Website designing, or should that be attempting?

~ Sue ~ 3 Comments

Nobody seems to appreciate the amount of planning that goes into making a webpage for anything. Its all coding and very complicated, well complicate till you learn how the coding works.

Anywho, finished my website planning today. Which is nice to have that done and dusted, though I know for a fact its not as good as it should be, because I started rushing. And trust me, it wasn’t for lack of trying, that the work wasn’t done. I mean, I sat in front of the computer for about 8 hours trying to work, and getting nowhere cause I was sick. *sigh*

From having a look at a lot of websites, it seems that a lot of them are written in a ‘blog’ format. I think that this is because it makes the site easy to use, and everybody and their dog seems to have some kind of blogging site these days. *Me, I have like 6 blogs from blog sites and that’s not including Myspace, Twitter, etc*

Website has switched back to Riot Graphics, instead of Phsychobabble. I was put off because there was another site on Myspace called Riot Graphics *:( <—-my face at finding that out*. Well, last night I eventually had the guts to check it out and see what my competition is. It was a site for Paramore graphics and photos. A site which has not been accessed in almost 2 years. You have no idea how relieved that makes me. 🙂 I have talked to a lot of bands through Myspace, as a matter of getting work, and to think that another company had the same name as mine, made me want to cry.

But, all is good on that front, so I decided to go back to Riot Graphics, and used Psychobabble for a project when I get things sorted a bit.

I have been using Riot Graphics for about 3 years now, and I like it. I can even think of how I got the name. Hmmm *thinks*

Anyways, I got to go to the job that is paying for my bills right now 😦

So toodles. xx 😛

Get Down With The Sickness

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Uch 😦

Still not feeling much better, if anything I am feeling worse. It started off as the flu, which then turned into a rather nasty cold and finally it is an ear infection.:/ Its my birthday this weekend, and I can sense it’ll be in my bed. Not so nice, likes.

Anyway, I am having a wee break from doing work, or trying to do work, and been having a wee look through the internet, to try and find inspirational websites for influencing my website I’m designing. I am bad enough doing things normally, without feeling half dead.

So this is just a quick update, whilst I try to get motivated again. But I found this website during my ambling.Its a site by a guy called Adam Amaral, I like the hand drawn menus and things. Check it out – http://www.adamamaral.com/

Barbie Girl

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Ok for my animation ‘e card’, I am creating a small animation for a holiday of my choice, and I am choosing Beltaine. Its a Wiccan festival of fire, which happens every spring. I have read into it, and it seems to be way of getting nature to allow crops to grow, etc.

Anyway, I was initially going to hand draw the animation, which was to have a witchy person casting spells, with sparks everywhere as the magic was cast. I came across a road block because I can’t seem to be able to draw what I want. 😦 I was not happy. Sooo….. I went and bought a barbie, with the idea of animating it like Stop motion. 

So the plan is to photograph all parts of the doll, import them into photoshop, where I can then edit them, so that the doll can wear what I want it to.

Also planning a trip through to see if there are any exhibitions in Edinburgh, going through with Paul. I like art galleries and I never get to go. So hooray for that.

Also hooray for the awesome-ness of Links Market in Kirkcaldy.

Life is good.

Sometimes. 🙂 xx

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

So…..still kind of ill 😦 I had the flu last week, and I am now suffering from the cold. I was getting at the stage where I thought I was getting better, and into a ‘swing’ with things, I just end up wanting to lie in bed all day and do nothing.

So, not in the best working situation right now, and it’s noone’s fault bar mine.  I have two weeks off coming up, and going to spend all my time working on my projects. Its a lot of work, but I should be ok.  The plan is to blitz my projects one-by-one, and get them all up to date. I am falling behind, again, and I need to stop blaming other things.

Its MY work, so it’s MY responsibility to get it done.

I can do my own work no problem, but its this whole concept on getting my creativity to work on a schedule. I suppose that’s why I am in college, to learn how to do things like that. To be honest, that is the hardest thing to do, as I work well to my own timescales, but as soon as someone else gives me a schedule to work off, I just come to a stop. Its like I can’t be creative to someone else’s demands. Again, it’s just learning that, I suppose.

