests as much as possible, so that as you discover each department you'll be able to know whether it's the right place for you. Your design education is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you want to get the most out of it. Matching your interests to a program's strengths is crucial.
Some schools offer part-time and evening courses, or--even better--a "pre-college" program that runs for a few weeks over the summer, giving you a taste of the ID program before applying. Once you've assembled your top ten list of schools, you should inquire to see if any of them host such programs.
While there are too many aspects of design education to describe them all, here's a short list of some of the most important ones for a potential student to understand before committing:
1. Philosophy
Different programs have different emphases. Some are more skills oriented, others more conceptual. Some educate graduates more suited to a corporate design office, others train designers more suited to consultancy work (not to say the skills are mutually exclusive, but consultancies often have different needs). Some programs really work the engineering and manufacturing end of the design process, while others have a focus on environmental sustainability. While none of these is necessarily right or wrong, it's important to know what you're looking for, and make sure the program fits.
2. Placement
A design school needs to have a good post-graduation network to help you find a job. Ask the program head or placement advisor about how many of their graduates go on to successful design careers--go ahead and get specific, about what companies, how soon after graduation, and in what capacity. How connected is the program with the local if professional design community (if there is one -- there are some excellent schools out in the middle of nowhere)? Do working designers come in for critiques? Does the school sponsor projects with outside companies, studios, or nonprofits?
3. Internships
Find out what requirements the school has for internships. Many employers strongly prefer even freshly-minted graduates to have work experience in a design studio, so a program that requires at least one internship before graduation can be a real boon. You should also find out how much support the school offers students to help them find internships. This is related to point #2: is the school well connected? If it's not and doesn't have local design firms that regularly bring on interns from within its program, you will be left to your own devices and will have to relocate temporarily to do the internship (typically over summer break). All of these things are workable, and living in different parts of the country to work can be great fun, but it's often expensive and requires initiative on your part.
4. Faculty
Faculty make or break a program, and some of the most important questions have to do with their abilities and qualifications. How many of them are experienced professional designers, for instance? How capable and engaging are they as teachers? Some schools--universities in particular--will have a large proportion of tenured faculty that haven't set foot in a design office in 15 years or more, and a handful of part-time professors who are also working designers. Other schools reverse this ratio. Again, ask for specifics: which members of the faculty have worked recently, at which firms, for how long, on what types of projects? Even requesting resumes isn't out of line--you're the customer in this case, and you have a right to know. This is not to say that tenured faculty are bad, but the design world changes rapidly; a good program needs to be timely, and bring real-world experience into the classroom.
5. Reputation
As much as you can, once you've got your list narrowed down, ask around in the professional design community about the reputations of your top schools. It's good to hear from others that the program you are interested in is worth attending. Accreditation is another big issue, and absolutely essential in the US, especially if you decide later you want to go for a graduate degree. The IDSA has a list of accredited ID programs, and if your program's not on it you should put some real thought in before investing yourself there.
6. Fundamentals
Don't take this for granted! All programs should give you an understanding of the basics of the profession, and provide access to facilities that allow you to explore them. Learning how products work, how they are made, how to make them work better, what makes them look right, and how to present ideas are all core requirements in this field. Easy access to libraries with relevant industrial design materials, as well as to wood-working, metal-working, and plastics shops, is essential to your studies.
At a recent design conference, I heard hiring designers reviewing student portfolios remark "If I were some of these students, I'd demand my money back from the school. They just aren't prepared." Don't let yourself be one of these students. By doing your homework before you start your education, you'll be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity the program has to offer, and enter the professional world ready to succeed.
________________________________________
Adam Richardson is a Senior Designer in the Innovation Process Group at frog design, inc., and teaches at California College of Art.
Via: Core 77
But most important of all is for you, the student, to understand your own interests as much as possible, so that as you discover each department you'll be able to know whether it's the right place for you. Your design education is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you want to get the most out of it. Matching your interests to a program's strengths is crucial.
Some schools offer part-time and evening courses, or--even better--a "pre-college" program that runs for a few weeks over the summer, giving you a taste of the ID program before applying. Once you've assembled your top ten list of schools, you should inquire to see if any of them host such programs.
While there are too many aspects of design education to describe them all, here's a short list of some of the most important ones for a potential student to understand before committing:
1. Philosophy
Different programs have different emphases. Some are more skills oriented, others more conceptual. Some educate graduates more suited to a corporate design office, others train designers more suited to consultancy work (not to say the skills are mutually exclusive, but consultancies often have different needs). Some programs really work the engineering and manufacturing end of the design process, while others have a focus on environmental sustainability. While none of these is necessarily right or wrong, it's important to know what you're looking for, and make sure the program fits.
2. Placement
A design school needs to have a good post-graduation network to help you find a job. Ask the program head or placement advisor about how many of their graduates go on to successful design careers--go ahead and get specific, about what companies, how soon after graduation, and in what capacity. How connected is the program with the local if professional design community (if there is one -- there are some excellent schools out in the middle of nowhere)? Do working designers come in for critiques? Does the school sponsor projects with outside companies, studios, or nonprofits?
3. Internships
Find out what requirements the school has for internships. Many employers strongly prefer even freshly-minted graduates to have work experience in a design studio, so a program that requires at least one internship before graduation can be a real boon. You should also find out how much support the school offers students to help them find internships. This is related to point #2: is the school well connected? If it's not and doesn't have local design firms that regularly bring on interns from within its program, you will be left to your own devices and will have to relocate temporarily to do the internship (typically over summer break). All of these things are workable, and living in different parts of the country to work can be great fun, but it's often expensive and requires initiative on your part.
4. Faculty
Faculty make or break a program, and some of the most important questions have to do with their abilities and qualifications. How many of them are experienced professional designers, for instance? How capable and engaging are they as teachers? Some schools--universities in particular--will have a large proportion of tenured faculty that haven't set foot in a design office in 15 years or more, and a handful of part-time professors who are also working designers. Other schools reverse this ratio. Again, ask for specifics: which members of the faculty have worked recently, at which firms, for how long, on what types of projects? Even requesting resumes isn't out of line--you're the customer in this case, and you have a right to know. This is not to say that tenured faculty are bad, but the design world changes rapidly; a good program needs to be timely, and bring real-world experience into the classroom.
5. Reputation
As much as you can, once you've got your list narrowed down, ask around in the professional design community about the reputations of your top schools. It's good to hear from others that the program you are interested in is worth attending. Accreditation is another big issue, and absolutely essential in the US, especially if you decide later you want to go for a graduate degree. The IDSA has a list of accredited ID programs, and if your program's not on it you should put some real thought in before investing yourself there.
6. Fundamentals
Don't take this for granted! All programs should give you an understanding of the basics of the profession, and provide access to facilities that allow you to explore them. Learning how products work, how they are made, how to make them work better, what makes them look right, and how to present ideas are all core requirements in this field. Easy access to libraries with relevant industrial design materials, as well as to wood-working, metal-working, and plastics shops, is essential to your studies.
At a recent design conference, I heard hiring designers reviewing student portfolios remark "If I were some of these students, I'd demand my money back from the school. They just aren't prepared." Don't let yourself be one of these students. By doing your homework before you start your education, you'll be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity the program has to offer, and enter the professional world ready to succeed.
________________________________________
Adam Richardson is a Senior Designer in the Innovation Process Group at frog design, inc., and teaches at California College of Art.
Via: Core 77
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