A Simple Cup of Tea

There's something about a simple cup of tea that can effortlessly transport you to another place for a few moments.

It works for me when I'm looking for ideas, and also when I'm avoiding them. :)

If you've never tried chai tea, here's a nice recipe.

Somewhere Only We Know

I'm delaying watching the last Harry Potter movie until next weekend. It kind of makes me feel like I have another week left before my childhood officially ends (forget the fact that I've already graduated...from college.) 

In the mean time, there's the Winnie the Pooh movie that just makes my nostalgia go way up. When I saw the trailer, I thought the song Somewhere Only We Know, by Keane, was such a strange choice to pair with a movie that's so full of happiness and carefree-ness of childhood. And yet it makes so much sense. 

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

Hats

I had saved a bunch of magazine ads from a Marie Claire I bought in Sydney, and it was at the time of the Melbourne Cup so of course, the focus was on hats - big, bold, and beautiful ones. My favorite is the one in the middle because it's so lively and still elegant. Plus I thought it looked great in the middle of the collage :) And since November is the transition from Spring into Summer in Australia, most of the ads were very summery and bright.

I first put these ads up in my dorm in Sydney and they bring back awesome memories of summer days in the city. So now I'm using them to decorate my room again instead of leaving them in a pile in my drawer. And while I was putting them together, I remembered my collection of tags, and found a use for them as well!  So now I've got a collage of work by some really great art directors and photographers :)

Happy Father's Day!

"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a Dad." -- Anne Geddes

Even being the silly little kid I am (even now), my dad's always looking out for me. So many things I could say, but I'll keep it straightforward: Thank you, Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially you :)

New Strengths

Barakat Walk for Literacy 2010

This post is long overdue. It's partly because I have been so lost in my work that for a bit, I've forgotten to stop and revisit why I started it. So I'm taking this chance to write about my experience as a graphic designer at Barakat Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides education for women and children in its 5 schools across India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Barakat's education is valued in a whole new way. Without the things that most of us take for granted, people with more challenging living situations have to learn how to deal with everyday circumstances. Things like being able to read a newspaper and keep up-to-date with current events, prevent illness and stay healthy, and deal with post-flood situations allow them to live a step higher from their current conditions. And these are just a few examples.

It's similar to the students at the blind school in India who took their knowledge of Braille and of operating their laptops and expressed confidence in their ability to learn and be just as educated as a student without the disability. Their inability to see was not a weakness because they had the opportunity to learn how to work around it. This opportunity is what Barakat strives to give.

There is so much more to say about the organization, such as its focus on educating women and children and allowing them to be one step closer to breaking the stereotype of being one less when compared to men, especially in the culture and environment they live in. The word education itself is full of life; everything from reading and writing to health and work life fall within its umbrella and each area is an important aspect of Barakat's influence on its students' lives.

As a graphic designer, I have the opportunity to go through our stock of photographs (click here to see some from our flickr account), which are taken by amazing photographers that know how to capture a moment. Being able to use these photographs and create marketing materials that convey Barakat's message is something that I think is powerful. I'm just lucky to be able to be working with a cause I respect, and a job I enjoy.

Slinkachu

Ever come across the thought of how minute we are in the larger scale of things? 

That's the kind of idea that I think street artist Slinkachu puts into visuals very nicely.

More of his amazing street art is here:
http://little-people.blogspot.com/
http://slinkachu.com/home

Souvenirs

 

High school is over and now college is done too. 

Why not make use of 8 years worth of souvenirs.

 :)

Things I Can't Find

This is one of the silliest things I own. When I can't find something, it's never in there. And when I think I'll lose something again, I never remember to put it in there. Like my camera charger; I haven't been able to find it since I made the post about When Things Fly off Shelves, last month, at which time it completely ran out of charge. I've had to use my phone's camera since then.

I don't even remember charging my camera since the end of February, and I think it might still be in India. All that's in the "Things I Can't Find" jar is a blue button.

But now I have a replacement charger, and finally, I can take a good enough picture of the Things I Can't Find jar.

A Sunny Friday Afternoon

Coming home early on a sunny Friday afternoon in Boston.

Old Roses, New Petals

Things to do with old roses:

~ make some potpourri
~ press them between books
~ hang them upside down in a closet to preserve their shape and color
~ use them as decoration somewhere such as a dresser or a display shelf
~ spray paint them an interesting color, like silver (after they've been dried)
~ glue the petals onto a piece of paper/board in an interesting way and frame them so you hang them up
~ take photos!
~ don't throw them all away, keep at least some of the petals :)

At the End of the Day

My mission is to do [at least] one thing I enjoy every day.

