the thrid week

Human connections.

The feeling that someone else out there understands you and what you're going through. The fact that you're not alone. You'd think that they could only be made in person, but with the internet it has in fact become easier to connect with anyone.

Even strangers.

Last week Laurie showed us We're Feeling Fine. It's a database of sorts that gathers feelings from around the world that everyday people are writing about on their blogs and such. You can go visit the site and find out how someone in London England was feeling on a rainy day or how someone in Brazil was feeling on a Tuesday.

There are sites like this all over the web. Different projects connecting strangers from around the world. One of the most well known projects is PostSecrect. Frank Warren (the creator), encourages people to send in homemade postcards with their secrets on them. He then takes these anonymous secrets and posts a batch of them every Sunday.

Sometimes the secrets are funny, and sometimes they are deep and dark. Sometimes they are life saving. Often when readers are truly moved, they'll write in to Frank, thanking him for posting a particular secret. PostSecret has become a phenomenon. Frank has published many books filled with these postcards, and held many art exhibitions.

Another post project is Mysterious Letters. In 2009, two friends named Lenka Clayton and Michael Crowe decided to start sending mysterious letters to every single household in a small Irish village. As Lenka and Michael Crowe state on their blog...

The art work consists solely of the discussion between the recipients about what on Earth these letters are, who sent them and why, etc.

Neighbours who had never spoken to each other, began to bond over the strange mail, as we all watched the new letters be posted on the blog.

Many know about Craigslist missed connections. People go online and try to find out if that stranger who they passed by on the street felt that same spark. Sophie Blackall decided to remix them if you will. She created her own Missed Connections blog where she took the missed connections from her home town New York, and illustrated certain interesting postings. As she puts it on her blog...

Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I'm trying to pin a few of them down

Post It notes usually remind us of simple tasks we don't want to forget, such as "Pick up more milk!" At thingsweforget.blogspot.com strangers post the simple things we often forget in life. They write them on post its, leave them in public places, and then post it on the website.

These are just a few of many online projects that bring strangers together. It's nice to know that in an age when it's so easily to isolate yourself, people are still making a strong effort to reach out. Just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it?

what to do...

No select topic for this week, so the pressure is on. As I brainstorm up ideas of what to write about, I mean mean actually write about, here's some snacks to tide you over.

This first snack is cheesy. Last night one my my dreams came true. But actually. It has always been a dream of mine to go attend the Polaris Music Prize awards, and last night I got to shoot the show for Much! Blah I love interning for them. As much as I complain about wanting to get paid, it's pretty much amazing.

The night was filled with my type of celebs. Metric, Owen Pallett, Chad VanGaaland etc etc. My brain pretty much exploded.

My pics are up here if you care to check em out.

In poster news I still have to shoot some photos for my poster, but I've got a pretty concrete idea in my head. Even a few sketches on paper.

Here's the next snack. It's super delicious. Last night they awarded all the short list nominees beautiful limited edition posters that show's the spirit of the album. These are amazing. I want my poster to be just as stunning.

Wish me luck!

the second week

Remember that last post? CRAP and all that? Are you ready or are you ready?
You're ready! Okay good well here goes...

CRAP isn't my idea. Yeah I'm not that smart. But Robin Williams is. He came up with the concept. Let's go over it again shall we? I'll use some photos I've taken and get a lil bit creative with the text (as much as I can in this format...) so you can get a bit of an idea of what each element is.

C is for contrast.

WOW!
Alison looks so tiny in this picture.
Contrast is making things different but keeping it harmonious at the same time.
Complementary colours (like purple and yellow) are a good way to show contrast with out things getting to crazy.
You can also play with size and the thickness or thinness.

R is for repetition.

The wicker is the pattern.
The pattern is the thread holding it together.
That togetherness is what repetition can be.
A common thread keeping things from falling falling falling apart.

A is for alignment.

It took a while to get this photo and the girls all lined up the way I wanted.

But it was well worth the effort in the end.
The way you line it all up...

can make all the difference.

P is for proximity.

The things that are alike should be together. Matching. Organizing. Makes sense.

Get it? Got it? Questions?

viva las photoshop

Snazzy right? Just made it in class. No big deal. Pretty much a photoshop pro. Well.. almost. I've been using Lightroom for the past year and have gotten a little rusty in the CS4 world. But that's what this class is for right? I think My postcard looks pretty profesh.

Stay tuned for my poster. Just saying it's going to be epic. Hopefully. I want to go all out. Kyle and I just got a radio show on SPIRITlive.net (it starts next Wednesday at noon) and I want to make us the best poster. Yes THE BEST. I'm thinking of taking really simple headshots of the two of us, and then going bizerk in editing.

I also really want to try out some of that hand drawn typeface that Laurie showed us in the lecture today. Either that or the bold retro style. One of the two.

Stay tuned for week too. It's gonna be filled with CRAP. No not that kinda crap. Ew you're gross. This kind...

CONTRAST
Repetition Repetition
A
lignment

Proximity

Get ready.

the first week

Well here we are. University. Insert the cliches about growing up and moving out. Bird flew the nest. Hopefully not over the cuckoo's nest. Etc.


Me with my new apartment keys. It's all very exciting.

So here I am! Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson. Let's begin.

"The first post on your blog should be a reaction to the Digital Media lecture."
Okay. I loved it! The class got me super stoked on RTA. What's that? I can take pictures and play around on photoshop for class? Sign me up! Oh wait... I am signed up. Right.

Before that first lecture, I thought “digital media” was film, music, and art that was electronic. Quicktime players, iTunes, etc. After the lecture I realized that indeed it is that and more. Much more. Cellphones, video games and the like.

Why should a student in RTA take a course like this one in digital media? Why not!
It's the way things are going! How many times have we heard that technology is taking over the world? Like a billion and 5. I counted. Robots will soon take over the world and we need to be ready.

So here's to a great semester of learning. Wow I guess I'm a huge geek. Follow me for some adventure into the arts of the future. Or something like that.

Oh and Ps. Of course McLuhan was right. The Medium is the message. This blog is about me blogging. Not about what I write. Well a little bit about what I write but you get what I mean.

Pps. To anyone else lurking out there, rate me 5 stars for the MuchMusic VJ search! Thanks!