RIP Prodigy -- Mobb Deep

Prodigy one half of Mobb Deep, it is a sad day for hip-hop, the real hip-hop that is. Not this mumble rap you hear on the radio nowadays. This is that 90s rap, that gritty, raw real shit.

Remember tomorrow is never promised. Donʻt take life for granted. 

Listen to Mobb Deep Demo Tape Classic. 

https://soundcloud.com/joslyn/sets/mobb-deep-demo-tape-classic

Urban Style of Mind Campaign

"We are a product of our environment."Is what they used to say to. But, in these days and times the situation stands that we are a product of our social media engagement. Whether we are posting our status on Facebook, tweeting an article on Twitter, or posting a picture on Instagram we are engaging in social media. Whether we like it or not we are inviting people into our world, as they are inviting you into their world. As a brand a social media campaign brings about an awareness, a way to provide an environment for your product, which is your personal branding. Honesty, comedy, and inspiration is the best way to push your brand as people donʻt want to be sold, but if you can make them laugh, and inspire them your brand will be on its way, to social media engagement success. 

For my social media campaign I feel it was a great learning experience on what people engage the most with and what they like to see. My campaign was a success it produced an awareness for the urban style of mind, which entails graffiti, street art, street photography, creative non-fiction, an overall urban style of thinking.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO

Instagram: 98 posts with 265 engagements

Twitter: 90 posts with 251 engagements

Facebook: 12 posts with 59 engagements

Best posts & why:

The posts that had the most engagement the most was my blog posts as I think some of them read like a movie. People love stories they love to be within the story and my posts that were written in a creative non-fiction way had that quality. I had views on Instagram but not as many, I just started that Instagram for this class so that could be reason as I was still gaining friends.

Blog posts stats:

Trends: 

I found trends in that the more I posted the more engagement I received. I found that people were interested in the feedly articles I posted as some were from what was happening currently.

Most engagement:

The most engagement was the Creative Non-fiction post on my blog as it had an image that went with a story. It worked hand in hand as a scene was painted of that of the photo, so it worked. Also, painting scenes with words always does well when people have the time to read it.

Shared the most:

A feedly article that had to do with the 5 Pointz artists having their day in court due to the white washing of the famous Queens graffiti spot called 5 Pointz.

Images generated the most interest:

All the images of graffiti generated interest, people loved the vintage classic photos of NYC, also the vintage street photography. Photographers were reaching out to me about the style of the photo, and how they loved it.

What else did you discover?

I discovered that I love graffiti, street art, street photography, and creative non-fiction. I realized how much I love graffiti, street photography, and creative non-fiction. I need to present my own work more in all those things, I can draw, I have done street photography, and I write creative non-fiction. I also realized I was getting hits from all over the world on my blog posts.

Check me out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger:

• Instagram: @joslynnoelani
• Facebook: Creatorʻs Delight
• Twitter: @joslynnoelani
• YouTube: Joslyn Noelani
• Pinterest: Joslyn Noelani
• Blogger: Joslyn Noelani

Style Wars

Have you ever wondered what it was like in New York City in 1983?

Subway's full of graffiti, pieces on the outside of the subways. New York City was electric it was magnetized by passionate individuals who wanted to see their names on the subway cars all across the city.

Break dancing was the movement of the culture, while hip-hop was the music that set the scenes.

"STYLE WARS has become an emblem of the original, embracing spirit of hip hop as it reached out across the world from underground tunnels, uptown streets, clubs and playgrounds."

"Naw..I ain't running the system, I'm bombing the system." A graffiti artist said.

Graffiti was not what the masses wanted but it was the originality full of youthful creativity that lead the subculture of what hip hop is today.

Whether you think graffiti is a form of creative expression or not, Style Wars will leave you with an appreciation for a time in history that was monumental of New York's rich culture.

Enjoy watching Style Wars below.

Street Photography

 Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO

Spray paint decorates the glass doors of the building, frame the shot, "click." Graffiti, what a beautiful mess, thinks the photographer. The above capture is an example of street photography, but what is it?

1. The perfect shot: that moment when the camera frames a shot that no one else can see, a moment captured
2. Candid photography: photos of people, places, or things of candid moments captured with perfect timing
3. A craft that relies on decisive or poignant moments that frames and times the shot at the concise moment.

 Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO

"Yo, I need to buy her an I love NY shirt." She needed one for her niece before she left. Grabbing a black I love NY shirt with white letters and a red heart, the token tourist shirt came in all sizes. Having been in NY for 2 days, it was a short but sweet visit. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and street photography frame's one's emotions, and memories all in one shot. What a powerful tool, a camera and an eye for that precise moment of capturing that perfect shot.

  Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO 

In life there is always a story to tell, in street photography there is always a depth of relating to what we see in the photo.  The human condition, what we perceive and how we feel about it. Its a way of documenting human behavior, recording life in pictures of people, places, and things on the street and life. 

Try it next time your out and about, look around find people, places, or things that catch your eye. Wait a little bit, find the best, different vantage point to frame your shot, then "click." 

They Get Your Dreams for Free...

"I had a friend once who told me that the worst mistake you could make is to think that you are alive when really you are asleep in life's waiting room/ The trick...is...to combine your waking rational abilities with the infinite possibilities of your dreams....because if you can do that you can do anything. Did you ever have a job that you hated?...worked really hard at...long hard day at work finally you get to go home, get in bed, close your eyes...and immediately you wake up and realize that the whole day at work had been a dream...it's bad enough that you sell your waking life for..for minimum wage but now they get your dreams for free."

The above excerpt is from the movie, Waking Life. If you have not watched this movie before, I suggest you watch it today. This movie is life changing as it is a deep philosophical movie, that touches on existentialism, free will, lucid dreams, and perception. As the characters ponder life, they do so with rich ideas, and the film is presented in an organic fashion. The director, Richard Linklater recruited a talented team of artists to paint over each individual frame in a unique process known as interpolated rotoscoping.


Watch Waking Life on Amazon Prime
A synopsis of the movie, with questions (and spoilers) is available at
http://www.philfilms.utm.edu/1/waking.htm 

After watching Waking Life, do you believe the existentialist idea that even though there are six billion people in the world we as individuals can make a difference? Explain your answer.

#WakingLife #ics119 #Philosophy 

Viva Lost Wages, Not If You Have a Choice

Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO 

"Bright light city gonna set my soul/ Gonna set my soul on fire/ Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn.." Ready to burn huh? Ok, Elvis maybe you had the money to burn but not me, I thought as the song, Viva Las Vegas  played in the car. "Here you are, the Queen of the strip." the Uber driver muttered. Stepping into The Bellagio, the over-the-top butterflies hung from the ceiling, purple, pink, yellow. "Wheel, of Fortune!" the slot machine rang out. Vegas wasn't built by winners, it was built by people depositing money into its lavish slots, tables, bets, and everything they could place a wager on. Ahhhh! Vegas the adult playground, I relished in the fun about to be had.

Have you ever been to Vegas and wanted to make sure you went home with a extra cash in your pocket? And wanted to know what had the best odds? Slots, roulette, craps, blackjack, or poker?

It may be difficult to beat the odds but smart gamblers can at least play games in a way that will reduce the house edge to give themselves the best chance to win.

1. Learn how to play Poker. You will take on other players and skilled Poker players can win in the long run. 
2. Play higher denomination slots. The payback is set to a lower amount on penny and nickel slots and a higher amount on the dollar slots, so you can reduced the house edge by playing higher-denomination slot machines.
3. Avoid table games with big advantages for the casinos. Any bet on a roulette table, for example, carries at least a 5 percent house edge. Those are odds you cannot beat. Other games with high house edges include Caribbean Stud and Let it Ride. 
4. Play blackjack. The house edge on this game is less than 2 percent if you make the best plays and wagers. To play blackjack well you must study the game to learn all the best plays, such as always doubling down on 11 and splitting sevens against a dealer upcard of six. You can buy laminated cards that list the best plays. These can even be found in many casino gift shops
5. Give craps a try. The game can be confusing at first, but with a house edge of less than 2 percent it is one of the better games for beating the odds. When playing craps avoid the "inside bets"—that is, those bets located on the inside of the craps felt layout. Stick to pass line or don't pass bets with full odds. The casino will allow you to place an odds bet after a point number is established with the dice that will pay the true odds. For example, if the point number is four you will be will be paid 2 to 1 on an odds bet that a four is rolled before a seven.

 Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO 

"Cover all the hardways." I said throwing four $5 chips to the dealer to cover each one of the four hardways. "Off on the come out roll," I acted like I knew what I was doing. The night before the dealers had given me a lesson on the best way to bet craps. "Let's go shooter." I said as the man with the Australian accent began to roll. A hour an a half later he continued to roll, a shooter he was, I smirked. But his luck ran out, with his first crap I got paid out and walked away with $1500 playing the hard ways as I was taught, you got to love Vegas.

Next time you go to Vegas, try covering the hard ways when you play craps hopefully you will have some luck. 

Tips to win big:

Before you go gambling: The best and worst casino game odds

Casino house advantage

The secret of the hard times 

#LasVegas #craps #ics119 #ElvisPresley #TheBellagio #TheHardways 

Creative Nonfiction

Image from Flickr Creative Commons license CCO

Entering the dimly lit café she pulls open the door, slowly. Soft jazz plays in the background. Black high heels, paired with a green blouse, and a pencil skirt drapes her frame as she walks to a table. A gold chain with a diamond cross pendant dangles from her neck. It provides the faith, she needs to believe in on the days that are rough. Today, is not one of those days, she thinks, as she holds onto the cross rubbing it tightly.

He must be in the café, she thinks as she looks around. Her eye's glaze over the room. People at tables sip there coffee, and eat their lunch while paying her no mind. She sits down at an empty table. 

In his mind flashbacks invade. Gripping the tree her hands hold on in a tight grasp, he clutchs her hips while his, "anyone sitting here?" the woman asks. What a sultry voice, an accent of an exotic destination, he thinks, while sinking back to reality.......

An example of a piece of a story I wrote, in this genre creative nonfiction is one's own way of telling a story. And doing it in a way of piecing scenes together, in this genre you want people to hear the characters, and see the scenes being presented. With hearing and seeing the character in the story one can create their own impression of the character by the way the character speaks or by the actions presented by the character or the mood of the story.

What is creative nonfiction?

• It is better to show then tell, is the basic building blocks of the creative nonfiction genre, a way of writing in scenes. The writer uses real life situations that are not made up, and writes stories presented in a creative way. 
•  The cardinal rule of creative nonfiction is, "You can't make this stuff up!"
•  Writing in scenes represents the difference between showing and telling. The lazy, uninspired writer will tell the reader about a subject, place, or personality, but the creative nonfiction writer will show that subject, place, or personality, vividly, memorably—and in action. In scenes.

Do you have a story to tell? Of course you do, we all do, as we all are living our life experiencing things everyday, so why not tell a story creatively. Try it today, write in scenes piece your story together with convo, paint your characters with words and set the scene with mood, tell your story with creative nonfiction today. Go!

#ics119 #creativenonfiction #writers #literaryjournalism

Tropical Island Street Art

On this tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on the island of Oahu I sit back and bask in the warm sun. The coconut trees sway as we sip mai tai's with our toes in the sand. It's a wonderful life here on these Hawaiian islands. I wonder when someone first steps off the plane, if they know about all the street art that line our streets. Under the coconut trees, and beneath the high-rise condo's, I wonder if those new to walk O'ahu's street have any idea of the street art that cover our walls?

• Would they be curious to know whether Hawai'i has street art?  
• Where is the street art located? http://powwowhawaii.com/mural-map/
• Who are these artists? http://powwowhawaii.com/participants/
• What is Pow Wow? http://powwowhawaii.com/about-pow-wow-hawaii/ 

How lucky we are to have such talented artists on our beautiful islands, not only do they bring there lovely works of art to our streets, but they all have a passion to spread the love of street art.

Take a walk down to Kaka'ako and enjoy all the murals you see.

The mural map link is here. 

#streetart #graffiti #urbanstyleofmind #ics119 #PowWowHawaii

Social Media Campaign calendar

Allow me to re-introduce myselfy...my name is...

Pink lip-gloss lathered on our lips, it matched the ensembles we wore. Jeans skirts on the both of us, she wore a white top, and I wore a black top. Our tan lines shown, but all we cared about was our golden skin from hitting the beach earlier that day. Black heels dug into the uneven cement street as we walked to the entrance to talk to a bouncer. We had no ID to get in, but that didn’t matter we weren’t even old enough to get in to the biggest rap concert of 1997, featuring the Wu-Tang Clan. Not only were we too young, it was sold out. It didn’t stop us, nothing did. At the prime age of 16 turning 17 with no care in the world, operation admission into the Wu-Tang concert was about to commence.

It was one of those things, where we had to go.  On a hot humid night, we approached the entrance, “how much it cost?” I asked the bouncer. “Sold out,” he says. Yeah right, I thought. My best friend and I were not going to let that minor detail bum our night. Talking to the bouncer I asked, " Hey, do you know OC?," He was one of my bouncer friends who was the head bouncer of all the clubs. He ended up knowing him, and next thing he said, "eh, put your hand out." He placed the green band on each of our wrists. We coolly walked towards the door, gliding thru the entrance. As soon as we got in we jumped up and down and cheered, "Yes!"

Wu-Tang Clan came on fashionably late as any rap group would. The venue was packed, hot and we couldn’t see over the heads of the packed crowd. “Damn, how we gonna see?” I asked my friend. We looked throughout the venue and wondered where can we get the best view? As each rapper came on the stage we frantically tried to find our best vantage point. My eyes locked on a big speaker directly across the stage. “Right there, lets climb on it and stand on it.” I said. We climbed on the big speaker and had the best view in the house; it was as if we were on the stage with the Wu-Tang clan.

Every time I see the Itz Yours video that has clips of The Wu-Tang’s concert we attended I always look for us, in back on top of the big black speaker directly across the stage. I see my friend and I dancing up a storm enjoying the sold out concert that we had no tickets to, no 18 year old ID, but our love for hip-hop got us admission into the best rap concert of 97’. Operation get in Wu-Tang concert mission complete.

With a love of hip-hop, a passion for graffiti, poetry, creative non-fiction, my path has lead me to where I am today. Whether I have gone thru good or bad has built character. I wouldn’t take any of it away, I cherish the battles I have gone thru in my life as those have built my successes.  I don’t measure success by how much money one has; I look at success as being measured by the value of one's character.  What we do for others is one’s true wealth. 

My values are relevant to my audience because my audience are passionate people who hold the same belief system as I. We want what is most important, life experience. How that is achieved best is by going thru shit, basically living. Each day we wake up and we think whatever it's only another day, but each day is another opportunity, imagine that…. Another opportunity to live and learn about what is most important in your life.

What have you done to achieve what you wanted when obstacles stood in your way? How have you overcome failed attempts? How have you been triumphant?

It’s Yourz video, look for us in the back we are standing on the BIG Speakers. 

No matter what obstacle lie in your way don’t stop; don’t give up on what you want in your life. Tap into your passion let it guide you to get you what you want and how you want it. Where there's a will there is a way. The best things in life are free and it isn’t til’ you experience failure can really know what success is, and it isn’t how rich you are, it isn’t the big house, the nice car. You tell me what success is to you? 

My Ideal Influencer

My ideal influencer would be an activist, and analyst personality type. A passionate person who has love for creative media and presents it in a way that is rather unique. This person would have an emphasis in street arts, whether street photography, graphic design done with a urban twist, writing presented in a creative non-fiction style. A style that is shaped by their love of hip-hop, graffiti, poetry, creative non-fiction, vintage street photos, street photography.

My personal brand or genre would be an "urban style of mind." This would be to inspire others to create street art, write creative non-fiction, write poetry, take street photos, write screenplay, or just live with an urban style of mind. What that means is to think outside the box, to push your limits. Not to be subjected by the normalcy of society which makes one think that have to stick to the script. Fu*k the script. Rip it up, and right your own script and do it in black Sharpie.

My target audience will be those who are not afraid to push the envelope when it comes to any type of creation in creative media. These are graphic designers, videographers, writers, journalists, grafffiti artists any one with the power to create, and that is everyone. If you can pick up a pen, type in a computer, brainstorm thoughts to create something profound, write a screenplay that can make people think and ask questions these are the people I seek to cross paths with.

