Mike's answers
ahimsa- the idea of non-harm to all beings is one that I really struggle to attain. I know The Heart Sutra is all hip right now.. which is great! But I have to admit I first learned of ahimsa long ago, when looking into a yoga class. It was Ahimsa Yoga. I had NO IDEA what that meant. So, when I looked it up, I was like...now THAT'S a great way to live. Yes, I am still a meat eater... that's the worst way that I don't practice ahimsa... but I do hope to one day give my hand at being veg again. Other than that, there are a million other ways I go against it- cursing in the car, being snippy at people, talking smack, judging... but I'm always trying to be aware of these and try to work towards being more Ahimsa, more of the time.
mudras- Mudras are hand symbols used in Hindu/Buddhist practice. I think the reason I'm drawn to them is because I am a designer and an artist. I communicate primarily with symbols, whether via print or dance by creating negative and positive space. So, mudras are a very provocative thing for me. They combine using the human body to create a symbol that harnesses an idea. Probably my two favorites are
Anjali (heart)
and Abhaya (protection) They're both so beautiful as gestures. I like how Anjali is so introspective and Abhaya is focused outside of you, offering peace and non-harm to all beings.
ideas- This is a hard one, because it makes me feel a bit "well-duh!" But, I really love ideas. I love when people really get that hamster moving in their brain and pump out some cool shit. Ideas are the spark of energy that is floating about, that is neither created nor destroyed, that is snatched by our brains and changes us... they can even change the world if we listen and grow them. When someone I know has some totally odd idea or thinks of something totally different from how I think about it, I just get this jolt of AWESOME.
For example, I have a real obsession with IDEO and would love to work with them one day. They're a product design firm that employs designers, engineers, psychologists, anthropologists, dourkes of all sorts... because they believe that everything we use should benefit mankind and be made to work FOR people, make peoples lives cooler and easier. Anyways, the whole practice that IDEO employs pretty much defines why I love ideas- they believe that it's only through letting every wild possibility, every odd thought and desire, by doing things like hanging airplane wings over your cubes because you CAN you can find innovative and amazing ideas. By opening up your mind to endless opportunities you can find the elements that enrich and benefit ourselves and society.
design- my love of design goes with my love of ideas. Design is also a tricky word because it means different things to different people. For me, design in its simplist terms is communication- whether it's communicating HOW to use something, an event or idea, a product, a cause. Design is the way that humans use ideas, shape, line, color and medium to inform and persuade people.
I'm a big stickler for GOOD design. Yes, unlike art, I believe GOOD design and BAD design do exist. There's nothing worse for me than seeing a totally ineffective design- something that misses the point, is hard to read, is garish, doesn't directly communicate to the populus... for instance:
Take this logo. No, I didn't distort it... it really is THAT pixelated. Yes, it also seems the "G" in "graphics" is somehow a horse and a paintbrush. The brush script type is painful, the illustration is terrible and it just looks hokey. Plus they have no "mark" no image in the logo that brands them in you rmind... unless you mean the hokey horse. Now, you may say, "Brooke! This person is probably an illustrator and has no idea what they're doing in illustrator..." Well, my answer is that the fact they can't is why they should HIRE a designer...
Now THIS is a good logo. It's clean, it has nice type. The addition of the "?" for the "s" in "design" is just too good... it totally conveys the brand name of the design studio and has a nice, cheeky feel to it. Well designed logos convey the meaning of the business to the viewer, even if they have no information about that business beforehand.
Anywho. I'm always looking for design. Everywhere I go I am inspired by awesome type, great colors and beautiful acts of communication. But there's a lot of stinky, bad design out there as well!
emo- the word "emo" is so funny. The whole idea of the mopey emo kid really makes me chuckles as an aesthetic. Mostly, because I would totally classify that as my type of boy back in the day. I guess emo gets to me so much because it's so precious to think of "emotional" rock/music being a new thing, like human beings haven't been doing it since the dawn of frickin' time. My favorite emo is Shoegazer Rock. Bwhahaha. That's the best! I'm so sad and into it, that I'm gonna stare at my shoes so you never see me cry.
language- it's like you're picking a theme tonight. I love language because... I AM OBSESSED WITH COMMUNICATION. hehe. I love learning other languages and seeing the connections between them, also the odd differences and words that are completely whacky. I've studied Latin, French, Japanese and Spanish, though I'd only call myself passable with French and Latin. Anyways, it's amazing to see what happens to language when it gets mutated into a dialect. It's like a universal game of telephone.
for instance... "Castle"
"Castle" comes from castellum, the Latin for "fortress". When those pesky Romans beat the crap outta the Gauls, the word was taken and basterdized to Chateâu. Why? Because the countrymen of France had a hard time pronouncing the "tle" at the end of the word, so it became "eau". Even dorkier piece of info- the reason why there's the "^" (circumflex accent )over the "a" in Chateâu is because it delineates where the french have taken an "s" out of the word "Castle"... the "c" combined with the "a" made a "sha" sound, the "s" was removed and the "tle" became "teau"...
hence... Castle became Château.
The end!
snarkiness- I like Snarkiness. 2. snarky A witty mannerism, personality, or behavior that is a combination of sarcasm and cynicism. Usually accepted as a complimentary term. Snark is sometimes mistaken for a snotty or arrogant attitude. Her snarky remarks had half the room on the floor laughing and the other half ready to walk out. I've been called "snarky" by many people. I really think it best describes my oeuvre, my style. I like being witty and taking jabs at myself and others. I find that playful comments and turn-of-phrase keep life interesting and help people to lower their walls and open themselves up for better conversation. Nothing endears me to a person more than wit, especially snarky, sarcastic comments!