Guest Post: Caitlin McCabeGuest Post: Caitlin McCabeGuest Post: Caitlin McCabeGuest Post: Caitlin McCabe

Guest Post: Caitlin McCabe

Guest Post: Caitlin McCabe // @caitlinmc

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On an average day, I can end up on the phone most of the day with short periods of time where I furiously answer emails about which file folder something is in, a client that doesn't actually like the creative part of their campaign, and that Constant Contact has some sort of offer that needed 18 emails to explain.

Let's just say it's a bit short of inspiring.
For this I walk.  I walk because it's forward motion and it's also observatory.  

I see someone who is smiling.
A sign that says 'Winter Stick Garden', 
A syringe
A couple that's in a fight so the girl keeps changing direction and the boy keeps following her
Words on a wall that say 'read my mind' and another of a girl with a blue face that I use for manicure colors later
streetlights that line up and a crew filling potholes along them
a logo of a pickle that I paint onto a coffeecup when I get home
Cars with boots on the wheels
Cars with bikes on the back
Giant Candy
A whole row full of Slim Jims and jerky
A sign that says - 'CD's.  Cheap'

The great thing about walking for inspiration is, you can do it anywhere as long as you have about an hour and are willing to apply them to your clients, your work, or your life.  I've gotten most of my good ideas for clients this from a few dozen walks around Boston.  If you see me, say hello!

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You may think that the grass is greener on the other side. But if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green.

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CAPI

The CAPI brand was born from a simple idea to produce Pure, Clean, Refreshing carbonated drinks.

 

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Brick

Brick is a sleek personal computer with a transparent display. This concept uses features like magnifier, text translation, video and still photography, projector and much more. Working on the maxim that “a PC is no longer a PC anymore,” the designer duo want to convey that accessible networks and true mobility are the key ingredients of futurist products…even if it’s a PC.

Designers: Shaocheng Huang & Yuyin Huang

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Words Into Images

Ji Lee's book Word as Image.

Started 20 years ago as an assignment in his typography class at art school.

"When we were children, letters were like fun toys," he says. "We played with them through our building blocks. We colored them in books. We danced and sang along with TV puppets while learning C was for 'cookie.' Soon, letters turned into words. Words turned into sentences. Sentences turned into thoughts. And along the way, we stopped playing with them and stopped marveling at A through Z.

Guest Post: John Burke

Guest Post: John Burke // @justonlyjohn

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The natural world aside, if you distill down any human activity that is truly inspiring to others, the one common element I believe they all share is that there is passion driving them. I’m not talking about some sterilized passion; I’m talking about the real deal. The kind of passion where recognition is secondary. Nothing of any realness, authenticity, or lasting effect gets created without it.

Far too many people I know in advertising, let alone other ‘less creative’ careers, have no real driving interests outside of work. Hell, they aren’t even that interested in advertising when it comes down to it.  Anyone I have ever hired or would ever hire must be into something, anything, whole-heartedly. I believe that passion is transferable. That if you have it for one thing it can, or better yet will be, naturally re-directed to everything you do. This may sound obvious but I’d ask you to look around and see how many people actually are dedicated to being the best they can be at something that they don’t get paid to do. There aren’t that many.  

The banal and hackneyed conversations floating around about what creativity means are perfect examples of this lacking in a lot of people.  Like that (in)famous 1%’er said: “If you have to ask how much something costs, you can't afford it” ……or something like that.

 

 

*picture by Dave Pires