Weird attitude.

Migraine. Ugh.

Yet music is the only thing that soothes it ironically enough.

Well it's been ten years, and a thousand tears
And look at the mess I'm in-
A broken nose and a broken heart,
An empty bottle of gin

Well I sit and I pray
In my broken down Chevrolet-
While I'm singin' to myself
There's got to be another way


Good things and bad things going on this week.
My tortoise is sick :(
I know I have to take her to the vet, but I'm dreading the bill. Oh exotic animals.

I'm getting a lot of work done though, which is always a plus.
Although, I don't want to know what the last two or three weeks of this quarter are going to be like...including preview.



Can you believe it's February next week?

Who doesn't want this?

Helvetica cookie cutters! Beverly Hsu came up with a graphic designer/baker's dream! Once these are mass produced I'm getting on that bandwagon. I mean, seriously, what isn't better than eating the one thing that frustrates a designer?

Time for life lessons.
Had an interesting past weekend. Finally got my trunk finished even though I was in gut-wrenching pain. I just wanted it done to get rid of the jig saw.
Met up with the ex to give the saw back, I pretty much just wanted to drop it off in the mail box, but I knew he had unfinished business.

Here's the thing: don't fuck with me. Once you've hurt me over and over again I have nothing left to do with you, and yet you still try to argue.
The only nice thing that came out of the meeting is that I was reassured that I made the right decision.
I've heard it all before, "I'm sorry," "It won't happen again," "I'm different now," "I'm going through a lot of shit," it's nothing new to me. And frankly, it doesn't ever work. It always ends up being the same story and I hate being repetitive. Made that mistake too many times in the past and ended completely beat down.

I wasn't going to let it happen again.

Okay, last one for now.

I found another package design. Pinky's Cupcakes. 3 packages: individual cupcakes box (found the most badass dieline ever) which is on the far left. Top middle and the white one is a cupcake mix gift set. The white box goes inside the 2 sleeves that pull apart. The middle is a gift card box that has a ribbon. Once again...photos needed. There is also a menu as collateral. The pinks came out way too bright in the jpegs, they're much more subtle. It's okay for now...but I think it's going to need reworking.

Oh well.

I love cupcakes. This project made me find The Atlanta Cupcakes Factory which is amazing. So worth it making the trip downtown for a damn cupcake. I mean, they have chocolate salted pretzel!! YUM.

Corporate Identity.

I fly kites. Not cheesy shitty little kites. Big kites. 3.3 meter parafoils to be exact. Them bitches will lift you off the ground and drag you down the beach. Tried a little kite boarding (sand not sea) too but ate dirt lol.

This type of kite. In case you're wondering.

Haven't done it since I went to St. Augustine last (one of my fav places by the way!) but I'll do it again.

Anyway, so I created a kite company selling both those little kites and stunt, sport, and kiteboarding kites and accessories.

There's also a brand standards manual. Once again, I need to take pictures.

2 different business cards depending on your level in the company.

2 different letterheads. The one on an angle is external mail to help develop the brand. The straight is for quick internal mail.

Direct Mail Piece.

This looks like shit on paper. But trust me it's pretty cool. The way the mailer folds out is actually like a flower. I really need to photograph it for preview to show it. Anyway, it's an invitational for a summer jazz series, nothing special, just a fold I liked. It goes into a transparent vellum envelope, and I designed it so that the white areas are what show under where USPS regulation needs to go so there is no problem mailing it.

Pasta Brochure.

This started as a 3-color project. Frankly, I don't know what it was (well I do but I'm just going to leave it out) but I completely hated Intermediate Layout. It sucked. And so did this project at first. Everything is based on a modular grid. I ended up breaking the grid, because I understand baseline grids and everything but come on who the fuck wants to be that structured!

Probably one of my favorites.

Catalog design. I decided to go with Christmas ornaments, unique ones. Who doesn't love ornaments?

All of these are ones my mom has collected over the years, mainly from Poland. Everything is original photography except the photographs in boxes.

I like how clean the layout came out without being too cheesy.

And I picked the best ornaments to go in here.

Polish heritage on the cover. Totally. Hehe.

Some package design.

These are just the dielines, I'm getting everything photographed in the next couple weeks. I'm only going to post these packages, the other ones need to be either reworked or the file is so overloaded that it's not worth it.

Once I get the photos though, I'll post them.

I have a tortoise. Her name is Octavia. She was my inspiration :)

Tortoise Bones are calcium cuttle bones they chew on, so I put them in a milk carton. Fitting.

The food is in a open top container...I know the dieline doesn't make much sense but you'll get it later.

I love my upside down tortoise hehe.

Bakery Logo

Pretty much sums it up. I love the tops of muffins and at one point was considering opening a bakery where I just sold the tops. I even got a muffin top pan from my brother and everything. No I didn't get the idea from Seinfeld...I had it first! So in this case, it's almost a pseudo-abstract muffin.

Masthead/Cover System

Advanced Layout. Still bar none my favorite class.

Anyway, came up with a magazine, I did mine on film photography and named it 35mm. Had to do a full 12 months of circulation based on a system, so I put the photographs inside the 5, creating a more dynamic look rather than just placing the photograph in the background.

This piece actually got featured in a show. I didn't win, someone else did, and honestly I don't think they deserved it, it looks like shit lol.

Rally Poster

This one I did back at GA State, but it still turned out well so I'm keeping it. Original photography and everything. Feet. Yummy.

For Portfolio Preview I'm probably going to do an invitation printed on the toe tags. Simple but direct.

By the way, the poor quality isn't my fault. Converted all the pdfs to jpegs and this is what I get. Great.

Some portfolio work: Avant Garde Magazine

This is a cover and two two-page spreads for a fictional avant garde magazine entitled: Uber Trash. The concept behind the magazine is dumpster diving and glorifying it rather than being disgusted by it. There's actually groups of people in NYC and other cities around the work that gather and go dumpster diving or food at night only to have a huge potluck dinner at the end of their journey.

For more information on dumpster diving click here.

I didn't take the time to put borders on the white spreads. Oh well.

Get familiar.

Okay, seriously, if you don't know about Johnny Cupcakes, then you need to get familiar quick! This is one of the most unique and fastest-growing brands out there. Johnny has got it down to the finest detail. Not only is the product unique, but it comes shipped like a present in special tissue paper with little Johnny Cupcakes buttons, newsletters, and mints included. Even the shipping box is unique. Johnny is obviously not salvaging quality to get quantity. I love all this stuff and I want it all!

By the way, the shirt pictured, a favorite. Too bad it's sold out for now :(

Get inspired.

Love photographic manipulation. This is a brilliant example by Iain Crawford. Although, Crawford's use of manipulation is through the camera, not computer. I kind of want to do something like this for my senior project, but utilizing more light-based or vector illustrations to make the photography pop. I'll post that once it's done...for now it's a secret!!

Amazing. I WANT!

Hafsteinn Juliusson came up with the concept of growing jewelry. Pretty much like a Chia Pet you can walk around with. I love it. It has the unusual flare that I'm constantly looking for. Though it is a bit pricey and requires maintenance, it is definitely one of those stand out pieces.

Simple. Golden.

I'm a huge fan of simplistic design/minimalism. It's actually more difficult to design something with only a few elements and get the point across. Anyone can throw shit all over the page and have someone get it. I've always lived by the motto, "You can't follow your work and explain it. It has to explain itself." Makes sense. So many times have I dealt with cocky designers that think they came up with the most brilliant design but no one got it until they talked about their ridiculous concept. UGH.

That being said, these posters by Exergian are amazing. They get the point across quickly, effectively, and cleverly.

By the way, in love with House.

Don't know what it is, but genuine guys that can be assholes at times are such a turn on.

Yummy.

Insomnia.

On a different, less disgusting note, I had insomnia last night. My brain (and stomach aches for that matter) decided that sleep was the last thing on my list. It's amazing the things you come up with at the most unexpected moments. Came up with another tattoo! I'm thinking I might get it this summer in Poland since it's more of a heritage piece.

Let me explain.

There is a form of traditional Polish art called Wycinanki. It's actually an amazing form of paper cutting. I remember walking through the main square in Krakow and watching artists on the street just doing silhouettes for people and they managed to get a perfect silhouette in under 5 minutes. Some of the designs are simplistic, but most are so intricate and complicated it's hard to believe it's just paper and scissors.

I'd probably find an original design off the street and go from there, I'm not even going to try to make my own, it'll be hopeless! I'm thinking either the top of my foot to ankle or back. Either way, it'll be the little piece of home that I'm looking for...

I also watched my all time favorite movie last night—High Fidelity.

It never gets old, and it's always hilarious.

Mainly because the music in it is fantastic.

I've never read the book...probably should...but I think it might kill the movie for me.

Mmmm. The Beta Band.

It's not the most insightful movie, but it does make you think. I look back on past relationships, past mistakes, life choices, and think what could have been.

I never regret anything I've done because it's made me what I am today. I made lots of mistakes. Holy shit a lot. But I don't regret a single one.

"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music? "

You want insightful? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Donnie Darko. Vanilla Sky. Memento. Fight Club. I can't sleep for hours after watching these movies but I always want more. Some days I want to live in that fucked up sense of reality just to experience something different. I'd compare it to being bumped by a stranger and getting that chill down your whole body. You don't know why you like it, but it makes you feel good. After all, it was just a bump.

