Reflection

Tick, Tock............

Three weeks left, I made a list today and scared the crap outta myself. I have only now realised how much work I have to do and how little time I have to do it. I'd spent to long in the workshop trying to get everything resolved to a point where I was happy with it, I think I have almost achieved it now, so I'm happy enough that things will come together soon enough once I get back in the workshop.

It's been nice to have this time off in the past few weeks to get a break from the workshop, it's impossible to get anything else done when you're in there so much. I have one shoe lasted and the other closed, all I need to do is get the other one lasted and the heels made and finally the soles attached. Still a lot to do and most of my flat work too, but I'll get there.

I'm a little stressed at the moment and it's only gonna get worse, yeay! I really can't believe there is only 3 weeks left, I have such a massive amount to do. I'm hopeful I'll get it done, but it's gonna be tough. 

Reflection

Same, same, same, same................

I'm feeling a little like Bill Murray every morning. The same time, same routine, same breakfast, same Golden Lane, same mid afternoon slump, same, same, same. I haven't posted in so long, and I only realised this yesterday. I think the reason is that I don't really feel like I have achieved a great deal in the past while, so didn't really feel the need to post. Things are moving along quite slowly, but I feel like now I'm achieving stuff and the ball is rolling super fast. I feel like I have done very little so far and now I have a mountain of work to do. I'm sure I'll get it done, but it's gonna be a tough few months.

I always think that I can do so much in a day, however, what I achieve is very different to what I thought I would achieve. It's vastly different. I think I need to start making proper plans, I haven't really organised my time very well, I need to realise what I need to achieve and time plan it all well so I have control of my schedule. 

I am resolving my patterns quite well now, so I need to start making my final mock-up's now soon so I can get started on the real things. I am hoping to close three pairs and then get someone else to close them for me. I feel that this would leave me the time to take care of other aspects of the project. I really want to have three pairs so that I can shoot a lookbook. I have a photographer and a set designer lined up to shoot the book, which is really exciting. I am really looking forward to doing the shoot and creating the marketing material.

I hope that I keep this working buzz going and start achieving more and more and resolve the project to a standard that I have set up until now. Here's hoping.

Reflection

Mental Block

I am having a serious designing block, I am designing but am not feeling that I really like any of them. Generally I am quite happy with the designs I produce, I always start out quite cagey but then the better designs come eventually. For some reason this term I am finding it massively hard to get into the good designing phase. I am just not that happy with everything I'm doing. It's hard for me to commit to anything.

Yesterday I stuck everything up on the wall, all my inspiration and designs, I thought that would help, it did a little but still not enough. Maybe I need to resolve my materials and colour palette a little better before I can really focus on what I want to create.

I think last term was so academic and such a different way of working that it's hard for me to make the transition back to designing and being so creative again. Also because I did so well I feel a little extra pressure to do really well, and do something amazing.

I feel I need to change my working method maybe, work in a sketchbook format of something. Have everything intertwined like a work in process instead of being so scattered as it is.

Hopefully I'll have something good to show Sue tomorrow and then I can sort out my working method. I kinda feel like every week I've been thinking, 'this week will be better'. Lets hope this week it actually does.

Movie

The Raven, by Showstudio

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, 

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, 

 Only this, and nothing more."  

Reflection

It's been a good day

Today I had a tutorial with Sue, it went super well. I was pleased with my result and feel that it gave me a good boost of confidence to enter this new term with. I have been sick for quite a while and am only starting to feel better now. I didn't do any work over the holidays (as you can tell from no posts) and have been feeling very demotivated so far. I think there have been a few reasons for this, one is the fact that I had been focusing on the quite academic 'Concept Development' until now, working mostly on the computer, and now I need to get into a more creative, tactile mode. I need to print out all my inspiration and stick it up so I can see it clearly and work directly from it. I shall also start working in a sketchbook to help me be more creative and experimental.

This mental block with regards to the more creative aspect of this project was starting to make me question myself. I felt very negatively about my abilities to complete this project to a standard that I wanted to, however today's events have made me realise that I was just worrying and need to focus on more important and realistic things and just do, rather than think.

I am off to the Leicester Space Centre tomorrow to look at some RAF suits that they used in the 60's & 70's for altitude testing. I'm really hopeful that this trip will give me fresh inspiration for details, design lines etc. and will encourage my designing greatly. 

I think I am back on track now after my sickness during the holidays and am ready for the next 5 months of hell!

Lookbook Movie

Vanessa Bruno

I really love this video, it's super sweet. I love Lou Doillon, her movement and the colours in this video are just really soft, subtle and lovely. It's something to consider when I get round to making my video for my website.

Reflection

A Really Bad Leek in the Bathroom.......

Tore the apartment apart tonight to try and find out where the leek was. It ended in the bathroom, but we had to find where it started. Water is a tricky little bugger. I know this seems irrelevant, but I didn't plan for this or my bag being stolen, but we never plan for life. We plan for things going wrong with our projects but never with life.

I'm totally stressed at the moment because these things that I didn't plan for are eating into my project time. It's definitely something to think about in future, always allow for problems with the project and also problems with life. You live and learn!