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Friday, December 7, 2012

“You’re My Pinspiration” by Jessica Hische

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One of the most rewarding moments on Pinterest is when you come across someone’s boards and instantly realize this person is amazing and you two would probably get along really well.

You can repin, like, write a comment or follow someone to show how you love their taste, but we’re also passionate about the idea of taking moments to celebrate someone who inspires you offline.

This is the concept I brainstormed with one of my “pinspirations,” Jessica Hische.

As a designer, Jessica is someone who I respect a lot in her field of lettering and typography (just some of her clients have included Wes Anderson, Dave Eggers and The New York Times). When she recently moved to San Francisco, we immediately got to thinking about cool project ideas.

Today, we’re really excited to share the holiday cards and posters Jessica Hische designed for us. Each card or poster says “You’re My Pinspiration” in Jessica’s illustrated lettering. They’re available for purchase from the publishing company Sigler Companies. Jessica’s also generously agreed to sell them at cost and we hope these might serve as a special gesture to your personal heroes and friends.

A huge thanks to Jessica for this beautiful design and sharing your art with the Pinterest community! To learn more about Jessica and her work, check out her pinterview below.

Hi Jessica! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Charleston South Carolina, but grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, the daughter of two New Jersey born and bred parents. I currently divide my time fairly evenly between San Francisco, Brooklyn, and airplanes en route to conferences.

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What inspires you in your work?

I find inspiration everywhere, sometimes from visual sources like beautiful printed type specimens and sometimes from everyday life—simple quiet moments like long walks by myself or a day spent reading in a coffee shop. What inspires me the most is being surrounded by wonderful, supportive and talented people in the design, illustration, and lettering/type community. I meet folks every day in person and online whose work makes me seethe with jealousy and fills me with excitement to work harder on my own projects.

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Who are some of your favorite pinners?

My favorite way to use Pinterest is to search by keywords because the community is so good about describing and labeling the work that they post. I search for calligraphy, blackletter, type, spencerian—so many general and specific terms that return amazing results. There are so many talented pinners out there too and I’m infinitely impressed with people’s ability to discover and curate beautiful things. Here are some of my favorites: Jana Hamman, Super WetPaint, mrs. french *, and Natasha Jen. What are some of the recent projects you’ve worked on?

The biggest project that I worked on last year was the movie titles for Wes Anderson’s recent film Moonrise Kingdom. This year, I’m doing a series of classic books with Penguin called Penguin Drop Caps—the series was inspired by my Daily Drop Cap project and each book cover features one large prominent letter—the first letter of the author’s last name. There will be 26 books, a full alphabet, when the project is complete.

Thanks for the pinterview, Jessica! To check out Jessica’s work or find out more about her, visit her website and her boards on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

Evan Sharp, Co-founder, Currently obsessed with pinning to History.

Read "“You’re My Pinspiration” by Jessica Hische"

Monday, November 19, 2012

Chad Syme: Visual Designer & KEXP Volunteer

With over 11,000 pins, Chad Syme is a no doubt an avid pinner. In between his busy life as an Art Director at a mobile app start-up and volunteer at KEXP, Chad is actively pinning collections of men and women’s fashion, photography, home decor, food and drink, architecture, and more.

Hi Chad! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

In the beginning I was an accident-prone kid in the small agricultural town of Fruitland, Idaho (insert slow-motion montage of kid running through orchards, picking fresh fruit from trees, swimming in the ditch and getting kicked in the head by a horse) - that actually happened when I was four. I wonder sometimes if that kick to the head reset my brain, setting me on my creative path. Now I’m married and the father of two little daughters/hooligans in Seattle, home for the past 18 years.

Professionally, I am the Art Director at Score and Ten; a new web and mobile app start-up based in Seattle. Overall I regard myself as a Visual Designer, with vast creative interests ranging from UI & UX to film, photography, branding, music and fashion design. I have ideas for business ventures such as restaurants, bars, designer vinyl toys, animated shows, clothing, furniture and so on.

My professional career as a designer started in Seattle 17 years ago. I left art school to take an internship on the sketch comedy show “Almost LIVE!” where I worked with Joel McCale from Community and The Soup. That led to more work in television, some freelance indie film work and eventually the start of my own design studio which I ran for 5 years.

Outside of work and personal projects I’m a volunteer designer and photographer for KEXP; an amazing non-profit radio station in Seattle and global internet radio. KEXP has the highest concentration of amazing people (staff and volunteers) I have ever encountered. Being around people with that caliber of character does amazing things for a creative person. After all that then there is my deep desire to be a fashion photographer.

You have over 11,000 pins! This is impressive. What are some favorite sites or Pinterest categories to pin from?

I think if you take a regular scroll through my pins you’ll conclude my women’s fashion board Natty Gal is the most active. I admire the art and skill required to design clothing - the technical feat of getting a design to fit the complexities of the body and facilitate its range of motion. A number of other boards like Illustration, Graphic Design, Print Design, Package Design and UI & UX Design all get a fair amount of regular pinning, too.

