1.    Browse publications

Most people who create things keep a collection of publications that hold work they found to be impressive or inspiring. If you have these hanging around you should put these to use. Flip through them and see if there’s something you didn’t notice before, look everything over again and figure out why you like them or why you don’t anymore. Do a quick silent critique and take in what you see like a vacuum and it could help encourage a new direction in how you were thinking.

2.    People watch

While not an exciting activity, it’s something everyone does at some point whether they notice or not. With a sketch book or notebook and pen in hand, pick a cozy spot in a coffee shop, mall, or a park, a place with a good flow of human beings and simply observe: what do they look like when they talk? When they eat? When they walk? Picking up dog doo (or not picking it up)? Each location yields different personalities to capture in images and words. Notice trends, color combinations, naturally occurring textures or designs. Look at the way people behave in spaces or with spaces, and how they use objects in these spaces. What works? What doesn’t?

While it doesn’t have to be a pen that you take with you, the beauty of a pen instead of pencil and eraser is of course that you CAN’T erase. Your first impressions are important and erasing only makes you rethink your observations. If you have something better write it, sketch it, design it. It’ll build more content for your mind to work with and it’ll get the ideas flowing.

3.    Be a tourist

They have a bad rep but the most tourist-y of tourists know how to look at everything as if it’s new (unlike the depressing few who have that old philosophy “if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all). And sometimes that’s exactly what you need to do. So maybe you can’t travel and be an actual tourist exploring some new exciting culture. What you can do though is be a tourist in your own town. Pick up a camera and explore your neighborhood or city like you’ve never seen anything like it before. If you really want you could dress the part: fanny pack, visor, drugstore sunglasses, polo shirts with khakis… if you just want the basic equipment you could always go with a disposable camera but small point and shoots or video cameras work just fine. Capture everything: the corner bistro, your lunch, the fly drowning in your soda. While tourist-y tourists aren’t necessarily the most creative bunch of people, you will be, because it’s what you do. So by the end you’ll have moved beyond the picture of the town statue, and even beyond the plastic bag footage that is “American Beauty”–esque (because we’re better than that), into something useful or at the very least mentally freeing.

Another thing you should consider is visiting museums in your area as well in this mind set as well. Collect brochures and just have fun and take things in on a primarily visual level.

4.    Downtime with a box of crayons

Remember those good old days when you sat around as a kid with a giant box of crayons and a drawing pad and meticulously illustrated the greatest inventions the world has ever seen? Ahhh… I can smell the Crayola now. Whether it’s just the basic crayons or scented markers that you prefer, you should be thinking Alan Outten’s project with school children from the Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition. Leave your desk or your usual workspace, especially if it’s mentally and emotionally limiting like a cubicle. Sit on the floor in the middle of the room or huddled in a corner (wherever seems more comfortable) and challenge yourself to come up with 10 great inventions to extract ideas from your own head. They don’t have to make sense, they don’t have to look beautiful. They just need to be on paper. Start with just illustrating, don’t forget all the wonderful colors and focus on the experience of creating in this way. The way the wax colors run across the paper, the smell of the lemon scented jumbo marker… (also an added benefit to using scented markers is you can draw by smell and not just color…I mean why have a black licorice smelling machine when you can have bubble gum?) and if you need notes add them later. Its great for out of the box thinking exercises and is a fun idea to get ideas flowing on a daily basis if you decide to create at least one every day.

5.    Cleaning

Similar to de-cluttering your mind, de-cluttering and organizing your workspace is a nice productive break that helps sort through mental blocks. Reorganize your desk space, your desk drawers, and if that isn’t enough branch out to other areas (depends on where you are I suppose, you can’t really reorganize your neighbors stuff if you’re in an office space, it might be inappropriate).

6.    Jogging

Some people find this to be self-centering. It is similar to the cleaning effect and should be considered as a next step if you’ve found that you’ve reorganized everything you could possibly think of and it hasn’t gotten anywhere. Just you and your shoes hitting the asphalt can be a very zen-like experience if running is an activity you enjoy. If not, it can be torturous, in which case you could just take a walk, remembering to take in that fresh supply of oxygen, or even combine it with light creative activity: think running photography from “Yes Man”.

7.    Play with your food

Sometimes you just need a break that offers nourishment or a sugar rush. Playing with you food is something your parents probably told you not to do (mine didn’t) but desperate times call for desperate measures. Hey, you’re old enough to make decisions like this for yourself, right? So sculpt that ice cream or pile of mashed potatoes to your heart’s content. Create faces in your food, or space scenes, peel apart and dissect every single pea or kernel of corn. And, while this is probably a stretch, if you’re desperate enough to try this you probably need this kind of break anyway.

