Digital Spaces Leave Creative Traces

As a society living in the information age we have gotten used to being surrounded by technology that is ever-changing and evolving. The impact that digital innovation has had on consumerism and convenience is insurmountable and is still advancing at a fast pace. Technology is not only a space within itself, it is also a means of production, a place of collaboration and source of inspiration. Some argue that technology has hindered creativity by making production so easily available to everybody. I believe that technology expands intellectual possibilities and by automating part of the creative process, we can in turn all be more productive and creative.

Creativity functions on intent, the intent to generate useful ideas through innovation. That being said, there are a multitude of creative digital spaces that have not only given individuals a platform to collaborate, but have also expounded on the possibilities of artistic creation. Technology in the current age plays a pivotal role both in how we think about things but also how we create. Technology has transformed the human experience because we are no longer separated by time and space, but rather part of an interconnected network of information. The digital revolution has brought about an immense amount of innovative products and services that are accessible by everyone.

Seemingly innocuous programs and platforms have allowed for creativity to flourish. Let me take you on a journey of what technological spaces have allowed for the cultivation of my creativity. Steve Jobs once said; “The best way to create value in the 21st century is to connect creativity with technology.” Something tells me he was on to something.

In my previous post PSjustwords I spoke to you guys about my first experience openly sharing my artwork and writing with my peers. This process I still find quite difficult at times, especially if what I'm sharing is extremely personal. What I have found to help in regards to shedding that nervous barrier is publishing my writing via Tumblr, a multi-media digital platform that acts as my low-key virtual journal. The best quality that this website and application has is the fact that its users are extremely art oriented. Whenever I feel the least bit uninspired I open up my Tumblr feed and I'm immediately bombarded with beautiful image after image, line after line of prose and posts filled with raw and honest emotion.

Creating artistic content sometimes becomes extremely time consuming and complex. As artists we are always attempting to push boundaries and create constantly, but some of the time our vision has to wait until we get our hands on a computer, luckily with everything behind the screen of our smartphones, creating has never been easier. Meet EasyTiger Apps, a company whose goal it is to promote creativity by creating moments...sound familiar?

My obsession with fonts and layout extends to my artwork, which is why these apps have opened numerous creative doors for me. I am constantly playing with different typeface as well as attempting to recreate them freehand. EasyTiger Apps has a few applications that have broadened my font horizon, these platforms not only have unique fonts built into them they also have image overlay and integration capabilities. These are my favorites;

• FontCandy: Typography & Design
• Fused: Photo Editor & Double Exposure Video Blender
• SplitPic Pro: Photo Collage Editor

Made with FontCandy

Made with Fused

Made with Fused

Yes, I did opt to purchase the full version of each of these apps for the reason that the additional features really are worth the extra couple dollars. Your creativity will thank you, I promise.

Next, I want to touch upon Canva, a website that I found only about a year ago that has given me a simple platform to put together digital mediums into cohesive projects. The Adobe Suite is a complex digital world full of millions of options, buttons and ways to create a desired piece of work, Canva on the other had is similar to Photoshop or Indesign except simplified times a thousand. With plenty of templates for inspiration, Canva allows anyone to dabble with digital design. It has helped me out tremendously in completing projects without the headache that Adobe comes with. As I had mentioned in another one of my previous posts How Hospitality Helped My Creativity I mention that I began to dabble with digital design at my current job at a boutique hotel, I used Canva to add text to hotel imagery and edit together promotional flyers at ease. Although Adobe is vital to creating high quality work, this website can be used for supplemental design work because it gives its user a portable space with many helpful and useful design tools.

Made with Canva

Overall, digital tools have allowed for insurmountable growth in the amount of creativity that permeates our society. Now more than ever, everyone has the ability to express themselves and become an artist.

Keep on creating. xx
P. S.

Guggenheim | Inspiration Galore

Continuing on my journey of discovering inspirational and creative spaces, I ventured to The Guggenheim, a staple of the New York City art scene since its opening in 1959. Not only is the architecture of this building stunning, the interior aestheticism will take you for a spin (literally).