See me and my rebellious creativity XD

Technology=life

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Most of the last few days, I have only been on the PC, if it was needed. The reason is, that I am choked with the flu. I feel horrible.

But it did make me think how I would live without technology. I mean it is impossible for me to imagine my life without my computer, tv, mobile and X box. It’s crazy. I want to know when did I become so emotionally attached to such items. I used to be attached to my wee stereo but that was it. Now, I carry my mobile and iPod everywhere. I am also connected to the web, for most of my day. Because I email clients and printmakers a lot, I always check my emails.

It’s almost like a compulsion. Unless I am really ill, I can’t survive on silence. I don’t know if it’s because I am usually so busy,  but I struggle to relax. apparently this is a common thing, these days, with a lot of people struggling to relax, because society, these days requires us to not switch off. It’s like we always need stimulation from somewhere. It’s crazy.

Hoping to get work as a graphic designer, I am going to be spending  a lot of time on the computer, that is something that is not going to change. That is not necessarily a bad thing, because it is something I need to do. I just need to be able to switch off a lot more. So that I can relax. At the moment I work and relax using the internet. I need to be able to feel that I can switch off from the web. Not really sure how to do that though.

Good or Bad

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Going on from my train of thought yesterday. I starting thinking about what says something is either good or bad. We get told there are bad words, bad actions, bad clothes, bad music. But really what does any of that mean?

The thing is, it’s our heads that decide what is good or bad. Its our thought process, which turns something good or bad. A word is just a word, it can’t stab someone. The thoughts and ideas the word conjures up, is what decides whether it is good or bad. And the thoughts and ideas change, depending on where you come from.

For instance, if I mention the word ‘fag’, I mean it as cigarette, and usually means I am going for a smoke. But to Americans, it is a negative word aimed at gay people. So whilst in the UK, that word is harmless, in the US it is a terrible word. But the word isn’t the bad thing, its what people connect to it. It happens everywhere.

I feel that is something that is a part of how people work. Like I said yesterday, people like to feel more superior, and they do that by having answer for everything. So rather than saying, ‘that song isn’t to my taste’, people are more likely to say ‘that song is bad’. Its maybe people just not wording things right, but I feel it is more than that. Its like giving it a solid answer, if you say that something is bad. That’s it, end of discussion.

But, fair enough, if people are taught and brought up to think that way. But, it becomes an issue, when someone opposes their opinion. People forget that opinion is never right or wrong. People refuse to except differing opinions, and refuse to discuss them. We call our selves the most superior race, but if we can’t accept and discuss even simple opinions, its no wonder society is crumbling.

You want someone to listen and respect what you say and think, maybe you should do the same. Try it.

Free Speech, Costly Thoughts

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I had an odd instance today. Where I talked about something, and was given the reply of death threats. Its an odd occurence. I am a very opinionated person, and never had the problem of such volatile reactions to my words.
It wasn’t as if the words were offensive. I mean, I spoke negatively about a singer from a bands actions. But that’s it. I didn’t berate him for it, I just said I did not agree with his actions. Simple enough, you may think. It’s just showing opinion, over something. Which is all it was. But when did opinion become a fight about what’s right and wrong?

I wish I could say, that my experience today, was a one off occurence.  But I know, just by watching the news, it isn’t. We are constantly being told how lucky we are, because we live in a country which allows free speech. Which is all very well, in theory. Free speech, also allows free thinking. And people, as complex as we appear, can’t seem to process anything other than a good side and a bad side, just black and white. So the thoughts you think up, are either right and wrong, as if that gives it an answer.

I mean, we like answers don’t we. Like to have everything in resolved in a neat little package. People are reluctant to say something is someones opinion, and to just leave it that. They feel the need to show why it is right, or wrong. Why?