While these are just a few ideas, what really works will always be a subjective topic. Hopefully some of these help you, and sometimes the more ridiculous it is the better.

Have any other suggestions? Leave us a comment with what it is.

[Images via stock.xchng]

Interior Designers rejoice! Glidden has provided you and me with a dream come true: free paint. Just by signing up online with your address you’re eligible to receive a free quart of paint in any color you want. If you know a bunch of friends who don’t need paint, just send it to their address and pick it up. How often do painters and decorators get free paint?! If you want more details make sure to check out the original post on The Examiner.

Click Here to download the zip.

The title is a lovely contradiction isn’t it? Well luckily due to the lack of lists here on Creative Fluff I thought it would be great to dedicate one to other people who are more than just design resource listing websites and blogs. So here we are today with the top thirteen design blogs that I’ve seen on Twitter that fulfill that requirement.

1. @adellecharles [ Fuel Your Creativity ]

A new personal favorite of Creative Fluff, I’ve noticed that Fuel Your Creativity offers a lot of thoughtful food for designers especially in the realms of graphic design, branding, and web design. They offer a lot of found resources with detailed descriptions and analyzations instead of just posting links to places they haven’t researched thoroughly. Their interviews with other designers in the community are a great way to see the methodology and process behind their work.

2. @aaroni268 [ This is Arrons Life ]

Arron’s blog “This is Arrons Life” is a great source for not designers, creatives, and marketers alike. Posts like his recent “Building a Successful Development Team” give an indepth look into how you should structure your development team within a business. Resources like these are hard to come by and he has great tips for web programmers across the board that are worth taking a look at if you’re ever stuck in a problematic rut.

3. @mocoloco [ Moco Loco ]

There aren’t a lot of resources for Industrial Designers where you can find more in a post than just “This is a nice product because it’s shiny”. MocoLoco changes this by giving thoughful critiques of new products and innovations on the market. If you go through their posts you’ll find great posts on sustainable design in architecture and product design. Even if you just happen to like shiny things, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

4. @Colorburned [Color Burned]

Driven by Resources, the folks over at ColorBurned have managed to bring us everything from relevant giveaways such as laptop bags, to resources like brushes, graphics, and other miscellaneous items to be used in Adobe programs. Interviews with people such as the Art Director for Marvel comics offer resources to illustrators within the design community for getting a look at tough-to-get-into industries.

5. @creativefluff [Creative Fluff]

Creative Fluff is an eclectic group of young designers, artists, writers, and critics. Some of these individuals hail from esteemed design colleges such as Parsons, The New School for Design, or famous liberal art colleges such as Boston University. Creative Fluff’s Posts range from the minute and meaningless design resources such as desktop wallpapers, to essay (tirades really) of critical issues in design and ethics.

6. @DannyOutlaw [Outlaw Design Blog ]

Another blog that Creative Fluff has become acquainted to through Twitter, The Outlaw Design Blog captures some of the more interesting bits of the design community through posts like ” How to make money by giving things away”. They’ve created a great place for designers to go to and connect with one another. They have reviews of books and software and even tutorials to get you going on the design process if you’re having trouble.

7. @fubiz [ Fubiz ]

As you’ll come to find out, I don’t speak foreign languages other than Latin, which is dead, and could not actually read the content over at Fubiz. Luckily our team member @fiammetta137 could go through the text and together we decided they offer some of the most up to date happenings within the design community in regards to graphic design, photography, fashion, and product design.

8. @creattica [Creattica]

Filled to the brim with daily links and resources as they are created and published around the world by designers, Creattica has become a central news resource for designers to keep on top of everything new no matter what your field of design. If you need inspiration, resources, or just to connect to people in your field it’s a great place to get what you’re looking for.

9. @designobserver [Design Observer]

This is a personal favorite of mine. It’s hard to find long and thoughtful essays on design that are well put together and relevant to today’s world in design across the board. Their blog has topics related to design within culture and how the two are directly related to each other. If you’re leaning towards the intellectual side of design rather than the creative, you should check out their blog. Even if you’re purely a visual creative, they have something to offer you too.

10. @thedieline [ The Die Line ]

Brand. Package. Market. Repeat. The Die Line is one of the better blogs about branding and packaging design. Their name is aptly put, as they focus on bringing you the most up to date in packaging aesthetics. Their website has just undergone a redesign (I believe) and it works out in their favor by putting more emphasis on the product packaging inspirations they showcase.

11. @chrisspooner [ Spoon Graphics ]

Paper, cardboard, cardboard paper, pens & pencils are the sort of aesthetic you’ll find at SpoonGraphics. I remember finding them on my own a long time ago and I’ve always traveled to their site for inspiration and design related resources but more and more we’ve been taking a closer look at them and what they offer. Their abundance of resources in terms of tutorials are a great help to the design community whether you’re new or old so you should take a look at their blog for anything you might need.

