I’m Free To Fail

I am constantly trying not to copy other designers.

I was told early on by a design instructor: “If you've seen it done before, don't do it again.”
I didn't have any special affinity for that professor -but when he said those words to me it was as if God himself spoke from on high; I was changed from that moment on-brainwashed.

Since then I've brought most of my personal (and sometimes professional) design work darn close to ugly and unusable in search of originality.

I love this process. I grow by not holding these creations as precious, too perfect or unable to be changed.

I thrive off of the reality that these designs are just the pixel definitions of ideas in my head. They can change at any time, they can be “wrong”. Freedom in the ability to be wrong is what makes me love what I do.

I guess it's the constant learning.

The (in-progress) logo shown here is a good example of this. I can't tell if it's horrible, or if it does it's job..yet.

I am now at the stage on this piece where I have to:
A: Ask others for opinions
B: Prove to myself that it can't improved

Basically I need to know if it's at the point where I “cut the cord”, which is always, always the real challenge.

/
Van

Posted via email from Van’s Posterous

Art overwhelms me

It’s true-I confess. The piece of a painting here is from a work in
the National Gallery in DC.
It overwhelms me-this small section of abstract art boggles my mind,
this little snippet..fascinates me.

Maybe even more so than the entire original painting.
(I saw it all, was blown away, focused on this small area and grabbed a pic.)

I heard once that “Art, true art, is a story”.
Now I get that!

Much like any conversation-I am fixed on the part that has the highest
personal value to me, I locked into that portion and literally carried
it around with me!
(I’ve had this photo on my iPhone for almost a month.)

This makes me wonder:
How do people absorb art on a mass scale? How do they work in
galleries, teach art history, etc?!
..my brain couldn’t deal.

Posted via email from Van’s Posterous

Simple

The less I want things in my life, the more I seem to have. Accidents, coincidence -lately there are too many great things going on to feel possessive of, or ruled by them.

And this all feels very good.

/
Van

Posted via email from Van’s Posterous