| TASK |
design context blog to date and Identify 10 significant pieces of source material that you have found interesting, relevant to your own creative interests and worthy of further investigation. You may want to consider the following terms throughout this process:
texts etc.) and be supported by reasons why you have selected it. You should aim to represent your broader creative and contextual interests as well as key influences and current/historical events. |
| Research Sources / Further Information |
an opportunity to extend individual lines of enquiry and identify new material. |
| Mandatory Requirements / Deliverables |
Additional critical analysis and support material posted to your design context blog. Clearly articulated reasons as to why you have selected the material.
1. Printed on 110lb Crane Lettra, I am I fan of this embossed style. I found this at the very beginning of my context blog in the task where we had to find work we either love or hate.
2. The work of Adam Haynes, i guess this is another thing that I aspire to to & create. Business cards or simply cards that are this size- weather its for advertising or not.
3. "Laugh" 'People visiting the studio often comment on how much we laugh. Since I’ve become aware of this, I use it as a barometer of how comfortably we are expressing ourselves' - Bruce Mao
4. Secondary research I found from the three posters brief. Honesty is the best Policy. I like the simplicy and the look. Its not that ideal as its in spanish and not legible for me as I can't read spanish but I like how it has that letterpress feel to it. Nicely organised.  5. Matt Lyons- Massive fan of his work.  6.Andre Beato (Graphic Design)
Francis Bacon (Fine Art)
Van Goth (Fine Art)
Cecil Beaton ( Photography)
David Carson (Graphic Design)
Simon Costin (Sculpture)
Rothko (Fine Art)
Picasso (Fine Art)
The Stenberg Brothers (Graphic Design)
Matthew Lyons (Illustrator)
Keaton Henson (Illustration)
Henry Moore (Sculpture)
Tom Rowe (Illustration)
Ben Newman (Illustration)
Adam Kola (Photography) Ryan Stephens (Graphic Design/ Photography)
Nick White (Illustration)
Jon Boam (Illustration)
Richard Hogg (Illustration)
Mathias Haddal Hovert (Graphic Design)
Thomas Lien (Graphic Design)
Jim Dore (Graphic Design/ Type)
James T. Edmondson (Graphic Design/ Type)
Luke Lisi (Graphic Design/ Type)
Rob Hunter (Illustration)
Mikkel Sommer (Illustration)
Nadar (Fine Art/ Photography)
Ryan Gillett (Illustration) Dan Stirling (Fine Art/ Illustration)
A SELECTION OF GREAT DESIGNERS WHO INSPIRE ME
7. 'Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet' Roger Muller
8. Doug Hindson. My old friend from college. Love the cut out then photograph idea. works well and is different.
 9. '...This would most properly have to be Brighton. I spent a year there and met people who are today my best friends. I have great intention to move back there in the future.' ...this is something I mean and will believe for many years to come I am sure. 10. LETTER PRESS- I have never done this but I am so in love with the idea of being able to letterpress. Its what I want to do. |
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Theory Into Practice// Preparatory Task
Monday 20 February 2012
The Poster Brief// Research
'It always rains in your country. Make a poster for visitors to the UK explaining why so much rain is attractive. Don't be sarcastic. After all, rain can be romantic, useful and beautiful' - Eric Kessels
To start I am going to look into famous quotes about rain- I feel that quotes are a very strong and useful way of getting ideas, and considering that these quotes are about being optimistic and positive about rain they will defiantly prove to be useful.
Quotes
'And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow' Gilbert K. Chesterton
'Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain' Unknown Author
'Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines' Satchel Paige
'A rose must remain with the sun and the rain or its lovely promise won't come true' Ray Evans
'In London, the weather would affect me negatively. I react strongly to light. If it is cloudy and raining, there are clouds and rain in my soul'
Jerzy Kosinski
'Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life'John Updike
'Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather'John Ruskin
'Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet'
Roger Miller
Sarah Winter
Sarah is a designer based in the UK and I found this on google but it linked me to her website. I decided to blog this as research because its a poster that makes light of rain and instead of making is a negative issue which a lot of people do when it comes to rain it suggests happiness. I think its almost suggesting that in life sometimes you have to put up with the bad to find the good? I'm not to sure but this poster is very optimistic. And thats what I like about it. I don't like the colour too much. The black and white I would say should be replaced with the colours of the rainbow?
