Highly challenged
blog, creative, design, photoshop April 14th, 2007
I put a chrome logo on the site. A friend of mine pointed out a few things along the lines of constructive criticism. Like with chrome the font needs to be much heaver to look good. And the fact the previous text looked better than this, especially over the water. Well that’s what happens when you spend your whole career making things that are invisible. :)
Which got me wondering, is it the case that I haven’t challenged myself creatively and I’m not practiced in this area? Or is it that I naturally have the taste and style of an autistic child and it’s no coincidence I work in an area that doesn’t involve creative design.
So I think I’m going to continue to challenge you, kind audience, to endure a mild and half-hearted ongoing attempt to change the style of the site.
And that’s the big question really. Is it better to do something yourself by hand with questionable (or tragic) results, or to choose something that looks far better but you had no part in beyond the choosing?
Update — you can check out additional works of art in the Random gallery.
April 22nd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
The first Summer that my wife and I lived together we did lots of silly art projects. We’d break out a sketch book and draw whatever came to mind–sometimes watercolors. Then, totally proud of our work, we would hang the artwork on the wall.
It was a small apartment and we never had visitors. But one day a neighbor stopped in to borrow something. She took a look at our walls and asked politely, “do you teach?”
As in: “I haven’t seen you with small children, so this artwork must be from your classes of grade schoolers.”
To this day we still paint silly pictures and our house is littered with artwork, now mostly from our kids. And we still laugh about that phrase, “do you teach?”
I say: experiment on your own terms and let the quantitative and comparative folks go to hell. Expression isn’t an equation, it’s a God-given right to hang your own stuff on your own walls and step back and admire your own self.
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Your work is beautiful. I thought it was cool and looked great. Of course I think most things you do are fabulous like cooking, programming, makin’stuff, being a Dad, and making me laugh. Even the messes you make are something to behold. And my God-what a LOVER!!
So if your stuff is crappy, then MY taste is crappy. And I know I’ve got it “goin’on”.
You’ve got great taste.
You married me, Hot Stuff.
April 27th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Ha! That’s a great story, Jim. I am encouraged.