Welcome to the second installment of Peeps I Dig. If you’re new to this series, you can read about the birth of Peeps I Dighere. This month is all about inspiration from animated characters.
“Really?”, you might ask. Well being the mother of a 2 year old, a large portion of my tv viewing ends up being cartoons. It’s interesting to me how the cartoon world has evolved since my childhood. This got me thinking about the lessons and inspiration I took away from the animated shows of my childhood as well as the tidbits I’m getting from the shows that my son watches. So here it is, animated characters that inspire and have inspired me:
Daria
As sarcastic as they come, Daria was a high school girl who didn’t buy into the crap of high school life.
Inspirations from Daria:
1. Don’t buy into trends.
2. No matter how weird, sarcastic, or non-mainstream you are, there’s always that one friend who can relate.
3. Being misunderstood by your family sucks, but they still love you even if they don’t get you.
4. Having a witty comeback is always cool.
5. Being smart is not a downfall.
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Team Umizoomi
Premiered in 2010 for kids ages 2 to 8, Nickelodeon’s show Team Umizoomi is a blend of animation and live-action that focuses on math skills.
Inspirations from Team Umizoomi:
1. Math is everywhere you look.
2. It’s good to lend a helping hand.
3. Being tiny doesn’t mean that you can’t do big things.
4. Simple shapes are the building blocks of complex objects.
5. Each of us has a unique talent.
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ThunderCats
Thundercats is a cartoon that ran in the mid-80′s who’s human-cat hybrid characters flee their dying world and end-up on Third Earth.
Inspirations from ThunderCats:
1. Home is where you make it.
2. When you’re faced with challenge, lean on your friends for support.
3. Being a girl doesn’t mean that you can’t run with the boys (Cheetara).
4. Treat others with the dignity, patience, and respect that you’d want for yourself.
5. Violence is a last resort.
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Dora the Explorer
Premiered in the late 90′s, Dora is an educational cartoon that teaches children Spanish amongst other life lessons.
Inspirations from Dora:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
2. Always know where you are going (a talking map helps aka GPS).
3. Being bilingual is awesome.
4. Always be prepared.
5. Keep trying and you’ll get there in the end.
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GI Joe: A Real American Hero
Based on a Hasbro action-figure line, GI Joe was a cartoon that ran in the mid 80′s which was basically a bunch of military dudes kicking ass and taking names.
Inspirations from GI Joe:
1. Knowing is half the battle.
2. Every story has a moral.
3. Teamwork.
4. I’m an American hero.
5. Strategy helps.
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Be sure to check back monthly for more Peeps I Dig. Next month’s theme for Halloween: creepy artists that inspire me. Who inspires you?
Welcome to the birth of Peeps I Dig, a monthly series of people who inspire me past, present, and future. Who knows, maybe they’ll inspire you too. This months theme is go, go girls! Just a little sampling of the large pool of strong, intellectual women who have taught me how to be one.
MOM1 and MOM2
The adorable, Japanese lady on the right is Mom 1 (the one who birthed me) and the red head on the left is Mom 2, my mother-in-law. Now I know it’s a bit cliche to state that my moms are an awesome inspiration, but seriously, they’re totally awesome and inspire me daily.
Inspirations from Mom1:
1. Whatever you do, just make sure you’re happy.
2. Your home is where you make it.
3. You create the definition of success.
4. Organization is a lifestyle not just a skill.
5. You’re never too old to learn something new.
Inspirations from Mom2:
1. The wisdom of Sesame Street is all you need, “if you want to play the saxophone, then you have to put your rubber ducky down” aka “life’s about choices”.
2. There’s good in every situation, even having cancer. It’s all about perspective. Her daily saying, “Thank you God for giving me cancer and the strength to survive it”.
3. The Universe will give back what you put out.
4. Worrying is a waste of time and energy.
5. Your child will teach you how to parent him. You just have to pay attention to the cues.
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MARIKO
Mariko Mori is a Japanese, multi-media artist who through the mediums of photography and technology melds Eastern and Western mythology and culture.
Inspirations from Mariko Mori:
1. Art and technology are not exclusive of each other.
2. Be bold.
3. Challenge cultural norms.
4. If you can dream it up, it can be done.
5. Explore.
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XENA
Xena, The Princess Warrior is a fantasy series from the late ’90′s in which Xena, aka Lucy Lawless, kicked some serious butt for the greater good for redemption of her former sins.
