Death is the single best invention of Life

"All external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure will fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It's Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it's quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

- The points I took from Steve Jobs' (Co-founder of Apple and Pixar) opening speech at Stanford University.

watch it all here

Good Advertising

Client: Mais - Printing House
Agency: Mohallem/Artplan, São Paulo, Brazil
Agency website: www.mohallemartplan.com.br
Creative Director: Eugênio Mohallem
Head of Art: Marcus Kawamura
Art Director: André Batista
Copywriter: Rodrigo Resende
Illustrator: André Batista, Ellyson Lifante e Caio Miranda
Photographer: Guto Nóbrega
Retouching: Ariê Magalhães
Published: August 2010

The light at the end of the tunnel

Testament to the proverbial mantra "good things come to those who wait", was yesterdays meet and greet with one of our client's finished works. I had definitely not forgot about this job, as it was a hugely involved test of creativity and time. It did, however, take me by unsuspecting surprise when I was walking past CBS's Wintergarden, on lunch hunting with dad. Both the logo on the storefront and the poster are two pieces from the body of work we completed for Fleet. Congratulation to them! The store looks great and if you are clever you will have a browse, for this QUT fashion talent sells for a margin of what the designers will be retailing post graduation. Had to grab a half-embarrasing, half ego-smitten shot.

Jesse Jo Stark

Girl crushing on this swingin' lady. Not sure if I can put it down to one thing... Her entire exterior just emanates unobtainable magnificence. Her last name embodies her style to a tee. In fashion parlance, she ranks in the same effortless, youthful, heroine-chic style aesthetic as Alexa and Rumi. The word from the blogosphere is that she designs for CHROME HEARTS. Keep your eyes on this fabulous monstrosity of coolness.

Images snatched from BLOGSTARBITCH and a conglomerate of google searches.

Oh, Those Russians!

Online fashion magazine, Playingfashion.com delicately depicting my favourite style of the moment. I have been trying to achieve this feather-light, sublime, alabaster demur in my graphic design work. The esoteric connotation achieved through these soft tones and textures is equally inspiring as it is sedating.

WARNING: Browsing through Playing Fashion does ignite desires of Russian fluency!

Meet Your Type

So, you are a chronic typophile, like me?

The long-serving patriot of digital type retail, FontShop has released it's latest field guide to Typography; Meet Your Type. Designed specifically with student's in mind, this free downloadable pdf is the perfect companion for anyone interested in embarking on the illustrious adventure of typography.

"Why settle for casual flirtation when looking for a long-lasting relationship? Finding the perfect match is easy if you know the rules. Meet Your Type will help you overcome common obstacles, and keep your heart thumping for your one true love: typography"

Click here to download Meet Your Type.

Of Beautiful Thought

Thanking you, BBC, for Thursday's fact of loveliness.

"Eunoia is the shortest word in English containing all five vowels – and it means “beautiful thinking”. It is also the title of Canadian poet Christian Bok’s book of fiction in which each chapter uses only one vowel."

Killer Kicks

You would not want to piss the vixen wearing these lethal heels off.

Taking a leap of faith across the chasm of impossibility, Lauren Tennenbaum of Indecorous Taste, delivers these killer creations and plenty more ghoulish treats in her fashion/interior design blog.

Live Now

It is not difficult to become entangled in the concerns, deadlines and perceived obligations in day to day existence. We can find ourselves subconsciously looking past the present moment, merely as a stepping stone for a time to come. I don't want to discount the importance of reflecting and building from the past and making wise decisions to accommodate the future. Yet, both of these concepts, past and future, as tenably truthful as they may seem, are just illusion.

Stop. Breathe. Appreciate the stillness of the world around you. Feel the aliveness within your own body. Appreciate not only what you have at this very moment, but the innate peace and divinity felt through appreciating your own immaculate existence.

Live Now.

(Soul vomit Inspired by this happy snap from Nubby Twiglet's Week in Picture's column. Love her.)