12. @michaelSurtees [ Design Notes ]

Their recent post called “LOOKING AT: GOP 100 Deconstructing Dumbo” which features the deconstruction of the GOP image is just an example of the awesomely eclectic stuff going on over at Design Notes. They have create resources in terms of articles on design & the worldwide recession along with simple design related quotes to keep you going through the day.

This is of course Creative Fluff’s list of only a few great design blogs, websites, and communities that offer -you- more than just lists to keep you going. Let us know what you think of the list and be sure to drop all of these wonderful people a line.

A few good tips:

1.Exploit, Exploit, Exploit

Whatever you are photographing exploit the natural. Exploit what is already there, the surroundings, the light, the subject, the shadow.  How you exploit depends upon the situation. Find what is appealing to you about the subject, find what makes this subject so unique, that gives you the “wow I want a picture of that” attitude. Find that and focus on it.

2. Shoot, Shoot, Shoot

Like writing a paper or a book, photography requires multiple drafts. If you have not used all your film you have missed most of your subject. You need to shoot from different angles, even if those angles seem absurd or make you look like you’re off your rocker, heck stand on a rocker and take the photo. At the very least you will get the juices flowing and the creativity going allowing you to take a new perspective on your subject.

3. Sit in Time Out

It is essential to take a time out. Do not delete your photo’s right away just because they do not look right. Wait, sleep, eat, have a few drinks, date around for awhile but don’t settle no matter how big her bank account is (instead give her my number). Like with any art piece, taking a bit of time away will enhance your perspective and give you a clearer look, a discarded photo could just turn into an overlooked gem.

4. Patience Young Padawan

Ok I know that’s lame, but you need to have patience when taking photo’s. Sometimes it will take forever to get a shot you like, sometimes you need to wait for something to happen, while other times things will just happen and you might get lucky, but we don’t want to be lucky, we want to be good and consistant. Consistancy is what makes a good photographer good. So be patient, do what needs to be done, put the pieces in play, wait for what you want. A little patience will bring results. But in the same lieu, remember to take as many photgraphs as possible, even while you wait for something, take photo’s of everything bringing an extra clip of either film or memory.

5. Focus, Focus, Focus

Focus on your subject, in this day and age it is so hard to focus, but you must. Pick a point, a place, a special place on, or in, or about your subject you want to focus on.  Keep that idea, that point, at the center.

6. Remember Your Audience

Who do you want to see your photo? Who is going to see your photography? Are you trying to be absurdest? Cubist? Minimalist? What is your intent? What is the feeling or emotion you want others to feel? Or…is it just a nice picture? You need feeling, just a nice picture is typically just that. You need depth,  most photos are 2D but to really shine you must make them 3D by adding depth and feeling.

7. Have Fun and Learn (Even the experts don’t know everything)

I know I know, every guide every tip says this, It’s true though, the more you enjoy something the better it will be. In the end you need to be happy with you. You need to learn from everything you do and from everyone you can, whether they are “not as good” as you or a million times better. Remember to also reflect upon your own work learning from your own photography and experiences.

That’s all I have for now, but if you have anything else to add, or if you even wish to disagree with me, please feel free to comment.

Patterns patterns everywhere… though this has slowly turned into a ridiculous idea of mine, mainly because it has taken so long to compile, I hope that it really isn’t so ridiculous. Possibly slightly helpful? or inspirational? Who knows. So now that this post is complete…what exactly is it? This isn’t a post about patterned wallpaper found in your Nanna’s bathroom. This post is a celebration of sorts, of patterns and artists and designers who create them and create with them. So here’s a list of different pattern resources that I found.

Steven Meisel

[Images from http://www.artandcommerce.com/AAC/...]

These two images are from a series by Steven Meisel is actually what inspired me to do this crazy post. A brilliant set of photographs for a Spring issue of Italian Vogue, though I’m not sure about when the issue came out, it may have been in 2007. The human form and organic shape created by the clothing all blend together into an optically exhilarating flow of patterns and prints.

The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones, edited by Maxine Lewis

[Images from http://www.amazon.com/Grammar-Ornament-Owen-Jones/... ]

This book is a great little resource for inspiration, and as a reference to the basic characteristics of cultural ornament. And if you’ve been wondering what history behind it is it offers that as well. I bought it for the pure purpose of visual inspiration a while back and it has proved to be very helpful in times of creative blocks.

The book can be found on Amazon here.

Helen Dardik

[Images from http://www.oneluckyhelen.com/index.html]

These are just a few of a bunch of playful and colorful patterns, and there were oh so many great ones to choose from. Observing the details of each one of Helen Dardik’s patterns is absolutely necessary.

