kandinsky on painting

"Painting is an art. And art is a power that should be aimed at developing the soul. If art does not do this job, the abyss that separates us from God is left without a bridge.

The artist owes his talent to God and has to settle this debt. To do this, he has to work hard, know that he is free in his art but not in his commitment to life. Everything he feels and thinks is part of the raw material with which to improve the spiritual atmosphere around him.

Beauty, whether in art or in a woman, cannot be empty; it has to be at the service of humankind and the world."

from paulo coelho's blog. also check wiki for more on kandinsky.

what's he doing?

that was my first reaction, watching eric lewis rocking the piano... but once you watch and listen, you'll be more and more amazed. he's playing evanescence's going under, but... in an entirely different way. listen and enjoy.

neighborhood action

this article in business week deals with the effects of long-term commuting - does more money and other benefits make you happier if you have to travel 2-3h a day? results seem to imply otherwise... check it out!

creative person without funding? this might be useful

kickstarter.com seems like such a brilliant idea! from their page: "Kickstarter is focused on creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. We're a great way for artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, athletes, adventurers, illustrators, explorers, curators, promoters, performers, and others to bring their projects, events, and dreams to life."

basically you pitch an idea, ask for donations, and offer some sort of rewards in return. if the amount you're asking for is reached in the duration you specify, you will receive all that money in your account (only available in the US at the moment, unfortunately), and then it's obviously up to you to make sure that you also supply the backers with the rewards you have promised. it's an amazingly simple idea to promote and encourage arts and creativity, I really like it! check it out :)

note to self

in css files, don't put any space between the number and unit. 24px and 24 px are vastly different. one works, the other doesn't. there goes an hour of my evening...

color wheel

from one of my favorite comic sites, the doghouse diaries, comes the best explanation of colors. ever.

Hear the Writings

me likey. check it out, hearthewritings.com

leader... or first follower?

here's a rather funny video to just look at, but listen to the voice over, and you'll realize a few important things:

take a t-shirt, turn it into a laptop sleeve!

following up on yesterday's post on brilliant ideas, here's another one. and I really like it.

take an old t-shirt, send it to hello rewind, and for $49 they'll turn it into your very own personalized laptop sleeve!


and you know what the best part of it is? on top of you getting your personal sleeve, the money goes to helping sex trafficking survivors in NYC to re-establish themselves.

unfortunately they're currently only making them for apple's laptops, but if yours fits (check the dimensions on their page), it's well worth it!

brilliant ideas

there are some brilliant designers out there, coming up with some amazing ideas. on yankodesign.com there's some cool stuff to check. not always realistic or possible, but at least good to see what's going on. this concept of a combined pot and bowl is kinda cool, check it out: