Step #1: image - part 5

"Aspiration", rather than "perspiration"

To read the rest of the series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

When I was twelve, I declared that I wanted to become an architect. I contemplated a 12-year long plan in my head, and I refused to stir from it in either direction. And, according to what my mom tells me, I was a real B about it as well. I was a little, annoying stubborn mule, who lived by the mantra "either build or die". As I became older, and luckily a teensy bit wiser, I started re-evaluating my decision. After exposing myself to other fields and possibilities, and falling in love with them as well, I decided to aspire for a goal, rather than gallop to a narrow dot [please note the stubborn mule reference]. 

"Juliette Goal":

• I want my work to affect and inspire people
• I want diversity; I want to focus on a new project or a new theme every now and then.
• I don't want my work to be  monotonous
• I want to visit new places and experience new things as part of my work
• I want to challenge myself and make myself think 

Architecture fits that outline. But so do many other fields. I know that I want to build, but now I see a whole array of ways to get to that point. So if I am no longer a mule ... perhaps I could be a ... bird? 

Photo source: Pinterest

Which path do you prefer? The straight line, or the maze? 

Step #1: IMAGE - Part 4

What do I want to be?

To read the rest of the series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

In our parents' generation, things where much more predetermined. You could be an engineer...a doctor...a teacher, and these titles defined who you were as a person. The engineer - smart and well-educated; the doctor - heroic; and the teacher compassionate. These statements were still valid even when I was growing up - who doesn't remember the  Nickelodeon sitcom from the 90's of two grannies bragging about their doctor / lawyer sons ?

Currently, however, things are slightly different. I thing that the invention of the internet caused the change. The internet introduces a new array of possible career paths and opportunities. It also made information a lot more available, brought content from overseas, and made the world seem smaller and approachable. Nowadays the answer to the question "what kind of person do I want to be?" is completely up to us. So what kind of person do I want to be?

Who is Juliette Gold?

• She is graceful and elegant. She knows how to behave like a lady.
• She treats everyone she meets with respect.
• She keeps a positive outlook on life. On her "thunderstorms and horseshit mood" days she just keeps to herself, to avoid upsetting others as well. 
• She always strives to learn new skills and to improve the ones she already knows.
• She embraces life and enjoys every day to its fullest extent. 
• Her work inspires and influences people. 
• She knows who she is and what she stands for. 

Juliette gold is the girl who would dance in an empty room with no music on, just to enjoy herself and have a good time.

"The Ghostly Dancer", sketch by Juliette Gold, July 2012

How would you describe your ideal persona? Which qualities would it have? 

The Personal Growth chair

Inspired by my latest realization, I decided to stop waiting; to stop waiting for someone to teach me how to design; to stop anticipating a diploma that would  "allow" me to finally create something; to stop letting others decided what I am capable of doing.
That same day, I picked up my sketchbook, and created this:

THE PERSONAL GROWTH CHAIR

The Personal Growth chair, a design by Juliette Gold

The Personal Growth chair, a design by Juliette Gold

Thesis: This chair was created to inspire personal growth, exploration of self, and discovery of individuality. We start as a plain grey [aka commonplace and comfortably invisible] stool. We can either remain as we are for the rest of our lives, being content with our resemblance to everyone else. Or we can change, evolve, and become our own kind of chair . How do you know you've achieved growth ? Once you feel you have overflowing confidence by simply being yourself. 

What do you think about the design? What about the drawing? Are you a grey chair or one-of-a-kind?

Step #1: IMAGE - Part 3

How much do you really want to change?

To read the rest of the series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

In order to know how much we really want to work on ourselves, how many things we would like to change, we first need to identify those things. In other words, we need to asses our life-satisfaction. 

What do you already like about your life?

Are you happy with your everyday routine? Do you like the way you treat people [and consequently, the way they treat you]? Are you happy with your apartment or house? Take a moment to ponder upon these questions:

• Are you excited to wake up each morning? 
• What do you like most about your family?
• What do you like most about your friends?
• What is your favorite spot in your home? 
• Name one thing you like about your job. 
• Name your 3 most favorite qualities.

You should have a clearer image of your life and your level of content. Do you press snooze every time the alarm goes off? Then perhaps your routine could use a little shake (or maybe you're just not getting enough sleep). Your parents seem to always get the best of you? Have you tried to sit down with them and clear the air? Can't find a single thing you like about your job? Why don't you quit then?

