Monday, February 17, 2014

Practicing Families

Original Photo from Pixabay
Bruce Lee was stating a principle when he said this quote.  What we continually practice is what we achieve.  Goals need to be specific if we want to achieve them.  It is important not to forget the basics of whatever we do.  The best musicians are the ones who are exceptional at the basics.  They practice their scales and arpeggios day after day.  The best artists practice their brush strokes or pencil strokes or the basic form of any medium they work in. 
For society to flourish, it needs to work on its basics.  The family is the basic unit of society.  Families are being choked out by media, government policies, societal messages, laziness and fear.  As a result families and societies are facing increased challenges.
People who join gangs, when interviewed as to why they join, say they are looking for a sense of belonging, it feels like a family.  If we promoted the strength of families, perhaps these people wouldn’t have to go looking elsewhere for that belonging. Fewer people in gangs would mean less gang violence.  Families can increase unity by doing things together.  One thing I have noticed that improves the vibe in the home is family dinner.  People who have family dinner together get to know one another as people.  Then when conflicts come up, they aren’t as big of deal, partially because there is more balance between positive and negative experiences.
National statistics prove a correlation between single parenthood and income.  If families are making less money and have less time, they have less ability to contribute to society.  The more stable families in society, the more likely it is for people to give back.  If there was more of a focus on marriage being something you work at for the rest of your life, instead of something you grow out of, then there would be fewer broken families.  Especially harmful is the idea of a “starter marriage.”  This is a marriage you enter into without the expectation of staying.
There is also a trend of younger families taking on more debt than they used to.  People who borrow money from the government/banks and can’t pay it back contribute to the national debt.  People who are self-sufficient improve the world around them.  People can avoid this by avoiding debt where possible.  Buying a house you can afford, not needing the next best thing, and keeping to the bare necessities where necessary. In short, you can do this by living within your means and spending less than you make.
There are many things we could do to try to help society.  By far the most effective way to improve society will be to improve families.



Thursday, February 6, 2014

Three Things You Need to Do to Improve Yourself


1. Experiment and make mistakes
Especially before you graduate and start getting paid in money.  Take the opportunity to fail often, so that you can succeed more. Michael Jordan said, "I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

2. Challenge yourself
If you don't challenge yourself, you aren't learning and growing.  One way to challenge yourself is to look at the work of someone you admire, and imitate it.  Do this with several people.  In music, the more variety of music you listen to and create the more well-rounded your voice gets.  Or you can at least pick and choose what you like and don't like.  It's the same with whatever else you want to do.

3. Love what you do
If you don't love what you do, improve something else.  If you're stuck in a dead end job, do something you love on the side.  Preferably something that gives you fulfillment.


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Seven Things Every Designer Needs

   1. Look for opportunities to do real world experience
(Jobs on campus, pro bono, freelance, multiple internships, travel classes, ect.) Entering competitions is a good way to increase credibility and skills.
     2. Create a portfolio website
It needs to load quickly, immediately entertain/impress, and be easy to navigate. “Simple design lets your work shine.”- Brad Woodard, Designer/Illustrator at Brave the Woods.
     3. Start a blog
This boosts your credentials as long as you keep it focused, and stay consistent.  One way to use it is to reach out to professionals who know more than you do “I have a blog and my readers want to know…” You can also guest blog.
     4. Brush up your writing skills
Honestly, writing is so important.  Make sure you edit.  Nothing kills credibility faster than grammatical and spelling errors. 
     5. Share your work online
Using online platforms increases the odds of your work being seen.  It increases your audience, and the more people who see your art, the more potential for someone to have interest in your art.
     6. Don’t get discouraged
Remember where you’ve been and track your progress.
     7. Network
Networking has almost become a bad word in the business world.  Reach out to everyone, everywhere.  It always helps to have a business card on hand.  There are some sites that you can get 250 for $10. 


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Bamboo Tablet Review

I got this for Thanksgiving.  I've been using it ever since.  It is really nice, it makes graphic design much easier.  Something that surprised me was I thought it work like a mouse where you could scroll.  It's more like an actual drawing pad.  Each point on the tablet correlates with part of the screen and you draw that way.