Type Illustration_Updated Creative Brief

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A type illustration portrait of writer/activist Arundhati Roy would primarily serve as promotional material for the annual World Social Forum held in January in India for which Roy is a featuredspeaker. The portrait will connect Roy to her work and writing on human rights and criticisms of globalization and neoliberalism by utilizing her own words (speeches, books, articles,etc) to create a powerful, recognizable portrait that illustrates the politics of “small” voices and plurality.

target audience
Considering Roy’s international presence, this portrait would largely target a cross-cultural audience (mid-20s to 50s) of both marginalized peoples opposed to corporate global control and postmodern scholars, activists, and leaders. It would serve as a call to participation in the next World Social Forum and action toward a new world order.

objectives
The World Social Forum is a global campaign for social change/awareness building that points toward an alternate world order. This portrait would push its audience to view globalization and the American presence with a new perspective through the writings and person of Roy. It’s not a charity campaign, it’s an attempt to shift minds (a good place to start when changing social habits).

obstacles
Globalization and the American presence in the 21st century are accepted as a given - no matter how environmantally unstainable and despite the very real human cost . Convincing an American audience (and global) that the New American Century is not in the best interest of the world, not even Americans, rubs against deep cultural barriers and defensive attitudes buit on a uni-vocal, hegemonic world order. Trying to reach a cross-cultural audience also risks alienating or offending both extremes while leaving the center unimpressed or moved. Speaking to multiple cultures at once poses unique design challenges in word choice, color, perspective, message, etc.

key benefits
Despite wide cultural resistance and a seemingly passive acceptance of globalization and neoliberal principals, awarness is the first step to changing minds and envisioning a new world - a world that Roy believes is not only possible but already on her way. Alllowing more minds to see this world as an alternative to the course it is currently on could only benefit all peoples and potentially save our planet from humanity’s self-destructive tendencies. An image of Roy is a recognisable connection to these goals and tangible place to start.

tone
The tone should fit Roy’s character - nonheroic, deliberate, no apologies and hopeful.

media
Both print and online, although I envision mostly print as part of a promotional ad campaign, which, ironically, Roy would probably hate.

creative consideration
Although there are no official colors for the World Social Forum, it looks like 2012 advertising/website is drenched in orange.

Editorial Illustration_Issuu[ed]

Open publication - Free publishing - More groupthink

Photorealism Project_Photo Ideas

I'm not much a photographer. But hopefully something in here could work. 

Chosen Portrait

Arundhati Roy: devilfinder.com

Project Statement: Type Portrait Illustration

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A type illustration portrait of writer/activist Arundhati Roy would primarily serve as promotional material in a political/feminist article by or about her or for advertising material in an awareness campaign - for example, promotional material for the upcoming International Women's Day 2012 on March 8. The portrait will connect Roy to her work and writing in women's rights by utilizing her own words (speeches, books, articles, statistics) to create a powerful, feminine portrait. 

target audience

Considering Roy's international prominence, this portrait would largely target and international, cross-cultural, female audience (mid-20s to 50s). Primarily, the portrait would attempt to call privileged populations attention to Roys' work and the marginalized peoples for which she so actively speaks. 

objectives

Campaign for social change/awareness building. This portrait would push its audience to view women's issues/feminism with a new perspective, through the writings and person of Roy. It's not a charity campaign, it's an attempt to shift minds (a good place to start when changing social habits). 

obstacles

Feminism and women's issues are not universal - per se. Although similarities in perspective and practice run through all cultures, each culture has thousands of years of history that informs how it perceives and understands gender roles. Trying to reach a cross-cultural audience risks alienated or offending both extremes while leaving the center unimpressed or moved. Speaking to multiple cultures at once poses unique design challenges in word choice, color, perspective, message, etc. 

key benefits

Despite wide cultural differences, similarities do exist, particularly in the need for all societies to view and treat women as equal contributors - a primary focus in Roy's writing and political activism. Those who see this portrait will connect her words and desire for a better, more equal word connected to the passion and life of a real, physical woman - not an idea, not a philosophy. 

tone

The tone should fit Roy's character - eccentric, deliberate, no apologies. 

media

Both print and online, although I envision mostly online through international reports, journals, news publications, and awareness campaign advertising. 

creative consideration

Although there are no official colors for International Women's Day, it looks like 2012 advertising/websites are using lively purples, natural greens, and spring-inspired colors. Roy's portrait should also utilize this colors, but with sophistication and sobriety. The colors and design should celebrate women and the progress made toward equality without downplaying the gravity of the work Roy represents. 

Type-based illustration ideas

...a bit late...but might as well post it anyway.