Our life is the result of our own choices.

Though it may sound like a cliche, it's definitely not bull'. I believe that before we can design someone else's reality, we first need to be pleased with our own. We cannot improve the being of others, if we keep ranting about our own. However, a quick shift of perspective can make wonders!

Story time: One day I had to run around Tel Aviv collecting documents I needed to apply to university. There are two ways to look at that day:

1. I left the house super-early, had to deal with the most annoying secretaries, froze (I forgot my jacket), ran around all day and did nothing productive. Basically, this day sounds terrible! 
2. I got to see the beautiful morning sky, finished all of my chores, spent an entire day walking around my beloved city, and later at home, spent some quality time with my cat. Not only this days sounds bearable, but is actually seems pretty nice.

By choosing to remember the good parts of controversial days, by focusing on the positive aspects of my life, I keep my happiness level high and my inspiration flowing.

What do you like about your life? Share your answers to the Q's in this post here. 

Stop waiting, start creating

A few days ago I was pondering upon my life - who do I want to become? What do I want to do? What goals do I want to accomplish? Where do I see myself in 1-5-10 years? The answers I came up with are, unfortunately, too vague to be put down in writing (C'est la vie). However, I did come to another realization:

ME: What I really want to do with my life is design. I want my designs to inspire people to be better, kinder, more respectful...

My OTHER SELF burst into my train of thought inquiring: What's stopping you, kiddo? 

ME, all defensively offended replied: I don't have any formal design education yet! 

OTHER SELF, smiling smugly, asked: You have ideas, don't you? That would do. 

ME: Ideas are great, but what about funding? How am I supposed to execute them?

OTHER SELF seemed disappointed: To draw a sketch, or to create a small model, you barely need any materials. Stop making excuses!

It took  OTHER SELF to yell at  ME for  ME  to realize that the only thing stopping me from doing what I want, was myself. I could sit all day stressing about the future, reveling in "I have no clue what to do with my life" moodiness, letting my ideas get piled under endless to-do lists... Or, I could get myself together, and create.

Source: Pinterest

What do you think? What do we need to achieve our goals?

Step #1: IMAGE - Part 1

Click here to read the rest: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

What is it?

Our image is the persona we project into the world. It holds within it every aspect of our being: starting from the way we answer the phone and ending at whether or not we lead the life we desire to have. 

To clarify, I will quote the undisputed information source of our generation [Wikipedia, that is]: "A person's self-image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair color, gender, I.Q. score, etc.), but also items that have been learned by that person about himself or herself, either from personal experiences or by internalizing the judgments of others."


In short, self image is the combination of the way we see ourselves, and the way we present ourselves to others. It is the answer to the question: "What do you want to be?".

Why should we give a D'?

I believe out image is more than just a logo we plan upon ourselves. It reflects our values and beliefs, and manifests our goals. By being loyal to our image - our personalities - we could shape our lives to be profound proclamations. 

• In order to define the way you want to present yourself to others, and to create that presentation, you need to figure out who you are as a person. Thus, working on our personal image helps us get to know ourselves better.
• Nowadays, when our lives are displayed online for everyone to see, people determine their first impressions based on the content we put out there. Having a defined image would help us showcase ourselves in the most accurate and most positive way. 

What do you think? Do you think a personal image is important? Have you defined yours? 

I am a Berliner

Actually, I am not a Berliner, and my hereditary relation to Germany is painfully slim. However, it didn't hinder me from enjoying an exhibition with that name that is exhibited right now in the HELENA RUBINSTEIN PAVILION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART in Tel Aviv. "The exhibition seeks to counter the international tendency to see contemporary Berlin as clichéd revival of the Weimar-era city, as well as the assumption that the art produced in Berlin is inevitably shaped by an underlying political motivation. At present, the city of Berlin is being shaped by a whole new series of historical and material realities. Like the individual practices examined in the context of this exhibition, it remains a work in progress, while celebrating a plurality of creative voices." [1]

Favorite Color Palette

Michelle Jezierski, set, 2011, oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Contemporary Fine Art, Berlin
Photo source: Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Color chips created at Chip It!

The colors of the painting create a serene atmosphere. The grey and neutral shades create a calm, slightly cool base and the two dominant pigments - which complete each other across the color wheel - contribute to the overall harmony of the palette.
If asked [please, do ask!], I would name this palette "A Snowy Winter Dawn".


