Because Everyone's a Designer and Everyone else is a Critic

You can't please everyone with one specific design.  This is also especially difficult when you are considering the opinions and point-of-views of everyone you think will see it and judge you for it.

Here is more design tips in a (rather wordy) nutshell.

In My Dream

This was all the rage, the "must give" gift to artists. WHY? and.. wtf.

Bau's

I'll take it as a compliment. Here's to hoping it put that piece of my soul into the ones who liked it as well.

i'm writing a paper on capoeira for my philosophy class, and it will really,

really help me if you guys can take the time to answer these questions:

What attracted you most to capoeira? (the fight aspect? or the cultural aspect

-- meaning, the music or the dance-like, non-violent interaction? the

fantastic friends? something else?)


Do you feel you are able to personally relate to this Brazilian art form? How

do you bridge the gap between being a Filipino and embracing this foreign

culture thru the practice of capoeira?


For those who have been to Brazil and have seen capoeira in its native

habitat, do you see any differences in the way capoeira is practiced or

understood or taught here in the Philippines?


Capoeira mestres always say that capoeira is a “way of life”. What does this

mean to you? And if you HAVE embraced it as a way of life, in what way?


Capoeira is said to be a form of expression: during pre-revolution Brazil, it

expressed subversion; afterwards, it expressed nationalism. These days it is

seen as a showcase of Brazilian culture. When you practice capoeira, do you

consider yourself showcasing Brazilian culture? Or do you think there is

something else being expressed in your game?


Capoeira was first introduced to me by Maori. He knew from College that I had

a background in TKD and through random meetings and conversations we would

talk about Martial Arts and how Capoeira has changed his life. The one time

that I was convinced to actually join a class was when I saw a demo in Fete de

la Musique at Podium. The big guy did a cartwheel and I knew that if he could

do it, I could too. I only really wanted to learn to do a cartwheel and kick

people. It sounds so shallow now, but then it naturally snowballed after that,

wanting to do more, try more, read more, learn more etc etc. Meeting fantastic

friends of course was a great help since because of these people, my snowball

kept rolling. I think to know one part of capoeira leads you to want to know

more about another aspect of it.

Being that 'Brazilian martial art', of course hit the twangs of awesome and exotic. It didn't matter to me personally since it's half a mysterious world away and as long as the group wasn't asking for blood sacrifice, it's all good. The cultural references of Capoeira unfolded to me

in the years that I've been training. One thing I notice about the Filipino

culture (myself included: filipino-chinese raised), is the ability to absorb

anything as make it its own. Once change has been accepted, it becomes the

norm. So with our different roots in one land, we change and grow with

Capoeira in our lives. We take what is given and make it ours. We play

Capoeira the filipino way, and I don't mean the infusion of both traditions

into one art... I mean the attitude that we bring, the axe that the filipinos

have (fiesta!), the love and respect for our siblings-in-culture (kabayan!).

We see the similarilities in both cultures and this is what we cultivate in

our practice as capoeiristas. What we nurture as Familia, as axe and good

vibes... the positive elements that bond the two cultures together.

*haven't been to Brazil either*

Capoeira as a way of life: in my opinion is putting into practice what you experience. The subtle things that you discover from the capoeira-culture, (again, the positive notes) is the same attitude you want to discover in yourself. Capoeira is molding me as a person, as much as Art defines my life in what I do. It has taken root and builds me, like the values taught in school that you will never forget. (I'd like to think that this is what Maori meant when he says that Capoeira changed his life.) It is not a separate thing, that we train for 1.5 hours and leave and go on with the rest of our lives, as though nothing ever happened, just stretched a few muscles and broke sweat. After training, during the day, listening to music, seeing a nice open space somewhere... capoeira is there.

For me Capoeira has always been the art aspect of its Martial Art. We aren't just learning kicks and moves and how to fight, we're learning a lifestyle in Brazil, to feel how it is to be Brazilian. I'm going with Pixote's quote of Art as being an expression of oneself. From the outside perspective (I've been one before) Capoeira aptly looks like the exotic Brazilian martial art showcase that it represents. However in the game, in the training, in the practice of this... we are taught to express, to think, to move. This keeps it all as unique as the next people to play in the game. We could always do a routine, but we don't. It's to my understanding that not doing a routine is how we want to show that this is the art of capoeira, not a dance.

Art Pricing

Because starving artists must be a thing of the past. From deviantart's Tanathe http://tanathe.deviantart.com/journal/A-small-talk-about-pricing-your-art-406958041 and from someone called Whatafool http://whatafool.deviantart.com/art/Pricing-Guide-G-A-G-Handbook-168587947

Plots

I watched Bear Grylls shack up in a tiny outpost in Alaska dragging a reindeer carcass and holing up there for the night without exploring the premises. It didn't seem to be a that small a place. At the time there was a frenzy for zombies, what with the rise to fame of the series The Walking Dead. I blew through the graphic novel collection that my husband had and the result was your classic Man vs Undead.

