Beauty over War

Sometimes, the beauty of ordinariness needs to be made obvious, so it becomes extraordinary.

Sat, 04 Jan 2014 16:42:47 +0200

That’s how Australian illustrator, Sophie Blackall, suddenly transforms a subway ride, something that anybody would qualify as a dull activity, into a playfull picture you would like to be part of, or at least one you’d love to observe.

"You need people around you that you can trust to say “that’s a shit idea". Every McCartney..."

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 23:44:30 +0300

“You need people around you that you can trust to say “that’s a shit idea". Every McCartney needs a Lennon.”

- — World-famous advertising creative Sir John Hegarty on how to be and stay creative. (via fastcompany)

A guide to packing or how to make sure that the beauty of traveling remains beautiful

Mon, 08 Jul 2013 12:20:00 +0300

This post was originally published as a guest post here.

After 15 years of constantly traveling roughly every three or four months, not only did I know the expression “travel light”, but I also felt it to my bones… and muscles.

A while back, I’ve been asked by Diana to write a guest post for her blog about the way I pack for trips as an intro for a new section she’ll be opening on her blog and I immediately agreed. Not only because is Diana a dear friend to me, but also because I understood, then and there, that this was my opportunity to try and persuade women from everywhere, as men seem to have naturally developed a deep connection with the travel light concept, to agree with it, before having to get physically involved and ultimately suffer.

Throw away things (from your suitcase) while you still can. Coco Chanel famously said, “When accessorizing always take off the last thing you put on.” I believe the same is applicable to suitcases - when packing, always take out the last outfit you put in.

Now let’s get to the practical things, also known as my personal guide to packing.

Image source

But before getting to the actual packing, I should mention that my ritual includes a preparatory phase. It’s a daydreaming episode, which is delightful! It must be performed in a relaxed context. Rushing will spoil it and make it ineffective. I usually do it the night before packing. It helps me figure out the right stuff for the right situations, and also limit the overall amount to be transported.

The daydreaming procedure involves an exercise of visualizing every day of my trip to come - one by one - and myself as the central character. All you need is to be aware of what the scenario of the day is, what are your actions and lines, then pick the outfit, shoes and accessories. The gadgets get a chapter of their own. This way I make sure I won’t forget any chargers, adaptors or beauty and productivity devices I might need along the way. It’s that simple.

My guide comprises three simple rules:

1. When packing do nothing but packing

It requires a fair amount of being present. Again, it’s for effectiveness. The less thoughts passing through your mind at the moment you’re packing, like emails to answer, last minute things to leave in order before the departure, the shorter the process. I do mine in 1 - 1,5 hours.

2. Do it algorithmically

That is, packing either by things from the same category or by outfits. One by one, I lay out in my suitcase all shoes I’ll need (I try to pick the neutrals that would go with as many outfits as possible), all bags, all clothes; or outfit for day 1, outfit for day 2, etc. In other words, it’s all done step by step, in an organized manner. Throwing things randomly into suitcases almost guarantees you’ll forget something in the end.

3. Climax of the process and the moment of greatest responsibility is the final review

The final review is a trick I stole years ago from a friend of mine. After having put everything into the suitcase he started touring the house in a quite strange manner. As soon as he noticed the look on my face, he explained to me what was going on. And I’ve been applying his trick ever since. It turned out to be the best way for me to prevent forgetting important things home.

So, the strange touring consists of passing on to each side of your house where you keep things, like the wardrobe, the bookshelves, the bathroom, the kitchen and places alike; stop for a couple of seconds and go through your mind what you needed to take from that place and what you’ve already taken. I promise, it’s simpler than it sounds. And in order to make this process even faster and more efficient, combine it with rule No 1 - stay present.

Finally, just before walking out the door, I’m wrapping up with checking on the three important things without which I would never leave for a trip: my phone (+ charger), my credit card and my passport.

In the end I want to urge you to not care too much about what I’ve written here, but do what feels right to you when packing your own suitcases. Packing is a private ritual for a woman and it should reflect her personal style, so it’s even more precious when you know you conceived its sequences yourself. If any of my rules are compatible with your style and way of doing things, they’ll be seamlessly enclosed in your next packing episode, you’ll see. If not, don’t worry. Enjoy your travels, train your muscles and, most of all, be happy!

P.S. I’ll go pack, too. As I’ll be traveling, beautifully, in a few days again.

I like to see advertising as a form of artistic expression....

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:42:00 +0300

I like to see advertising as a form of artistic expression. I’m well aware of its purpose, or say its origins. But today, I choose to not be a cynic with respect to this.

Today, I’m enchanted by the powerful message Dove is transmitting through this commercial.

You are more beautiful than you think!

“Ninette Murk is on a mission to make the world a better...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:29:43 +0300

“Ninette Murk is on a mission to make the world a better place. After a close colleague died from AIDS in 2004, the former fashion editor founded the Antwerp-based non-profit Designers Against AIDS.” (The Avant-garde Diaries)

Two of the things to remember from Ninette Murk’s diary:

To me, pure beauty…. You know it when you see it, but also you know it when you feel it.

Think your own thoughts and don’t mind what other people say, especially if your thoughts are not like mainstream.

Learn more about Designers Against AIDS HERE and Beauty Without Irony HERE.

"Aesthetic enthusiasm. Perception of beauty in the external world, or, on the other hand, in words..."