Falling into the Sidewalk

I had to stop and look back at these amazing sidewalk paintings by street artist Edgar Mueller. I love the innovation and the element of surprise when you first realize that these are paintings.
Wow.

The Velveteen Life

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?” asked the Rabbit. “It doesn't happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.” —Marjery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

I found this quote at the beginning of an article in Communication Arts, which talked about a creative’s love for advertising. I thought the author, Ernie Schenck, was very successful at pointing out that you should find out if you really love advertising by looking to the future. Even when you’re faced with rejection from clients and creative directors and criticism about your best work, you have to still feel that you love what you do. That’s what will tell you whether you really love advertising. 

I love how messages become so clear through parables. Here's an excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit:


***

“Real isn’t how you are made…” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept..."

***

You know you really love something when you love it unconditionally. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother,
You've given me two things
One is roots
The other's wings

- Anonymous

Mother’s Day started in the US around 150 years ago, but mothers have been honored for much longer than that, and rightly so. Although it seems to be a much more commercialized holiday today linked to profits from Hallmark and other benefiters, its roots are still strong.

Anna Jarvis was inspired to make Mother’s Day a reality when she was 12 years old. At the end of a prayer, her mother said these words, which stayed with Anna forever:

"I hope that someone, sometime will found a memorial mothers day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it."

Anna eventually strived to make this possible by lobbying prominent businessmen and eventually President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill to observe the day. Her goal was to honor her mother’s dream and to show respect for mothers all over the world.

In this way, Mother’s day is really not all about the gift-giving and profit-making that it has increasingly become. The media may have helped to spread the word about the holiday around the world, but it has also diminished its meaning by luring people to restaurants and products. Although giving gifts is a big part of showing that we care about our moms,  It’s really a day to focus on honoring our mothers for everything they do because even though we all appreciate what they do for us, we don’t always show it everyday.

So today, a Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers in the world; especially you, Mom.

And here's a frame I made for my mom, using the petals from the roses she gave me for my birthday :) There's going to be a picture of us from when I was two, and it also looks like something a two year old would make, but hopefully she'll understand. 

 

Read more about the history of Mother’s Day here:

http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/story-of-anna-jarvis.html

Just Dessert, Please

My friend and I love trying desserts from different restaurants. Sometimes we go just for the dessert, and other times, we make ourselves feel less guilty by ordering an entree. And splitting it. And then getting two desserts.

But it's not always easy to figure out from the menu description of the dessert whether it's going to be as we expect it. Especially for dessert: the descriptions usually sound really appetizing, using words like "warm" "drizzly" "topped with..." and all that. If there isn't a picture of the dessert on the menu, that just makes things more interesting.

We had the Forbidden Broadway Sundae at Serendipity, and that was amazing. The only problem was that we couldn't finish it because there was so much.

And the last dessert we tried was at Max Brenner. It was supposed to be an ice cream sundae/ sandwich, but ended up looking like a math project we butchered (it was served on a graph paper cutting board along with a fork and knife). It was just ice cream between two hard chocolate cookies. Not an easy thing to eat. But there were other things on the menu that look really good, so we're still going to come back :)

When Things Fly off Shelves

When things fly off shelves, I tend to remember them more. Less opportunity to take them for granted when they're not around anymore. 

One example: this perfume and lotion from Bath & Body Works, called Breathe Romance.

I think it smells unforgettable. That's why it's been five years since I first got it, and ever since I found out it was taken off shelves, I've been trying to conserve it.
The scent: "Sweet Papaya Wood, Seductive Myrrh, and Honeyed Orange."
It's still available on Amazon, but not at Bath & Body. I like this yummy, rare item, just not that it's almost over.

I'm still wondering why amazing products get discontinued.

~This is what's left~

Working Backwards

I was looking through pictures that I had taken a while ago and figured, I can do something with them.

Usually, you would start off with a creative brief and come up with a "big idea" and then go search for images. But because I don't need to follow guidelines right now, I'm going to start with the image and then come up with the idea. In fact, I've just finished my first one.

Here's the original picture I took of some hilly streets in San Fransisco.

 

I thought it might make for an interesting print ad for a bike shop. So I made up a company called San Fran Bike Shop. Here's the result:

I built this ad around the idea of "swerving" around the streets of San Fransisco on a bike. It has to be a pretty decent bike to be able to go up and down all of those hills, so I thought it was an appropriate image to get the message across.
It was a lot of fun coming up with an idea behind a picture, so I plan on doing this with some more pictures that I have!

April Fools

Lots of practical jokes on the web today :)

Google
On how to send an email the Gmail Motion way: "...To send a mail, lick a stamp and place it down."

 

On hiring at Google: "...Sometimes we just need people who can type really fast."