Sarah Winter : www.etsy.com/SarahWinter
Nicolas Fuhr
These are very nice designs. I like the first example I found. The colour is what interests me the most and thats what Sarah's designs are missing. I want to use Nick's designs as reference and go along with a similar idea but by adding text I will be able to make the poster mean so much more and in a result of that will be able to make it fit the brief. Looking through his website he has a lot of positive work and I wish I knew of him earlier! So much of his work could have helped me with old designs from previous modules.
Nicolas Fuhr : cargocollective.com/nicolasfuhr
Themes Banks
I found this on a not very successful blog with lots of random desgin and therefore I couldn't find the designer responsible for this design. However the design suggests that a there is a bad side to rain but also a good side. The bad side is on the left and is grey and dull, but the right side has colour and growth, wildlife. The design is suggesting that without rain, there is no colour. Which is true, you think of a desert or a country of very hot climates where rainfall is limited and they are really dull. The poster has a good point.
Facts About Rain
1. The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the hot sun.
2. Rain drops can fall at speeds of about 22 miles an hour.
3. Rain starts off as ice or snow crystals at cloud level.
4. Light rain is classified as being no more then 0.10 inchese of rain an hour.
5. Heavy rain is classified as being more then 0.30 inches of rain an hour.
6. Louisiana is the wettest state in the U.S, which receoved an annual rainfall of 56 inches.
7. Rain drops range in size from 0.02 inches to about .031 inches.
8. Rain drops do not fall in a tear drop shape, they originally fall in the shave of a flat oval.
9. Rain that freezes before it hits the ground is known as frozen rain.
10. Rain is recycled water that evaporated from our worlds lakes, rivers, oceans, seas etc.
Doug Hindson
Doug Hindson is a friend of mine and we studied together at Brighton last year during my foundation. This was a new idea of mine- Like he has done in this poster here. You might not see it but this is all 3D and made out of card only. It fantastic, at first I thought it was just a normal drawing like he usually does. My poster won't be 3D- or well I mean the actual card 'sculpture' won't be. It will be coloured card glued on to A2 card then photographed.
Doug Hindson Website : http://doughindson.com/Mountain-Man
Ella Georgia
'Whatever
we do with our lives, be it raising children, forging a career (or both!) we
all need a little inspiration from time to time. Perhaps this is when the
spirit is flagging, the day does not have enough hours in it, or we’re unsure
which way to turn regarding an important decision. Here are some of the pearls
of wisdom that have guided and motivated me in both my personal and business
life. I hope you enjoy them and that they will inspire you too! Divine
Inspiration.
I
really warmed to Freya
when I first met her and I just loved her work – wonderful words of sentiment
and beautiful illustration. They just had to be a part of our new
collection.
Fréya
enjoys traveling around the world and drawing inspiration from wherever she
visits. Her work is one of purity of vision with a forever optimistic view of
the world. Her quirky and thought provoking greetings cards and prints
are much loved and sought after and held in many public and private collections
around the world.
She began her working life as an Art Director for Republic
Advertising, but left to start her exploration of the world and along the way
began to think about a different career. Illustration seemed a lovely logical
option and she was delighted to discover that people enjoyed her creations as
much as she enjoyed creating them.
Fréya divides her time between London, where
she is based and her little beachside studio in Phillip Island, Australia....'
I like how she referees to children here because these illustrations have a sort of child like style to them which makes them friendly and fun- I have bought all of the card and am about to start making the poster- I am firstly going to do a quick design sheet and see how that goes- just for more information- I am tempted to make the type with card but I also want to photograph the final outcome and then put it onto photoshop. We will see.