My sources for pinning change constantly. Tumblr blogs are a substantial source of my fashion pins. I tend to pin illustrations directly from the artist site. UI & UX comes from sources like Behance and quite often other pinners. A lot of the visual design related images I pin come from design inspiration sites like designspiration.net, buamai.com and bench.li. silodrome.com has become one of my new favorite site for vehicles and related gear, art etc…

Based on your Pinterest boards and portfolio, you definitely view life through a creative lens. What type of things and ideas inspire you?

The one thing that inspires creativity in me the most is aesthetics. It doesn’t matter how good the idea behind anything is, if it’s not presented esthetically it instantly fails to reach it’s full potential. I push my self to design better with every project I work on. Even if it’s well received by the client and or public I almost always see ways I could have done better, made it more of an esthetic experience. That strong self critique of my work and my appreciation for great design drive my creativity, and influences the images I pin. I want to immerse myself in amazing design because it pushes me to do better. I’m a huge fan of Pinterest because it allows me to do that.

Which board are you most proud of?

The Natty Gal board. I get comments from women regularly complimenting me on my taste. Some have expressing interest in having me style them. I’d love to do that and welcome any serious inquires. I’m very fond of my Illustration board as well. I like the esthetic of scrolling a web page filled with colorful illustrations in various styles.

Who are some of your favorite pinners?

I’ve recently started following Elizabeth Everlyn. She has an elegant eye for things that feel homey. Designer and food blogger Leah Bergman is one I love for food/cooking related pins. I’m a Mid-century junkie and Ruth, who runs the blog No Pattern Required is a phenomenal source for everything about this period of time.

Thanks for the pinterview, Chad! To check out Chad’s work, visit his blog and his boards on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

Read "Chad Syme: Visual Designer & KEXP Volunteer"

Monday, November 12, 2012

Kevin Lynch: “Closet Cooking” Blogger

It’s hard not to drool when you’re perusing recipe pins from Kevin Lynch. (I couldn’t help scrolling through his delicious boards without repinning!) In today’s pinterview, Kevin talks about his blog Closet Cooking, different ways to organize recipes, and his Pinterest plans for the holidays. Hope you’ll find something useful for your Thanksgiving dinner plans. Enjoy!

Hi Kevin! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a software engineer by day and a food blogger by night.  I am the the author of Closet Cooking, a food and recipe blog, where I share all of my favorite recipes that I make in my closet sized kitchen.

For most of my adult life I did not really cook and I was eating the same few, mostly frozen, meals week after week.  That all changed however when I went of my first real vacation to Japan where I fell in love with Japanese cuisine.  When I got back from the vacation I wanted to experience more Japanese cuisine but I quickly realized that it was going to be too expensive to eat out all the time so I decided that I would try cooking.  I searched the web for recipes and came across a few food blogs that had amazing, drool worthy photos of food and I realized that the authors of these food blogs were average everyday people and that it might be possible for me to do it as well.  As I started cooking I found that I really enjoyed it! I started taking photos of the meals that I made and after a while I decided to start logging them on a food blog of my own and Closet Cooking was born.  I quickly fell in love with food blogging and the whole thing spiraled from there!

How do you come up with your recipes? Do you organize your recipes on Pinterest in any specific way?

My recipe ideas come from a number of sources including from my own imagination, other food blogs that I follow, magazines, cookbooks, restaurant menus and social media sites like Pinterest. (I spend far to much time drooling over food on Pinterest.) When creating recipes, I like to start out by searching the web for similar recipes to see if there are any interesting ideas to incorporate in mine.  Sometimes you will find that one recipe out there that will have that one ingredient or a technique that you would never have though of using but when you see it you know that you have to go with it.

It can sometimes be a bit challenging organizing recipes as there are so many different ways of doing it!  I like to organize my recipes on Pinterest in several different ways including:

-By occasion such as Thanksgiving or Mothers Day and these boards can be used to quickly plan a menu for that special day.

-By season such as Fall Recipes where I include recipes with ingredients that are in season at that time.

-By food type such as Soups or Sandwiches

-By favorite ingredients such as Bacon or Avocados

What is your favorite pin or board that you’re particularly proud of?

I would have to say that my favorite board is my Sandwiches board.  Just by looking at it you can tell that I am a little sandwich obsessed and this board collects all of my favorite sandwiches.

As the holidays are nearing, do you have any new boards you plan to create?

With the holidays approaching I will be creating several new boards for each major holiday including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and I will be breaking them down into boards for different categories such as Snack/Party Food, Appetizers, Holiday Cookies, Special Breakfasts/Brunches, Mains, Sides and Deserts. It is really nice to be able to quickly visually see all of the recipe ideas when you are planning for your holiday dinners and snacks!