Upon entering this beautiful behemoth of spiraling gallery space, museum goers are escorted into an elevator and taken up to the sixth floor in order to begin their descent down each floor of exhibitions. The unique architecture of the space is an experience in itself, the unconventional rotunda design provides visitors a fluid sense of interacting with the contemporary collections in a way that feels more personal. As I began working my way down each floor I couldn't help but notice the amount of young artists that stood along the sidelines, sketchbook and pencil in hand, consumed with the artwork in front of them in attempt to find inspiration in the work of the greats. Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect behind the art museum, sought to elevate and enhance the human experience through his designs and I must say he succeeded.

Vision by Alphonse Osbert

From Van Goh to Picasso and every great artists in-between the stark contrast of the slanting white walls and the modernism adorning them draws your undivided attention into each individual piece. As I was working my way past Calder and Pollock, I noticed something ahead, something that didn't match the rest...was that a burgundy hallway in the distance? Yes, it was in fact and it led to my favorite exhibition, Mystical Symbolism: The Salon de la Rose+Croix in Paris 1982-1987. The exhibition space features works that take a step away from the contemporary and more modern art of the main space of the Guggenheim and takes you to a more magical and extravagant artistic point of view. With blue velvet sofas accenting the space and beautiful frames surrounding the paintings, I was completely enamored with the change in atmosphere.

The Death of Orpheus by Jean Delville

Personage by Joan Miró

Stepping back into the main space, I continued in my journey through contemporary art and I had a startling realization. I realized how many people move through the museum as quickly as possible without noticing the very short, yet in depth descriptions written about specific works of art that hide within them insight into the minds of artists and their creative process. As an artist I believe it is imperative to understand how other creative minds work, because that open-mindedness allows for the flow and exchange of creative energy. The beauty behind visiting an art museum is just that, allowing yourself to be immersed into the inner-world of an artist through each and every work of art they produce because those canvases are an extension of their being.Although some may joke and ask, "How does this piece make you feel?" that is the point of art to my understanding; creating a piece of work that makes someone feel something, whatever that may be.

Take Miró for example in the above description of his creative process, without reading the description how could one understand the process behind the abstract Personage painting? Now I'm not saying that every artist has to go through a hunger-induced hallucination to create art, but there is beauty in such madness.

The Guggenheim as an entirety opened my mind to the experience of a space and the impact that has on perception, from the architecture to the pragmatic placement of each piece of work the space speaks to the creative process. After leaving the museum, my interest in the uniqueness of the experience left me with a thirst for wanting to know more in how it all came together. So of course, as any millennial would, I took to my right-hand man Google and it all started to make sense in why the nonsense felt so right. In an excerpt from an article about the museum's architect, Frank Lloyd Wright and his creative process;

Good architecture, Wright wrote in a 1908 essay, should promote the democratic ideal of "the highest possible expression of the individual as a unit not inconsistent with a harmonious whole." That vision animates the Guggenheim Museum. In the course of descending the building's spiral ramp, a visitor can focus on works of art without losing awareness of other museumgoers above and below. To that bifocal consciousness, the Guggenheim adds a novel element: a sense of passing time. "The strange thing about the ramp—I always feel I am in a space-time continuum, because I see where I've been and where I'm going," says Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Every moment of my time within this space made me feel as though I were taken into another realm, one that allowed a pure and personal experience of interacting with art, yet also a very conscious collective experience of existing within the space itself.

Keep it creative xx

P. S.

How Hospitality Helped my Creativity

As a New Yorker working in the service/hospitality industry is almost a right of passage, if you haven't been under-tipped by a tourist or yelled at by an over-worked restaurant manager have you really lived in New York City? Over the span of the almost 5 years that I have lived in this mass of beautiful chaos I have worked at 3 restaurants with locations ranging from Times Square to FiDi and then SoHo and currently I work full-time at a boutique hotel in Midtown Manhattan. As many of you know these four districts are vastly different in terms of clientele and atmosphere, but I consider it a privilege to have worked in such polar environments because in turn I ended up meeting a colorful plethora of people that have both frustrated me, but also have taught me a thing or two. I want to share with you how hospitality helped my head and my heart creatively.

