Landor 110: Day 6 - emo edition

Confession time: I was a total grumpy bunny on Day 6. A combination of personal stuff and a case of the Mondays made for a super-emo 110.

Oh me, oh my, I'm all alone! Thanks for indulging my angsty feelings. Not sure why I thought of "solidarity" as a word, seeing as how it means to be united. I guess the solo and I parts appealed to my nature.

Sketch:























Word:

 






















Photo:

One of my favorite grumpy-cures is yoga. I happened to be wearing fun colors, and an upside down view of Pigeon Pose actually looks pretty neat. This is definitely one of my favorite shots from the entire series.



















Color:


Landor 110: Day 5

Saturday at 1.10 pm I was in the midst of the OTR Field Day, with friends in teams of four doing silly, fun, relay games. Quick, quick!

Sketch: 

























Word:























Photo:























Color:
 





















This has been such a fun experiment. I hope you've enjoyed my random thoughts and feelings at 1.10 as much as I've enjoyed creating them. Only 2 days left!

Landor 110: Day 2 (1am edition)

I missed the afternoon 1.10 so I set my alarm this morning for 1.10 am...

I awoke and sketched for approximately 2 minutes. Apparently I was having some strange dreams. Don't judge my subconscious!


Sketch: Magenta from Rocky Horror (or maybe Lady Gaga?) wheeling a dolly full of suitcases






Word: Apparently my emotion at the time...















Photo: 




Color:

Red, the color of Magenta's hair, who I was dreaming about (watched Rocky Horror Picture Show last night before bed)

Landor 110: Day 1

My buddy Micah has teamed up with local branding and creative rockstars Landor Associates to allow some Cincinnati creatives to chance to let their juices flow.

I'm participating in this social experiment, called Landor 110. Every day (or night) at 1.10 pm (or am), I have four tasks that will express what I'm feeling, thinking, doing in that moment:

Sketch, Write a Word, Take a Photo, Pick a Color. Pretty easy, I guess. It's 8 days long, and I'll be cataloging my entries here as well as on Twitter. Eventually all of these thoughts and emotions will be displayed for all to see at the Landor Studios.

So. Here we go.

Day 1 - I'm feeling a little sicky today, but overwhelmingly grateful for a great job and co-workers, a pretty view of 6th street, and all the fun things I get to do with my life.

Sketch






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Color

Oh Hey There, Henry

My kittens are ridiculous. I'm pretty certain they are a new hybrid of puppy-cat. They eat lettuce, chew up shoes, and chase their tails.

Henry in particular really enjoys hiding under small spaces and peeking out from under them. His expression says, "oh hey there, what's up?"

 

 

Oh hey there, Henry.


 
weirdo.

 

Lady peeks out from things as well. 

I just found out I'll be interviewing with a prestigious design firm in Washington D.C. next week. I'm super excited and nervous all in one. Cincinnati, you know I don't want to leave you. I've stayed around when it wasn't convenient, always coming back and telling everyone how awesome you are. 

I've given you as much as I can, Cincy. I've gotta go where I'm wanted, even if in some ways it breaks my heart.



Library Cafe

I had a great day at TedxCincy, but a whole day at the conference means I neglected my Google Reader all day. Blasting through 150+ articles, and this gem from Fast Company Design grabbed me.

D'Espresso, a cafe in New York City, is opening a new location close to the public library. Designed by Nema Workshop, it looks like a library gone wonky... literally flipped on its side.

 notmypitchers

The books are actually glazed tiles printed with photos of books taken at a travel store. Clearly I'm a huge fan of libraries, and the way the design forces its inhabitants to consider their perspective is great. Yeah, it's a gimmick... but this time, it really works. Apparently he's going to do more, which I think could get a little tired after a while. But who knows... sometimes novelty can be done right. 

My other favorite detail about this project is the "baseboard" trim that can be seen in the first picture between the herringbone wood "floor" and the bookshelf "wall." Details like that really kick the design up a notch!




What Have You Been Doing Lately?

September has been a happy, busy month for me. The hot days have gradually turned into cool nights, and I am keeping plenty busy between two jobs, writing, job searching, and experiencing all the neat things Cincinnati has to offer. 