Hulu
Blast to the past: 1996
"No, it's not just a bad dream. Banks could start charging fees on ATM withdrawals any day now."

Youtube
Another throwback: there's a little button next to most videos letting you view them like they were silent videos from 1911.

Fake Harry Potter TV Series
It's fake :(

Lots more out there. Don't let them fool you :)

Stop Forrest Stop

 

Forrest Gump was written in 1986, premiered in 1994, and opened in 1996. The first Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant opened in Monterey, CA, but I got to go back to its impressive Times Square location.

Just as I was thinking that the employees at Bubba Gump probably knew everything there is to know about Forrest Gump, our waitress came to quiz us on our Forrest Gump trivia. We guessed our way through five questions and our prize was two peppermints :) Other than the friendliness of the staff, our table had a great view that kept us entertained the whole time through.

You enter into the souvenir store to wait for or reserve your table, and that's where the movie starts. If you're not a fan of it already, this restaurant will make you feel like you've already seen it. The restaurant is decked out with photos of scenes from the movie, signs that make you think you're in the movie, and dishes that make you feel like you're out camping (with better food of course). Forrest Gump's presence is so big on TV already, and this restaurant keeps the story alive long past its creation. That's a successful movie.

Win a Job

I think design contests are fun to enter, and they also give designers of all levels the chance to improve their skills, build their portfolio, and if they win, a new connection with an employer (along with the prize). Here are three great ones that I've run into:

1. DesignContest.com

On this site, you can either start your own contest by giving a creative brief for designers to start working on your project, or be the designer working to create the final product that the contest holder will choose. It's a great site because there are numerous contests to choose from with projects ranging from logos to website design, t-shirt design, twitter backgrounds, and more. Just pick what you like, and give it a try. In the end, if you win, the prizes usually range anywhere from $100 to $1000.

2. Threadless Tees

Threadless Tees is a lot of fun to look through. There is so much talent among the designer community, and if you'd like to try your hand at it, your design could be printed onto their tees and sold all over the country! Not to mention you'd get $2500. And if you ever think of a slogan you want to see on a tee, you can send that in as well and get another sizable prize for it.

3. Graphic Competitions

I just came across this one today, and it's amazing. The first thing I've noticed is that it's very professional and the contests are mainly held by global organizations that support various causes. For example, the latest contest is for the Physicians for Social Responsibility. I think contests in general are a great way to spread awareness for causes, so this one is definitely successful. One thing that is different here is that other contestants' work is not displayed, so no one is influenced by each other's work. This could be positive or negative. It just means less inspiration from others, and more of your own originality.

Seeing it in Print

My business cards arrived today! I was happy with the results, especially since the images came out clearly. The pencil graphic goes back to my post about The Story of the Pencil, which explains the symbolism that I chose for it. I designed this business card last semester when I was studying abroad in Sydney, and like always, it's exciting to see work off the screen!

Dreaming Up a Bookstore

When I think about selling my t-shirts in the future, my thoughts stray much further than to whom I would sell them to. Practically, those ideas may or may not work, but I have a lot of fun thinking about them. For example, I think it would be fabulous if I had a little boutique to sell them in. And for every t-shirt I sell, a portion would go toward a children’s literacy organization. For this reason, I’m imagining a little store that looks like a bookstore.

Packaging

Every tee would be packaged in a box that opens like a book (similar to the one below). The cover would look like a novel or a children’s story book.

Window Displays

If you walked by the store, you would think it was a bookstore. The window would have the t-shirt packaging on shelves along with pictures of the t-shirts in frames. 

In-store Displays

When you walk in, there would be a large catalogue (the size of a regular newspaper) on display for customers to flip through the different t-shirt designs. This would make their shopping experience easier.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of the store would be family-friendly and inviting.

Target Audience

The typical customer may be someone who likes to read or would like to explore a new book. This audience would be likely to support the cause of children’s literacy. 

This is just the beginning though. First things first: work on those t-shirts :)

Dress to Impress?

I read an interesting article in the New York Times called The Power of Apparel, which talked about  impressions people give through the way they dress.

We’re all familiar with the idea of looking our best when we’re trying to give off a good impression to someone new/ important. This is especially important for interviews. But as the article mentions, people at the top of the ladder such as Simon Cowell, Michael Kors, and Mark Zuckerberg, play the dress-down trend. This means they can get away with wearing casual clothes and still upholding their reputations as top execs. This is their marketing strategy of saying that they’ve still got their feet on the ground.

It’s interesting to think whether just anyone can pull this off. Maybe you could once you've created a distinct impression for yourself, but as a first impression, probably not. There’s a lot more to say about first impressions, but just like an ad has to have visual appeal to attract initial attention, I think dressing to impress is what captures your attention. After that, beauty is only skin deep.

