Some New Creativity

I've run across a couple more fun creative projects/artists recently that I thought some of you might find interesting.
First up there are these wonderful and funky birdhouses. They come from Thomas Dambo and are primarily using recycled materials. If you search around his website you'll see that he has been working on this project for a while and clearly has others supporting his creativity and endeavors.
Pretty great stuff.

Next up are The Coffee Monsters. I mean, you know that I love coffee, so wandering upon this work was just fun. Pure pleasure. If you take some separate things that already exist and combine them in a different way, that's all creativity is. You don't need fancy materials or expensive media. You do need the willingness to be aware and with what is in front of you though, and that is probably my favorite thing about these little pieces.
If you are interested you can follow along with Stefan and his Coffee Monsters HERE.

Daily Sketchbook 3/21

Please orient your sketchbook in a horizontal fashion (this may be a double page spread if you like, btw).
In pen, create a landscape of pyramids and pine trees.

Think about space/depth, size, overlapping, texture, etc. Make sure you utilize the full 15 minutes of devoted daily sketchbook time for

Make it awesome. We will be revisiting this image again later in the week.

Daily Sketchbook 1/20

I have a book at home by Tom Kelley and David Kelley with the following paragraph that I can't help but share.

Please read it and let it sink in. 

"With creative confidence comes the desire to proactively guide the course of your life, or organization, rather than be carried along on the prevailing winds. Roger Martin, dean of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, once told us hat what stuck out to him about designers is that they always act with intention. While others may unconsciously go with the default option, design thinkers make everything a conscious and original choice: from how they arrange their bookshelf to how they present their work. When they look around the world, they see opportunities to do things better and have a desire to change them. Once you start creating things, whether it's laying out a new garden or starting a new company or writing a new piece of code, you start to realize that everything has that intention behind it. Everything in modern society is the result of a collection of decisions made by someone. Why shouldn't that someone be you?"

After reading this passage I want you to open up to a new page in your sketchbook and create a large-ish shape on the page. Within that shape, creatively and uniquely copy the above quote. When you are finished, photograph this quote and submit that for today's daily sketchbook.

Update on the Vans Custom Culture Expedition

With a due date looming before spring break begins...the work is in full on production mode.

Making Some Vans Custom Culture Progress in Studio502

Well, we got underway. Finally. I always love seeing the ideas coming to fruition in the studio.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/2 - Blackout Version

Austin Kleon is a favorite. Much about the career he has constructed for himself is crazy great, and he is someone I suggest you investigate/look up at some point.

He first became "known" online for creating what he has termed "Newspaper Blackouts"

I want you to watch the following video (volume not necessary) and use the provided magazine pages to create your own.
(If the video doesn't play, try clicking on THIS LINK)

When you are finished you should use rubber  cement or glue stick or scotch tape to attach your blackout poem to the next available page in your sketchbook.

As an added bonus, I will call on a few of you to read yours aloud to the class!

You are being timed...Go!

Excerpt from "Creative Confidence"

As many of you do, I love reading. As chance may have it, I often find myself reading things that are related to "work". Probably because I truly believe in what I do and the merit it holds for your future. At any rate, I recently began a book with the above title by Tom Kelley and David Kelley and just read the following paragraph that I can't help but share. 

Please read it and let it sink in. 

"With creative confidence comes the desire to proactively guide the course of your life, or organization, rather than be carried along on the prevailing winds. Roger Martin, dean of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, once told us hat what stuck out to him about designers is that they always act with intention. While others may unconsciously go with the default option, design thinkers make everything a conscious and original choice: from how they arrange their bookshelf to how they present their work. When they look around the world, they see opportunities to do things better and have a desire to change them. Once you start creating things, whether it's laying out a new garden or starting a new company or writing a new piece of code, you start to realize that everything has that intention behind it. Everything in modern society is the result of a collection of decisions made by someone. Why shouldn't that someone be you?"

Wow. Crazy. True. Please, let that sink in. Deep. 

Vans Custom Culture 2015

I just put a lot of the pertinent info regarding the why/how's of the Vans Custom Culture Contest for 2015 on Canvas. Please check there for more info. You can also check HERE.

10,000 Strokes to a Masterpiece

I didn't write this, but I did find it interesting. It's short, but can be made longer, and is on a much newer (and cooler?) platform than this. Here you go.

10,000 Hours to a Masterpiece