updates are long overdue

So in the craziness of finishing the semester, I have gotten behind on my updates. Right now I am in South Carolina at my mother's house. It's the day after Christmas and I'm feeling rested, full and very content. The semester ended positively and I think (hope) that my grades were good. I haven't gotten them yet since I'm out of town and they got sent to my apartment in Nashville. I'll just get them when I get back in January.
I've been traveling a lot, went to my father's house first in Greenville and had an early Christmas with him and my brother. It was funny because I couldn't think of much to ask for. I've got so much already and don't need much. But it was actually a good feeling. My family likes to give a lot of gag gifts at Christmas time and I think those end up more fun than regular gifts. But my mom and stepdad did surprise me with a beautiful ring and gave me some graphic design books I'd been wanting to have for awhile. So Christmas was very enjoyable. I'm already looking forward to next semester and keep thinking by this time next year, I'll be an alum. I'll be looking for a real job. I'm feeling only slightly nervous with the economy in the state that it's in, but I'm hoping that in a year things will be looking up. And with a new president, changes will definiately take place. For now, I'll just focus on doing my best in my classes. This year will be a difficult one because I only have studio classes left. Since I transferred into Watkins, I already had taken a majority of my Gen Ed classes. I'm excited about my classes (and internship which I'm still waiting to hear from some firms) because I'm ready to really get my portfolio completed. I'm happy with my portfolio now for the most part and I made my own website for my final multimedia project. You can check it out here. There are many things I'm planning on making better in the future and since I'm taking MM2 next semester, I'll most likely create an entirely new site.
So I'm going to sign off for now.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and continue to enjoy the break.

a trip to the er

So it's the last week of school and everyone is eager to finish. I know I am. I don't need any distractions or things taking up my time. Final projects and exams are my top priority. But as we know, life has is funny and will throw a few unexpected events into your life. Let's take for example my er trip last night. So I was out to eat with some friends at a beloved sushi place when suddenly I swallowed something and it got stuck in my throat. It was small and sharp and wouldn't budge. It was painful but not unbearable. My friends played doctor when we got done eating and tried to locate the foreign object with a flashlight but it was too far down and unseen. So after googling what to do when something is lodged in the throat and trying the solutions they offered (eat bread, drink lots of liquids, etc), it was still there and hurting more and more. So my friends finally convinced me that we needed to go the er. So we hung out in the waiting room at Baptist Hospital, talking and actually getting a much needed break to just hang out and not think about the long to do list we all had hanging over out heads. You wouldn't ever expect to have a good time at the er, but we did. And it was just what we needed, as far as dealing with stress. Unfortunately, the doctors couldn't do much for me because it was so far down and suggested that if it still remained the next day that I see a throat doctor. I awoke with the object gone, but with a pain that was worse that the day before. I'm losing my voice and feeling like I'm coming down with something, but oh well, such is life.
So, yeah, life is funny. I'm certainly glad it wasn't worse, and it def. could have been.
So for now I'm just trying to stay positive and focusing on my work. I'm feeling good about my final projects, and just ready to be done and get a long break.
Good luck to everyone this week, getting stuff done and keeping your sanity.

happy thanksgiving

Hello all, I want to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving filled with family and food (but not too much as both can sometimes be overwhelming for some). Today I will be meeting up with my entire family on my father's side and we will join together to eat a thanksgiving meal of...tacos. Yes, my family is a bit unconventional this year. Tomorrow we're having a more traditional meal but still not completely as we have rented out a mom and pop meat and three restaurant. good times, good times.

I also wanted to post a link that I find humorous but filled with good advice.
13 Signs You're A Bad Graphic Designer

I need to send this to some of my clients who request horrible things for the projects I create so they will understand (once and for all) that those are a very, very bad idea.

Enjoy the link and the holiday.
Love, Lindsey

home again, home again.

So I made it to break and have made the long journey to South Carolina. I've already been to visit my mom who lives in Aiken and yesterday I drove to Greenville (my home town). It's weird driving into my home town after being away for almost 7 months. As I rode on the highway I kept thinking how odd it was that I have a new home in Nashville and that I never thought I would end up there. I was talking to my dad about my semester and he said, "Isn't crazy how your life ended up? You're in Nashville and loving your life. You could have been in New York or Florida or Savannah but you ended up here and it worked out great." He's so right. I had no idea what was in store for me when I decided to move to TN. So I'm feeling thankful, and how appropriate for the holiday. My break is going to be pretty busy, which is cohesive with my everyday life, but at least it will be filled with family and food. My dad's side of the family is coming together for the first time in years and they have planned a big week. They even rented a lake house. I'm looking forward to it.
And I want to write about last Friday when our Illustration class had a workshop at Bryce McCloud's shop. I took pictures and video but in my hurry to get on the road I forgot my camera cord to upload it, so I will post those when I return to Nashville. So the day began with a talk from Bryce who is extremely easy going and funny. His shop is hidden on the corner of 6th Avenue and has no sign (yeah we got lost trying to find it). He told us his story: went to college for sculpture and got into printmaking because his uncle collected old print presses and wood and lead type. His uncle passed away young and Bryce had graduated college with no job in sight and his family decided that the presses needed someone to take care of it, and Bryce needed to take care of something. He made the comment that in college he used to make fun of graphic designer and laughed saying that he ended up one. But he's passionate and so talented. I wanted to steal every print and poster that was laying out in the shop (but I held back). He took us in the back room and it was filled to the ceiling with boxes, blocks, screens, and numerous extremely old chest of drawers filled with type. It was messy and beautiful. For our workshop we designed our own people or animal and kept their body parts separate. We printed them on his press and then cut them out and made puppets. Then we cut out more and made hybrids with different parts from everyone's designs. It was fun. It's nice to just create for fun.

So that's it for now, I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving holiday.
so I finally got the video uploaded. The sound is a bit low so make sure your volume is up to listen.

nice design and typography

I found these online while I was just looking for inspirational design and wanted to share. They are from seblester.co.uk and you can check out their other work here.


Wonderfully ironic.

A truth to many. And the type is amazing.

watkins students should be proud

So I was asked to judge a graphic design competition at the ACUI conference that was held at Vanderbilt University. Students from big name schools submitted work including Duke, Clemson, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, App State and more. And can I just say that Watkins students would have blown all of these designs away. Seriously, in simply comparing our recent graphic design student show with this one, it was no contest. Watkins graphic design students are producing amazing work. I am proud to be a part of the department and feel fortunate to be working with other students who are so talented.
In other news, it's the final week before thanksgiving break (hooray!) and I'm just planning on cruising through the week with a good attitude. I can make it to Friday. This week actually is filled with good things like finishing my resume and preparing my portfolio for my internship. Our Illustration class is going to have a workshop with Bryce McCloud at his studio (Isle of Printing) and will get to do our own prints! He has an awesome style (check out his website) and is good friends with our professor. I really want to get into doing more printmaking in my free time (haha I don't seem to have free time anymore). I really enjoyed woodblocks over the summer. Hope I can get back into that soon.
So back to my original topic, Watkins students, you are all so talented and I admire you no matter what department you are in. Your work blows those big name schools out of the water.

looking for an internship

So in the Spring I will begin my first semester as a senior and I am searching for an internship with a design firm in Nashville. I'm finalizing my resume and working on my portfolio. I've been lucky enough to already have had an internship at a Marketing firm in South Carolina so now I'm looking to work for a design firm. I'm honestly not that crazy about advertising design and would like to focus more on packaging and web design. One of my professors provided me with a list of some area firms so I have been checking them out and trying to see if they are the kind of business and environment I would learn the most from. There are def a lot of firms in Nashville that are putting out awesome work and I'm looking forward to seeing where I end up and what experiences I will have. One of the recommendations I received was actually a freelance designer name Kevin Tucker, whose work is really impressive. I would love to get the chance to work with him. Check out his work at www.kevintucker.com.
Along with my internship next semester I will be taking Typography III, Design III and Multimedia II. I'm excited about them (esp about learning how to use Flash in Multimedia class!). I know it's going to be intense from here on out if I want to graduate by December 09 but I can do it. I can't stay in school too much longer since I've already taken longer than originally planned. Plus I'm excited (and a bit nervous) to be finally getting out in the working world.

