I’ve gotten one major project out of the way, and that is the Creek Kids ministry expo. Our theme this summer is a beach theme. So in previous posts you saw the Tshirt with the surfboards, and the ministry fair…well we decided to go beach party in an awesome kind of way. I built 8ft table tops out of fencing panels to look like a beach board walk and set up an island in the center complete with sand and sand sculpture of the creek kids logo. There is a video, I’ll throw the final up on my vimeo page. Continue reading
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musings and mishapse of a technical creative
Filed under Creative …
A response
To Psalm 118 (a dive into writing, I haven’t done in a while)
my whole body is vibrating, shaking, Lord i am consumed
my soul longs for cleansing, to be closer to you
i am my own detriment, running from myself
a solace I cry for and nothing else
His love endures
His love endures
with all my breath I cry
His love endures
His love endures
All things
His love endures
i am surrounded, enshrouded, like a city at war
nowhere to hide at all, my refuge is in you
my life has ended, I am not my own
thank you for hearing me, for what you have shown
His love endures
His love endures
with all my breath I cry
His love endures
His love endures
all things
His love endures
open me, pour me out
i can’t do this alone
cleanse me, make me shout
victory is yours alone
Stage Setting
I am so bored at this event that I have to do something.
So you get a blog post, a bit premature on my new stage design.
This stage design was inspired by the talented Mr. Widney
I’ve used screen door mesh before and loved the look and feel of it, so when I saw Jason’s use of it I knew it was time to break it back out (yes i saved it).
I’ll talk a little bit about the process, but There is a description of the process on flickr! Continue reading
Like this:
Creativity exercise.
Some of us are great spontaneous idea developers or are able to spur on a creative idea at a whim.
Some of us couldn’t find our way quickly out of a box creatively.
A couple things that are fun are start playing word association games.
Beach
- Sand
- Water
- Salt
- Fish
You get the idea…now how would those things fit into a concept for a design, video, stage, etc.
That’s a little harder.
You have some basic concepts from it though. Now how would you go about it if money, space and time were not an object?
I would rent a big surf generator and have a pastor surf on stage.
- ok maybe that is a bit extreme but I could video it
I always think of the lame inspirational statement “shoot for the moon and at least you’ll land among the stars”, but it’s true.
Dream big, then once you’ve got this grand concept figure out pieces you can make work. Your final concept will still come out stellar, and far exceed most of your leadership’s expectations.
Like this:
A walk on the graphic side
I haven’t stretched my design skills in a while, so this project was fun.
Challenge, create a kids summer tshirt that will be great for the younger kids, but appeal to the older kids as well.
So now I’ve got the design, Old Navy-esq inspired, some of the line art needs cleaned up a tad but I’m happy with it. Next up picking colors. What jumps out at you?
Simple Stage Elements
I meant to post something about this up a while back!!
Variety is the spice of life, and so is creative interpretation.
Camps come and go, services come and go and we all use some element of the cross within it. For special occasions we use a physical cross, whether nailing sins and confessions on it, or laying things at the foot of it, or simply a striking remembrance that the forgiveness we’ve received had a price.
What doesn’t change that often is the two beams that get put together to look like a cross. So here is a different take on it.
This cross was going more for an urban feel with camp. I had a former student who’s parents had connection with a scrap yard and so after a few phone calls we had some pieces to create a unique element at no cost.
No welding required…but it did require a strong drill. I burned one out and almost didn’t get it complete.
Resources are always available around you, and the more you’re able to involve others the better. This didn’t take a creative genius but it did take some convincing to step out side of the box and NOT use a traditional wood cross.
If you have the liberty and trust to take some projects to the creative extreme, and maybe to the abstract, play around. Use different materials, call around ask volunteers etc. I just found a brother in law of a co-worker who takes down fences, viola! Instant super weathered wood to use for another project in the works.
Don’t be afraid to try something new, or experiment a little!
Two-Fifty Tuesday
Alright there are a ton of projects just sitting out there right now I’m working on either in concept or totality, and I’m gonna dump them on here.
- Summer Children’s T-Shirt design.
- Childrens Ministry Fair design concept/execution.
- VBS concept and build out.
- Youth Stage Design Concept.
- Gym System build coming up.
- Volunteer Schedules.
- Continuing Projector Lamp change outs across campus.
- Projector upgrade spec out.
I just got confirmation of lumber from a fence being pulled down for part of the ministry fair. I’m building a board walk and need some old looking lumber, and free trumps anything else I could come up with!
Personally I’ve got a few projects i want to get started on my own. I want to create some wall art, painting etc. I also want to build a unique coffee table out of reclaimed barn wood. I’ll be posting pictures of all of these projects before to long.
