Uncategorized Archives - Page 2 of 13

April 8, 2014 In art, communication, creativity, graphic design, typography By Patricia Saxton

Yes, I Love My Planet

I can see it now: legislation requiring the use of specific fonts. Reason: to save our planet. Repercussions of misuse: a.) fines and b.) scorn.

Why would I have such a thought? Two new articles have popped into my inbox, both having to do with sustainable fonts. Sustainable fonts. (One needs to see it twice to realize it’s not a typo.) The videos below show how changing fonts can save our planet, and how changing fonts can save us money. Interesting. Ish.

Yes, I love my planet, and yes, we should take care of Mother Earth. But I also love some of life’s cool benefits like art and design. Visual delight. Surprise. Beauty. What kind of world would it be if our creative decisions were delegated by font usage? I cringe at the thought. But I’m letting my imagination get the better of me; it won’t happen. (Right?)

In any event, here you go. So that you, too, can be in the know.

1. Change fonts, save the planet. Very hip. But. Hmmm. How about we just print less, waste less?

2. Change fonts, save money. This kid is very bright, there’s no doubt about it. Of course, there are thousands of ways the government could save money (don’t get me started).

Personally, I’ll continue to do my part by not littering, not being wasteful, turning off the lights when leaving a room, tending my garden, driving efficiently, printing less. Etc. But, yea, don’t be judging my Planet Love by how fat or skinny my font choices may be. One has to draw the line somewhere, and creative expression is one of the last great bastions of freedom.

March 23, 2014 In appreciation, art, black and white, creativity, graphic design, life and the universe, philosophy, poetry, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Seizing the Moment to Do Nothing

Last weekend I spent an entire day reading a book. (I’m a pretty avid reader, but even by my standards, this was a lot.) Not because I didn’t have anything else to do. Life’s administrative duties were still there, lurking, prodding, waiting in various degrees of perpetual disarray, clamoring to be sorted, cleaned, tended ~ things I’m normally all too willing to oblige with great habit of responsibility and an ever-present urge to be productive. This doesn’t even count the paintings wanting to be painted, the stories to write, music to make, dreams to chase. Toss some work in there, too.

For a good 12 hours, I abandoned all of it, hermitting myself inside the pages of a book. “Just because.” Phone off, computer off. Very unsociable, actually.

And life went on. It was lovely.

I’m not suggesting that reading resembles a waste of one’s time (au contraire!), but it does involve letting go of more “pressing things”. That said, I’m always a bit envious of people who seem capable of being unproductive with great and natural ease. But it’s never too late, and I’m still learning. Balancing the have-tos and want-tos and need-tos and can-waits. Knowing when to be and when to do, and trusting that it all has a place in this beautiful, chaotic, imperfect dance of life.

……………………….

Beauty and chaos
Light and shadow
Sun and moon,
The dance of life.

Balancing
on shifting sands
on best intentions
Drinking from the well
of change ~
Ebbing, flowing,
Breathing, being,
Marvelously
Magnificently
Irresistibly
flawed.

~ P. Saxton

February 2, 2014 In art, branding, creativity, design, graphic design, imagination, peace By Patricia Saxton

52 Weeks of Peace [squared]: Week #53 / “Weekend Peace”

I cooked up this pie last year, but not sure it got served here on my blog. So here is “Weekend Peace”, and the whole of my contribution to Super Bowl weekend. Please enjoy a slice if you like. : )

December 4, 2013 In art, graphic design, history, life and the universe, work and play, writing By Patricia Saxton

Wednesday

So, I have a bunch of essays lined up, in various states of completion. The way a story comes to mind, then you get distracted by life or laundry or something, and you quickly jot down some notes so you don’t forget your brilliance – and then a few more days go by of other this’s and that’s demanding your attention, and in that span of time more ideas, more thoughts, more inspirations happen, (that you do or don’t jot down), and the cycle repeats until you realize you just want to be still for a little bit. Mindless.

Of course, this is where I might normally spew the wonders of meditation, but I’ll resist the temptation to be meaningful just this once. I don’t know why exactly – could be a loosening of the grips of an innate need to be mindful, purposeful, responsible.

Instead I’m going to share something interesting but frivolous, in that it really serves no purpose except to tickle the brain. And because it’s Wednesday and I’ve always wondered why it’s spelled so oddly. And because it’s the curse of a writer not to write, so I must write something.

And this is as far as I’m allowing my brain to go for now. (Good thing I jotted down my more impassioned thoughts, though, right? … so they can come marching forth again in all their splendor when I’m back in the mood for them … and less tired. Which, for better or worse, probably won’t be long, once I’ve meditated and such. But I’m veering towards meaningful again, so I’ll stop here and get on with simple, frivolously interesting.)

Why is Wednesday Spelled so Oddly?