 

The RecycleBank bins have finally arrived on my street!! I have signed up and can't wait until I start cashing in my recyclables for sweet stuff. It's awesome to have the huge bins, and I really like that everybody keeps them outside. Being the recycle nerd I am, I'll sometimes pick recyclables up off the street and now instead of carrying it home, I can toss it in someone else's bin. 



PARK(ing) Day 2010 came and went, and I got to spend a day hanging outside with the good peeps of downtown. This year we included real sod, and people were surprised and excited that I was chilling out on real grass! 



Many of my friends have moved away from Cincinnati since graduation, but the few of us that remain still get together occasionally for Sunday Night Dinners. I got to host one in my new apartment - complete  with a kitchen table! - and made crazy awesome Oktoberfest inspired food.


 A dear friend from high school moved away after graduation to Portland Oregon, and now 5 years later she's back, got married and moving with her beloved to Pittsburgh. A beautiful wedding for a beautiful bride!


 

Lastly but not leastly I got to volunteer with ArtsWave's Paint the Street event this past Sunday. Over a thousand people showed up to beautify a section of Over the Rhine, and it made me bubble over with joy... I was seriously smiling all day! I carried paint, made sandwiches, and took lots and lots of pictures of this sweet experience. I couldn't believe how many people came together and how awesome it all looked when it was finished. Not only did this act of beauty affect the people who were working on it, but the entire neighborhood swelled with excitement and energy. Just another sign of the heartbeat of my fantastic neighborhood. 

ScanPan!!

I am gradually getting settled in to my own little apartment, but after having lived with 6 girls for three years, I did not start out with much in the way of apartment furnishings.


I got super lucky with my social network, and managed to collect several furniture pieces (futon, chairs, tables, bookcase, kitchen cart) for very little cost through my friends on Twitter. 

A few weeks ago, I even got a free cooking pan! Savor the Thyme gave away a free ScanPan, which is a Danish cookware company. They have invented a new type of non-stick cookware that is completely PFOA free - aka no nonstick/Teflon gross chemicals trickling into your food and raising your cholesterol. 

I'm an aspiring cook - my roomie once told me she didn't think I could make anything to eat with less than 3 ingredients (she's pretty much right) and so I was STOKED to get an awesome new pan to use. 2 weeks later, and let me tell you what, this is a great pan. It's made out of recycled cast aluminum, which heats evenly and is hey, recycled! Double win.

I initiated the pan with a simple enough task - caramelizing some veggies for a fancy grilled cheese (see, more than three ingredients!) and the pan did a great job. It's also stood up to eggs, gravy, and several other tasks. Check it out!


ready for action!

onions and shrooms are looking good.

mmmmm....

transferred veggies to a sandwich...

finished product!

SuperYUM, FTW!

So You Want to Create A recycleDbin...

Today is your lucky day!



I am teaching a demonstration at the makerspace Hive13 tonight. Located at 2929 Spring Grove Avenue in the Anchor Building, Hive13 is a workspace that allows for creativity and creation in 3500 square feet of work room. Take things apart, put them back together, mash them up, see what happens... it's a great opportunity to get your hands dirty and come away with something awesome.

Myself and my plastic bags will be headed there to demonstrate the awesomeness of ironing plastic together to make something new. If you want to come by, bring an iron and some bags, and you can learn the joy... and maybe help contribute to Park+Vine's new space!



7pm. 2929 Spring Grove Avenue. Be there!!

Energy Game

I started a new position at the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance at the beginning of August, and since then, energy efficiency has been on my mind quite a bit. This new job coupled with my new apartment (and subsequent new Duke Energy bill) has really given me pause as to how I use energy in my new abode.

For me right now energy efficiency is mostly about saving money, but in the long run, it's also about reducing my carbon footprint. The majority of electricity in Ohio is generated by burning coal, which is not so great.

I was super lucky to have moved at the end of August, and with the exception of a few warm days last week the climate inside the apartment has been really pleasant for myself and the kittens. I leave the windows open all the time (with screens in, so my kamikaze kittens don't fall to their deaths) and use the ceiling fans.

