tish-creeativity

[tish-creeativity]

April 12/24

Well, classes are finished and I am emotionally, spiritually, and physically spent. I had full intention of keeping up with the blog portion for this assignment. I even had notes that I had taken from the beginning of April just to keep or remind me of what we covered in the lectures along with my preliminary wire-framing sketch (pictures below), but that didn’t work out. Being the task manager of my grad group had taken over my life. It enveloped everything that I am and what I was meant to create for the grad show. I almost didn’t beat the deadline to submit my work.

Every job that I’ve had since I graduated high school Ive been given/handed leadership roles, such as supervisor, assistant supervisor, assistant manager, and manager. These roles were given to me because of my ability to take initiative. Like I’ve said before, it’s not in me to watch a ship sink especially when I’m on that ship. Over the years i have learned that to have a leadership role means more than showing up and doing the job. It means you have a team of people relying on you and looking at you for guidance. It means if your team isn’t getting along, that it is up to the leader to find some middle ground of compromise to where everyone can be content. Before I was given the title of task manager there were so many time I wanted to use the phrase, “A team is as only as good as its leader, and only as strong as it’s weakest link,” but I held my tongue because I didn’t want to put a bad spotlight on anyone. Although, there were many hiccups inside the team’s discord chat, we made it through. However, the reception was 6 days ago, I’m still dealing with he said, she said bs with 2 of my peers and I am trying my best to settle the dust. It honestly feels like I am the principal of a bunch of elementary school kids.

I had one particular peer that pretty much clamped at my hip & complained throughout the entirety of the show if she didn’t get exactly what she wanted she would find me and complain for hours. At this point I would hold a vote amongst my peers to find some middle ground, after all majority rules over all. There were many times where I just wanted to throw in the towel and tell them to do whatever the hell they wanted, it’s not in me to give up, not when I have people looking at me for answers.

Anyways, I feel this app assignment should have been assignment 1. Not only because it’s really time consuming, but for someone like me who struggles with technology and computer programs needs guidance to learn these types of things. It had taken 2 years for me to understand Adobe illustrator. Moreover, with the grad reception at the end of the year and to have this assignment mixed in was almost unattainable. It also didn’t help that only 6 out of 9 grads were actually putting in the work that was required to plan and execute the reception. Needless to say, some of my peers let me down & it had drained me emotionally.

[tish-creeativity]

March 11/24

Today I was late for class, as I had an ultrasound appointment, everything is still all good, no unusual growths & my bloodwork keeps coming back normal. It’s weird, once a month I get this scary reminder that I could get sick at any moment. It’s like a cloud that comes around, but my positive attitude is like the sun and my personality is like the wind that blows that cloud away. So yay! Anyhoozle, we started our last assignment. We are to create an app. (To be continued with more info).

[tish-creeativity]

March 8/24

I finally finished my glasses stand! I pushed through the pain and I finished. I made 1.5 prototypes for my instructor. 1 whole one and one to show how it would look after popping it out of its case.. the creases were created by carving them into the illustration board with a v shaped wood carving tool, and to create the pop out effect I painstakingly poked each hole individually with a leather hole puncher tool. I had also placed to magnets into it, I did this by shaving triangle shaped holes into the edges of the glasses case. 1 to close the case and the other to clasp the stand closed once popped out, I then glued a sheet of paper over it to hide the magnets. By the time I had glued it all together I had realized that the magnets were either not strong enough or I had inserted them too far apart. In my mind that’s the only faulting in my design.

[tish-creeativity]

March 6/24

Today is critique day on assignment 2 and I was almost done my package. However, It snowed last night, so I decided to shovel the sidewalk and walkway of my property, I regret this decision. I pinched my back again… I really really wish I could go back in time to 6:08 pm on February 2, 2018. I wouldn’t have taken that extra shift at work to cover for an employee. I wouldn’t have fallen and permanently damaged my back. I remember this date and exact time because this was the day that changed my life, it’s hard to forget days that influence the outcome of your everyday life. I’m so glad a stranger was walking by as I pinched it my nerve, he helped to my door & even finished shovelling the sidewalk, I didn’t even get his name, but I did thank him profusely. Now I must wait for my sister to be done at work to ease the pain a smidge with over the counter pain meds. By some miracle, my doctor’s office just had a cancellation before I had called, so I was able to schedule an appointment for tomorrow. I’m hoping she can give me something that doesn’t have opiates in it, ad I’m trying my best to stay away from those. Here is where I had to eave my process at until I can bend again.

