2008: Bring It On!

With less than six hours remaining in 2007 (according to Hawaiian Standard Time, duh; I swear we are the last to experience everything), I wanted to take a quick moment to wish all of my friends, family, and readers nothing short of the most fabulous New Year’s Eve ever, no matter what you may doing this evening. And, furthermore, nothing but the best 2008 you could all possibly experience.

Thank you for being a part of my life throughout the roller coaster of a year that was 2007.

(And, this evening, don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do I’m not already planning on doing. *evil wink*)

Filed under: Uncategorized , a-list, humor, memories, red carpet situations

2007: Well, That Sucked.

“I very nearly celebrated the first evening of 2007 by opening my veins on the floor of a bathtub in a room at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu.”

It really is rather difficult to top a lead sentence like that one.

Because not only did it concisely and accurately encapsulate the first day of my 2007, it also, I realize now, in hindsight, set the tone for the majority of the rest of my 2007. I mean, not in the sense of feeling that I wanted to kill myself every day (that feeling only came and went rather intensely yet fleetingly on that first day, and never returned), but in the sense of, “Wow. This must be the lowest point of my year. Things have got to get better. Right? Right?!”

*cicadas*

I changed residences, twice, returning to old Honolulu neighborhoods I had shared for some time with past lovers, sharing them this time around not with lovers, but with roommates. I was finally fired from a long-term professional position that I was most likely subconsciously trying to be fired from for quite some time, since I had honestly grown to hate it so vociferously. And, I allowed my best friend (who had stopped speaking to me for reasons known only to him two days before the beginning of the year, and whose excommunication played a not insignificant role in my decision to open my veins on the first evening of the new year) back into my life, on April Fool’s Day, a decision that was against my better judgment and flew in the face of all of the warnings against doing so that issued forth from my other, truer, friends, who all seemed to know without being told that he would disappear again, no matter what he said to the contrary. And, of course, he did.

However, 2007 was not all wrath and weeping.

Moving back to those two neighborhoods, on my own, revitalized my confidence and happiness, as even respective Liquorette Mart and cafe owners and cashiers remembered me from years and other lifetimes before. (Also, I do not think I need to reiterate yet again how fabulous my new roommate actually is, but I will do so anyway.) Being fired from my professional position lit the proverbial fire under my ass to finally find a position (without “settling”) that challenges me, inspires me, and makes me happy. And, the best friend thing? I suppose all that I can take away with me from that is the knowledge that I was secure enough with myself to welcome him back, for however long he wanted, and, finally, to hold no grudges for wrongs (real or imagined) done to me. If I was successful at little else throughout 2007, I can tell myself that I was definitely successful at being a friend.

And I have this new blog, quietly slouching toward its first birthday. And I have all of the new friends I have met throughout the year, both in real life and here, online. And I have all of the amazingly new experiences helping others that I was fortunate enough to have this year. And, really? As long as I have a cherished space in which to reflect, ruminate, and rage, the best friends that a life can offer, and a new resolve to do things for others before oneself? I really do not need that much else.

So I do not suppose 2007 sucked that much after all. Because for each bad thing that I experienced, for each moment that destroyed a bit of my soul, and for each experience that made me die a little…I grew a little, inside, as well…and became stronger.

And really, what more can one demand of a year than that?

Filed under: Relationships, Volunteerism , a-list, alucina, defining moments, emotional landscapes, home, honolulu, memories, needful reminders, office love, philanthropy

The Science Of Enjoying Life

Amidst all the attention given to the sciences as to how they can lead to the cure of all diseases and daily problems of mankind, I believe that the biggest breakthrough will be the realization that the arts, which are conventionally considered “useless,” will be recognized as the whole reason why we ever try to live longer or live more prosperously. The arts are the science of enjoying life.
- John Maeda

