Blitzing Bejeweled

My highest Bejeweled Blitz score ever! I even beat my bro, though his highest ever was 800k, but that's besides the point. =)

One Down, More to Go

From Standard 1Zamrud, to becoming Georgians, to you going off to KL first then Australia, coming back, then leaving again for eternally (at least it seemed like a long-term thing for me) and now, finally, graduation.

We have gone through so much mushy stuff, Adrienne, you should know better than I do. We even recalled it so many times, every time you're back, we talk about the past. Having a shared past makes us closer, or it might be something we hung on to, so that the bond between us won't just fizzle and die due to distance and separation. I have lost count of the number of times when someone said, 'Let's keep in touch.' You taught me keeping in touch relied nothing on just saying, but actually taking actions. We blogged together, we chatted on MSN together, I shared things with you when it seemed as if no one else could understand.

We even had dreams together. (And I often bragged about having a friend who's a Petroleum Engineer. Sounds so cool~) Our dreams are different now, just as how our paths separated since I-don't-remember-when. As much as people love reminding us that dreams are unrealistic and how naive our thoughts are, I believe they are only saying that because they are people who failed to pursue their dreams to the end. I still believe in dreams and passion and ambition. My wish is that you do too.

You've graduated. It seemed so huge and scary to me. And yet, it's about time. I've personally gotten sick of studying.

The roads ahead are going to be tough. When and if you're swayed by uncertainties, challenges, hardships and tears, know that I'm gonna be here for you. An old friend from home.

Chin up and smile your silly grin, it's time to conquer the world. =)

And you look fetching in purple! Picture credits from your friend's album. I stole your pics from there. Heh.

Breakthrough

There was this CD album that we had to do in class. It was a sudden thing and we had only one week to complete the project. I think I finished mine in one night. I only thought of the concept, did the sketches and executed them all in a single night. It was only ten percent, an additional 10% to boot. No excuse for procrastination, but still! Anyhow, like before, I thoroughly enjoyed working well into the night. I love working at night, during the day I either felt like eating or sleeping.

Anyways, the title for the album that I've chosen out of the three choices given was Breakthrough. My concept's 'dawn'. A breakthrough into a brand new day with fresh hopes, fresh inspirations, yada yada.

First round in Illustrator. I have a thing for 3D beveled type. I like messing around with the different gradient that can be applied on all the surfaces and how every time it'll look really attractive and will simply pop out of the page.

Went through the whole process again when I've decided to change the colour from light transparent to dark shadowy green.

This is the back of the album. It looks pretty good to me. I thought I could jive it with the album cover I did at first, but after much thinking and messing around, I knew I couldn't do it.

So, after some thorough amendments, the cover for my album looked like the above, the stuff on the right. For the first try, I created the clouds using pictures I had by blending and masking them into each other. But when I did it for the second time, I found it a whole lot easier to just use some cloud brushes. There's better control over size and colours.

This is supposed to be a poster I printed on the back of my booklet, which is an A3 poster/booklet thing that can be folded to fit into a jewel case.

I fit all the lyrics into one side of an A3! It felt like some really cheap-skate accomplishment. But but but... I've only spent RM13 on the printing for this whole album design. Very much worth it to pluck that 10% from the lect's fingers.

ps: this is supposed to be pnc. hah. you didn't hear this from me. tralalalalala~

How I Broke the 5 Golden Rules

I read this article by CreativeNerds: The 5 Golden Rules for Increasing Productivity as a Designer. I couldn't help but find it incredibly funny and coincidental that I have broken every single one of the rules.

1. Task Management

I tried. I installed Doomi, happily entered things to do or buy, and totally forgot about those lists after. The main reason I couldn't perfectly utilize this app will be I'm too forgetful to launch it every time.

2. Staying Focused

The perfect scenario will be to only have my Photoshop and Illustrator running and me working diligently on my work. A disastrous outcome will instead come out of this perfect scenario. Working without distractions is so boring. I am not one to stay focus for a long period of time. To keep me at my desk, I'll need a movie running alongside my work. It might slow me down, but I'd rather do slow work than not do anything at all.

3. A Minimalistic Workspace

I like tidiness. It's so calming. I tried. I did. But my junk just piles without permission. I guess it happens to us all, right?

4. Close Any Unrelated Programs

Just like what I mentioned in point number three, I can't. I tried it before though, and it worked wonders. I'll only do this when my mind's too cluttered or am stuck on a design that needs my 100% concentration. Otherwise, it's Facebook, Bejeweled, Twitter, Google reader and everything else.

5. Never Delay Tasks or Deadlines

Hah! Nuff said.

Indifference

Saturday 3 April 2010. 4.08 pm.

Album design progression: 0%

Due Monday 5 April 2010. Mock and all.

Die. Go wither and die in shame. You have my blessing.