Kent Bellows Poster Challenge

The Challenge: Design a poster to make someone else care about an issue important to you.

I recently had the great fortune to visit the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program. An interdisciplinary art studio that encourages teens to explore, observe, think, and create in the arts. We talked posters. It was awesome.

Three of their students this semester took on the challenge to create a compelling poster on an issue each found important. The posters designed by Violeta (16), Riley (18), and Jose (16) were absolutely fantastic. Very thoughtful, moving, powerful. They are now showcased on Power to the Poster along with their individual artist statements.

Special thanks to KBMP Director Weston Thomson for making this little collaboration happen. Interested in supporting the KBMP? You can do so online by donating to the Joslyn Art Museum’s Annual Fund. 

Culture Break: 08/18

The fourth installment in an ongoing series on the cultural things that break through the noise and touch the soul.

In the Dark
PODCAST — For true crime and podcast lovers, these two series from American Public Media are a gut punch. Whenever I watch or listen to something like this I always end up thinking just don’t ever, ever, ever get caught up in the American justice system because you never know! There’s too much room for error and too many players who operate without checks and balances. Sheriff, District Attorney, investigators, whomever.

The Wilderness
PODCAST — For several reasons, I’m a Democrat. I’m way more progressive than the typical Democrat. Some might say I’m a socialist, and I’m more than okay with that. I’d like to see the party go left in the upcoming years because I think that’s the best way for the country to move forward. But before we can move forward, where exactly are we? How did we get here? And where are the places we could go? If you’re curious, listen up.

Sharp Objects
TV SHOW — A murder mystery of the finest order. Moody, glitchy, confusing. Set against the backdrop of an unhealthy small town in southern Missouri, a reporter tries her best to tell the story she sees and help solve the crime. Amy Adams is a force. And the soundtrack is stellar. 

How to Understand the Obvious
ARTICLE — On the quest for truth, how do we understand our blind spots? This article on pre- and post-understanding and what happens when a truth shakes you to your core is a great read. How do we not only find truth but wisdom? 

Explained
TV SHOW — We’re bad at stopping to really ask the basic questions.  This show helps. A wonderfully executed punchy delivery of very important topics. The Racial Wealth Gap, Cryptocurrency, The Stock Market, and Weed. And things I didn’t really think I’d be all that into, like K-Pop and Cricket. You have 18ish minutes right? Then go watch one.  

WeCroak
APP — Find happiness by contemplating your mortality. Daily. If you think about your death five times a day, according to a Bhutanese folk saying, you will be a happy person. Give this app a try, see what happens.

Michelle Wolf, Nice Lady
COMEDY — It cuts through BS niceties. That’s for sure. And for the record, I don’t understand scrotums either. The ending has quite possibly the best text exchange I’ve ever heard.

Maha Music Festival
CONCERT — The best way to end the summer. From the harmonies of TV on the Radio to the resistance music of Hurray for the Riff Raff on day 1, the catchy pop songs of a ferocious Weezer set to the warm glow of Father John Misty and hypnotic melodies of US Girls on day 2, the Maha Music Festival is Omaha at its best. Lots of friendly faces, amazing live sets under blue sky, and a night air cool breeze, these are the reasons I keep coming back. You should come next year. It’ll be awesome.

BlacKkKlansman
FILM — Damn. This film, so good. Really into it. The story is really compelling and the Spike Lee touches are quite powerful. The real world bookends of racism and fear help frame in this very specific tale. Yes, this account and its characters make for quite the storyline, but it doesn’t exist in isolation. And the juxtaposition of how the black student union arrives at a unified chant of “Black Power” alongside the KKK’s assertion of “White Power” brings the similar exclamations together close enough to understand, on a gut level, what makes them so different. 

