a girl named fred

artwork by katie daisy.

LOVE this quote from fran leibowitz…

… people are consistently told “What can you learn about your own life from this novel, what lessons will this teach you? How can you use this…” This is a philistine idea. This is beyond vulgar. It’s an awful way to approach anything. It should take you away. A book should not be a mirror, it’s supposed to be a door.

eric smith was diagnosed with cancer, and it changed his life. live now is a project he initiated that has grown into a substantive collaboration consisting of a growing collection of artwork, thoughts, experiences and ideas that you can see here.

one of the reasons i get such satisfaction from communication design is that, when it’s good, design can really reach people. it can change behaviour. it can motivate. it can inspire. that’s why i love live now. sure, some of the illustrations are truisms… but hey, they’re called “true”-isms for a reason, folks. because they’re based on truth.

i’m trying to make 2010 my year of “why not?” if i can dream it up, i can make it happen, right? why not?

leave it to Debbie Millman to start her Fast Company blogging career in grand style… do yourself a favour and read her illustrated essay on branding and desire, Yellow.

What I can tell you about brands is this: Maybe they can make you feel more beautiful, or sexier, or cooler, or more hip or alluring. What they do not have the power to do is make you a better person. Brands can’t do that. There is no sneaker in the world, no burger chain, no cocktail, no barrette that can make you a kinder, more interesting, more loveable person. Only we can do that for ourselves.

i often refer to myself as the world’s worst sketcher, and i really hold back on sketching ideas for clients because i’ve convinced myself that i’m crap at it. so i say things like “oh, i’m best when i just think about the ideas in my head for bit.” although secretly i supsect i could benefit from sketching them out. but then i’m just so embarrassed when i start putting pencil to paper.

then i read this post by jason santa maria and i’ve started to think about my sketchbook in a whole different light.

after you’ve read his post, you can check out the flickr group he set up to encourage sketchbook sharing.

from roland’s flickr photostream. first seen on swissmiss.

Thelonius Monk’s advice to saxophonist Steve Lacy. Found here via swissmiss.

What a lovely save the date card! Wish I’d though of that… 

The illustration is by Frank Chimero, who I’ve posted about before. I just love his work.

The folks over at Command Save have a nice little interview with Frank. My favourite piece of advice?

There’s something magical about scissors. I don’t know what it is, but it makes your mind work differently. Cut paper out. Glue it together. Simplify things with a clumsy tool. Turn things upside down. Or just hold a pair of scissors and pace while you think. Just the right amount of danger, no?