Week 1- Looking In

Aug 292011
 

zayak you20l 300x231 Week 1 Looking InTo improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
Winston Churchill

As I mentioned last week, in this class we will focus on The Design Process, Your Person, and your Passion. This week you need to discover your true person and look for your passion.

What would happen if you just took the time to actually look inside yourself and figure out what makes you tick? Try expanding. Try not giving up so fast. Try focusing on something long enough to make yourself excellent. Try finding your own inner muse. Maybe read something that makes you think once a day (heck, start with just one a week).  Look for daily inspiration in your own creativity.

And as we mentioned in class , we’re going to find our passion. By the end of the week, you need to find a character trait( extra sources: 1,  2 )and an organization you believe in (extra sources: 1). A lot of your projects for the rest of the year will be focused on these two issues. I want to integrate what’s important to YOU in theis class. Remember, it’s not just about design, and it’s certainly not about me in here… it’s all about YOU. What makes you special? Why are you here? What are you gonna do to make the world better because you’re in it- both for yourself and for the world in general. Why should anyone care about what you have to say??

Next class we’ll look into a little more about finding out who you really are. Sometimes it’s hard to see. Let’s take a look at who you are and what makes you tick. Explore your strengths and and weaknesses. As it’s been said by the greatest minds, we must know ourselves to be wise, that the unexamined life is not worth living (Socrates).

Everyone wants to be treated with respect and dignity, but many of us don’t even give ourselves that same respect and dignity we want from others. Get to know yourself. Find out who you are, what you stand for, and where you want to go in life. As we mentioned in class, if you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time. And if you want to start on a journey, you gotta know both where you are and where you’re going to plan out the directions to get there. Most of us fail at getting to where we really want to go by not realizing where we are really at.

It’s going to be a good year for those of you that want to be better people- but this class is no place for the lazy, the quitters, and the losers. Choose today to be a winner, or find another class- In here, you only lose when you quit.

 8/30 update – I’m totally loving the book Jane McGonigal recommended in her Ted Talk (below) called Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Amazing  research on successful people and what makes the difference between the people who are successful and those that flounder. Interesting tidbits this morning listen on my way into work.

There are 3 qualities of rewarding work- the three “ingredients” for having a career that you find makes you happy and is rewarding to be a part of:

  1. Complexity- Using your brain and having to think as opposed to repetitive tasks or having others do the thinking for you.
  2. Autonomy- Having the ability to make your own choices and control your own destiny.
  3. Connections between effort and reward- Being able to work harder to make more reward, versus being paid the same no matter what your effort.

I love it! That’s the atmosphere I work hard to maintain in here. One where you need to think and there’s always a challenge ahead, Where you get to make many of the choices about what you will be learning and doing, and The ability for you to forge ahead, work harder, and gain even more reward (not just grades!!) for your diligent efforts. Here’s to making this class a rewarding, engaging, complex, free, and rewarding place to grow and explore.

Advanced students and I are working hard on the game… following last week’s challenge to engage more in this class. Will keep you posted!

So… let’s get started figuring out what we have to work with:

So over last week, I talked a lot about finding yourself, growing up, deciding where you want to be, and making a difference… And we mentioned that we needed to find ourselves- discover where we ARE- before we can start mapping out the directions to where we want to be.

So this week, I want to help you guys figure out where you are. Start with taking this test (scroll down to see the questions). It will give you 3 personality types that are most likely you.  If you want to verify with a more accurate test, that should only give one number, try here (takes 10 minutes). After that, find yourself on the Enneagram Easy Summary and find your number, and see if the description seems to be a good description of you. After that, find your number on THIS PAGE to find out a little more about your type. Make sure that the description sounds a LOT like you. It won’t be perfect- but there should be a lot of similarities between those descriptions and how you feel and act. Remember, this is not to hold you down or lock you in to anything… this is just about being self aware- knowing what makes you tick.

