Today we had our first meeting with Matt Lewis and Allison Lunday about D&AD. We are doing the illustration brief, humanising a big corporate space. On our meeting we talking about he company KPMG and what they are about. KPMG gives advise to other companies how they can use their money better. They give audit, tax and risk advise.

I think interesting about this brief is the input we as creative minds can do for the people in the corporate business world. We need to create images that uplift the people working for this company and in corporate, sometimes clinical environment. What can we bring to the table? The ideas we got from todays brainstorming, where to bring nature in to the corporate world. We where thinking of colour schemes, the tone of the design, and thinking of who we are designing to. We are planning to visit the space in London to get a better understanding of the space have to fill.

THE WAYNE HEMINGWAY TALK

Yesterday I went to a talk led by Wayne Hemingway. He started his talk by saying, how this time we are living in is an exhiting time for anyone involved in creativity. He exampled Fairtrade, which is something he is passionate about, driven by creative people. And he used himself and his partner/wife as examples, demonstrating, that it is not the people with best skills, but the people with creative minds, who get the best results. He told, that the reasons behind his success, is creativety, seeing an opportunity where no one else does, using the opportunity and not being afraid of failure. What I really liked about his talk, was his emphasis on creativity. Creative minds notice things. And that is something I agree on.

What he told his driving forces where in the beginning of his career, where desire to earn money, not wanting to work for anybody and youth culture. In his words, everyone gets an opportunity and when the opportunity comes be open minded. Don't be afraid of failure. Don't think what others think about it.

Many things he said makes cense , and during his talk I found myself nodding to a lot of things because I truly agree with them. For example, the best designers bring their own experience in their work and the importance of a design is in its content, in what it stands for. The looks come later. If you have a good idea, the end product will usually end up looking good as well.

All and all it was a good talk from a funny, grounded man. I really enjoyed it!

I saw an interesting competition Sally had sent us all through the AIB email. The V&A Illustration Awards competition, illustrating books or books covers. I think this is the perfect one for me, since it combines some of my passions. Books and reading and having my take on the words, through images is interesting to me. Now I will just have to venture to a book shop and/or through my collections for some inspiration.

Photos from the set of Tug of War. Discussing a scene with director Hendrik Faller.

After a weekend of rest, which was well needed, I am on again finishing everything to the final hand in. I missed critiques on the packaging brief, do to delays on the film I was working on. But even though the film took a lot of time away from my other work I am really glad I did it. As an experience it was amazing and the long days we kept on working on the set could not have been more enjoyable. It was team work at its best. We where all working together, only time being our enemy. I have so much respect for all the different people working on the team, from the cameraman to the director, including the roles of makeup artist, sound technicians and set designers. I really do admire all of their skills and patience. For me as an actress, it was a lot about waiting around and also delivering the best I could, at the right timing and about forgetting myself and getting rid of my inhibitions. I think all and all the experience was a delight for everyone included in it and we should be proud of our selves.

Prototype packaging for my Animal watch.

I am no one, make me someone.

That is my way of saying I am a blank canvas. The weekend flew away with no time to rest. On Saturday from one to seven and Sunday from two to six I was rehearsing for the short film Tug of War. The purpose of the rehearsals was to get to know my costar and to get comfortable around him. The rehearsals where intense but fun and we are much more ready for the actual shoot, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday.

Jean Seberg from Breathless.

Today have not been the day for me. I feel that everything is falling on me, all the projects I signed in to do. The most current project, with Animal is something that makes me troubled. I struggle to get in the brief and find the interest to do it. After doing the poster and the greetings cards, which gave me a lot of freedom to create and create with my own images, the packaging design is a tough one.

I came home early today and felt exhausted. I tried to sit in front of my table and stat to sketch like every day. But today it didn't work. I was too tired and felt ill. Sometimes you just need a break I guess.

A ray of sunshine to my misery brought the film breathless by Jean Luc Godard. " The Yardstick of Celluloid Cool" they call it. And it was a highly enjoyable experience. I have found myself a new heroin, Jean Seberg. She's got the presence and frail frame of Audrey Hemburn, but with out the perfect innocence, that for me takes away from her character and makes her less interesting. So I guess today did bring something to be thankful for.

This is me with my mother. Reflection has always intrigued me. The way u can twist what is seen, bend the truth or make it more beautiful.

Whenever you find yourself in the side of majority, it is time to pause and reflect. Mark Twain

We had a big debate about this quote with my housemate. Mainly, because we see it differently. His take on it was, that you have to try to be different, unique and whenever you find yourself in the side of majority that is a bad thing. Maybe he is right. Maybe the quote is not the perfect one. My take on it was that masses often create stupidity. People, forget to think with their own brain or want someone else to think for them. That's why it is easier and safer to be part of a group. After all the quote does say, pause and reflect, not necessary change your standpoint, but reflect. Reflecting is never bad. Either way, I like the quote maybe just because of the simple reason, that it made us talk, debate and for me that is always a positive thing.

I think this applies in every creative designing process. Try to think outside the box, not with the mass. Don't see things the way everyone else does. Bring something new to the table. Pause, and reflect on everything you see around you and everything you already know.

This ( Animal ) would have been a project I would have loved to work together as a group. I would have liked to give some of the responsibility of it to others, generate ideas together, and be influenced by the way others think and create. I am struggling to think creatively in this project. I only see the commersial side of it. It seems like I only see the obvious and that is never a good answer to a designing problem. Give me ideas and I will fly with them!

Today I had a meeting with the director Hendrik Faller of the short film, Tug of War, which I am acting in. We went through a storyboard, to get an idea of the shots. I also met up with an make-up artist to talk about make-up and costume and saw an image of my costar, who is playing my boyfriend. We also talked with Hendrik about the nudity in the film. The film has kissing and a nude scene in it. This i something I have never done as an actress and naturally feel nervous about it. But I love to over come my fears and win myself. I look at it all as a new experience, that will make me more as a person.

The meeting went really well and I am really exhited about the project. Hendrik seems professional, organized and well prepared for the shoot. As an actress that is very comforting. We also visited the editing room to see a clip of a film he did and went to the studio where the shooting will happen. The first rehearsals will take place this weekend. Can't wait!

Ideas are running through my head so quickly, that is hard to catch them, but I will try.

Last Friday we had our one day project for Animal watches. We spent the day figuring out what Animal is about and what we can as designers add to their products. It was refreshing to work as a group and share the work load, such a backup research and brainstorming. It was also a good test of time management, because our ideas had to be in a presentable form for three o clock in the afternoon.

After this it is our turn to take the ideas we developed in the group and work on them individually. I am stuck at the moment. More research about the products and the company is needed. Because I don't know the company enough, I don't know what to say with my design and how to fit it in with the brand that Animal is.

At the moment I am also working on a personal project with a second year fashion student Laura Peters. Our collaboration is still in the very beginning and we are still sketching out ideas, what it will be. The general idea is to combine my illustration skills and her love of making clothes and create a range of exhiting new clothes with original, new and intresting patterns. Something I am really exhited about! We will create something new!

I am also looking at the D&AD briefs. There are couple of open briefs which interest me and also the illustration brief; to humanise a big corporate space. On top of this I am working on a short film with the second year film students in their experimental film unit. I am playing one of the two leading roles. I am busy but happy.

I am expressing my feelings with an image. This is how I feel about our new Animal brief.