Music Video Love

I'm loving this music video this morning ('Circles' by Mammals, an Aussie band).  I think it resonates with my longing for (even more) freedom

Flashback from Penang, Malaysia

Sometimes I wonder what Singapore was like 50 years ago before it became the "Zurich of Southeast Asia."  Well, I think Penang, Malaysia is the answer.  I went on a solo trip three weekends ago and finally post-processed my photos.  Check them out.

Google STREET ART Project

I love street art.  

Unfortunately, living in Singapore means I see *very* little of it.  Luckily, Google just launched a new cultural project -- The Google STREET ART project.

I think this might take up a lot of my time today.  Check it out.

PS - I think making my own street art is on my bucket list.  Just need to improve my spray painting skills ;)

 

Can you recognize these masterpieces?

This seems like the Lego version of the Google Art Project.  

Can you guess the paintings that inspired the amazing print ads below?

If you're struggling, here's the list:

The series includes Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” (1505-1507), Vincent van Gogh’s “Self Portrait”, Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” (1930), Rene Magritte’s Johannes Le Fils de L’Homme (1964), Vermeer’s “Girl With A Pearl Earring” (1665) and “Lady With an Ermine”, a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani painted by Leonardo da Vinci (1489/1490).

The Personal Project

Over the weekend, I listened to the *excellent* podcast, Design Matters, with guest, Brian Singer.  While in art school, Brian became obsessed with bathroom stalls (that sound weird).  Okay, he became obsessed with the things written on bathroom stalls -- the public discourse that took place via sharpie markers.

After graduating, he wanted to make his own mobile "bathroom stall," so in 2000, he used his own money to launch 1000 journals into the orbit.  They've now been to 40 countries and every US state and have taken on a life of their own, which fortunately, has been captured in the documentary accurately named "1000 Journals".

From what I've gathered, a lot of creative people, like Brian, do personal projects, ranging from blogs like the Jealous Curator to calligraphy like the Daily Drop Cap to photography like A Collection a Day.  It's a way to build constraints and routine around a creative exercise.

I love how all these projects started without money in mind.  Instead, they wanted to release their talents in the wild -- into the unknown -- standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and setting free your creations into the vast beyond.

Don't we all want to experience something like that?

Boat Life

Singapore can be hot, unwalkable and predictable, but it's also an island with all the wonderful things that come with that.  After brunch today, we went to Mana Mana beach club for some beers and sailing.  I've been promising our friend, Tom, that I'd take photos of his boat for awhile, and I finally made true on my promise.  

Check out some photos this afternoon -- both of scene and the boys sailing.

[Motivation] Walk to your own beat.

Sapa, Vietnam Revisited

If you ever have a chance to visit a hill station in Asia, you won't regret it.  Last weekend, Alan & I spent 5 days in Sapa, Vietnam.  Basically, you fly into Hanoi, take a 10 hour overnight train and then end up in paradise.

We trekked two days (about 5 hours each day) and stayed at an amazing eco-lodge

Check out some of my favorite photos of the landscape from my trip...

The Kids of Sapa (Round 2)

I have a "thing" for photographing children while traveling.  I think it's because they are cute, fun and okay with being photographed.  Luckily, I'm a normal-ish (albeit very tall) looking girl, so I don't really scare any parents.

Here's a few more kids I photographed in Sapa (previous photos here).  This time, all the photos are in b&w.  In my opinion, all the kids look like they are going on some great adventure.

The Kids of Sapa

While trekking around Sapa, Vietnam last weekend, we ran into the cutest kids in one of the villages.  Alan gave them stickers (such a proud Canadian), which led to more and more kids magically appearing.

Check out some adorableness below.

[Quotes] David Foster Wallace

As previously mentioned, I'm a pretty big David Foster Wallace fan, especially after finishing Infinite Jest earlier this year.  Above are two quotes that I really like (I'm practicing my Adobe Illustrator skills ;)

[Posters] Stop Monkeying Around

Along with creating a website, I've been trying to design a few posters that can be used as either fliers or for posting on Twitter / Facebook / Google+.

Let be honest -- I'm not a graphic designer, but I find it fun to play around in Adobe Illustrator.  I've put my first 7 designs in order below.  Right now, I think the 3 little monkeys (#3) is my favorite.

I think I'll keep going, but might need to eventually go to a real graphic designer.  

Until then, fun in Adobe Illustrator it is! 

PS - If you're interested in learning Adobe Illustrator basics, try this.

[Collage] On the Open Road

Living Your Subjects

In my photography class today, we reviewed the work of Ed Kashi.

I dare you to watch this video on his aging project and not tear up.  Double dare, actually.

125 hours later...

Source

Did you know that the famed "10,000" rule that made Bill Gates and Tiger Woods stars is apparently a myth?

Yep.  

Sheer determination and a lot of free time can't make you awesome (thanks for the info, Brain Picker).  Blame it on Malcolm Gladwell for this urban legend (and check out this for a good laugh).

According to Daniel Goleman, best-known from the book Emotional Intelligence: 

The “10,000-hour rule” — that this level of practice holds the secret to great success in any field — has become sacrosanct gospel, echoed on websites and recited as litany in high-performance workshops. The problem: it’s only half true. If you are a duffer at golf, say, and make the same mistakes every time you try a certain swing or putt, 10,000 hours of practicing that error will not improve your game. You’ll still be a duffer, albeit an older one. 

No less an expert than Anders Ericsson, the Florida State University psychologist whose research on expertise spawned the 10,000-hour rule of thumb, told me, “You don’t get benefits from mechanical repetition, but by adjusting your execution over and over to get closer to your goal.” 

“You have to tweak the system by pushing,” he adds, “allowing for more errors at first as you increase your limits.”

Essentially, you need to spend those 10,000 hours focused on improving your weaknesses, rather than repeating the same motor skill over and over again to actually become "great."

You know what's even crazier about this rule...

My New Etsy Shop

Our apartment has gotten a bit cramped with all my oil paintings, so I've opened up my first etsy shop named Foreign Encounters.

Come check it out here.

PS - From a product standpoint, it was super easy to use and set-up