My ideal influencer sets them self apart because they are not held to a cookie cutter mold that has been falsely created for them. They are creators of their own destiny that are not held to societies standards. None of that worries them, none of that matters, what matters the most is getting their point across.

Hashtags to be used:
#UrbanStyleOfMind
#StreetArt
#StreetPhotography
#Graffiti
#StreetStyle
#CreativeNonFiction
#Fu*kTheScript
#PushYourLimits
#ThinkOutsideTheBox

My google alerts are: street art, graffiti, hip-hop, creative non-fiction, street photography

Strategy of Content

Demographics..

Who likes street art/ street photography? Maybe a younger demographic would be more prone to collecting, reading about, looking at street art/ photography. Whether it is graphic design, graffiti, a creative ad done in a street art style, a marketing strategy done with street art or street photography in mind. What does this demographic look like? Who are they?

My demographic would interest all, but will most likely entice the 18-44yr old. Using the course resources online I believe my demographics would be male and females, all individuals of all race and ethnic backgrounds. With this demographic having the highest utilization of social media, and owners of smartphones, and users of internet.


People to watch:

•  Khalik Allah - A 5%er, a street photographer, a filmmaker, an all around creative. His content is films, and street photography which he uses the light off the street lamps, or the light from the bodega. He is someone to watch out for as his success is inevitable. I met him once before, collaborated with him on a Popa Wu shirt, his passion is insatiable. He has an aesthetic for beauty and see's it in people that can't see it within themselves. For him, to have the knowledge of self, it is only right to spread that knowledge, as he does with everyone he encounters.

 

• Katch1-a talented graffiti artist turned skateboard designer is now tattoo artist and still participates in Pow Wow Hawaii. You can see his pieces in Kaka'ako. I first saw his work as a student at Kalani High School staring out the window of my class, we had a wall that he threw up pieces all over it. At 1st I didn't realize what an impact graffiti would have on me, but today I do. I follow him on Instagram, he posts his pieces that he does around Oahu. He continues to do tattoos. For me, to have all the money in the world doesn't make you successful, one's value is measured by the influence you have had on others, and that is priceless. Katch1 book for sale. IG handle: @katch1

• Jamal Shabazz- Vintage photos are what Jamal posts a view of what New York looked like in the 80s and 90s, I like his photos not only because they are film but also because they show the era that was surrounded by graffiti, and saturated in hip-hop in New York. IG handle: @jamalshabazz

Photos, Articles, Hashtags, Infographics..

For my personal media campaign I will correlate it back to my blog, by using other apps such as Facebook, Youtube, and Pinterest. I will also use candid photos and designs I have seen that interest me or I have done. I also will post quotes from my blog as a caption for InstaGram, or on Twitter.

The hashtags I will be using are #ics119 #streetart, #streetphotography, #urbanart, #graffiti #graphicdesign, and #urbanart in all of my blog posts. 

The visual aids I will use in my campaign will include images in my profile, and some of my own photos that show my passion for street art/ street photography and graphic design. I will also use photo's from my own blog posts as you see below.

 I love Pinterest, I mean who doesn't everything you are looking for in one place, below are some of my favorite graffiti images found on Pinterest that I would use for blog posts.

Feedly is great for articles about my interests and gives great content that can be used for blog posts. Also, in helping repurpose blog posts and any other info in regards to street art/ street photography and graphic design. 

 I will be creating infographics to show design tips, street photography tips, statistical info, quotes with images,  and tips with images. I will use the below infographics that I have posted in my blogs before. 

Participation is key.

I will participate in all discussions thru all social media platforms, and engage my audience. I want to post blogs that will inspire them to initiate conversation and develop a repertoire with anyone with the same interests that have questions or feedback. I will be open to all comments and be true to who I am which will help me network with others and build with them in and maybe collaborating with them on projects.

#ics119
Mahalo.

Framing My Personal Brand

1. Simple.

Change the world with art.

2. Unexpected.

Bebrainfit.com advises that, "Art increases brain connectivity and plasticity. Every time you engage in a new or complex activity, your brain creates new connections between brain cells. Your brain's ability to grow connections and change throughout your lifetime is called brain plasticity or neuroplasticity.