Positive People

Our Home-grown Positive Posters Competition is currently accepting entries. Founded by Melbourne's Nick Hallam in 2009, this not-for-profit competition calls upon entrants from around the globe to use their creative talent to promote positive thinking. Unrestricted by the bounds of commercial bureaucracy, this is an opportunity for fantastic exposure to internationally acclaimed industry professionals.

This idea works on a number of levels. Coming from an Advertising perspective, the exposure created through the interactivity and word-of-mouth stir, invites the audience to participate and become immersed within the product. The product being; positive thinking. Even after the competition is over, the awareness will prevail through the display of these posters around the cultural hub that is Melbourne. From a graphic design head space, the opportunity harbours enormous potential for "breaking through" as a designer in this highly competitive and albeit, network based industry. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, with the possibility of your design getting the masses to think differently, why not enter?

The brief:

I haven’t failed; I’ve had 10,000 ideas that didn’t work 
– Benjamin Franklin

We think Mr. Franklin had a nice way of looking at things. So the 2010 competition theme is ‘A Glass Half Full’.
 For those who don’t know, this saying refers to optimism. Some people see situations with optimism (Franklin – glass half full), and some see situations with pessimism (glass half empty).

We would like you to design a positive poster in response to this theme. Judges will be looking for original concepts, lateral thinking and inspired designs. The poster will be up in Melbourne streets, so keep in mind it should also standout against the city landscape.

Stone and Fringe

...When it is okay to have more than 10 fingers.

On enthralling crystal and unearthly design, VeidiAum is here to save us from mediocre jewellery purgatory. With a big green tick for eco-friendliness and sustainability, this label is sporting a top-ranking in my favourite emerging creatives list.

Keep your eyes on this one.

This amazing thread is rekindling a childhood love of white witchery. I can envision this heavenly wispy fringe partnered with the above-adourned hand candy as the perfect attire for casting some seriously cool spells.

Visit GirlOnAVine's Etsy here for some tassle-some treats.

Like.No.Other

During one of my Advertising lectures at uni today, one of my all-time, heart-somersaulting, favourite campaigns was analysed. Behind the profound peace and beauty it’s inspiring imagery and sound produce, lies a highly clever and equally creative concept. The hundreds of thousands of vibrantly coloured bouncy-balls, which are hoisted down the streets of San Francisco’s Russian Hill, metaphorically represent the colour pixel “ball” technology of the product, Sony Bravia Flatscreens. This high-budget campaign reigns close to my favourite commercial and validates my proclivity of studying and designing to Jose Gonzales’s organic grace of a voice. As interesting as the end result, is the creative process and implementation of this gala. Watch this clip to see how creative crusaders, legal “i" dotters and “t” crossers, heavy machinery handymen managed to orchestrate this magnificent explosion of colour and gravity.

Words and Thoughts

Words, no matter whether they are vocalised and made into sounds or remain unspoken as thoughts, can cast almost hypnotic spell on you. You easily lose yourself in them, become hypnotised into implicitly believing that when you attach a word to something, you know what it is. You only covered up the mystery with a label. Everything, a bird, a tree, a stone, and certainly human beings is ultimately unknowable.

From "A New Earth" by one of my dear favourites, Eckhart Tolle. Quite Easily one of the most influential books I have read. Don't take my word for it, ask Oprah.

Streetstylism

Whether you like it or love it, Streetstyle is vastly emerging on trend. Over the past three ish years there has been a shape shift within the fashion bizz. Transcending empyreal perfection and Valentino-esque stature and grace, Streetstyle hasmade it's mark as one of the most influential stylings of today. Summoning real life creatives and capturing the brilliance and innovation of the home-grown talent crop, Streetstyle has redesigned the image of DIY, abolishing the exclusivity of who can create and broadcast trend. Much a result of the rapid acceptance of recent technological endeavours, predominantly, blogging. My admittedly obsessed attitude toward Streetstyle was heightened when I spied this crafty critter of a lookbook by REECE HUDSON. I died of happiness a bit.

Oak & Bone

(Little Sister Leopard Maxi, Little Sister sheer crop, Sportsgirl hat, Jeffery Campbell imitation Sportsgirl clogs, Wayne Cooper Fur Coat, Thrifted Shark-tooth necklace, Sportsgirl Metal Ring.)

