overheard words, spiced with culture

...I sat there once, eating ice cream."

{You should just buy a house and call it your Christmas House...}

"Oh, look at this fudge shop!
"Let's go to the fudge shop!"
"I know!"
"Fudge shop, now!"
......................................................................................

Ye Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe: a small wine store that provides small tastings with big ambiance.

I'm sure you can imagine...

Whoever invented chalk certainly did not have this in mind."

(for the background story behind these articles, click here)

an interesting story or just a door?

[originally published July 9, 2009]

Inspect the door in the photograph, discover its intricacies, and consider...how many times has this door been opened/closed, who constructed the door, who created the elaborate door knob, how many pedestrians has this door seen walk past it? Think about the possibilities, realistic or ridiculous.



The subject of this photograph is a simple door in Harpers Ferry, WV; the basic function of a door is something familiar to all of us. But this exercise isn't about a door, it's about the "what ifs" behind an object. We go through life allowing most of what we see to pass through our brains as quickly as a single exhaled puff of cigarette smoke fades into its surroundings. It's a natural reaction, we can't truly look at everything we pass by in a given day. But what could we discover if we took a moment to experience just one random observation?

The purpose of the building that this door belongs to is unfortunately lost in the recesses of my memory. Fortunately, an object as weathered as this one has many stories to tell, even if they are fiction."

fifty-two {a study of words and their meanings}

Although I've started a series of posts about interesting words and their definitions called "typographic paint", I want to revive a previous idea I had in regards to words and their definitions. So, I give you..."fifty-two {a study of words and their meanings}".

I'm still going to draw the words...or maybe use collage...and possibly found letters, in order to convey their definitions. Each handmade treatment will support the word's definition while providing a bit of contrast between digital type and a sense of humanity. Every week a new image and hopefully, a new understanding of how letters communicate.

...{first word coming February 2010}...

I'm sure you can imagine...

See what happens when I sit still?

(for the background story behind these articles, click here)

think outside QWERTY

I recently watched a video of an artist painting a portrait while listening to the subject's music, moving the brush according to the tempo of the music (view the video). It was fascinating; that exercise represents what it means to be an artist. Of course, I'm not going to sit down and write an article about Hendrix while listening to his guitar solos. But, the article did get me thinking about how alternative methods can help writers create successful and unique work. So in that spirit, let's start with what most writers are familiar with: typing.

What's wrong with typing words?

My advice: don't do it...not all the time anyway. Writing by hand is liberating; the scribbles, scratched-out words, arrows, lines, consider it a nude thought process, not in an exhibitionist way but in an unconstrained way. Writing by hand makes the process more personal, it's a creative investigation that is more dynamic than hitting the backspace key or quickly applying a bold weight to certain words.

Is that not enough? Not convinced? Let me take the handmade notion one step farther.

Draw your letters. That may sound ridiculous in the digital age but imagine expressing your thoughts beyond a simple choice between two synonyms. A 't' can really support the word 'tree' if the serifs flourish into leaves...or maybe, the main stroke has a tree bark texture to it. Ok, I admit this approach is more for poets and creative writers than copywriters and technical writers but the exercise is still a liberating study that allows the mind to look at a subject from a different angle (something that all writers, regardless of career path, can benefit from).

I see there are some of you still shaking your heads, first left, then right, then left again....ok, I get the point, you need more.

Create a narrative with photography. Don't write with words...get out of the studio (or whatever you call your work space) and take pictures that represent what you're trying to say. And notes are off limits! The whole point of this exercise is to think about your subject in an unrestricted capacity. Once you have a collection of images that you feel provide a decent narrative, go back to the studio, print the pictures, and lay them out on your desk. Start writing but use the pictures as your inspiration; get creative, be bold.

While I consider these suggestions great ideas, I encourage anyone interested in writing to generate their own unique methods; the more personal the approach, the better the writing will be. The whole point is to move you away from the keyboard, to remove you from routine and place you within a rich thought process. Writing is structured thinking; if you broaden your thinking, you will certainly broaden your chances of creating successful work."

