Hi, I'm Allison, a graphic designer based in Western Massachusetts. I work with entrepreneurs who are passionate about what they do. My goal is not only to provide effective graphic design, but be a valuable business resource to my clients.
If you’re a creative professional and haven’t created your Behance profile, what are you waiting for? (Ok, I shouldn’t be too bossy, I did just create mine last week.) For those of you who haven’t heard of Behance before, Behance is an online network where creatives can post their resume, portfolio, and search job listings. It connects with Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In as well. There’s even a special widget that allows people to view your portfolio images on Linked In. No longer do you need to anxiously hope that people will think that you are interesting enough to click through to your website. Your talent is showcased right on your profile.
Below is a screenshot of my personal Behance profile. Once you join, follow me! I promise to follow you back. I like new friends.
After you create your Behance profile on Behance.net, hop on over to Behance.com to find helpful articles and organization tools.
From TED.com:
Using animation, projections and her own moving shadow, Miwa Matreyek performs a gorgeous, meditative piece about inner and outer discovery. Take a quiet 10 minutes and dive in. With music from Anna Oxygen, Mirah, Caroline Lufkin and Mileece.
Time flies. My show (s), Inward and Upward, came and went, and you heard nothing. Now that April is here, it’s time to change that. Yes, the last show ended in February, so? (shhh.)
Below are pictures from the shows I participated in this past December and January. A few photos are courtesy of my dear friend, Sarah Mohajery. The others were taken with my Iphone.
Our guests shared their personal memories with us.
Preserves. Construction paper hearts, photographs, and canning jars.
We can always hold a special place in our hearts for the people and things of our past, even if they aren’t in our present.
Unravelling. Many, many, many yards of yarn.
The harder you try to hold onto things, the faster they slip away.
Miniature Memories. Tilt shifted photographs, music box mechanism (plays Raindrops Keep Falling).
In your head, events of the past seem so vivid, and tiny.
Intertwined. Maple tree, ribbon, string.
It seems like everything is connected, and often we cannot experience the good without the bad.
A lot of design work is going on for the upcoming Inward and Upward show. In the last post you saw the postcard (there are also coordinating posters and programs- what can I say, I get carried away!) In addition to the branding materials, I thought it would be fun to do some headshots- especially for this show. These are no stuffy headshots either. As a group, we decided that it was necessary to remain authentic, and if we were going to show our faces to our audience, we should show ourselves as we really are– fun and a little bit goofy.
Sarah, artist and photographer extraordinaire, started out by photographing us in front of a white wall. Later that night- that’s when the Photoshop fun began. I was inspired by the front pages of one of my favorite magazines, HOW. Each month, it features headshots of contributing writers and designers in an artistic treatment, one month may be watercolor, the next charcoal illustrations.
First reactions to the final product? “Hey, have you ever seen the video for Take On Me?”
So, I was MIA for a little while, but I have a good reason! I’ve been planning an art opening with three of my very good friends. We met a little over a year ago, with the intention of going through Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way. Well we made it through all of the exercises, but that didn’t mean it was time to go our separate ways. As artists, and as friends, we became a creative support group and cheerleaders for each other.
One thing that was an issue for all of us was that we needed to create more. Life always gets in the way for everyone, and it seems so easy to make excuses not to draw, paint, design, whatever your medium is. One of the best ways to become motivated is to create a short term goal, and that’s exactly what we did. That is how this show, Inward and Upward came to be.
You can read more about the creation of the show on the special blog that we put together- it has artist bios along with information about the venue, and some of the great people and places that have been helping us along the way.
I was just introduced to a new site that essentially allows you to make an online inspiration board. And not only can you create your own inspiration boards, you can peek at other people’s as well!
On Pinterest, you can set up several inspiration boards, one for fashion, art, interior design, whatever it is that fluffs your peanutbutter. After you’ve created these boards, browse the web as usual. When you see something that strikes your fancy, you can “pin it” by simply clicking on the Pinterest button on your browser, and it adds an image of your item to the appropriate list.
