inspiration – Kristen Baumlier

Tag: inspiration

Do you still dare to dream? Check out An Awesome Book and get inspired

Posted on December 9, 2011December 9, 2011 by Kbaumlier

Dallas Clayton is an illustrator who wrote a book for his son about the idea of dreaming big and never giving up. Entitled An Awesome book, he put it online, and as Clayton writes, “my whole life changed forever.”

The book starts with these 4 pages, “ There are places in the world where people do not dream.. of rocket –powered unicorns… of magic watermelon boats… and musical baboons. …” The illustrations have a hand-made whimsical look, and the book goes on to talk about those who forget to dream, those who give up, and that you can dream whatever you want.

A simple message, but when I checked out the book online, it hit home with me .

How often do I think of ideas that might be impossible? Am I too quick to discard what could be a good idea? A car that runs on jellybans? Thinking of feasibility too early in coming up with ideas?

Clayton started a foundation to give away one book for every copy of An Awesome Book that he sold. In an effort to promote children’s literacy by encouraging kids to dream ,the books are delivered directly and distributed to schools, hospitals, libraries, camps and shelters both domestically and worldwide.

Today he writes children’s books for a living and is frequently on book tours, traveling the world reading to kids.

Need some inspiration to dream? Clayton has a website and blog where his new books and illustration work can be seen and read.

Image Source:

Images by Dallas Clayton

Links:

Try Something New For 30 Days

Posted on December 5, 2011December 5, 2011 by Kbaumlier

We finally did it. Last month we got a new HD tv with streaming capability. Now we have Netflix, Hulu Plus, and can add other websites/channels like TED talks on the television. The other day, after I streamed an episode of Gossip Girls off of Netflix on the new tv, I thought about what would happen if I watched TED talks (videos of inventors, thinkers, and people who are “inspired” rom the annual TED conferences) regularly instead of junky television shows?

Since then, I can’t say I have watched TED talks every day, but by watching some of the talks it has given me some new ideas and new perspectives to ponder. One talk I watched last week was by Matt Cutts entitled “Try Something New for 30 days.” In the video he shares about feeling stuck – and deciding to try something new for 30 days. He biked to work for 30 days in one challenge, and during one November (which is National Novel Writing Month) he wrote a novel.

I recently have been feeling like I am not sure what to make next for my research and artwork. I recently completed two bodies of work. I started to work with some images that I shot in the studio a few months ago but things were not going the way I wanted, and I felt frustrated. I decided to take a break and focus on research. Research for me includes reading, taking notes, and sketching ideas – not focusing on the end result.

I find that the older I get – the more pressure I put on myself to think about what will the end result be, where will the pieces show or function, and what will people think. This focus on the end result is not helpful – but it is a habit I easily slip back into. What gets me out of it? Reading, research, sketching, and experimenting.

My current interest is on food and food equity. I have ideas about making a new series of photographs, and also making a public online tool (or app?) available to others to support the creation of making images of food.

After watching the TED talk about trying something new for 30 days, I have decided that I am going to generate one image a day of food. Good, bad, and even on some days uninspired, but I’m going to make one every day to see where it goes – and to see if my work gets more direction.

My studio setup is ready to go. I start today. Not sure what I am going to photograph yet today. I am thinking about buying a piece of fried chicken or carrots to photograph today. I also have six books on reserve for me at the library to pick up.

Is there something you have always wanted to do – or are you feeling stuck? Why not do something for 30 days?

LINKS:

TED Talk: Matt Cutts – Try something new for 30 days

Every felt stuck? The Book 344 Questions Might Help

Posted on November 25, 2011November 25, 2011 by Kbaumlier

Ever felt stuck? Really stuck? As in.. what am I doing and does this really matter? If you are having doubts – or maybe just need inspiration Stefan G. Bucher’s book 344 Questions: The Creative Person’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment (Voices That Matter) might be helpful – or at least amusing to read. The book has hand-written illustrated flowcharts, lists, and more than 344 questions to provide a glimpse of where you are going (or should go.) Stefan Bucher is a designer, author, and monster maker (on his website the Daily Monster he animates monster doodles, and monster apps.)

The book begins with the Stefan G. Bucher stating “Let’s be clear: I want this book to be useful to you. There are many great how-to books and biographies out there, and even more gorgeous collections of current and classic work to awe and inspire. But looking at catalogs of artistic success won’t make you a better artist any more than looking at photos of healthy people will cure your cold. You’ve got to take action!”

The questions in the book are designed to help you examine your life and career, where you want to be, and how to get there all done in Stefan Bucher’s unique, quirky, hand-lettered style. Can you name 10 things that reliably stress you out? What are the five things that are most important to you in the work you produce? Do you need inspiration? Are you a virtuoso? Would you like to be a virtuoso What would be fun about it for you What would you have to give up in exchange How can you walk down two streets at once?

The book which is meant for you to write in and use as a workbook has flowchart boxes that you can write and draw in. The book is about the size of your hand – and Bucher did most of the writing in the book – but he also has over 38 creative people contributing pages of questions and flowcharts. These contributors include Arem Duplessis: Design director of the New York times Magazine, Patton Oswalt: comedian, writer, and actor and Stefan Sagmeister: designer.

Are you a creative person? Are you searching? In life? In the bookstore? In the web? As the cover says- this book might be for you – and as Stefan G. Bucher says at the beginning of the book – make sure you get a pen or pencil and write in the book as you go.

Image Source:
Stefan G. Bucher

Links:

344 Questions: The Creative Person’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment

344 Design

Stefan G. Bucher