Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! May 2012 be filled with love, adventure, and laughter!
The Best Flash Mob Ever
T-mobile, this is a great ad. I tip my hat to you.
Of House and Home
Readers-
Let’s chat about living spaces. How do you feel about your living space? Do you feel like it is a representation of who you are or could you care less? I am a big believer in spaces full of simple beauty and comfort. When I have a bad day at work or I am coming back home after a long absence, I find it very comforting to know I will be returning back to a home that exudes welcome, comfort, and warmth.
Have you ever heard the William Morris quote “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” This is something I am trying to work on. Having graduated from college, left apartment life behind and moved into a little 1950s house with Alan and his dog, I am making a conscious effort to have our home reflect that quote. Out went the plastic plates and bowls, the playboy shot glasses, the plastic cups and in came the glass dishes and cups. Of course we still have the Goodwill sofa, the hand-me-down t.v. cabinet, the Target bedside table, and many more remnants of college life; but slowly these things will go as we invest in our home and lives together using the William Morris quote as a guide.
A Little Late to the Game…
Yes, I am a little late to the game in discovering this awesome band. Mumford and Sons, you rock!
Readers-
Do you ever have trouble thinking up new ideas? Whether for business or for play being creative is sometimes hard work. I work in an industry that constantly requires me to come up with new ideas and content and I have to say that sometimes by the end of the week, the creative well has run dry. Do you ever run into this problem? How do you get out of a creative rut? I have come up with a list of things that help (at least they help me!) get those creative juices following.
1. Make lists…. of things, concepts, words you like, etc
2. Challenge yourself–pick a word or color and make it your goal to somehow fit into your project
3. Always have a pen or paper handy, nothing is worse then a brilliant idea coming to you, and you having nothing to remember it by
4. Look at blogs you find interesting, let other people’s creativity inspire you
5. Go for a walk
6. Take a break and step away from whatever task you are trying to accomplish
7. Listen to music
8. Try to create a meal or cocktail from whatever you have in your kitchen
9. Read a book, watch a movie
10. Keep an inspiration folder of images/quotes
11. Go for a drive or take a shower….why do the best ideas always come to you in the car or shower?
12. Call a friend
13. Brew yourself a nice cup of joe
14. Go somewhere busy and people watch
15. When all else fails, play tetris, seriously this works
Does anyone else out there have any tips for getting out of a creative rut?
Image via here
Ukiyo-e paintings are incredibly detailed yet at the same time fluid and three-dimensional. Katsushika Hokusai was the penultimate master of this style. Hosukai is best known for his woodblock print series called “Thirty-Six View of Mount Fuji” which includes one of my favorite prints “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”.
Below are some of the images from his series Fugaku sanjurokkei (The thirty-six views of Mount Fuji) for your inspiration. All images are courtesy of centralasian, rzrxtion. Please visit their flickr pages and show some love =)
Katsushika Hokusai - Gohyaku Rakanji Sazaido (Sazai Hall of the Five-hundred Rakan Temple)
Katsushika Hokusai - Bushu Tamagawa (The Tama River in Musashi province)
read more…
Black and White photographs tend to excel in using contrast and the quality of light to convey deep images. By paying attention to strong composition, the use of perspective and ensuring there is an excellent source of light, the photographer can convey in his/her image something that is emotionally gripping. Below are some stunning, brilliant Black and White photography that I’ve collected to share with you.
If you would like to have your photos removed, please leave a comment or contact us above and I will remove it immediately. (Also if I’ve mis-attributed a photograph I would definitely like to correct it).
by Gilderic
by Thomas Hawk
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Röyksopp – Happy Up Here
This is one of those awesome songs that’ll instantly cheer you up. And if that’s not enough, this video is super awesome too.
Enjoy!
It’s time to relax with this post and journey to far off lands. Take in the serenity, imagine the wind, fog, and mist passing over these incredible photographs that I’ve collected over the last few months. Cool autumn colors, black and white, early morning mist, long exposures and more await!
If you would like to have your photos removed, please leave a comment or contact us above and I will remove it immediately. (Also if I’ve mis-attributed a photograph I would definitely like to correct it).
Image by zoohiko
by mmisfortune
read more…
Favorite Quote
Favorite Quote
“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground, let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it.” ~Peterson
Image via One Love Photo