I just moved back in with my parents. They came down to Houston after I did and when my lease came up they offered to let me move in with them for a while to save some money for a potential new car purchase etc. So that rocks but it’s gonna be an adjustment. i’m used to having a ton of space! But I’ll have a garage which is why I’m gonna be working on some projects for myself.
I bought the new Adele album 21 – Adele good stuff. Love her rich voice.
What are you working on?
Two Fifty Tuesday!
I have two new tattoo ideas.
To finish up my current series on Rev. 22:13a “I am the Alpha and Omega”
I have YHWH (I AM) on my right bicep, Alpah and Omega on my shoulders and so I think to balance it out the verse reference on my left bicep.
I also want to get Philippians 2:3 my life verse on my right arm as a half sleeve, with the artists discretion on some filler. I may do it in greek.
Phil. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
I see a lot of tats that are just spur of the moment ideas and they’re crap. If you’re going to get one spend a lot of time thinking about it. My first tattoo was an idea I mulled over for 5 years. I have talked it over with a friend and I personally do not think you should get tattoos until your mid 20s because by that point in your life all of your major life changes and shifts are over. You’ve settled down and mellowed out. When you’re in your mid 20′s a tattoo will be less of a mistake or regret (unless it’s just a drunken idea) in your future.
Also, think about your placement long and hard. it’s gonna sag and stretch.
Don’t get it in a place you can’t or won’t be comfortable covering up for a job. 90% of jobs are conventional jobs that have tat policies.
Rework Review
I think Rework might be a book a lot of people would overlook simply because it was written by a small company that writes web based apps for other businesses. Who wants to read about ideas centered around web based apps or small business? Coding for me would be extremely boring, I’m not running my own business and even then wouldn’t I want to grow a big business?
Cover to cover it’s an extremely easy read because it is written in short format blog post style blips. So you can pick it up read a page or two, and when you put it down you’ve gathered one complete thought from the book.
Now on to content, it isn’t a tech book or a business leaders book, this isn’t John Maxwell you’re going to be reading here. This book was written with anyone that has a brain and is a working part of society in mind. Sure there are trade tips on how to run a small business but it’s also applicable to you who manage a couple people in any scenario. It speaks to creatives, those in customer service, marketing, communications, business executives and the list goes on.
I think what is most incredible about this book is that it totally blows up traditional concepts that most industry is built on. If you’re looking for a game changer in the way that you view work, your industry, how you approach leading people or running a business pick it up. Another game changer is Linch Pin by Seth Godin. Yeah these books are geared towards the business and were not written specifically with churches in mind but 9.9 times out of 10 the way you manage people and run a church is the way you run a business and leadership practices and structure ideals are something we should be reading too.
Pick it up, it’s not expensive and if you don’t have time it’s a great read in short bursts!
Wide Awake
I’m going to be honest, I did not like the book Wide Awake when i started reading it.
I’m not able to follow Erin McManus’ writing style very well. Nothing against him, just hard for me to track with his flow.
I’m in the third chapter and it kinda hit me upside the head. Especially since I read it after writing my blog on dreams for my life. I’m not going to promise the rest of the book isn’t a struggle since I haven’t read beyond it.
So I’ll just leave some tidbits from this chapter I read today.
Life is not a stationary experience. When you stop dreaming you stop living.
Life is not a color-within-the-lines project;
You must be willing to get paint all over you.
Change requires humility
Sometimes you need to bring change
Sometimes you need to be changedMany of us need reinvented lives. We are living a rerun, and we need fresh stories, maybe some new characters to enter our story.
You must build on the past but live for the future.
When life is overwhelming, it provides the context for you to experience something truly breathtaking.
If you’re not living the life of your dreams, if you wake up with that little bit of sadness in the mornings because you know you’re underachieving, living a life of mediocrity, and choosing average, it’s easy to blame everyone else for your condition. You’re not called to settle for the good life; you are called to a life of greatness.
Part of learning how to reinvent yourself is learning how to be teachable, resourceful, and flexible.
Adaptability requires teachability. The ability to change comes form one core characteristic, and that is simple humility. Humility keeps us flexible. It serves as an oil that keeps our hearts open to change and able to adjust.
This doesn’t always mean you will be the best in the world at what you do, but you are supposed to be the worlds best you.
Living a life of flexibility doesn’t mean you don’t have convictions but that you understand what your nonnegotiables are. Some things are your core; everything else can change.
if you’re going to be a follower of Christ, get ready for change, because who you are today is not who you will be tomorrow. You are changing. The world is changing. You are a change agent. Allow your dreams to unleash the endless possibilities. Keep fueling your insatiable curiosity. Then look at your circumstances as the crucible from which your dreams will be forged into reality.
