LA COQUETTE

Design by Eebs Berenstein

Visit The Famous Burj Khalifa

Photo by Hicham Eid - Design by Eebs Berenstein

ILLUMINATION

"illuminati" by EebsBerenstein. Photo by Hisham Eid. Texture created by William Morris pattern.

POWER OF THE MIND

Changing my mentality and being proactive about a positive change. I'm going to experiment with the powers of positive reinforcement and envisioning the future (short, medium and long term) that I want for myself. Taking a few moments several times throughout the day to remind myself of my value as a creator. Also, reminding myself of where I want to be in the next year and therefore, lighting the fire for the actions I must take in order to get to that point.

MANIFESTING THROUGH ENVISIONING AND ACTING ON/TOWARDS GOALS.

For those of you who need a little kick, as I often do:

A fantastic collection of manifestos for the creative in all of us. Btw, if you do not follow this blog, you absolutely should! (Pics of journal were borrowed from this page)

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/04/08/five-manifestos-for-life/

A great blog of inspirational design. Dedicated young designer who did one design a day (the end goal being simply creation) for a year.

http://alldaysgoby.tumblr.com/

Follow me on twitter! I like to share creative stuff! @EebsBerenstein

Collection of weird, interesting, stimulating, visually appealing:

 http://www.laughingsquid.com

Hedonistic Sustainibility -- Europe is at the forefront of design, architecture, living-well... optimal living, you could say! Check out this great TED Talks by inspiring and innovative architect/visionary Bjarke Ingels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogXT_CI7KRU

Janurary 2012 Career Mantras from EB and MP

In chronological order:

EB - "Having faith in my instincts and passions will lead me to success and fulfillment!"

MP - "Align yourself for the next step by pursuing your interests and informing yourself about those fields of interest -- Who are the big players? What are the trends? How do you fit in? -- With this prep, you will be ready when an opportunity presents itself - and it will, just be patient."

EB - "I will not allow myself to be bogged down by an under-stimulating environment! I will make time for my interests and nurture my passions!"

MP - "Do not be undervalued or taken advantage of! You are a flower, don't be bulldozed."

EB - "Living for my passions, even if my next step is not directly aimed at my end goal, will be right for me and right for my path."

MP - "Focus-Focus-Focus on the big picture and aim yourself at your goals. If you want to be a hippy for the summer, only do it if you know it is aimed at your long-term goals."

EB - "Don't get overwhelmed, things will fall into place as long as I am creating, learning and pushing my boundaries. Think clearly and think for myself!"

MP - "THINK BIG-DREAM IN COLOUR-IN 3D AND IN MOVEMENT-STRIVE TO ALWAYS BECOME BETTER IN ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE - BE HAPPY IN  APPRECIATING LITTLE DETAILS - IT IS IN THE DETAILS OF THE DETAILS THAT YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN YOUR LIFE! IT IS CALLED BEING "AWAKE & AWARE" - IT LEADS YOU TO ATTITUDE AND ACTION!"

Hannes Beer: http://alldaysgoby.tumblr.com/

Big thoughts to have only 1 month into the year... but sometimes tough love is what's needed.

This transition has been trying for me - from student to worker - attempting to figure out what's right for ME. I won't lie, I've been stressing. It's hard enough that my thoughts are all over the place and I feel that every decision I make will either make or break me. But, on top of my own insecurities and indecisiveness, my mentor is putting pressure on me to be the "best" me I can be. It's revealing, overwhelming, frightening and freeing to have someone hold a mirror up to you and make you consider who you truly want to be. I'm coming out of the other side of all of this pressure - more aware and realistic. The tough part is realizing the hard work that needs to go into becoming a big player in any field. And, ya, my ultimate goal is definitely that! 

So, next step?

- Patience

- LESS AGONIZING

- Active research

- Me time

- Art time

- More stuff like Hannes Beer is doing: http://alldaysgoby.tumblr.com/

Words to help me visualize my yearly goals -- steps towards the future!!: 

- DEEP-UNIQUE-PERSONALIZED-DESIGN

- SEEK OUT INSPIRATION

- LESS EATING OUT

- SAN FRANCISCO

- SUN YEAR ROUND

- $10,000

- TRAVEL

- ART DIRECTOR

- GRAND CANYON

- JAN 2013

A bumpy, slow start to 2012... & my necessary resolutions

(The fact that I'm posting this 12 days into the new year just shows how detached I am from my motivation and personal creation.)


So.... I've been out for a minute. Several minutes, infact. Getting lost in the numbingness of the job and searching (lacklusterly) for who are am as a creator in the midst of all of this. 

A new year but this one feels... different. For those of you who are still in school, soak it up. I'm jealous of you. The pending semester always laid out the beginning of the new year so clearly - your path is right there in front of you. All you have to do is keep going about your student-life day-to-day. Studying, learning, expanding the mind in the process. You are preparing yourself for the next step and it's virtually effortless; the professor tells you what to do and you do it and VOILA, you have learned something new, and in the process, you have shed a layer and gotten closer to who you will become.

I don't know. I'm just missing school. Feeling stagnant for the first time since I took a semester off between CEGEP and university.