Sister Jessica and myself behind and in front of the Nikon D90.

The Line.

The line between incorporating your daily wanderings and happenings and going overboard with self-narration is seldom acknowledged in personal blogs. I think it makes a blog worth following if there is some human element fused in with the broadcasting of content. However, it can be overdone. Particularly, within PR there is a lot of overkill when it comes to reporting daily encounters and opinion. I pondered for quite some time, whether I wanted to create a blog strictly material based, blogging about collections, artists, readings etc, all unrelated to myself, or whether I would write from a first-person base, about my life. The most interesting blogs it seems are those that can skilfully do both. they must be able to don their blogs with interesting content from a personal perspective. To embark on my half-journal, half-content approach, I am sharing my picnic with you.

Mecca's Apologies.

My admittedly sporadic blogging is over. I, Sarah Byrne, vowel to honour you, The Mecca, as my lawfully, life broadcasting, pass time. School is out for the summer. It may be Winter and it may only be "out" for another few weeks. But, baby I am back. My brain is about to bust with things to blog about. I have been reading some hectic material I want to share, working with some very interesting clients and have had some interesting experiences worthy of mention which will all be addressed in time.

As an appetiser of things to come...

1. Book Porn. Oh, Hey Book Porn, How are you going?

Oh my days! Stunning.

2. Policeman Arnold Odermatt's Photography

Swiss Policeman who took photographs of the crime scene... then took his own personal set. Peculiar and Incredible.

Jerk

I want to learn how to Jerk.

Aesthetic Apparatus

MADE ME LAUGH!

Inspired by their previous experiment with paper signs, AESTHETIC APPARATUS

decided to take the plunge and print actual plastic window signs. They are

described as shiny & smelling like a brand-new Barbie doll ass. I particularly have

love for the "Sorry, We're Drunk." sign. It would make the perfect accessory for a big

night out with your fun crew. T-shirt print wouldn't be a bad idea!

S.

Opening Ceremony

OPENING CEREMONY

Opening Ceremony's signature offbeat mélange of bauhaus cuts, decidedly amazing print combinations and undemanding footwear fit for the most urbane geeks took center of my heart with their Fall/Winter 2010 range. Mel Ottenberg's comely quirk was brought to the fore this season in styling.

You can view the complete Lookbook HERE.

Link Loving

MINIMALIST WEB DESIGN

Every web designer should visit this site:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/13/principles-of-minimalist-web-design-with-examples/

I am bias because I love Swiss, clean, minimalist design, but it is truly full of wonderful examples to teach you the fundementals of minimalism in websites. Take a peak!

Waking Life

I recently watched the art-house film, "Waking Life".

Directed by Richard Linklater (director of Dazed & Confused) it is a visually stunning and original work that offers up some intriguing philosophical treatises. In short, it is a non-linear story about lucid dreaming.

One particular snippet of the film I found intriguing was Kim Krizan's disposition on language as a vice of expression. Her interpretation of human communication taps into spiritual connection and the divine process of thought. I recommend you sneak a peak at this youtube cut if not able to see the entire film.

Hello Mecca. How are you today?

The biggest mistake we make is believing there are mistakes. Or accidents. Or randomness. There are no mistakes. No coincidences. No accidents. No sudden anything. Everything happens for a reason. And every reason is an opportunity. - Unknown.

And so begins the first chapter of The Mecca.

Mecca: Any place considered to be a very important place to visit by people with a particular interest.

This Mecca harbours a myriad of particular interests. It is a manifesto of the following:

+ Graphic Design

+ Fashion

+ Typography

+ Fine Cuisine

+ Literature

+ Career

+ Student Life

+ Advertising

+ Spirituality

+ Inspiration

+ Inner & Outer Health

+ Culture

As a career-savy 3rd year university student studying Graphic Design & Advertising, with an innate interest for Philosophy & Creativity, I give you, The Mecca. Existing blogs have helped me in an array of areas from work inspiration, to assignments, to self-development. My intentions for this blog are to catalogue my interests and experiences while hopefully assisting others to explore their own.

S.