Inspirations from Xena:
1. Kick ass when necessary.
2. It’s never too late to be a better person.
3. Go into battle in style.
4. Do good.
5. Be a loyal friend.
Inspirations from Paula:
1. Be prolific.
2. Don’t be bound by one medium.
3. Be inspired and never limit the sources of your inspiration.
4. Break boundaries and then break them again and again.
5. Be a rock star in whatever you do.
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Be sure to check back monthly for more Peeps I Dig. Next month’s theme: Animated characters that inspire me. Who inspires you?
Freelancing is a fine balance of variables that can create success if juggled correctly or spell disaster if not juggled well.
I’m often asked “What’s it like to be freelance?” Well, ladies and gents, it can be amazingly hard and stressful but at the same time as equally rewarding. Like anything in life, it takes patience, attention, some elbow grease and tender loving care.
Over the past few years, I’ve learned to ride the ebb and flow of the tricky waters of freelance. Here’s a quick list of pros and cons for those of you thinking about jumping in:
PROs
1. You’re on your own clock—it’s great to be on your own schedule. I’m flexible enough to be able to be spontaneous with my days and can work at any hour of the day instead of clocking in and out for someone else.
2. You’re your own boss—it’s all about me and no one to tell me differently.
3. Being fed—following your dream to be your own boss and doing what you love leaves your spirit and soul completely fed.
4. It’s on you—when in an office full of talented people, it’s sometimes hard to get recognized leading you to feel under appreciated. When it’s just you then all of the glory is put forth upon you and you get to beam with pride when your client falls in love with you and your work.
5. Fundage—when the juggling act is going smoothly cash flow can be excellent.
6. Uncle Sam—there are loads of organizations and municipal and governmental programs who love giving money and resources to small businesses.
7. Renaissance Woman or Man—when you’re out on your own you tend to become educated in a plethora of other subjects that have nothing to do with your actual trade but are vital to running a business. This education challenges your boundaries and ultimately helps you grow as a person and business owner.
CONs
1. You’re on your own clock—when all of your time is YOUR time, it’s hard to manage it effectively. You have to be really disciplined with your time. It can be really tough on those lazy summer days but it must be done.
2. You’re your own boss—when you’re the one making the rules it’s easy to give yourself a lot of leeway to do what you want and not what you need to be doing.
3. Being fed—the paychecks don’t come in a nice bi-monthly pattern so budgeting gets difficult at times and sometimes you might not be fed.
4. It’s on you—usually in a work place when something goes wrong the blame can fall in a variable of ways; however, as a freelancer, that blame sits solely on top of your shoulders when things go awry. Disclaimer: Murphy’s Law—things will, at some point, go awry.
5.Fundage—when the juggling act is not going smoothly cash flow can be non-existent.
6. Uncle Sam—if you thought taxes were high when you were employed by someone else, brace yourself for the beating you’ll get being a freelancer.
7. Renaissance Woman or Man—when you’re out on your own, you’re really out on your own including auxiliary tasks that you might not know how to do like accounting, billing, networking or even customer service. So you either have to get yourself schooled or you have to shell out money to have someone do it for you.
So there it is. My pros and cons to freelancing. If your a little confused as to why the pros are the same as the cons, just from a different perspective, well that was on purpose. That little paradox is the essence of freelance. It can be absolutely rewarding in every way and it can also be the bane of your existence.
My best advice to those of you thinking about taking the plunge is to really look into your heart and be honest with yourself. You have to know your potential as well as your limits. Going freelance is the best thing I’ve ever done spiritually but I have to be honest and say that it isn’t the best thing I’ve ever done financially.
You have to be willing to work twice as hard for twice as long to get to where you want to be. It’s much easier said than done especially since Life likes to throw curve balls. However, if you can ride out those rough waters then I would have to attest that going freelance is just awesome. Even the cons aren’t so bad because really it just comes with the territory.
So my vote is, DO IT but do it with a plan to avoid as many cons as you can. You might regret it or you might not but at least if you try, you’ll never look back and say “What if?”
Whatever your passion, talent, dreams—everyone needs that special someone to look up to. Well gals and guys, my pizza pie in the sky is Chip Kidd. I fell in love with his design when I worked at Borders Books. Being a creative, I of course definitely judged a book by it’s cover. Rows and rows of lovely books surrounded me everyday and I would walk up and down the aisles running my fingers over the spines taking-in that oh-so-exhilarating dusty aroma. Time and time again, I’d pull a book of the shelf and fall in love with the cover. Almost every time I flipped it over to see who designed that cool jacket, it was the Kidd.