Who am I as a designer and creative person when all my work is produced for others? It's tough to stay in touch with yourself. You loose track of time, loose track of the passion that you had during school and before you know it, you haven't created anything for the fun of it in months.

God, listen to me, I sound like I've been in this business for years. During the holiday vacay I was honest with myself and attempted to reconnect with my seemingly lost conviction. Having faith in your gut and stepping out of something comfortable and into something new has become difficult for me - it never used to be. Hence my need to reconnect with my self-confidence. Maybe it's an attitude change that I need, maybe it's a change of space.

But I am where I am and I want to feel balanced and fulfilled even though I not entirely satisfied with my present employment; it is the perfect season for a kick in the ass. The resolution season.

I was inspired by my friend, Phil Ha. Witty blogger, sharer of cultural-musical-interesting-fashion&faux-pas tidbits. He attempted to challenge himself with 10 attainable resolutions rather than the regular "go to the gym" b.s. 

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. 10 realistic resolutions to center me, keep me creative and allow me to evolve spiritually.... Or something along those lines.

1 - Trust my instincts and act on them:

Sidenote to this one: Don't feel ashamed or guilty for being honest when it comes to my career and future path. Open my eyes, speak what I see when necessary and proudly display my emotions and thoughts on my face (i.e. cover pic)

2 - More Yoga:

Otherwise I'll be hunched over permanently by the end of 2012. And also, to give my mind a few moments of peace during the week.

3 - Live more organically:

Food, karma, give/take with the earth, have plants/possible garden, follow the weather, dress for the seasons, cultivate the good and avoid the aggressive, more local support

4 - Do more drawing for leisure

5 - Pass on my positives to others:

Passing on my good moods, absorbing the benefits of t.a.ing and passing on my knowledge, offering drawing classes to children... holding the door for others, and so on.

6 - Earlier rising

7 - More baking bread:

With my whole self involved. Leaving the thoughts behind and kneading with love and energy.

8 - Actively budget and budget the loans away

9 - One big trip

This song makes me want to visit many places at once:

10 - No electronic devices in bed

And as with every other year, so it doesn't need to be numbered, more tea and more quebec cheeses.

And hopefully, more blogging....  :)

Times-a-flyin', Dreamlands float by, Nightmares don't knock me down but they sure do get my heart-beating faster.

Later in my life, when wiser and seasoned, I'll write a country song about the sorrows and joys of periods of change. I'm such a newb to it all right now; overreacting at the smallest upset! Change is tough, guys and gals! My Grandma agreed rather knowingly when I mentioned how I was feeling. "Transition is difficult, Dear", she said, faint remains of her British accent audible in certain words. She came to Canada on a ship in her mid-Twenties with an infant and a bun in the oven, leaving her family and friends to start a new life; she knows about periods of transition.

As you may know, my performance anxiety has been getting to me. Vivid nightmares in which I am forced to create or a big, bad man will fly down at me and bite off my legs...

It's only been a few weeks since my last contemplative post but much has changed since then, I feel. I'm seeing more clearly. And frankly, I'm happy that I had that little down to put me in my place! I'm young - the downs and confusion and ego-bursting moments are necessary in order to show me the way to the next level, my next peak.

I'm settling into my job, settling into the level of creation, settling into my first fall since I was four years old that I am not in school. My gosh, I do yearn for more schooling. I had a few days of feeling as though since I am done school, the learning is complete and this is the level of design that I will be at for the rest of my life. Hahah, so ridiculous. I've snapped out of it. Now, I'm just trying to go with the flow. It's a joy to have some free time to focus on my development - I just need to get used to the happiness of it all.

For a little while there, I felt as though I wasn't creating anything interesting. It all seemed so blah to me. After having brainstormed some ideas with my bosses and close friends, I realize there's something interesting in the majority of my ideas. I gotta have faith! It's all coming together, I feel myself relaxing into it.

So, what's next?

Well... I'm conceptualizing and designing a promotional journal for Surface Jalouse. The release of the book will coincide with a huge reopening of the Surface Boutique! I have to design displays for the interior of the boutique (vinyls, showcase boxes, pieces of furniture) and a line of t-shirts. We're also going to develop the winter season window installations for the Boutique and for several clothing stores. And all this for only a couple of months from now. Wow - seems I'm a little out of my league with all this stuff! Lots of inspiration though... so things will roll :)!

Here's some inspiration for you now:

A great, long episode of The Strombo Show on CBC Radio:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Radio/1447825254/ID=2127808266

The first in a series of short films called Made by Hand, promoting hand-made, local artisans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfuGWT8alT4

I want to start embroidering on photos:

Vibrant artwork by an artist whose name I can't fully remember... Francis something. Sorry artist! Who didn't love Darjeeling Limited?! Watch for gorgeous patterns in every scene!

Love this kind of symmetrical illustration, using a strong white space and simple, unhesitating, lines. Mingo Lamberti

Great new tune to enjoy:

Feist - How come you never go there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h65YIvjIV7E

And I'll leave you with something to consider... I've been mulling it over for a while now. Why not be a part of your community by making it more beautiful? Positive vandalism, if you will. It takes little effort and goes such a long way in brightening your environment and neighbours' lives.  And in a city like Montreal - pot-hole filled and such - who wouldn't love a little ironic, colourful addition to their surroundings?

Til next time everyone! Enjoy the change, layers of clothing and fall colours...

Wall Mural-ing

Unfortunately, I haven't got any higher quality photos of my work just yet, but here are a few shots from a wall mural I did for a resto bar in Quebec City called Jack Saloon!

As Irene pours down.

A self-indulgent piece to clear my thoughts and sulk on a rainy day. Apologies for the run-ons and at times, difficult to follow trains of thought. I'm a little all-over the place today but sometimes you just gotta get it out.

I've had this post in my mind for a few weeks now, since I completed my Graphic Design diploma, actually. The fear of the "real world" has quickly set in, especially without any time off to collect my thoughts after a whirlwind ending. (I started working full-time the Monday after my Friday evening graduation). Negative, defeatist feelings have been rolling through me and developing into more concrete thoughts - and some, developing into realities. Excuse my tangents as I feel there will be a few throughout this entry -- rainy days just kind of do this to me. "The winds of change are blowing through, the rain washing the slate clean. My accomplishments behind me, new ones must take their place". Ya, those sorts of daunting, melodramatic lines are common for me on rainy days.

I've been on a major high. The highest high of my blossoming artistic career. I feel pretentious calling myself an artist but I'm not solely a graphic designer, so I'll use the word and take the title. With the title, comes the realization that as an artist my creations are not solely for personal pleasure and release, they are for the bread and butter, the dollars, the advancements. I have always been faced with the desire, nay, need, to be creative but never like this. Never as a career, never to make the rent. These days, the pressure to create does not solely come from my internal monologue; I now feel I must appease others' who patiently await my next creation - my Facebook friends, family, teachers, and as the added kicker, my employers. Important people around me expect greatness from me. I expect greatness from myself. So, what's the next move? How can I keep up the success?

Strange feelings for me since I began working full-time: being directed, producing for the sake of money and creating for the benefit of others. I have to acknowledge however, that it is a new feeling. Things will fall into place and the pressure won't be as numbing and intimidating - I will give myself time and attempt to relax into my current position. But for now, I'll just panic and ponder a little...

As a "professional" artist, my employment could push me in one of two directions; I could sink or swim. Continued success: breast-stroking onwards into the unknown, skill-testing tides or, the worst possible outcome, artistic apathy: soaking in murky, brown, semi-creative/semi-productive waters that hint at my past successes. It's the beginning of this stage of my life and I'm allowing myself to get into the darkness and unfamiliarity of it all, so yes, I am afraid. Afraid that creating for others who lack inspiration & are often tacky, will drag me down into an innovation-less life zone, without drive or vision of places I want to be and the person I can become. I don't want to be a designer at the median of creativity - reproducing what's already been done for the sake of rapid output or simply to finish the boring job off and put me out of my misery. Frankly, I'm afraid I will loose my motivation. I'm afraid I will spend crucial career development years working for the wrong company or working for the wrong end goal. How can I know that I am where I should be? How can I know I'm taking the steps I'm supposed to take so that my bank of ideas never runs dry? How can I stay at the forefront of my design abilities? I don't want to become a lackluster designer/artist who repeats themselves.

I want to feel the way I have felt this past year, for the rest of my days. I want to ooze inspiration for myself and those around me. I'm realizing now that this takes practice and effort. When you're a student, the projects are based around developing your brainstorming and conceptualization - the inspiration comes easily. You are constantly surrounded by curious people who have yet to be jaded by the underwhelming projects that lay ahead. I need to be involved in my growth because my employment and my work projects cannot be the heart of it, they can only be a part of it - on the sidelines.

To only way for me to keep up that drive is to constantly look for new, encourage myself to research, brainstorm deeply instead of settling on the first idea. I need to remain at the heart of the action: living in metropolis cities, going to vernissages, museums, listening to new music, following interesting blogs, being attuned to European artistic developments, having arts and crafts days with creative friends. Luckily for me, I have all those things readily available to me... and I have a deep want to move forward.

After all this fretting, having written out this worrisome post has done me some good. For the sake of relaxation and perspective, I think it would wise to look at the big picture. I guess storms just do strange things to the designer in me or oops, should I say artist?! Professional artist? Creator?? Won't worry about that just yet.

I'm busy,... so so busy!

Hi!
I'm living the dream right now world wide web! This job at Surface Jalouse is opening so many doors and allowing me to create some crazy stuff. (Ie. neons lights and mirrors inspired by the artist Zilon for the Festival Design & Mode in Montreal---- ummmm, is this real?! Am I dreaming?)

I'm also finishing up my final projects and still working as a creative assistant to a marketing professor at the John Molson School of Business. I honestly don't know how I'm finding the time! But I'm loving it.

Here's a peek at my magazine:

Front and Back cover...





Spread from the article "Tripping on Fireworks" -- Photo cred to Hisham Eid


Illustrated spread "HIGHWAISTED Accesories in Space"


Article on art in abandoned Mtl buildings