Who are some of your favorite food bloggers on Pinterest?

Some of my favorite food bloggers on Pinterest include: RecipeGirl, skinnytaste, chef in training, Brown Eyed Baker, and How Sweet Eats.

Thanks for the pinterview, Kevin! To check out Kevin’s recipes, visit his blog Closet Cooking and his boards on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

Read "Kevin Lynch: “Closet Cooking” Blogger"

Monday, November 5, 2012

Krista Gray: Community Manager & Photographer

In our pinterview with Krista Gray, she talks about moving to the West Coast in search of her dreams. After three years, she’s happily among creative people, taking pictures, and staying in touch with her New England friends through inspirations on Pinterest.

Hi Krista! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m originally from New Hampshire, but a severe case of wanderlust brought me to California more than three years ago after I quit my job to move West on a whim. I didn’t have work, a plan or even a mattress (seriously!), but I did have a fiery drive to follow my heart.

I earned my degree in History because I’ve always been fascinated with the intersection of people + technology, and the way that it shapes the future while defining the past. I taught myself basic HTML and the foundations of Photoshop when I was 12 so that I could build my own website as a way connect with others on the internet - and while my presence on Geocities is (thankfully) no longer, I do still write a blog called city chic. I also get to help build and share cool new ways to communicate everyday as the Community Manager at SkinnyScoop. Living and working in a smart city full of fellow creatives is a dream come true.

How did you get started on Pinterest and how do you use it?

An admitted digital hoarder, I started using Pinterest nearly two years ago as a way to catalogue of all the beautiful images, cool articles, etc. that I constantly found online.

Many of my non-tech savvy friends have created their own boards in the time that has passed since then, which has made Pinterest so much more than a self-storage system for me. Now I use Pinterest to keep up with my friends’ home renovations, wedding plans, and wish lists from more than 2,500 miles away. Pinterest helps us continue to inspire one other, and it makes me feel like I’m still in the loop with all of the things they get excited about.

You love making stuff. We love your boards dedicated to making things, like Thoughtful Gifts, I Love Cake!, and DIY. Can you share something you’ve created recently?

Of course! The project that I’m most proud of is the enormous ‘All of The Places We’ve Been’ scrapbook that I gifted to my best friend Marissa who drove across the country with me when I moved to the West Coast. It’s full of photographs, vintage maps and momentos that we picked up in more than 18 states along the way, and I was sure to journal some of our favorite memories and quotes within the pages.

I’m also the ‘unofficial’ photographer of my group of friends, and I keep telling everyone that all of the pictures I’ve taken this year will eventually make it into an iMovie that I plan to debut on New Years Eve. They think I’m joking, but I’m not! It’s the least that I can do to thank them for their patience when I spontaneously pull off the road to capture roadside scenery, make them wait to eat their food or turn them into models for my blog.

As a photographer, you’re always looking through a lens of some sort. What type of photography inspires you?

Well-known photographers Dorothea Lange and Annie Leibovitz have produced some of my favorite images, but I’m equally inspired by photos I see on Instagram. I live for the everyday stuff and often overlooked details, rather than milestones or defining moments - I remember those anyway.

I think that Elliot Erwitt summarized it best, saying: “photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

I also love black and white photography and can’t wait to put together an enormous wall gallery of beautiful works one day.

Your interests range from throwing parties to traveling. What are some of your favorite categories to browse?

I love almost all of the categories on Pinterest, but the ones I find myself browsing most often are art, photography, history and design. I’ve been reading blogs for more than a decade, and I love that Pinterest allows me to see some of my favorite bloggers’ handpicked favorites in a quick, fun and highly visual way. A few of the pinners I love following who share their work in these categories are Dallas of Dallas Shaw, Bonnie of Bonnie Tsang Photography, Katie of Paper Fashion, and Meg of Mimi + Meg.

I also love browsing the boards put together by some of my favorite brands (Anthropologie and kate spade have some beautiful collections!) and could spend hours looking at lush landscapes while dreaming up my next adventure…

Thanks for the pinterview, Krista! To check out Krista’s photography, visit her blog city chic and her boards on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

Read "Krista Gray: Community Manager & Photographer"

Monday, October 29, 2012

Amaia Arrazola: Freelance Illustrator

When you browse through Amaia Arrazola’s boards, you’ll discover a wide range of illustrations and designs. All the way from Barcelona, Amaia inspires us with her eclectic taste and her hopes for sharing art with others.

Hi Amaia! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I´m a young girl working as an illustrator in Barcelona. I’m from Basque Country, which is located in the north of Spain, where I spent all my childhood and until my university years. For three years, I worked at McCann Erickson, an advertising agency in Madrid, but then I decided to move to Barcelona because I wanted to begin my life as a freelance illustrator.

Recently I founded a studio with four other people who are illustrators like me, including designers and a music record house owner. The name of the studio is Tocafusta Studio. We work from Barcelona for clients all over the world.

