Sink or Swim

My Twitter Design buddies are at it again. Everyday, I check out these amazing tweets on web design and graphics design that I rarely notice that two hours already had passed since I turned on my laptop.

Because I’m going to be very busy today, here’s my list of articles that I’ve book marked so I can read and digest them on Monday.

Professional Portrait Photography

35 Excellent Websites for Downloading Free CSS Template

40 Top-Notch Print Based Tutorials

10 Ways To Make Your Site Accessible Using Web Standards

Rest assured that you’ll read more about them on this blog next week. Have a great day!

Still in school and want to succeed someday in the design industry? Then this article “If Only I Knew Then What I Know Now: 13 Design Lessons” from the creativeopera.com website is a must read for you. Check out the excerpt below.  

Use Feedback to Your Advantage — Especially Criticism

You’re not going to get through any (decent) design class without a healthy dose of criticism from your instructor and fellow students. At a young age (highschool and college age especially) it is difficult to take criticism. You naturally think that you are right and they are wrong. It’s even harder in design because art is so subjective. Everyone has a different opinion. Math is easy. There is one right answer. With design, there might be many successful solutions to any problem, so the possibility for disagreement is high. As a student, though, you should understand that your instructor is standing in front of you for a reason. They have the experience and training to help you grow and improve as a designer. If they are giving you constructive criticism or suggesting that you make a change to your design, try to respect their advice. I can assure you that it is MUCH easier as an instructor to pat everyone on the back and tell them that their work is great. If a teacher is taking the time to give you tips on improving your design, it is only because they want to help you.

Usually, we find out too late that we should have handled something differently. We often find ourselves saying “if only I could turn back time” and wonder if we’d be in a much better position today.

From Booking Through Thursday:

One of my favorite sci-fi authors (Sharon Lee) has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day.

As she puts it:

So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life.

So … what might you do on the 23rd to celebrate? Do you even read fantasy/sci-fi? Why? Why not?

To celebrate Fantasy and Science FictioN Writer’s day, I am going to re-read the book ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger. This is just on my list of top 20 favorite books of all time and now that a movie was created based on the beautiful but complicated love story, I am so eager to re-visit the scenes again.

To answer the 2nd question, most of the titles that I read have to do with science fiction or fantasy. (Not including romance of course because I have enough collection to fill four bookshelves.) I just find it amazing how you can escape from books that talk about time travels, body snatchers, mind invasions, super powers like telekinesis, mind reading, parallel worlds and many more. I also love all the Harry Potter books especially Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, Inkheart and the Griffin and Sabine trilogy.

In honor of our fallen soldiers.

Ten on Tuesday

1. iPod and solar charger (is there such a thing for iPods?)

2. Tons of magazines – travel, fashion, celebrity, interior design

3. Books what else – boxes and boxes that should last for five years

4. A bike

5. A small boat – you can never be too sure when you want to leave

6. Different kinds of cheeses, chocolates and potato chips

7. Bottles of wine

8. Playing cards, poker set, monopoly, scrabble

9. Three pillows, comforters and native mat.

10. Handy tools so I can make a shelter. But knowing me, I’d probably have something built in the island before I let myself get stranded there

After reading the list of other bloggers, I am definitely adding a portable solar generator, my laptop, DSLR, and Bear from Man Vs. Wild. Now I’ll never get hungry or wet!

Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. – Frank Zappa

If something’s hard to do, then it’s not worth doing – Homer Simpson

Stick to your knitting (what you’re good at), don’t compromise, and don’t suffer fools. — Simon Campbell

Design is where science and art break even. — Robin Mathew

Every designers’ dirty little secret is that they copy other designers’ work. They see work they like, and they imitate it. Rather cheekily, they call this inspiration. — Aaron Russell

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From wikipedia – Taal Volcano is a complex volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is situated between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in Batangas. It consists of an island in Lake Taal, which is situated within a caldera formed by an earlier, very powerful eruption. It is located about 50 km (31 Miles) from the capital, Manila. It is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, all part of the Pacific ring of fire.

The volcano has erupted violently several times, causing loss of life in the populated areas surrounding the lake, the current death toll standing at around 5,000 – 6,000. Because of its proximity to populated areas and eruptive history, the volcano has been designated a Decade Volcano worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters. It was thought to be named as “a volcano inside a volcano” because many believed that the lake that circles the volcano was once a crater or mouth of a volcano.