.EIGHT.

Manifesto.

1. Make Mistakes--They may be the greatest lesson you can learn.
2. Be observant -- Don't take anything around you for granted, look at everything, and take it for all that it's worth.
3. Find your Passion -- Find it.Get it. Keep it. Your life will be more fulfilled doing something you genuinely love.
4. Live.Laugh.Love -- Live your life to the fullest, Laugh because nothing should be taken too seriously, and Love full heartedly.
5. "Dream as if you'll never die...Live as if you'll die tomorrow." - James Dean -- Dream big, it is no ones place to tell you to do otherwise. Live each day to the fullest, and although we here that all the time, we need to seriously practice it, and do everything we possibly can in the present.
6. Be positive -- Positive thoughts and energy attracts positive outcomes. Always look at the bright side of things, even when it seems nearly impossible to do so.
7. Oh yeah! Life goes on...-- Not only is this a great song, it also shines some light on the fact that sometimes events in our lives may leave us down and out, but although things may seem like they'll never get better, life does go on, and time heals all wounds.
8. Travel -- Exposing yourself to different lifestyles and cultures will open your eyes and mind to see things that by staying in one place all your life you will only be able to see in books and movies. Get out and explore.
9.Listen to music -- Everyone gets inspired, relaxes, unwinds, get energized, and gets motivated differently, in my case, music is the outlet for my soul. I am surrounded by music and musicians, and I wouldn't change that for the world.
10. Change your routine -- It happens all the time, that I'll drive somewhere and not even remember how I got there or which route I took. Changing up your routine, by even taking different streets to work and school, or doing simple things like getting changed after you brush your teeth instead of before, will keep your mind more alert and will place you more in the present, than by doing things just out of a habit routine.

.SEVEN.

Below is a list of words relative to my theory on design:

Unique
Refreshing
Purposeful
Creative
Process
Progression
Informative
Innovative
Resonating
Simple
Strategy
Evolved
Imagination
Experience
Inspiration
Expressive
Problem-solving
Function
Objective
Concept
Planned

.SIX,

"Design is...a process."

.FIVE.

Articulated "design is..." statement

Although we've been given quite a bit of time to think about this statement and come up with our own views of what it means and stands for, I still don't have an exact pin-point statement.
To me, design is expressive and interactive, it has a purpose and should be thought of as unique.
Design is taking something ordinary and turning it into something that resonates in a viewers mind long after seeing it . Design is a form of 2 or 3 dimensional artistic communication.

.FOUR.

How I, as a 20 year old graphic design student, spend my time.

Well, this was actually a lot more interesting than I originally thought it would be. To narrow down the many activities I participate in on a weekly basis and calculate how much time I spend doing each, was intriguing. Although each week of my life varies and the conclusions I was able to come to may be different from week to week, this is a good indication of my time spent on the specified activities.

Reading:
I enjoy reading biography books, and staying updated with current news. I am currently reading the biography of Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue. While also reading news, and my biographies, I also read books on design and design magazines to keep up with whats new and hot in this industry.
Approximately: 4 hours a week

Using my cellphone / texting:
Although I don't talk a lot on my cellphone, I am always sending text messages. A big reason for why I text is because, I don't like realizing I called someone for one question, and spent an hour on the phone with them. Through text messaging, I am able to ask my question and get a direct answer. I like the fact that I can send someone a text message, and whenever they get it, they will answer, instead of playing phone tag back and forth. I text all day long, but if you were to compress the amount of time I text I guess it would total up to be...
Approximately: 1.5 hours a day

Listening to the Radio:
I'm not a huge fan of the radio, but I do love the 102.1 morning show I get to listen to every morning on my way to school.
Approximately: 3.5 hours a week

Listening to Music:
Music is my life, and I surround myself with it as much as I possibly can. I listen to it as I get ready in the morning, on my way to school, in class (when time permits), on my way home from school, as I do homework, while I sit at work, at the gym, I have a C.D player with speakers in my bathroom for when I shower, and I listen to music to fall asleep to. When I go out on the weekend, I usually go to bars with live bands, or clubs which play music all night.
Approximately: 13-16 hours a day

Watching TV/Movies:
I usually watch half hour before I go to work and a movie on the weekend.
Approximately: 2.5 hours a week

Surfing the net:
I spend quite a lot of time on the computer and surfing the net, whether it's for leisure, information or school.
Approximately: 5 hours a day

Playing Video Games:
I don't own any video game consoles, but I do play a little while at friends houses.
Approximately:10 minutes

This assignment was really neat because it is one thing to live your daily life, doing things the way you always do, and its another thing to see it written in black and white, how much of your time you spend doing what. In conclusion, as I suspected, music and the internet consumes the majority of my time.

.THREE.

So, we got assigned a new assignment, one that I'm actually very excited about.
As soon as I read over the assignment, my mind started racing with different ideas and brainstorming directions I could potentially follow. The first thing I do is start getting inspiration from things around me, from the web, from magazines, and for this specific project, I looked for inspiration and ideas from existing C.D's I have at home. The "research" part of the project is very fundamental in the outcome of the finished product. You may think you have a solid idea until you start to look around and your original idea evolves into something completely different.

The actual design process of the project is quite lengthy, and changes frequently. There are multiple steps that one goes through until they create something they are happy and confident about. I am still at the preliminary steps for this Humber Jazz Ensemble CD, but I am having a great time with it, and am anxious to see what my end result will be.

.TWO.

How do I create?

While watching the Ken Robinson TED talk last week, I realized that I was nodding my head agreeably for the majority of arguments he brought to the audiences attention. Creativity is a form of knowledge, and in everything you do, you should think creatively and try to do thing different from the norm. Our school systems differ from school to school and teacher to teacher, but the majority of elementary and high schools focus on academics such as math, science, and literature, giving very little importance to the arts and don't allow students to express themselves. At my high school, uniform was mandatory, and the moment a student attempted to make their uniform reflect who they are, we were punished for it.

I am a strong believer in expressing yourself, and although things happen and you may find yourself in a rut, you need to find your passion and follow it and you will end up a stronger and happier person. Creativity and design are a form of escape from reality for me, and without it I would be lost in the world. I love looking at things from different angles and figuring out how things were made or put together.

In the context of creativity and design I am forever a student, I am always looking for ways to create and design things that will catch peoples attention, or things that express the way I'm feeling or what I'm thinking about. I am inspired by different styles of art, music, and performances and am always looking for things to spark my creativity.