Zombie with a brain.

What if there was an aging british zombie writing his memoirs in the middle of nowhere in Alaska and here trundles in Mr Grylls and his reindeer carcass, not to mention the camera crew and all. It never showed if Bear explored the shack, he just seemed to carve out enough living/sleeping space from the ice at the entrance if the shack. Said zombie sits on the second floor or attic-like area of the small weather beaten shelter. His position suggets that he hasnt moved for a century perhaps, when zombies might have existed a century ago. He sits on a chair that would creak in a way his own bones would, if he had decided to move at all. His table is as wooden, as moldy and small. Pen in hand over a large volume that almost covers the table, with a small dried or frozen ink pot that probably solidified as soon as he sat. I would have liked to have the story go around the zombie contemplating on eating Mr Grylls brain as he slept theough the night. Of course this entails a lot of musings on how to skirt around the cameras and the rest of the crew of course, as well as creating possible scenarios, recipes and other zombie concerns with regards to the rarity of actually having a juicy brain literally at his doorstep. This all ends with the night ending and the survivalist being on his way while our contemplative and debating zombie never moving an inch from his seat. Maybe he remembers that he was looking for words to write in his memoirs about how he died, or will die. 

Plots

I keep meaning to write down full stories for plots i have in mind, but i don't have the time anymore. I've decided to just leave them as plots. So when I see it out there it's gonna have come out here first. Hah.

By the way

I gave birth to the most lovable little boy in the world. 

Found.

Volta ao mundo. What we give comes back to us.

Verde e Azul

Ankh

Over a year on hiatus. Life goes on. Experiment.

Brasilipinas 2012!!!

http://vimeo.com/38430866

Every year, it gets bigger and better. The positive energy spreads beyond the doors.

Art Direction in a Nutshell

A post in Design Shack teaches you how to make a presentation on power point. If you follow the tips... the presentation will very well look professional-- even if you're not. I love it!

Part one here and part two here

Like I said, it's Art Direction in a nutshell. If you're still using comic sans for instance... it's so unprofessional. It's a kiddie font that you used in grade school to send emails to your friends. Using that for a presentation gets you a minus in credibility at once. Here's my favorite video about fonts here. It makes me laugh every time.
Splashing Photoshop filters left and right is just insanity. There is no form. Art doesn't have to be so cerebral like a deep dark secret hidden under each brush stroke, waiting to be revealed by the correct person like a treasure hunt. Tori Amos coined it: "What's so amazing about very deep thoughts?" A presentation is not an art gallery. If nobody understands what they are looking at... well... bye-bye audience.

I was trained under a strict Creative Director who I will always credit for the skills and maturity I have now. He made sense about art, though method of course could have had more finesse. The basic tips that Design Shack shared covers a whole spectrum of graphic design today. As simple as photographs, quick editing, point of sale artworks and layout... and many more will be way easier on the eyes. I have to point out that the distance of your eyes to your brain should describe the speed of translation from what you see to what you understand.

Generator Rex

Taking a finger off Capoeira for this post, it's a Wednesday after all.
Here's something that is obviously work related. If only imagination is what work pays for haha.

One day I woke up holding an Orange Green Cordao

A message popped in my inbox. Instead of reposting what I've said before, I thought about My Capoeira again... one year later from the last My Capoeira post. In one year I wondered what was different from the Beju writing the article then and the yellow green talking now.

"What attracted you most to capoeira? (the fight aspect? or the cultural aspect -- meaning, the music or the dance-like, non-violent interaction? the fantastic friends? something else?)


Do you feel you are able to personally relate to this Brazilian art form? How do you bridge the gap between being a Filipino and embracing this foreign culture thru the practice of capoeira?


For those who have been to Brazil and have seen capoeira in its native habitat, do you see any differences in the way capoeira is practiced or understood or taught here in the Philippines?


Capoeira mestres always say that capoeira is a “way of life”. What does this mean to you? And if you HAVE embraced it as a way of life, in what way?


Capoeira is said to be a form of expression: during pre-revolution Brazil, it expressed subversion; afterwards, it expressed nationalism. These days it is seen as a showcase of Brazilian culture. When you practice capoeira, do you consider yourself showcasing Brazilian culture? Or do you think there is something else being expressed in your game?"

I want to fly! :) Capoeira was first introduced to me by Maori. He knew from College that I had a background in TKD and through random meetings and conversations we would talk about Martial Arts and how Capoeira has changed his life. The one time that I was convinced to actually join a class was when I saw a demo in Fete de la Musique at Podium. The big guy did a cartwheel and I knew that if he could do it, I could too. I only really wanted to learn to do a cartwheel and kick people. It sounds so shallow now, but then it naturally snowballed after that, wanting to do more, try more, read more, learn more etc etc. Meeting fantastic friends of course was a great help since because of these people, my snowball kept rolling. I think to know one part of capoeira leads you to want to know more about another aspect of it.

Being that 'Brazilian martial art', of course hit the twangs of awesome and exotic. It didn't matter to me personally since it's half a mysterious world away and as long as the group wasn't asking for blood sacrifice, it's all good. The cultural references of Capoeira unfolded to me in the years that I've been training. One thing I notice about the Filipino culture (myself included: filipino-chinese raised), is the ability to absorb anything as make it its own. Once change has been accepted, it becomes the norm. So with our different roots in one land, we change and grow with Capoeira in our lives. We take what is given and make it ours. We play Capoeira the filipino way, and I don't mean the infusion of both traditions into one art... I mean the attitude that we bring, the axe that the filipinos have (fiesta!), the love and respect for our siblings-in-culture (kabayan!). We see the similarilities in both cultures and this is what we cultivate in our practice as capoeiristas. What we nurture as Familia, as axe and good vibes... the positive elements that bond the two cultures together.

Capoeira as a way of life: in my opinion is putting into practice what you experience. The subtle things that you discover from the capoeira-culture, (again, the positive notes) is the same attitude you want to discover in yourself. Capoeira is molding me as a person, as much as Art defines my life in what I do. It has taken root and builds me, like the values taught in school that you will never forget. (I'd like to think that this is what Maori meant when he says that Capoeira changed his life.) It is not a separate thing, that we train for 1.5 hours and leave and go on with the rest of our lives, as though nothing ever happened, just stretched a few muscles and broke sweat. After training, during the day, listening to music, seeing a nice open space somewhere... capoeira is there.

For me Capoeira has always been the art aspect of its Martial Art. We aren't just learning kicks and moves and how to fight, we're learning a lifestyle in Brazil, to feel how it is to be Brazilian. I'm going with Pixote's quote of Art as being an expression of oneself. From the outside perspective (I've been one before) Capoeira aptly looks like the exotic Brazilian martial art showcase that it epresents. However in the game, in the training, in the practice of this... we are taught to express, to think, to move. This keeps it all as unique as the next people to play in the game. We could always do a routine, but we don't. It's to my understanding that not doing a routine is how we want to show that this is the art of capoeira, not a dance. ♥

-------

That's what I said. What do you say?
And after that Batizado Blast... I think I have more and more things to share from the Mestres who have spoken about their Capoeira, and the Capoeira around us.

Why are you?

Batiste. French. Like a kiss.
Take the moment to spin off to a new galaxy, to feel at home. The power of your mind emanates like slivers of fiber floating listlessly. Or like hair, underwater. No one should fault you for gathering everything back, and spinning a new web. I can't believe they said what they say, but let's say that it's been said. Let's travel and be yellow.

And then there are some people who revel in themselves. She likes complimenting herself and excusing herself at the same time. She laps up compliments like a thirsty dog, yet excuses herself in doing so, for it is nothing at all.
Nothing wrong with that. It's confusing, and tiring at the same time. Did you know it takes a small foot to mirror that?

And then there is someone else. No one can stop you from being happy. Stop killing yourself over happiness that you feel is undeserved. It's like sugar. Don't eat too much. But you can't feel guilty with one spoon.

And then there is queen bee. Do you feel threatened? Is there really any need to feel that way? Do you miss the handheld console, being pushed into responsibility and finding that leadership fits with minor adjustments? You were thanked. Start a new book.

Brasilipinas 2011!

Carnaval Party MARCH 04 9pm

capoeira guests;
*Mestre Oscar - EBC
*Mestre Ousado - Argola de Ouro Singapore
*Mestre Eddy Murphy - Axe Capoeira Macau
*Professor Sapo - EBC Bacolod
*Professor Pimbal - EBC Malaysia
*Professor Rafael - Bantus Malaysia
*Professor Indio - Honk Kong
*Intrutora Lilica - Zungu Malaysia
*Graduado Galo -Argola de Ouro Indonesia
*Graduado Tarzan - Zungu Indonesia
* Professora de Samba e danca Afro Fernanda Guerreia - Macau

every one is invited!!
more info at www.ebcphilppines.com

YOU CAN NOT MISS IT!! VAI SER SHOW

Really excited for this... we have such huuuge plans for everyone... more than 10 friends from Malaysia coming over!! 2 months ago I felt that the Batizado was gonna be a week later... now there's only a week left!

Brasilipinas 2011!!

Angola

"That dance that old men do"

I like that! :)

LINK to photos in fb
Pastinha's Garden of Capoeira Angola FB