Ella Georgia: ellageorgia.com
NoBrow
I have been a fan of NoBrow for a while now and their work is what I consider to be some of the best illustration around. From the work I have so far blogged about you can obviously tell that I am looking for a typical illustrator look and I think thats what will make my posters work.
'Nobrow started in the winter of 2008 with the aim to provide an independent platform for graphic art, Illustration and art comics in the UK and abroad, to become a leading proponent of quality in book design and a standard bearer for original creative content in print publishing.
Given that the company started both in the midst of the financial crisis (Nov 2008) and in the supposed ‘dying days of print’, our books had to be somehow different. It wouldn’t be enough to champion new artists and content alone, the books themselves had to stand out, to ‘deserve to be printed’'
NoBrow: www.nobrow.net
Head Of State
The Head of State is a truly inspirational company and I have taken a liking to their work. The company consists of two men who have been working together since 2002 'Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers have been working together in one form or another since 2002. After graduating Tyler School of Art’s militant design program, Kernevich and Summers began making silkscreen posters for Philadelphia’s independent music scene. The graphic and conceptual simplicity of their collaborations made an immediate impact on the burgeoning poster revival in North America. Local clients and small projects paved the way to international acclaim and assignments from the likes of R.E.M., Wilco, and The New York Times. They now run a full-service design and illustration operation, applying their graphic elegance and visual wit to a wide range of clients and projects. They’ve won awards from Communication Arts, American Illustration, Print Magazine, Graphis, and the Society of Illustrators' - theheadsofstate//studio
I love the simplicity of shape and colour of the examples above- This is something I very much want to carry out in my work. Because I will be using card I doubt I will be able to get a similar look but its always worth trying to see what happens
Head of State : http://theheadsofstate.com/
Tuesday 7 February 2012
John Fogerty poster by Aaron Greufe
Another letter press. I simply love this poster. I am fascinated by it! Again I look so forward to my induction with Letter Pressing. The typeface used for the 'John Fogerty' looks quite western to me and the colours used for the dates and time etc have the colour of sand. As someone who hasn't looked in to who John Fogerty is I would say that he is a western performer in the music industry? I also am fond of the rectangular and square blocks that separate the text. They remind me of spunge on paper with paint. The information part has this very sketchy look. Some of the letters are lower case and some are higher case. I'm not one to say but this seems unconventional for letter pressing but it works extremely well.
Monday 6 February 2012
Photoshop Brief// Reference
Rock that Horse.com
He was what they explain to be 'promotional mailing: a collection of postcards, assembled in a transparent envelop'. After looking on the internet for a good bit of reference I came across a website called Rock that Horse. The website is more of a blog with a shop and a list of interesting categories which makes looking for what you are after very easy. The website I think was founded in either germany or somewhere near there. A large amount of text in what looks like to be German or Dutch.
I chose these first examples mainly because of the de-saturated blocks of colour that run down in a three. This very much suits my look. This is what gave me the idea do play with de-saturated colour. It can change the mood of a photo of picture. From having just black and white images I could add a green filter with ease.
More Rock that Horse >>
'...winter time postcard set: polarbear, penguin and wolf have got company by a cubic Xmas-tree. Have look and of course: don’t forget to place your order, if you like them…'
Just underneath the examples I found above I bumped into these. Now these didn't help me half as much as the other ones did I was interested in the shapes and patterns that occupy the cubes. I like how even though this postcard obviously isn't a postcard, you can tell thats what the cubes main role is. The squares are made up in this pyramid formation and instantly from reading the text you put one and two together and it makes perfect sense. For both designs I couldn't come across any designers so began looking for companies or designers who have a strong connection with the blog.So far I can't find anything- but I did manage to find the script typefaces on the first postcard examples and its called Radio (FM).