"I'm sure you can imagine...

Far be it from me to stop inspiration.

(for the background story behind these articles, click here)

an interesting story or just a door?

Inspect the door in the photograph, discover its intricacies, and consider...how many times has this door been opened/closed, who constructed the door, who created the elaborate door knob, how many pedestrians has this door seen walk past it? Think about the possibilities, realistic or ridiculous.



The subject of this photograph is a simple door in Harpers Ferry, WV; the basic function of a door is something familiar to all of us. But this exercise isn't about a door, it's about the "what ifs" behind an object. We go through life allowing most of what we see to pass through our brains as quickly as a single exhaled puff of cigarette smoke fades into its surroundings. It's a natural reaction, we can't truly look at everything we pass by in a given day. But what could we discover if we took a moment to experience just one random observation?

The purpose of the building that this door belongs to is unfortunately lost in the recesses of my memory. Fortunately, an object as weathered as this one has many stories to tell, even if they are fiction."

The Camel and Monarch...

"...intermittent; familiar; connections in smoking words..."

This was my submission to a "six word novel" challenge in Ficly. Although I'm no stranger to creative writing, this type of exercise was certainly nothing short of challenging. This type of work, assuming you're able to produce something you feel is solid, always generates a real sense of accomplishment despite the handful of words that constitute the achievement.

"I'm sure you can imagine..."

"...I'm a work in progress."

(for the background story behind these articles, click here)

"I'm sure you can imagine..."

I don’t remember where I found this picture (I didn’t shoot the photograph) but I’m glad I kept it because it’s become an interesting aspect of my journal.

What I do is visit this journal page at random moments and write a phrase (typically one sentence) that describes what could be bouncing around in the elephant’s mind due to the colorful make-over. The sentence could be the elephant’s literal opinion about the situation or it could describe how the elephant became a canvas. When I glued the photo into my journal, I didn’t have this creative excercise in mind but like most creative activities, it turned into something on its own.

As you might guess, this series of blog posts is about those phrases, published. Each phrase will be displayed underneath the photo, in bold and using a serif typeface.



“…it was either this or a hat.”

So when you see this photograph, or the title “I’m sure you can imagine…”, brace yourself for insight into one elephant’s mind!

{photograph used from a magazine, please assign all necessary copyrights to the respective artist}

letters + art = an interesting grocery list

The next time you pick up a pen to write a random list or an address, consider this: words are both visual and literary art.

We use words to communicate through books, websites, and other publications; at the same time the letters used to compose the words are forms, or shapes, that have been carefully crafted to provide visual meaning. Taken a step farther, typography (or the study and design of letters) allows each letter to be whatever it needs to be...conservative, abstract, legible, dramatic...for signs, letterheads, graffiti, book covers, etc. We take words for granted because we see them and use them effortlessly in our daily routines. But the potential for words goes far beyond asking for a favor or clarifying the price of a retail item. Words are at the foundation of so much; movies, music, humanitarian efforts, etc all owe some (or all) of their success to words and their ability to be used in various ways.

But what if we did give our words a few moments consideration when jotting down those miscellaneous bits of typographic detritus? I'm not referring to picking and choosing your words more carefully (although that is a good habit to get into); I mean, consider their shapes, the way they look, how they interact with each other. Instead of writing "1234 Main St" using your personal handwriting, have fun with it. Make crazy shapes, flourishes, scribbles that look more like abstract art than an attempt to cover up an accident. Imagine you're a kid again, having fun with a coloring book but using all the wrong colors. See what happens. I'd be willing to bet that if you did this on a regular basis, you'd see words as more than just a functional visual gesture; your ability to interpret words in new ways could inspire you to communicate more creatively.

