Forcefully hauling this blog out of the mothballs

HI EVERYONE!!!!

wispirs and scribbles is back alive, this time hopefully for real.

You know, there's really something therapeutic about writing things down. And practical as well. I have a zillion ideas, see, me being a self-described "creative type" (ironic quotes intentional), and they need to be recorded and sorted out so as to be acted upon, rather than forgotten by my notoriously scattered mind. And then, see, there is some meaning and relevance to the concept of moving forward with regards to my life in general, and my artistic endeavours in particular, and at the moment my attempt to reenter the design field specifically.

I know I said this before, back when I first moved to New Jersey in 2008. The plan back then was to try to get a design job around here, make a good salary, take my talents and skills in the direction I'd wanted to go, badda bing, badda boop, life moves forward, everyone's happy and proud. We all know how that turned out!

In the intervening three years I have had one or two interesting detours into doing art and design professionally, but for the most part, not so much.

This time I'm hoping it'll turn out a little differently.

For starters, I'm starting to formulate an actual plan and a real goal. Secondly, although things are still far from ideal I at least know that for the time being I have a steady source of income, so I'm not in a blind panic about getting it all done tomorrow.

So here's the basic idea I'm starting to go for:

1) I definitively want to become a professional designer again. Full time. And sooner than later.

2) Although my experience is in print design, and I'm good at that, I think I want to focus on web and/or interactive design for the next phase of my career.

3) I want to integrate my other skills and talents, ie music, illustration, photography, writing, etc., into my work.

4) I would like to produce something tangible and marketable, in addition to or in preference to providing my creative services to others.

5) I want to become my own man and my own boss, to take control of my life and my destiny, and make a difference in the world through my work.

(Thanks to my boy Adam for getting me all fired up.)

Perhaps I'll come back and refine or rewrite this list. One thing I've learned from my current job is how important a set of core values is in keeping you on track. So now it's time for me to make up my own list and build my own career around it.

My immediate goal is to start doing my homework, in rough but not rigid order:

1) Brushing up on my HTML. I used to be able to hand code a website. Did you know that? Nothing too complex, but I did design and maintain a few personal websites for several years back in the 1999-2003 era.

2) Studying CSS. This, after all, is where the design happens on a website these days. I've been meaning to do this for years. Now I'm gonna hunker down and do it.

3) Start playing around! Whip out some code, do something tangible that I can see and click around.

4) Get my hands on a scanner and start making some graphics again.

5) Start talking to other designers. I'm on that mailing list, after all, and on at least one design web forum. Use them!

6) Studying JavaScript and JQuery. Probably more of a secondary thing at the moment since I'll have my hands full with HTML and CSS. But apparently this stuff is valuable to know.

7) Write on this blog! Document my process. That is after all what they taught me in school.

Okay, well I've written enough for now. Perhaps I'll be good as my word and post something again sooner than later.

Others

Others are blasting off into the sky
In things that your grandpa thought never would fly

Others are carving their footprints deep into
The crust of the Earth
And then into space
While others burn their face
Into your brain
It's all the same

Others are steaming out patterns
Left behind in invisible ink
Picturing plans and elevations
And equations

Others are sculpting toys
From the rarified air
And electrons and light
They feel just right
In your hand

You don't understand

How others, god damn them, they got to make
And your unfortunate fate is to bake
In a desiccated riverbed, minus a claim to stake
Or stacking up cartons in a Supermarkt
Or typing up nonsense long after dark
Alone in a suburban office park

With rules made by others
Who give cuts to their brothers
While your spirit smothers

Okay, well I'll start with someone else's art...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFPg1m_Umg

Just for a bit of inspiration. This is pretty amazing.

first post on wispirs and scribbles

A short welcome to all comers. This is my third blog, to be devoted entirely to creative matters, primarily visual arts and music. Perhaps some writing as well, by which I mean non-blogging writing--literary-style shit.

There will be no personal anguish here, except the anguish of not being able to place that first brushstroke on the canvas because I can't convince myself that I actually can paint. I have my other active blog with which to scream and weep and rail against the whole injustice of modern life to no one in particular.

There will also be, at least for the time being, no images to accompany my ramblings, since I have no scanner.

And now, as is customary, the long wait for my next post begins.