With absolutely no experience or connections in the restaurant industry I decided to turn to Craigslist of course and quickly landed an interview at an eatery just west of Times Square as a hostess. Being a quick learner, I was promoted to being a server within a month, which brought with it the responsibility of memorizing all 4 menus and cocktails which I had never done before. As the weeks progressed I began to understand the ins-and-outs of the service industry and began to learn efficiency (especially during our extra-busy Bottomless Brunch special on the weekends, where I had to serve and play bartender) Not only did I become quick on my feet, I also began to build a clan of regulars solely because I was still so new to the city and through them I began to become exposed to different cultures and mindsets. One of the most important things to note working in the hospitality industry is how much time you are about to spend with your co-workers and how in-turn that builds strong bonds with those people to the point that they become your second family. After over a year of working with a number of extra-talented aspiring actors and singers, I had to say goodbye and moved jobs to a brand new eatery in the Financial District.

The transition between a light-hearted tourist and creative crowd to a super professional and serious business atmosphere was quite the change, yet surprisingly enough this is where I had my first creative opportunity as an artist. This restaurant was located right across the park from City Hall, in turn I came in contact with a large number of Wall Street and financial business professionals. Being in such an atmosphere even within the first few weeks I realized how different I was than these people because I found difficult to strike up a conversation and had to learn to understand corporate America and all the sarcasm and dry jokes that it comes with. Here, more than ever before, I learned how to read people and gauge their expectations and reactions. Although this restaurant hosted a number of office parties and after-work happy hour customers, focus was on service and food/liquor knowledge, but management actually commissioned me for a little bit of extra work—creative work. I had the responsibility to write out and decorate the chalkboard that was placed outside of the front entrance everyday announcing our specials for the day. This soon became one of my favorite parts of my day because I got to showcase my talent and obsession in terms of typography and sketching. More often than not, my manager would catch me putting finishing touches on the sign instead of being on the floor. Unfortunately, this restaurant ended up being bought under new management and with that came a few months of construction and a new staff. With barely a weeks notice of the closing (yes, that happens) I had to find a new job ASAP or else it would be Ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

SoHo, Manhattan
Liquid Chalk on Chalkboard

Luckily, the following week after another round of Craigslist interviews I recalled a random message I had gotten on Facebook a few months prior from the owner of a new farm-to-table restaurant in SoHo. Waking up with the a light bulb moment one morning, I immediately reached out to him and asked if they were hiring and later that day I had both an interview and a new job. I ended up spending two years working as a head hostess at this restaurant and to this day it holds a very special place in my heart because of the amazing and inspirational people that I had met, which to this day I am extremely close with. Not only did I gain a second family, I also made a good number of connections with the amount of fashion and art oriented individuals that walked through the doors.

Chalkboard for Sanctuary T

Coming to work started feeling like a breath of fresh air because I never knew who I could possibly encounter on a given day. I started getting invited to gallery openings and different fashion events, which taught me a more than a class could about the industries I so anxiously want to step into. This job also allotted me a wide range of creative freedom, in terms of personalizing chalkboards and creating flyers and signs for reservations and parties on a daily basis, which always got my creative juices flowing. Furthermore, I actually ended up acquiring an internship through a coworker at a fashion showroom working under the PR director that lasted 8 months, which allowed me to begin building a creative industry resume.