recent happenings

So it's finally November and I must admit I am grateful. I started my countdown to break awhile ago and as of today I have 17 days left until I can go home to South Carolina and spend time with my family. But things have been going well lately, especially in my Illustration class. Our most recent assignment, in honor of Halloween was to illustrate a person who was located in the Sons of the Confederacy crypt at Mount Olivet cemetary. So for the critique we actually went back and had it in the crypt. I thought this was great and we had a great little party. The man who is in charge of the crypt was so impressed he said he wanted to buy all of our work! That was certainly exciting.
And then on the same day, we traveled downtown to Tootsie's, a classic country music hot spot and bar in Nashville on Broadway. It was there we receieved our next assignment: to illustrate a poster for the Tin Pan South music festival that will happen in the Spring. One design will actually be chosen for the festival and all students will recieve free passes to the event. Illustration class is def. my favorite class this semester, and honestly probably my favorite class out of every one I've taken in college. Our professor is wonderful and is so passionate about design and illustration which translates into his attitude and teaching style. We get to go on field trips around the city and just have a great time. I truly love it.
In other recent news, the fifth annual Yart Sale is coming up this weekend. I have been making jewelry like crazy to sell and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to seeing everything else other students decide to sell. So if you're reading this before November 7th and 8th, come to the yart sale at Watkins. Friday it will be from 10 am to 4 pm and on Saturday it will be from 10 am to 5 pm.

inspiring web design

I want to share an amazing design group called ALSO that is a huge inspiration to me. I really want to dive into web design and would love to create designs and illustrations like they are making.

Check out their web designs here: http://www.also-design.com
Prepare to be amazed.

the countdown begins

So let me begin by saying that we didn't get a fall break this year. It was added to thanksgiving break to allow for a longer break which I was originally all for, especially since I live quite far away. But I must admit that without that little break, I feel like I am falling apart. Alright, that's an overstatement, but in all seriousness I am tired and stressed and feeling like I am in a creative slump. So my countdown has begun with a month to go before a sweet break from school.

On another note, I want to just say how grateful I am for the community of students that is found here at Watkins. I remember when I first transferred it was such an easy transition. Finding a creative group of students was a huge blessing to me. Last night I was working really late on an advertising design. I was getting frustrated and wanted to give up. I asked a fellow graphic designer for help. After I got her input I felt so much better and it was easier to look at the design with fresh eyes. So often you're your own worst critic and after working on a piece for a certain amount of time, you just can't stand the sight of it anymore and can't imagine it ever being successful. But thank goodness for friends and fellow students who can relate and help you out.

midterms are here

So, it's that time again. The time of year that all students hope and pray that time will speed quickly by. It's midterms. Ah yes, a week filled with projects and exams and stress galore. Ask anyone at Watkins, students, faculty, or staff, how their week is going and most likely you will hear a sigh of weariness.
This semester I'm taking 15 hours, which at Watkins is the equivalent to 18 hours at a regular university. Studio classes are intense, and my classes this semester are probably some of the most challenging I've taken so far. I'm taking Multimedia and learning how to create websites (which I have been dying to learn for a long time), Illustration (which I absolutely love), Graphic Design II (design and advertising), Professional Practices (we're learning ethics and business practices) and an intense Art History class. So it's classes that I love, but at the same time they are classes that I have to work hard to balance. Time is money, and it seems I rarely have all that I want. I have my first midterm today, and to be honest I'm not feeling that confident. I'm hoping the studying I did get in will stay fresh in my mind and that I won't blank out when my professor hands me the paper. Another midterm is waiting for me tomorrow night but I'm just trying to take this week one step at a time.

I wish everyone at Watkins luck to survive the week. And I wish everyone reading this a great day.

me? a graphic designer?

Hi. My name is Lindsey. I’m a graphic design student at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film and over the next semester, I will be sharing all the ups and downs of being a graphic design student. But before I do that, I figure I should tell you a little bit about myself and why I came to Watkins in the first place.
I originally attended college for Theology and Psychology in Charleston, South Carolina. I wanted to be a Counselor. I never, ever considered any kind of career in the visual arts besides when I was five and my aspirations included being an artist, a ballerina, and the first female President. I always loved art and creating things, but my time was dedicated to numerous other things and so it wasn’t until I went through the all too common college “I don’t know what I really want to do” crisis, that I considered design. And the way the idea was planted in my head? My painting teacher simply said one day in the previous year, “You have a good eye. You’d be a good graphic designer.”
I laughed that off at the time, but the comment returned to the forefront of my thoughts when I had to seriously ask myself, “What the hell was I going to do?” I lucked out with the fact that my father owned a marketing and advertising firm. He offered to let me intern there and said he’d teach me the business and let me develop skills and knowledge of design. And soon I was in love with graphic design and visual communication.
I knew I wanted to go back to school to finish my degree and learn as much as I could. So after looking and applying to numerous art colleges, Watkins was obviously the best fit for me. If you’re considering Watkins as a school for you, I highly suggest you come visit.

Keep coming back for more posts, inspiring links, impressive design work, and more.