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:59:15 +0300

“Aesthetic enthusiasm. Perception of beauty in the external world, or, on the other hand, in words and their right arrangement. Pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story. Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed. The aesthetic motive is very feeble in a lot of writers, but even a pamphleteer or writer of textbooks will have pet words and phrases which appeal to him for non-utilitarian reasons; or he may feel strongly about typography, width of margins, etc. Above the level of a railway guide, no book is quite free from aesthetic considerations.”

- George Orwell believes beauty is one of the four motives for creation, which I fully embrace.

Eat well, travel often. How’s that for a plan?

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:49:00 +0300

It might easily cause SANQN (Syndrome of Acute Need of Quality Novelty), what I’m proposing here, but still, it’s definitely worth it. In all honesty actually, SANQN is a must have for those willing to adapt to this global village we are living in and… for those who want to befriend with me.

In terms of food, you know you’ve got it when, at first, you easily embrace food you’ve never tasted before. And your taste buds actually enjoy it. Although your intellect is going to confirm whether you should continue to ingurgitate it. Then, you can’t stand no diversification in the gastronomical area.

The process of SANQN incubation in the traveling area is a bit slower. At first, you are proudly showing yourself off as the tourist you are, relentlessly seeing every attraction they put in the travel guides in the agency that handles your trip, dutifully wearing your name tag. You know those, right? I admit I did wear it once, but only to be identified and brought back to civilization, dead or alive, in case I got lost in the subtropical jungle.

Fast forward, a couple of nomadic (in body and mindset) years after. You are embracing the unknown and throwing yourself into the adventure of exploring the unexplored (by you) yet, wondering the streets, talking to random locals, befriending with hopefully trustful strangers and more often than not proactively trying to avoid Tourist Centrals.

All in all, SANQN feels lovely if you ask me.

That was the goal. Now here’s the perfect tool to make it happen: this fascinating, beautiful iPhone app, called simply and suggestive, Unlike City Guide.

So, having the tool in hands, follow the, or better yet, my steps:

1. Chase away the doubts.

2. Take the advice of the mavens of exquisite, the unlike people. Why? They have put together an awesome travel guide with “wonders” you definitely want to see when in these best cities on Earth: New York, Berlin, London, Paris, San Francisco, Buenos Aires… Isn’t it enough?

3. Enjoy like crazy every moment you spend in those cities.

4. Don’t be greedy. When discovering something really cool, it’s your turn to share it with the unlike peeps.

And BTW, here are the picks for my next San Francisco trip:

This lovely boutique hotel. What’s better than a nautical theme in a maritime locale for someone eternally in love with sea?

San Francisco Ballet, the perfect place to quench my thirst of graciously moving human bodies.

Ocean Beach for an escapade any nomad needs.

And Greens, for gastronomical experiments all the way!

Enjoy the times we are living!

Disclosure: SANQN is not applicable to people. Opposed to things, people become more interesting the more you explore them in depth.

Wait, WTF, is it easy?

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:45:17 +0300

I strongly believe that yes, genuinely pursuing good is easy. Not because you won’t face challenges or because everybody would support and love you, but because you’d always find solutions and the energy to keep moving no matter what. And you’d end up creating value, thus beauty, which is particularly fulfilling.

Here’s the inspiring story of a creator. Abe Burmeister has built a fashion brand with no experience, bringing up a well executed solution for a real need.

The beauty of brush strokes. Paintings by Victor Sheleg.

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:51:04 +0300

The beauty of brush strokes. Paintings by Victor Sheleg.

Beauty, fashion, time? The famous artist Erwin Olaf knows.

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:53:33 +0300

Beauty, fashion, time? The famous artist Erwin Olaf knows.

The beauty of technology

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:16:39 +0200

The beauty of obsolete

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:22:36 +0200

“Nick Gentry is a British graduate of Central St Martins and has exhibited in the UK, USA and Europe. As part of a generation that grew up surrounded by floppy disks, VHS tapes, polaroids and cassettes, he is inspired by the sociological impact of a new internet culture.

His portraits use a combination of obsolete media formats, making a comment on waste culture, life cycles and identity….”

Ladylike Infusion of Beauty

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:29:15 +0200

Source: Absolutelyladylike.com

Beauty around the world: Bayaka

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:42:00 +0200

Beauty. from charity: water on Vimeo.

“I Find Beauty Everywhere”

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:22:32 +0300

Mr. Brainwash has released a new screen print titled “I Find Beauty Everywhere”, the print consists of 3 children drawing with chalk on the ground and comes in red, blue, and pink.

Clothes, no beauty and beauty, trash and no trash

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:18:17 +0300

The Cuban-born artist duo Guerro De La Paz have created a series of sculptural art works out of discarded, recycled clothing. These figures are made from t-shirts, shoes, boots, socks and more, many of which have been dug out of secondhand stores in Little Haiti, Miami. The message Guerro De La Paz conveys with their recycled clothing art is about the consume-and-discard nature of our mass-produced lifestyles. Our habits of consumption put us so very far away from the creation of the items we use– and just as far away from the piles of trash they become.

(via vegetarianbeauty)

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:33:31 +0300

(via vegetarianbeauty)

Deutsche Oper am Rhein Ballet by Klaus Kampert

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:09:18 +0300

Eva Zeisel on the playful search for beauty

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:31:56 +0300

The legendary Eva Zeisel is a ceramics designer whose curvy, sensual pieces bring delight and elegance to tabletops around the world.

Just listen to her TED talk on the playful search for beauty. I am simply amazed.

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of ... New York

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:31:58 +0300

And this is its beauty…

Photographer :: Unknown