It just takes one touch, one whisper, one moan. I do everything I do to find that chill. Whether it be in design, my career, relationships, anything.

I will always strive to be better and I know I'm on the right track when the chill overwhelms me.

Dream jobs:

Magazine Layout Designer

Club Design and Promotions (working in all aspects)

Graphic Designer for something music related

If I was to move....

1. Chicago

2. San Francisco

3. Nashville

4. Milan, Italy

I love Italy. The food, the people, the culture. It's amazing. Now, please, true Italian women are nothing like what is portrayed on shows like Jersey Shore and all that. These are not New York Italians. True Italians are laid back, loving, caring people with a strong cultural heritage.

I love Tennessee too. The weather is perfect. You're still far enough south to have the warmth but far enough north to experience snow. Gatlinburg is amazing in the winter. Never been to Nashville, heard it's amazing. If Gibson called me today to be their designer I would leave in a moment.

Design can be disgusting...

What is it?

Believe it or not, it's a pantone chart of snail poop HAH! Manuel Jovin figured out that colored paper has an effect on the color of snail poop, so for some reason he thought it was a brilliant idea to make this Pantone chart to prove his point. Kind of gross, kind of cool, ewww. He later went on to make packaging out of snail poop to hold escargot...how fitting. I don't think I'd eat escargot held in snail poo...

I don't really like escargot anyway. I had it in Paris, it was really chewy.

Bad Design. Only because it's bad research.

Caution: If you're going to redesign something that is a cult cultural classic, make sure to do your homework. This is a student redesign for Żubrówka, which is a Polish vodka that has a piece of bison grass inside the bottle. The flavor is sweet and smooth, almost delicate in nature. This student made several HUGE mistakes.

Number one: spell the project right! Accents might not be big in American culture, but not using accents in Polish can completely change the meaning of a word.

Number two: Don't cover up the most unique part of the product! The grass is what makes this vodka distinct. You see this on a shelf, you wouldn't even know what the hell it is.

Number three: Don't bullshit. The student claimed the concept behind the design was that these unique bison in the woods of Poland leave these footprints so she wanted to use an imprint-like design. Just because this has something to do with bison don't mean that you have to include bison. The concept completely contradicts everything the vodka is about. Delicate, like the grass. There is no burn. And yet you use something harsh.

Very frustrating!

View the original post here.

It's important that when designing you are essentially an international designer. Read up people. It's like car companies. Take for example the Buick LaCrosse. Seems harmless. Too bad in French it translates to "Buick Jerking Off." Smart. Make sure you know your demographic before you sell them an insult!

More bad car names?

Ford Pinto—Ford Penis in Portuguese

Mazda LaPuta—Mazda Whore in Spanish

Toyota Fiera—In Puerto Rican, Toyota Ugly Old Woman

Rolls Royce Mist—Rolls Royce Pile of Shit in German

Seriously. Technically this isn't really the designers fault. Marketing. Design and marketing go hand in hand, but somewhere in there someone should have caught this!

I started a blog!

Aren't I special?

I don't really care if anyone reads anything I write...this is more for myself, a collection of thoughts that I can eventually look back on.

What will we find here?

Well, let's see. Mainly design-related inspiration.

Life-related inspiration.

The craziness that ensues through my life.

Random shit I find that I can't get enough of.

Goals, dreams, aspirations.

As I go on I'll post portfolio pieces as well for critique and just cause.

Life's more exciting when you show people your talent!

Feel free to comment. I take criticism like a champ so bring it on.

So we shall begin.

If you know me, you'll know 2008 was a shitty year. 2009 wasn't much better, so I'm determined to make 2010 my bitch. I have a list of shit I have to get done this year in order to progress forward. Here it is:

1. Graduate.

2. Move downtown after graduation.

3. Get the several tattoos that I have scoped out.

4. Visit home.

5. Learn how to drift.

6. Give my car the attention that it deserves.

7. Skydiving.

8. Get off my ass and ride the SV650. Maybe even get it transferred in my name.

9. Set my goals and fucking get after them.

10. Take any opportunity.

11. Get the nerve to figure out what the hell is wrong with my stomach.

12. Never slow down. Never settle.

I will add more as time go on...those are just preliminaries. As least the year has started off well!

I have a full busy schedule, which I have a love/hate relationship but I keep thinking that it'll pay off in the end. I get paid for a job I hate and I work for free at a job I love hah! I've tied loose ends, released people that dragged me down no matter how hard that was, and I finally feel good.

We all have to start somewhere.