A beautiful “illustrated monologue” and collaboration between two amazing artists, Rob Bell (speaker) and Chuck Anderson (graphics, storyboards, & art direction).
What I love about this piece is the energy of Bell. A super-talented public speaker, his excitement, pacing and passion drew me in. And though I found the graphics distracting the first time I watched it, on the second and third watch I love how they, coupled with the music, accentuate that energy.
“resurrection announces that God has not given up on the world
because this world matters
this world that we call home
dirt and blood and sweat and skin and light and water
this world that God is redeeming and restoring and renewing”
Lately I’ve been checking out some master-of-light-effects graphic artists and trying to learn from their style. Here’s something I put together last night, based on a photo we took of Winnipeg last week.
And it looks better in a larger format, which you can find here.
In high school a few friends and I started a band. We called ourselves “Volaticus” and knew we were on the brink of rock band fame and glory. Shortly after our first gig we had designed up a logo and were dreaming about making t-shirts and stickers. Unfortunately Volaticus never survived past its second performance.
Many times when we’re dreaming and beginning new ventures, the first thing we think of is the visuals that will represent us. While we should be developing our substance, we pour our energies into our appearance. In our visions of grandeur we get the right clothes, the coolest gear, a cool logo and shiny website, before we’ve even booked a gig.
“Meeting a person who wrote a masterpiece on the back of a deli menu would not surprise me. Meeting a person who wrote a masterpiece with a silver Cartier fountain pen on an antique writing table in an airy SoHo loft would SERIOUSLY surprise me.”
- Hugh McCleod “How to Be Creative”
Sometimes those things are necessary – it’s hard to start an online business without a website, and sometimes a logo or name gives your crew something to rally around – but we often spend more time developing the bells and whistles, rather than developing the core of our plan, our skills and our identity. And in my experience, if you’re printing stickers before you have a gig, that’s all your band may ever become.
Yesterday I watched Helvetica the documentary. A movie about a font?!? Well, depending on how you’re wired, it might be a lot more interesting than you think. I know it sucked me in (but I guess I’m a bit of a nerd, so don’t my word for it). Here’s the trailer.
I’m obviously a typomaniac… I can’t explain it, I just like looking at type. – Erik Spiekermann
Watching this film, I was surprised to find how widely-used Helvetica really is. The typeface celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007, and has been the go-to font for many graphic designers ever since. Spiekermann put into words the disease inflicting most of those interviewed, these men and women had an incredible fascination with type. Maybe you can relate, maybe not, but I got a kick out of listening to so many nerds speak so fondly of the intricate details that make Helvetica so beautiful. It’s cool that some people care so deeply about the typefaces that we are all so surrounded by yet take so for granted.
It’s a letter that lives in a powerful matrix of surrounding space. Oh it’s brilliant when it’s done well. – Mike Parker
One of the beautiful things about Helvetica is the negative space surrounding its characters. I first came to love Helvetica when I started making decals. We had a plotter that would cut the letters and shapes into sheets of vinyl, then we would “weed” out the excess material, leaving just the decal behind. Working with Helvetica was great precisely because of the negative space. Weeding out the material between and within Helvetica letters, unlike many other fonts, was always quick and smooth.
If you want to check out this film, you can find in on youTube or iTunes. While you’re at it, take a little quiz to find out what font you are (I was Helvetica, what are the chances?).
Hopefully as you see advertising, print, and digital media, you’ll take note of some of the fonts used, and have a little more appreciation for the beloved Helvetica.
Scribd picked up my eBook! Ok, getting published by Scribd is like getting picked up by youTube, but here it is anyway, for your viewing pleasure. (BTW, Scribd is great for any PDF file sharing, try it out!).
Thanks for all the positive feedback about “Newslettering”, I’m glad some of you have enjoyed it.
One of the things I talk about in “Newslettering” is the importance of being yourself and finding your own voice.
I just read Hugh McLeod’s manifesto on “How to Be Creative” (download pdf here) at ChangeThis. Hugh is a back-of-business-card cartoonist (I know, didn’t know there was a market, right?), blogger at gapingvoid.com, and recently wrote a book about creativity.
His advice about finding your creative voice is this:
“Put your whole self into it, and you will find your true voice. Hold back and you wonʼt. Itʼs that simple.”
Check out his other thoughts about creativity, he’s got some good ones.
When I joined Youth With A Mission in 2002, I realized that one of my most important tasks, though not in the “missionary” job description, was communicating with friends, family and supporters about what I was up to. Because partnerships were essential – in finances, prayer, and encouragement – communication was also essential.
Though many dread this kind of communication, as a public speaker and graphic designer by trade I enjoyed creating newsletters and other forms of communication.
This 30-page eBook is my attempt at sharing what I’ve learned through my experience of creating newsletters, as well as my study on the subject of communication and many conversations with friends and supporters.
YWAMers and missionaries, this was written for you, I hope you find it helpful.
It’s free, so read it, share it, reproduce it, trash it, whatever. I hope it’s value for you is far more than the price.
Margins are the most under-estimated spaces on a page. I often find myself figuring out, my attempts to maximize each sheet of paper, exactly how close to the edge of a page my printer will print. I try to eliminate margins. Most all of us concern ourselves more with the content than the space around it.
In graphic design, the “white space” on the page is as important as the colored space. In public speaking, silent pauses can be more important for your audience than the things you say. Silent space forces you to think, to reflect. Margins give emphasis to the content that is there.
A few years ago I was without a car for a month, giving me the opportunity to take the 20 minute walk to and from work each day. This “margin” time gave me a chance to take a deep breath, enjoy some sunshine, and reflect on the day. This silent space became the favorite part of my day, and cut against my natural grain of packing as much activity into each day as possible.
A couple weeks ago my work responsibilities came to an end. That combined with the late arrival of our daughter, gave Anna and I three amazing unexpected days in the margin, in between two significant seasons of life to relax, connect, and gain some perspective.
Enjoy some time in the margins. Whether you have three minutes or three months to do it, enjoy the space, and don’t be afraid to “waste” some valuable paper real estate.
Thanks to Chris for introducing me the the “margin” as a metaphor for life.