{...perhaps this year's holiday cards will have hand-written typography that is tailored to that friend or family member's personality? Or perhaps all the "A's" will look like pine trees. You're only limited by your imagination!}

Consider a note that a child makes in art class for their parent, the kind of note that is stuck to the fridge the minute the parent sees the abstract art waving in the air. Although a child doesn't necessarily have perfect handwriting, they also don't have the limitations that we, as adults, place upon ourselves. We're so caught up in getting our thoughts down on paper, for whatever reason, that we forget to have fun. We forget that life isn't about lists, errands, or "professional correspondence with the intent of bringing about new employment opportunities". Life is about, among other things, using our minds to their fullest potential. Our brains, believe it or not, are not robotic...even though that may feel more comfortable than trying something new.


Doodling isn't for everybody...but neither is taking copious notes about your daily responsibilities or creating a mess of illegible lines because you just want to get your thoughts on paper before you leave the house. Give creative letter and word forms a chance, just to see what happens. Slow down your routine for a few moments and have fun with your "t's" or your "r's". Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired; at the very least, you won't be bored jotting down your grocery list!

found fun

...sell individual journals of drawings, random writing, and miscellaneous creativity (each journal should be created over several months)
...create a zine that, after read and enjoyed as a zine, can unfold into a large piece of art for a frame
...write a poem or piece of prose, then draw the letters/writing onto a large canvas
...create the lines of a large mixed media drawing by poking holes in the paper, canvas, etc
...paint with espresso, red wine, dirt, and/or grass stains

Why am I revealing my ideas for future work? Aren't I sort of "giving away secrets"? Ha! Of course not. First, I will always have more ideas. But what's more important than more ideas is the notion that someone else has the same ideas.

Let me take a step back for a moment. Rarely are there ideas in art that are original; most art is usually inspired by something that came before it...at which point, the work attempts to take on a different perspective in a unique way. That's the best we can do as artists. So why am I sharing my ideas? Because these ideas have probably entered someone's mind at one point or another and have probably been created as artwork at one time or another. In other words, they're probably not new.

[the point]

The only thing more interesting than a good idea is to see all the ways in which multiple people communicate that one idea.

So I say to all of you, take these ideas and create your own art! Regardless of whether you're a professional artist or a hobbyist that dabbles with "paint-by-numbers", give these ideas a shot. See what happens. If you want, send me an image of your creation and I'll post it in abstractLatte (giving you full credit of course).

At the very least, you'll have fun so enjoy your creativity!

Detour: a Moleskine project

Fascinated by journals and their many functions? Maybe you're a Moleskine fan? Do you like creative collaborations? Then you need to check out "Detour" (http://www.moleskine.com//events/detour/)...



I'll be honest, there is a lot of work displayed but the time spent browsing is worth it. Yes, there are images of journals but there are also videos that show the respective artists flipping through their Moleskines; it's a nice perspective to have when trying to make a connection to the artist and their work. The Detour project also supports the non-profit foundation lettera27.

This site is definitely bookmark-worthy; check it out at http://www.moleskine.com//events/detour/. Perhaps it will make you think twice the next time you pass a Moleskine journal in your local bookstore.

fifty-two {a study in words and their meanings}

I thought about publishing a new word and its definition every day but reality forced me to understand that won't happen, especially if I'm out of town. Then I thought about every week, which is when I realized that anyone could pick up a dictionary and look up a word anytime they wanted to, without ever having to read my word posts.

That's when it hit me...fifty-two {a study in words and their meanings}...my committment to a new word, and its definition, every couple of weeks. But instead of just typing the words and definitions, I'm going to draw them...or maybe use collage...and possibly found letters. Each handmade treatment will support the word's definition while providing a bit of contrast between digital type and a sense of humanity.

Each week a new image and hopefully, a new understanding of how letters communicate..

...{first word coming January 2010}

informal excercise for fun and creative discovery

Among other types of content within my journal are creative excercises. Below are two examples that I keep up with on a regular basis (both pages are work-in-progress).

a page of scribbles...
one scribble every day or every couple of days, adding color
at random moments




quotation marks...
I add different styles of quotation marks, again adding color
at random moments



© 2008 joe blend. All rights reserved.