Perspectives

Pretty much everybody has something that they strongly believe in. It doesn’t happen often, but there are times when something comes along and changes their mind by 180.

What has the power to make someone become completely persuaded by a new idea?

For example, how would you change a PC person to Mac? That’s a tough job, especially if the PC person has strong backup about why they think PCs are better than Macs. Those who don't know as much about the technical details are usually open to new information, and are more likely to be persuaded by new ideas.

So is it possible to turn a PC person into a Mac lover? When someone is driven by facts, they try to make practical decisions. But what about emotionally-driven decisions? I know it sounds irrelevant in this case, but let’s say that a PC person starts to develop a sentimental view of Macs (for whatever reason). I don’t think this makes their decision impractical though; it’s just a change in perspective.

It’s very easy to get lost in something you strongly believe in. But when you open up to new ideas, things start to change. You could start supporting your cause even stronger, or you could start something new. Perspective definitely changes things.

Writing in Dots

This past week, I had the opportunity to spend five days volunteering at a school for the visually impaired, called Nethra Vidyalaya (nethra meaning “eyes” and vidyalaya meaning “school”). I chose to volunteer here for a few reasons including my interest in an organization called VT Seva, a non-profit organization that promotes community service in all sectors of society, and my affiliation with Delta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. at Boston University. Our philanthropy is children’s literacy and we had our Literacy Week at the same time that I volunteered here in India so I was happy it worked out that way.

On my first day, the principal of the school led me to a classroom, briefly introduced me and then left. What was I going to do next? I had never taught a class, had no instructions on what to teach, and did not know what the students expected me to do. So I just winged it and started a conversation with them about what they were studying and then they asked me questions about what it was like to live in Boston. I had a lot of fun talking to them about things like student life, holidays, favorite foods, places to visit, and cultural differences. They were very welcoming and within five minutes, I felt as if I had made fifteen new friends.

The students are well versed in the Braille system and can confidently write any phrase given to them. They each have their own laptop and can type using a software that reads aloud text, so they don't need scribes. I had the opportunity to dictate a few inspirational quotes for the students to write in Braille. These quotes would be put up on the classroom walls so that they could read them every now and then to pick up their spirits. I was very impressed with their abilities and their independence.  I think one of their best traits is that they realize that what they can do is a strength, not a weakness.

Weaving Silk

Until I saw this amazing sari weaving machine, I hadn't appreciated the time and effort put into each sari. Even the simplest designs take at least one week to complete. The machine looks very complex, with some type of code at the top and strings coming out of everywhere. It's like a mix of a harp and an organ.

 

Unrelated to weaving saris, this pretty peacock was on display at the mall, made up of flower petals. I actually wasn't sure if I could even take pictures in the mall, so I was surprised when they were actually very happy to let me do it. 

Back Story

This is the symbol on the title of The Hindu newspaper. It's interesting and full of meaning, but I have yet to figure it all out. There are certain symbols like the elephant and the conch that are known for their significance in India, but why are all of these put together in one coat of arms type of symbol?
I'm on a mission to find this out by the time I leave!

I did it!

Today's the day I graduate! 

But still, I have 116 days left till I walk in the actual graduation ceremony, so I'm glad about that :) 

Also on my countdown is my trip to India, which is in 3 days (hardly)! I'll be looking forward to many things like

- staying with my grandparents and seeing a lot of my family at my cousin's wedding!

- volunteering at a blind school for one week

- doing lots of shopping and buying new Indian dresses

- relearning my native tongue, Telugu

- getting mehendi designs on my hands (henna tattoos) 

- learning how to thread eyebrows! 

And more!

And guess what? My website is up! It's still a work in progress, but I'm glad I reached my goal of having it up by the day that I graduate :) 

See my website!!

http://neela.paramkusham.com

Bad Ideas

If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.  

-Albert Einstein

Berries and Ganache

Today's the first time I've tried strawberry flavored cake, and it tastes pretty decent!

I had high hopes of making this somewhere along the lines of a masterpiece, but ended up with just these. I don't mind though because the whole process was fun even though I realized that I didn't have enough whipped cream, which I planned on using for decoration, or strawberries, which would've looked pretty with the pink cake. Instead, I made some chocolate ganache to top off the cupcakes. I did have some cute little grapes though, so those had to work. Next time, I'm going to try fondant!

If you've ever seen the show Cake Boss, you know what edible art looks like. I am so intrigued by how realistic Carlos makes his cakes. See some of them here. One day I'll learn. For now, I'm glad they at least taste good :)

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.

- George Harrison