1. Portrait poster of local musician (cliche, but hey)

My first idea is to do a portrait of a local musician or band for a promotional poster (I do have a musician in mind, but I'd like to run the idea past him/take some photos before blurbing it here).  I like the idea of doing a local musician because 1) a musician would give me plenty of words to work with (lyrics), and 2) poster promotion is a neat, Seattle-musician niche that I would love to get into.

Here are a few examples/inspiration:

Steve Butabi
Yes...it's Erik Spiekermann. Ha. But you get the idea.

Matt Jamont
Portrait of Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots
...this is probably closer to what I had in mind...

2. Portrait of Arundhati Roy

Roy is an Indian auther, poet, journalist, political activist (well-known in a global context, probably not so much to an American audience). I adore her. I think she would also be a good figure for this project because Roy is most known for her political activism and out-spokeness in India. She is an advocate for marginalized groups world-wide...and basically has a lot say...finding relevant text to create the poster would be a cakewalk. 

Arundhati Roy

Inspiration....

Duraznita: DeviantARt
I love the idea of being super close-up and using color to describe Roy

sarthahirah: deviant art
An entirely different style, but I think still fitting considering the work for which Roy is best known.

3. Architecture: Clocks

Two possibilities here: 

        Either Musee D'Orsay (because I'm secretly French and am having an affair with Paris). Fingers crossed I can dig up my own photos of the clock that I took back in 2009...if not...something like this might have to work. But I don't want the people in it. 

Paul Warner
He actually has some other pics of the clock posted here that could work too.

OR...St. Mark's Cathedral...same idea, but local (could be used for promotional work for events such as Compline or Cathedrals through the Fremont Abbey...I could just do the Abbey for that matter). 

Seattle Daily Blog

Once again, I wouldn't actually use this image. I would either take a photo of my own, or request permission to use the image the Abbey currently uses for its monthly Cathedral concert promotion. 

Like this one, designed by Alexie Hoffman. 

Progress Sketches

I will post the rest of my illustrator progress once I figure out how to do so...

Resource Images

all found on Google...

Project Statement

Background

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading global multimedia news and information company, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, NYTimes.com , BostonGlobe.com , Boston. com , About.com and related properties. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

It is a thriving forum of cultural opinion, particularly online. This project will related an editorial questioning ac- cepted cultural understandings of the creative process, it efficiency in a work-place context, and its relationship to different personalities.

Target Audience

Creative Professionals Business Owners - big and small, wherever producitivity effects cost Phsycologists - and other professionals interested in the relationship between creativity and personality, and how to better understand its cultural relevance

Objectives

After seeing this illustration paired with this editorial, readers should walk away with a fresh perspective toward their own creativity - they will go for a quiet walk alone, leave the conference room babble, lock themselves in their office away from all other influences - and start thinking. Business professionals and creatives alike should rethink how they approach brainstorming and ideas, seeking a better balance between collaboration and necessary alone time. This illustration will clearly highlight the frustrations, pitfalls, and wastefulness of an excessively collabora- tively focused creative process.

Obstacles

The phrase “creative collaboration” is overused and overlauded by artists across practice and profession as the standard in creative thinking, understanding, and pushing ideas to bigger, better places. Creative collaboration does have benefits. However, our current cultural understanding gives it too much credit is losing the value of creativity in individual thought and productivity in solitude. Americans in particular give introversion a negative spin, drawn in instead by charisma, energy, and a certain degree of groupthink. The goal of this editorial illustration is to call atten- tion to the foolishness of extremes and the need for a more balanced creative approach.

Key Benefit

Saving time and money, bychangind cultural perspectives.

Support Statement

Creativity drives innovation in art, business, technology, etc. It is beneficial to understand and use our creative potential to the fullest of its ability.

Increasing creative output is more cost-effective for businesses

Rethinking the relationship between creativity and personality will lead to a more positive cultural understand- ing of introversion and “artsy” individuals.

Social norms (and habits of thinking) are the most difficult cultural force to change. This illustration communi- cates the above mentioned benefits in a non-pushy, light-hearted way.

Tone

The illustration should be sarcastic, funny, and a touch uncomfortable. The type of illustration that makes you chuckle and cringe because you’ve been there and you know how ridiculous those meetings are - full of character exaggera- tion and familiar scenarios.

Media This project is for onling publication only via the New York Times website.

Creative Considerations The topic is largely geared to an American audience and a Western point of view. Therefore, the illustration should reflect the ethnic diversity of the United States, but remain clearly from a Western perspective. Although globally applicable, the editorial and its supporting research approach cultural beliefs and social behaviors from a largely Western understanding and experience.

while snowed it...

