Process: Bookplates & Letterpress

Hi guys,

I wanted to pop in to share some photos from my most
recent project. I have chained myself once to the type lab
to finish a cookbook and bookplates that will be completed
by the 1st of May. The deadline is fast approaching and time
is fleeting. 

Enjoy the images from the lab.

Joy of a Sunday

Sweeter Words Saturday: The Tables Turned

Spring fever and senioritis are nowhere to be seen, but the call of the mountain sounds and brambling outdoors never loses its charm. Even in the dead of winter, I want to wander across fields and forgotten woods.

But until the nasty winter winds die down, here's a poem by Wordsworth 
to tide me over.

The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth

Up! Up! my Friend, and quit your books;

Or surely you'll grow double:

Up! Up! my Friend, and clear your looks;

Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun, above the mountain's head,

A freshening lustre mellow

Through all the long green fields has spread,

His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:

Come, and hear the woodland linnet,

How sweet his music! on my life,

There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! How blithe the throstle sings!

He, too, is no mean preacher:

Come forth into the light of things,

Let Nature be your teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,

Our minds and hearts to bless --

Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health, 

Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood

May teach you more of a man,

Of moral evil and of good,

Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;

Our meddling intellect

Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:

We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and Art;

Close up those barren leaves;

Come forth, and bring with you a heart

That watches and receives.

In Progress Mission & Values

Hi Guys as I have written before I have started the process of branding 
my personal brand, "Foolishly Wise", and myself to represent myself the 
way I desire via social media and other mediums. Branding is often used 
as a catchall word for anything that is associated with the decisions about 
graphic elements, images, fonts, styles, and etc. Branding is also is sharing 
a story of the person or company or an organization.

This Branding process is scary and extremely exciting at the same time. I am
making decisions about how I represent myself that I have never made before 
or never given much thought to. I have done branding before for others and 
imaginary companies, but the experience of designing yourself is quite different. 
Each decisions feels so much more personal and heavier.

I want to share my in progress Mission & Values for myself overall. This is not 
perfect, but it is in the right track I want to go on.

Mission

To create, share, and participate in a greater exchange of knowledge and growth 
that results in work that celebrates life, relationship, nature, community, and the 
wonders of learning.

Values

• Ecology
• Education
• Exploration
• Social Responsibility
• Handmade

I hope this will give you insight into the branding process and what Foolishly Wise 
and I am about. I will be sharing in the future my working Artist Statement. See 
you later. 

Lean Closet: Defining & Editing

If I would write a letter to my younger self, I would have a great number of things

to say and encouragements to write. One of those things I would feel the need to

write would be about style and who I was to become as person. I would write that 

your clothes will always be more on the utilitarian side and you will never set for a

fabric that you don't like. Also that you will spend years not concerning yourself

too much about your appearance while you are clean, sensible, and presentable.

And all of that is perfectly fine, you will get better with age.

While that is what I would tell my younger self, what I am expecting of my current

self is a different ball game.

As I am entering a new stage in life, I do want my utilitarian clothes to not just be

useful but represent part of what I think I am as a person. I am taking a plunge to

create a closet this year that reflects me and all that I am. This series will document

this journey and take advice from several sources over the internet. If this series hits

close to home, I hope that the advice presented and can guide you to take your own

plunge and present you to fabulous ladies with sound wardrobe advice.

I will start with advice from Cuyana. Cuyana is a fine clothing company creating 

well-made and timeless pieces for women that has decided to start a movement. They call it the Lean Closet Movement. They have written that "A lean closet enables a fuller life: for ourselves and for others. Our Lean Closet Movement challenges us to collect fewer, better things, and to donate the pieces in our wardrobes that are merely taking up space to those who need them."

    

Most people start off with donating and editing their current wardrobe, to

see far better advice than I can give check out the links at the end of the post.

They are quite thoughtful and practical. My wardrobe is at the another end of

that spectrum. My wardrobe is quite sparse to the point of monotony. I had a

one odd piece that will find its home somewhere else hopefully. Part of this 

sparseness comes from purging multiple times before with moving on to purchasing

or identifying what type of closet I desire (Opps). 

I would really define my dream wardrobe to be filled with dark blue skinny jeans,

well made purses, quiet patterns that mix and play, leather oxfords, and simplicity. 

To further illustrate what I am aiming for, I made these collages that represent the

feel of what I desire. Colour is a playful second fiddle, not the main attraction.

Those are my thoughts for now. Catch you later.

Sources & Great Advice:

Cuyana and their Complete "Lean Closet Movement Series"

Kendi Everyday and her "Working Closet Series"

Wide Eyed Legless and her "Perfect Wardrobe Series"

Darling Magazine and their articles, "Dress like An Adult", "Clear that Closet Clutter", & "Closet Cleanse 101."



All Images found via Pinterest

Process: Learning Curve

While attending University there are moments you are assigned exercises and assignments that as a budding art student with no experience, a deep lack of knowledge and vision, and a very vague concept, you are truly and completely unprepared to tackle that assignment.

This is called the learning curve. Good ideas do not come easily or at the best time. Also bad ideas and mistakes happen way too often. The lousy truth is that you will make bad work as well as good work. Not every idea you will have will be gold and that is part of the process. 

It takes a great while to learn to churn out ideas that are good, wierd, bad, and inconsistent. It takes a greater while to learn resistant and edit and not to be dishearten by bad excercises. 

Unfortunely some fine material is scarficed in the name of learning like this vintage book called Silent Reader. The learning curve is quite large but worth sticking it out.

Moodboard: Foolishly Wise

As I reach the end of my time at university, my thoughts are pondering more and more where I am headed and how I want to get there. 

My thoughts are also turning towards how and what I choose to represent myself and how I want to represent myself. This process is a bit of an old hat since it follows a similar pattern to graphic design work. 

The key difference between this and previous project is that I am applying all this thoughtful and carefully chosen manner to my our life and story. While the experience is quite exciting, it is at the same time quite frightening. I will be sharing ends and bits of the process along the way. 

Thank you.

*allimages found via Pinterest