Post Club

For the past year now, I’ve been working on a top-secret project in the confines of my studio - plugging away, fueled by coffee, spending spare moments between client work, slowly gaining a larger picture of where I was headed. Now, the time is right, and things are finally coming together.

Thanks for asking. The project is called Post Club, and it’s a postcard subscription service. The idea is that you sign up for a subscription, and you receive artsy/designy postcards in the mail each month. Who doesn’t love getting mail? Each postcard will be of limited edition, and printed to the highest quality standards, utilizing various methods such as screenprint and letterpress. Basically, small format art prints.

Those are the only beans I’ll spill for now, even though I can hardly contain my excitement. Follow along on Twitter or join the email list at the HQ (PostClubHQ.com).

Oh - I’ve also got stickers. So if you happen to run into me, just let me know if you want some.  

Intermission

Something happens when I hop on my bike and go for a mid-afternoon ride, leaving the confines of my studio, and venturing out toward nowhere in particular. The simple objective of taking a time-out allows my mind to become clear, and I’m able to think about things in a way that I’m unable to while I’m sitting at my desk.

Taking breaks has become an important part of my creative process. I’m learning this more and more as I grow in my role as a graphic designer. When it comes to conceptualizing, I find that the last place I work well is in my studio. I’ve got the internet, books, coffee, and a thousand other things to distract me. Plus - it just feels weird to sit at my desk trying to think. It’s so contrived. This is why I leave. I either walk or take my bike, sometimes armed with a camera or notebook - anything that seems fun or interesting in the moment, but unrelated to my work.

At first, I thought it was a mechanism my subconscious would use in order to avoid working. I’ve since realized that by leaving that “creative space” in favour of a completely unrelated activity, I’m able to think more spontaneously, proactively, and freely, allowing myself to be inspired by the things I see and people I pass. 

More often than not, I return from these outings with an idea, or at least a starting point. No more sitting in my studio, banging my head against the wall to come up with something. All it takes is a little break.

Seven Hundred Penguins

While perusing my favorite Calgary book store, Shelf Life Books, I came across Seven Hundred Penguins, a collection of 700 covers from Penguin books around the world. I couldn’t resist making the purchase, and have been enjoying flipping through, endlessly being delighted and amazed at the diversity and talent showcased throughout the 2-inch thick book.

As a graphic designer, I’m interested in the ways that illustration, design, photography and typography are used to communicate a message. Seven Hundred Penguins displays a unique selection of treasured classics and past-editions, along with hundreds of unheard-of titles from the Penguin archives.

Below are only some of my favorites from the collection.

A Matter of Principle

The lovely Jacinta and I agreed to embark on a journey together, to read Moby Dick in it’s entirety. Now, I have no idea whether or not you have read Moby Dick, but the only thing longer than Herman Melville’s beard, is his winded-ness. Sometimes I wonder if his editor even read the manuscript. It must have been one of those “5:00 on a Friday” things that didn’t really get the attention it needed. Take for example the chapter “The Whiteness of the Whale,” is essentially a multi-page rambling, comparing Moby Dick to different white things. Now, I’m no literary genius, but I’m pretty sure the chapter title said it all (seriously, Melville - you had me at ‘hello’ on that one).

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Baseball Logos. If it aint broke, don’t fix it.

For the most part, I’m not too fond of the direction that most baseball teams are going with their logos these days. It feels like the so called “modern” logos of Major League Baseball are simply attempts to change things, when oftentimes nothing needs to be changed at all. Case in point - the Toronto Blue Jays. Since doing away with their original logo in 1996, they’ve gone through three changes, none of which I can honestly get too excited about.

Here is a collection of my favorite logos, some have been replaced while others remain in use to this day.

More information on sports logo history: sportslogos.net

Toronto Blue Jays
In use from 1977 - 1996

New York Yankees
In use from 1913 - Present

Chicago White Sox
In use from 1976 - 1990

But is it art?

“Please. Not another, ‘but is it art?’ discussion.”
-Untitled (2009)

When chatting with other creative folks, the thing that seems to come up most often is the old classic, “what is art?” discussion. Where do we draw the line? Or perhaps more importantly, where SHOULD we draw the line? Rather than talk myself in circles, I’d like to encourage you to watch the film, “Untitled.” Adam Goldberg is an aspiring composer who stretches the boundaries of what most people consider art. Mayhem and hilarity ensue.

If you know anything about the art world, this is a film you need to see.

New Site! Well, sort of.

I know, it looks quite a bit like the old one, with a few new fancy features and tweaks to the layout. Ever since it’s initial launch last August (2010), I’ve had a few principle issues with the build and design, and have been putting a great deal of thought into what I wanted to change, and how I wanted the new version to function.

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