Rainer Maria Rilke

"You are looking outward, and that above all you should not do now. Nobody can counsel and help you, nobody. There is only one single way. Go into yourself. Search for the reason that bids you to write; find out whether it is spreading out its roots in the deepest places of your heart, acknowledge to yourself whether you would have to die if it were denied you to write. This above all- ask yourself in the stillest hour of your night: must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative, if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple "I must," then build your life according to this necessity; your life even into its most indifferent and slightest hour must be a sign of this urge and a testimony to it. Then draw near to Nature. Then try, like some first human being, to say what you see and experience and love and lose."

-Letters to a Young Poet




This book was given to me for my high school graduation by one of my favorite teachers and now, a good friend. She inspired me to read more of Rilke and Salinger. I read all of Salinger's books one summer and highly recommend them. I'm just getting into more of Rilke's poetry, but he is amazing and very insightful. He lived in poverty for most of his life, but his life shows his dedication to his writing. He really believes in creating and working toward this purpose no matter what. I read this book in 2006, but I frequently find myself coming back to it. It is full of inspiration and encouragement to any artist (not just a poet). This particular quote has been on my mind for several days, so I wanted to share.

Tomar Hanuka

Tomar Hanuka is an illustrator/cartoonist lives in New York City and teaches at the School of Visual Arts. I like his awareness of composition and color.

Midnight rant

I am in the mood to paint. It's 11:45, and the rest of my family is asleep. My sister got $100 to take care of a dog, a Pekingese I think, and the small gray dog currently lives in our kitchen this week. I usually like dogs, but this one gets on my nerves sometimes. We have to be quiet around it at night and in the mornings or it will bark and want out of it's cage. He stinks and he's kind of stupid. I say that because it's the kind of dog that when you fake throw when playing fetch, it believes you. He also tried to eat my socks today.

So bottom line, I can't really start painting now. All my acrylics are still in my car and I can't get them because I can't disturb the dog. I can't even have a midnight cup of tea.

I want to move somewhere else. This whole year, actually, I've had the urge to go somewhere far away. If I can't move, I want to just up and go. But this takes money and courage, and both are hard to come by for me sometimes. I had the chance earlier this summer to go to California for a week for only $150. I wouldn't have to pay for a room, and food wouldn't be much. I could've seen Yosemite and the plane ticket one way was $150, and I could ride back cross-country with friends.

Why didn't I? My Mom said no. She said money was really tight and I needed it for school. Usually I would agree, but this was something I wanted to do, and when would I ever get the chance to do it again for this amount? I've got to travel more while I'm young. I wish I had gone. I wish I didn't listen and bought the ticket when it was low. I'm almost 21 and capable of making my own decisions, especially when it comes to my own money and life is too short to worry. I won't let it pass me by like this.

Picasso's light drawings

You know how everyone enjoys getting a camera and going crazy drawing their name or a stupid giraffe or something? Well, Picasso does it better than you...

Stina Persson

This illustrator is based in Stockholm, Sweden and has art featured in New York galleries and has done work for prestigious products and magazines worldwide including Coca Cola, Absolut Vodka, Godiva Chocolatier, Sony Music, Blue Note Records, Atlantic Records, Macy’s Department Store, Bloomingdale’s, UNIQLO, American Eagle Outfitters, Volvo Japan, Björn Borg Clothing, DKNY, Face Boutique, Iben Høj Clothing, Target, Vogue Nippon, Harper's Bazaar, Flaunt, Elle UK, Marie Claire, Madame, Madame Figaro, Nylon Magazine, and Squint.

Her work is very impressive, simplistic, and intriguing. I can see that it draws from many different inspirations and I love how her contemporary look in fine art is combined in modern packaging and advertising.

In an interview with , the question is asked from where Perrson gets her inspiration. She gives a list of answers: "Thrift shops, flea markets, travels, foreign supermarkets, my children's never ending imagination, color, fashion magazines, organic shapes and things found in nature, plastic kitchen utensils from the 60's and 70's, movies from the 50's, 60's and 70's, Wong Kar-Wai's movies, anything Hitchcock, Paul Rand, Reid Miles and his Blue Note covers, Enzo Sellerio (Sicilian photograper), old magazines, Swedish summers in the countryside, garage sales, Tove Jansson and Moomin, Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking, fashion photography by Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unwerth, Paolo Roversi to name a few, Japan, the Italian language, good food and red wine with my husband and friends while listening to Keren Ann, Jorge Ben, Feist and Nouvelle Vague."

Also asked during this interview, her favorite designers and artists are: "My illustrator friend's Sara Singh, Tina Berning and Cecilia Carlstedt are a great inspirations. Maija Isola and her work for FInnish Marimekko. The early illustrations by Andy Warhol. My teacher Meri Bourgard is one of my favorite artists together with Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Alberto Giacometti, Rene Gruau and Jenny Seville."

Here is some of her work shown in ads and packaging:



I love this Godiva ad. It reminds me of Art Nouveau:



And this stream of ads for Nike is pretty tight too:




She also made the cover of Print magazine:





To see her portfolio, look at her site. I especially love the watercolours.

New President of AIGA

I finished reading The Great Gatsby today. I've always particularly liked the cover. I don't know why.

I've really wanted to keep up with this blog more. What have I been doing this Summer so far? I just finished my internship at Locke Design. That was great. I was honestly dreading the whole internship process. It's been on my mind for the past 2 years- finding a place, getting my portfolio together, interviewing, actually working with them and having someone else tell me their outside opinion on how I design. I didn't want to do it. To be very honest, the thought entered my mind of dropping out of this concentration just to avoid the internship.

I am learning to not give up on things just because of some small obstacle that I make out to be a mountain. It's really stupid and I should do more of the things that I am afraid to try or think I will fail at. Life is too short for unreasonable fears.

I had a great time at Locke Design. I got up and worked 9-5 everyday. I had morning coffee and worked through lunch on some occasions. I liked designing. I got a real sense of it and how my skills can be put into practice in the so-called real world. I learned a lot and I met some great people. It was a good experience that taught me that I need to be more open to things and not so afraid.

I only stayed for 3 weeks because the internship didn't pay, and I need money for next year, especially since the school made us pay for the internship credits this year. Sometimes I wish that the art department was its own separate school. It wouldn't be so greedy for money in tight times to spend frivolously on things such as hideous fountains or gaudy medallions.

I am currently taking a couple weeks off before returning to work at the Olive Garden. I want to use this time to paint and gather myself again. I got really burned out this past semester, so even painting is coming a bit slow. I am staying with Diana, one of the most awesome people I know. She styled my hair today in a mohawk. And I went out in public. Check it: