Mental Hiatus & Work

I am having an unofficial hiatus of sorts...

I am still here, I am just possessing a different kind of head space and taking the opportunity to hone some of my skills.

The Janome is gathering dust - but I have just recently purchased some wildly exciting fabric so perhaps I will be designing and creating on the physical plane shortly. Think Gidget.

For now however I am working on 2D. In love with shiny cars designed within an inch of their own believe-ability scalloped in sensuous chrome I decided to have a crack and illustrating a car. A 1969 Chevrolet Impala to be precise.

Original Image

'Super Grande' Illustration

My boobs and a Coffee...

Boobs...ahh the lost art of language.

Corffee as said by Carmela Sporano

"Tony you wanna corffee?

"Corffee " by Lisa Defazio | Redbubble: 

I have plans for more and more...

have a happy week folks!

::: 1960's Mens Dandy Fashion :::

DANDYISM

dan·dy/ˈdandē/

Noun:	A man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance.
Adjective:	Excellent: "upgrading seemed a dandy idea".
Synonyms:	noun.  dude - fop - beau - jack-a-dandy - coxcomb adjective.  swell - fine - dapper - foppish

Back in the early 1960's a new men's fashion emerged 'The Dandy' harking from the true dandy phase in period costume the dandy look took its cues from the early 1800's English notable  Beau Brummel

Tailored and refined in cut the new men's silhouette in its truest form sports the defining two key elements: pants floating high on the ankle 4 - 6 cm above the shoe, the shoe neat and square toed or a wider round point, later 60's saw fabulous men's ankle boots of a similar vain and the Pea Coat Jacket with the exaggerated broad revers (lower part of the collar).

The Pea Coat was a cross over from the Marine style jacket - think a sailors captain and the vintage costume double breasted jacket.

The trend followed on from the extreme and lean sharp tailoring of the 1950's think Mad Men. God help you if you were not trim back then. Men's sizes were sold in ranges of Tall, Regular and Stout...ahem...

I would marry this guy today based on the outfit alone!

The look was one of the first waves of youth fashion and fashion has never looked back since then. Bands loved the look it was reactionary and seen as a radical direction to take along with long hair and wild colours, cravats and lace shirts were sported by the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Who and Herman's Hermits, their later years yields testimony to the lairy fact. The trend then sees Mick Jagger Below morphing into a 1970's Ghetto Pimp - the latter Dandy.

The Rolling Stones

The Who

Now I love a man who has his eye on fashions changeable horizons, a man with some flair. The new take on this look I adore, but be warned it suits a select few.

 And that's Fridays Fashion for you...dandy to you!

Branding Research ::: TELL ME IS IT ALL JUST SPIN?

There seems to be a sudden glut of branding specialists and businesses. It's not just for businesses and corporations anymore either, individuals are now being encouraged to be their own brand: Footballers, industry experts and employees!

Eight to ten years ago it was all about the personal or company Mission Statement. Now its about the Unique Positioning Statement attached to your personal or company brand. 

There are some beautiful brands and logos around - some lovely websites and marketing pitches being bandied around. I encourage all of that I in fact love that side of branding myself its an area I have specialised in and continue to thoroughly enjoy.

But with this proliferation of BRANDING and the recent focus on its perceived importance what I find myself asking is...

Does it work?

Who uses it?

Who benefits from its implementation?

What businesses if any thrive without ever truly have engaged it?

When does it work?

What is its value?

Now no one wants to do a survey.
Usually they are time consuming and a little irritating like a pap smear or prostate examination.

BUT!

What if the results are highly relevant to you? What if they clarify some underlying questions and business/branding queries you may have? In this instance I do hope its relevant and applicable information I can share with you the will be beneficial and at least interesting to examine.

WHO

The people I need to complete the survey will be from all walks of business and 'monetising' large and small, local and global. Please I implore you to pass this invitation on.

WHAT

What am I hoping to achieve? To gather the findings and deliver clear and distinct information that can help your bottom line.

WHERE

See the survey below and if you feel compelled subscribe as I will posting the results in a blog with anonymity assured.

WHEN

Now

HOW

By asking clear and basic questions then by compiling the results and deliver them back to you here free of charge.

All I need is a little of your time and help, I am not gathering a data base this is solely to satisfy my own queries and curiosity. All information will be strictly confidential and not used for profit on my behalf or any other party.

So get on board and lets find out what really happening.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Why I Admire People Who QUIT!

I am a trier and a striver in many ways. Always trying new things and striving to make things better. I am also a sticker - I stick by people and things.

Now that all might sound good right?

Its not good.

I think its my perception of being 'good' and 'reliable' and 'strong'. Sometimes (often) it hasn't served me. I will be there smiling and dying on the inside, my clenched brushed teeth like a little shield that belies the 'I am dying in here' mental tract I am stemming from exploding into the atmosphere verbally. I suppose in the past I could be accused of manacling and muzzling myself for the greater good of others...yes that statement could be quite fair.

Recently - very recently I decided I was going to give up. Quit. Let go of, send it off into the funeral pyre of failures. Oh I tried, I truly tied and the feedback was I was actually quite good at it but inside...sad grey limp me.

Sady Me

I don't give up on things easily like I said I commit to things - morally. My friendships; I am the stayer, the stalwart, the through thick or thin pin. My head says I will make things work. I can be irritatingly determined. Taking things on I carefully consider it all, I take a task and pick it up and examine it from every angle, I play out the what ifs in my head, I am careful, deliberate, conscious.

Then there are those other types, the people I have met that appear to have done the same then enter into it and go...

'You know what...actually...no'

I how I have grown to admire these people, they are 10 foot tall in my estimation.