Well! Quite obviously I should be doing the most logical thing and going to the main page and clicking 'about' to find what I am looking for next time: '...I am a graphic designer, based in Amsterdam. I am married to beardman and the mum of a little girl called Kira. We also have a red cat = Whisky. This blog is about design and creativity, my (family) life in Amsterdam and the things that surround and interest me – and hopefully you, too.Enjoy, comment & come back! Love from Amsterdam...' http://www.rockthathorse.com/about-me
For Postcards // rockthathorse.com/postcard
Website Homepage // rockthathorse.com
Behance.com
Mauro Matos
I have only just come across this work of Mauro I am very interested in it, espacially this example above and the red triangle on top of the grey clouds. This work its just like the work I ended up producing as this ended up being my main inspiration. His work is fantastic I love it. Its so simple yet effective. Most of his work is on this square canvas which I quite admire as it seem unconventional not to work on either a landscape or portrait canvas. I often think his work is just ideal for an album cover.
I had go on a online translator to find out what he says about himself
'...Mauro Matos(1986), Portuguese Designer, Licensed in Esad Caldas da Rainha. Currently work in the areas of Graphic Design and Illustration as a freelancer. I define myself as a designer without own style but it is in search of the same. I am inspired by everything that i see in my day to day, always having some general guidelines that I follow: collage, drawing, vintage. I try to explore the various forms and techniques, but always try to keep the fundamental, the "good taste".
Original Source BEHANCE // behance.net/Msced-January
I find it strange how there I am thinking this designer is well known but doesn't even have her own website and only 39 or so page views on her Behance profile. Mayara Viana is a young designer from Brazil and her work is manly collage on top of photos or the other way around. I found this design and I liked the desaturated photograph and background against the two circles that are full of colour and life. In some ways I like the fact she has signed this piece. When I look at it I think its meant to be there as part of the design when in actual fact its there to make it official that is is indeed hers.
Original Source BEHANCE // www.behance.net/uandi
Designer Website Homepage // www.behance.net/mayaviana
Mat Miller
'...Hi, my name is Pavel Chistyakov. I work in the visual communication industry specializing in web, graph art and photography work. I concentrate on 3d and 2d visualisation+animation, design and conceptual art work. It's nice when given the chance of doing some concept design or project art direction, I'm passionate about creating a product. I pursue quality work trying to keep a high level throughout the work process...' - chistyakov
I stumbled across this work by accident but I think its wonderful. It looks as if Pavel has used a light behind different shapes to create these lightboxes. I can't be too sure how he has done this but looking at the bottom example it looks like he has done what I have said. This has strong relevance to the postcards I am working on. I really like how these are real photographs and they haven't been photoshopped. Those are real shapes in these images.
MINGA
'...We are a laboratory of ideas. A design and creativity company based in Argentina, bringing together a multidiciplinary team under the premise of offering inventive efficient and immediate solutions...'
I am deeply interested in the top image, the triangles work so well. The colour is some what dull and then you have this sharp yellow triangle at the top. These designs are from a sequence called 'The Triangle Experiment' by Minga. Unfortunately I couldn't find any designs behind these but like in the quote above it says that Minga is a company with a team. So possible there is just a main team who work together on one project or at a time.
Website Homepage// PROJECTS- www.estudiominga.com
Designer Website Homepage // www.behance.net/mayaviana
Mat Miller
'...Freelance illustrator and designer from the UK working in the realms of vector illustration, photo montage/manipulation and mixed media. My work is influenced by contemporary graffiti and lowbrow art along with many things from the natural world. I'm always on the look out for highly creative projects and new people to work with...'
'...From the English countryside just North West of London in the Leafy county of Buckinghamshire, Mat Miller can be found in the undergrowth taking pictures of anything that is pleasing to his eye. Mat has been working hard on his own breed of illustrative art, this earned him a spot in the Digital Arts magazine feature ‘Best young UK Illustrators 2009’.
Mat describes his creative style as an offbeat mix of natural subject matter integrating tribal and biomechanical styling, brought together through a fluid or flowing finish and composition. He likes to keep things odd, vibrant and ethereal at the same time. http://be.net/matmiller...'- http://www.wrappz.com/imagesource/artists/mat-miller/175
Mat describes his creative style as an offbeat mix of natural subject matter integrating tribal and biomechanical styling, brought together through a fluid or flowing finish and composition. He likes to keep things odd, vibrant and ethereal at the same time. http://be.net/matmiller...'- http://www.wrappz.com/imagesource/artists/mat-miller/175
I looked into Mats work and could find lots of information from himself and other people. Follow the link above to look at more of his work which is actually a lot different compared to this example above. This design is again relevant to my ideas in terms of shape and image.
