Have you ever wandered aimlessly down the aisles of a big box store? So small walking under the weight of so many shelves stacked high with endless makes and models of cheap goods by countless manufacturers. Products waiting to be discarded. It all feels part of a con that goes back decades.
The five point palm exploding heart technique really kills
We had just gone to see Kill Bill: Vol. 2 in the theater. A couple friends and I. Afterward, we headed to a small gathering for a few drinks. Also at the gathering were some artsy hipsters who worked at a couple downtown bars. In conversation, it came up we had just seen the film. Asked what I thought, I tried to come up with the words needed to describe my delight; the fight scenes, the soundtrack, the way the story unfolded over blah, blah, blah. As I rambled for a bit, one of the hipster bartenders looked at me intently, paused, and extended his hand out quickly towards my eye. Pluck! An eye for an eye. It was so clear, so succinct. We all grinned, the conversation moved on. That concise motion was a way better explanation for why Kill Bill: Vol. 2 was a great film than my rambling. You can either tell me about The Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique or you can show me.
Poster Shop
At long last, the graphic design studio practice of JKDC is now offering select screenprints for sale online. Available for purchase through an online store, accepting payments via PayPal, and shipping by way of USPS in a sturdy tube. Check it out now, come back every so often as new prints become available. All profits go to the JKDC self-initiated project “fund.” Enjoy!
Know Your Role
I think this is a Fight Club thing. The whole you determine your level of involvement exclamation. Along with that, you gotta know your role. What are you bringing to a particular project? Why are you there? Who are you to the success of this endeavor? I think my role goes something like this:
Push to bring design work that’s creative, cool, appropriate, and as original as it can be to whatever the project is. Thoughtful solutions for relevant outcomes. But I know the clients I’m working with are doing the real work. They’re making the real change, and I’m here to serve those ends. Logo, website, poster, etc. I execute the design best I can, they take it from there.
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.
