More than meets the eye

So I spent all week trying to figure out what to do... I had some ideas.... but nothing that really struck me as creative or helpful. And I have decided that my projects should fall under one of the two categories.

I could have wrote emotions on a rose... it has layer... but that is kinda lame. How many times can that be done.

The idea I kept coming back to was I should edit a photo inn Photoshop. A photo that may look nice to begin with but I could make better. But I felt like this was a cop-out. I can do that any day of the week... What makes that special. Nothing.

I had decided I was just going to sit this one out, because I had nothing and I didn't want to cheapen the project. But then the timely New Media inspiration hit at about 9am today.

And I still am not happy about the choice I feel like I should have done better... but...

I have created a photoshop action. This action plays with the contrast of an image's color channels giving a color effect.

Something that I am especially happy about with my very first action is the ability to see what is going on, make decisions and have most of them be editable after the action is over.

I am going to let everyone download my action. Play with it on your own images!

Click on the image below for full sized action fun!

http://www.nickiwalter.com/seeingsideways/seeingsideways.atn

I am Onion too

I was surprized in class to hear that with many people their fear was death. I fear death... well what happens after death and if not your death then how to coupe with the death of someone you love... just like everyone else. But it is not what I fear most... maybe if I let myself think about it I would... but there is no sense in worrying about all that now.

I do however fear the future. I fear that the actions I am taking now are adversely effecting my future.

While class was about fear it was not I guess what I should be reflecting on as I have an ominous project that I must figure out.

See if you can do something that is more than it first appears to be

Most everything is more than it first appears to be. First impressions are typically shallow. People judge...

I am more than I first appear to be.

I am messy... I guess that makes me less than appear to be.

Some people who know me say I am social.... I think I just talk too much.

I do not like to talk to people who I perceive as not as smart as me... But I am sure you are smart. Just not smart in the areas I have interest in.

I don't think I am very creative.

My best friend is Ben. This in probably not what my "best friend" would want to hear.

I find web tools that make my life easier to combat that chaos that is my house and my life.

So what is anyone. Who are you?

No idea what to do... hopefully I will find inspiration soon.

Fear and the pizza box.

I knew missing class would be hard. I guess I didn't realize how hard. It sucks totally missing out on the fear exercise because it sounds like the class really bonded and saw things in a new way. I feel like I needed that class.

On the bright side reading the blog and talking to some people in the class I found an instant connection to fear and the pizza box. And maybe I took this one too literally but it was truly a fear right in front of me. Now the question is how to visualize this fear. How to make the fear something creative? This is the question that I struggled with all week.

My fear is that I spend too much... and that I am digging a whole I will not be easily able to get out of. So again how do I visualive my fear. How do I make it tanagable? I could take what I have spent in the last month and turn that number into change. In the last month I have spent eight thousand and ninety quarters. Now that incules money I have to and had to spend. Books, rent, bills, I joined the gym, I got a hair cut, was able to afford to go out with friends... I guess that funny thing is I don't even know what I spent all the money on.

But I can show you. And along with fear of myself is fear of sharing and fear of letting my negative aspects out there for all to see.... So the way I choose to visualize my fear is in the pdf below.

http://www.nickiwalter.com/seeingsideways/fearandpizza.pdf

Childhood projects

When we were laying in the grass looking up at the clouds it reminded me of childhood. Of carefree days before school and work and life. But how do you capture carefree?

I had my camera.... I took a couple of pictures... but pictures caputed what I saw that day and not what I felt.

I thought about what would feel young and carefree. My final idea - a shoebox diarama capturing the clouds. I took the image in my head of the perfect day. It was breezy, with big white cloulds making picutes of thir own in the sky.

First Day of Class

I was surprised at how few people I recognized in the seeing sideways class today. Not that I am social person... but I have been having classes with the same people for years now. I have meet briefly just a handful of peers in today's class.

I have a feeling this class is going to be very hard for me. I have a sheep mentality through and though. Write a recap... I write a recap. Make a circle... I make a circle. I will never for many reason be the person that sits in the middle of the room.

I took this class because I often feel as though I am not as creative as I should be. I have to learn how to get past my boring ideas if I want to continue to succeed in my career.

Laying in the grass was interesting.... I am glad we have two weeks on the "Sky's the Limit" Assignment. I feel so very lost on this one.