Graphic design breaks it down and shouts it out

Remember, graphic design is a tool. A weapon for your arsenal. Whether you’re running a business or running for office, you can use graphic design in your favor to let people know what you’re all about. You can hire professionals to bring their expertise to help you solve problems and create opportunities. Or you can try to get it for super cheap, which doesn’t usually work out. Why would you want someone who is super cheap? Why would you? Why?

Anyway, graphic designers can use their skills for a host of things. They can work for businesses, startups, or corporations. They can also work for nonprofits, universities, or institutions. And they can work for entrepreneurs, artists, or candidates. Really, there’s a lot you can use graphic design for. And much like picking colors and fonts is usually up to the designer, so is who they choose to work for. You with me?

In closing. You can use design to work for change. Or not. You can hire a professional designer to work on your project. Or not. And the world keeps spinning.

Design for Social Justice

Tonight I’m participating in a roundtable discussion on design and social justice hosted by the AIGA student group at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. We’ll be talking about how to use design to bring about change in your community. And you’ll be able to buy posters to benefit Nebraska Appleseed. See you there!

Social Justice Roundtable
August 24, 2018 @ 6 PM
Heritage Room
University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Graphic design can make you smile. Make you mad. Make you change your behavior. It illuminates and can silence all irrelevant noise with magnificent clarity by perfectly capturing the core of an idea. It’s an obvious tool for social change as seen in the history of successful movements for justice. And it will continue to be so.

Read on Medium »

On Loyalty

When it comes to working with other people in almost any capacity, loyalty is important. But it is not the end all be all. I’d say it’s not even in the top 10 of skills I value in collaborators and clients. If you’re sticking with me purely out of a sense of loyalty even though I’m fucking up, not pulling my weight, and behaving badly, I’d prefer you simply tell me straight I’m fucking up, not pulling my weight, behaving badly, and if I don’t clean up my act you’re moving on. Honesty, critique, being direct, speaking up, wanting for everyone to do his or her best, that’s what I value. Those are things I value more than loyalty. I don’t care who you are, a creative director or the President of the United States, if you value loyalty above all else, you will eventually be surrounded by yes-men and weak sycophants. And that’s no way to run a design firm. Or the country.

That new bass player definitely upped their weird factor

The name of the band isn’t important. What is important is their lineup. A band who toured around the midwest in the early 2000s with two guitarists, bass player, and drummer. Their music was pretty technical, a little catchy, sort of strange at times. Somewhat fast, poppy, mathy.

The first time I saw them their stage present was mostly normal with sudden bursts of energy and excitement. At this time the bass player was a larger kid. Looked less hip than the others. He had a stage presence that was more measured and reserved. After their show they stayed at my apartment, which was a normal experience. Being from Brooklyn, the band had different stories to tell but we could still relate to each other. They were good guys. They had lame jobs, a friendly demeanor, and were very grateful for being able to stay with me. 

The next time I saw them they were quite different. As a band, they had had some success. In their particular music scene their latest album was popular. And when they toured on that album their stage presence was quite different. Jittery, bouncy, crazy. Stops and starts. Jumps and jerks. In particular, their new bass player was very hip and looked the part. He made very strange faces while playing. He lurched back and forth, jumped this way and that, and held his bass in random, weird positions. And it all fit. The look, the sound, the antics. Now they were an entire package. 

I talked to them a bit after the show. Still very nice guys but they had a different vibe. They mentioned how they had buttoned up everything from the previous time they toured through town. Better lineup, better presence, better sound. Which I could totally see. It was so obvious. Their brand had evolved and it now all made sense. 

Although, I’d rather have the old bass player around to grab breakfast with. This new guy, I liked his art, but that’s where it ended. This time, they didn’t stay at my apartment. It just didn’t fit the brand.

This has been the 1st account of the times in my life when I was hit with the importance of branding in the physical world. There will be more to come I’m sure.

What are you hiding behind?

Your status? Your career? Your smarts? Your social media profiles? Your sharp wit? Your good looks? You introverted ability to be completely fine being by yourself?