Week 33: "52 Weeks of Peace"
You can take it with you wherever you go.
Finding this site was “kid in a candy store” material.
First I stumbled onto their Books & Logos page … and knew I’d hit gold when the intro sentence read: “Books and logos. The combination thereof is almost enough to send me into a fit.”
Anyone who’s a book lover will appreciate at least some of this, designers will appreciate the rest, and for those of us who are both, it’s drool-worthy – an inspired virtual thrill, a well-presented and joyful clustering of literary visual candy.
(click on image to go to Book Cover Archive site)
This is wonderful. The way he articulates the connection between seeing and thinking touches on the very essence of what every illustrator has probably felt at some point – myself included.
In this short video by C. Coy, designer Milton Glaser draws a picture of Shakespeare while talking about the ways that drawing helps him think and perceive: “for me, drawing has always been a primary way of encountering reality.”
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TED Talks (Ideas Worth Spreading) is one of my all-time favorite sources for Great Stuff. So imagine my delight to find this video of one of my all-time favorite people there as well.
Of course, it’s really no surprise to find Milton Glaser among the TED archives, but I’d not seen this one before. (For those of you outside of the design world, Milton Glaser is the living, legendary icon of the graphic design and illustration world; the guru, the master. A glance at his bio will give you a good overview.)
Having regretfully missed seeing him this week in New York for the launch of his new book, Drawing Is Thinking, this was a sort of virtual, substitute visit.
Milton is a marvel. A man of superior intellect and talent, with a wonderfully unassuming manner for someone of his stature. And as if we need any more proof, he recently received the National Medal of Arts – the first designer to achieve this recognition.
In his 80’s now, he recently told me he’d work as long as he can. Which, as I see it, is lucky for us.
Enjoy the “visit”. He’s a voice, and a mind, infinitely worth hearing.
Destination: Perth Amboy Art Gallery Center For the Arts for the opening reception of “The Many Faces Of Eve” exhibit, in which some of my work is exhibited along with 7 other women artists. And as is often the case, the journey was more than half the fun.
We’re a party of four: Jose, Nick, my daughter Carolyn and myself. I drive, because Jose grew up in Florida and drives with trepidation at 40 mph on the highway. Nick lives in the New York City and I understand that the last time he drove was on a vacation out west 10 years ago. Nick and Jose think I am an amazing driver, and revel at my “calm”. They sit in the back so they don’t get nervous as I effortlessly dart in and out of lanes with practiced care.
Jose and Nick, both prolific artists, carry on their typically fascinating repartee on history, the arts and socio-cultural snippets in a brilliant, almost stream-of-consciousness style. Cruising down Rt. 287, we cover Hitler, Mussolini and Franco, St. Peter in the Walls, the Vanderbilts, Guggenheims and Coopers, and Nick getting lost in the desert during his Army years.
Because we arrive early, we take a drive down to the Perth Amboy waterfront and find a cozy pub restaurant. We sit at the bar with stuffed and painted swordfish watching over our shoulders, and we order food and drinks. I learn that this is one of Jose’s wife’s favorite places, and that afterwards she likes to go for a walk along the water.
I also learn that this urban scrawl of a town filled with trinkets like Jesus statues with eyes that wiggle, costume lingerie and shops that sell everything for a dollar, was once a thriving city where, in fact, the Guggenheim family originally made its fortune in the tin and copper business. (I’d always assumed they’d been in the art business…) (And to be fair to the city of Perth Amboy, it’s experiencing a revival, much to its credit.)
The bar is small, so we can’t help noticing a middle-aged woman, a retired man wearing a navy baseball cap, and a man in a Mets jacket, in the throes of a vigorous debate about the condition of America – more specifically, about the current health care measures. Tired from a long day followed by a long drive, I think that my daughter, myself and my 2 artist friends are secretly pleased for the diversion. Possibly a classic one.
The woman is a registered Democrat but considers herself Independent. She holds the floor for a good while, batting back rebuttals from across the bar, where the retired man plays devil’s advocate.