(image from Good.is - shows how much energy devices use in standby mode/plugged in)


Right now, I have a grand total of 4 items in my place plugged in: the fridge, my bedside clock, and two surge protectors (one that is always plugged in that houses the internet connection, the other housing a lamp and my laptop charger that will be turned off after I'm done for the evening.)

My challenge to myself (and to you!) - how cognicent can I be about my energy usage? It's so easy to leave stuff plugged in, but even if a gadget (even a cell phone charger!) isn't being used, if it's plugged in it will still draw energy out. Which blows, both for my wallet and for the planet.

There are some things (like my desktop computer setup) that I really don't want to unplug, so I've connected all those outlets to a surge protector, and when the protector is turned off it doesn't draw energy. Voila.

I'm going to start this month and see how low I can keep my energy bill. Of course, the course may change once winter comes along!

I'm a Big Girl Now


My possessions in the house I've lived in for the last 3 years has been gradually boxed up over the last month. Teal and tan walls will be the only reminder that I occupied the space, and they'll be painted over during the weekend. It's bittersweet, but I'm ready to move forward.

In the fall of 2007 5 of my friends and I eagerly moved into the brick house above the tuxedo shop, certain that we were going to have the best time ever. We definitely had a pretty great time, but it was not without bumps along the way.



3 years later there have been 12 different girls who have lived with me. I've learned a lot about conflict resolution, sharing spaces, washing dishes, and learning to live with and love a wide variety of personalities - from loud, boisterous and random to quiet, reserved and shy. These girls have all helped shape me, and I'll definitely miss fun nights camped out watching trash tv and eating brownies, or 'family dinners' gathered around the table eating tons of delicious food.

There's something to be said for living with other people, especially a LOT of other people. My college experience was so much richer because of my roomies, and I highly recommend the experience to others.It definitely pushes you outside your comfort zone.

However, it's time to move on. Time to move (literally) forward - to my own place, with my own bills, own dishes, own responsibilities.

I've never lived on my own before. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited to get to know my new neighborhood and neighbors more intimately, and carve out my own 3-room niche to relax, create, and live.

It's been fun, Tux DeLuxe.

Moving on Up...

My transformation from DAAP kid to grown up (whatever that means) continues to march forward, slowly but surely. The lease to the house I've resided in for the last 3 years expires September 1st.  That's 34 days. By that time I will have left the world of Clifton Heights, with its Tuesday night parties til 4 in the morning, student housing, and sharing a refrigerator with 3 other people.

Yes. I am going to have my OWN refrigerator!! And not only that, but my own refrigerator (along with my own rest of an apartment) is located on my favorite street in Cincinnati, in my favorite neighborhood in Cincinnati.

I am moving to Over the Rhine!


thanks ifmuth for a GREAT photo!

I'm just a little bit excited. Not only am I moving to an area that is easily bikeable and walkable, but on my new street alone I know 4 people that live there. Last night I attended a Safety Sector meeting for the part of OTR I am moving to, and 40 people came to the meeting. I was surrounded by friends and new neighbors, and the energy and excitement I felt surging through the room confirmed my decision all the more. I am moving to a community. Where I know people. And they know me. Amazing.

 thanks taestell for a GREAT photo!

The sustainable side of me is also excited. Having stayed in one place for three years (granted, it's been a new room each time...), I've accumulated stuff that I am ready to purge. I only want to have possessions in my life that I truly need, want and appreciate.

That being said, I don't have a lot. I have bedroom furniture and a metal kitchen rack... and that's pretty much it. I will be hopefully be getting some hand me down appliances, dishware and the like from my grandparents who need to purge some stuff from their house. And of course there will be the obligatory trips to Goodwill, antique stores, and IKEA...

But this is where you come in! You, yes YOU, dear reader, can be sustainable as well. Are there household goods or furniture lying around that you just can't quite commit to donating or throwing out? Have you been eying that new Le Crueset pan that you would LOVE to have, except that you already have a pan that works just as well? Take the guilt off your chest, and give that stuff you don't want... to me!

It's a win win situation for everyone. I can't wait to upcycle old (perhaps ugly) furniture and make it into something beautiful. DesignSponge does an amazing job of posting before and after shots of crafty people who see possibility in old worn out furniture. See?




