Casey's Perspective: 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011

BEST MUSIC VIDEO EVER!!! click on it!

Her Morning Elegance.
Click here to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Interesting blog on the decrease of down/self time

What Happened To Downtime? The Extinction Of Deep Thinking And Sacred Space

BY THE 99 PERCENTFri Nov 5, 2010

Interruption-free space is sacred. Yet, in the digital era we live in, we are losing hold of the few sacred spaces that remain untouched by email, the Internet, people, and other forms of distraction. Our cars now have mobile phone integration and a thousand satellite radio stations. When walking from one place to another, we have our devices streaming data from dozens of sources. Even at our bedside, we now have our iPads with heaps of digital apps and the world's information at our fingertips.

There has been much discussion about the value of the "creative pause"--a state described as "the shift from being fully engaged in a creative activity to being passively engaged, or the shift to being disengaged altogether." This phenomenon is the seed of the break-through "a-ha!" moments that people so frequently report having in the shower. In these moments, you are completely isolated, and your mind is able to wander and churn big questions without interruption.

However, despite the incredible power and potential of sacred spaces, they are quickly becoming extinct. We are depriving ourselves of every opportunity for disconnection. And our imaginations suffer the consequences.

Why do we crave distraction over downtime?

Why do we give up our sacred space so easily? Because space is scary. During these temporary voids of distraction, our minds return to the uncertainty and fears that plague all of us. To escape this chasm of self-doubt and unanswered questions, you tune into all of the activity and data for reassurance.

But this desperate need for constant connection and stimulation is not a modern problem. I would argue that we have always sought a state of constant connection from the dawn of time, it's just never been possible until now.

The need to be connected is, in fact, very basic in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the psychological theory that explains the largest and most fundamental human desires. Our need for a sense of belonging comes right after physical safety. We thrive on friendship, family, and the constant affirmation of our existence and relevance. Our self-esteem is largely a product of our interactions with others.

It is now possible to always feel loved and cared for, thanks to the efficiency of our "comment walls" on Facebook and seamless connection with everyone we've ever known. Your confidence and self-esteem can quickly be reassured by checking your number of "followers" on Twitter or the number of "likes" garnered by your photographs and blog posts. The traction you are getting in your projects, or with your business, can now be measured and reported in real time.

Our insatiable need to tune into information--at the expense of savoring our downtime--is a form of "work" (something I call "insecurity work") that we do to reassure ourselves.

So what's the solution? How do we reclaim our sacred spaces?

Soon enough, planes, trains, subways, and, yes, showers will offer the option of staying connected. Knowing that we cannot rely on spaces that force us to unplug to survive much longer, we must be proactive in creating these spaces for ourselves. And when we have a precious opportunity to NOT be connected, we should develop the capacity to use it and protect it.

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I think these are good principles Tony Schwartz came up with to try and live by

Ten Principles To Live By In Fiercely Complex Times

BY FC EXPERT BLOGGER TONY SCHWARTZWed Jul 13, 2011

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

If you're like most people I work with in companies, the demands come at you from every angle, all day long, and you have to make difficult decisions without much time to think about them. What enduring principles can you rely on to make choices that reflect openness, integrity and authenticity?

Here are ten that work for me:

1. Always challenge certainty, especially your own. When you think you're undeniably right, ask yourself "What might I be missing here?" If we could truly figure it all out, what else would there be left to do?

2. Excellence is an unrelenting struggle, but it's also the surest route to enduring satisfaction. Amy Chua, the over-the-top "Tiger Mother," was right that there's no shortcut to excellence. Getting there requires practicing deliberately, delaying gratification, and forever challenging your current comfort zone.

3. Emotions are contagious, so it pays to know what you're feeling. Think of the best boss you ever had. How did he or she make you feel? That's the way you want to make others feel.

4. When in doubt, ask yourself, "How would I behave here at my best?" We know instinctively what it means to do the right thing, even when we're inclined to do the opposite. If you find it impossible, in a challenging moment, to envision how you'd behave at your best, try imagining how someone you admire would respond.

5. If you do what you love, the money may or may not follow, but you'll love what you do. It's magical thinking to assume you'll be rewarded with riches for following your heart. What it will give you is a richer life. If material riches don't follow, and you decide they're important, there's always time for Plan B.

6. You need less than you think you do. All your life, you've been led to believe that more is better, and that whatever you have isn't enough. It's a prescription for disappointment. Instead ask yourself this: How much of what you already have truly adds value in your life? What could you do without?

7. Accept yourself exactly as you are but never stop trying to learn and grow.One without the other just doesn't cut it. The first, by itself, leads to complacency, the second to self-flagellation. The paradoxical trick is to embrace these opposites, using self-acceptance as an antidote to fear and as a cushion in the face of setbacks.

8. Meaning isn't something you discover, it's something you create, one step at a time. Meaning is derived from finding a way to express your unique skills and passion in the service of something larger than yourself. Figuring out how best to contribute is a lifelong challenge, reborn every day.

9. You can't change what you don't notice and not noticing won't make it go away. Each of us has an infinite capacity for self-deception. To avoid pain, we rationalize, minimize, deny, and go numb. The antidote is the willingness to look at yourself with unsparing honesty, and to hold yourself accountable to the person you want to be.

10. When in doubt, take responsibility. It's called being a true adult.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Deadmau5 Concert

On Saturday I went to the Deadmau5 Concert with my lovely friend Zoe. It was Amazing! awesome beats, and rockin' out was just fucking fun! Anyone who hasn't seen them live, definitely should. Here are some pictures from the night.

Florence + The Machine

Florence + The Machine's new album comes out today! its amazing! Must check out!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Emotion Typography: Graphic Design

1) What words did you choose?

Hope and Inspired.
2) What types of lines/colors/shapes/etc. did you use to represent the emotions? Why are they representative of those emotions?

Hope: When I think of hope, I think of something to look forward to or up to. (something better in the future). Thus I made the bottom look like chaos through destructive/blotchy type lines. Then I used upward moving lines to represent the uplifting effect of being hopeful. Thirdly I made the final HOPE huge and the highest point of the picture because hope is not a tangalble thing it is something one is "hopeful" for, thus somewhat "out of reach". Hope is a state of mind, but it is extremely powerful; therefore, I made it completely overarching the picture as a representation of this powerful idea over the chaos of life.

INSPIRED: For the emotion Inspired I used a circular motion ( like a faris Wheel) because people get inspired from anything around them. I naturally think of a circle because people's ideas and inspirations are circular. People can be inspired by many factors (family, background, friendships, school, ect) thus inspirations are constantly around; never leaving a person's mind. A circle never ends just as inspirations never end for people.

3) What new tricks or tools did you use when making these designs?

I learned how to use the type path tool, drop shadow, and warp/blend tools.

4) How can you use this experience of capturing emotion through line types in your future designs?

In future designs, such as quote designs, I will use emotional lines to represent the concept or idea I am trying to convey.