Favorite Technique

Gregor Hildebrandt, Hanging Garden (Cure), 2011, Cassette tapes, adhesive tapes and dispersion paint on canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Wentrup, Berlin
Photo source: Tel Aviv Museum of Art

This piece was created using cassette tapes, adhesive tape and paint. When you take a closer look, you see that the entire composition is constructed of long, painted white strips. 


Favorite Reminder of Another Favorite

Christian Hoischen, Butterfly, 2011, Enamel and fiberglass on plystyrene
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin
Photo source: Tel Aviv Museum of Art

The Artist, 2011, Michel Hazanavicius

Perhaps this is what "The Artist" would look like after one too many bottles of fine German beer? 

And, last but definitely not least:

Best Picture [Literally]

Clemens Kraus, Untitled, 2007, Chromosomes, oil on canvas
Photo source: Dominik Mersch Gallery

When I first saw this piece, I stopped and said [probably louder than I should have] "Wow!". It was just that - wow : a big white canvas hanging on a wall with nothing on it but a few heads. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they going and what are they thinking? We, the audience, have no clue - and that's the beauty of the painting. With no faces to reveal emotions, no bodies to define genders and no background to tell a story, this painting is subjected entirely to our personal interpretations. 


What did I see? I saw people who's lives are completely occult from the eye of the beholder. "We're not as plain as we seem", they say, "there's much more to us underneath the surface".


And there sure is something there. For the very least, numerous layers of paint. For the painting was created with crude, thick brush strokes of thick oil paint.


In short, if you are looking for a ridiculously pricey gift for me [how could you not be], this is it, in all it's glory. 

Have you been to the exhibition? Have you seen the pieces in other galleries? I would love to hear your thoughts! 

My Take On: Buildings

An exciting building …

An exciting building would be a structure that has a presence – a building that intrigues the person, invites him to peek in, and that has an immediate influence on the visitor. I think a visit to a successful building should leave a memory. The visitor should be able to recall how he felt when he first entered it, how he wanted to react and to behave. The building should have some effect on the everyday conduct of the visitor.

Do you agree? Disagree? How do you define an exciting building? 

Krzysztof Wodiczko at Tel Aviv University

On January 15 the artist Krzysztof Wodiczko gave a lecture at Tel Aviv University about his work. And I, being the architecture geek that I am, obviously attended [and took notes shamelessly, I admit with a sly smile]  

So, first, a quick intro:

Krzysztof Wodiczko (born 1943 is Warsaw, Poland) is a video mapping artist with a long history of creation behind him. His works are large-scale and site-specific and deal with social issues such as memory, trauma, immigration, alienation, and human rights. His projections usually feature real people and share their stories. He now teaches at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. 

One project that I especially liked was a public projection on the façade of the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland (2006).

The project reveals the illegal immigrants in Switzerland. As they share their sometimes horrible experiences, their identities remain secret and all we can see is a few pairs of legs. This position – sitting on top of buildings with their legs hanging down, Wodiczko says, is stereotypically common for the immigrants. I think this design is strong and moving. It gives people to opportunity to open up and tell the truth as it is, without risking exposing their identity and involving themselves in any consequences.

I also find the choice of the location of the work quite genius. The screening on top of the Kunstmuseum –Switzerland's most prominent art museum, a palace of culture even - presents the sometimes inhumane experiences with an interesting sense of irony.  

Are you familiar with Wodiczko's work? What do you think about this project?

Sources:

http://www.interrogative.org

http://www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch/

What is a city? (To My Very Biased, Tel-Aviv-Adoring Eye)

The location that we decide to set our lives at influences a lot more that solely our postal code. In spite of our biggest egoistic fantasies, we (as individuals) do not change the city, but it influences us.

In "What is a City", LEWIS MUMFORD writes that "A city is a theater of social action".

The set of the play, though ever evolving, is permanent and determined for us by architects and urban planners. The city's arrangement creates its atmosphere, and its architectural landmarks build symbols and traditions. Once we put those things together, we get a culture, a stereotype even, of our city.

Now, we come into the picture – the dwellers – the actors. Why are we actors, you wonder? Because we naturally try to fit into out surrounding; we try to live up to the "image" of the city; eventually, we become a personification of it. 

How do you describe a city? What is your favorite city or town? What do you love about it?