I'll be keeping you updated on my new apartment transformation. If you have old furniture or other household goods you'd love to get off your hands and into my new place, email me (JenLKessler (at) gmail (dot) com) or get at me on Twitter.

Google Reader - get inspired: DESIGN


I love Google Reader. There. I said it. I wouldn't say I'm addicted, but with over 60 subscriptions to interesting blogs and websites all over the web, I can't help but get inspired in my personal and design life. I love it because it keeps me up to date on what's going on, it inspires me, and I can share things I like with friends and collegeagues (and they with me!)

What is it, you ask? Google Reader is an RSS feed streamer that pulls new content from all your favorite blogs and websites that update (like mine!) and puts them chronologically into one place, so you don't have to go looking for new content. You can share posts you like with friends, and tag specific posts for reference later. The best part: anyone with a Google/Gmail account has access!

You should check out my Google Reader - what's more amazing than sweet links and a sea creature header?

Every once in a while I want to share things that inspire me, make me think, or make me laugh. I keep a lot of different labels with posts I like and want to remember.

Today, it's all about DESIGN:

Wood Floors Made From Wine Barrels (via Boing Boing)


 Fontenay Woods rolled out a new flooring line that utilizes wine barrels. They use the outsides of the barrels with distinctive markings as well as the insides which have different color tones from the wine.

LOVE IT.

Boing Boing is kind of a geeky Tumblr for those of us who don't have the time to create or maintain a Tumblr. They post a LOT, but every once in a while they'll turn up something (like this) that is really awesome. Also, they have the market on viral videos - so I'm always first to know about the next funny thing. Also, one of the main heads of BoingBoing, Cory Doctorow came, and spoke at they HYPE Cincinnati Bold Fusion thing I attended. He's pretty cool.


Pigeon Toe Ceramics Spring 2010 (via Cool Hunting)


There's a company in Portland that makes ceramics with local clay, and fires them using wind and solar energy. They're local, green, and use a gorgeous clean aesthetic that I love.

I have a special spot in my heart for Mason jars (we did a lot of canning when I was younger), and so I got pretty excited when I saw these turn up!

Cool Hunting keeps track of up and coming trends in fashion, design, food, art, architecture and more across the globe. It amazes me the awesome things they dig up!

Modern Art Movements to Inspire Your Logo Designs (via Smashing Magazine)

Smashing Mag is great because they post tons of tutorials and incredibly detailed write ups on various aspects of web design. I'm not a web developer, so I skip the posts that extrapolate about CSS and the like, but they also do informative posts that help me kick start my thinking by posting lots and lots of great examples. Like this:

Art Noveau logo styles



Art Deco logo styles



Look around, be informed, get inspired!

Some Good Advice

I've been graduated for almost 6 weeks. Crazy, huh? Between several part time gigs and free lance opportunities, writing, and the Big Job Search, I've definitely been keeping busy.

Objective #1 has been to find myself some sort of gainful employment that, in theory, gives me new experiences and helps to develop and hone my skills. Oh yeah... and pays dem bills. Kittens aren't cheap!

I'm currently doing some design rendering work for a well known laminate company in the area. Add in a few other part time opportunities doing research and graphic design for some friends and their companies, and that adds up to enough income to squeak by.



Objective #2 is obviously one of those Big Girl Jobs. So far it's 0 for 3, but each "we'll keep your resume for future reference" email adds another layer to my resolve. I know it's going to take a while. In the mean time, I saw this video collaboration from a handful of some of America's most creative thinkers and individuals.

"If I knew Then What I Know Now: Advice for Young Creatives"


If I Knew Then What I Know Now: Advice for Young Creatives from 99% on Vimeo.


The 99 percent project brings articles and inspiration to creatives from all over the web. Some of the advice in the video  (for those of you not waiting around to watch it) includes:

* The job is not about you. It's about the ideas, the client.
* Don't try to fit in - be brave, and find the right people to collaborate with
* Keep working.
* Go out and find something that matters.

And my favorite... "Find your own voice, and know your self, what you're passionate about."

