May it be answered

Deborah Clague May 10, 2023

Yoyogi Park is one of the more peaceful spots in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. With a dense, fragrant forest (the scent of which I wish I could bottle) and plenty of walking trails, it’s a beautiful place to forget that you are in a city with a population equal to the entirety of Canada.

Meiji Shrine is also located within its borders. Destroyed during WWII, the current structure is a faithful reproduction of the original which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. Many people of the Shinto and Buddhist faiths make regular pilgrimage to the site for prayer and to make offerings. In a world that feels increasingly hostile in so many ways, I decided to do the same.

The entrance to Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, Tokyo (©2023 Deborah Clague).

Ema (絵馬) are a wooden plaque in which people write prayers and then leave to hang at a Shinto/Buddhist shrine, where the spirits are believed to receive them (©2023, Deborah Clague).

May it be answered (©2023, Deborah Clague).

Café of the Day

Deborah Clague May 9, 2023

There’s a café for everything in Japan, it seems. Cats, dogs, robots, young women dressed as submissive maids. Today, I visited an owl cafe.

Animal cafés are not without controversy. There is much discourse around the ethical treatment of animals in these environments. In 2015, I visited a dog cafe while in Seoul. It was one of the highlights of a very memorable trip and I still reflect fondly of my experience today. The dogs didn’t appear to be abused or neglected. They were playful and seemed content, their behaviours not unlike my own pets. But a domesticated dog is different than a solitary nocturnal figure normally found wild and free.

The staff at Owl Village Harajuku claim their owls are not taken from the wild and that they do routinely take them out of the small cafe for exercise and to enhance their overall wellbeing. I can’t verify this—but I also can’t be hypocritical in denying my own personal responsibility in supporting the business by visiting. While the animals seemed cared for and I did enjoy my brief time interacting with them and the personable staff, I was still left questioning myself.

And maybe that’s where I need to start.

Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

My beverage of choice, orange juice, served in a namesake glass at Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

Owls fly about the Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

The “staff” at Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

Feeding Schola at Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

Feeding Uta at Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

The very gentle Alto at Owl Village Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo (©2023, Deborah Clague).

View of the Metropolitan Government Office from the 29th floor of Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo, Japan (©Deborah Clague, 2023).

Room with a view

Deborah Clague May 8, 2023

Doors: Through the Horror of War

Deborah Clague April 8, 2023

The Ukrainian Museum of Canada’s current exhibit features the work of artist Ruslan Kurt, who collected doors from in and around Ukraine since the war began. His installation tells the stories of millions of Ukrainians who were forced to cross the doors of their homes to escape the war and terror brought by Russian soldiers.

Many of them died without being able to get out.

The doors come from Ukrainian homes, theatres, hospitals, kindergartens, and other everyday buildings.

They speak to the transience of life and how, in war, everything we count on can change in a single heartbeat.

Doors: Through the Horrors of War by Ruslan Kurt (©2023)

Doors: Through the Horrors of War by Ruslan Kurt (©2023). This image depicts a school door.

Design Case Study: Eco-Vision Innotech

Deborah Clague March 1, 2023

Eco-Vision Innotech is a start-up focused on providing innovative environmental remediation solutions to business and industry. Tasked with creating an impactful image that would resonate with those wanting to make thoughtful strategic decisions regarding their ecological footprint, Oblada Creative developed a logo showcasing the ultimate symbol of the effects of global warming—a polar bear, in this case looking to the future and proudly surveying its Arctic landscape under the Northern Lights.

Roll-out of the project will also include branding, stationary, marketing collateral and a website.

Connect with me to start your next design project.

Book Recommendations

Deborah Clague February 5, 2023

Boldly Go
Written by William Shatner with Joshua Brandon

When William Shatner, best known for his portrayal of Captain Kirk on Star Trek, touched ground again after visiting space on Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space shuttle in 2021, his live reaction on television captivated me. It was a completely unscripted moment of awe, gratitude and humbleness. I picked this book up to gain more insight and wisdom from that moment but only one (brief) chapter was devoted to it. Most of this book is philosophical recollection on Shatner’s life and career that can be found elsewhere.

Favourite line: “I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living things—that being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe. I had a different experience, because I discovered that the beauty isn’t out there, it’s down here, with all of us.”

I’m Glad My Mom Died
Written by Jennette McCurdy

Star of a mid-2000s Nickelodeon television show, Jennette crafts a well-written, cautionary, and, at times, humorous memoir about the dark subject of having a co-dependent relationship with an abusive narcissistic parent and its continued effects on adulthood.

Spare
Written by Prince Harry

I’m definitely not a monarchist but couldn't help but be intrigued by this peek behind the curtain of the British Royal Family and the firsthand account of drama within its tax-payer funded ranks. Prince Harry does not hold anything back; in some instances, it is to the point of bluntness that I don’t see repairing relations anytime soon with the family—and life—he left behind (calling his brother, Prince William, “alarmingly bald” seems a bit of a low-blow; Camilla Parker-Bowles is also portrayed as an evil stepmother-type figure). In all though, this is the often sad narrative of a man who never got to properly mourn his mother and seems to still be searching for that closure.

Favourite line: “As the primacy of Self fades … the idea of Service takes over.”

