A Golf kART and the Open Road...

Every once and a while there are those people who make an impact on the world we know through extraordinary efforts and vision. They pursue a dream in which they hope to capture a moment in life and immortalize it through some means of art, diction, or word. Their hopes vary in detail and medium but their overall goal is one in the same: to bring people together through exposure of a common interests.

You might be asking yourself what does all this have to do with a golf kART and an open road. Well, before a couple months ago I would have said nothing. In most cases a golf kART and art are found on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. From today on they will find themselves mingling for the first time and in time, they may become synonymous with each other (its a stretch but it could happen). This fusion of art and kART is possible through the vision of Jeremy Make and Andy Raney and an amazing trek across america.

On April 19, 2008, kART Across America will embark on a 12,000-mile, 130-day, 48-state journey on a golf kart to discover the art of America. While on this art-seeking endeavor Jeremy and Andy will be interviewing, documenting, participating, discovering, and observing all forms of art in hopes of sharing it with the world. At the end of this some-what odd yet still entirely inspiring expedition they will be turning what they have learned, filmed, and experience into a documentary film, a book, and a sue-do MySpace web site where you can post your own art and share your opinions. It will be interesting to watch as people all over the United States share their art forms with these two. Keep an eye out for them as you are driving around where ever you are. Even if you are not lucky enough to run into them be sure to ask yourself, what is your art? You might be surprised by what your response is.

An Ever Shrinking World...

This may not surprise many of you but the world is shrinking. Obviously I don't mean that the world is physically shrinking but that it is becoming increasingly easier to communicate, travel, and do business with all corners of the globe. This notion of a shrinking world has hit me a couple times in the past week or two and I thought it important to mention.

Some of you, my readers, may not be aware of this but this blog in its self is an international tool of communication. I don't simply write for my fellow countrymen but for an international audience. This blog has readers from 26 different countries and of those, Spain and the United Kingdom are at the top of my hits lists. So I'd like to take this opportunity to say hello to the international audience that this blog receives. Welcome, Hola, Bienvenue, Willkommen.

Another eye opening experience to fact that this world is in a constant state of shrinking is that the company that I work for just had it's yearly corporate meeting. It lasted a week and we had people flown in from over fifteen different countries. There was so much culture and difference present. Yet we were all here for the same reason speaking the same language with relative ease. Also with this company, every time we take a design to press it has to go through translation; getting translated into the basic five international languages: French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Chinese. It is an interesting feeling to know that your designs are being seen all over the world. I don't think that this feeling is as rare as it may have been twenty years ago which is even more evidence that this world is getting smaller and smaller.

I'd like to throw a piece of advice at you and you can take it with a grain of salt but here it goes. Realize that your culture is not the only one on this planet. Everyone has their own beliefs, practices, traditions, and ways of life and to be intolerant is career suicide. In this fast paced world, being a mono-lingual individual places a glass ceiling over your head in the professional world but having the ability to communicate on an international level opens countless doors and opportunities. Personally I have taken five years of French and can only ask your name and sing the national anthem, I know enough german to ask where the bathroom is, and I think I can order a drink in spanish (an obvious necessity while in Spain). Needless to say that I am not the international person that I should be although I plan to remedy that soon enough. I think that we need to start to realize that the vast distance that our grandparents understood as a reason for remaining mono-lingual is vanishing if it has not already disappeared. Soon the only way to survive will be to communicate effortlessly in multiple languages. It would be smart to anticipate this change and prepare yourself for the inevitable.

So with that I leave you. Au revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, Arrivederci, Adiós, and Goodbye. (Thanks to Babel fish for the translations!)

Who Are We (Part:10)...

This week I would like to do something just a little different for my weekly post of Who Are We. Instead of focusing on a designer that has already made it and has accomplished the unimaginable. I would like to bring to the forefront an up-and-coming designer (according to STEP Magazine) who has the potential to shock and awe us with his future.

His name is Randy J. Hunt and he is changing the shape of our profession. No longer is it just OK to be a good designer. Now it takes a thirst to be so much more, to do things not only better but different and with on a bigger scale. Randy has done just that. He has started CitizenScholar, SuperCorp, The Amazing Project and many other things. Not to bad for a man young enough to be the son of most of the people I have mentioned in my weekly posts.

You should check out Randy J. Hunt's website and look at what he is doing and what he has started. Many of his works and projects are geared towards helping those that are less fortunate. A worthy cause in my book. Let me know what you think of this designer entrepreneur. As Always, if you have any suggestions for next week or any week for that matter, don't hesitate to comment or send me your thoughts. I'll check them out and you might see them up here on my blog.

Who Are We (Part:9)...

Every week I try to spotlight a designer I think you should know about. It has always helped me with my designs to see what others are doing and to try to understand the design community. Knowing where we are heading is the best way to stay fresh in the market. So it surprised me this week when I was introduced (figuratively) to man who is deemed "the most famous graphic designer on the planet" - Creative Review Mag. I feel ashamed that I have gone this long and not mentioned David Carson as a designer that you must know.

Why can people honestly say that this man has revolutionized the design community and is most likely the biggest player in our field. He has more honors than I could even start to mention, clients that every designer drools over, and his designs are truly innovative. He even has a Wikipedia page (you know you've made it when you have your own Wikipedia page with more than just a little blurb). Traveling to speak to thousands of students and fellow designers is just another aspect to this great designer. There is so much to say about David Carson that I'm going to refer you to just one of the many websites that highlight this man's amazing career. Also keep an eye out, soon I'll link you to an interview with David Carson that I think you will find interesting and helpful.

As always, I am open for suggestion. Let me know what you think of this weeks candidate and if you have anyone you think belongs amongst the greats.

Play Hard, Work Even Harder...