Steps:

  1. Take this test (3 results to research) and/or go here (1 result, but not always accurate) to get your personality type

  2.  Verify your number on the Enneagram Easy Summary (if it’s wrong, read the others until you find which one is the best description of you)

  3. Then read the full description of your personality type on  THIS PAGE (click on your number).  If you got it right, it should be a little creepy how well it describes you! icon smile Week 1 Looking In You’ll also learn how to work better with people of other types and famous people that were your personality type! (for the curious, I’m a two)

So now you have a basic kind of core motivation that you feel (success, relationship, perfection, happiness, etc..) and that the same thing that makes you so awesome in some aspects can also come out sideways and make you less than awesome. So just come to accept your limitations and embrace your weaknesses and your strengths… it’s all you. But many of you are trying so hard to fit in somewhere that you haven’t looked really hard at where you actually fit. We all try so hard to be our IMAGE instead of who we ARE. And I can tell you right now, that NEVER works. You’re always working against who you really are. Take some time and look inside. Figure out who you are… because if you don’t- and you hide who you really are for your whole life… it’s like you never existed- you don’t even count. At best, you’ll just be a poor imitation of someone else for the rest of your life. And that is a miserable experience to have to live. And at the same time, nobody gets the pleasure of knowing you.

We’ve all heard the little saying “Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you.” That’s Complete and Utter Bull Poo. Words can destroy people… Bruises heal fast- broken bones get a cast and you’re fine in a month or two… But your emotions? Your heart? No way to bandage, cast, or assist it’s healing. You have to just wait- WITHOUT ANY MORE NEW DAMAGE- for it to heal. Problem is, since you can’t bandange or cast it- you can’t really protect it from other people’s little verbal stones and darts they throw. You have to have a shield. And that shield is simply the truth. The truth of who you are, EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE. No pretending you don’t have faults or being embarassed about your strengths… it’s accepting it all- just as you are. And realize that it’s all connected.

We started looking at the truth of who you are with the personality test things and finding your place in the enneagramm. Some people can’t find a good fit in there- so here’s the next step:

Tell Me who you are. I want you to write down 50 things about you that are good. Yep- Fifty. And they all have to be different. Put your name at the top of the paper and give me 50 things that are good about you. We’ll call this the “Big 50.” This is not what you’re good at doing- you are not what you do… you are simply what you are. Some of your list will be things you are good at doing (football, playing guitar, etc..) but think deeper- about the things that are good about you because it’s the kind of person you are (Examples: I’m Generous. I’m a good listener. I’m honest to people. I’m a good friend.)

I want this on it’s own sheet of paper, with your enneagramm personality type number, your most valued character trait, and the charity you want to support at the top. Show me your awesomeness.

You will need to have this in your notebook for this class. If you don’t have one, steal a sheet of paper from a friend and we’ll staple this one in. But next class I expect everyone to have their notebook, and you can leave it in here on a bookshelf.

9/1 update-

When you’re done with the self-discovery work mentioned in this post, please start moving on to this project. You MUST meet all the specifications, and I suggest reading the guidelines and following links to get the most help on this project.

Yes, I really do expect you to come up with 25 ideas. icon smile Week 1 Looking In

 Posted by Schwartz on August 29, 2011  Brainbuffet  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , ,

Getting Focused

May 102010
 

drivingfocus 300x199 Getting FocusedLike Yiro’s picture to the left- A lot of you guys have no focus. Yiro did it on purpose for an artistic effect… But I suspect when painting or photographing with your life, you guys are probably looking for more clarity.

I hate to be a drag- but there is little focus on excellence across the board. I don’t even just mean in class… I mean in life. Everyone expects everything for nothing, and to do whatever they want with no consequences for their actions. It’s absolutely an epidemic in the US. Mediocrity is everywhere. I see it when I go out to local shops and restaurants, and especially in schools- from both students and teachers alike.

I don’t know who to blame. I’m not sure it would do any good to point it out anyway- because falling into mediocrity is a choice. You get to choose how high your standards are set for yourself. You get to choose if you’re amazing or not. You get to quit when YOU choose to quit.