Chalkboard for HGU New York
Liquid Chalk on Chalkboard

Ironically enough, through one of the regulars at this Soho restaurant I ended up being offered a job at an art gallery, which at the time I had to turn down due to the timing in juxtaposition with my school schedule. Once last Summer rolled around, the same restaurant regular started telling me about a new boutique hotel that was extra art-oriented that he was involved in on the Food & Beverage side, which was looking for new staff. Even with the restaurant being extremely busy, being a hostess I ended up still living paycheck-to-paycheck so with the opportunity of a pay-raise I took him up on his offer and went to an interview. That was over a year ago and I am still currently working as a Front Desk Agent/Concierge at a hotel in Midtown. This experiences has taught me a whole different side of the hospitality industry, luckily within another very close-knit work family.

Midtown, Manhattan

I noticed that I had more of a platform to showcase what my passions entail in front of management and ownership, which just like at my previous two jobs included a chalkboard, but also began to expand to the marketing side of the industry. The Sales Director took notice of all of the small creative things that I would immediately volunteer for at the Front Desk and presented me an opportunity to design marketing & sales material to be sent out to hotel clients on a regular basis. Being a very art-centered property, the owner's private art collection is showcased throughout the first floor lobby, bar and restaurant, which has also sparked inspiration to educate myself on the artwork both in and outside my workplace. Due to the experiences I have has within this industry I have also started to commission my typographical work to other bars and restaurants in the city. Overall, my New York City hospitality and service industry repertoire has brought about a function of not only paying my rent, but also feeding my creatively thirsty soul. You absolutely never know what kind of creative inspiration in lurking behind every corner, especially in the places that you least expect.

Stay inspired xx
P. S. 

Modern Artistry: Hercules NYC

There is a difference between a photographer who takes a photo and an artist who brings life to an image. Meet Erick Urgiles, better known as Erick Hercules to his 68.3K Instagram followers, an artist, entrepreneur and most importantly, inspiration to young artists. Social media has gathered unsurmountable attention within the past decade, today platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have become society’s go-to source of information for just about anything and everything. Young talents within the realm of the arts thus use the exposure that the internet provides to showcase their work and progress in hopes of gathering attention in their field of expertise.

I had the privilege of interviewing Erick “Hercules” Urgiles, 25, opera singer turned photographer, changing the Instagram game one puddlegram and levitation shot at a time. Coming from an artistic family, Urgiles has innately had a knack for the arts. At age eight, Urgiles began his singing career by auditioning to be part of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, with whom he sang professionally until age 18. Urgiles graced the stages of Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, Radio City and Carnegie Hall throughout his professional singing career, one that still holds a big part in his life today.

It wasn’t until 2012 that Urgiles picked up a camera. “My friend and I started a small t-shirt brand, I needed a lookbook,” says Urgiles, “But after the shots, I decided to give up the brand and focus on music and photography.” It was then that Urgiles started posting to Instagram and began receiving good feedback, after a while people became more and more interested in his work and Urgiles found that, “photography was even replacing music.”

“I realized that photography was my forte when brands started emailing me about wanting to work with me,” says Urgiles, “My following growth rate also took me by surprise, it went from 50 new followers a day and is currently up to 100 to 150 new followers daily, now it’s a serious thing.”

“When I became a part of the Instagram community, I found it to be a place where many photographers met and supported each other. Slowly each person grows from looking at each other's work in a friendly competitive way,” says Urgiles.

“It’s about not being scared of a challenge, this community really pushes you to be a better artist,” says Urgiles, “I have done some pretty risky things just to get the perfect shot, including climbing to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge and breaking into abandoned subway tunnels among other questionable photo-adventures.”

“I want to ultimately be a freelance photographer for brands and magazines.  Ranging from photography for editorials as well as product photography. I enjoy making art out of all that. I don't mind landscapes, but I have found that my most meaningful images contain a subject such as a human or a product; brand marketing,” says Urgiles.

Urgiles, originally from Ecuador, didn’t realize until about two years ago that his photography was gathering attention. Social media and specifically Instagram became his biggest platform, now @erickhercules has reached almost 70 thousand Instagram followers.