Original Source BEHANCE // www.behance.net/Shimmer
Designer Website Homepage // http://www.behance.net/matmiller
Erik Soderberg
Obviously has a lot to say about his work looking his about me on his website, And actually from looking through his website there is a lot of it. He seems to me to be a very dedicated and hands on designer who is involved in a wide range of media and design. The work above that I found on his website made we begin to think about the possibility of shaped on my phoographs. Here he has made a 2d image appear 3d and more lively. I am interested in the first example above out of the lot even though there isn't and representations there. It still would look incredible over a photograph.
Designer Website Homepage // eriksoderberg.se/
PAVEL CHISTYAKOV
I stumbled across this work by accident but I think its wonderful. It looks as if Pavel has used a light behind different shapes to create these lightboxes. I can't be too sure how he has done this but looking at the bottom example it looks like he has done what I have said. This has strong relevance to the postcards I am working on. I really like how these are real photographs and they haven't been photoshopped. Those are real shapes in these images.
MINGA
'...We are a laboratory of ideas. A design and creativity company based in Argentina, bringing together a multidiciplinary team under the premise of offering inventive efficient and immediate solutions...'
I am deeply interested in the top image, the triangles work so well. The colour is some what dull and then you have this sharp yellow triangle at the top. These designs are from a sequence called 'The Triangle Experiment' by Minga. Unfortunately I couldn't find any designs behind these but like in the quote above it says that Minga is a company with a team. So possible there is just a main team who work together on one project or at a time.
Website Homepage// PROJECTS- www.estudiominga.com
Thursday 2 February 2012
Manifestos
Manifesto is derived from the Italian word manifesto, itself derived from the Latin manifestum, meaning clear or conspicuous. Its first recorded use in English is from 1620, in Nathaniel Brent's translation of Paolo Sarpi's History of the Council of Trent: "To this citation he made answer by a Manifesto" (p. 102). Similarly, "They were so farre surprised with his Manifesto, that they would never suffer it to be published" (p. 103) - wikipedia/Manifesto
1. The Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Via Gretchen Rubin, we discovered this manifesto from architect Frank Lloyd Wright, written as a series of “fellowship assets” meant to guide the apprentices who worked with him at his school, Taliesin. I particularly love number 10, the idea that working with others should come naturally.
1. An honest ego in a healthy body.
2. The Marketer: Seth Godin
The always insightful Seth Godin shared his “Unforgivable Manifesto” with artist Hugh MacLeod a few years ago. His observation about the short-run vs the long-run in point 5 is particularly incisive, as is the notion that we’re all marketers in point 7 – it's just that some of us don’t own it.1. The greatest innovations appear to come from those that are self-reliant. Individuals who go right to the edge and do something worth talking about. Not solo, of course, but as instigators of a team. In two words: don’t settle.2. The greatest marketers do two things: they treat customers with respect and they measure.3. The greatest salespeople understand that people resist change and that ‘no’ is the single easiest way to do that.4. The greatest bloggers blog for their readers, not for themselves.5. There really isn’t much a of ‘short run’. It quickly becomes yesterday. The long run, on the other hand, sticks around for quite a while.6. The internet doesn’t forget. And sooner or later, the internet finds out.7. Everyone is a marketer, even people and organizations that don’t market. They’re just marketers who are doing it poorly.8. Amazing organizations and people receive rewards that more than make up for the effort required to be that good.9. There is no number 9.10. Mass taste is rarely good taste.