...I decided to draw a few things. Since I don't have a personal blog, I'll most likely be posting a few random things here. A couple things that I discovered:
...too much time with a Sharpie will give you a headache
...I like markers.

Sketches

12. Comic strip - woman meditating to escape chaotic workplace and find creative flow (this is labeled as the last)

1. Conference room shrine to "the lightbulb"
2. Fist pound creating really stupid art
3. Conference table of light switches turned off
4. Solitude balances Creativity

5. Solitude catapulted by collaborating creatives (although it looks more like something you'd see in Zombieland)
6. Personal work space (solitude) vs. Chaos of collaboration
7. Zombie-like creatives around ticking time table
8. "Brainstorming" but all wired to the same idea - only flickering lightbulb results

9. Empty box full of collaborative efforts, but the good ideas are outside the box. Cheesy, yep.
10. Solitude's cubicle separate from the clutter of the workplace
11. Someone's always watching - starring faces

Come Hell or High Water

Or Snow...

I found Interwebs! After a 2 mile trek around, through, over, and under this lovely Seattle-turned-Narnia winter world. Only a couple of hours late, but I can finally post the rest of my research and my sketches.

Definitions are a good place to start.

cre·a·tiv·i·ty

  [kree-ey-tiv-i-tee, kree-uh-] 

noun

1.

the state or quality of being creative.

2.

the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns,relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful newideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality,progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity inmodern industry; creativity in the performing arts.

3.

the process by which one utilizes creative  ability: Extensivereading stimulated his creativity.

extrovert or extravert  (ˈɛkstrəˌvɜːt)
— n
1.	a person concerned more with external reality than innerfeelings
— adj
2.	of or characterized by extroversion: extrovert tendencies

in·tro·vert

   [n., adj. in-truh-vurt; v. in-truh-vurt] Show IPA

noun

1.

a shy person.

2.

Psychology . a person characterized by concern primarilywith his or her own thoughts and feelings ( opposed to extrovert).

Before proceeding...I must take slight issue with Dictionary.com's definition of introvert. Introversion is equitable to shyness, they may frequently be associate but are not the same thing, which Susan Cain noted on her blog:

"Shyness and introversion are not the same thing. Shyness is the fear of negative judgement, and introversion is a preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments."

The rest of my research (outside of the blogs in the previous post) looked at the psychologists Cain referenced, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Gregory Feist. From what I read, both their research and Cain's perspective explore how we understand the relationship between personality and creativity. 

In this particular article, The Rise of the New Groupthink, Cain is more specifically arguing a point about the relationship between personality and productive creativity in the 21st century, American workplace. 

The Power of Introverts

Susan Cain, the author of The Rise of the New Groupthink, has a blog: Quiet: The Power of Introverts. Evidently, her editorial is also the most email NYT article of the day and is being reposted in several places across the web, including Douglas Eby's blog, The Creative Mind. 

Is it ironic that I found this off-putting? Now I want to find something to illustrate that no one else has read. By myself. Thank you very much. 

Editorial Illustration: 3 ideas

How Art History Majors Power the U.S. Economy

This is the second article in a two-part series by Virginia Postrel, author of "The Future and Its Enemies" and "The Substance of Style." Both articles muddle through the swamplands of higher education in the U.S. I'm interested in this second one because of its unique perspective (and because of the viewpoint it intends to refute). Although the writing isn't as clear as I think it could be, it does beg its reader to understand the value of a liberal arts degree on two important levels: economic and inherent learning. I think this article has illustration potential, and of the three it is my favorite topic...but the scattered writing and wavering point discourage me.

Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women

There are few things that inspire more than 21st century feminism and the cross-cultural debates therein. However, after getting quite excited about the topic at hand and its illustrative potential, I quickly realized its not, strictly-speaking, an editorial. Thus, I daresay it's out of the running.

I could replace it with a solid back-up: Newt Gingrich and the Art of Racial Politics. However, I'm not sure I could dedicate 3 weeks of my school career to drawing Newt. Gross.

So, naturally, the winner is this The Rise of the New Groupthink - to the point, accessible, and ripe for illustrating. Not to downplay the importance of working well with a team, but I think the point behind this article resonates with a lot of student artists and creative professionals alike. Many of us would frankly rather do it ourselves, and there is a reason for it. The research referenced here indicates, at the very least, an association between introversion/individual thought and original creativity.

(Disclaimer: I fully appreciate the value of artistic collaboration and the need for all creatives to learn with and from one another).

More research/sketches to follow...although 12 is going to be a stretch.

Cheers,

KJ