What makes Instagram unique is the creative community that has been created through its’ means. Many are unaware that there is a secret society that has come into fruition within the past couple years. Every month or so Instagrammers come together from all over the world at what they call “Insta-meets”, which are usually hosted in major cities, New York City being one of the most visited due to the overabundance of creativity that walks its’ streets. At these events Instagrammers have the opportunity to praise their fellow artist’s and photographer’s work in person, thus creating a more close-knit artistic community.

What Instagram has enabled is a way for individuals to come together and mutually benefit from each other’s talents. With an interim so wide there are limitless opportunities presented to the virtual artistic community.

“After a while this community has become an integral part of my growth as a photographer because I get inspired on the daily by all the amazing photographers I follow that truly make me take MY art to the next level,” says Urgiles, “I'm sure this works both ways. We tend to keep each other on our toes, seeing what each of us has to offer, and then learning from that and applying it to our art.”

What poses a challenge to aspiring photographers and artists attempting to get noticed on social media is the immense amount of competition that is already out there. Urgiles has managed to set himself apart and has created his own small community of Instagrammers through creating and coining the hashtags #thepuddlegames, #puddlegram, #iphoneonly, #bringthephoneback and #welevitate, through which he has been noticed by Humans of New York and websites such as; Buzzfeed.com, Risingabovethenoise.com, PE.greats.com, Scoge.co and Cyclonelife.net

Instagram has provided thousands of aspiring artists and photographers to expose their work in hopes of becoming successful, Urgiles has already been contacted by the likes of Mercedes Benz, Marc Ecko, Palladium Boots and Stutterheim Raincoats, just to name a few, to represent their brands through his unique photography style.

@erickhercules on #welevitate: “What inspires me the most is the transient feeling of ‘supernatural’ that one can capture in an elevated portrait.” says Urgiles, “I also realized that if my subject is captured midair, the viewer is pulled into an image that holds a moment in motion that has not yet reached its conclusion — hence, defying gravity, even if only for a momentary pause. To me, that definitely tells a captivating story of unpredictability since we don’t yet know what will follow.”

Feed Your Mind & Soul

There are many factors that affect brain function, and since all I do is talk about focusing and garnering creativity I figured I'd take a slightly different approach today and touch upon foods and supplements that actually have been proven to have a positive impact on cognition.

Green Superfood


These supplements are available at your local vitamin shop and are potent in nutrients and packed with natural plant-based energy. Skip the coffee and stir up some green juice. I have been starting my day with this particular brand called Amazing Grass Green Superfood Energy and have successfully cut out coffee from my diet. Not only does this superfood keeps you focused and alert, but its ingredients include wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa, spirulina, broccoli, spinach, carrot, beet, pineapple and açai, which all contribute to your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. I highly recommend this product as an addition to your daily diet.

Ginko Biloba

This specific supplement has shown to improve blood flow to the brain and acts as an antioxidant. Some studies have found that Ginko Biloba boosts memory and cognitive speed. Also known as maidenhair, this ancient Chinese plant extract also acts as an anti-inflammitory and circulation boosting herbal qualities. Win-win situation if you ask me.

Avocado

Yes, I said it. Avocado has brain-boosting qualities. Containing both vitamin K and folate, avocado actually helps prevent blood clots in the brain which protects against stroke and also boosts cognitive function. This green powerhouse is packed with benefits (including memory and concentration). So next time you're feeling sluggish, crack that green baby open and treat yourself to some avo toast. P.S. have you heard about Avocaderia? Yep, an avocado bar, you heard me right.

Keep it brainy xx
P. S. 

PSjustwords

Creative growth is something that is vital to existing as an artist. I have been on this journey of passion for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until a little over four years ago during a college drawing class that I had realized that I needed to spill my thoughts onto paper. So let me take you on a little part of of my personal creative journey, and share with you the moment that ignited my creative spark and has kept me going to this day; my final presentation given to a class of thirty, hands shaking, voice breaking and heart racing. With the backdrop of sleepless nights of meticulous creative passion behind me; ink, paint and words—lots of words, I made myself vulnerable.

