2011 Update.

Hello again! I must apologize for the lack of updates/ posts etc over the past few weeks. The current work load is no excuse to abandon all my loyal followers- please forgive me. However, in saying that, my work load has been IMMENSE. 


Let me start by saying, I hope you had a happy new year- although a month out of date. 2. I hope you will be pleased as pleased as I am to know that the dissertation is now OVER, completed and HANDED IN. NO MORE FORMAL ESSAYS EVER EVER AGAIN. Oh yeah! and 3. I finally sent in my Watford application work yesterday. Another 'Oh yeah'! (It has been ruling my life for the past 4 months, but finally I sent in my creative test- so lets wait and see...)


So there is my 2011 life summary to date. However, now I need to turn my attentions back to Illustration and my Extended Major Project (EMP). Basically, at present it could be described as non-existent, a disaster, a creative failure, a sketchbook travesty...and so I think you get my drift. Its going nowhere. It is for this reason I decided it was time to return to my blog and report on this miserable situation. As requested by my university, we have to fill out learning agreements stating at the start of each brief what we intend to do, research, submit etc etc. At the time, I had decided to base my EMP on cliches. I wanted to select a few over-used phrases and illustrate them through the use of typography and photography; I wanted to mix different ones up and re-create my own. However, when starting the brief, I realized this was harder to achieve than originally thought. I was unsure where to begin, and more importantly, how to make the brief visually interesting rather than a literal description of the meaning of the cliche.


So, after a seminar today, it has been decided that I am going to re-start my EMP with a different brief; I am going to ignore my learning agreement and find a new topic. I AM FREE OF THE CLICHE! I am going to see where my creative juices lead me. (Hopefully all the way to Watford) but in the mean time, I need a theme. I was thinking about 'Ambition'. I am an ambitious person and everyone has their own dreams- so it could be an interesting theme to explore. I may also look at 'Patterns'; referring to either reoccurring patterns of behaviour or just patterns in terms of design. Maybe the Inspiration fairy will visit me in the night? Anyway, I will keep you updated on my EMP progression as it develops.


On a different note, and since last time, I have now returned from the amazing Windy City that is Chicago. The snow luckily didn't effect me too much- nothing a pair of gloves and a hat couldn't handle. :-)
I have been working on my 'invention' and sourcing ways in which it could be taken to market; more research and all that jazz. As I said to a friend yesterday...


There's never any rest for the wicked.


We decided that the phrase doesn't really make that much sense as there shouldn't be any rest for the wicked. However, once again, we're back on the topic of the damn old cliche...


And back to thinking 'outside the damn old box'.