Craft Time!!

So a few weeks ago, November 1, we had our second meeting (so yes this is a delayed post). This was a fun one too!! My sister is getting married next October, and naturally she has chosen me to design her various needs, such as the Save-the-Dates, Invitations, etc. So of course the Save-the-Dates are first on the list. My sisters theme = paper cranes. Classic, simple, elegant and just like the crane, we hope that my sister's marriage will last for a very long time.

Furthermore, her fiance once traveled/studied abroad in Japan and fell in love with the culture, the people and the landscape, so to go along with the crane they also wanted cherry blossoms throughout their wedding. So instead of copying pictures of cherry blossoms from the internet, I decided that at the design collective meeting we could make our own....and thus the meeting turned in to a mini craft time, that was relaxing, inspiring, a break from the computer, and just plain fun!! And here is the result of the beautiful paintings made (though it is not quite the final).

Furthermore, here are some of the originals before slight computer manipulations.

First Group Meeting....slow starting

A few weeks ago we hosted our first 'open' meeting, and I feel like despite the showing, it was a really good meeting. We were able to talk about life, what we're up to and ask questions about various design-related items.

One thing I found interesting was the website. It is something everyone is 'supposed' to have in order to promote themselves, but to me its surprising how few professionals actually have one and keep it updated. It is even more interesting that as designers, many are using website hosting interfaces, such as "carbonmade" and "cargocollective" instead of starting the programming from scratch. I personally find this very helpful as I have very little knowledge in the website field....but I think it is also a discussion of time and how little people have to spend on programming their own site. We spend more time on actually doing the work then on posting it on-line, which in a way is how it should be as long as the viewer can see what you've been working on and see it in a clear format..

I am now looking forward to our next meeting (which is Monday, November 1, 2010 @7) in which I have a little project for my sister's wedding I want to work on as well as would like to discuss further some TED lectures that Alison and myself saw the past weekend....hope to see more people out!

Here we go!

So, I am really excited about this idea! Liz and I came up with it after volunteering at the New Contexts/New Practices conference. We both missed being around other designers, and I missed talking about design in a context other than explaining the very basics of design to non-designers. We both know that a lot of our former classmates are in the same position (thanks, crappy job market!) and we think that it would be so rewarding to get together with these people and remember why we chose this career in the first place.

Our first meeting was so great! I left feeling excited and inspired, and I can't wait for this Wednesday.

Getting the Ball Rolling

This evening was the start of what I hope to be a very productive, creative and inspirational endeavor. It all started when Alison and I were talking about the way our design life has gone since graduation, and with the economy and the lack of jobs in the field, lets just say some of our dreams were not turning out exactly as planned. Thus, we started brainstorming about how to keep doing what we love, even if our "dream" jobs didn't find us quite yet. And thus, a design collaborative was born.

Of course it is a little slow going at first, but I truly believe that where it is headed could be something truly amazing for everyone who chooses to participate. This collaborative is a chance for designers (particularly recent grads) to come together and celebrate and discuss what we all went to school for and may or may not be particularly doing. We want to create a comfortable atmosphere where ideas can be discussed, work can be critiqued and play can happen (or at least thats the plan). And tonight I feel like it was a good start.

First we worked on logistics to get everything set up before everyone begins participating and then we brought out our work. I brought some ideas to the table for my sisters wedding/save the dates. I had been thinking about it for a few weeks but hadn't started working on anything yet, just thinking and with Alison's great ideas I feel there will be some great stuff that can happen with them. It was a really good feeling to talk about my ideas and brainstorm with another creative being, instead of sitting by myself staring at my computer screen hoping for inspiration after a long day at work.

I could feel myself starting to think more and to really get excited about what could be and that is exactly the point of this collaborative. To give us all a chance to have a similar studio atmosphere, even if right now we're not in one.

So get excited everyone for what this could be, for you to personally grow as well as a chance for your design work to flourish. I think if we all give it a chance we could be great assets and tools for each other!

With high hopes,
Liz