Pattern by Tricia Guild and Elspeth Thompson

[Image from http://belindaschneider.wordpress.com/2007/04/03/tricia-guild-pattern-book/]

This book has received great praise from pretty much everyone who owns it. It showcases bold patterns and their wonderful homes having been incorporated into decoration, a difficult task. Here’s just a little snippet of the product description offered by Amazon:

Tricia Guild is known for her bold and original fabric and wallpaper collections and her extraordinary ability to use colour and pattern in decoration. She is inspired by fabrics, techniques, motifs and designs from all over the world and from every period of history – brocades and damasks from the Far East; the rich history of botanical illustration and flower painting; checks, plaids and stripes from northern Europe; vibrant ethnic prints from India and Central America; painterly designs from Chinese and European porcelain; the bold abstracts and geometric patterns of contemporary painters.

The book can be found on Amazon here.

Rick Leong

[Images from http://rickleong.carbonmade.com/projects/25547]

This artist is based in Montreal, Canada. His many imaginative paintings have a softness to them, the same kind of fuzzy effect that appears in watercolors or painted silk.The patterns that emerge in his work are nature inspired, relating to the ocean… like waves or underwater landscapes, and lush magical forests.

Design*Sponge

[Images from http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/05/welcome-julia...]

Ever wondered how you could turn that wonderful illustration into your own repeating pattern? Design*Sponge offers a little step-by-step tutorial by guest blogger Julia on how exactly you can do this. A very useful guide and definitely something to read through if you don’t already know how to do this.

Sølve Sundsbø

[Images from http://community.livejournal.com/foto_decadent/1907831.html]

The photo series entitled “Bloom” from an edition of V magazine is photographed by Sølve Sundsbø and captures patterns and texture in extreme movement. The billowing plumes of floral fabrics create spectacular effect, each image featuring a stunning compostion that features body and garment as art.

dchan on DeviantART

[Images from http://dchan.deviantart.com/]

Another set of illustrated patterns that really benefit from a close up. The vibrant illustrations include blob monsters, Mexican wrestlers, music-loving cheese burgers, and dancing condiments. With the wild clash of activity in the patterns it all kind of looks like Paul Frank on acid.

Tatiana Plakhova’s Wrapping Paper Collections on The Behance Network

[Images from http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Wrapping-Paper-Collections/90569]

Though these aren’t downloadable, Behance has a good number of wrapping paper designs by Tatiana Plakhova, all beautifully illustrated. Each has its own unique geometric design ranging from the basic pinstripe, to the 70’s floral, to the very ornate optical illusion.

Patternhead

[Images from http://www.patternhead.com/]

Patternhead is a good place to find some crazy pattern tiles designed by John Rawsterne. There are a number of patterns available for free, and other detailed, high quality downloads available through the Patternhead store.

MEANNORTH: work by Naja Conrad-Hansen

[Images from http://www.meannorth.com/index.html]

This was an especially exciting find because artist and designer Naja Conrad-Hansen has a spectacular and broad collection of work. Her pattern work is more a combination of fashion illustration and an overflow of pattern, sometimes with a hint of photo-collage-like influences. Some very wonderful work here.

Web Design Ledger

[Images from http://webdesignledger.com/freebies/200-beautiful-seamless-patterns-perfect-for-web-design]

Finally, the popularity of using patterns is growing in webdesign, moving into the other parts of the website anatomy, no longer kept only in the background. There’s a long list of different patterns from Web Design Ledger. These patterns were pulled from deviantART and have a variety of uses.

So, to reiterate some of the basic info:
The 99% Conference
April 16-17, 2009
The Times Center, NYC

To get more information see http://www.the99percent.com/

Designer: Fred McCoy

Website: Megalongcat

What are they listening to?: Almost Easy | Avenged Sevenfold |

Designer: Meroko

Website: Meroko Senpai

What are they listening to?: The Lost Christmas Eve  | Trans-Siberian Orchestra |

Designer: Jeff

Website: JeffreyGarofalo

What are they listening to?: My Bloody Valentine | The Pixies |

Designer: Ray

Website: Onomonopia 

What are they listening to?: Grizzly Bear

Designer: Eric Swain

Website: The Game Critique

What are they listening to?: Welcome to the Jungle  | Guns n Roses |

Designer: Angie Bowen

Website: Arbent

What are they listening to?: Black Market Music  | Placebo |

Designer: Aaron

Website:  This is Aarons Life

What are they listening to?: Explosions in the Sky | All of the Sudden I Miss Everyone |

Designer: Miss Leah

Website: Creative Wisdom

What are they listening to?: Mozart

click here to download

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