Previously I was like a dog with a bone, I would gnaw on things, toss the problem around, see if I could make it into something new, something rewarding, a karmic challenge, an blessing disguised as an issue.

Yesterday I said...

No its an ugly bone, I have tasted and tested it, there is no meat, no nourishment for me. I am not the happy dog chewing on that bone and I don't want to soon behave like the dog that's poorly fed unsatisfied and mean.

So I simply said...yes after anguish and much self flagellation I said no more to that bone and I gave up. Looking myself squarely in the eye...I hee hawed loudly, barked, waged every imaginable tail and...

 I said no more, I said that's not for me!

Belle's DINER, Burgers, Fries the Sunshine and I

Such a gorgeous day in Melbourne yesterday, the sun was a shinin'! Our winters are never too harsh and no matter whether rain hail or shine the streets are always busy here, but when the sun drops in to say 'hey' for the first time for the season you just have to get out amongst it.

So I headed down to 'Belle's Diner' in Gertrude St Fitzroy to give it a try.

 

The decor was perfect uncluttered and hit the perfect note, DINER yet not too cliched.

Staff brilliant and I am pleased to say professional and adult. The crowd excellent, unpretentious and mixed. The fodder a simple menu offering great tasty fare for a very reasonable cost. Portions are not huge but quite filling all the same and I am never afraid to eat. I loved simplicity and feel of this place.

Still finding their feet? Open 4 days as of yesterday I was impressed by every aspect. 

I thought the venue had been up and running for a while so congratulations to all involved. 

It is busy so try heading there between meal times and tell them Lisa says Hi!

Same But Different...

Might sound like something Vicky Pollard might say but if you thing about it it can apply to everyday.

So I hear you say 'Yeah but no but' right.

What is the same? If your lucky you wake up with automatic nervous system working, the brain is functioning lungs active, limbs are active on call, your jaw works and all is ok.

If we are all lucky there is no nuclear fall out, the sun is shining and there is no flood or fire at your door. If you are really lucky there are no land-mines, guns or dead bodies out on your street. If you are having a 'same' day you get to open your fridge and the milk is still there - I am talking that kind of the same.

The sameness of life we all take for granted yet miss like crazy should it not present itself.
"WHAT NO MILK?!"
Its enough to make to make you want to smash things apart on a bad day.

As human beings we all idiotically and seamlessly take most things for granted - like a day. Whats worse it seems is we are all aware of it. We indulge in inane chatter about the nature of these things, while quietly pining for a newer or more prestigious car.

Now I am not going to get all evangelical on you but...
What if your same was different...as of today or tomorrow? What if something untoward did occur? How retrospectively grateful would we all be.

Its not often we cherish a day, an hour, another person, out belongings, our health, our position in this life, where were born, what talents we have or can develop. Think about that for a moment think of how fortunate your normal is. I is natural or western perhaps to always want more I suffer from that affliction too.

Damn commercialism and spiritual vapidness!

What if we took our same - our beautiful same - for a moment appreciated it, embraced and thanked the heavens or Jebus for our same.

I am loving my same.

Some elements of my same, some I never want to change.

What if we took the elements of our same and made it different? Same but different.

I am embracing my same but making it different, I am taking what I do have and striving towards what I can do and we can always do more, even if not for yourself. We can grow, continue to develop use our time more wisely.

From now on my day will be the same but different.
x

What Does Your Brand Smell Like?

A BRAND?

A brand should be a clear statement.

Laser focused intent.

Not vague, unfocused or unclear.

Your brand must be consistent.

Your brand no matter what it might be must be CLEAR FOCUSED CONSISTENT. The focus on a brand or label is often the target audience or demo graphic - this is the tried and tested formulaic standard.

This is not clear enough. Your brand, label or 'signature' must personify what your business, product or service is.

Lets explore that notion in more detail : Personify

per·son·i·fy/pərˈsänəˌfī/

Verb:

Represent (a quality or concept) by a figure in human form. Attribute a personal nature or human characteristics to (something nonhuman). Your label must practically breathe. It must be 3 dimentional today. Its more than a notion of a type of person, of a particular age leading a specific lifestyle. That is very rudimentary and might have stood its ground in the less sophisticated past - as delightful and uncomplicated as they may have been. Although there are some very clear leads and exacting if not perfect examples that were set which I will address later in this piece, lets first explore the idea of your 'brand' personified. Is your brand a woman or a man, is it short or tall, muscular, fair, manicured? Does it sink or swim, is it rugged or refined, whats their garden like? Think about it. What would your brands rituals be? Up at 6am to work a farm or ski? Is it dutiful and kind? Is it sexy and svelte, chubby and cute. Where and how does it walk - or indeed strut? Perhaps it rides?  To have a totally Clear, Focused, Consistent vision you would want to entertain your labels diet. This may sound at first ludicrous but the more exacting you are with this the more precise your message will be and the more successful your marketing message will be. Ever met someone who is inconsistent, someone who cant hang their hat on one idea or thing...confusing isn't it? No matter how patient, kind and clever you might be it does your head in. Its hard work. What about the consistent person - what do they offer you? I am not talking about bland or boring - but you know who they are, what they are about, what motivates them what makes them shake! What makes them shake quake and want to copulate? You must know these things. Lets flick back to iconic 1970's advertising. What did this guy eat drink and do? I can tell you know he didn't use men's grooming products, would never even consider sushi, live in a modernist home or care what his postcode or zip code was. But we can imagine what is important to him and what his rituals might be... and... we can even imagine his smell! Earthy, sexy.  Get it?

Fernando Vicente Vanitas

I am filled with admiration by this artists work, his technical skill, palette, specific profile regarding taste, morbidity, fashion and vintage glamour - I am awestruck and humbled by his work.

Fernando Vicente Vanitas