Carrie Fontana Kroll, a local voice for children, is making a run for School Board. Hopefully this brand will help set her apart from the seas of political signs. The real selling point is Carrie herself.

When I wrote the post below about the inspiration that Maurice Sendak has given me over the years, I didn't realize he would die so soon. What an amazing legacy to leave. As he stated he wasn't a writer for children. He was a writer for all of us flawed humans together. Please enjoy this article and tribute by Fresh Air correspondent, Terry Gross.]

Inspired by the Strangeness of Childhood

Children’s literature is still an amazing, magical world for me. Often, while reading to my children, I am once again transported to my blue bedroom with the dark windows, miles from nowhere. I am so pleased to find that my kids sometimes fall in love with the same authors or books that grew my and my life for illustration and literature. Maurice Sendak is one of those writers/illustrators. Here he talks about his own obsessions with authors and the mystery of how writers do what they do.

He compares the act of creating art to jumping off a cliff, into the unknown. You either do it and survive, or crack your head. I have cracked my head many, many times. I’m in agreement with him on this imagery, but feel that is more often a SERIES of cliffs. Sometimes  you have the courage to shop for work, or to pitch a job that might seem out of your league. Other times you are taking the risk at doing something new or different. Stepping out to be an individual designer, rather than living under the wings of an agency was my Vesuvius, but some days can often feel like jumping off  the high dive into an empty pool. (picture Bugs Bunny looking down into a teeny tiny pool below)

He also addresses the idea that many of his works are not considered “appropriate”. What the heck is appropriate? And who says? Yes, Micky from  In the Night Kitchen is naked. Not strange, creepy naked. Just exactly the way kids love to be naked, say in the kitchen, while baking. (or maybe my own kids are the only weirdos that think it is perfectly normal to parade around in nothing but an apron?) My children loved it and wished that they could dive, commando, into a giant cake pan, mold the dough into an airplane and fly away. Since I don’t allow most of their fun fantasies, they have to live through books written by people like Sendak.

One thing about Sendak that I can truly relate to is the distinction that he is merely an illustrator, as if that is a put down. He is so much, much more but also exactly that. A fabulous illustrator, author, relationist, dreamer, realist, curmudgeon, wild thing.

Images of various Maurice Sendak books and the author.

Great, light article about his life and personality as he was turning 83, after the death of his long-time partner, and the upcoming production of Where the While Things Are into a movie, from the New York Times.

Additionally, here he is, interviewed by Stephen Colbert:

The description is of a book filled with colorful illustrations that will appeal to toddlers with the corresponding PMS colors on the opposite page.  [See a few pages on the Amazon sales page]

Understand that I am a true Pantone goofball, worshiper. I LOVE fanning out the colors and agonizing over choices. I don’t use paint chips on my walls. I match to Pantone.

But, I admit, this book makes me feel a tiny bit icky. Grownups can slurp their tea in their Pantone cup, but isn’t this application just advertising to little kids? I know it isn’t a Big Mac, but it sure seems like a cheap shot to me. What do you think? Would you buy this for any toddlers you know?

When I stumbled upon this lovely little site, Letters of Note, I was instantly hooked. Sign up for their feed and you will receive a little gem with backstory and usually the original letter, along with a translation if the handwriting is hard to read. There are hundreds of archived letters as well.

The most recent article is a great letter from C.S. Lewis to a fan about how to write well. Enjoy!

A recent blog post from Letters of Note

From the letter:

“What really matters is:– 

1. Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.

2. Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.

3. Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose.”

4. In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, “Please will you do my job for me.”

5. Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.”

I always try to remind myself of that credo of Less — stripping away the unnecessary — with each project I begin. Fighting the urge to layer on imagery that doesn’t add to the concept is a constant exercise. But thanks to van der Rohe and a handful of other visionaries and outsiders — we all benefit from the space and clarity that he brought to our society. Next time you are in Chicago, Houston or New York visit one of his buildings.

The Mies Society is a great starting place to start learning about this amazing personality. Wikipedia also has basic facts about his life and accomplishments.

Viewers will see experience a calm, informational message on the site, that will carry over to their interactions with Jennifer and her space. Jennifer’s style of education and therapy is conveyed throughout all her marketing materials. Email or call her to experience it!

Ruth Ansel — Bazarre, The New York Times Magazine, House & Garden, Vanity Fair and Vogue. Think that is enough? Not for Ansel. She just keeps going. Too many awards to list. She’s featured in a new book, Hall of Femmes: Ruth Ansel, designed by Swedish studio Hjarta Smarta. I love her site. Clean, modern, clear. Just like so many of the publications she honed.

Good Design — top 25 female designers.  Click to find a great list of contemporary designers of all types. They are inspiring, inventive and fresh.

Hall of Femmes — enjoy a short pub on different influential female graphic designers.

Here is a link to a great article from the Washington Post on how to clean up your Google settings.

Created by: Online Marketing Degree

However, many corporations have built their corporate story around their culture of giving and it seeps into all aspects of their marketing as well. Patagonia is one of those companies. I’m always inspired by their beautiful campaigns, continued use of amazing photography and consistent message. And, as I’m always looking for new musical inspiration, I was pleased to find this link to another of Patagonia’s charities. Buy a song, donate the artist’s cause, all sponsored by Patagonia. Pretty creative.

Check it out. Sample the songs. You might not have a big wad of cash to send out to your favorite cause, but I bet you have a dollar or two you can spare. Get a great song, give a little too.

Click Image to visit site.