Circle of Design

My hard drive came in today! So while I was copying everything on my computer onto it, I watched podcasts from my phone. I went through a few intro-to-german videos, and picked up some greetings: Guten Morgen! Then I found an application I could add to my phone that had all the TED series talks from famous designers. TED is something I found out from my classes back in Kansas. Apperently it's a super expensive convention with tons of amazing lectures on design and such, but they always end up as podcasts later (kind of like Urban Outfitters, and they're wonderful clothes that you just have to be patient for a few months and they always go on sale).

Lately for class we've been having to keep blogs, and use the blog as our outlet for responding to readings our professor assigns along with videos, and AWESOME Debbie Millman web interviews. Anyway, I absolutely hated this "extra work." It was taking something I loved, and assigning it on top of already time consuming projects. Making me hate it and ignore it. This follows the pattern I have set since I was in 6th grade, where my planner was graded based on how well it was filled in, and assigned readings for every night for books I maybe would've wanted to read if they weren't forced on us. I still have yet to use a planner, and cliff notes became my best friend. (side note: In High School I never used cliff noted and actually loved most of the books we read- I cried at the end of A Tale of Two Cities). The point of all of this is that now that I'm not being assigned to watch these videos and respond, I want to. In most interests, like indie music for example, you have to be inside the "circle". This is how you're music stays fresh and up to date, or your design, and you're filled with new inspirations.

Here is a quote from David Carson that I really liked from the podcast I was watching:

"What's next is people. As we get more technically driven the importance of people becomes more than ever before. You have to utilize who you are in your work. Nobody else can pull from your background; from your parents, your upbringing, your whole life of experience. If you allow that to happen it's really the only way to do some unique work and you're going to enjoy the work a lot more as well."