3. Concrete.

 

4. Credible.

Nursingshools.net has compiled a list of 100 Excellent Art Therapy Exercises for Your Mind, Body and Soul. These exercises promote one to be in touch with their emotions, relaxation, happiness, trauma and unhappiness, and gratitude. Check out these art therapy exercises to share with others to assist in their relaxation, happiness, trauma and unhappiness, and gratitude.

5. Emotional.

"Art changes people, and people change the world." -Cathy Malchiodi 

6. Tell a story. 

 JR, a French street artist does his TED prize wish talk by illustrating how he uses art to change the world, and how others can do it to.

We are what we share...who are you?

 An article I wrote for my Hawaii artists album, Perfect Strangahz

It was published in the Streetz magazine

Fingers on a keyboard type, Joslyn Noelani but who is that? What makes the person behind the keyboard ever so curious to find about me. Might it be I have all the answers to all your questions, probably not. Is it possible I have the secret on how to make a million bucks? That might be true, but probably not as quickly as you'd hope. What possesses them to know about me? Could it be that magnetic characteristic of mine.......passion.

When a search is done and people see my name anything tied to me will disclose a person passionate about life and everything in it. It will be displayed by the love of poetry, writing, hip-hop, beats, graffiti, graphic designing, film photography, conceptualized designs, customized designs, the list goes on. I am a person of deep thought so anything I have created is of deep thought...whoa that's deep, hahaha.

What I want them to see is someone who grew up not believing in themselves, and through trial and error stood the test of time to understand the value of who they are today. My goal is to position myself within the social media, and internet world, where my skills will be in high-demand. My business will be a company that can cover all bases, graphic design, silk screen services, branding, social media, web design, writing, you name it, it can be done. 

I have a knack for conceptualizing ideas, I am a creative graphic designer who longs to display anyone, anything in a way it has never been displayed before. Another expertise is writing, whether through life experience's or writing in general it will always be in a provocative style that intrigues the reader. Third expertise is overall being a creative person who loves to create.

We all are creative creatures even if we do not know it, deep within us we as human beings have a desire to create. What we create shows the world who we are, so why don't we create art, or music of quality. Not only of quality but art, music of substance, thru substance we can deliver a message. Whether the message be of hope, love, passion, peace, struggle, or fortune it is the lasting emotion it leaves that can change the heart of people. And, when our creations can change the hearts of the people we can change the world. Let us start today.

 

 

Repurpose Blog Post #ics119

Let us change the world through art. 

Let Art Speak! Our View On How Art Can Change The World.

How to create art to help change the world.

1. First and foremost, express yourself in art.

2. Create art that is not only pleasant to look at, but also has an idea, a message that it carries. 

3. Produce art that influences thought, provokes thought, so in this way it can change the way people feel.

Image from Pixabay Creative Commons license CCO

This photo is a piece that uses photos of two girls that have been plastered on the wall, as if they are just coloring with crayons. The spray painted message above, "PLEASE NO MORE WAR LOVE" is a testament to what the little girls are wishing for, the added peace sign in the 'O' is what they long for. With the flowers drawn on the bottom of the piece it offers an innocent look on a large problem, that occurs throughout this world. All the war that goes on affects the children that have to endure the battle scars. This example is a tale of peace for that bleeds for our future, our children. 

This art yet so simple beats with a strong passion of hope. 

photo credit: Joshua Rappeneker

1. Allow the art, to reflect your own emotion.

2. Allow the art to change the way we think and feel.

3. Allow the art to express yourself as a means of a language of its own type.

photo credit: lenbuster syftningsfel

As I stated in my blog post, "When does graffiti become art?" Whether you do graffiti or 

graphic design when you conceptualize a piece you can change the world 

when the thought is there to back it up.

When does graffiti become art?

Opinion: Graffiti is art at its inception, it is a form of self-expression and the medium is spray paint.

Walking down the side streets of Kakaʻako on the island of Oahu you see it meticulously crafted on the side of a warehouse, a conceptualized piece. Is this graffiti or art? One can presume that a piece like above is art. But there are people that despise graffiti and would label it, as vandalism. But what is vandalism? By definition vandalism is the crime of intentionally damaging property belonging to other people. Obviously the above street art is intentionally taking a blank space and making it beautiful for other people to see.

