Buzz Words and Catch Phrases Over the past 5 to 10 years buzz words and catch phrases have been hard to avoid. The popularity of digital media has helped to spread these sayings, and the media itself is not immune to being caught up in a catch phrase cliché. Many of these phrases leave one confused as they are empty of any true meaning, or their use has been taken totally out of context. Business catch phrases are the worst culprits with sayings such as “Out of the Box,” “Transparency,” and “Taking Ownership.” Is Content King? The phrase that stands out the most to me is “content is king,” often used to refer to digital media marketing. I wouldn’t be so arrogant as to say that creativity is more important than content. However simply putting content on display for a visitor will not grab their attention. So is the content really King, or on an equal plane and dependent on a creative vision? Grabbing a viewer’s attention visually is not just about web design; it applies to an...

It's been my experience that creative people thrive on inspiration. I know I'm guilty of it. Salvador Dali may have felt creativity itself could be inspired through imitation when he said, "Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing." I've also noted that creativity dwindles with low energy. Try as I may, every winter gets worse and it's a struggle to find that creative spark or the time to execute the many ideas floating around in my head. I think I can place some blame on the snow our region receives. It takes twice as long to prepare to leave the house and even longer to get to your intended destination. Winter seems to be a giant "Groundhogs Day" where the days of the week are a constant repetition with little extra time to break the routine. Inspiration is my answer to making it through the winter. I have found a great deal of inspiration in collage. I don't look at what used to be trash the same way anymore. That bottle,...

The holidays are over, and winter has hit us full force. I've already had enough of the snow, but this year I'm really trying to make good use of the time indoors. I have many projects and techniques on my mind to explore in my own art, both digital and mixed media. Practice makes perfect, or at least it improves technique and opens us up to more ideas. Being inside in the winter is a time of contemplation too. I am reading more and considering the happenings in my life and the world around me with more detail. I heard on a recent news show that in economic and political times such as the one we are in, many people become more reflective on the nature of issues around them and their own beliefs. At times like these people do not want to settle for the status quo. I think I saw proof of that on a discussion that may still be brewing on a Linkedin group's discussion board. The question posted asked whether or not creativity could be taught. To me the answer that...

The holiday season appeared so quickly, it seems like it was just Halloween. I'm sure that the commercialization of the season has helped to give this time of year it's frantic pace; but that is a topic for another time. I've struggled this year to get into the spirit of the season. Hard economic times weigh heavy on my mind and the burdens and worries of everyday life make it hard to recreate the joyful holidays I experienced as a child. Times when I'm sure my parents sheltered me from their own worries during the season. Reflecting on this I began to realize that maybe that is the true magic of the season, the selfless acts of our family and friends around us? Of course I can find creativity in this magic and generosity, even in our current times. After a recent conversation with a friend, I was so impressed with how their family is handling their own tough times. With work hard to find and children that are excited and filled with holiday joy, these parents; wit...

From jportfolio - Seeking Creativity "> How a classic painting such as Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" has changed with modern media. The definition of kiss by Merriam Webster is "to touch with the lips especially as a mark of affection or greeting." While this is accurate, words cannot express the emotion behind a kiss. There are different "kisses." There’s the kiss between family members or friends, one of affection and admiration. The kiss between two lovers is quite a different thing, filled with passion and emotion that words cannot describe. The most passionate of kisses had at one time been reserved for private times between the lovers. For me visual cues that artists enhance can more properly reveal the emotion behind a kiss. There are some very famous images of kisses. Even if you've never seen the movie "From here to Eternity," you have surely seen the famous seen of Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr's passionate kiss...

A graphic designer and docent's venture into mixed media assemblage arts. The Akron Area Arts Alliance , an organization that promotes the arts and culture in Akron and the surrounding areas received entries for its biennial Out of the Box Auction this weekend. This year the Auction will be preceded by an exhibition running October 29 through November 7 at Summit Art Space , the joint community gallery project of Summit County and the Akron Area Arts Alliance. There is a chance to bid on the boxes during the gallery exhibition. Bidding concludes on the night of the Arts Alive Awards. All boxes that were donated by artists are a chance to contribute to the local arts communities since the money raised by auctioning the boxes goes to AAAA and Summit Art Space. All of this, and a chance to be included in the membership of the organization, sounded like a great opportunity to not just observe the arts in the area, but to be active in the creation of local art. So, I took my la...

Influence of versatile painter and graphic designer is still seen today. Graphic Design has come a long way from the early days of posters for the Moulin Rouge. For me these early posters are the basis for a majority of our design and advertising layouts. Many credit Piet Mondrian a fine artist for his introduction of the geometric grid to the art world. I find the posters of Pierre Bonnard and Toulouse-Lautrec to be one of the masters of the graphic layout. In a lithographic entitled "France-Champagne" you see an excellent use of graphic elements and type in a layout that leads your eyes from left to right and top to bottom across the design. Even the use of fonts, you notice only 3 different styles, creates an order of importance in the text and allows your eyes to properly separate the message. The colors, although monotone in this example, contain depth and contrast. The light and airy nature of the woman's skin and the bubbles filling up the corner is striking a...