I've been asked in class to talk about who influenced my creative formation, who has been my "Moog"? Stoll, during a TED Talk, tributed his inspiration to this person being for him source of knowledge and inspiration of course.
I thought about it a whole week and I came to the conclusion that I don't have one specific or strong "guru" who inspired my path or my formation.
It took me years before understanding which would have been my path, my passion. Yes, sure having a mother particularly talented in artistic skills made me look at art with a different eye. I always observed her work with admiration and pride of her talent, but I never thought to be able to have her same natural artistic skills. She always encouraged me to stand out of the crowd teaching me to ponder on every single action or challenge I was asked to achieve; she has been able to give me the feeling that I was someone "extraordinary", that I was able to give others something special.
My working life brought me, through weird and unpredictable paths, to learn about creativity and graphic design and I just felt, for the first time in my life, I was doing something that satisfied me, something more than the regular job that many people have just to earn their daily bread.
What I am trying to say is that I'm convinced that my mother strongly influenced my personality and beliefs, teaching me to stay away from the ordinary, and of course I can only thank her for the eventual natural artistic skills I might have, but that my inspiration comes from all the people that have been, and are, in my life. I get a lot of inspiration and influence from the friends that surround me: the strength that some of them showed in facing hard life situations, the extravagance with which some of them show in facing every single day.
The love they show me gives me not only the strength to face my daily challenges but is a source of inspiration as well.
I also get inspiration and influence from the big thinkers and designers I am getting to know lately at school. The world is full of very talented people and each of them has something to teach us. Even though you don't get the chance to talk with them and receive their energy in a direct way, you can still feel the energy and their extraordinary talent from their works and creations.
In conclusion I definitely had different sources of inspiration throughout my entire life, but I feel that most of my work is inspired by the moment, by the people that are around me in that particular time.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
my personal Manifestum...
Why manifestum and not manifesto?
Manifesto is an Italian word deriving from the Latin "manifestum"... since that I am Italian I didn't want to fall in the temptation of writing it in Italian... or maybe I could?
mmhh, maybe not!
ergo, manifestum it is!
Writing a Manifestum brings immediately to my memories what I learned at school, the Fascist Manifesto is the most famous public declaration of political principles and intentions. I am now learning that it actually have artistic and creative connotations as well: from the Futurist Manifesto learned during Graphic Design History classes and the most recent Manifesto of Bruce Mau seen during our Contemporary Design class.
Interestingly enough I have to create my own Manifestum, in other words my life stance; that is my relation with what I accept as of ultimate importance in my life. It has been hard to narrow all my principles down to just ten points, life is so full of many aspects worth being mentioned...
1. Play: Work that you enjoy doing for nothing.
You are going to spend most of your life time at your work place, aim to do what you like and your life will benefit from it.
2. You have to do, what you gotta do.
Lately this is my favorite motto. Usually I end up calling it by the best names.
3. Don't forget to live.
Because "you have to do what you gotta do" there's the tendency to forget to live. Don't!
4. We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill said this. In other words, don't forget who's around you, they shape your life.
5. Happiness depends upon ourselves.
Is not only who is around you who shapes your life, you are the main artists. By changing the inner attitudes of your mind, you can change the outer aspects of your live.
6. Design must surprise.
Solve a problem by surprising.
7. Laugh!Dance!Breath!
The most beautiful things of life. If you perceive in doing these you can then think on doing "what you gotta do".
8. Stop!
Once in a while, stop to watch the snow falling, stop to feel the rain on your head, stop to hear the birds singing, stop to smell the scent of the spring.
9. Improvise.
If you are not sure, never be afraid to come up with something else, it can be better.
10. Break the Rules.
If you don't, your life will be boring not only for yourself, but for everyone around you, from friends to clients.
11. Sleep tight, hug furry things, smile for nothing and eat cookies.
Enjoy the smallest things in life and reflect them in your work.
12. Ask.
If you don't understand don't be afraid to ask.