Naturally I became obsessed with him and tried to find out everything that I could. I mean look at the guy. He’s talented, he’s stylish, he’s really sexy in that cool geeky kind of way—what’s not to adore?
For a long time I wanted to follow in his footsteps and design book jackets. Well, I still do but it’s not my only goal in life now. I’ve been able to expand my horizons a bit but nothing is sweeter than that first electric spark that makes the hair on your arms stand-up and send shivers down your spine. That’s what Kidd’s covers did for me. It got me excited. It got me motivated. It made me want to be a designer. It was about the same jolt that I got from Cyndi Lauper’sShe’s So Unusual album sheath. It was my first vinyl, my first glimpse of van Gogh and my gateway into the world of fine arts. Thanks Cyndi, time after time girls do just wanna have fun.
Kidd is prolific. Not only does he do covers, he’s also a writer, speaker, comic book connoisseur and all around modest guy. I’ve met him a couple of times. Once for a signing for his first novel, Cheese Monkeys which I did read and enjoy. It’s a coming of age story about what else but a budding Graphic Designer. I read it while I was still in school so it was one of those special reads that hits home. It did leave me questioning though—what the hell is a cheese monkey?!
The second time was just to go drool at him. He was moderating a discussion with a graphic novelist that I can’t for the life of me remember. I was too busy imagining Chip as my husband to pay attention. I know it’s pathetic, shut-up.
His newer novel, The Learners the sequel to Cheese Monkeys, came out in 2008. I unfortunately haven’t picked it up yet. Since I don’t work in the bookstore anymore it seems to be a major feat to actually go buy books. Your guess is as good as mine on why that is. I just might go pick it up today though after seeing this awesome video. Yes, I admit it. I’m turned on by the typography and layout of this book. What can I say?
Some chips off the Kidd block for your pleasure (and mine):
This cover really makes me thirsty which is appropriate since it’s about Burroughs journey to alcoholic recovery. You would think that it’d be a given that the cover reflect what’s inside it’s pages. Well, that doesn’t always happen so it adds to the experience when it does. I asked Kidd at one of his signings if he was able to read all of the books before designing the covers. Turns out that reading the book before designing the cover isn’t done often. Makes you wonder what kind of voodoo magic these designers are practicing when they hit the nail on the head with a cover without reading the book.
This cover gives off a deeply mysterious feeling. It’s mystical, allusive, engaging and intriguing. It really makes you just want to crack it open to see what magical world is between the pages. Tartt’s story is just as enigmatic.
Who could forget the iconic cover for The Lost World? I don’t know how well Crichton wrote it but the movies were bangin’. Kidd’s cover design was admired enough that they carried over the visual language that he created for all of the movie paraphernalia. So simple. So cool.
I could go on and on about all of the cover designs that float my boat and I could especially gush a lot more about Chip (yeah, we’re on a first name basis—he might not know it but we are). I want to hear from you. Book cover design is often under rated and taken for granted so throw out some props for your favorites. I’m looking forward to seeing them but I can’t promise that I won’t judge it by its cover!
I’ve recently came to the realization that the process of building one’s brand is freakishly similar to going through puberty. At least that’s how I feel about the ups, downs and crazy rounds that I’ve experienced in my almost 4 years as theLULAdesigns. When I first took the plunge to live my dream of running my own business, I knew that I wanted to design but that’s pretty much all that I knew. I didn’t have a brand dream team backing me up so I took what I knew and launched my brand.
Over these few short years, theLULAdesigns has gone through brand puberty. With every project my experience expanded and with every client my pitch became increasingly honed. My confidence built and I grew more and more into who I needed to be. So now almost 4 years and a few redesigns later, I feel like theLULAdesigns is leaving its prepubsent form and heading full force into puberty.
With a new year came new positioning for me. In actuality, it isn’t new positioning per say. Really, it’s the realization and clarification of what my positioning has been and should be.
Taking a look back at my clients, projects, and what got and gets me jazzed, it turns out that I’m a bleeding heart, tree hugging humanitarian activist. I swing left—way left, which brings me to my positioning: people, planet, profit. I’m borrowing buzz words from the triple bottom line phenomenon but when I dig deep that’s truly what I’m all about. It’s always what I’ve been about and will be about.
It just makes sense. I’m doing what I love while simultaneously giving back and standing up for the causes that I believe in. I’m theLULAdesigns and I’m justified left. Which way do you justify?