I love drawing, both silly and serious things, watercoloring, flash coloring, all spontaneous forms of art, doodling, and sketching. I´m interested in typography, silkscreen, and graphic design. I recently discovered street art and I think it will be my next step.

What are some of your hopes for sharing your art with others?

When I share my work, I like to find out what kind of impression it makes on people. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to share my art. I was scared about the reactions I might receive, but then, I found it´s necessary. It helps me to improve my creative task, to discover if people like or not like my work, and to have feedback about what I should do.

On the other hand, as an illustrator I need to broadcast my way of understanding life: how I feel, and my opinion about current events.  I need to let people know if I´m sad because someone is dead, if I´m happy about seeing my friends and so on.

Also, working in this multi-connected world where social networks bring you closer to everyone, if you want people to remember you, it´s essential to show yourself as a professional illustrator who never stops creating.

Have you discovered anything on Pinterest that is unique to the culture in Barcelona, Spain?

The best thing about Pinterest is that you find inspiration from all over the world without leaving your house. That´s great.

With Pinterest in Spanish, I can easily follow some of the best artists from Barcelona, such as Guim Tió´s art or the work of Laura Ameba, a crafty girl from Barcelona who works with embroidery.

Keep on adding languages! It´s great!

Many pinners have a dedicated board for inspiration. How would you describe things that inspire you?

Generally, everything can inspire me. It doesn´t need to be an image or an illustration. It can be a color, a phrase overheard on the street, a situation in the supermarket, or the composition of a picture. As a matter of fact, when I moved to Barcelona I fulfilled a project drawing a doodle a day for 7 months. Everyday, I drew something that grabbed my attention. It’s called Amaia was here. I wanted to find new inspirations in Barcelona and I did find it! You can check them out here.

On the other hand, I love all the vintage stuff: old school tattoos, old ladies’ pictures, vintage furniture, and fashion. They often appear in my illustrations. I can´t avoid it because I love them!

Do you have any favorite Pinners you’d like to recommend?

Yes of course!

Alicia Roselló (Founder of Dudua store, Barcelona)

Misako Mimoko (One of the best crafters in Barcelona)

Itziar San Vicente (Illustrator and avid pinner from Madrid)

Maria Diamantes (Illustrator and designer in Barcelona)

Thanks for the pinterview, Amaia! To check out Amaia’s work, visit her website and her boards on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

Read "Amaia Arrazola: Freelance Illustrator"

Monday, October 22, 2012

Mike Dew: Designer & Lover of Maps

As an early pinner, Mike Dew was instantly hooked on collecting inspirations. Almost two years later, he is still busy pinning his favorite things like typography, designs, food, and more. In today’s pinterview, Mike shares his thoughts on why Pinterest was a perfect fit, his love for geography, and overall awesomeness.

Hi Mike! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a graphic designer by trade, currently at 160over90 in Philadelphia, PA. Starting from when I was really young, I would win poster contests and stuff like that and it just carried on from there. When I got to college, there was never a question of what my major would be. Its just something that’s in me. So really, the part of me that loves sharing things and communicating visually has always been there.

The best part about graphic design and visual communication in general is that it allows and even demands that you explore everything around you. It pushes your horizons and shows you that there is always something amazing around the corner, and just experiencing the world is really what I love. I have a hard time just sitting at home and doing nothing when there’s so much to see and do. I love traveling and exploring new cities, I love music and going to see live shows, I love awesome food and cooking.

How did you get started on Pinterest and how do you use it?

A friend introduced me to Pinterest almost 2 years ago and right away it was a perfect fit. I always had wanted a place where I could keep all my inspiration for my work and use it as a quick reference whenever I needed it. After years of collecting blog links and saving images there was finally a place where I could not only keep things in an organized way, there was a simple method for collecting it all.

I still use it a great deal for reference and inspiration for design, but it’s expanded to a place where I can collect and share all the beautiful cool, funny, weird and awesome stuff that I come across on the internet and elsewhere on any given day. I use it as a reminder of things I want to cook or buy, and of all the places I’ve still yet to visit.

So, you’re into maps. What do you love most about geography and what inspired you to create the Cartography board?

The cartography board is really a combination of a lot of my interests rolled into one. I love new cities and the exploration and maps are inherently a part of that. There are places that I’ve been in there, places that I want to visit. And then I love all the various graphic forms that maps can take on, from the organic beauty of topographic maps to the fun and engaging maps that highlight points of interest in an illustrative way. That love of maps also started when I was young, I would read National Geographic, learn about far away cultures and people and places and it all just stuck. In 8th grade I finished in 6th place in the state geography bee. Even now I have an excellent sense of direction and can memorize how to get around somewhere after a few glances at the map.

It sounds like you’re a pretty awesome dude. Can you tell us more about your Awesomeness board?