Wednesday comes from the Middle English Wednes dei, which originates from Old English Wēdnes dæg, meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden. Associated with both fury and poetic inspiration, Woden thrived as an Anglo-Saxton god in England until about the 7th century. He also had a career in curing horses and carrying off the dead, and Wednesday is his day. Woden’s day has had various spellings – Wodnesdaeg, Weodnesdei, Wenysday, Wonysday, Weddinsday – but even Shakespeare’s quite sensible spelling of “Wensday” didn’t last. So in the end it turns out that (perhaps born from fear of his Woden’s wrath, or loss of poetry) the “d” and the day remain. And now you know.

October 31, 2013 In appreciation, art, creativity, design, graphic design By Patricia Saxton

Have Broom, Will Fly

I’ve been thinking “I need to make a Halloween post on my blog”, like I’ve done every year (whether it’s cancelled or not!). I usually gather up some of the coolest pumpkin carvings I can find and make a nice spread here. Write something clever to go with it. But instead, I’ve been immersed in the far spookier world of finishing my next book ~ which I’m happy to say is progressing well, but it’s quite time consuming, and then there’s client work, and there’s life. All that.

So rather than my pumpkin fare, I’m taking a “loftier”, more spiritual approach …. and hoping you all conjure up a very happy, magical, appropriately creepy and preferably hot-chocolate-filled All Hallow’s Eve, with blessings all around.

October 2, 2013 In appreciation, art, books, branding, creativity, design, graphic design, imagination, inspiration, life and the universe, peace, philosophy, words and language By Patricia Saxton

52 Weeks of Peace [squared]: Week #84

Peace is considered a quiet thing, like a particularly beautiful sunset – but it can also be loud, like a chorus boldly singing to high heaven. Peace can be a meditative, sit-on-the-mountaintop feeling, or the heady, centering rush that follows a 3-mile run. Peace can be a sleeping cat, curled up in a sunny spot. Peace can be the joyful peels of a child’s laughter. Peace can be a bubbling creek, a cup of tea, the mending of a friendship – or the letting go. It can be found in a kind word, a job well done, a stranger’s smile. Peace graces a spring garden and kicks up its heels in a snowstorm or a boisterous, pounding waterfall. Peace doesn’t fight; it calms and exhilarates. Peace is freedom from pain, worry and doubt. Peace reaches over and takes your hand; it delights your heart, and it feels right from your head to your toes. Find it. Create it. Share it. This is my wish. ~ Patricia Saxton

……………………

The above is an excerpt from the original “52 Weeks of Peace” postcard book, available at Amazon.

July 4, 2013 In art, creativity, graphic design, inspiration, life and the universe, peace By Patricia Saxton

Peace & Liberty ~ Happy 4th!

I couldn’t decide which one of these I liked better ~ but I have the liberty to pursue happiness, and it makes me happy not to have to choose.

Wishing everyone in the U.S. a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday, honoring our amazing nation, its great natural beauty and wealth of courageous and freedom-loving souls…. and some pretty awesome firework displays too. : )

April 28, 2013 In appreciation, communication, design, graphic design, inspiration, words and language By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #68: Presentation

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

– ♥ –

“Presentation is everything.”

I’m not sure when, or by whom, this phrase was first coined, but it speaks volumes. From job interviews to table setting to product marketing to public speaking to asking a date to the prom to framing a picture ~ presentation is the packaging that can make or break a deal, set a tone, and stamp a nearly irreversible impression.

Of course, it probably should be said that a well done presentation can be deceptive. How many of us have been fooled into buying an unworthy product, or trusting someone not deserving our trust? A slick presentation can be a ruse to cover truth ~ so we shouldn’t follow blindly, nor believe what we see just because it’s presented a certain way.

However…. how much lovelier the world is with fresh flowers on a table. How much more engaging to hear an authentic, articulate speech than a sloppy one. How much more effective to sell a home that’s clean and attractively appointed. How much more likely the neatly dressed person will be favored for a job over someone who looks like they’re fresh from an all-night at the pub. How much sweeter to give (and receive) a gift that’s presented with a smile, if not also a bow? We can so much more appreciate a symphony recording that’s clear instead of scratched and muffled. A well-written note means more and feels more genuine than one filled with errors that appears rushed. A meal is more savored when artfully arranged. The list goes on.

It’s the human touch, the extra mile, the care and thoughtfulness behind just about anything, that makes the presentation more winning, the sharing more worthwhile, and the receiving more valued.

(see our growing, ongoing Plethora of P’s here)

April 17, 2013 In art, creativity, graphic design, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Message for Boston

Our hearts are with you ♥

March 14, 2013 In art, design, graphic design, inspiration, intelligence, life and the universe By Patricia Saxton

A Few Words From Einstein

I’ve always been a bit of a quotophile (is there such a thing? one who loves quotes?). There are so many great ones ~ and Einstein’s are right there at the top of my list, for just about every subject. His genius makes my jaw drop (it’s unfathomable to me). Combine that intellectual prowess with his insights into “life and the universe”, and I’m just blown away.

So, in honor of his birthday, I made a few designs using three of my favorite Einstein quotes. Of course there are other favorites, like … “People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” or “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” or “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” or “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” or “Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater.” or “Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift.” … on and on, they are wonderful.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Einstein.