Technically, she’s my mother-in-law but we’ve never been big on the in-law title. Miki doesn’t come with all of the cliche baggage. The truth is that she’s all sorts of awesome. I often wonder how I lucked out with such a great guy AND great mother-in-law. She’s not only my husband’s mom—she’s my mentor, my friend, my mom.
You could cut the tension in the air. Today is her first day of chemo. The first of many, many treatments over the next five months. What does one do while your mom’s getting chemo? Well, being a designer, it made me think about logos—cancer logos.
I’ll start with the big gun. The American Cancer Society researches, reports, and provides support for just about every cancer out there. A patriotic logo set in red, white and blue with a caduceus sitting solidly to the left creating a sense of confident guidance. It’s a logo that’s clean and straight forward. One might even venture to say that it’s a little cold for the subject matter. Although, they are an organization that’s rooted in hardcore research.
Another big one is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. An organization that raises extensive funds for breast cancer research. The sans serif typography is modern yet soft enough to remain humanistic. The all too ribbon icon has a slight modification of the dot on top mimicking a human silhouette which adds a unique factor to a well used symbol.
The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation’s mission is to “support research, education and public awareness of gynecologic cancer prevention, early detection and optimal treatment.” The logo is about as generic as the mission statement. Don’t get me wrong, they do vital and amazing work that I have the utmost respect for. Unfortunately, from a graphic standpoint the logo leaves much to be desired.
Ovations is dedicated to the pursuit for a cure for ovarian cancer through funding of new and ongoing research and treatment initiatives, increasing awareness of the subtle signs and symptoms of the disease and give hope, education and comfort to those currently battling ovarian cancer. The subtle scaling of the O and S create the illusion of them hugging the tagline giving it a very humanistic feel. The butterfly icon nicely balances the typography and is an image of hope and metamorphosis.
The High Heals Foundation’s mission is to “raise funds to develop methods for early diagnosis of Ovarian cancer and aid in the discovery of a cure through research, advocacy and education.” Although I don’t wear heals, I do think this lockup is fantastic. What’s more go-go-girl power than a patent leather spike heal paired with lipstick red? It’s fun, accessible and dares you to be courageous.
There’s countless logos out there that range the spectrum from all medical business to bleeding heart humanitarians.
All-in-all I’d have to say that Team Miki takes the cake when it comes to cancer taglines. The official logo is still in the works (that is, as soon as I design one) but you gotta LOVE this tagline:
We put the balls into fighting ovarian cancer.
That’s what happens when your mother-in-law’s circle of friends are all knee deep into Marketing. She definitely puts the balls into fighting cancer though. Miki is a tough woman and logo or not she’s fighting cancer with style.
So my last post was in February and I’m sure there’s speculation about why I’ve been MIA. Well, it was brutal, it was bloody but I made it through…I got married.
My goofy husband, Alx, and me right after the ceremony.
An absolutely wonderful event but the months leading up to the big day were exhausting. This wedding literally took over my life and definitely played a large part in designing the new me as mother and now wife. You can read about my thought process through the Interfaithfamily.com wedding blog that my husband and I participated in.
My rock star bride’s maids.
Oh, the trials and tribulations. I have to admit that it did give us new perspective on our relationship. It was also a ton of hard work. You can read a lovely article about our wedding day by Kellie Patrick Gates in the Philadelphia Inquirer: our fifteen minutes of fame. Our moms were ecstatic. Our friends thought it was cool. There has also been the random person who’s recognized us from the article. Kinda cool in a pseudo Hollywood way.
Raiden, my son, the cutest little boy in the world.
At any rate, the dust has cleared and the battle wounds from the making of random wedding decor have healed (I really did shed blood) so that’s that. The LULA is back to reality and ready to get back to designing. A world that I actually understand. Life is good.
Being a stay-at-home mom and twilighting as a freelance Graphic Designer doesn’t give much opportunity to connect with warm bodies on a regular basis. It’s a sacrifice and a blessing all wrapped into a not-so-neat package. So, why not reach out into the digital world and get connected? It surely doesn’t replace face-to-face but the feedback, comments, inspiration, and sharing are welcome stimulation.
This blog is my soap box be it a rant about software frustrations or kudos to an awesome resource that I just need to share. It’s all about my design and how each project poses a challenge that pushes me to expand towards a solution. It’s about designing me. Designing me as I mature professionally and personally. I’m sure it’s going to be quite the ride and I’m completely looking forward to it. Welcome to my world, designing LULA.
My rock star bride’s maids.
Raiden, my son, the cutest little boy in the world.