“Have you read the bill?” he’d ask, and she’d say “No, but…. well, have you read the bill?” and he’d say “No, but …” …So that both have their say but there isn’t a lot of credence being placed on the other’s opinion. “Are you one of those Teabaggers?” he asks. “No, but I think they have every right to speak up.” “Well, from everything I’ve read they seem like troublemakers” On it goes.
At some point – must have been that our food arrived and in our ravenous state we lost track of the conversation ~ really yummy food, by the way ~ the woman has no more to say and the conversation shifts over to the guy in the Mets jacket seated beside the retired man.
The Mets guy is Republican. If the topic were different, I imagine these two being friends. Obviously they both like baseball. But of course the views of these two men are even farther apart than the woman’s had been, making it feel like we’re watching a microcosmic episode of MSNBC vs. FOX News.
Each man clearly feels confident, and just a little bit righteous, about their opinions. In a situation like this I wouldn’t normally chime in and I do NOT want to get in the middle of what is becoming a somewhat heated political discussion. Yet they’re driving me a little crazy, and it’s all I can do to bite my tongue.
There’s a slight but growing air of volatility. The bartender walks around to diffuse a potential fight. He puts his hand on a shoulder and says, “Take it easy, guys.”
At the same time, Jose apparently senses my tongue biting, so he tosses me into the ring (… what was he thinking? … or maybe he saw an opportunity break the tension…) by announcing that I have something I want to say. Which is actually true – so out it spills. Even more surprising, to me, is that they listen … as I tell them that they are, right then and right there, acting out the divide in our country between right/left, right/wrong ~ it’s all black and white with no gray area. They are so sure of their own positions, they don’t hear the other person’s view. There’s not enough open-mindedness going on to at least consider some of the points the other made. They’re not having a conversation ~ not even a debate ~ it’s all “I’m right, you’re wrong, this is the way it is, and, he said this, and well, but he said that…” Almost a test of wills. There is condescension. Try to listen to each other, not just plan your next stab.
My piece has been said. No fists are raised. (Later, Nick shares how impressed he was that I “got in the middle of the fight”. I did? I didn’t think it was all that bold, but of course, I couldn’t see myself.) Then they ask my daughter her opinion. She answers with fabulous diplomacy for a 13-year-old. I am proud.
Shortly after that, Jose talks to them too. Jose is both an artist and a professor. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more knowledgeable historian; one who’s interestingly knowledgeable, not just book smart. So he comes at them with this wealth of archival information and holds them in the palm of his hand. And, unlike me, (and more bravely than me), he takes sides – yet he does so in such a way that disarms both men.
It is pretty remarkable. They seem to lose their battle cry, and instead wonder aloud about who this guy is – where was it that he taught, what school? Interesting how the mind can respond.
We go on our merry way, four artistic souls out for a simple taste of life. We walk along the piers, take some pictures. Ponder more juicy historical morsels and finally end up at the art show, which is, if you recall, the whole reason for our journey.
The show is lovely, energetic, and warm. I especially like the conga musicians. They come late though, and we have to leave. We head for home… with the streaming dialogue in the back seat serving up more intellectual treats, and stories already being concocted about yet another creative journey with Jose and Nick. And once again, they admire my driving skill.
I’ll always wonder how it ended up over there at the bar by the bay.
I’m also thinking, my daughter probably learned more in those few hours than in a year of social studies class. The really good news is she also thought it was fun. As did I.
A couple days later I overheard my daughter repeat to a friend something she learned that night. Her friend asked her how she knew what she knew. She told them it’s because her Mom hangs out with really smart people. : )
ps: there are a few more pictures from the exhibit at the patricia saxton blog.
I’ve included a second “Peace Egg” in this week’s design, which you’ll notice is 180 degrees from all the rest. Some would call it “upside-down”. But there are those who believe that the peace sign we most typically see is the upside-down version.
