This is the ultimate girls girl spot of all time - Let me put it this way, they do High Teas!!! You can have yourself one of their yummy home-bake sammies and lovely exotic salads. I need a whole 'nother post for their cake cake cake cake! GO!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Pretty little Isabella's
I spent my Saturday morning at a quaint little part of Pretoria (yes Pretoria) that is a stolen piece of Cape Town. It's called Waterkloof Corner and boasts a number of fantastical little restaurants. My friend Lesego and I had a very girlie lunch at beautiful, pink-striped, chandeliered Isabella's.
This is the ultimate girls girl spot of all time - Let me put it this way, they do High Teas!!! You can have yourself one of their yummy home-bake sammies and lovely exotic salads. I need a whole 'nother post for their cake cake cake cake! GO!
This is the ultimate girls girl spot of all time - Let me put it this way, they do High Teas!!! You can have yourself one of their yummy home-bake sammies and lovely exotic salads. I need a whole 'nother post for their cake cake cake cake! GO!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Team Ok Go! Darn-good-doers
Team Ok Go!
....Are a couple of young lasses in spandex suits saving the world!!! - So vintage
!...Lol Kidding, they're a couple of rad young women who are embarking on a wonderful trip into the greater Africa as part of The Put Foot Rally. The rally is a charity drive/race and although the ladies might not be in it to win it, they will be handing out as many school shoes etc along the way as possible to kids who really need them.
This is amazing....so if you have a minute pop by their blog to see where you can help.
....Are a couple of young lasses in spandex suits saving the world!!! - So vintage
!...Lol Kidding, they're a couple of rad young women who are embarking on a wonderful trip into the greater Africa as part of The Put Foot Rally. The rally is a charity drive/race and although the ladies might not be in it to win it, they will be handing out as many school shoes etc along the way as possible to kids who really need them.
This is amazing....so if you have a minute pop by their blog to see where you can help.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
On Deuschbags: The first of many.
The workplace has taught me many things, the one I'd like to discuss with you is The Art Of Dueschbagism. I have a never-ending opinion on the subject so it'll take a number of posts to get it all out really. Today I just want to share the challenge that deuschbags present and how I've dealt with it, today. Just today because I'm afraid this phenomenon extracts all sorts of volatility from me on better days.
Imagine it: You're in a room full of experienced creative people and well, more experienced creative people. You... are less experienced. You are therefore NERVOUS AS F. You fiddle with your pen and make shady doodles in your moleskin to avoid eye contact or complete transparency. (if you allow transparency they'll all see how nervous and contemplate you really are...we can't have that. Deuschbags thrive off little nervous creatives like you.) You stall for as long as possible but you know you'll have to speak eventually. Finally there's no more avoiding you can do and your big booming boss is staring at you wondering why you haven't begun speaking. You clear your throat and while you're doing that, he mentions that your idea had better be the thing that'll change his mood, after all he is in a very bad mood. The nervousness goes through the roof at this point. Ok, ok... the show must go on so being the professional that you are you deliver the idea. At this point you've spent all of yourself and he had better love it or you'll flatline.
There is a pregnant pause, and then he says "Its a little crap.". Now, if it's true that you're only as good as your last work, then your entire career has just been reduced to "crap". Not even a lot of "crap" but "a little crap". So here's what I wanted to say. You can either evaporate into tears or have a defensive outburst that will only embarrass you further, or you can react like an (and I hate to use this word) adult. Ask "Why? Why is it a little bit crap?" Then, watch and learn. The great thing about deuschbags is that they are often very talented, so listen to every single word, watch every single gesture and absorb it all. You're an awesome person so your conscience will be able to filter the really deuschbaggy things but the rest will probably be of value. If you take yourself away and treat it as criticism of the idea and not you, chances are you'll either see he's point, or be able to rationally defend your work. Truth is you can either spend the rest of this meeting hating him/her and yourself or you can have learnt something.
Today I managed to resolve it this way, tomorrow, I might hurl a sharp object at him/her. I'm just trying to keep sane.
#Pow
Imagine it: You're in a room full of experienced creative people and well, more experienced creative people. You... are less experienced. You are therefore NERVOUS AS F. You fiddle with your pen and make shady doodles in your moleskin to avoid eye contact or complete transparency. (if you allow transparency they'll all see how nervous and contemplate you really are...we can't have that. Deuschbags thrive off little nervous creatives like you.) You stall for as long as possible but you know you'll have to speak eventually. Finally there's no more avoiding you can do and your big booming boss is staring at you wondering why you haven't begun speaking. You clear your throat and while you're doing that, he mentions that your idea had better be the thing that'll change his mood, after all he is in a very bad mood. The nervousness goes through the roof at this point. Ok, ok... the show must go on so being the professional that you are you deliver the idea. At this point you've spent all of yourself and he had better love it or you'll flatline.
There is a pregnant pause, and then he says "Its a little crap.". Now, if it's true that you're only as good as your last work, then your entire career has just been reduced to "crap". Not even a lot of "crap" but "a little crap". So here's what I wanted to say. You can either evaporate into tears or have a defensive outburst that will only embarrass you further, or you can react like an (and I hate to use this word) adult. Ask "Why? Why is it a little bit crap?" Then, watch and learn. The great thing about deuschbags is that they are often very talented, so listen to every single word, watch every single gesture and absorb it all. You're an awesome person so your conscience will be able to filter the really deuschbaggy things but the rest will probably be of value. If you take yourself away and treat it as criticism of the idea and not you, chances are you'll either see he's point, or be able to rationally defend your work. Truth is you can either spend the rest of this meeting hating him/her and yourself or you can have learnt something.