The awesomeness board is just a crazy mish-mash of things that I love, stuff I’m into, my heroes, cool crazy stuff that doesn’t really fit anywhere else and things that just have that je ne sais quoi that just makes you say “awesome!” in hushed tones. The scope of things that I really find fascinating really goes above and beyond design and travel and food and this is where all that stuff can collect and live in one crazy pile. If you want to call me an awesome dude, who am I to say no?

You have great taste. Have you found cool people on Pinterest with similar interests? Share with us!

Thanks for the compliment! I don’t go exploring on Pinterest a whole lot, but a few of my favorite Pinterest folks are Jeremy Pruitt, Tad Carpenter, Haley Fiege, Spencer Lewis, and Kelly Dorsey.

Thanks for the pinterview, Mike! To check out Mike’s work, visit Cargocollective.com and his boards on Pinterest. Happy pinning!

Read "Mike Dew: Designer & Lover of Maps"

Monday, October 15, 2012

Jen Kindell: Teaching & Creating Art

Happy Monday, everyone! In today’s pinterview, Jen Kindell gives us a peek into her creative world. When she’s not busy teaching art to kindergarten through 12th grade students, Jen is creating beautiful silkscreen posters of local produce.

Hi Jen! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up in Florida on the gulf coast. I ended up at the Rhode Island School of Design where I got my BFA in Illustration in 2008. At that point I knew I wanted to live surrounded by creative people, so I moved to San Francisco. In June I completed a graduate credential program to teach K-12 Art in California. When I didn’t find a job right after graduating, I began creating artwork.

I am silkscreening seasonal posters of fruit and vegetables that are grown in California. The process of learning about each plant is fascinating—the history of where they are grown, the farms that they come from, and the harvest cycle. You know when you are driving down a random country road and you see a sign and it is hand-painted. My work is inspired by the people who create those signs. I love with hand-painted typography and images. Urban artisans fascinate me too. You see their work walking through the Mission District in San Francisco in unassuming places. Some are thick with paint from the years of reapplication.

The multi-stage process of silkscreening is very new to me. I learn new things about it each day. I am constantly being surprised and having to do things over. Each layer of ink used for silkscreening is made with a separate screen, and to make each screen requires a separate transparency mask. In my work I paint each transparency by hand, rather than just printing them with, for example, an inkjet printer. I feel like it really brings me back to my roots. I carefully paint each layer trying to channel the focus a sign painter would have. It feels so good to do something challenging and where I am learning all the time.

How do you use Pinterest?

I am a collector. I have boxes full to the brim of ephemera — things like classic ticket stubs from past concerts, assorted paper textures, National Geographic maps, vintage photographs, etc. I am always collecting and sorting. I was introduced to Pinterest about a year ago, from a friend Alexa Wan. Pinterest helps me collect within a digital space rather than cluttering my living and work spaces with too many material items.

You have several boards dedicated to creating things like handmade. and diy. Did you end up creating anything in real life from something that inspired you on Pinterest?

For a couple years after moving to California, I had a hard time making things. My boyfriend convinced me to paint again, and I signed up for a night class at City College. When the final came around I had put so much pressure on myself and I felt paralyzed. I struggled with trying to find my own voice as an artist. I knew I wanted to create something important and meaningful for myself and other people but just didn’t know what that was. My instructor suggested that I collect images and see what sort of themes were in the images and start from there. Back then, I’d find images, print them out at Staples, and pin them all over my wall. Now I use Pinterest.

Pinterest has influenced how I create and helped me to get back to my creative roots. Seeing others invested in their own creative pursuits is incredibly inspiring.

We’re fascinated by your board hiding. — what is the story behind these pins?

I am interested in the theme of hiding. Whether hiding a secret, or in shame, or because of guilt, all humans can in some way relate. One of my personal goals as an artist is to create work that others can connect to in the most human of ways. I began pinning several images where the figures were hiding their faces either in photographs, paintings, or collages. A pattern developed and I decided to throw them all into one folder.

Who are some of your favorite pinners?

Lucia’s pins tons of handmade objects, folk art, textured patterns with potent and vibrant colors.

Alexa Wan’s pins are almost as inspiring as she is. If you are interested in education check out her resources for students.

Sarah Anderson’s pins boil down to the essence of simplicity. Her collection has a nice narrow range of muted colors similar to what you may find in a Morandi painting.

Brian Ferry has only one board but it is a great assortment of relatable photographs.

Thanks for the pinterview, Jen! When you’re not hiding, we look forward to seeing more of your silkscreen art on your website and your Etsy store. Happy pinning!

Read "Jen Kindell: Teaching & Creating Art"

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Martin Taylor: The Self-Confessed Geek

An engineer by day, Martin Taylor carries an interesting career by night. As a photographer, filmmaker, and musician, there’s no question behind his talent and deep passion for creativity. We hope you enjoy hearing about how Martin uses Pinterest for entertainment and who he will invite to his fantasy dinner party.