Lady Pink a graffiti artist from the 70, 80s in New York said, " Its only graffiti or vandalism if you get arrested, if you don’t it is art." But in these days, Pow Wow Hawaii takes a "week in February in the Kakaʻako district of Honolulu, and brings over a hundred international and local artist together to create murals and other forms of art." These old rundown warehouses are transformed into creative pieces of work that make public spaces an outside gallery for all to view, not only to view but to assist in sparking conversation.

In NYC, Times Square is littered with advertisements trying to sell every and any product that is ever sold. With neon lights the letters sprawl across the buildings Virgin, Kodak for all to see. Advertisements like those in Times Square or any huge billboards should be labeled vandalism. As we cannot in turn change or alter ads, nor can we communicate with the company who is doing the selling. If street art is the beginning of a conversation, advertising is the end. Stop talking, stop thinking – and buy these shoes!

Image from Pixabay, Creative Commons license CC0

 Graffiti is art, and it always will be, street art is the conceptualized pieces. And, when we value street art as art, we can engage with it as a community and help to grow it into something beautiful. 

Facebook this, Facebook that

Facebook, facebook, hashtag facebook. An app, a website, we all use it but for what? The famous blue and white F logo flashes in my face, I easily click it waiting to see the news or gossip of the day. I don't think it's as popular as InstaGram now is, but it is still an app I find myself on when time allows. I use Facebook to look at pictures of what everyone is doing, it gives people a chance to catch up with family and friends. It helps to connect with those that share the same interest with you. I just started buying clothes, and lipstick off Facebook. 

Who really knows how much time they spend on Facebook? I mean really who times themselves on anything these days when it comes to websites or apps. Its so easy to go from one to the next and not even realize how much time was spent on each site. If I am busy I don't really go on any app or site, as I don't have the time. But when I do I probably spend 30mins-1 hour when time allows, other than that I am actually living life. My facebook is private, as is my IG, I don't like to put things out there so I don't really worry about it. But I always change my password, and make a complex password. 

How does one know something is true of Facebook? Funny question and really you don't. People can make you think and falsify the life they live, its all about perception. How you perceive something to be? How it was presented to you, and how you took it. But as far as articles and info you have to follow the source, who said it, wrote it, all the pertinent info needs to be considered. Ultimately, it is up to the reader to determine if something is true or not, and even then you could be wrong. But trust your intuition cause that is usually right, when it seems to good to be true it usually is. 

I know any type of social media can have a negative impact on work, grades, spending quality time with one's ohana. People get stuck on social media with what's the latest gossip, trend, shoes, anything it really is an escape of reality. When I have assignments to finish I will not have my phone near me, because I can easily get caught up on what's going on in Facebook or IG. So its like an addiction this phone, social media thing that needs to be worked on everyday. I always take care of family, my business, school work, before anything else. When the kids go to sleep then I can look what's going on in Facebook land, or the IG world. There is more to life then who posted and what or who said this, and who said that. I got my kids to love, and my house to take care of, and money to be made to allow me to be stuck on this social media fix. 

#ics119

The Art of CRAP Detection

For this blog post I decided to search for articles that had everything to do with graffiti and creative design. As I tend to always make a connection between graffiti and design. I know that graffiti holds a huge element of design, typography. Its not anyone's typography its the artist, not font picked from a computer but letters drawn from one's own hand. It doesn't get anymore personal than that. Being that a passion of mine is graphic design, a lot of the things I do somehow always correlate to my love of graffiti. Go figure.  

The articles that passed the CRAP test were from reliable sources, like that of a University and contained the theses of the scholar writing it. The articles were current enough, and were all usually from University's that were housing the theses' of these scholarly collegiate students. 

Bombing, Tagging, Writing: An Analysis of the Significance of Graffiti and Street Art, score 4
https://diigo.com/09fya9

The Writing on the Stall: Graffiti, Vandalism, and Social Expression, score 4
https://diigo.com/09fvat

Street Art & Graffiti Art: Developing an Understanding, score 4
https://diigo.com/09fvbj

Up On The Wall: How Working Walls Unlock Creative Insight, score 3
https://diigo.com/09fyab

The somewhat trustworthy articles were current enough but I felt were the opinion of the writer of the article. And the writer was questionable, also didn't have reliable resource to back up the findings. I also felt as reading thru that it contained a sales pitch of a product. 