We wander these streets wondering if maybe one of these days we’re going to find ourselves amongst the chaos, among the trees, hiding and yearning to be found. Everyday I wander and search for something that can’t be found, something that maybe doesn’t exist. That something is passion, passion for something, someone, ourselves. Passion exists. It is something so beautiful and powerful that most of the time is a feeling so incomprehensible that we believe that we are incapable of possessing it. I am a wanderer…lost in a sea of madness. The world that surrounds me is mediocre at best, exciting yes, interesting maybe, but pointless without being passionate about something. This is where I truly lose myself…I realize that I am not passionate about anything. Reaching deep down into my soul I realize that I do possess a passion, a passion to create and discover parts of myself that I did not know existed. It is amazing to realize that a soul so young can be so complex. These thoughts that only now I have been able to acknowledge have been burning a hole in who I am. I was lost and still am, but the road that I have finally discovered, the one that leads to to the deepest and darkest parts of myself is finally one that I feel brave enough to explore and conquer. On this road I will find pieces of a broken person, pieces of a broken heart and pieces of who I actually am. Picking up the pieces of something that is broken is difficult and putting that something back together requires tedious effort. This is something that I am finally prepared to do. At last I am brave enough to realize who I am and who I want to be. • 3:03 pm  •  11 April 2014

To be great is to be misunderstood. I tremble with the need to unravel the vines that are clinging to my throat and wrap around my brain. The words come out like spilled coffee…no mercy. But virgin ears refuse to acknowledge my madness.• 2:07 am  •  16 April 2014

 
Why is it that throughout our lives we yearn for the most impossible, unrealistic, fucked up, frivolous, dangerous and ridiculous things? This happens because we are all dreamers lost in a sea of madness. This world is cruel and unfair and we have to deal with the consequences of treading the unknown, but the most beautifully powerful thing that we own is curiosity which leads us to discover ourselves alongside the universe that surrounds us. This universe is marvelous, something so immense and terrifying that we choose to throw ourselves into it hoping that one day we will run into the person that we want to be. Our lives are compiled of a finite number of moments that define the legacy we will eventually leave behind. In this compilation of moments there are many that lead us to ponder self destruction. What I have learned is that as we perpetually destroy ourselves we learn to take a step back and realize how broken we are. This brokenness is something that should be embraced because that is exactly what defines the essence of our being. As I sit here and write down my overflowing thoughts my lungs are stained and my heart is recovering, but my head sits firmly on my shoulders…it hasn’t been there for a while. • 3:41 am  •  27 April 2014  

I finished reading my words, I looked up and in that moment I felt something that I had never experienced before, exposed. For the first time my art wasn't just my escape—it became my reality. Since that day I haven't stopped writing, I haven't stopped drawing and I will never stop creating.

My head is still in the clouds, I'm just trying to keep my feet on the ground.

P. S.

How-To Unlock Creative Roadblock

If you're like me, creativity plays a pivotal role in your livelihood and well-being as both an artist and a person. Unfortunately, most things that have such beauty also on occasion reveal an ugly side and in terms of creativity the biggest downfall is the dreaded creative block. Luckily just like a bad haircut, this lapse in creativity doesn't have to last forever. Take a deep breath and let me walk you through how to unlock creative roadblock.

Step 1: Stop what you're doing.

Taking on a creative endeavor requires interest in the subject at hand, so how are you supposed to channel new ideas if you're bored. If you find yourself staring at a computer screen, blank canvas or half finished sentence the best thing that I have found to work in my favor is to simply stop. A lot of the time forcing inspiration results in lackluster and stagnant work. Come back to it in an hour with a clear head and tabula rasa of the mind may bring with it a fresh perspective.

Step 2: Change your environment.