Hi Martin! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, I’m the other Martin Taylor. I was born in raised in Lancashire, England but since 1995 I have lived in San Francisco and worked in Silicon Valley. By day I’m usually up to my elbows in code but in my free time (and occasionally these days, during office hours) I’m into multimedia creation of any kind. I’ve been into still photography since my teens, and I’ve always messed around with music but these days I’m also into videography, 3D modeling, a little bit of everything. The ability to take part in these traditionally closed activities has been made possible by the technology that has democratized many art forms. Good still and video cameras are very accessible and especially the software to create, edit and share work is so cheap and easy to use … when I was a kid in the 80’s the things that we can do today so easily and cheaply was was what we dreamed of - today’s technology was our Sci-Fi then.

It seems that curation is one of the last art forms to be democratized in this way through Pinterest and other social media tools. It used to be that you had to go through the gatekeepers (editors, publishers, radio stations, studios) to achieve what you can now through Pinterest, blogging, podcasting, YouTube, and the like. Everything is still in constant state of flux and that’s really exciting both to watch and participate in.

What are some of your favorite websites to pin from?

To be honest, I don’t usually go out of my way searching for things to pin and the boards I make are largely for my own entertainment. Often times I’m using Pinterest like visual bookmarks of things that interest me. I still have a huge number of sites I subscribe to through RSS feeds, that I go through every day in Google Reader. If I see something while I’m going through these feeds that I want to keep because I think it might be useful later or it’s just inspirational to me, I’ll pin it. I go through a lot of Guerrilla Filmmaking sites looking for ideas I can steal (e.g., CheesyCam , The Frugal Filmmaker, The Joy of Film Editing, and many more). There’s a lot of sites about music making on my list like Palm Sounds, Guitarz, iOS Musician, etc. Like any good petrolhead I visit Jalopnik several times a day and there are lots of photography, technology and design sites to - too many to mention.

I don’t think it matters where you pin from as long as you pin things that you’re really interested in. I want to pin things no one else has pinned and create boards no one else has thought of. Inevitably you find out your original idea isn’t quite as unique as you thought but that is always my intention. You can tell when someone is pinning for pinning’s sake. The point of curation is to cut through the noise and fluff to identify what is really important to you. By doing so you solidify your own ideas on a theme and that’s part of the value Pinterest has for me.

 

Your blog post “A Guy’s Guide to Pinterest” has some pretty cool suggestions. What advice do you have for men who are looking for ways to use Pinterest?

I don’t think my advice is just for men any more than Pinterest is just for women but I wrote that piece because that seemed to be the image the popular press had saddled Pinterest with. I think my main advice is not to go into it seeing how many followers you can amass but to use it as another tool to compile and explorer eclectic subjects you are interested in. Even though there’s no such thing as a private Pinterest board I have created boards that I didn’t expect to be of interest to anyone but me. For example, my Guerrilla Filmmaking board I really only intended to use to store links to things I thought might be useful - I put DIY projects I might try at some point, or resources that might be useful, or articles I found inspiring that I might want to go back to. I’ve declared bankruptcy on the browser bookmark model. I know that with the cloud you can have bookmarks sync across devices but my bookmark lists are so long and undecipherable after decades online that they are useless to me. Pinterest allows me to create boards than scan and read easily to find what I’m looking for.

I do also create boards that are intended to be more public (some might say, more preachy). My Photographer’s Photographers board might be an example of this; I use it to document all the photographers I believe are important to the art of photography. So many people tell me that they’re into photography when what they really mean is that they’re into cameras or PhotoShop. I have been accused of being a photography snob and I will own that label and in part this board is me doing just that. I am drawing a line in the sand and saying that these are the photographers I think are most important to the art-form and if you don’t know who they are and you claim to be a photographer it might be time to get some schooling. This is unapologetically, and totally subjectively, my own opinion and if you don’t agree with it you should feel free to create your own, contrary list.

I guess I’m saying that you should look to find ways to use Pinterest than are personally useful to you or are your specific, passionate point of view. If you are creating boards of repins just like everyone else your boards are of little use to you or anyone else and they just disappear into the background noise.

We love your Fantasy Party Guests board. What inspired you to create it?

It’s partly based on a game my wife and I play making up a list of who we would invite to our fantasy dinner party. It’s also partly based on an old TV show I used to love called Dinner for Five where you felt like you were at the dinner table with five interesting celebrities. It’s also, in part, my take on the Inspiring People board that many people create. When I pin something I usually put something in the description that I hope isn’t generic. For my Fantasy Dinner Party Guests board I try to explain in a few words why I would want them to come to dinner. Perhaps who your heroes are says something about you and these are the people who inspire me, who I try emulate and any of whom I wish was my mentor in one field or another.

You have an eclectic collection of pins. What are some of personal favorite boards that you’ve created?