Sometimes students get frustrated at their grades… but it’s not because they disagree with them- but because they just want a free pat on the back for mediocre work. Even that confuses me.. If you haven’t done your best- and someone says “wow- that’s excellent!”- why would you accept that as a compliment? YOU know it isn’t excellent. YOU know you didn’t do your best. so what does it matter if someone else says it’s great if you know it really isn’t? You quit before you gave it your all… no matter what anyone else calls it. So you’re OK with getting props for junk? How will you ever be more than you are? Only an absolute narcissist would be happy with that kind of treatment.

And the reverse is true. Who cares if you get a “D” on something you poured yourself into and did your best? If YOU know you did your best- then you can rest in that. So maybe you’re not a digital artist or a mathmetician or a scientist or a doctor. You tried your best- and that’s all you can do. It doesn’t reflect anything about YOU that it wasn’t up to another person’s standard… It just reflects how your WORK measures up to their standards. But if YOU tried your best- then YOU win. Maybe that vocation isn’t for you. Maybe you just need to practice more and learn more. Maybe you needed to learn where your weaknesses are and now you know. But it’s nothing to loose sleep over.

Be your own judge. Excellence takes time. Spending a couple hours on a photoshop document is NOT a lot of time. Excellent work takes a dozen hours or more. It takes the patience and excellence that is never satisfied with “good enough.” It keeps going until it’s just right. It’s about not stopping until you simply can’t pick out anything that’s not just how you’d want it in your work.

And this is not just about digital art. This is about life. Dancing. Cooking. Housework. Saving the planet. World peace. Being a teacher. Being a student. Being a Parent. Being a child. Being a friend…

It’s about BEING.

This is about life. What kind of grade do you deserve? What makes you any better than anyone else? You want to be treated like you’re special… What do you DO to deserve it?

I choose not to participate in the games anymore. I refuse to be mediocre in my own life. I refuse to accept it in my lab. You may get out of here with a D if you do the bottom limit of what’s required- but that will be the best. If you want higher than a “C” in here- you need to earn it.

This week- Finish your Certiport contest entry. DO NOT rely on what you already know. Learn something new to incorporate. I am giving you about 10 hours to work on this one project- I expect that your entry will reflect 10 hours of work- half of that should be new things you learned on your own. HERE IS A LINK TO TONS OF PHOTSHOP TUTORIALS TO USE. It is a great resource to get started on your trip to excellence. Of course, if you were really committed to it- you would not need me to point out the way- you’d be on it already.

UPDATE: I’m being called to the floor by students saying I don’t ever show you guys any of MY work… So I will complete a weekly assignment also- and I expect that your projects should reflect the time, effort, and energy that mine display. HERE is my first entry. Tutorial inspired, then tweaked to what I needed. Done today in one class period. Not finished, but a good start.

HERE is number 2 for the day… done during the next class period. If I can do these in 90 minutes, you should be able to knock ‘em down in about 2-3 hours, easily. I’m just following the simple directions on the tutorial pages and making modifications to suit my own image and my own style. I also often mix up things from earlier tutorials in the newer ones. Easy to do when you’ve done a bunch and have some great ideas! (Updated image after more work)

Another day, another image… I’m NO LONGER accepting excuses about how the more complex looking projects “take too long.” I have no more than 4 hours in any of the images here so far… And I’m just experimenting (with the same ideas, I know) with different textures and images. Next week I’ll go for a different “feel.” But If I can do three in as many days, you can do one in five.

 Posted by Schwartz on May 10, 2010  Brainbuffet  6 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,

De-Uglification

Nov 022009
 

So we’ve spent some time learning the basics- the technical basics. Now we’re on to the art basics. This is where you learn not only how to use the tools in a robotic sense, but how to use them in an artistic sense. CT1 students will be working on the elements and principles for a couple weeks and then we’ll be moving into Illustrator. Knock down the quick and easy Elements and Principles projects and then spend the rest of your time enhancing what you already know. If you need inspiration- check my bookshelf or some of the online resources in the Project Links area of the site.

Comm Tech 2- You should have a pretty darn good Self-portrait using text in the works. Make sure it will print well at 8×10 at least.

 Posted by Schwartz on November 2, 2009  Uncategorized  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Ugh…..