As a young person who has just walked into the business world, I am quickly learning the unspoken rules that are associated with youth and inexperience. What has become even more clear is that this is going to be the most difficult part of my life. Trying to make it in a field that is super saturated with talented and driven individuals. I think that it is very important that as a young person we work hard, make some sacrifices, and never give up. You might be wondering what I mean by sacrifices. Those late nights in the middle of the week that leave you hurting the following morning are going to have to be far and few between. The days of only working to get by are no longer an option. It is no longer all fun and games, this is the real world.

Even though I may sound like I am trying to suck all the fun out of being a young person with a career ahead of him, I am not. I am merely reordering the old adage of "Work Hard, Play Even Harder" to "Play Hard, Work Even Harder." A young person has a lot to prove, especially when they are first starting out and if he or she lets to much fun get in the way, it could cost them severely. Use your best judgement when your ordering your Jack and Cokes at the bar on Wednesday. Party hard on the weekend but during the week, keep your nose to the grind stone and I promise it will pay off in the end.

Who Are We? (part:8) ...

This weeks subject for my weekly posts "Who Are We?" comes as a suggestion from a fellow designer that I have had the luck of knowing. We were sitting down over a couple drinks and I had mentioned my weekly posts and asked if maybe he had anyone he would recommend to me. He told me that his favorite designer is a man by the name of Charles Spencer Anderson.

I had never really heard of this designer before my friend had suggested him but I went exploring and to my surprise he is somewhat of a giant flying below the radar of a lot of people. He doesn't have his own Wikipedia page describing in detail his life and his accomplishments like some of the other designers I have mentioned in the past but his list of clients is enough to make your jaw drop. That list looks a little like this: French Paper, Nike, Target, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Coca-Cola, Levi's, Sony, Nissan, Paramount Picture, New York Times, Japanese Monster, Turner Classic Movies. These are only a few of the many that this amazing clients this designer has had the opportunity to work with.

You need to check out Charles Spencer Anderson and all the incredible work that this man has produced. I will promise you that you will not leave disappointed. Thank you to my designer friend who suggested Charles Spencer Anderson to me and as always, I am open to suggestions from you, my readers. Let me know your comments, suggestions, and designers you think belong among the ranks of those that have made it into my weekly posts of "Who Are We?"

B.E. Agressive

Recently, I have been put into a position where I was unsure if I would remain employed with my current company. No I didn't lose the company millions of dollars or for that matter do anything wrong. Simply my contract with them was coming to an end and I hadn't heard from them yet if it was going to be extended or not. It happens to a lot of people, especially those that are "self-employed" but I still faced the problem of an uncertain future.

I was unsure how to approach this problem so I called some of my older family members, a couple friends who have been in the business world for a while, and I talked with some co-workers who I think have my back. The reoccurring theme that I kept hearing from them was that I needed to be aggressive. I need to march in there and confront my boss. I took all their advice with a grain of salt. I think that after working at a place for a while, you pick up on how to approach your higher-ups. So use a little common sense when gearing up to having a sit down with your boss.

What I did was asked to speak with her for a minute. Told her that I really enjoyed working here and tried to focus on all the positives that I have been able to contribute to the company. Then I simply asked her if she could keep me up to date on the status of my contract. It was a simple request and one that I thought I deserved. She said that that would not be a problem.

I think what all my friends were getting at when they told me to be aggressive was that I should just be direct. People respond when you are upfront with them. Remember to be polite but there is nothing wrong with wanting to be informed.

Who Are We (Part:7)...

This week's post has come a little late and as I mentioned in the post proceeding this one. I am truly sorry. As mentioned, this weeks post would be worth the wait for I am not bringing you someone from out of the unknown but rather a "Designer" who is possibly the most famous of all. Most in the artistic community would consider never looking at one of his pieces a sin. Who, you might ask, is the designer I have chosen to spotlight for my weekly Who Are We posts? None other than Andrew Warhol.

What can I say about Andy Worhal that you don't know already. His career began in the fifties when he moved to New York. "Whimsical" drawings of shoes are what got him noticed and eventually led him to the doorsteps of RCA Records. There he was hired as a free-lance artist to produce the record covers for the artist on the label. He might have been an excellent designer but his art is what put him down in the history books.

Not many people can put on their resume that they helped start an artistic movement. I would have to think that something like that would be a golden ticket for a job any where. You don't just start a movement if you're mediocre, you have to be good. Really good. Andy Warhol was an innovator that designers and artists alike still mimic his approach to design and art. From cans of tomato soup and shoes to iconic figures like Marylyn Monroe, this designer could do it all.

I think that it is appropriate to include Andy Warhol as a member of the design community for a few reasons. First, he started his career in graphic design/communication arts and then transformed into a pure fine artist. Secondly, I think that any designer is an artist. You do not have to use traditional mediums to be consider a "true" artist. Finally, Andy Warhol has done more for the design/marketing/advertising community than anyone else I can think of. If you can think of someone who tops Andy Warhol or someone you think I should highlight, just leave me a comment and I'll check them out.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I know that today was Monday and normally on Monday I post on Who Are We. Every Monday morning when I walk into work, I normally have a few minutes to get settled and ready for the week ahead. This is usually when I usually put the finishing touches on my posts. This Monday however, I walked in with not just a couple things to get finished but literally five different projects to get out by 9:30 a.m. (I start work at 9!). I was a little busy to say the least.

I guess what I am trying to tell you, my loyal readers, is that I Am Sorry. I didn't have the time today to sit down and really put the time into crafting another wonderful post on Who Are We. You don't have to worry. I will be making that post some time this week but you're going to have to check back often to see when I can finally pry myself away from the busy schedule that is my life to write. I promise the wait will be worth it!