Lately, I have been reading a lot of content on The Four Hour Workweek blog. You can choose to criticize or appraise Tim Ferris. That is not what I intend to discuss. I believe that we are put on this earth for a purpose. If you are religious then you believe in fate. Now, I don’t believe in fate because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my own life.

It is my conviction that we each control our own destiny. On my facebook profile you can see that I am a very creative individual & I post a lot of inspirational photos that inspire me. I was on the Abduzeedo blog looking at Typography Mania and I came across this picture in reference to the passing of Steve Jobs.

This particular quote made me think of a line that I heard in a track by Y Society entitled “This Advice” Insight opens up on the beautiful production by Damu and says, “What are we here for?/ There must be more than grades or scores/ Obeying laws, staying employed, confrontational wars/ Some are sacred and pure who remain poor/ Where’s the golden doors?/ Some feel they’re open ’cause they slowing our shore/ When hope was the cure many ignored through the Betty floors/ Steady jobs, lost marriage, divorce, grownups immature/ The core of the problem is a mystery / Decisions affect history/ Persistence leads to victory/ Some wish to injury/ These kids we don’t relate to – but what does it mean?/ Hip-Hop connects us yet it’s strange / That respects change/ Ask ‘em what they want to be when they grow up / Who molds them? ‘It’s outta control’/ Is what they say to themselves when they get old/”

I meet lot of people who all vary in opinion. I don’t think that working more or working on behalf of others is altruistic. I do believe that we live the most fulfilling moments of our lives inspiring others and doing what we love to do. At the moment, I have no place to go. I don’t have anything except for my creativity. Is it because I refuse to work to acquire wealth for someone else? No, of course not. I am a graphic designer. I will always utilize my creativity towards my advantage. Everything begins with choice. I choose not to love my craft and to spend as much time as necessary doing what I love to do & vicariously inspiring others. When no one wanted to give me an opportunity I chose to create an opportunity for myself. I may not be where I plan to be ideally, albeit, I know that time will come. I’m on the pursuit of happyness.

One of the most inspiring stories that I have is the story of Chris Gardner, Entrepreneur & CEO who describes his story in “The Pursuit Of Happyness.” This is a true testimonial to those who don’t believe. If you are dedicated and you work towards your ideals no matter what anyone else says and if you have belief then you will succeed. I’m asking you to believe. Not only in my conviction to bring about metamorphosis. I’m asking you to believe in yours. The will is everything. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage. Here are some tips on how you can improve your productivity and be on your way to living a fulfilling lifestyle

Bolster Your Creative Output By Activating Your Red Zone
A Manifesto For Free Raducals Less Paperwork Less Waiting More Action
Ending Business As Usual 10 Insights On Rethinking Work

With the recent changes in a stagnant economy are designers the new catalysts of American Entrepreneurialism? According to Bruce Nussbaum Designers are merging their ways of thinking with startup culture. The result, writes Bruce Nussbaum, is greater innovation and astounding VC success rates.

If any of you are familiar with basic economics then you know that wealth is created by production not consumption. Wealth has to be created. “The people who create wealth are the farmers who grow the wheat for the dough and tomatoes for the paste; those who harvest the milk for the cheese; the food processors who turn raw commodities into pizza ingredients; the entrepreneur who comes up with idea to sell pizza; the bank that decides to invest capital in a pizza store; and the delivery guy who brings the pizza to your door. Each of those actors creates wealth. Consumers then destroy the wealth that was created (in this case by eating the pizza).” – brian Stow In order to grow America needs a catalyst of startups.

Designers are emerging steadfast and more companies are being created now than ever. The  advancing desire among designers to bring their user focus, specific expertise, and propositional thinking to the ancient techniques of startups promises to be a welcomed metamorphosis.</p><p> This is especially the case with IDEO. A design & consulting firm in CA who take a psychological personal approach to design.  “The emerging trend represents a headlong crash of creativity into capitalism.” Today’s most innovative start-ups are successful because they’ve learned to think differently & creative. More and more agencies are turning to user experience designers as they want to engage their audience in a more creative way.

Uncertainty and ambiguity are directly linked to the part of our brains where fear and anxiety are active.  This makes the creative process difficult and taking risks towards innovative ends frightening. Creatives need to become entrepreneurs to inspire greatness in others.  “All the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world, whether it is Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright Brothers, they all think, act, and communicate in the same way and it is the complete opposite to everyone else…”  Simon Sinek explains his theory on how great leaders inspire action. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action The encouraging news is that we are seeing an emergence to capture the imagination and energy of a new generation of young designers & creators.  You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage!