Several years ago, I read a humorous response to Bruce Mau’s piece, “An Incomplete Manifesto For Growth” on Textism. While the writer, editor, and thinker in me chuckled at a few of the response’s points of criticism, the designer in me, who deeply admires Mau’s body of work, bridled a bit upon reading them; specifically, the introduction of “The Annotated Manifesto,” which begins, “‘On the occasion of having read yet another fawning blowjob for Bruce Mau (that sound you hear is the knees of designers hitting the floor as they genuflect before the great man)…’”

After reading that passage only once, I promised myself that I would never write anything, either publicly or privately, that could be interpreted as empty, vacuous, fawning fellatio (or cunnilingus) for any of my idols in the world of graphic design. And thus far, I do believe that I have succeeded in that endeavor, with Jessica Helfand, with Joshua Chen, and with the amazing and inspiring Rick Tharp.

So it should come as no surprise that I felt the need to blog regarding an item that turned up in my daily UnBeige e-mail alert several days ago, namely, John Maeda, yet another esteemed member of The Atherton Bartelby Graphic Design Pantheon, being named as President-select of The Rhode Island School Of Design.

A winner, in 2001, of both the United States’ National Design Award for Communication Design, and Japan’s Mainichi Design Prize, this designer’s work, and, perhaps even more so, this designer’s writing about the practice of design and art, have done much to inform my own work and development as a designer, artist, and visual thinker.

And I could not think of an institution more deserving of his leadership than RISD.

RISD’s website currently features a video of Maeda describing his thoughts about art, design, and his role as the new President of the school, which I highly recommend to anyone who boasts any interest whatsoever in art or design. The official press release is available here.

Filed under: Academia, Art, Design, Media, Technology , linkage, video

Happy Holidays From Paradise

Sincere wishes from Paradise for nothing but the happiest of holidays to all of my friends and family.

With Much Christmas Love,
Atherton Bartelby

[Image copyright Scott Sharick Photography, Honolulu, Hawai`i.]

Filed under: Photography , a-list, hawaii, oahu

Photoblogging My Weekend VI

(Or, “Photoblogging My Weekend: The New Era.”)

This weekend, I allowed (nay, forced) myself to accomplish two things:

1. Work outside of my photographic black and white and sepia box and attempt to work confidently in color; and
2. Become a visual tourist.

The first item has been on my mind ever since I acted as a volunteer photographer for the Special Olympics Hawaii’s Holiday Classic competitions, during which I realized that I capture landscapes better than I capture portraits, that my sport photography skills need some serious work, and that my confidence in terms of working in color is seriously lacking.

So I started working on that last one, just around the comfort of The 500, during The Rainy Time a few weeks ago.

[My fabulous roommate's Basenji, Betsy, who offers me unconditional love and a joking excuse every time I am inebriated and knock over an empty container of alcohol, e.g., "Oooooh. Betsy's drunk again."]

[The rain from the condo's lanai, during sunset. (I swear this was captured in color; I just had not yet mastered my Canon's color settings.)]

[And, of course, The Lanai Gnomes, who guard the happiness that is The 500 Lanai.]

Yesterday, I was afforded the distinct pleasure of showing my fabulous roommate and her fabulous parents, who are visiting from the East Coast, around Downtown Honolulu, Chinatown, and Aloha Tower Marketplace. And suddenly, I decided to work in color, and to allow myself to photograph like a tourist. (This last bit is kind of a big deal for me, as I have never allowed myself to be seen photographing landmarks in any city in which I was actually living at the time. This is why, although I lived in New York for many years, the single image I have of any “famous” landmark there is an entirely random photograph of the World Trade Center, captured on the day before I left the city for the very last time.)

And you know what? I actually enjoyed playing photographic tourist; I’ve decided I need to do it more often.

The color thing did not work as well, until closer to the end of the day, since, obviously, I fell into my black and white niche rather quickly. (In all fairness to me, however, the quality of the Downtown midday light and shadow truly did render itself fabulously in a black and white space.)

So, enjoy my pseudo-tourist chronicling of the city I call home. (Larger images are, as usual, viewable via My Flickr.)

Filed under: Photography , a-list, hawaii, home, honolulu, linkage, oahu, photoblogging, urban appreciation