Design By Committee?

Here's a great blog of importance if you know what it's like to deal with difficult clients and art directors alike:

http://clientsfromhell.tumblr.com/

An excerpt:

I’ve decided that the amount you invoiced us for is far too much. Here’s my thinking: We are paying you to come up with an idea — we’re not paying you for the time you take to think about it. The actual idea must only take about 30 seconds to think about as you come up with it. All these visuals, that’s just typing. I can do that in Word. It would take me 5 minutes. So I only want to pay you for 5 and a half minutes work.

Uhhhh, ok…

Flying Pizza Kitty

New Year's Resolutions? Volunteer, Hon!

HELLO MY BMORE COLLABORATIVE FRIENDS
I just wanted to stop by and wish you all a Happy 2010, no matter your circumstances! Bills to pay, houses to clean, work piling up after the holiday, where do we find the time and patience to maintain our "self-improving" resolutions? (That is if we made any at all!)

Fear not friends, I made my personal list so far, but when the temps dip below 30 degrees as a daily high I can't help but wonder what the more unfortunate folks in this city are suffering through. Luckily, most of us have a roof over our heads, plenty of food in the fridge and, of course, a computer to blog on.

What's MY POINT?
Well, I checked out this site: www.volunteercentral.net and saw that they have a mulitude of opportunities to reach out to the community. (I myself, complain about this city and figured, hell, I have the time! I'm going to shut up and do something about it!)

THE ARTS
Volunteer within the arts, the list is quite diverse!

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND GREET
Mark your calendars! The Volunteer Café meets on Tuesday, February 9, 2009 @ 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in Harbor East at Teavolve Cafe & Lounge.

I hope to see you there! Remember, you have to "give it away to keep it"!

I Draw Pictures All Day

"If you were an engineer designing the turbine of a commercial airplane, would they interfere then, I wonder?"

The Oatmeal's amazing breakdown of how a design project can go wrong.

Best explanation of how designers feel when a client feels like they can trounce on your ideas with theirs because, well, you're just having fun, right?

oh! you pretty things…

Pretty scarf, brought to you by red prairie press.

She's crafty! She gets around.

Happy Holidays, everyone. Here we are, faced with BLACK FRIDAY sales placed strategically right after we gorged ourselves silly on food and drink (hopefully, let's give thanks) and now what? Stand in endless lines at Target, Kohls and Walmart.

NO! Let's get creative. Even if you don't have the time to hand craft your own special gifts for your special friends and family, have no fear...

The Charm City Craft Mafia is hosting an epic holiday shopping event at St. John's Church, 2640 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 on Saturday, December 5.

Doors open at 10 am and close at 5 pm.

"Shop handmade and have fun with over 40 amazing, local, crafty vendors showing off their astounding apparel, jewelry, accessories, ceramics, paper goods and so much more! Drinks and snacks will be available from Red Emma’s."

So, if you are artistically minded, enjoy crafts or just like poking around at markets and fairs at what's going on out there, here ya go...it's like etsy...but in your face!

You even get to meet the crafty people who make the wares they're selling. I hope to see you there! (No, I am not in the event but I'll be shopping there!)

I am not leaving the house

The Pen Story

Such a charming film.