I really enjoyed putting together my Lost Childhood board. It’s very personal and probably of no interest to anyone except a handful of people my age who grew up in England and had my interests. I was on a nostalgia kick the weekend I put it together and I was dragging some things out from the dusty corners of my memories and researching them on the interwebs. Instead of losing that transient information I put it into a board I can visit and add to whenever the mood strikes again. Just flicking through it takes my back to another time and place. As you get older you need to help remembering this stuff.

I also enjoy creating really specific boards about things that interest me that there really is no place for anywhere else on the internet. For example I really like art made from cardboard for some reason; whenever I came across it on the various art blogs I follow I was drawn to it but then it would just fade to the back of my mind until I happened on something cardboard again. Creating my Outside The Box: Cardboard Art board just gives me somewhere to store that stuff in one place. The same goes for my Art About Cameras board.

Like every gearhead I have a board of cars I lust after but I also have an unhealthy obsession with ugly cars. Whenever I come across something on the road I can’t understand how it ever made it into production I’ll make a mental note of it and add it to my Car Designers Asleep at the Wheel board. Where else could you store this kind of information?

Thanks for the pinterview, Martin! Hopefully one day, you’ll get to throw the dinner party of your dreams. Happy pinning!

Read "Martin Taylor: The Self-Confessed Geek"

Friday, October 5, 2012

Maria Manore: Teacher & Kinder-Craze Blogger

Today is World Teacher Day and we’d like to celebrate all educators around the globe. We invited kindergarten teacher Maria Manore to share a guest blog post about helpful ways to use Pinterest for lesson plans and project suggestions for the classroom.

Greetings pinning friends! I’m Maria Manore - kindergarten teacher, polka dot enthusiast, indie music addict, and author of Kinder-Craze (a blog sharing creative ideas, DIYs, and inspiration for early elementary teachers.) When I am not teaching, blogging, or plugged in to my iPod, I’m scoping out the eye candy on Pinterest.

As a classroom teacher, Pinterest has become my hands-down, number one source of classroom ideas and inspiration. And I know I’m not alone. Every time I walk into a colleague’s classroom I see Pinterest-inspired practical ideas, student projects, and generally delightful teacher-y touches.

Figuring it Out, One Pin at a Time

When I first joined the Pinterest community, I was clueless about the site’s potential for the classroom. I pinned items haphazardly, followed random people and my landing page evolved into a smorgasbord of photos that were pretty, but lacking a purpose. I slowly discovered great pins from other teachers and my one-and-only school themed board (At School) began to grow much faster than my personal boards.

Over time, I began to recall some of the great classroom ideas I had discovered through Pinterest and wanted to refer back to the original pin. Unfortunately, locating the exact pin on my At School board was less than ideal. So I gradually began to create new boards based upon my classroom needs. What a difference! Instead of 250+ random pins all in the same jumbled board, I created 63 school related boards (and counting) for specific holidays, themes, and content areas.

Having a digital record of these ideas that I can find and reference from any wireless device has had tremendous repercussions in my classroom space as well. Teachers have a lot of STUFF and I am not an exception to this rule (a reality that kills a little piece of my clutter-hating soul each day). Thanks to Pinterest, I have been able to toss many items out my overflowing file cabinets, trim down my paper files, and easily access the exact same ideas in a neat and streamlined way.

  

Managing all those Boards

As my collection of boards increased, I discovered a new problem with my semi-organized system. Over time, I developed so many boards that I began to struggle with locating the specific board I needed. My next task-at-hand was organizing my boards in a way that was most effective for my needs. As I began to contemplate the organizing process, it became apparent that I had 3 types of boards: school related (such as Math, Christmas & ELA), collaborative (more about those in a minute), and personal (My style, Yummie, Home Sweet Home).

Since the bulk of my pins are located in my school related boards, I knew I wanted those to be the priority. The fastest way to locate these boards is alphabetically, so I arranged my school-themed pinboards into ABC order.  These were followed by the collaborative boards I contribute to (arranged in ascending order by Grade Level). The bottom of my Pinterest page contains my personal boards (also in alphabetical order).

Making the Most of Every Moment

As a teacher, every single moment of my day is precious. Organizing my pins and boards certainly was an investment of time, but my initial efforts are proven worthwhile every single time I am able to quickly locate and fetch a classic pin from one of my boards.

Now I know you’re wondering, “if time is such a luxury, when’s your favorite time to pin?”
The answer is simple: while I’m standing in line at the grocery store (multitasking=joy).

