1. June Studio
2. Authenticity
3. June Links
4. Wrap-Up
Summertime! School's out! Warm water, bright sunshine, leisure time and lazy afternoons under the shade tree with a cold drink...if you're still complaining, I'm afraid you're permanently stuck that way. Weddings, vacations, travel...the best time of the year. Hurricane season, yes, but with fingers crossed and a little preparation, even that can be taken in stride. I've had the luxury of a vehicle these days as I fell into a "car-sitting" situation for a couple that moved to the mainland for the summer. Boy, does that change everything! Being able to go out to the other end of the island and explore on days off, or head to the beach at sunrise is such a blessing. Not to mention not having to face walking up the gargantuan hill to my place at the end of the day--with groceries. For these two weeks, the car is being used by a friend of the couple--so I'm back to walking and my bike. Which is probably very good, as it's making me truly appreciate having a vehicle when I do. Plus, when you're without a vehicle, you meet a lot of neat people who give you rides to save your day.
Indulge in cold beverages, good music, and happy company this month--and help that poor soul carrying her backpack and armsful of groceries up that hill.
As someone who's aspiring to make a career of being an artist and a designer, I always have my eyes open for new ideas, inspirations and perspectives. My goal is finding what's different, what's beyond the norm, what's pushing the envelope. That's part of why I moved to St. John: to be immersed in a new environment with different cultures. Differences and eccentricities are the spices in life: essential for adding zest to the bland, making it special and therefore, adding value.
Non-conformists have always had it rough. Society seems to need and fear them at the same time. It happens all the time: The 1960s broke the conservatism of the 1950s...and yet as things seemed to calm down again, society took the new ideas and progressed because of it. The weird kid in in your grade school who was relentlessly picked on may have grown into an innovative engineer or software developer. The lady down the street who always dresses ridiculously turns out to be a kind friend who turns you onto a new hobby. When the outside world is intent on forcing you into a bland, acceptable mold, people naturally turn elsewhere to find an outlet for what matters most: their own uniqueness. There will never be anyone else like you in the future of the universe. There has has never been anyone exactly like you since human life began. Jesus urged his followers to be like salt; to spice up the world with new ideas. He didn't tell them to keep their heads down and do whatever their "betters" amongst the Romans and the Pharisees told them. You don't start a new religion by fitting in. Today's religious leaders are nearly all arch-conservatives, so we forget what radical non-conformists and agents for change people like the Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed were during their lives. Jesus wasn't put to death for doing what the leaders of the society of his day approved of, was he?
Those who benefit most from the status quo are naturally the least interested in change, and they find allies in the fearful. Rollo May suggested conformity is due to lack of courage. He certainly had a point. Many people suppress their ideas, hopes and dreams because they're afraid to stand out and draw attention to themselves. Conformity always includes a threat of punishment if you fail to fit in, whether it comes from ridicule, being shunned by others or direct attack. Those who seek conformity have never been afraid to back up their wishes with force.
Yet I believe there's something more behind the urgency conservatives have to suppress individuality. That is lack of trust. Wise leaders and outstanding thinkers are alike in two things: they're usually non-conformists on a large scale; and they display a deep trust in the basic goodness, kindness and capacity of their fellow human beings. In stark contrast, the most determined examples of conformity have always been dictatorships. Under a dictatorship, any kind of variation from the decided ways of thinking or acting is punished. Eccentrics of all kinds are weeded out. Conservative thinkers often suggest too much freedom will lead to anarchy and the collapse of all standards. Since they cannot trust others to behave reasonably, they always want more rules.
Being who you are is the most natural thing there is. To suppress it always leads to trouble, as you deny your true spirit and act unauthentically. That's why millions lead lives of frustration and desperation. They deny who they are hoping that they'll be rewarded for being who they think they should be. Unfortunately, the reward comes as frustration and depression as their spirit is stifled.
So, I dare you. Take up the challenge, if you haven't already, of being who Nature made you to be. Don't be intimidated by the disapproval of those who lack the courage to do the same. Trust yourself and trust others. Trust what feels right to you. If you can't trust who you are, the naturally curious, fascinating, and exciting person you were born into being, how can you expect others to trust you? And, of course, the reason this comes as a daring suggestion is because of the disapproval you'll receive as you define yourself and your own ideas. Yet the consequences of stifling yourself or your feelings are greater than the criticism. Frustration, dissatisfaction, and depression will overwhelm you when you realize you missed out on who you might have been a little too late. Only those with the courage to openly to live their dreams can ever find genuine success, happiness and pride in themselves.
DMX Zone
For all the designers and programmers who use Dreamweaver, this site is a great source of additional plug-ins, information, monthly e-news, and updates.
http://www.dmxzone.com/
What the Font
Have a font you see that want to use but you just can't figure out what it's called?
Upload a scanned image of the font and WhatTheFont will give you a list of the closest matches it can find.
http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/
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Asolare Design
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