[tish-creeativity]

March 4/24

I decided to take the day off for a mental health day. Taking the leader initiative has taken its toll on me and I have fallen behind on grad projects. I’m a honestly disappointed in 3 of my peers, as they haven’t been pulling their weight in the process of grad planning & execution on their designated tasks, which is really slowing down the progress of the grad show. Our proposal writer neglected to write anything at all, so I had taken it upon myself to write the grad proposal, she is now in the process of the editing, a task that I signed up for, but at least she’s doing something now. Our grad manager doesn’t seem to know how to manage a team, instead she is more or less a secretary and treasure roll, and one peer has done the bare minimum of a 3 person design team. Since I’ve taken on the leadership role, without the title I should mention, everyone seems to be coming to me to verbalize their complaints, I just need a break from them.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 28/23

Today we did mini group critique of designs. I unfortunately left all the templates I’ve been working with at home but I did have an old glasses case on me, so I decided to disassemble it, and present that. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. The templates I’ve been working with aren’t working out, so I’m just going to utilize this glasses case and create my own template from it.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 26/24

Today is another WIP day. I started off by printing off another template that I figure I could use to make my glasses stand. I had also remembered to take photos of my templates. I also went around asking my fellow peers if I could measure their glasses & sunglasses. There are many sizes of glasses out there & I want to make this a universal design for all types of eye wear. Most of the glasses I had measured today were approximately 2” x 6”.I have decided that the dimensions for my design will be 2.5” x 6.5. My instructor suggested that I should make it big enough for a mini spray bottle and clothe inside it as well, which is doable, & I don’t think will interfere with my planned dimensions, but we will see.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 19 & 21/24

This week is “reading week,” which means there are no classes. I chose to utilize this time to work on my 10 foot tree that I’m build for an art exhibition outside of the arts & design program. It’s taking a lot of my time, energy, and money, but I am very hopeful that it’s will all pay off in the future. I wish to get into prop making for the film industry and feel that this tree will get my foot in the door within this work field.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 14/24

Today was another WIP class, and I’m still trying to figure out how to combine the 3… it’s not working out the way I expected. I do a lot of my processes within my mind. Having ADHD, autism, and dyslexia has its perks, as they allow me to think and view everything in 3D. However, these exact disabilities have their downsides, such as forgetting to document these processes. I have been negligent on providing proof not only because of these disabilities, but everything the grad show has been taking up a lot of my time. I feel as if my peers are in need of proper leadership. I have always been the type to take initiative where it is lacking, as it is not in me to watch a ship sink, especially when I’m on that ship. I chose to help with marketing, as well as being the editor of the proposal. So for our proposal writer hasn’t been present, and it’s starting to make me nervous. Hopefully she can start focusing on what’s important soon.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 12/24

Today was a WIP class. I utilized this time by picking out templates that our instructor provided on blackboard for us. I had chosen 3 of these templates, to try combine into one. So I printed each of these out to try get a feel for how I was going to combine them. Wish me luck.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 7/24

Since last class I had many ideas for option 1 coursing through my mind and my research on Pinterest aided the idea reduction down to 2. Idea first is pencil crayon box that can be changed into a nifty desktop organizer (photo 1), and the second is a universal glasses box that can be changed into a glasses stand. I was inspired by a plastic glasses stand by its shape and practicality (photo 2). I chose the glasses package idea as it has never been fabricated before, which is a requirement of option 1. Once I had my idea I began to write up my creative brief (photo 3) & designed a mood board (photo 4). Today we begun class with sharing our examples of good & bad packaging ideas. I chose to share this coffee cup package made out of cork board that can be taken apart to be reused as coasters as a good packaging idea (photo 5). For the bad I chose a plastic container that had an unpeeled orange inside of it. I feel like this is a bad packaging idea because not only do oranges have their own natural packaging, but it is also bad for the environment (photo 6).