Today I managed to resolve it this way, tomorrow, I might hurl a sharp object at him/her. I'm just trying to keep sane.
#Pow
Monday, February 20, 2012
How to carry oneself during a really bad briefing.
Hi friends,
Yes I owe you a million apologies for being severely AWOL. I had been swallowed by the pretty picture-ness of Tumblr. Alas, my insatiable need to praat-te-veel has returned and so the prodigal blogger is back.
Right, lets get right to it. I, generally, have a great job. In the past I have been quoted saying things like "It's not a job, it's a pleasure" and other such nauseating things. We get it right? - I love this thing.
But....
Sometimes I am cursed and a dark bad-brief cloud comes over me. *Cue the violins* It's tragic!!! And yet, like the professional that I'm trying to mould myself into, I must cope with it. The problem is, if you're me, any silly thought that rushes past your mind, rushes vividly past your face.
The last thing you want is for your clients or client service team (advertising specific) to feel like you're not, what's that word? Enthused about the work. So, here's 3 step plan on how to seem riveted and ready to rumble. (I haven't yet mastered these myself but I'm trying)
1.) Smile and nod (add the odd "ahh" here and there) - This gives off the impression that you're interested and are pleasantly surprised by the amount of detailed info they have prepared for you. (Everyone loves to feel appreciated so grin and bare it)
2.) Ask questions - The more smart you let the briefer sound, the more they love you the briefee.
3.) Stay awake!! Self explanatory nes pas?
A few other nifty tricks include complimenting the briefer, (e.g. Wow nice choice of words, I totally get it.) and referring back to a point they made earlier that you can tell they think is important (i.e. Yes, like *Stacey said...) etc.
There, I think this is pretty comprehensive. All that's left is for us to help each other get it right, yes? Yaaaay! Go team! Now go attack that nefarious job!
#POW
Yes I owe you a million apologies for being severely AWOL. I had been swallowed by the pretty picture-ness of Tumblr. Alas, my insatiable need to praat-te-veel has returned and so the prodigal blogger is back.
Right, lets get right to it. I, generally, have a great job. In the past I have been quoted saying things like "It's not a job, it's a pleasure" and other such nauseating things. We get it right? - I love this thing.
But....
Sometimes I am cursed and a dark bad-brief cloud comes over me. *Cue the violins* It's tragic!!! And yet, like the professional that I'm trying to mould myself into, I must cope with it. The problem is, if you're me, any silly thought that rushes past your mind, rushes vividly past your face.
The last thing you want is for your clients or client service team (advertising specific) to feel like you're not, what's that word? Enthused about the work. So, here's 3 step plan on how to seem riveted and ready to rumble. (I haven't yet mastered these myself but I'm trying)
1.) Smile and nod (add the odd "ahh" here and there) - This gives off the impression that you're interested and are pleasantly surprised by the amount of detailed info they have prepared for you. (Everyone loves to feel appreciated so grin and bare it)
2.) Ask questions - The more smart you let the briefer sound, the more they love you the briefee.
3.) Stay awake!! Self explanatory nes pas?
A few other nifty tricks include complimenting the briefer, (e.g. Wow nice choice of words, I totally get it.) and referring back to a point they made earlier that you can tell they think is important (i.e. Yes, like *Stacey said...) etc.
There, I think this is pretty comprehensive. All that's left is for us to help each other get it right, yes? Yaaaay! Go team! Now go attack that nefarious job!
#POW
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Hope
This is a crossroads for me. Like many other young people my age I'm faced with some seemingly life threatening decisions. Mostly career and love life related. I've just gotten to the point where I can no longer be led. There's only one way to do things now, my way. Problem is, I don't quite know what that is yet.
'Tends to feel like we're running out of time. Like we need to make that crazy money before 30 (I have no clue who set this stooopid deadline that everyone's now chasing - probably a rapper).
A friend of mine tweeted something that gave me a lifeline amidst my paper-chase panic. She wrote "I want a car", so a retweeted "Don't you mean NEED?" (Of course referring to my own feelings on the subject). Then she said (...and here's the gold) "I have everything I need, I would like a car." I paused as this sunk in and realised she's right. This was absolute madness. Most of us really do have what we need, we even have whom we need. We just let pop culture get to us. And frankly we're not being fair to ourselves. The people we're so busy trying to catch up with are constructed images (we all know this remember!!??)...it's honeslty not real. None of it, Hollywood, Santdon, Watch The Throne or what ever the source of your pressure. Relax, it's for TV.
I'm not saying success doesn't exist. I'm just saying maybe for now, it's enough to just work at it and hope for the best.
Hope, that's all.
'Tends to feel like we're running out of time. Like we need to make that crazy money before 30 (I have no clue who set this stooopid deadline that everyone's now chasing - probably a rapper).
A friend of mine tweeted something that gave me a lifeline amidst my paper-chase panic. She wrote "I want a car", so a retweeted "Don't you mean NEED?" (Of course referring to my own feelings on the subject). Then she said (...and here's the gold) "I have everything I need, I would like a car." I paused as this sunk in and realised she's right. This was absolute madness. Most of us really do have what we need, we even have whom we need. We just let pop culture get to us. And frankly we're not being fair to ourselves. The people we're so busy trying to catch up with are constructed images (we all know this remember!!??)...it's honeslty not real. None of it, Hollywood, Santdon, Watch The Throne or what ever the source of your pressure. Relax, it's for TV.
I'm not saying success doesn't exist. I'm just saying maybe for now, it's enough to just work at it and hope for the best.
Hope, that's all.
 |
| I took this while I was in my home town a couple of months ago. |
Monday, October 17, 2011
Talking Heads
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