This animated Batman cover by Kerry Callen is electrifying and incredible. And the good thing is there’s a lot more where this came from. Just go to Kerry’s blog to see more of this incredible Photoshop work that ultimately gave life to a comic cover, and even put a small part of the character’s story into perspective. Now there’s a few comic covers that have a little more action than was originally intended. Amazing!
– found from a DesignTaxi post
David Hoffman spoke at Ted2008, 9 days after he lost everything in a fire. It’s painful when you lose something precious, but what do you do when you lose all of your precious things all at once? That David could stand up on that stage and share his loss for just a few minutes is an act of remarkable courage. Most of us wouldn’t be able to take the additional pressure of public speaking on top of losing your entire life story. But he did. And then he moved forward to restart his life because he had what he cherished the most: his family. He moved forward for them.
As a collector, I can understand his pain. If I had to lose anything from my collection, I would be heartbroken. I collect things I love and keep them because they have become a part of me. Getting me to relinquish anything is difficult enough, and takes a large amount of thought and reflection. When I do let something go, it’s because it’s needed somewhere else. But most will be with me for life, because my soul needs them. I never get tired of revisiting them. And I appreciate the love that went into each and every one of them.
What would we do if we’re confronted with such a catastrophe? The closest I came was during the CA fire season many years back when the hills of Temecula caught on fire during that scorching summer. We were told to evacuate, and confronted with the ultimate decision: What do you take? What’s the most important thing? How do you decide? What’s going to happen if it all goes up into flames? You appreciate what you have when you’re confronted with its potential loss. Sure, people say that everything’s good because you and your loved ones are alive. But what about the memories? They’re just as potent. Their loss will be felt just as powerfully. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with these feelings.
Our history helps mold who we are. It’s a part of our future because it starts the foundation. So, it’s a pretty good time to take stock of everything that’s in your life and place their appropriate importance to you. It’s not superficial, because it’s an important part of you. Life comes in all shapes and sizes, living or immortalized in form. So cherish them all. We should appreciate everything that we have. The future is not predictable.
And getting back to David’s story:
You all know how much I love Zealous.co as a great source for inspiration. And their new site release is most definitely a great one! Guy and his team does some amazing work. Well, needless to say, they offered up another video masterpiece, The German, by Nick Ryan. The German is a short film centered on two pilots at war. It’s a great lesson to learn of how we can become tunnel-visioned in our pursuits and lose sight of what’s really important. The story is a powerful one with a bit of a twist to the usual plot.
According to Nick’s vimeo page, this film was funded by the Irish Film Board‘s project “Short Cuts”. His film was one of 5 which were selected for their 2007 scheme, which unfortunately was the last year of the project. But IFB’s work continues on as evidenced by the list of films in production right now. It’s great to see an organization helping creative newcomers in their country get their visions into the public arena. It’s clear that we need many more organizations worldwide that will help our creative force take center stage as they should, and help make this world more beautiful with such thoughtful lessons like The German and so many others.
Great job, Guy and Zealous Co. for bringing this one to our attention!
I saw this video on Good, and thought about the message that I saw behind it. When I was younger, I loved to do crazy impulsive things that made me feel alive. No, they were never life-threatening (at least I never thought so), but they took me out of my comfort zone and taught me new and different lessons. That familiar comfort zone is warm and cozy, but it can also be limiting. Once you’re comfortable, it takes a lot to move you. And that is a place that I no longer want to be. This decision is changing how I live my life, and what I choose as important. Some things will always be important, like friends and family. But some things that I felt passionate about have usually taken a back seat in my life’s agenda. No more.
The hardest thing that I’ve done was leave the world that I know behind to pursue those things that have been on the back burner. It’s caused a huge shift in how I perceive work and its associative relationships. I can’t pretend that everything will be alright anymore, because my eyes are opened and unfiltered. Sure, it causes me to be more pessimistic at times, but that is in the short term. Looking long-term, all I see are the possibilities and what I need to do with them. Am I happy with where I’m at right at this moment? No. Frankly, I’m completely out of my comfort zone because I’m in unknown territory. Will I be happy later on? That’s up to me and how I move. The good thing is that I’m finally moving in a direction that I want to go. The path’s going to be long, but I’ve got a vision that pushes me forward in baby steps.