This is brilliant not only for inspiration, but also for cataloging. Planning a special project, designing a room, and need a place to keep all your sources and images in one place? Pinterest is perfect for just that.
I like to go poking through other people’s boards. By doing this, I find new shops I’ve never been to, blogs I’ve never read, photographers I had not yet discovered. Take a poke through my board here.
You need an invitation to join Pinterest. If you are seriously interested, I have four remaining invitations. Pop me an email. The first four people to request an invitation will get one!
A few weeks back, I made a trip to Mass MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, MA with a good friend. I never realized that I was lucky enough to have the country’s largest contemporary art museum only an hour and a half away. I love visiting Mass MoCA, but I must confess, it’s been close to 2 years since I’ve been there last.
What is there not to love about Mass MoCA? The drive to North Adams is breathtaking, they always have great shows running, they have a permanent Sol Lewitt collection, and honestly– I think I’m in love with their graphic designer. All of their materials, the brochures, the information graphics, the billboards, the websites, everything is stunning. Case in point: My friend was enthralled by the exhibit, while I was still standing in the doorway, admiring the font the title was in. (Although, I don’t know whether that says more about me than the museum, but anyway.)
The major exhibit running on the day of my visit was titled Material World. It featured room size installation pieces using many different forms of material- rope, strings, paperclips, bubble wrap, astroturf, you name it, it was fair game. I love whole room installations. First of all, the scale gives you such a surreal, larger than life feeling. Secondly, it allows the viewer to be interactive with the piece, to view it from all angles and see how your experience changes.
Don’t let me forget the Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With Exhibit! This was a little living space, housed inside a very large room. The walls were glass, and when you looked inside- everything was upside down. As in the furniture was on the ceiling. And it wasn’t just the furniture, they paid attention to other details as well. The kitchen even had an upside down french press on their upside down counter. (These upside down people have discerning taste in coffee.)
Here are some of my images from my visit to Mass MoCA. You can see the rest of them on my Flickr page here.
Eli Levenstein- Reading Room for Mass MoCA
Big Boss, Orly Genger
Alyson Shotz- The Geometry of Light
Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle- Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With
It’s high time we redefined creativity. You don’t need be an artist, a musician, or writer to be creative. We were all born with the capacity to be creative. Let me say this another way. You are creative. And I can hear you saying, “No, I’m not.”
Creativity is all about coming up with new ideas. It’s about seeing, experiencing, and savoring the world around you. It is a way of life.
The Born Creative workshop series will be starting on March 4, 2010. This 4 week course aims to help people reconnect with their life through creativity and curiousity. Even for those of you that say you’re not creative. Especially for those of you that say you’re not creative.
Take a stroll on over to the Born Creative Facebook Fan Page. Once you’re there, become a fan! You won’t just get boring old updates about the course (because the course is fun and exciting!), but also fascinating information on how people are using creativity in ways that you never imagined.
Below you’ll find a list of the workshop descriptions, and all the necessary details. If you know someone in the Western MA area that would be interested in being happier and more effective in their career (isn’t that everyone you know?) then forward on the details!
Schedule
Thursday, March 4 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Overcoming Obstacles to Creativity
In this class we redefine creativity, conquer old stories and beliefs, bust through creative roadblocks, learn to trust our ideas, and grow through play.
Thursday, March 11 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Developing Awareness
Learn valuable techniques to help you become
more mindful in your everyday life, and how paying
attention and being an active learner can increase your joy and creativity.
Thursday, March 18 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Gaining New Perspective
Begin to see different possibilities and points of view. Understand how looking at things from a new angle
can aid in generating new ideas and in building and maintaining relationships.
Thursday, March 25 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Creative Problemsolving
Creativity isn’t just for artists. Pick up new
brainstorming strategies to assist with challenges at
home, and in the workplace.
Pricing
Classes are available in a 4 week package for $100,
and can also be purchased individually for $25*.
