The Cusp of Felicity Part III

The food in the South was a big draw. Using an entire roll of paper towels while eating dinner may be an inconvenience to some (and environmental disaster to others), I however feel it is a feat of strength. Experiencing authentic southern BBQ - and all of its subsequent mess - was a definite highlight. But in addition to local flavor, I also get excited when traveling to the U.S. for other more embarrassing, less health concious reasons: my absolute love of their artery-clogging, 74% digestible fast food. Like Popeyes. Yes, Kentucky is the birthplace of KFC but I'll be damned if Popeyes doesn't have THE best (chain) chicken and biscuits. Then there's Chipotle. Why can't this be everywhere like Subway is? I was also a White Castle virgin before this trip and now realize why Harold and Kumar were so obsessed. Bless those sliders. And bless how fake they look on that website. If I lived in America, I would weigh 500lbs. Junk food is my heroin. 

Dining out did have its issues though. My father has had a diffcult time eating in restaurants for about a year because of his inability to swallow at times. We all thought it was dysphagia, but a doctor's visit during the summer came up with nothing. Old age perhaps. It would pass, we all assumed. There was something else troubling him this trip though; a few years ago he had been diagnosed with skin cancer. He was not infalliable and it was this realization that really made him commit to a bucket list and get shit done. As we all should, always. He eventually underwent surgery to have it removed and was pretty much in the clear, however, there was now a mark on his lips that appeared identical to it. He asked my opinion on its appearance and I agreed that he should get it checked out before it became a bigger problem. He did so after returning home. 

My own trip home was interesting. As mentioned previously, I had no checked baggage but I now did have an additional item to carry: a strained Wal-Mart bag carrying various conference handouts and pumpkin spice-flavored M&Ms. I looked like I was sloppily taking the bus after picking up groceries rather than in an airport about to head to Chicago. I thought my embarrassment would cease when I got on the plane and noticed that the seat next to me was vacant, however, a (very) late straggler boarded and sat just there. Amid eyerolls and glares from everyone around us, his opening line to me was "how old are you?". After I replied, he informed me that I should not take after him when I reach his age as he partied a little too hardy the night before, lost his wallet and nearly missed the flight. His plight was endearing, so I refrained from being my typical anti-social iPod-listening self and engaged in conversation; a very interesting converstion spanning everything from politics to the allure of cowboys (and why those from Alberta are better than those from Texas).

The gentleman I was sitting next to was a writer for the New York Times, had previously been a bureau chief for Newsweek magazine, knew the Obamas on a personal basis and...dates Hugh Hefner's daughter, who was on her way to pick him up at O'Hare since he didn't have cab fare. What strange fate. When we parted, I was never more self-aware that I was holding a bursting-at-the-seams plastic Wal-Mart bag as carry-on. 

To be continued...

The Cusp of Felicity Part II

While my father and grandfather were accumulating mileage on the ground, I was doing likewise in the air. Air Canada changed my carefully planned out itinerary giving me minimal time in between transfers so I didn't bother bringing a suitcase. There were so many tight connections, I felt I was either not going to make one or lose the luggage altogether so I didn't bother. I could buy stuff in Louisville. Part of me though wished a rogue storm would assemble when I was in Chicago so that I could stay there for longer than 45 minutes; it's my favorite city in the U.S. I didn't even have enough time to find a deep-dish pizza joint at O'Hare. 

When I finally arrived at my final destination and got a cab, everything appeared normal but then I started reading the billboards and realized I had indeed entered the gateway to the deep south - half were promoting the gun show coming to town, some compared abortion to murder and a few others touted something called "Actors and Models for Christ". I had no idea this existed, but...why would I? The only church I attend is the Altar of Beyoncé. Arriving at the hotel (which was beautiful), I didn't even care if the conference sucked. It was autumn and they were pumping some kind of pumpkin spice scented aroma through the building and it was heavenly. They also had vanilla-citrus water available in the foyer. Automatic five star review from me.  

The conference didn't suck though. It was probably the best one I've ever been to. I met so many great, helpful people from colleges and universities across North America. I am particularly impressed with the cohesion and output of the creative team from the University of Oregon. They are what I now aspire to. I also had the opportunity to visit the University of Kentucky campus which was beautiful.