3. The Designer: John Maeda
RISD president John Maeda’s slim book, The Laws of Simplicity, is one of my all-time favorites, with broad-reaching insights that apply as easily to arranging your living room as to designing a visionary product. In 100 pages, Maeda elaborates on 10 laws for business, design, and life:
1. Reduce: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
4. The Writer: Leo Tolstoy
While they betray a bit of the self-hating introvert, Tolstoy’s “rules for life,” originally written when he was 18 years old, do contain some useful gems. In particular, the notion of managing your energy and prioritizing based on goals (no. 5), and of managing your finances wisely by always keeping a low overhead (no. 9 & 10).
1. Get up early (five o'clock).
5. The Company: Apple
When Steve Jobs went on medical leave in 2009 and financial analysts were making dire predictions, Apple COO Tim Cook boiled the company’s culture down to what was essentially an 8-point manifesto. I love that saying no is one of the key points. It's so hard!
What’s Your Manifesto?
.......................................................................................................
The Chap Manifesto
1. THOU SHALT ALWAYS WEAR TWEED. No other fabric says so defiantly: I am a man of panache, savoir-faire and devil-may-care, and I will not be served Continental lager beer under any circumstances.
2. THOU SHALT NEVER NOT SMOKE. Health and Safety "executives" and jobsworth medical practitioners keep trying to convince us that smoking is bad for the lungs/heart/skin/eyebrows, but we all know that smoking a bent apple billiard full of rich Cavendish tobacco raises one's general sense of well-being to levels unimaginable by the aforementioned spoilsports.
3 THOU SHALT ALWAYS BE COURTEOUS TO THE LADIES. A gentleman is never truly seated on an omnibus or railway carriage: he is merely keeping the seat warm for when a lady might need it. Those who take offence at being offered a seat are not really Ladies.
4. THOU SHALT NEVER, EVER, WEAR PANTALOONS DE NIMES. When you have progressed beyond fondling girls in the back seats of cinemas, you can stop wearing jeans. Wear fabrics appropriate to your age, and, who knows, you might even get a quick fumble in your box at the opera.
5. THOU SHALT ALWAYS DOFF ONE'S HAT. Alright, so you own a couple of trilbies. Good for you - but it's hardly going to change the world. Once you start actually lifting them off your head when greeting, departing or simply saluting passers-by, then the revolution will really begin.
6. THOU SHALT NEVER FASTEN THE LOWEST BUTTON ON THY WESKIT. Look, we don't make the rules, we simply try to keep them going. This one dates back to Edward VII, sufficient reason in itself to observe it.
7. THOU SHALT ALWAYS SPEAK PROPERLY. It's quite simple really. Instead of saying "Yo, wassup?", say "How do you do?"
8. THOU SHALT NEVER WEAR PLIMSOLLS WHEN NOT DOING SPORT. Nor even when doing sport. Which you shouldn't be doing anyway. Except cricket.
9 THOU SHALT ALWAYS WORSHIP AT THE TROUSER PRESS. At the end of each day, your trousers should be placed in one of Mr. Corby's magical contraptions, and by the next morning your creases will be so sharp that they will start a riot on the high street.
10. THOU SHALT ALWAYS CULTIVATE INTERESTING FACIAL HAIR. By interesting we mean moustaches, not beards.
Five Manifestos for the Creative Life.
Some days everyone needs a little extra encouragement. The words or lines or colors don’t want to come, or worse, we don’t even want to sit down to create. That’s when we turn to these inspiring manifestos, any one of which is guaranteed to give our uncooperative creativity a sharp kick in the pants. Here are five of our favorite contemporary manifestos that nudge ideas out of your head and into the hands of the world.
How a numbered list can start a personal revolution.
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“You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself.”
..........................................................................................
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Edgar Guest
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But, he with a chuckle repliedThat “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be oneWho wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.He started to sing as he tackled the thingThat couldn’t be done, and he did it.
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one has done it”;But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,He started to sing as he tackled the thingThat couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;There are thousands to point out to you one by one,The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;Just start to sing as you tackle the thingThat “couldn’t be done,” and you’ll do it.- Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.
- Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things. Article here.
- Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.
- Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest. Read more.
- Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
- Learn to say no. This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives. If you can’t say no, you will take on too much. Article here.
- Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.
- Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. Try a media fast.
- Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you don’t want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. Here’s my guide on decluttering. Here’s a post on starting small. More on purging below.
- Get rid of the big items. There’s tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, you’ll simplify your life quickly and in a big way. Read more.
- Edit your rooms. One room at a time, go around the room and eliminate the unnecessary. Act as a newspaper editor, trying to leave only the minimum, and deleting everything else. Article here.
- Edit closets and drawers. Once you’ve gone through the main parts of your rooms, tackle the closets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. More here.
- Simplify your wardrobe. Is your closet bursting full? Are your drawers so stuffed they can’t close (I’m talking about dresser drawers here, not underwear). Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you don’t actually wear. Try creating a minimal wardrobe by focusing on simple styles and a few solid colors that all match each other. Read more.
- Simplify your computing life. If you have trouble with too many files and too much disorganization, consider online computing. It can simplify things greatly. Read more.
- Declutter your digital packrattery. If you are a digital packrat, and cannot seem to control your digital clutter, there is still hope for you. Read this guide to curing yourself of this clutter.
- Create a simplicity statement. What do you want your simple life to look like? Write it out. More here.
- Limit your buying habits. If you are a slave to materialism and consumerism, there are ways to escape it. I was there, and although I haven’t escaped these things entirely, I feel much freer of it all. If you can escape materialism, you can get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less freneticism. Read more.
- Free up time. Find ways to free up time for the important stuff. That means eliminating the stuff you don’t like, cutting back on time wasters, and making room for what you want to do.
- Do what you love. Once you’ve freed up some time, be sure to spend that extra time doing things you love. Go back to your list of 4-5 important things. Do those, and nothing else. Read more.
- Spend time with people you love. Again, the list of 4-5 important things probably contains some of the people you love (if not, you may want to re-evaluate). Whether those people are a spouse, a partner, children, parents, other family, best friends, or whoever, find time to do things with them, talk to them, be intimate with them (not necessarily in sexual ways).
- Spend time alone. See this list of ways to free up time for yourself — to spend in solitude. Alone time is good for you, although some people aren’t comfortable with it. It could take practice getting used to the quiet, and making room for your inner voice. It sounds new-agey, I know, but it’s extremely calming. And this quiet is necessary for finding out what’s important to you.
- Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more. Read more.
- Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. Give it a try. Read more.
- Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity. Read tips on how to do it.
- Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and written. Then stick to it. Here’s more. Another good article here.
- Create a simple mail & paperwork system. If you don’t have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order. Here’s how.
- Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst. Read more.
- Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away. Read more.
- Establish routines. The key to keeping your life simple is to create simple routines. A great article on that here.
- Keep your email inbox empty. Is your email inbox overflowing with new and read messages? Do the messages just keep piling up? If so, you’re normal — but you could be more efficient and your email life could be simplified with a few simple steps. Read more.
- Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity. Here are 50 tips on how to live frugally.
- Make your house minimalist. A minimalist house has what is necessary, and not much else. It’s also extremely peaceful (not to mention easy to clean). More here.
- Find other ways to be minimalist. There are tons. You can find ways to be minimalist in every area of your life. Here are a few I do, to spur your own ideas.
- Consider a smaller home. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don’t need so much space. I’m not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life. Read about downsizing your home here.
- Consider a smaller car. This is a big move, but if you have a large car or SUV, you may not really need something that big. It’s more expensive, uses more gas, harder to maintain, harder to park. Simplify your life with less car. You don’t need to go tiny, especially if you have a family, but try to find as small a car as can fit you or your family comfortably. Maybe not something you’re going to do today, but something to think about over the long term.
- Learn what “enough” is. Our materialistic society today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight. Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes. More stuff. But when will you have enough? Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle. Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough. And then stop when you get there.
- Create a simple weekly dinner menu. If figuring out what’s for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a week’s worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know what’s for dinner each night, and you have all the ingredients necessary. No need for difficult recipes — find ones that can be done in 10-15 minutes (or less).
