I meant to post this Sunday night, or yesterday, but I didn’t even have the ability to make it out of bed yesterday because I was so exhausted (mentally and physically) from this past weekend. I don’t typically vlog (in fact, this is my first one), but I had to get these thoughts out while I was figuring things out.
This past weekend I participated in an immersion group session to learn about design thinking. It was a 16-hour workshop where we were thinking and doing the entire time from start to finish. Tack on all the personal stuff going through my head, and it made for a very very very long weekend.
Hmm … that makes two heavy posts in a row. Well, that’s why I started blogging, I guess — to get my thoughts out of my head.
The video is kind of long and rambly, but these are the main takeaways:
- My MFA isn’t a means to an end. I enjoy school, and I don’t need to get a faculty position to justify getting my MFA.
- I forgot just how much I love Minneapolis. The people, the creativity, and the human-centeredness of some (hopefully most) of the design community. Oh, and the music scene.
- I am, by default, a design thinker, and that doesn’t limit me to just graphic design. I’ve harped and harped on this blog about how design is problem solving, and that’s just what design thinking is — human-centered problem solving. The reason I don’t typically mesh well with other graphic designers is that a lot of the graphic designer folk don’t understand the problem-solving aspect and are all about making things pretty. It becomes this art school mentality and it just sucks.
I think those are the main things, but my head hurts. It’s been a long several days, and I think that workshop came at a really great time for me. It solved a lot of problems that I’ve been dealing with personally, and it inadvertently helped me solve a (design / concept) that we’ve been talking about at work for a long time.
In other news, I spent at least 2 hours in a giant bathtub watching TV this weekend. It was amazing. Having a hotel room to myself is always a treat.
Also, there was glitter. And balloons.
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Any revelations in your life lately?
6 Responses to unpacking my weekend with #stokedmcad
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Hi there. I'm Calee (pronounced CAL-e). If that's too hard, just call me Cal. Also known as chimes or the chimes. I'm 28ish, a designer, a runner, a self-proclaimed fitness queen, a craftster, a foodie, a music snob — some might call me a hipster. Here's the unabridged version.
GLITTER!!!
I love this post, friend. I do this all the time on long drives. Not out loud, but in my head. I’m 99% sure that all the best ideas happen on long drives.
I know whatever path unfolds before you, you’ll rock it.
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I am surprising the hubby with a weekend in Minneapolis in August. Would love to have some suggestions of fun things to do!
Sorry your head hurts! You are awesome!
awwww … that sounds like so much fun!
I love music and food. honestly, I hardly ever go downtown in Minneapolis because Mark’s fam lives in the area.
The obvious things are IKEA and MOA. I’m a fan of the music scene, and theatre, so maybe check out what’s in town.
Love me some glitter and balloons. Almost as much as sprinkles and birthday candles.
We actually have been talking a TON about design thinking in my (elementary) school. There is a new push for helping kids become problem solvers by giving them maker spaces to tool around and work out creative design ideas. You’d probably be a really good teacher for that type of school or space. [Libraries are even setting them up in some places I hear.]
Revelations like crazy lately. When will they stop?
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haha never? I’m still having them. it’s been a productive month.