They will tell you that the peace symbol is, in truth, a reflection of the tree of life … reaching upward towards heaven, open-armed, gentle and alive, whereas the downward, more common peace sign actually defeats the purpose by appearing as a sword. Some feel that if you spend just a little time looking at both versions, the “up” position feels more comfortable and “peaceful”… and that the “down” position feels more angry, which furthermore explains why peace movements have failed. On the flip side, the downward version is said to have been developed to express “no nukes”.
Different opinions abound; but those who view the commonly seen peace sign as upside-down and therefore “wrong”, tend to feel very strongly about it – so I wanted to nod to that belief, at least once in my series, and give them some “peace”.
Symbols and their meanings have a rich and deep history, which I’m only touching on very lightly here. But as someone who’s made part of her living creating symbols, I do find the subject pretty fascinating, and likewise, I understand there can be substantial elemental power within symbols on an energetic level, which I have also experienced first-hand.
Yet meanings can be interpreted differently, or diluted, or ignored … and while I don’t disagree with the notion of symbols as a potent force, I also believe in an individual’s capacity to affect their surroundings, including the symbols in their environment.
So for the purpose of my “52 Weeks of Peace” series, I chose the “downward” version ~ against the wishes of a dear friend ~ for a couple of reasons: 1. it is most familiar and for right or wrong is widely associated with peace, and 2. I personally find a sense of grounding in this version; I see roots, just as the upward version can be seen as branches. Roots, to me, are very life-giving.
And … as many also believe, it is often intent, after all, that matters.
Paint your world.
This just might get your creative juices flowing. Or at the very least, chop away at some of life’s mental riff-raff when you consider: What really matters? What are you truly about? How much story can be packed into 6 words? How much punch?
You’d think we’d all be experts, afloat as we are in a sea of restless soundbites and twitter-clips. But it’s not as easy as it might seem…
Below is an excerpt from Feb. 3 NPR , Can You Tell Your Life Story In Exactly Six Words?
Once asked to write a full story in six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
In this spirit, Smith Magazine invited writers “famous and obscure” to distill their own life stories into exactly six words. It All Changed in an Instant is the fourth collection of very, very brief life stories from Smith. The tiny memoirs are sometimes sad, often funny — and always concise.
It All Changed in an Instant is full of well-known names — from activist Gloria Steinem (“Life is one big editorial meeting”), to author Frank McCourt (“The miserable childhood leads to royalties”), to actress Molly Ringwald (“Acting is not all I am”).
Larry Smith, founding editor of Smith, and Rachel Fershleiser, Smith‘s memoir editor, talk to NPR’s Rebecca Roberts about the fun and the challenge of capturing real-life stories in six little words.
Smith’s six-word memoir? “Now I obsessively count the words.” And Fershleiser’s: “Bookstore to book tour in seconds.”
Can you write your autobiography in one sentence?
………………………………………………………………
Gets you thinking, huh. Can you do it? Are you willing to share yours? (I’m still thinking…)
There’s lots of talk out there about the pros and cons of traditional vs. self-publishing. And as long as people are still reading actual books (as opposed reading everything digitally), a conversation on “how to publish” rages on.
It’s a hot topic, and valid for anyone interested in seeing their work in book form. Having published both ways, I’m often asked for my opinion – so thought I’d take the time to elaborate a bit.
Traditional publishing, in my opinion, still wins out in terms of quality, marketing and yes, credibility. For the majority of people, however, it’s very hard to find one. Partly due to the sheer volume of proposals they receive, the big houses won’t so much as blink at your work unless it comes from a respected agent. Finding an agent can be as hard as finding a publisher. And while all this doesn’t make it impossible, there’s no doubt it’s a challenge. Which is why so many people want to self-publish … and that is a viable path– just be aware that it’s not necessarily “an easy fix” or trouble-free.
Self-Publishing “Pros”:
Probably the biggest “plus” in the self-publishing world is its having opened up a whole new realm of possibility for thousands of people frustrated by the daunting task of finding a publisher. What seemed an insurmountable hurdle is now a skip and a jump away. Instead of wallpapering one’s bathroom with rejection letters, one can hold their very own book in their very own hands and feel an enormous sense of accomplishment.
Self-publishing has also provided an alternative to its older cousin, “vanity publishing”, where books are published entirely at the author’s expense.
That said, it’s important to note that with self-publishing (also called “On-Demand” publishing) the author still puts up their own money – the key difference being that the outlay is usually significantly higher with a vanity press. Vanity presses are also known to seduce would-be authors with wildly compelling, beautifully written, very thoughtful, very flattering commentary about the author’s work which may or may not be true, but can certainly be enticing.
Another positive that several people, myself included, have experienced, is that a self-published piece has the potential to bring your work to the attention of a traditional publisher who can then take the reigns and produce a higher quality product.
Here’s another: Self-publishing is perfect for non-fiction or business writing. A growing number of professionals seem to feel a pressing need to publish something. Having a book or two on their resume somehow makes them more credible. (Perhaps driven by the fact that because self-publishing makes publishing so accessible, “everybody’s doing it” – so that those who haven’t feel that they should.) Regardless, as these kinds of books aren’t necessarily geared towards heavy commercial sale, self-publishing is an excellent fit.
So, yes, self-publishing allows folks to publish their own book using their own brilliant ideas, their own words, their own illustrations, and their own gumption to either work or not work the marketplace.
Self-Publishing “Cons”:
Self-publishing allows folks to publish their own book using their own brilliant ideas, their own words, their own illustrations, and their own gumption to either work or not work the marketplace. Yep, this belongs in both the pro and the con column.
The same “plus” that opens doors of possibility, opens wide enough for all the good, the bad and the ugly. There isn’t a great deal of quality control in place, which means any Tom, Dick or Jane can publish a book that’s basically awful. Blood, sweat, tears and all, your own book might actually be awful, but without any checks and balances in place (unless you pay extra for that), you might not know it. Your mother will still love it. The ego can be very blind.
Of course, if you’re not concerned about what the public thinks, and you really just want to see your book in print, none of the above matters. That can be just as fulfilling, and that’s perfectly okay. Just as long as you know that’s what it’s about.
If you’re interested in selling your book, be prepared, at least in the current marketplace, for your book to be priced too high. Although self-publishing allows you to print very few at a time, making it relatively easy on your wallet, the price per copy goes up, up, up.
Your book will not find its way to a Barnes & Noble near you. Amazon, yes. Physical bookstores, no. Partly because the cost makes it prohibitive, partly because there’s a system in place. Amazon may be all you need or want. Just be aware.
There’s no real marketing machine behind you. You’re it. Some people find this motivating and learn to be great at tooting their own horn. Some hire marketing guru’s. People find all kinds of creative ways to take their book to market, and selling venues definitely aren’t limited to “a bookstore”. But it’s not a road made easy just by having a book in your hand, good bad OR ugly.
One caveat: whether self-published or traditionally published, some responsibility for marketing will fall on the author. There’s a great myth that being traditionally published alleviates the need for an author to be involved in promoting their book. Perhaps now more than ever, the author will play a major marketing role. Unless you’re Madonna.
Advice:
If you’re not a highly experienced writer and you think you want to go the self-publishing route, you should probably consider joining a writer’s group, where you can hear unbiased critiques of your work. Be willing to accept brutal honesty … although it’s fair to say that most people there will have compassion and therefore not be cruel – after all, they’re in the same boat. You might also find the camaraderie inspiring, as well as enjoy applauding others’ successes along the way.
If possible, hire an editor who’s smart as a whip and unafraid to tell you the truth. (hint: a family member is not the best choice.)
And whether you can hire an editor or not, be willing and prepared to edit like crazy and then do it again – and again – so that when you do go to press, you’re confident that it’s as close to the very best it can be. Once it’s in print, there’s no going back.