Tag Archives: Blog

Blog Action Day 2008 – Poverty

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I believe that if some would have a different attitude there would be less poverty in this world. I believe that if some would be less materialistic, things could change. Look at the current financial situation that we’re in. Isn’t that proof of the attitude that most have these days? Exceed your standards, buy things that you don’t really need and most of all spend money that you don’t have because you really need that bigger house and you really need that gas-guzzling SUV so the neighbours will realise that you’ve ‘made it in life’…

To me, this race for bigger, better and most expensive seems so pathetic and so narrow-minded. Do you really need more than one car? Do you really need more than one house? Do you really need a vacation twice a year? Do you really need to spend money that you basically don’t have? See where it got us? No? Just check the news… Worse, there are people out there who really really need all the help they could get. Don’t you see that being just a tad less egocentric, materialistic and greedy could make a huge difference?

I’ve seen people close to me struggle not knowing if they would be able to buy enough food for one week or even a day, not knowing if they could feed their children. I’ve always counted my blessings realising that I was fortunate not having to be in their shoes, but I would share and made sure they would be fine. I was taught by my parents to save money for something that you’d want: you save until you can afford to buy it. I was taught to give to others and share what you had and I’ll always be grateful for this valuable lesson.

So I don’t get the attitude because I was taught to see things from a different perspective and not try to pull the wool over somebody’s eyes. What you see is what you get, I don’t feel the need to pretend and I don’t feel the need for so called ‘bigger and better‘. I was taught to be contented with what I’ve got which doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement or one can’t strive for quality. It’s about finding the balance and trying to care for others as well, about sharing what you don’t need with those who are really needy.

These days, what can be found in people’s hearts and attitudes: the ego and the lack of awareness isn’t that the real poverty?

Blog Action Day 2007 – The Environment

The Quiet Me

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I’m quiet… I realise I am… That’s because I seem to be in a whirlpool again. Not a bad one though but one that consumes my time and leaves me drained. It’s kinda weird but work seems to be coming in more and more and I have to keep lists of people that I need to contact otherwise I simply forget. I’m about to team up with a Dutch coder, he sent me an email last week with a very interesting proposal and he sounded genuine which is extremely important to me because I learned my lesson and refuse to deal with time-wasters.

I’ve met a few over the last months that contacted me through my blog but it only confirmed my feelings that I should keep personal and business separate. So I no longer accept requests through this blog in fact I’m thinking of setting up another blog to write about design and business which will be directly linked to my business website. Something a friend suggested a while ago, clever man he is, he was right and it would be great to show my recent design work there as well, that way I will have a splendid showcase.

Back to the Dutch coder, the deal is that he will do the coding and I will do the design and from what he told me, he seems like the person who knows what he wants and who has his act together. I’ve been approached in the past to team up with others but after some time I could always tell the other person turned out to be just hot air. These days I’m more cautious but this one sounds great and most of all enthusiastic and even better: with very interesting projects lined up [yes more things to do! *hehe*].

Then there is another team option which I was asked for but somehow I feel that that one -again- is just hot air… I keep my option open though and haven’t decided yet, let’s see what’s on offer first before I’ll jump to conclusions. This is a UI designer who wants to set up a team of people probably worldwide, he would contact me again soon, we’ll see what happens. Then there is a client that I will have to approach this week, a contact that I got through my accountant, he is in need of a website so I will send him an email today.

In the meantime I’m still working on the online leather gloves shop, if all goes well the software should be installed on their server/domain this weekend so I can finally start transferring my design to their server. Once that’s done I will start the last phase which is building the product pages, add the press and news pages, test the website, and replace current images with the new autumn collection ones. In between projects I will start building websites for friends, they’ll be small ones so they won’t take much time.

I was asked to design business cards for the garden designer and I also have to design an advert for my own business which will be placed in one of London’s black cabs. I was offered this brilliant way of advertising for free by a client who wanted to show his appreciation, isn’t that cool? So I need to come up with a marketing plan, I need new business cards that will be placed in the cab as well and I will have to start designing and installing that business blog so people will be able to see and read what I’m up to.

I realise the list is long but I am extremely excited about the whole thing. So to ease my mind a bit and to work out ways to deal with all this I needed some quiet time, some ‘me’ time to reflect… And while I reflect, ideas are born and sketches and notes flow from my Staedtler leadholder like water flows from a tap once turned on. But letting the water run without using it is a waste of a valuable source so for now the tap is off again while I start changing sketches and notes into digital designs… Being creative is fun!

[off to read and comment on blogs now, reply to emails and write a few and install Movable Type on my business domain]