For further reading: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665120/designers-are-the-new-drivers-of-american-entrepreneurialism

http://capitalismtoday.blog.wku.edu/2010/03/15/production-not-consumption-creates-wealth/

As a designer it can get lonely at times. I have a lot of time to reflect upon myself.  I believe that working towards your ideals will provide eternal bliss.  I’m not perfect, nor do I strive to be.  I have to deal with some form of rejection almost every other day, however, I consider myself fortunate to be able to do the things I do.  I wouldn’t give up my talent for anything. It is my gift to share with the world. I subscribe to over 1,000 feeds in my Google reader and every now & then I come across something so inspiring that is worth sharing. It makes me ponder. What do you fear most? Why haven’t you already accomplished your dreams? Men fear most what they cannot see. It is my conviction that everything begins with choice. This depends entirely on your perspective. There are some who think that choice is an illusion. Let me clarify.  I like to entertain the possibility that just because we are not yet aware of a decision we have made, that does not mean that it is purely the result of a physical/deterministic chain of events. I’ll explain with a hypothetical situation: Imagine that you ask a couple of children to pick one ball out of a bag full of multi-colored balls. Alice picks a green ball, and Mitch picks a blue ball. As you witness these choices, you would think that free will determined the outcome. But if you move time in the opposite direction, rewinding through these choices, it would appear that Alice and Mitch were fated to choose green and blue balls. As you move time forward and backward, it seems that there is only one possible way the balls could have been chosen by Mitch and Alice. If you could Quantum leap or time travel you would see that these decisions had not yet been made and were the direct result of a determined outcome. This, however, is not true; if we do have an immaterial self that controls us and has free will, it’s entirely possible that we are not fully aware of everything it is doing, and that our brains may be slaves to its actions, and not the other way around. When you make a decision your mind weighs options. The only thing that stands in your inability to accomplish your ideals is you. What you really fear is inside yourself your ability to do either great or terrible things. Stop thinking you have to exist living in your current situation. You have the sight. Imagine you are looking at the world without time. Where do you see yourself in 5 – 10 years? You can have it all. Really! Follow your heart. Listen to it carefully, don’t
be inhibited by what others have… to say. There is a way. “You must be
imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because …of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true – anyone can cook… but only the fearless can be great. ” – Gusteau

The odds were against Nary Manivong. His parents abandoned him and his three siblings when he was just 14 years old, and he found himself homeless on the streets of Columbus, Ohio fending for himself.

“The first place I slept was at a donut place,” he said.

One day he came across a copy of Vogue magazine and knew instantly he wanted to be a clothing designer. Making pieces out of scraps, he cobbled together his first show at 17 in Ohio but knew he had to get to NYC to make his dreams come true.

After several trips to New York, he secured a backer and debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2005 to much praise. He seemed well on his way to success until his investors pulled the plug, and he was once again left homeless and destitute. )WWD reports that Manivong is back and showing his latest collection — a collaboration with Ally Hilfiger — at the upcoming New York Fashion Week).

The Documentary, “DRESSED” is a compelling story of a young clothing designer, Nary Manivong, who defied the odds of a broken childhood and homelessness to reach his ultimate dream, a show of his collection at New York Fashion Week.
A truly inspiring story that unfolds against the backdrop of the fashion industry in New York.
Woven within his story are accounts and commentary from leading fashion industry experts, students and designers who relate their own perspectives about what it takes to make it in the highly competitive world of fashion.

“Dressed” is a documentary that traces the steps of designer Nary Manivong through exactly this process. The kicker, though, is that Manivong was abandoned by his parents when he was 14 and was forced, with his brothers and sister, to fend for himself while growing up homeless on the wrong side of the tracks in Columbus, Ohio.

The film follows Manivong as he struggles to pull together his first Fashion Week presentation by working two jobs and relying on the generosity of his network of friends.

“Dressed” also examines the struggles young designers in general go through and features interviews with such fashion types as Paper magazine’s Mickey Boardman, Simon Collins from Parsons the New School for Design, Barneys New York’s Simon Doonan, fashion consultant George Furlan, “The Fashion Designer Survival Guide” author Mary Gehlar, designer Nanette Lepore, consultant Fern Mallis, Robert Verdi and more.

At a screening of the film at New York’s Soho House hosted by Tommy Hilfiger (his daughter Ally is starting a contemporary fashion business with Manivong called Nahm), Manivong admitted the process of making the film was challenging.  “This shows that you can be a self-taught designer and succeed,” Tommy Hilfiger, also self-taught, mused to StyleList.  Dressed directed and produced by David Swajeski and executive produced by Maryanne Grisz, was released Feb. 4 in New York City, Feb. 18 in Philadelphia, and Feb. 25 in Columbus, Ohio. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. “Creativity Takes Courage.”

Fore more additional info.  http://www.dressed-themovie.com/