The Process of Creativity, score 3
https://diigo.com/09fyac

Design Criticism and the Creative Process, score 2.5
https://diigo.com/09fyad

8 Secrets To Creative Thinking (Hint: Steal From Others), score 3
https://diigo.com/09fycr

Vector Polishing Techniques - Web Designer Wall - Design Trends and Tutorials, score 3
https://diigo.com/09fyct

For the articles that I felt were untrustworthy they seemed to be trying to sell me something, like a book that I had to have to be able to create a great design. Or it the article was trying to entice me to join some master course that would have me designing or making money by freelancing in no time. 

How To Find Freelance Work With No Work Experience, score 0
https://diigo.com/09fya7

22 free ebooks for designers, score 1
https://diigo.com/09fycw

How to price logo design services, score 1
https://diigo.com/09fycx

Learn a new skill with over 3,000 tech training courses, score 0
https://diigo.com/09fyd0

Infographic below. 

 Posted it bigger to see it in all its glory. 

Collaboration

 I intend to follow my life purpose as you can tell thru what I create, it radiates thru my love of music, art, poetry, story telling, just being able to create in a creative way or fashion. I have collaborated with others before who have shared the same life purpose as mine. I will do that by having an open line of communication and letting others know what my talents are and how we can incorporate that together in projects. 

i create....

Creating the creative

All artists & musicians strive to be creative, in the artwork they create and the music that they make. Sometimes it is easier said then done. As writers have writers block, artists, and musicians can get stuck in a space of non creative quality where nothing can be created or they think is worth saving. Its a forever struggle to stay CREATIVE, to be CREATIVE, and to live creatively. 

One's life purpose isn't always one thing, one idea, one thought, one determination, but many things, thoughts, and wants. Life is made up of many different situations, and life experience's that give you reason to to think it is you what you want. But trust me, I believe many things make up one's life purpose, family, friends, job, pets, and materialistic things for some. Different facets of life give you purpose for different moments of time in your life. You have to live within that moment, to feel your life purpose at that moment of time.

My life purpose of staying creative, and any aspect of design can help me improve my active listening, reflective, and perception checking skills by being able to actively listen to what is being requested for a design. To reflect what the clients wants in the design, by using my understanding of what the client is trying to convey. And with my perception checking skills by taking what I perceive of the request and not checking for clarification with the client to make sure that is what he/she wants.

For me, its a struggle to be a creative person all the time. I love music, especially instrumentals. I love the sound of the grand piano, and hearing it within hip-hop beats helps me create. Hip-hop instrumentals get the creative juices flowing to allow me to visualize my creation. Also, listening to talks of how to strike the nerve of the creator to stimulate creation inspires me. 

My play list is made up of hip-hop instrumentals, talks of being creative and other hip-hop I like to listen to. Enjoy! #ics119

Images

Letters-a-abc-alphabet-literacy

by geralt is licensed under CC0 Public Domain

world_map_typography

by Eckhard Sluiter is licensed under CC by 2.0

This picture is a board I created for my daughter's school where the parents had to pick different ethnicities and we had to do a project on it. This board details the migration of Puerto Rican's to Hawaii. It shows what a Puerto Rican is, what happened that had brought the Puerto Ricanʻs to Hawaiʻi. I also was able to correlate how Puerto Rican's used Spanglish as a language of resistance instead of speaking English as they were taught in school. And the Hawaiian's used pidgin as a language of resistance, also called ʻōlelo Paʻiai when the missionaries taught them English in school. This board also shows my use of typograhy, by using different font, different sizes, and placement. I used a lot of different pictures to display the colorful culture Puerto Ricanʻs have. 

The three photos represent design, and an important element in design, typography. Though it looks as just font, it has to do with a overall foundation of design beneath it all. The placement of font, the size, and different font used is very important in typography. Typography is everywhere we look, on menuʻs , signs, t-shirts, books, next time you look around see how much typography surrounds you. You may be surprised how much you didnʻt realize that its all around you.

#ics119