Looking through the news, I saw that T4’s Miquitta Oliver has been suspended from her work, because she spoke negatively about US singer Ke$ha. She apparently used swear words when talking about the singer. Now, note that the words themself, weren’t what caused the damage. It was the thought process, connected to those words. But to say that someone is not allowed to air their frustrations, with this ‘free speech’, kind of indicates that we are not as free as we are lead to believe.

But that’s not anything new is it?

Everybody PANIC!

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Ran my idea, of featuring my blog in  my sketchbook, as some kind of anitation, past Caron, my tutor, today. She seemed to like it. And she also said that it could be useful as a design idea. Like having large setions of text, and pulling out words of importance into the front. This would be an enteresting concept. But I need to think about it some more.

Been reading about this ‘panic button’, which the government want to be added to facebook.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8574727.stm The government feel that if they inforce this, then it stops kids being lured by paedophiles. They need to be aware, that this won’t actually stop the kiddies being lured by perves. Rather than bad mouthing Facebook, because it wants to attempt its own methods of protection. If a panic button is used, and it ‘red flags’ a members page.

This is the account being reported, and the way the most sites work, that 1 report and the member gets looked at, and warned. But 5 or 6 reports within a short period of time, the account in question is automatically blocked. Now if everybody uses it correctly, then it works well. But people will abuse it, and will report accounts, which belong to people who maybe are a tad annoying.

Also, this ‘panic button’ is to be used by kids. Now, it is known that most kids who fall into these traps set up by perverts, don’t think they are at risk. They don’t sense danger, so won’t press anything.

So again, the government seem to be having somekind of kneejerk reaction, to Facebook reccently being in the news, after being used by perverts, and by criminals torturing their victims through the site.  They have just thrown out an idea, and hoped that it would be good enough. Then the government will start saying that Facebook is ‘evil’, in an attempt to make themselves look right. The UK government is taking to many short cuts right now, they just want to blame it on someone else

Back on track

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Day 2 of operation ‘Make myself Work’. And guess what?

I actually did some work. *does a victory dance*

Ok, I probably could have done more, but some work is better than no work, right? I did a bit of mixed media, which means me, bits of paper, glue and lots of coloured ink. Total good fun.

The ‘mixed media’ is for my Art & Design unit, which is self-expressive. Where I have to advertise ‘Me’ as I would any other product. Kind of had an idea of blogging and putting my blogs as  little progress reports through my project. I think that is good, as blogging is one of the most common ways I get my thoughts and feelings across. So because I include that as a big part of who I am, right now,  I think it would be a good idea to have blogs through my sketchbook. Unsure of whether it is a good idea or not. Not really talked to anyone else about it, other than myself, so don’t know if it’s going to be successful or not.

The ‘Me’ project is going to be messy, as I am a messy person in general. And it is also going to be a contrast to my Graded Unit, for which all the pages have been created digitally. I think that will be intresting, to have my two projects contrasting in that way. Besides, if I did them both digitally, I think I’d be pulling my hair out, as I am very arty and enjoy making my mess.

Digital work is something, I am having to force myself to do, as it does not come naturally. I am constantly being told, that it is good to get out of your comfort zone everyone in a while. I am getting better at using Photoshop and illustrator, but I still get a headache. Probably because I am infront of a PC all day at college, at my work (Sky) and again at home, when I am trying to finish things. So I’m not really suprized I like to spend some time off the computer.

The Search For Inspirado

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I am so super distracted right now.

The money situation is getting no better, and I am just ‘grr-ing’ at everything. I’m just not getting anything done, and just banging my head of a brick wall. I am progressing slowly, though. Very slowly. So slowly, I may even start going backwards, just for the hell of it.

I seem to be using my financial  situation as an excuse for being so crap at the moment. But I need to get a grip, I can’ t keep on blaming other things for my failure. Sooo *deep breath, I am forcing myself to get some drawings done. I know, I know, I should be doing college work, but I need to get a build-up of my drawing portfolio as well as doing my units. I haven’t spent any time on art work for a while, and I feel that may be what is causing such an issue.

Soooo, in a bid to get started again, I am drawing a centaur (horse/person), as an attempt to get motivated. We’ll see what comes from it, I guess