Pin-credible Boards

I know you’ve been waiting patiently, so let me get back to those Collaborative Boards. Pinterest makes it possible to invite other pinners as contributors to your pinboards. This is a wonderful way to share ideas. Charity Preston (a great pinner to follow by the way) has created collaborative boards for each grade level. Each board has SEVERAL contributors (by invitation only) and thousands of pins. The result is a steady stream of high-quality pins. If you are looking for grade-level specific pins, these are fantastic boards to follow:

KindergartenKlub.com
FirstGradeFaculty.com
SecondGradeSquad.com
ThirdGradeTroop.com
FourthGradeFriends.com
FifthGradeFlock.com
SixthGradeStaff.com
MiddleSchoolMaestros.com
HighSchoolHerd.com

Collaborative Pinboards do not always have to be so large-scale and elaborate. They are also great for sharing content and ideas with co-workers. Just imagine the possibilities for committee work. Social committees can collaborate and share gift ideas, teachers in charge of planning a reception for school volunteers can pin party décor and party themes, staff members can share fun ideas for open house … really the possibilities are endless.

Pinners I (Heart)

I’m always on the lookout for great pinners to follow. Some of my current favorites are Schoolgirl Style, Teaching Blog Addict, and Erica Bohrer.

Maria Manore, kindergarten teacher and Kinder-Craze blogger, Currently obsessed with pinning to Sparkle.

Read "Maria Manore: Teacher & Kinder-Craze Blogger"

Monday, October 1, 2012

David William: Artist and Sandwich Connoisseur

This week we spent some time with David William, also known as D.Billy, a young at heart artist who enjoys making things from art to photography and loves sandwiches.

Hi David! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is David William, but you’ll get a lot more relevant Google hits if you punch in “D.Billy”. And I’ll start out by saying that, for the most part, I don’t talk like this. Years of art school and jobs writing press releases for galleries have ruined me for sounding like a normal human being, and I’m forever fighting against it when I write even the simplest email. I’m going to be wordier in my typing, and more prone to parenthetical asides (See, who uses that phrase in conversation?) than I ever would if we were just talking. I’m just a guy who speaks like people speak, but who gets wordy when he’s behind a keyboard. Cool? Cool. Okay. Here we go.

I make collages, perform typographical site interventions (usually with colored tape), design posters and other stuff, take pictures, make prints, and draw things. I’m a big fan of collaboration, and sometimes embark upon art projects with my cohort Nathan Manuel, and a few other fine folks. I also contribute irregular updates to And I Am Not Lying, a blog started by my pal Jeff Simmermon. We post about art, storytelling, burlesque, music, geeky pop culture stuff, and miscellaneous weirdness.

Some of the things that I love become source material for my work: comics (ESPECIALLY comics), kids’ coloring and activity books, instruction manuals with isometric illustrations, old product advertisements, colorful patterns… Other things I just love and don’t try to make them do work for me. Boats, for example. I just like boats.

When you’re not making collages, performing, designing, making, and all things creative that you do, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I marathon-watch just as much TV, and listen to just as much music and as many pop culture podcasts, as I read of the aforementioned comic books. Turns out that the 12-year-old me, who never wanted to grow up and be interested in boring grown-up stuff, had ZERO reason to be worried. I also have a comedy brain, and really appreciate good sketch and joke writing and improv. And I’m super interested in good industrial & product design. (Just watch Gary Hustwit’s documentary, “Objectified”, and read Dieter Rams’ principles of good design. Go! Do it!) If I ever miraculously grow a bunch of extra time, I’ll probably use it studying design or writing funny stuff.

We noticed that you squeeze in some time for pinning, too. How do you use Pinterest?

Like a lot of people, I use Pinterest as both a memory & inspiration board, and a sharing mechanism. I pin a lot of art & illustration and type & lettering work that others have done, but that I wish I had done; I pin photos of home & work spaces and objects that I covet; I pin photos that I’ve taken and art-things that I’ve made; I pin random strange & funny things.

What are some of your inspirations for your artwork?

I’m inspired by things that are created or affected, either skillfully or clumsily, that have their own character and reveal something about the person who made or altered them. And I love when things that weren’t meant to go together are paired, and end up creating something new when combined. I relate to the world as a place where anything or anyone has the potential to become ridiculous at the drop of a hat, because all it really takes is a little nudge in the right (or wrong) direction. I like to nudge. I’m also easily seduced by the potential inherent in different materials and processes, and like to make things just so I get to experience using them. Letterpress printing with wood type, for example, is something that I really enjoy. I hope to do a lot more of that in the near future.

We like the quote you referenced in your profile: “I got all things that are good. This. This is good. You can have it.” So, in your words, what makes something… good?

I’m going to answer that with yet another quote:

Contemplating a purported work of art is a social activity. Either you have a rewarding time, or you don’t.

(Kurt Vonnegut, from Timequake.) And I would extend that definition to all other things one might contemplate as “good” or “not good”. While in some cases there is an element of applied skill, or achievement of intent that can be entered into the evaluative equation, I think that in the end, “good” is in the eye (or the gut) of the beholder.

We can’t help but ask, what do you love about sandwiches?

Sandwiches are like edible collages or comestible superhero team-ups. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Thanks for the pinterview, David! We look forward to seeing more of your art and collaborations on your website. Happy pinning!

Read "David William: Artist and Sandwich Connoisseur"