Read Chris Guillebeau‘s post: What Should I Do About My Life? It’s people like Chris who finally allowed me to embrace my true path, and for that, I’m not only thankful but need to work hard so that this opportunity is what I envision it will be.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve done lately?
p.s. Bravo to the Denali team for reaching their latest dreams. May you always keep reaching new ones!
Today seems to be another day for thought, and this quote came at the best time. Simply put, this is exactly how I view my calling as a writer!
Everywhere we look, we see things that inspire us to create, using the tools that we are familiar with: writing, drawing, singing, dancing, or any number of other activities that we use as our canvas. I’m a writer that can take a simple motivation and turn it into a dissertation. Pretty much anything can get my mind of into a tangent where my imagination is allowed to run free and create. What I create, I usually can’t tell until I’ve reached the end. Sometimes, it’s what I felt would happen, and I’m satisfied. And sometimes I’m in the middle of the jungle with no path in sight, but still looking around in amazement at the unexpected treasure. We never know where we’ll end up, but the journey sure is amazing, isn’t it?
What motivates you to create on your canvas?
http://youtu.be/g6OaSzoSpHE
I saw this on a post on the Sons of Anarchy forum (yes, I still love this show and learn a lot from it) and simply had to share this. Take a look, have a chuckle, and think a little.
Assumptions are something that drives our decision-making process. But sometimes it’s good to step back, take a deep breath and dive right in – even when your assumptions are screaming at you with negative comments. It doesn’t pay to assume that you’re always going to have all the right answers. People will surprise you. And that can be a GREAT thing!
Awesome job, Carlsberg and all of your bikers. If I were a drinker, I’d toast you with a bottle. But I will lift up my jug of caffeine in your honor because this was inspiring! ; )
I just had to share this comic artist when I saw his Behance page and then went to his site. Considering the times that we are living in, this character really struck a chord with me. I’ve always been hugely interested in our revolutionary period of history, and to see a character drawn with such power as Mike Lilly has is simply fantastic. His images for Black Terror and Meet The Bad Guys can be found in his Dynamite Comics section, and are well worth the look. I’ll tease you with his pencils because they’re so powerful, but wait until you see them colored. Another artist to keep an eye on. I’m telling you, the comic industry is full of amazing talent! All I can say is how did I miss him? But I’m happy to keep finding such amazing talent whenever I turn a new corner.
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Yosman Botero Gómez has been working hard for 3 weeks. This is just one of the fascinating images that he created during this time. I like to think of this one as ‘touch’, as that’s what the character is doing in fascination with the circles. Is it 3D? Is it a vortex? Exactly what it is? I get the feeling of curiosity, and that’s what anyone looking at his work should feel. Curiosity as to how he makes these images so full of emotion as they contemplate the space in which they exist. Behance Network is showing some amazing talent once again, and Yosman is one to follow. |
Going through Behance’s Gallery, I found another amazing artist by the name of Gary Kelley. This is just one of his gorgeous images, though he’s got a collection that is truly full of energetic wonder. In this image, the joyful contemplation that each musician exudes makes you smile as though you could actually hear them playing. And the colors and cubes are playful reminders that the music comes in many forms that can change at a moment’s notice…just like the music. Gary manages to capture life with such clean simplicity that still manages to escape the lines he draws and overflows our hearts. A Neocubist never spoke with colors and style quite like this. And its wonderful!
This is the ending of one of my most favorite cartoons I read while growing up (well, passing into adulthood). Needless to say, when the ending was announced by Bill Watterson, I was feeling mixed emotions:
I am one of those who has always been accompanied by a comic (one from many genres) at many points in my life, including now. And I say that with a great degree of pride because I feel that this activity, both collecting and reading them, led to an expansive imagination and dreams that push my creative thoughts past their limits. Because I don’t have the amazing drawing talent of many of these tremendous creators, I live vicariously through each of their creations and I love each and every one of them with a multitude of emotions. But no emotion has ever told me that this activity is superfluous, simply because it allows me to keep my sense of wonder alive. To be able to look at the world through the eyes of a child is a supreme joy, and to retain that ability into adulthood is a miracle.
To all of you comic creators (there are too many to list and I mean everyone of you), those I know and those I still haven’t yet met, please know that your creations are appreciated by so many of us. Your visions tell stories new and old, and teach us lessons that are sometimes unexpected but always welcome. Without each and every one of you, this world would be a dimmer place. You are an integral part of the creative world, and have helped many of us onto our own paths of creation through your much-needed works. Don’t ever stop creating!