Getting back to the downtown Louisville experience though...as mentioned, I brought the bare minimum with me and needed to purchase a few things so I wandered the streets near my hotel. It was more barren than downtown Winnipeg. There was no mall and very, very few places open after-hours. I asked a few people on the street if there was anything around and after deciphering their thick southern accents, I found a Walgreens. The most expensive Walgreens I had ever been to. They knew they had the soda, chips, Tylenol, deodorant and pantyhose market covered and they capitalized on it. Thankfully, my travel partners arrived the next day and we made our way to a big box store so I could stretch my dollar a bit further. 

I've traveled extensively with my father, but have only been on a few holidays with my grandfather. One was an extended family vacation to Disneyworld when I was 16 and then various spots in Mexico in my later teens. I enjoyed having him there. At 85-years-old, he is still spry. He loved visiting Kentucky, loved exploring Churchill Downs (and won!), loved drinking daily milkshakes and even loved walking around Wal-Mart while I shopped for Tylenol and hoseiry. I looked at him and looked at my dad, envisioning the next 20+ years where we would continue doing the same. 

To be continued...

The Cusp of Felicity Part 1

I've been meaning to write about my trip to Kentucky for the University and College Designers Association (UCDA) design conference and award show for awhile, but after returning home I received some news that overshadowed everything else and changed my life in ways that I am still navigating through and coming to terms with. 

Kentucky was never on my list of travel destinations; admittedly, the stereotype in my head was not kind. Having said that, I am a member of UCDA and was greatly looking forward to their annual design conference held in Louisville, KY this year. It is completely energizing to be amongst people in the same industry, in the same roles, and become inspired by them while learning that your problems/issues are not solitary, no matter how bizarre they may seem. I was also excited because of the corresponding design competition and gallery show. I always put 110% of effort into my work and, being a type A personality who has a mean competitive streak, I greatly savour the anticipation of being rewarded for it. Informing my father of the pieces I entered, he wisely told me to not get my hopes up too high as I would be competing against major U.S. institutions like Harvard and Yale, that politics are often involved in this sort of thing and that their budgets may be drastically higher resulting in a different scale of work. 

When I later told him that I won an Award of Excellence for one of my entries, he was ecstatic and proudly declared that he would be joining me in the bluegrass state. It was all he talked about.

Upon hearing the news, my grandfather hinted that he had always wanted to travel to Kentucky as he always wanted to visit Churchill Downs. My grandfather's side of the family has a history with horse racing and at some other time I will have to write about how his brother cheated someone at a track, got involved in the mob and then faked his death in the early 90s only to be discovered living a secret life for nearly two decades after he actually died in New Jersey a few years ago. However, I don't want that to be the focus of this passage. I'm not even sure I want to be associated with it (however interesting it is).

In mid-October my grandfather joined my father in driving all the way to Louisville and thus it was three generations of Clague that explored the city and ate more fried chicken than was necessary. Here is my grandfather Edward Clague and I with Colonel Sanders at the Louisville Visitor's Centre:

To view more images of Kentucky, click here.  

To be continued...

Oblada: a decade ago

I was reminiscing about various things yesterday and thought I would look up my old website on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine: 

I had a lot of fun designing this back in 2003. It was my primary introduction to potential clients; within a year, I left my full-time agency gig to start my own creative services "boutique". Working from home and doing what I love, often in sweatpants, was nothing short of living the dream. 

I wanted my site to be like a book and had a splash landing page acting as a cover...which is where my logo was. Yikes at it not being featured anywhere here! I don't think SEO was a thing back then (if it were, I wasn't paying attention) which is why I made all of my links graphics that incorporated elementary rollover tecniques. Style was still very much me though. Street art and the gallery of the urban landscape still very much influence everything I do. 

UCDA Design Awards

I traveled to Louisville, Kentucky this week to attend the University and College Designers' Association (UCDA) Design Conference. It was a great trip and an awesome, very inspirational gathering of those in my field of which I will write more about later. Here's a pic of the "winners circle", which I am very proud to be a part of having received an award of excellence for print design: 

Photo by Matthew Lester Photography ©2013

Artist Spotlight: Sasaki Makoto

I came across the work of Japanese photographer Sasaki Makoto a few years ago via a link on a design website. His Tokyo Layers series enchanted me; the brilliant swaths of light he captured via long, moving exposure reminded me of the frenetic tangible energy I experienced while walking the streets of the modern, imposing metropolis. It is abstract, yet completely figurative of the technicolour playground that the city becomes as the sun sets. 

Makoto has expanded on his Layers series to include other cities. Check out his work by clicking here. 

Tokyo Layers no.6

Tokyo Layers no.21

Shanghai Layers no.12

Shanghai Layers no.17