Inspiration to Fruition

My best friend and I moved into an apartment back in November to be closer to our jobs, cut down on all the driving to and from work and you know to try and be real life "grown ups." The process of finding the right apartment was a whirlwind but God had his hand on it all and we really ended up at the perfect spot for the two of us. Nothing fancy but we feel pretty blessed. 

We're doing things on a budget... obviously, so we've been piecing things together bit by bit trying to make the place feel like home. Lots of people were really generous and gave us lots of odds and end furniture, appliances, cookware, etc. Now that we've been living there for about 5 months things are coming together a bit more and some art is making it on the walls.

A couple months ago I was in Fort Worth, TX visiting friends and stumbled upon this super cool store on West 7th Street called Wrare.

I pretty much loved everything inside the store and while I restrained myself to buying a single decorative piece for the apartment... and a couple cards, I think the best thing I left with from the store was this inspiration:

How ingenious. Hanging a collection of standard clipboards with pieces of a picture attached that when put together create one large image. Easy-peasy.

So, when I got home it was my turn to bring this to life in our apartment. I went to Office Max and literally cleared out their Clip Boards and then went back a week later to get a couple more. Luckily I am a designer and have access to some programs that make it a little easier for me to set up and print out the chopped up image as needed. Originally we had selected an image of a bunch of trees in a forest but I think it was too dark and too "organic" so it didn't require the lines to match up to really create the impact I was looking for. So, we selected a new picture:

Apparently, I have a current obsession for elephants that is increasingly growing and now filling our apartment... oops. But look at these lovable giants!

My steps after selecting the image:
1. turned image black and white

2. set up art boards in illustrator that mimicked the clipboard layout (my cipboards were the standard size to hold 8.5x11" paper)

3. place image across art boards

4. set up image for each page... and print. (I printed the images on 11x17" paper and cut out so that they would be the full 8.5x11" size. If you print on 8.5x11 paper there will be a white boarder where the printer can't print on the paper.)

5. hang clip boards (we drew a diagram of the wall we were putting the clipboards on and did all the math and planning before putting any nails in the wall. Once we had it all figured out we put in the nails and then hung the boards. Always plan first. No surprises)

6. clip your art up. make sure you have all your images organized or... it's not gonna work right. May become a bit of a puzzle if you don't keep them in order from the beginning.
When I was hanging up the pictures of the elephants I was too close to see it coming together and I was getting so bummed. My roommate was in the kitchen watching and tried to assure me it was coming together but I just couldn't see it. Then I stepped back and was like...

Walla!

There it is... Pinterest that!
I just love how you can get inspired anywhere, anytime, but you have to keep your eyes open.

What are you creating? Where have you been inspired?

Some Fabric and Fun

I've been inspired recently to try some different crafts. I love working with my hands and creating things. So, two nights ago I went to Hancock Fabrics and went crazy over the clearance fabric. They had a fabulous selection of fabric that went from $1 to $3 a yard, and since I only needed small amounts I got a huge selection of different fabrics. I am super excited to get to work. I keep you updated on all the projects I get to do with this treasure trove of goodies.

With some friends having birthdays and my lack of money I tried to make some cute accessories for them. I am kind of in love with these and can't wait to make more.

Let me know what you think. If you are interested in having me make you something leave a comment below or e-mail me at bethanyasexton@gmail.com.

SU2C: Change The Odds PSA

Great design for an even better cause.

I first heard of the Stand Up 2 Cancer benefit from the following Ellen Degeneres on twitter and she had tweeted the video below:



I've always had a heart for others and have tried to be active in the community and give what I can to help. But, I would definitely say that since graduating college and moving back home I have thought a lot more about the impact I want to have on society, what I want my legacy to be. Seeing this PSA was a reminder of the mortality of all of us and at the same time creating a way for us to join together and help one another. I was able to tune in on September 10th and hear more about what SU2C has been able to do with the funds raised so far and donate myself. It feels good to contribute to such a worthy cause. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't been affected by cancer or knows someone who has.

As a designer I also took notice of the design elements that I think really help draw attention to the cause. Too many times non-profits either look over the importance of a well designed brand or don't feel they can afford it. Whatever the reason these organizations suffer because branding a non-profit is just as important as branding any other business. I think that Stand Up 2 Cancer did a great job and the PSA I saw also did a great job in catching my attention. It really hit home with talking about my generation.

Check out the website at https://www.standup2cancer.org/Default.aspx

Re-Interpretation

A couple weeks ago I was meeting with a friend of mine (who has a growing photography business) to talk about doing some design work for her. She was showing me some stuff that she likes, which helped give me an idea of what she likes, her style sense, and the kinds of things she takes in as visual inspiration. Clearly, this isn't about taking these things and duplicating them exactly but rather filtering them all through and taking them as an inspiration to take off from. She shared with me how a lot of times people will bring with them pictures they have found and say "I want this," and she was curious as to how I deal with that kind of a request. I thought this spurred an interesting conversation on "Originality."

We all want to be the first, the trend setter, the trail blazer, and I think we can be, but I also think that whether directly or indirectly we are inspired by everything around us. Taking things in all the time, even when we may be unaware of it. So, when it comes to people seeking out inspiration for a project I don't think it makes them any less creative. The creativity comes in re-interpretation. So, if someone was to come to me and say I want this exact thing duplicated, my job as a creative problem solver isn't to march of and do it. My job is to "listen" to what they are really saying and ask the "right" questions, to figure out what it is they really want. For example someone brings you an image with a lot of polka-dots and says, "I want this." Instead of giving them exactly that, maybe what their saying is that they want a youthful or playful look or they want to incorporate a lot of color. Dig deeper and find the creativity to re-interpret.

As creatives maybe there are those ideas that come out of thin air, but honestly I think it all stems from something. An inventory of you life (the things you've seen, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted) being pulled from whether conscious or not.

So, here is a commercial for the Samsung 3D LED TV that I absolutely love and continue to watch over and over. When I saw this for the first time I immediately thought of all those 3D chalk drawing I've seen posted on the web over the year. Makes me wonder how direct the reference was supposed to be or really is. When I see these kinds of great commercials I just wish I could have been in all those meetings from inception to completion to hear the train of thought these people had.