CBrajkovich Ramblings

As living beings, we all know the importance of touch. It’s an act that signifies a personal connection, and we like to incorporate it into our daily activities. I’ve always been fascinated by letterpress, as it give creative works a 3D feel because the depressed lines highlight the design that they surround. No matter how futuristic we become, we will always crave to feel something because it allows us to connect at a more intimate level, therefore making it our own for just a few moments during that contact.

If you look around at the design world, you’ll see the resurgence (or did it ever really go away – I think not) of letterpress in business cards, posters, and every other give away that will land in someone else’s hands. Color impacts design by drawing in the eye. Depth that letterpress brings draws in the hand. Together, they engage our brain as we enter an experience where multiple senses connect on a whole different level. There’s a lot out there to explore if you’re learning about letter press, so go out there and explore. You’ll find some amazing work that will make you want to touch them.

Here’s a short documentary on Letterpress (the narrator’s delivery is a bit much, but the story is great):

Are you going to introduce some depth into your line work today? Who knows who you’ll touch when you do.

Have you ever wondered if your fruit is looking at you? You take them out of your fridge, and run them through the wash to prepare for a juicy treat. But that water droplet that is rolling down the fruit’s side – could it possibly be a sweat drop? And what’s with the sudden cuing of the track from Nightmare on Elm Street? Maybe they know what’s in store for them, and are hoping that you’re going to wake up. Or that they’ll wake up from this nightmare of seeing that knife coming at them. Oh so slowly… If you’re not paying attention, does that mean that you’re not hearing your fruit scream?

Behance is the bringer of these blinking fruits by Alexander Zapadenko, who can really make you think twice about that pear that you’re admiring on the cutting board. Ummm, seriously, isn’t that a look of terror that I’m seeing in my afternoon snack??

Thanks, Alexander, for this cute treat!

There is some amazing design going into architecture these days. The days of simply using stone and mortar are now being replaced by whimsy and delight because of the freedom of new architectural designs. My Modern Met talks about the Helix bridge in Singapore, a collaboration between Cox Architecture and Architect 61, which is the winning concept that is now under construction over the Singapore River and on its way to becoming a reality. What started out as a clean curvature of space by Cox Architecture morphed into a statement of wonder that combines a double-helix, with glowing LED lights, and ever-changing views as the glass and steel structure seems to revolve over the pedestrian walkway. This should be something to see when it’s done, as well as a statement of continuing transformation for a dynamic country.

This is a powerful video that relies on the voice of Gil Scott-Heron to carry the modernistic geometric beats that play in time with the words of “Where Did The Night Go”. It was done by Steffan K in tribute to this amazing talent who unfortunately left this world in 2011.

Continue reading →

This has seriously got to be the most fun I’ve had watching a video in a while. Girl Walk // All Day describes itself as “a feature-length dance music video and tale of urban exploration that follow three dancers across New York City”. The video above is the last installment of a project that started out as a Kickstarter campaign that took the music video concept and expanded it, with the help of mash up musician Girl Talk (aka Gregg Gillis). The story revolves around a young dancer who quits her job after continued disillusionment, and sets out to experience life as she wants to. I know that most of us can relate to this story, can’t we? Their 12-chapter story can be seen on their Vimeo page, so find a comfortable seat and prepare to be delighted.

And if you want to read more about their background, check out this piece or this piece from NY Times.

Well, I’m off to watch from the beginning (sorry I put the finale up, but it’s too hard to resist)… : ) The music and the dancing are just wickedly infectious!!!!

So, 2012 has already started and I’m a little late with my present to you all. As a writer, I usually keep a notebook or some type of note taking device that allows me to track my thoughts. Considering that they can creep up on you without any notice, it’s handy to have something that will track your creative thoughts.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that they’re not creative, and that simply isn’t true. If you have thoughts, then you can be creative – so that means that anyone can do this. But sometimes creativity is tough to start up, so I created this little PDF journal for you to print out to keep your notes handy. It’s not much, but it’s my gift to you. I hope that it helps you create a colorful idea storm in 2012. You can even use it as a manifesto to start something new and different. This is going to be a year to remember – I can just feel it!

Here’s my present that I created for you: Dream 2012 journal – a present (printable PDF – 7 mb)