Ahoy! I'm going to do blog CPR and bring this back. I moved to Chicago from Youngstown a few months ago. Starting fresh is always nice, and eliminating the things you do not need. On the elimination front I have been having trouble loosing records, c'est la vie. A trip to SOFA at navy pier was unrewarding, the show was heavy on glass ( more so then years past), and small. However a stop at the Ohio ave DWR had all sorts of new furniture to play with.

secret shopping

I am live from Kendall College of Art and Design, in Grand Rapids, MI. Doing a little recon. I am looking at the college with my younger brother to see if he would like to transfer here. We started off our day looking at the facilities and walking around the two building campus. The facilities look to be in good order and competitive in how they are outfitted. The studio size is good as well. The strengths outweigh the weakness' of the objective aspects of Kendall.


The 3d molding work we saw was horrid, 3DSM blah. it was rendered in 3DS also, with minimal attention to lighting and setting. the ID work that I've seen thus far was also nothing compared to what was done by students of the same age at Cleveland Institute of Art. GD was alright, Printmaking looked to be in very good order, but should have a larger budget to allow for newer and older equipment. The work that was up at my time of intrusion for drawing was very strong as well.

Student body seems to be lacking in diversity, or you could say as diverse as western Michigan is as a whole (or hole). The whole lot is withdrawn and largely unappealing. All in all it seams like a place that you could go and get a good deal on an education but only if you know to focus on your competition, and NOT your classmates.

Furni

Hello There,

Here is a new peice out of the land of beer, chocolate, and lace. here

Sorry to report that the trip to falling water has been postponed, however it will be made up for.

In my personal quest to be free of all this stuff I have been making headway like none other.

new post

Hello friends,

Sorry to leave you hanging for so long. Busy busy bee's we have all been in the late weeks time. I myself have left the lions share of my job to open myself up for opportunities that lay more in what I love. Design.

In two weeks I head to southwestern PA to do my little bit on the Falling Water House. Tomorrow I will be in the City of well junk. Kidding, I'll be in Cleveland, OH. I may post during the day of cool design findings that occur.

In Cleveland there is a obelisk in the Treemont neighborhood (I think). This obelisk has a brief message on each side and is topped by a pair of hands oddly coddling the earth. It is a little NWO in a way. The side that is of interest to us reads, "Freedom from want". Status, companionship, ego, there are a million reasons why we as humans want. How to manage this is what is difficult, knowing that these things are unimportant is always a start.


Later this week the Butler Art Annex

The rule you use to make the mesure.

In any relationship you develop personal ties that may become quite strong. This is true even of objects and possessions. It is not enough to go through the wardrobe and think "well I use this frequently" or that it has a place due to an existing, however rarely exercised, need. The ax must be sharp and swift to make the brake-up between you and yours the easiest.

Finding it hard to locate clutter in your life? Ever look on your computer? It isn't physically taking up space, but the clutter on your computer can still be just as stressful. Save yourself some money next time you fill up your ipod. Don't run out and get the newer bigger one. Sit down, look at the last time you listened to Pat Benatar and delete it. Ipod old? Then repair it, DIY repair is easy and you can get parts on the cheap, on the web.

FIRST!

This is a blog to outline the transformation from a typical person of moderate means to a more minimalist life style. What is hoped is that this can help others free themselves from their everyday clutter, and need for the extraneous.

Also reviews of things that minimalists would be interested in. Some to look forward to are: a tour of the Farnsworth House (Mies) of Plano, IL; a tour of Frank Lloyd Write's Falling water house as it is framed in Autumn, the auxiliary annex gallery of the Butler Museum of American art (Howland, OH), and more!



What is the catalyst for this change in my personal life? Well glad you asked, last summer I traversed to USA atop a Nishiki road bike as member of the Illini 4000 for Cancer (from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign). On this 72 day ride I was allowed less then two cubic feet of space for personal gear. All summer I had:
Three pairs of socks
Two pairs of Bike shorts
Two team jerseys
Two team tee shirts
One non team tee shirt
Two or three pairs of underwear
A pair of blue jeans
A light weight hoodie
A cycling rain jacket
and a pair of shorts.

This list only makes it seem like a lot, but when you would see it sprawled out before you it was not a lot at all. The ride made me realize that I had no need for as much as I have accumulated over the years.