Atmosphere is everything when it comes to creativity, as I have mentioned time and time again. Everything from the chair you're sitting on to the guy talking with his hands in the corner of the room influences how well a person functions in a particular situation. So if you find yourself getting frustrated after spending what feels like eternity on a single task, just get up and go! Take a walk, get some fresh air, try out that new coffee shop across the street.

Step 3: Have a conversation.

Surrounding yourself with conversation is beneficial for a few reasons. Bouncing around un-finished ideas or concepts with anyone, even if they aren't themselves all that creative, can spark a new train of thought for yourself. Creative criticism, more often than not, can be encouraging as well as enlightening. Everyone thinks differently so sharing your thoughts with another person can lead to something great.

Step 4: Write it down.

New ideas sometimes come in moments of random inspiration. Carry around a small notebook or even open up a new note in your smartphone and jot down something, those moments of little nothings can amount to a whole lot of something. I almost never leave the house without a small notebook and pen in my bag and for those rare times that I don't I write thoughts down in my phone and come back to them. When you're feeling tired and un-inspired, take a look and allow your mind to fall back into that heads-space because you could have been on to something.

Step 5: Set small goals.

Alright, so you're back in the zone. Now it's time to try again, but before you do make a short list of what you are seeking to accomplish and break it down into smaller goals for yourself. Using this checklist as a guideline of progress, the seemingly impossible task at hand becomes more realistic.

Step 6: Reward yourself.

Motivation at times needs a little bit of incentive, so after setting small goals for yourself in the previous step work in some small rewards. They can be as simple as a snack (because who doesn't like food, duh) or scrolling through Instagram for 15 minutes, this way your mind takes a short break and your focus can be re-calibrated. Another tactic that I have found works wonders is setting aside a specific amount of time for whatever creative endeavor it may be and making plans afterwards, that way accomplishing your goal becomes movie night with bae or happy hour with the girls (win-win situation)

Step 7: Never stop creating.

At times, the sheer frustration and discouragement of creative block makes it hard to keep going. The one thing that an artist should never do is give up on their passion. This too shall pass and what is at the other end is silver lining sanity. Keep pushing forward because the satisfaction of creating something is the beauty of being the creator.

STAY PASSIONATE xx

P. S. 

"Silver lining sanity, carry me home." - Paulina Stanisz (ink on paper)

Procrastination Nation

A Beautiful Mess is a creative blog started by sisters Emma Chapman and Elsie Larson, this technically a lifestyle blog but the topics that they cover are not only do-it-yourself projects. These sisters actually have a handful of e-courses and one of them is called Blog Life which is all about how to become a blogger and sustain a functioning website. Since I am new to this blogosphere I was  browsing their blog and notices an aptly named article titled "Help Me I Procrastinate". Reiterating the fact that I do work full time and go to school simultaneously, that leaves little time to get to blogging. But this sister duo has a few key points that have helped me manage my time slightly better. These include;

1. Lists + Planning: Organize your schedule
2. Variety of Work: Don't bore yourself
3. Work Hours Rule: One thing at a time

Check out this fun and quirky article and see what else you can learn!

Keep your head in the game :)

P. S. 

Distraction Attraction

Let's back track a bit, who remembers when I edited a Wikipedia entry in Inspired by Distraction? I sure do, and I decided to take a look to see if anyone chose to disagree with my meticulous hours of research on the perks of distraction in terms of creativity and productivity. Looks like the wiki-world agrees with me in the entry about Creativity Techniques because my edits still stand! #winning

P. S. 

Ace in this case...

As I had mentioned in my previous post Ace Is The Place the Ace Hotel's lobby is one of my favorite creative atmospheres. Many media outlets categorize this specific place as a communal work space, which is what drew me to the hotel in the first place. So let me tell you about my first experience doing work at the Ace...