- Eat healthy. It might not be obvious how eating healthy relates to simplicity, but think about the opposite: if you eat fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, fried foods all the time, you are sure to have higher medical needs over the long term. We could be talking years from now, but imagine frequent doctor visits, hospitalization, going to the pharmacist, getting therapy, having surgery, taking insulin shots … you get the idea. Being unhealthy is complicated. Eating healthy simplifies all of that greatly, over the long term. Read about how to simplify your eating habits.
- Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. It’s great. Here’s how to create the exercise habit.
- Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, that’s not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If you declutter enough, you won’t need to organize at all.
- Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but it’s the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. Read more here.
- Find inner simplicity. I’m not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time spent in nature. However you do it, working on your inner self is worth the time.
- Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress — no matter how much you simplify your life, you’ll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress. Here are some ideas.
- Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, safety inspections, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.
- Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether that’s writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for self-expression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work you’re eliminating from your life.
- Simplify your goals. Instead of having half a dozen goals or more, simplify it to one goal. Not only will this make you less stressed, it will make you more successful. You’ll be able to focus on that One Goal, and give it all of your energy. That gives you much better chances for success.
- Single-task. Multi-tasking is more complicated, more stressful, and generally less productive. Instead, do one task at a time.
- Simplify your filing system. Stacking a bunch of papers just doesn’t work. But a filing system doesn’t have to be complicated to be useful. Create a simple system.
- Develop equanimity. If every little thing that happens to you sends you into anger or stress, your life might never be simple. Learn to detach yourself, and be more at peace. Read more.
- Reduce your consumption of advertising. Advertising makes us want things. That’s what it’s designed to do, and it works. Find ways to reduce your exposure of advertising, whether that’s in print, online, broadcast, or elsewhere. You’ll want much less.
- Live life more deliberately. Do every task slowly, with ease, paying full attention to what you’re doing. For more, see Peaceful Simplicity: How to Live a Life of Contentment.
- Make a Most Important Tasks (MITs) list each day. Set just 3 very important things you want to accomplish each day. Don’t start with a long list of things you probably won’t get done by the end of the day. A simple list of 3 things, ones that would make you feel like you accomplished something. See this articlefor more.
- Create morning and evening routines. A great way to simplify your life is to create routines at the start and end of your day. Read more on morning routines and evening routines.
- Create a morning writing ritual. If you enjoy writing, like I do, make it a peaceful, productive ritual. Article here.
- Learn to do nothing. Doing nothing can be an art form, and it should be a part of every life. Read the Art of Doing Nothing.
- Read Walden, by Thoreau. The quintessential text on simplifying. Available on Wikisources for free.
- Go for quality, not quantity. Try not to have a ton of stuff in your life … instead, have just a few possessions, but ones that you really love, and that will last for a long time.
- Read Simplify Your Life, by Elaine St. James. One of my favorite all-time authors on simplicity. Read my review here.
- Fill your day with simple pleasures. Make a list of your favorite simple pleasures, and sprinkle them throughout your day.List here.
- Simplify your RSS feeds. If you’ve got dozens of feeds, or more than a hundred (as I once did), you probably have a lot of stress in trying to keep up with them all. Simplify your feed reading. See How to Drop an RSS Feed Like a Bad Habit.
- But subscribe to Unclutterer. Probably the best blog on simplifying your stuff and routines (along with Zen Habits, of course!).
- Create an easy-to-maintain yard. If you spend too much time on your yard, here are some good tips.
- Carry less stuff. Are your pockets bulging. Consider carrying only the essentials. Some thoughts on that here.
- Simplify your online life. If you have too much going on online, here are a few ways to simplify it all. Article here.
- Strive to automate your income. This isn’t the easiest task, but it can (and has) been done. I’ve been working towards it myself. Article here.
- Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated. Read more here.
- Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning expert here.
- Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? Here’s an article on using just one carry-on.
- Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Done is all you need. Everything else is icing.
- Leave space around things in your day. Whether they’re appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.
- Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life.
- Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider
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