(ad)LIB.

N.Mathers 20 CD in the making.

[advertisingantics-blog]

Here I am, presenting myself online. Wait, that came out wrong...

I will be posting here weekly, talking about advertising and the trials and tribulations of my life as a new born Art Director. I can't promise that I'll enthrall you but hey, you never know.

I'm currently in the very middle of what seems like a tornado of work. How can I complain though? This is what it's like, this is what it will be like. Actually no, it's going to be a hell of a lot more intense than it is right now. I know what's coming and although I'm a little nervous to be jumping off my comfy little perch and out into ad world, I'm not that scared. I'm really excited to work on real clients and just be part of the advertising culture.

Three years ago, when I began the Advertising program, I never envisioned myself with the title 'Art Director'. As someone who loves books, reading and writing I initially saw myself becoming a Copywriter. However, during the second half of my second year I couldn't help but want to actually make things. There are too many visual ideas kicking around in my head for me not to want to execute them. Words just weren't doing it for me anymore and I realized that I never truly wanted to be a Copywriter.

I have to admit that I was attracted to the Copywriter position due to the general perception that writing is easier than designing. This is so not true. Okay, maybe Art Directors need to put in a lot more hours in order to properly execute ideas but it's just as difficult to write a killer headline as it is to layout a killer idea. On a very important side note, you should NEVER EVER EVER EVER switch disciplines because you think the grass is greener and time is more abundant on the other side. If you love designing and feel happier doodling or screwing around on Illustrator as opposed to scribbling wildly and staring at a blank word doc then be a god damn designer! If you suck, get better. Work as hard as you can to just be better. You'll get what you put into it and that's the absolute truth.

I hope I'm not coming off all self righteous because I have A LOT to learn. This post is more for myself than it is to give advice to anyone. I don't really think I'm the best place to be giving advice. I just know that I love doing this stuff. It's fun for me and I really want to build upon my basic design knowledge until I can design awesome shit, in my sleep!

This post has been way too long and I have a plethora of projects I should be working on so I'll end here.

Sayonara for now.

[advertisingantics-blog]

Bamboo Create!

Today I got my very first pen tablet. It's beautiful. I'm in love with it. So.Fucking.Happy!

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Damn.

It's been a while again. You can blame it on my time being consumed by working two jobs who have both lost a chunk of staff and require me to spend every other day at each of their establishments. 

I'm getting lost in daydreams of working for real after this year is over. My last year of school, forever. That's exciting along with a little bit sad. I've loved school for a long time and it's lack of presence in my life will be strange, I'm sure. At the same time, we all have to grow up and go our own ways.

Cheers to last year. I know it will be a good one.

[advertisingantics-blog]

oceanicpoultry

Thanks so much for reblogging one of my ads, that's so awesome of you! :D

[advertisingantics-blog]

Branding Yourself.

I'm in the midst of making some logo-esque visuals to use to represent myself. Since some time early last year I've really been in love with this hummingbird outline I made quickly using the pen tool. As much as I love this little bird figure I don't know that it symbolizes anything of real importance in relation to myself as an artist. I mean, hummingbirds are bright and cheerful with lots to say, qualities I like to associate with myself, but is that enough backup to justify attaching my name and work to the figure? Are there rules to this or can you just pick something that you love? Pretty much everything in advertising is backed up with solid reasoning and purpose so I'm assuming personal branding is no exception to this rule. For now however, I'm going to work with the hummingbird because I can't really bare to give it up just yet. We'll see how long she lasts.

[advertisingantics-blog]

PRINT AD #4 of 4

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PRINT AD #3 of 4

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PRINT AD #2 of 4

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CLIENT: BC Hydro

GOAL: Encourage people to have more sex in order to use less power.

IDEA: Develop a campaign that feels a little bit silly and features a lot of subtle, sexual nuances in order to make people laugh and WANT to save energy. For this campaign we created a brand new initiative, a sort of naughty counterpart to the BC Hydro company itself. With this alter ego we set out to spice up the task of being energy conscious.

PRINT AD #1 of 4

[advertisingantics-blog]

In an attempt to shake myself out of this creative slump:

I toted my laptop, sketchbook, markers, pencils, notebook and some magazines to the Starbucks down the street. I've been here for almost two hours and feel as though I've accomplished nothing. I don't know, maybe I was trying to force creativity which is stupid because that almost never works out for me.

I've developed a new strategy in order to hype myself up and hopefully hit the switch that's been pointing to off for the majority of this summer break. While thinking of how I'd like to design my online portfolio I started to interview myself. No, I'm not sitting here creeping out the other Starbucks patrons by talking to myself and portraying some kind of split personality disorder. I'm just sort of trying to better define my skills to myself so that when I self-promote I know exactly what I'm saying and why I'm saying it. Here's what I've got so far:

What do you want to say about yourself and more importantly, your work?

I want to show people that I have something, a spark, a way of thinking, that others don't. I want to convey my love for beauty and design as well as great ideas in a way that forces people to look at me as more of a strategically thoughtful, creative person and not just someone who can make visually pleasing images.

I want my thoughts to come across clearly and concisely without sacrificing the personal flair that will set me apart from other young creatives.

Well what DOES set you apart?

I have an energy when it comes to creating that I can best describe as relentless. I'm not in the slightest bit willing to let sub par ideas or half-assed art/design represent me as an artist. I'm not afraid to hear that an idea sucks. Tell me it sucks, tell me to try again. I want to hear all of that criticism so that I can continue to improve upon my work and my pieces. I want to make sure that the pieces I put out into the world are in their very best, impressive form. But back to why this makes me different: Criticism does not and will not make me bitter, ever. And that is only because I absolutely refuse to allow it to.

I'm aware that I have a long ways to go, there are many dues I have yet to pay and a multitude of skills I must work on harnessing and implementing in my work. I don't find this daunting, I find it exciting and I'm more than ready to become a force to be reckoned with in the ad world.

This is as far as I got with the self interview but let me tell you, I feel fired up and better about my creative slump because I know it's a mere crack in the sidewalk of my life's path and I'm hopping right on over it.

[advertisingantics-blog]

I fell off the wagon.

The wagon being keeping up with this blog. I'm not proud and I truly think that detailing my time spent leading up to and perhaps even including my time in the advertising biz may prove to be one of the only ways to stay sane as well as creative ( what a contradiction).

I, by no means, want to be one of those latte wielding, coffee shop squatting, re-post everything-I-see-and hear-about-advertising-to-seem-in-the-know, kinds of people. I just want to self propel myself to success and happiness in this ever-frustrating, ever-satisfying lifestyle that is being a creative advertising student.

I want to be able to back myself up with great work, great ideas and an equally as great attitude. So here goes nothing... again.

[advertisingantics-blog]

February 3rd, 2011

So today in advertising my Ad Campaign group, which includes myself and two others, met with one of our creative profs. for the 3rd time to go over ideas for our final project. Our final project is to develop a campaign for BC Hydro to encourage people to conserve energy within their homes. It seems as though we have been having varying highs and lows with this project. Each week we come up with something we think is great, pitch it, sit down to think on it then decide it’s not going to work. Today my team member, R pitched an idea that myself and our other member, B, denied immediately. Interestingly enough, this idea, which I thought to be entirely crude and unusable, may be our little stroke of genius, the precise idea we need to develop an edgy, funny and effective campaign. It just goes to show that you should never shoot down the ideas of teammates, even if it seems to be entirely outlandish because it may be just what you’re looking for. Details on the BC Hydro campaign to come.

[advertisingantics-blog]

Here goes nothing.

I'm attempting to start a blog solely based on my trials and tribulations throughout the last year and a half of my Advertising program at Mohawk College. This blog will contain details of my assignments as well as my personal thoughts on the assignments themselves, the process in developing such assignments and the final product. To say that creative advertising is easy would be a bold faced lie. Whether you're a computer wiz or have a rampantly active imagination, advertising will never cease to throw you curveballs that may sometimes send you into a fit or tears, rage or some other heightened emotion. I hope I make it out of this program in one piece...