Oct 282009
 

[SinglePic not found]Ok- So I’ve decided to move toward a weekly post here with daily updates like my inspiration, The Mac Lab. I can’t keep up with a full post, especially with all that’s happening with the lab and with the testing. So here’s this week’s post, exceptionally late.

Tech 1′s are prepping for the test. Most of you are done with Digital You and are working on the review videos. Many are already testing and we have over 20 people certified already this year. Keep it up. Remember that as we spoke earlier, things will soon change and your commitment to working and being creative in this class will need to be demonstrated. We’re going to be exploring the Elements and Principles here soon in class and that will help you understand what ugly is.

Tech 2′s have been doing better since the turn of the quarter. Typographic portraits are starting to happen and looking good. I’ll post more next week on all of this. I’d love to see more people demonstrating the excellence shown by Brian Ms in this incredible self-portrait!!

 Posted by Schwartz on October 28, 2009  Uncategorized  No Responses »  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

The Price of Excellence

Sep 112009
 

jessicaga psa1 232x300 The Price of ExcellenceWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
~Aristotle

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.
~Louis Pasteur

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking a lot about excellence, character, and the meaning of life. I’ve been thinking about the program here, my history, even recent events in my life and the people in it. I think this was all triggered by an email I recieved from another teacher earlier in the week that said “Not everyone is as skilled as you- not everyone can teach the way you do.” I completely disagree. Everyone CAN do what I do. I’m not especially creative or skilled. I’m not especially smart or talented. I just do the extra. (thanks JessicaGy)

I’m Tenacious. Like Louie above, my strength lies solely in my tenacity. I never give up and I don”t accept defeat. If I say I will do something, I do my absolute best to do it. If I forget or fail, I accept responsibility and do whatever I can to fix it. I care about who I am- not what others think about me or who others think I am, but who I really am… who I really want to be. I’m not talking about being cool or popular or liked. I’m talking about looking in the mirror and being proud of who’s there.

I have had some incredibly hard situations to deal with in the last few years, both personal and professional. But in the face of some difficult times, I simply kept moving on. It was incredibly challenging at times- even painful at times- but I decided to not give up on my own character. My own commitment to excellence. And looking back, I won.

Am I special? Sure I am. But not because of some special magical power or natural ability. I’m special because I keep trying. I get up after falling down. I don’t stop until I’m finished. I don’t accept the minimum for myself.

What about you? Are you living for the moment or for what matters? Are you trading your future for temporary fun? Are you trading your amazing future vacations from a job you love for short mental ones in a job you don’t (school is your career right now)? Don’t waste time. Look forward, not down. The goal is ahead of you, not under your feet.

All this talk of work and sacrifice and excellence- does that mean that you won’t enjoy the here and now? Absolutely not! You simply have to learn to love the here and now. Find your passion. Find what you love. Think about what you might want to do- because no matter how bad you think school is- it’s better than living with your parents and wearing a paper hat the rest of your life taking orders from some high school kid who is focused.

Everyone has to pay their dues. It’s now or later. I can tell you that now it’s cheaper and easier than later, but you have to make the decision. You can’t choose not to pay- the scales will be balanced someday.

Carpe Diem, everyone… And don’t take the shortcut… take the scenic route and have something to look back on for your trip.  More to come on this whole theme soon!

Today I want everyone to register at www.certiport.com. If you have a login from last year, please just log in and check to be sure you remember your username and password. If you’re new, please make your login your firstname with the first and last letters of your last name and your year of graduation your login. (Mine would be robsz87- Rob SchwartZ, 1987). Use your school student number as your password. This way we’ll all have the same login format and we won’t forget it!!! If you choose not to use this method, that’s fine… but DO NOT FORGET your login! You’ll be using it for the next few years! If you use myspace or facebook or AIM daily, you can use that login… but make sure it’s just something you won’t forget.  We’re going to pretest early next week and then CT1 will go through the lessons and hopefully everyone will be certified by Halloween. After that- it’s smooth sailing!

 Posted by Schwartz on September 11, 2009  Uncategorized  1 Response »  Tagged with: , , ,
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