Grey Eyed Creative

Pardon the wait on this one.  But let’s get back to it.

So I was in Austin.  Hanging out with fellow designers from around the country, and the world actually (I met a nice girl from England during one of the networking sessions. We talked football, Arsenal, and Manchester) and I was enjoying every minute so far.

Here are a few of my favorite sessions and events from the next few days.

But first, let’s set the mood a bit for this post. Here’s a little something in tribute. I hope you rock this song while you read.

Thursday - June 25th
Von Glitschka’s - Living a Creatively Curious Life A great session about looking outside yourself for inspiration. Von Glitschka delivered an entertaining and inspiring talk about how to increase your own personal inspiration and how something unexpected can lead to great opportunities.
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The HOW Design Conference 2009 in Austin, TX. Where do I begin?

It all began with an issue of HOW Magazine that had a sweet insert advertising this year’s HOW Conference. Austin, TX. My birthplace. So I thought to myself, “Hm, that would be great to go to. Meet many other designers, network my tail off, attend useful lectures and sessions on everything design, and add even more fire to my passion for graphic design.”

So I brushed it aside and put it on the “wishful thinking” shelf. I did post the insert up on my wall though. As the months went by, I’d see it up there, research the conference a bit more online, check out pricing, and then set it aside. A few things came together fortunately, and after realizing as a student, the pricing would be cut in half, I couldn’t turn this opportunity down. With the conference changing locations every year, having it so accessible to me in Austin was too good to pass up.

I arrived in Austin Tuesday, the 23rd of June. I stayed until Saturday the 27th. It was sincerely the best thing I could have done. Here are some of the highlights from my first HOW Design Conference!

TUESDAY - June 23rd
The Bats on Congress: The day I got there, I was fortunate enough to meet up with some nice ladies who I tagged along with to eat at Iron Works, followed by taking an 8 dollar boat ride to watch the bats emerge from the Congress bridge. Magical. Of course I left my camera in the car.

Transformers II - Midnight Showing Got to hang out with my cousin Victor and watch some epic Transformers kickin some A!

Wednesday - June 24th
Early Morning Graphic Design Studio Tours: Visiting a handful of design studios around Austin was great. Ranch Road had free Sweet Leaf Iced Tea. Graphic Granola were sweethearts.

Frog Design blew me away, and Fd2S was located in a sweet warehouse.

USA defeat SPAIN in Confederations Cup Semi-Final
Stepped into a bar on 6th St. to watch this historic win!
http://tr.im/r5SD

HOW Design Adventure: Part II is on its way. In it I’ll be highlighting a few of my favorite sessions, speakers, and design topics. And yes, maybe a little Michael Jackson.

Were you at the HOW Design Conference this year? What did you think of it? Have you been to any conference that benefited your line of work? Let me know. I would love to hear about it.

So I’m really getting a hold of my Nikon D60. I’m doing my best to take it everywhere I can and I’ve been taking as many pictures as possible.

I figured Flikr would be the best spot to put all my photos.

Here’s a sample.  If you click the pic it’ll take you to my Flikr account or you can click here.

So I recently purchased a Nikon D60 camera.

This is my first ever photography blog.  I’m liking how these came out. I can’t wait to actually know what I’m doing with this great camera.  I had a good time at the beach with Jonas and Patrick. The beach is always a nice getaway for me.

My brother and I also went out to score some goals the day before. Can you see him in the back there?

Good times.

Do you have a photography tips or website referrals for me? I’m looking to study up and possibly offer this as an additional service of mine.

Did you ever collect cans when you were younger? Take them down the recycling facility and get 10 cents per pound.  I used to do that with my dad and my brothers when I was younger. It would usually pay for our movies we’d rent at Blockbuster.  Good times.

Today, with so many opportunities to recycle, and with such a growing need to help out our planet, I like to think that I continue the tradition started when I was younger.

Here are a few things I do to Go Green.  Hope you can get a few ideas and put them into practice.

1. Use a water jug and dispenser instead of water bottles.

Not only does it severely reduce the amount of plastic bottles you throw away, but you save quite a bit of money. You can’t beat the $1.50 to refill a 5 gallon jug.  Try getting a dispenser with both a cold and hot water dispenser. Perfect for a cold drink, or hot tea if you’re in the mood.

Check out www.target.com/waterjugs


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The December Drive - Games

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“I have too much work to do” is a line most designers would love to hear.  My apologies for not making a post sooner, but I literally have had too much work to do.  Interested to see what I’ve been working on?

Take a look.

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Big day for me. I got my very first business cards in today!

I used a 16pt stock which I couldn’t find very easily. I printed with 4over.com. They were speedy, accurate, and easy to deal with. They do require an account approval. But the prices are excellent. I went with a matte/dull finish which I was happy with. Most business cards tend to have that UV coating that reflects too much. I definitely am a matte kind of guy.

Pretty exciting. I’ve always wanted to be able to talk design with someone and be able to follow up with a business card to reinforce my interest and love for this art. I’ve come to realize that especially in this business, networking plays an important role. A conversation with an old friend about your work and business card in their hands can generate job opportunities for you in the future. Maybe their boss is looking for a designer they can trust or a family member is looking to get work done. If you make the right impression, you’ll be the first person they think of. And if they’ve kept your business card, then the circle of life is complete.

Well maybe the circle of design.

These came out better than I had hoped. Would love to hear your thoughts and critiques.

On a drive home with my good friend Patrick we started a discussion that turned into a matter of life and death. More specifically, which albums affected your life so much that you had to take them to your grave. Top 5.

Here we go!

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With my current job requiring my creative services Monday through Friday 9-5 with class dispersed in between, I’ve stumbled upon an unforeseen obstacle with being a graphic designer..

Staying inspired.

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