Time's Up

Deborah Clague January 19, 2023

Three years into the pandemic and I have been COVID-19 free … until now. Despite having all my shots and boosters, it has hit me like a train leaving me sicker and weaker than I have ever felt in my life. Oh, how I lament my naïveté at thinking I was somehow immune.

Day One: a little kitschy-kitch in my throat that develops into what probably feels like a smoker’s cough. I don’t smoke.

Day Two: my head feels like there is pressure. I experience very sharp pain in my right eyeball. A feeling of exhaustion comes over me so I go to bed at 5:00pm (!!!) … and I don’t wake up until 9:30am the next morning. The entire night, I alternate between being frigid and absolutely sweltering. In the morning, my sheets are soaked in sweat.

Day Three: I can’t seem to do anything for more than five minutes without taking a rest and lying down. Going from my bed to the kitchen, for example, leaves me exhausted. I haven’t eaten in three days. I am not hungry at all. Just subsiding on water. It feels like it is taking more effort to simply breathe and get the same amount of oxygen in my lungs as it would under normal circumstances.

Day Four: my throat feels like someone used extra-course sandpaper in an attempt to scrub it raw. My tongue is completely white. I assume it is this. My teeth hurt. My head is still pulsating. This is the day I have lost both my sense of smell and my sense of taste. Which sucks because I haven’t eaten much and now everything is just texture. Fucking wild. Debating switching my diet to raw vegetables in an attempt to find a positive in this.

Day Six: I’m now on Day Six and while definitely doing better than last weekend, I am still so exhausted and my nagging cough and sore throat just aren’t leaving yet. I don’t know what, if any, long term complications will arise but this is definitely something I have never experienced before.

Day 22: sore throat and coughing like a life-long smoker who goes through five packs a day.

Your Occasional Monty

Deborah Clague January 2, 2023

Thirteen-years-old (91 in dog years) and still looking like a champ.

Wee Monty, January 2023 (©Deborah Clague)

All dressed up and ready to go for a walk, my Monty (©Deborah Clague)

Monty and some of his (many) assorted toys (©Deborah Clague)

To The Max

Deborah Clague November 17, 2022

The purpose of my recent visit to Los Angeles was to attend the Adobe Max conference. Billed as “the creativity conference”, the event was filled with inspiration, applied learning in the latest technology, discovery of trends and thought-provoking ideas when it comes to building a career or business in the industry. As a designer, the content was invaluable and highly needed after a long absence from connecting with my peers because of covid. I can’t wait to take things to the next level.

Adobe Max Conference 2022 — Attending the Adobe Max conference at Los Angeles Convention Centre (©2022, Deborah Clague).

DJ Steve Aoki performs at the Adobe Max party (©2022, Deborah Clague).

The Adobe Max party held at LA Live (©2022, Deborah Clague).

The Adobe Max party at LA Live. Guests were encouraged to participate in interactive art exhibits, such as this sequin reveal wall art (©2022, Deborah Clague).

Puppy de-stress zone, Adobe Max Vendor Hall (©2022, Deborah Clague).

Until next time, Adobe Max Conference 2022 (©Deborah Clague).

California Dreaming

Deborah Clague October 27, 2022

I recently had one day in Los Angeles to act as tourist and make the most of a visit before the working portion of my excursion took over. So what does one do with twenty-four hours in the city of angels? Well, to be honest, it was probably closer to thirteen hours, as I like to be in bed by nine like the grandma I am meant to be. But in the moments I was active, I was getting my steps in (and bleeding my wallet for Uber).

9:30am: First stop was The Original L.A. Farmer’s Market and The Grove shopping area. Purpose was to source local goods that I can’t find back home in Canada like regional spices, teas and chocolate. I may have failed to check the opening schedule for the market and got there a bit early, so I used the wait time to walk up to West Hollywood (which also got my Target fix in). The Original L.A. Farmer’s Market does have a good variety of vendors and unique items. I also managed to pick up some varied flavours of Nonna’s Empanadas for lunch and dinner. I had honestly never tried this Latin American delicacy before, which is a damn shame because they are delicious.

Nonna’s Empanadas, Los Angeles (©2022, Deborah Clague).

1:30pm: after dropping off my purchases at the hotel, I made my way to The Broad, a contemporary art gallery in downtown Los Angeles a few blocks from my hotel. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. The highlight of this visit was entering Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room—The Souls of Millions of Lights Away. I also got to see the work of contemporary artist Jeff Koons, whom I got to hear stories from later in the week.

Yayoi Kusama’s *Infinity Mirror Room—The Souls of Millions of Lights Away,* The Broad, Los Angeles (©2022, Deborah Clague).

*Balloon Dog, Blue,* Jeff Koons, The Broad, Los Angeles (©2022, Deborah Clague).

*Michael Jackson and Bubbles,* Jeff Koons, The Broad, Los Angeles (©2022, Deborah Clague).

*Tulips,* Jeff Koons, The Broad, Los Angeles (©2022, Deborah Clague).

*Under the Table,* Robert Therrian, The Broad, Los Angeles (©2022, Deborah Clague)

4:30pm: I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to visit the beach while in California. And so this is where my hectic twenty-four hour adventure ended—at the end-point of America’s famous Route 66, Santa Monica Pier, as the sun set along the horizon of the ocean Pacific.