Alright. As the title of the post declares, it's time to get this show on the road, get the ball rolling, or whatever other cliched terms you might feel like including. But it's true. It's on. Maybe I was just experiencing a mid-year crisis (Is that real? Sure.) or maybe I was enjoying my fancy new cable TV a little too much and was just plain lazy (It's the cable TV. No doubt). As we all know, though, laziness won't get you anywhere. Moping around in pool of self-doubt won't either. So I'm once again focused on the prize, and everything that includes. 2013 still isn't over. Good things are still yet to come. And the only way that will happen is if I keep fighting for it. Goodness knows I can be a stubborn person, and I think if that stubbornness is channeled into Ruby July, it can only be a good thing. I have my new list of goals and plans, and even if I'm checking things off that list slowly, slow progress is still progress. Even a single hour or half-hour of focus every day is progress. I'm still on the hunt for my next new challenge, whether that be screen-printing, freelance design, or an entirely new career. I have no idea where the future will take me, and I'm trying to enjoy the ride as much as I can, and stay relaxed and focused. One step at a time, right? I am positive of one thing, though. The best is yet to come. :)
It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I'm going to work through some things I've been thinking about here. It's amazing how much your own mind can try to destroy you if you let it. Even with whatever life throws at you, if you sit there and constantly think about it and wonder how things could be different, you're making the problem worse. It's easy to get caught up in this wonderful misery spiral, and it's easy to lose focus on the things that are important. Regardless of what is holding you back from reaching your destiny, or your happiness, or your whatever, it can be really hard to keep going sometimes. You start doubting everything: choices you've made, choices you haven't, where you're going, why you aren't there yet... you know the drill. And it can be really, really hard. Once again, I've been doubting my decision to move to Minnesota. It happens from time to time, and I get into a weird funk for a few weeks and then move on and get caught up in routines again. I know I want to do design, and I can see myself doing it in the future. But getting to that point can be a bit tough, and it's hard to stay positive throughout the whole process. Money's tight, it's hard to find work... there's a lot of negative thoughts that currently swirl around inside my head. Self-doubting leads to self-destruction. It's that simple. We are our own worst enemies, and that thought alone helps me a little bit. Even if I sometimes feel like I'm going nowhere with my life, I remind myself that everything I've done is another step to get me to where I need to be. Every little thing. I have a good support system of friends and family, who help inject a bit of positivity into me when I need it the most. I'm a firm believer of everything happening for a reason. This isn't to say that we're just living through some predetermined path by whatever higher powers may exist. I just like to think that if you're able to learn from the tough times, and gain even a tiny bit of insight from it, it has served a purpose. You muddle through, and come out stronger and more determined on the other end. Now I just have to readjust my plans, once again, and keep muddling through for the time being. Things don't always work out the way you intend, and I've learned to be flexible with whatever life throws at me. The Pinterest Find of the Week posts will probably have to be on hold for a bit, as I refocus and try to get a bit of freelance work coming my way. We'll see how that goes, but I'll be sure to keep you all in the loop as any news comes my way. This is all part of the journey, and I'm keeping my head up. :)
Alright, guys. As has been the routine lately, this week's Pinterest Find of the Week is a tad behind schedule. Things have been pretty busy at my day job, and I'm simply exhausted by the time I get home. I know, I know- excuses, excuses. Anyway, let's get this thing rolling! This week, I chose to feature Mary Kate McDevitt, who is an illustrator currently located in Portland, Oregon. She also just so happens to be phenomenally talented at hand-lettering. I've come across some of her designs a few times now, and I can't remember when I had actually seen any of her work first. Here's the initial pin that I found this week, which is a logo for a vintage clothing and accessory boutique:
I love this design. Love it. I love the dream-like quality of the lettering, and the swirls and curves they produce. I think it fits well with the idea of Wanderlust, by itself, and I think that's pretty cool. It helps move your eye around the logo, and the whole design just gives you a good feeling as it's very pleasing to look at. I also really enjoy the choice of colors. Just a simple mint and salmon (salmon? sure!) working together to create that vintage, retro appeal. I've been on a huge mint kick lately, and I really like seeing it used in different places. I looked around Mary Kate's website, which is also beautifully designed by the way, and discovered she had designed the cover for this book:
I have this book on my Amazon wishlist! Mary Kate designed the cover! How cool is that?! When I started researching ideas for Ruby July, I looked at a bunch of different books supporting various techniques, and this one honestly caught my attention right away. It absolutely made me want to learn more about hand-lettering and to try to study and execute it for myself. I like the appeal of pen-on-paper designing, as I think it takes you back to classic age of design and advertising. Everything was created and drawn by hand, and nothing was computer generated. I really like this approach to design, and I do plan to challenge myself with a few projects utilizing only a pen and paper in the future. For one final image for this post, I looked around Mary Kate's site a bit more, and discovered that she does illustrations as well.
This particular image was used for holiday cards, which she sent out to family, friends, and any internet strangers who requested one. That's pretty cool. I wish I had known then, because I'd totally (hopefully!) have one of these guys hanging on my fridge now! Mary Kate has built up a beautiful portfolio of work in just a few years, and she gives me a lot of hope for my future in design, whatever that may be. I think once you can figure out what you're good at, you do it and you do it well. Mary Kate does hand-lettering and illustration very, very well. Check out her website here, and hopefully you'll be as inspired by her work as I am!