Ace Hotel NYC Front Desk

Late one chilly February evening last year after leaving my busy job as head hostess in a trendy SoHo restaurant, I had a paper to finish for one of my communication courses that semester. So after skimming a few late night spots that Google threw at me, this particular place seemed promising, little did I know what was in store. Walking through the doors around 11:00 p.m. I noticed a spot at a table next to a lovely corner bookshelf, which I snagged right away. Sitting next to me was a peculiar character, who furiously typing on his computer gave me the impression that he was a writer. A lanky man, with greyish hair and dark features surrounded my papers and books was a writer indeed, a conspiracy theorist writer at that and the second-coming of Christ and the person that "predicted" 9/11 - what a guy. So after about 30 minutes of a conversation that started with this mystery person asking me about the book I'm reading - aptly titled The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, here I was 2 hours later asking him what the point of his manifesto that he'd been writing for 10 years was. Not to much surprise, the point never surfaced, but at OK! magazine article with his photo in it did. I have since attempted to find it, but this stranger never actually introduced himself.

In the midst of the conversation, which at a point steered towards fractals (see video below) and the fact that the universe is a spec amidst a never ending pattern, little did I know I entered a never ending conversation until I made the conscious choice to leave (one of my better ideas)

Leaving the building, a person that was sitting at the communal table who I happened to make eye contact with amidst the insanity that I had endured sparked a conversation over a cigarette (don't worry, I've quit since) and what he was doing at the Ace was not writing a conspiracy theory, but attempting a art concept based around the Six Degrees of Separation which was a concept touched upon by Gladwell in the book I was reading at the time. Mads Madsen (yes, that's his real name) has since been one of my very close friends that I have pursued a few artistic projects with, we also shared a studio space for a while. By the end of our conversation, I had given his The Turning Point, without ever finishing it because the coincidence of the situation had been just too great. So circling around to why his project was so relevant, is that he had given a thousand dollar Contax camera to a stranger in the lobby of the Ace during a party and told the stranger to take a few photos and pass it along. By the end of the night, lo and behold, on just trust in humanity Mads got his camera back with a full roll of film resulting with the room buzzing about the concept of the camera. Not only did this experiment bring people together, but it proved that a space and its ambiance does have an impact on how people act and interact within its borders. 

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Iris Van Imagination

Up until this point I have harped about physical creative spaces and the emotion and inspiration that they spur. Today I'm going to take a bit of a different approach to creative space in terms of visually inspiring and idea fueling imagery. I have dabbled in many art forms, be that writing, drawing or design. Fashion has for many years held a special place in my heart, being 14-years-old I had stepped into a world that was intriguing yet terrifying—the modeling industry. From the many young models I have had the pleasure to work with and befriend, I always seemed to steer conversation in a different direction than measurements and castings. I more often than not rather discuss the creative process that went into fashion shows and shoots because it piqued my interest as to how these designers, stylists, makeup artists, hair stylists and photographers came up with the concepts for their work that in the end always became a beautiful composition. That being said, over the years fashion has been an integral part of my life academically, creatively and personally. As most industries, fashion is in perpetual forward motion yet innovation usually only comes in the terms of design, but what if that could be taken one step further—technologically. 

Meet Iris Van Herpen, a Dutch designer at the forefront the digital fashion movement. I stumbled upon this brilliant mind around FW16 last Spring and I was floored. Van Herpen digitized design and 3D printed garments that are impossible to make my hand and by impossible I literally mean humanly impossible. This past week during Paris Couture Fashion Week Van Herpen debuted her 10 year anniversary collection and the result was absolutely breathtaking. 

The fluidity of her garments seems natural, yet the pieces are not sewn via human hand, but computer code. Digitally designed garments can then be turned into code and programmed into a 3D printed and voila, you have fashion of the information age. The way in which technology has allowed for artistic imagination to have no bounds is magnificent, now garments that were not possible to make by hand have the potential to be created by a machine. 

I urge you to take a look and attempt to wrap your mind around the sheer progressive potential of the garment industry in itself. We are the future and individuals that have the bravery to color outside the lines of society are what keep our creative and pragmatic world constantly and consistently moving forward.

P. S.