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 5/24

Today we were introduced to our 2nd assignment. The term “Palimpsest thinking” came up. To my understanding with the information & examples provided it means something that can be reused from its original form. For the assignment we are to create a “packaging solution” made out paper or cardboard. We were given 2 options of types of packaging. Option one is create a package that has never been fabricated before that can be utilized by those with physical disabilities, the elderly, or small children. Option 2 is to design a package for your favourite candy that protects, preserves, and tells a story to kindle the senses. I really enjoy constructing things out of everyday objects so I am very intrigued by this assignment. After the lecture on this assignment we are to start thinking of what type of package we want to create. I chose to go with option 1, as I don’t have a favourite candy, I actually cut sugar out of my diet a couple months back. I started my process with researching packages that already existed on Pinterest. For next class we’re are to have a mood board, a creative brief on our package idea, 1 example of a good packaging idea, and 1 bad idea.

[tish-creeativity]

After 7 dollars later, and several sheets of paper, I got it aligned to where it’s not that noticeable, it still a bit off but I’m happy with it in comparison. Despite the struggles I had to reach the end result of this assignment I’m glad I could get this message out in the universe. To be completely honest this is the first time I’ve been completely sober since I was 10 years old, as I started smoking the Mary Jane at the age of 11. My parents were good parents… kinda, but they were very absent parents. The people from reserve call me, my twin & my brother “the children that raised themselves.” I don’t resent my parents for not being there, in fact I thank them because I learnt how to be very independent at an early age. I was doing almost everything on my own by the time I was 12 & was wholly on my own by the time I was 16, as I was kicked out for substance abuse. Then on Feb 2, 2018 my life changed drastically. I fell at work and permanently damaged my back, after that I got addicted to opiates. An addiction I can proudly say I quit about a year and a half ago, I’m still in a lot of pain on the daily but it’s manageable through drugstore medication, massage therapy, and prayer. I think that’s why they’re being more involved in my life now, because I’ve chosen to walk on the Red Road on my own. I thank going to college for this decision, school was more important than getting high all the time. Sobriety feels weird, but a good weird.

[tish-creeativity]

February 4/23

I am panicking, I still haven’t figured out how to print my booklet out. Thank goodness another student from the class came into the computer lab and showed me an easy way to print my booklet. However it’s still printing out weird, as it’s not lining up properly 😕

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 3/23

I finally finished it. Now to try print it out through InDesign. I honestly haven’t done a whole lot of work through InDesign and I don’t really remember a whole lot about it from print production class. I really felt like my print production instructor didn’t know what she was doing, I kept most of her notes but they are not very helpful, so YouTube tutorials it is.

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 3/24

I changed a few things. I’m horrible for doing that, especially when the time is coming so close to being due, but I am liking this new direction. I chose to keep the road straight on the cover because I really like how the words fit on the walking path. I chose a sparse trees and a hilly background because, well to be honest I felt like the cover needed a horizon line for depth. The table of contents page was the original cover page but I didn’t like how the words were flowing within the path area, but I really wanted to keep the illustration because that was the first image a saw when I was researching the Red Road. I chose to begin with “what is the Red Road” because I felt that was the most important aspect, would get the ball rolling, and it made the most sense to me to put it first. I changed the sign to a more modern street instead of the one I hade designed earlier because I didn’t like the childish feel it had, and the word layout reads like a comic book because I wanted to keep the message on the same page as the illustration. Next, I chose “who can walk the Red Road” because I felt like that would have been the second most important aspect to bring up. Some of the information is based on my own experience with this journey, especially the discipline and commitment part because times be stressful & I am tempted to smoke the Mary Jane but I feel if I did I would be betraying myself and the commitment I have built with the creator. I changed the “Code of Ethics” to foot prints because again the stone path I was using gave off a childish feel and the subject matter is somewhat serious. I also had to shorten a lot of the info because there’s only so much wording you can put on the bottom of a shoe, I guess I could have just put 2 shoes on each page, but I wanted to have a walking effect. Lastly, the resource page, I chose do this illustration because it represents “seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” because taking this journey is not easy, it’s probably the second most hardest thing I have done other than finding the will to live when I got very sick at the end of my second year. I originally had the words on the left wall but I did like how it was looking so I changed to the floor and it looked a lot better. I chose the typeface Adorn sans because it gave me this walking path & indigenous feel, the colour red for obvious reasons, black & white type because it made the letters pop on top of the red, and kept the yellow on the sign because it just made sense to keep it yellow lol! 😅

[tish-creeativity]

Feb 3/24

Been working on the assignment for several hours. So far I’m not sure about all of it, as it’s starting to look like a children’s book and that’s not really the direction I want to go, so I drew up some more thumbnails for the “Code of Ethics.”