inspiration Archives - Page 31 of 43

November 1, 2011 In art, creativity, design, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Electric Peace

Peace is having your heat & electric restored after 4 long, cold days! (inspiring another image for the as of yet unofficial “52 Weeks of Peace²“)

I like candlelight and am pretty crazy about real wood fires in the fireplace. And sure, it’s cozy bundling up in blankets and soft, warm woolly sweaters.

But right now, after 4 days of forced power-lessness, I’m so loving my creature comforts. I’m dancing in the house, smiling at my microwave, and basking in the light from a 75-watt bulb. Modern life never felt so good.

Ahhh.

October 24, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #43: Patterns

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

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They’re unavoidable. Patterns, seen or unseen, weave the tapestries of life. From small and intricate to big and bold. Some as “routine” as the sun rising and setting, or tides coming and going. Some, like the hides of zebras and giraffes, are unique and irregular. An Aztec calendar is mystifying. A sky of stars, grand and mind-boggling. The patterns upon patterns that create the whole big universe ~ unfathomable.

And then there are the patterns of daily life; individual tapestries woven from the choices we make ~ the clothes we wear, the colors we include, the language we use, the people we align with, the actions we take, the thoughts we think.

And all of our choices that are creating patterns that are busy creating our own personal tapestries, interweave with others’ patterns creating their own personal tapestries ~ all becoming part of the quilt of the great big unknowable picture.

So how do you want to pattern your world? Which thought patterns serve you well and which get in your way? How will you weave your life tapestry?

October 17, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #42: Pursuit

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

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Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. ~ Pamela Vaull Starr

Plant the seeds. Climb the hills. Cross the streams. Reach for the moon and stars. Your dreams are worthy of attending.

October 12, 2011 In art, books & stuff, branding, creativity, design, illustration, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

“where in the world is peace?”… oktoberfest, of course!

We’ve made it overseas! To Stuttgart, Germany’s Oktoberfest.

Wonder if this peace bag got filled with spätzle and weiner schnitzel, some dark chocolate küchen and a nice Riesling. Maybe some dreikornbrot … ah, sehr gut. Danke schön for sending in!

Oktoberfest Peace

(ps: all “where in the world is peace?” images are being compiled on a special “where in the world is peace?” page, here. Totes, mugs and things are available here. Send your own pictures to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com or join our FaceBook page and post them there. Let”s see where peace goes!)

October 10, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #41: Poise

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

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Poise: the ability to be ill at ease inconspicuously. ~ Earl Wilson

Mr. Wilson is so right. Poise is really about composure, balance and grace under fire. The idea that you can stand calm, keep your wits, speak intelligently ~ when getting rattled might seem the more natural reaction, the easier thing to do!

Poise is self-respect made elegant. So, keep your cool. Smile in the face of adversity. Stand a little taller and don’t let your feathers get too ruffled! It’s usually not worthwhile… but your dignity is.

October 8, 2011 In appreciation, branding, communication, creativity, design, graphic design, inspiration, intelligence By Patricia Saxton

Another Legend, Another Lesson

Milton Glaser is Graphic Design and Illustration.

Referred to as the design industry’s “icon”, he truly is the Master, who long ago reached the pinnacles of success. With intelligence, passion and integrity (and amazing talent!) he’s stayed fresh and irrevocably admired well into his 80’s.

Talk about longevity, he’s it. His work inspires millions, his discipline influences countless students. He’s done it all, exceptionally well.

And just the other day, he posted this picture on his Facebook page, which I thought was pretty neat. I looked through the comments, remarks of honest admiration. What do you say to this, after all?

1976 concept sketch for I ♥ NY / © Milton Glaser

But this simplest of “sketches” is more than a cool memento. It serves as a reminder of the raw power of an idea. And what we do or don’t do with it.

Ideas can come in an instant, we all know that. The key seems to be whether we acknowledge or dismiss that instant. And in the next breath, whether we grab a pen and the nearest scrap of paper, napkin, gum wrapper, and jot it down.

What happens after that has a lot to do with the validity of the concept, the practicalities, the applications, the creative development. And lots of those “sudden insights” end up in our own sort of slush pile.

But sometimes…. it’s golden.

So thank you Milton for this humbling image, reminding us to give ideas the light of day, the freedom to breathe, roam, and define themselves.

Draw it, write it, sketch it, record it. … do it!

October 6, 2011 In appreciation, creativity, inspiration, leadership By Patricia Saxton

Steve Jobs: A Genius in Heaven

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.” ~ Steve Jobs

Today, the world mourns the loss of Steve Jobs. He was an incredible innovator. He was an original. He was absolutely brilliant.

A chorus of voices sings his praises this day, and rightly so. He changed the way we live. He did what many think is pure pipe-dream: he actually DID change the world ~ and as many of us believe, for the better.