All prices include materials.
Please call to reserve your space.
Limited seats are available.
*we recommend the package plan (like people, the classes work better together!)
To sign up for this workshop series, simply send me an email at BornCreativeWorkshops@gmail.com.
Payment will be accepted through Paypal, cash, or check.
Some great things you can’t plan for. You make your plans, go on your way, and are completely blown away by the amazing things that come across your path. This past friday was one of those nights. I planned on participating in Northampton’s Arts Night Out– an evening where all of the galleries seem to have something going on, along with free admission to the Smith College Art Museum. To be honest, the words free admission were enough to get me to go.
I made my way to the Smith Art Museum, but never actually got to see any art (I had seen it all before, at least). Upon my arrival, I immediately discovered that the Northamptones were singing in one of the upstairs galleries. The Northamptones are the much revered A Capella group of the Northampton High School. They are good. I mean good! They rock out songs like Bohemian Rhapsody and I Am the Walrus.
And the music wasn’t over. I wandered downstairs to hear the sounds of Unit 7, who call their style “Speakeasy music for the 21st century.” Anyone that knows me can tell you how much I LOVE this kind of music. It runs through my veins. The music came complete with flappers, who came out with black bobbed wigs, fringed dresses, and graced us with the Charleston.
The A.P.E. Gallery was next. I had an idea that something was going on here, but had no idea that it would be this. This installation/performance art was put on by the Royal Frog Ballet. In addition to the people in period costume, there was also a real Victrola playing records (they had to wind it up every once and a while), and a projector playing old time movies (the ones where everyone looks like they’re moving really, really fast. There are just no words to describe how visually beautiful this was.
The night finally ended up with a soy hot cocoa from Haymarket, and listening to people sing kareoke at the WWII club. Because no night is complete without hearing some poor guy belt out Sweet Caroline at the top of his lungs. Good times never felt so good.
I’ve hinted at a new project that I’ve been working on for a few months a few times on this blog. It’s finally ready to be unveiled, and I am very excited to share it with you!
Beginning in March, for those of you in Western MA, I will be presenting a new workshop series called Born Creative. I believe that we are all born with a capacity for creativity, and by reconnecting with it, we can live happier and more productive lives.
Below is a description of the series, as well as all the details for any of you that might be interested.
Live a more joyful life. Have fun.
Build better relationships. Be a problem solver.
Become a better job candidate (yes, you heard right!).
Overview
It’s high time we redefined creativity. You don’t need be an artist, a musician, or writer to be creative. We were all born with the capacity to be creative. Let me say this another way. You are creative. And I can hear you saying, “No, I’m not.”
Creativity is all about coming up with new ideas. It’s about seeing, experiencing, and savoring the world around you. It is a way of life.
In this four week workshop series, we will uncover the simple
acts that creatively inclined people do everyday, and learn how to incorporate these acts into our own lives. Each class will include special exercises, projects, discussion, and of course, fun!
You won’t become an artist. You’ll simply change the way you see the world.
Schedule
Thursday, March 4 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Overcoming Obstacles to Creativity
In this class we redefine creativity, conquer old stories and beliefs, bust through creative roadblocks, learn to trust our ideas, and grow through play.
Thursday, March 11 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Developing Awareness
Learn valuable techniques to help you become
more mindful in your everyday life, and how paying
attention and being an active learner can increase your joy and creativity.
Thursday, March 18 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Gaining New Perspective
Begin to see different possibilities and points of view. Understand how looking at things from a new angle
can aid in generating new ideas and in building and maintaining relationships.
Thursday, March 25 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Creative Problemsolving
Creativity isn’t just for artists. Pick up new
brainstorming strategies to assist with challenges at
home, and in the workplace.
Pricing
Classes are available in a 4 week package for $100,
and can also be purchased individually for $25*.
All prices include materials.
Please call to reserve your space.
Limited seats are available.
*we recommend the package plan (like people, the classes work better together!)