Manifesto is an Italian word deriving from the Latin "manifestum"... since that I am Italian I didn't want to fall in the temptation of writing it in Italian... or maybe I could?
mmhh, maybe not!
ergo, manifestum it is!
Writing a Manifestum brings immediately to my memories what I learned at school, the Fascist Manifesto is the most famous public declaration of political principles and intentions. I am now learning that it actually have artistic and creative connotations as well: from the Futurist Manifesto learned during Graphic Design History classes and the most recent Manifesto of Bruce Mau seen during our Contemporary Design class.
Interestingly enough I have to create my own Manifestum, in other words my life stance; that is my relation with what I accept as of ultimate importance in my life. It has been hard to narrow all my principles down to just ten points, life is so full of many aspects worth being mentioned...
1. Play: Work that you enjoy doing for nothing.
You are going to spend most of your life time at your work place, aim to do what you like and your life will benefit from it.
2. You have to do, what you gotta do.
Lately this is my favorite motto. Usually I end up calling it by the best names.
3. Don't forget to live.
Because "you have to do what you gotta do" there's the tendency to forget to live. Don't!
4. We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill said this. In other words, don't forget who's around you, they shape your life.
5. Happiness depends upon ourselves.
Is not only who is around you who shapes your life, you are the main artists. By changing the inner attitudes of your mind, you can change the outer aspects of your live.
6. Design must surprise.
Solve a problem by surprising.
7. Laugh!Dance!Breath!
The most beautiful things of life. If you perceive in doing these you can then think on doing "what you gotta do".
8. Stop!
Once in a while, stop to watch the snow falling, stop to feel the rain on your head, stop to hear the birds singing, stop to smell the scent of the spring.
9. Improvise.
If you are not sure, never be afraid to come up with something else, it can be better.
10. Break the Rules.
If you don't, your life will be boring not only for yourself, but for everyone around you, from friends to clients.
11. Sleep tight, hug furry things, smile for nothing and eat cookies.
Enjoy the smallest things in life and reflect them in your work.
12. Ask.
If you don't understand don't be afraid to ask.
A "storm" of words
My statement is unchanged... I'm still of the idea that design HAS to do somehow with extraordinary... so, I tryed to brainstorm all the words that came in my mind thinking of ordinary becoming extraordinary:
breaking the rules
unexpected
different
challenging
move forward
engaging
rebellion
positiveness
unlimited
nontraditional
expressionism
evolving
stimulating
unusual
influential
cutting the edge
open
critical
effective
communicating
breaking the rules
unexpected
different
challenging
move forward
engaging
rebellion
positiveness
unlimited
nontraditional
expressionism
evolving
stimulating
unusual
influential
cutting the edge
open
critical
effective
communicating
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"Design is..." still processing, be patient | STEP 3 (wk8)
During the past week, every time I could stop for a minute and concentrate on my own thoughts I kept thinking and re-thinking of my last week's "Design is" statement.
This is a long term process assignment, concepts, ideas, research, analysis has to be developed, broaden and even changed if necessary.
As I said before the statement I wrote last week came immediately from my heart. I'm still of the idea that the whole concept of design runs around the goal of grabbing attention, and giving information, but it is how you do it that makes the design unique and outstanding.
This statement is true from either the business point of view and the designer/artist one.
I will keep my statement unchanged for now, I still think it clearly encompasses my personal perception of what design is.
"Design is... communicating something ordinary in an extraordinary way"
This is a long term process assignment, concepts, ideas, research, analysis has to be developed, broaden and even changed if necessary.
As I said before the statement I wrote last week came immediately from my heart. I'm still of the idea that the whole concept of design runs around the goal of grabbing attention, and giving information, but it is how you do it that makes the design unique and outstanding.
This statement is true from either the business point of view and the designer/artist one.
I will keep my statement unchanged for now, I still think it clearly encompasses my personal perception of what design is.
"Design is... communicating something ordinary in an extraordinary way"
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