Et Cetera
A Blog
Muppet the Hairdresser’s Dog
Spanks Hairdressing in Portland, Oregon has a mascot named Muppet, a wiry haired little dog that will sit and stare at you for hours on end while you wait to get your haircut. So I stared back at him and drew this picture. He is the dog with the most organized hair I’ve ever seen, so I’m not sure why he is called Muppet.
Photos from Danmark, Issue I
Så har jeg boet i Danmark knap en måneds tid, og har faldt godt på plads i en dejlig stor lejlighed på Åboulevard. En del tid har gået med at orden det praktiske ting som følger med når man flytter, men jeg har også haft nogle chancer til at komme ud og se byen lidt. Her er nogle snapshots fra marts i København.
Bird in the sky, transatlantic flight.
I thought I was moving to Danmark, but it turns out I now live in Kebabistan.
Urban tattoo / graffiti on a statue.
The Danes are so organized that they have a check-out system for watering cans in the local cemetery.
Grød. Also known as its more pronounceable counterpart: oatmeal. This is the fanciest grød/oatmeal I've ever had.
Fancy grød deserves a fancy little seating area.
Old, new, and of course a character from the Simpsons.
Hand painted type on wheat-pasted book pages, found in Nørrebro.
A local Shepard Fairey piece. Or, as Portlanders would describe it: put a bird on it!
One Fish, Two Fish
While working on a larger illustration for a website project, I particularly enjoyed drawing these two little fish. In researching the project, animal symbolism played a heavy role and I thought this thought fit nicely: In China, the fish is symbolic of fidelity and unity, as it is noted that koi often swim in pairs. The fish below aren’t koi – they look more like salmon-trout-koi hybrids that are swimming up a noodle river – but they sure look happy.
Goodie Monster Wayfinding
Late in 2011 my friend Mark and I created the Goodie Monster, a vending machine that lives in Portland, Oregon. Placed in a Chinatown creative office building, he serves healthy snacks to building tenants and passerby’s. However, right outside the entrance to the Goldsmith building is the Church of Elvis. How was a fur-clad vending machine supposed to compete with such a spectacle? With a fuzzy come hither sign that lets people know there are tasty snacks waiting right inside. Come and get your Justin’s Nut Butters, people, and find your way using this fuzzy face to guide you.
That's right - snacks are waiting for you inside! Just hop right in.
Leap Day
A week ago today was leap day, February 29th, the day that occurs once every four years on a leap year. Good thing we have smart scientist people to tell us that the Earth isn’t always exactly on time, and we need to make up for it every fourth year and every couple of decades with an extra day.
A week ago today I also made a leap. A leap of taking the Bureau abroad to see if the independent designer lifestyle and running a small business could really transcend continents. A leap to see what the next year in life will bring me. And, boy howdy, so far it has brought me a 600% increase in pickled herring consumption.
Leap year also made me pause to consider the markers we all use to gauge time. It’s easy to get bogged down in daily routine, so I choose to look at these anomalies in an otherwise flatline of days and months and years as a time to look back, and look forward. Take stock, rearrange, and make some plans for what you want to accomplish.
What leaps do you want to take?
Will Return Momentarily
Blogging here at The Bureau will return momentarily, after I’ve moved continents and made a trip to the nearest IKEA. The next electronic transmission will be broadcast from Wonderful Copenhagen, so stay tuned!
The Bureau Goes Abroad
Portland, Oregon, is a city for creatives, and being born and raised in this pioneer state fills my heart with pride. From the wild nature and diverse landscapes to the laid-back bustle of a small big city making a quiet but reputable name for itself, there aren’t many places that could trump Portland as a place to call home.
Portland, you haven't seen the last of me.
But if ever there was a place to compete for my territorial pride, it would be Denmark. At first glance, you might be lured in by the pickled herring, but I assure you there is more to this land than stinky fish and long, cold winters. There is a social structure that, hopefully, enables security for the masses. There are traditions and a language that I grew up with but have slowly felt slipping away from me as I grow older. And of course, there is the majority of my family, firmly planted in the country from whence my mother came.
Copenhagen, you better watch out, because here I come.
So, after many trips to the motherland over the past two years, I’ve decided to go Transatlantic for a year, give or take. Sure, I’ll miss many things about Oregon, but in return for my continent hopping I hope to be rewarded with new challenges and experiences that will make me a better designer, business owner, and participant in this world. Come March, I will have arrived in Copenhagen to start an adventure that I can’t wait to decipher. Literally.
What does this mean for The Bureau? The Bureau will continue abroad as it has here in the US: partnering with talented small businesses and design agencies alike to make meaningful and beautiful things together. Whether these partners are in Portland or Copenhagen or Timbuktu is not of concern to me.
One of the main reasons I quit my agency job two years ago to become an independent designer was the freedom that it affords. Working on a variety of projects, and working hard – but also taking time off and seeing other parts of the world. So, with passport in hand I am going to make good on the mantra of freelancers that ‘you can work from anywhere’. Be assured, The Bureau will thoroughly test that theory.
True, some projects require a designer to be on-site, but many do not. And a few in-person meetings or “did you see so and so at such and such” will be replaced by emails, Skype (isn’t technology great?), and a schedule on my end that accommodates U.S. working hours. Need a European correspondent on a project? Detailed in-person notes about the state of the siesta in Spain? I’m your girl. Plus, I promise to keep you updated on my growing collection of Danish buttons.
You can't say you didn't see it coming - once I start a collection I like to finish it.
So, plan your next trip abroad to see Copenhagen and I will take you on a tour of a city rife with design, culture, and yes, stinky fish. Or follow along with my adventures here on my blog. And as anyone embarking on such a journey needs, wish me luck!