It's really encouraging to hear advice from people who've been in my position and are now doing awesome, incredible projects.

Eco-Friendly Kitties

With graduation and the current job search/ cobbling together of random part time work to pay rent, I'm feeling a little aimless and afloat until permanent employment settles me. Last week I heard about some kittens that were going to be sent to a shelter unless someone took them in. After working hard to try and find them homes, I decided to go have a look. Of course, after one glance my heart melted, and Lady Bird Johnson and William Henry Harrison packed up and came home with me as a source of stability in my life.

(b/w is Henry; black is Lady)

My research for the best kitten supplies led me to Pet Wants: The Urban Feed Market. Pet Wants recently located in the north end of Findlay Market, and they specialize in locally made pet food and distributed pet supplies. The moment I walked in the store (with Henry and Lady in hand) the owners behind the counter were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable with my needs. 

I was able to purchase some locally made kitten feed, and they also carry the only approved compostable litter!! You KNOW I was excited about that!

Swheat Scoop is the only litter on the market that's certified flushable in sewer or septic systems by the SGS US Testing Company. It's wheat based instead of silica or clay, and is better for kitty's health, and you don't have to toss it away after it's used. AND when it's time to change, it can go straight into the compost pile! This works out perfectly for me as I was in need of some paper based product to balance out the food component to my compost bin. 


hey, they seem to like it...

Next time you're down at Findlay Market, stop by Pet Wants and say hi. They carry local dog and cat food and jerky, as well as tons of great options for supplies. If they don't have it, they'll order it!

Diary of a DAAP Kid: A New Beginning

I suppose that I am no longer a DAAP Kid. I have officially graduated from UC, and now the real fun begins. The choices that I make put me on a path that dictates the next few years of my life. It's a little bit of pressure, and I am glad that I have the opportunity to slow down and take a breath before jumping in head first to a full time job.

I have enough to fill my days, between small consulting jobs for friends and acquaintances in the area, to a few part time positions to pay the bills. In between these things is the crux of the matter: the full time job hunt. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't nervous about landing a job. Fortunately, I'm prepared to flood the companies with awesomeness, and confident that the right position will line up when it's time.

There may no longer be new Diary of a DAAP Kid entries, but I'm not going anywhere. Here's to the rest of this crazy ride!

Diary of a DAAP Kid: Critique

My heart begins to pound, and I take a deep breath as I survey the three well dressed men sitting before me. I have been up for over 24 hours straight, following a seemingly never ending week of sleepless nights and longer days, as I have worked and worked to finish my final presentation.



I have explained my project a hundred times to everyone from my grandmother to former employers, and now I glide through my talking points as the representatives from SOM, Miami University and FRCH stare impassively  at my (thus far) life's work mounted before them on foamcore panels.



There is no expression on their faces, and my mind immediately begins racing: "am I talking too much? Have I not said enough? Do they get what I'm trying to do?" I explain the background of the project, the site and its history, the design and its connection to the neighborhood, and then walk them verbally through the space. There is nothing more. Now I wait for their judgement.



This is critique. A panel of professionals in the field are introduced to your project and then objectively survey your work, telling you the good, bad and ugly of what you have tried to accomplish and how it could be better. They are nerve wracking times, and many a DAAPer has been reduced to tears (this one included... only once!) after a verbal dressing down from a panelist.



I am an emotional person, and I wear my heart on my sleeve. It has taken me many years to divorce my self worth from my design projects. "They are not talking about YOU. They are talking about your project. Calm down." Today the sleep and stress has caught up with me, and I take deep breaths as the man from SOM wonders aloud about my materials palette and whether or not I should have considered digital media in my intentionally analog library.

The critique is not meant to wear the student down, or harangue them about what they did or didn't do. The point is to hear outside opinions and gain new perspective in order to improve one's project. These reviews have happened at least twice a quarter for the duration of this project, and each person's opinion has helped to shape my design for the better.

Today is different. Today there is nothing more (in theory) to be done with this project. This is it. I stand back and look at my physical model, my 15 foot printed poster before me. Hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours poured into this project for a half-hour's worth of words and opinion. Is it worth it? I look at my work, and I am proud.

Yes. Yes, it is.