So what can I add to the barrage of conversation? Probably nothing new. Except to say that I was truly moved when I learned of his passing, and part of me thinks none mourns his loss more than the design community.

Sure, his products have exploded around the globe. Every 5-year-old knows what iPods and iPhones are, as previous boundaries of Mac-users vs. PC-users were swept away like beach pebbles with the wave of all things “i”.

But the design community has been there every step of the way. We were there at the beginning with our little Apple SE’s, practically dancing in the streets when released from the shackles of rubber cement and color separations prepared by hand and lines of type precisely cut by t-squares, triangles and exacto blades. Our world shifted dramatically as Macs created this amazing bridge between creativity and productivity.

We’ve been excited by each new development and loyal to a fault. Thrilled with the simple joy, the “fun”, of using our Macs over the years. We’ve loved their cleverness, their cleanliness, their friendliness, their aesthetics and their power. We, in all honesty, don’t understand how anyone couldn’t love a Mac.

And we watched the young man behind the machines grow, fall, rise again and become a giant. We’ve admired his style, his creativity, his leadership, his greatness. We liked him as a person. He had that unusual quality of someone who is inaccessible yet feels like an old friend.

It’s hard to fathom the difference made through this one man’s vision, and the number of lives touched. Steve Jobs was a genius in our midst, and I, one among many, am awed and exceptionally grateful for his incredible mind, his perseverance and his authenticity. His legacy is great, his gifts lasting. What a blessing, taken too soon. But there’s no easy explanation for magic.

October 3, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #40: Persistence

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

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Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel. ~ Napoleon Hill

You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. ~Babe Ruth

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence. ~ Buddha

Persistence is a determined state of mind; a driving force with an out-and-out refusal to give up. Yes, it can be used for the wrong reasons, or lead down a darker road if the persistent thought revolves around negative expectations. But it’s also what we do to combat adversity or deafen the naysayers… we persist; and that positive persistence holds an amazing ability to shift outcomes for the better, to breed courage and to drown out disappointment.

Persistence urges you on to finish a race, gives you the adrenaline to win a match, pushes you to climb higher and reach farther. It says, “I can do this, I can learn that, I can grow this, I can develop that … and I’m gonna put one foot in front of the other, over and over, to make it so”.

It’s all about how you think. Then you act, then things happen. So, it’s a good idea to check the nature of your thoughts… because the dominant thoughts become the persistent attitude that will set your course and lead the way.

September 29, 2011 In inspiration, intelligence, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

The Suggestion Box

I love this idea. I wish I’d thought of it, but credit goes to Grace, one of the great gals I share lanes with at the pool.

The local facility we use was renovated over the summer. New entrance way, new locker rooms, new weight room ~ pretty much the whole shebang. It’s not a fancy place like some of the more glorified gyms around, but it serves its purpose well.

This morning was the first time I’d been back since the renovation. Of course we girls were mostly interested in the locker rooms ~ and we weren’t let down. They did a bang-up job. Roomy lockers, private showers with a nice built-in ledge for shampoos, and easy to use water turner-onners (right, so I made up a new word, okay?) with hot, hot water. Great little cubbies to hold your towel, too. Nice job.

Grace, Marlene and I were happy campers. But apparently there were complainers. No hair dryers, lockers too tall, or too short or too wide. Luckily I missed all that. However, Grace had the best idea ….

In the “Suggestion Box”, instead of putting what’s wrong, we’re going to slip in some notes about what’s right. Instead of what we don’t like, we’ll write down what we DO like.

I thought that was brilliant. Doesn’t mean you never mention areas for improvement ~ when there’s an actual suggestion box you assume it really is meant for suggestions. But I imagine how nice it’ll be for someone to come across a few notes of unsolicited “thanks” in there.

Appreciation in unexpected places. Makes me smile just thinking about it.

September 26, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #39: Piano

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

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“No other acoustic instrument can match the piano’s expressive range, and no electric instrument can match its mystery.” ~ Kenneth Miller

Billy Joel comes to mind. Stevie Wonder. George Winston. Herbie Hancock. Oscar Peterson. Ray Charles. Jerry Lee Lewis. Joni Mitchell. Regina Spektor. Scott Joplin. Bach. Beethoven. Haydn. Mozart. Tchaikovsky.

I admit I’m biased towards the piano. And I know it can probably be said for any musical instrument… but under the right hands (and heart & soul) pianos can be delicate, thunderous, funky, bright, rough, elegant ~ and everything in between.

Like a changing sky, her moods are endless; her range of emotion vast and deep as an ocean. Tickle her, and she sings with delight.

And if we match her up with a guitar and some conga drums… a bit of heaven just might appear.