One

 So at Spectrum we're creating a big project soon pertaining to hope and helping and all that jazz. I dunno what can be said outside the doors, but let's just say it's good.

It's been keeping me really busy and it's honestly a lot of fun in constant creation, I'm literally getting paid to do what I love. It's tiring and stressful racking my mind like that, but honestly at the end of the day I still don't want to leave. I really love working at Spectrum Designs. Go figure that the guy was right when he said you never have to work a day in your life if you do what you love.

So that said, this Monday I made "hand vectors" to replace my "ever so sexy pianist's hands", but decidedly put off the shading until today because I was under the impression I'd get a lecture on gradient mesh today in Mark's Illustrator class. DAMMIT, MARK, sir, YOU HAVE FOILED MY PLANS!

So alas, I will be studying youtube in depth over the next few hours in the company of girlfriend tonight and shading out a set of vectors. Oi.

However, yesterday I was working some shirt graphics for our booth at a Unitarian Universalist thingimajig (I'd really pay too much attention to what exactly the event is unless I plan to go, they just tell me what they want and I work my magic) art show-e-mabob! So I spent the afternoon whipping out three – that's right, you heard correct, hehe – three beautiful and shapely designs.

One was a typographic piece involving two U and another was the chalice and flame of the unitarian/universalist church-a-mabob involving the incorporation of our company logo, as always.

But my favourite of the two is, in fact, the first one I made. Now, first off, I'm not a universalist. I'm a Christian. Perhaps a unitarian, but I really would rather not get into that right now.

Anyway, I wanted to make one shirt that made a powerful statement in their faith, but could be attributed to my own and most other's as well. To that reach, I had words pop into my head: "Billions spread into millions, but are all one people."

So I made the Earth.

So today was fun! I made it to school, had an epiphany about this week's project from Dr. Kolossus. I'm doing a Placebo digital CD album design. 

The fashionable seems to be the only other person in class I'm particularly interested in as far as the designing goes this far. ALSO, surprisingly, my least favourite design as well. She seems to have pulled talent suddenly out of her ass.

After class I was able to joyfully join up with the Historian, Steve (who I am officially dubbing hipster steve due to his obsessive apparel and dress), and the cute one and about made me crack up today. Actually, it wasn't her, really. I dont remember what it was, but I was leaning on her laughing my bottom off. I think we were discussing my procuration of glasses.

I literally had an eye exam yesterday and picked out some really nice glasses that are different from my last two styles.

Anyway, as usual I walked the cute one and hipster charlie to the bus until they had lift off and headed off to my disappointing Illustrator class.

Not much real work was really done today to my dismay, but at least now I'm on top of things.

I spent about an hour after class with the posse/group or as a part " the trio of bisexual dorks"? I don't know. Anyway, I hung out with – wait, they don't have nicknames, yet! And I am so tempted to refer to the fellow as Stalion after  the extent of our conversations today, lol. Anyway, I've been referring to him as the "Silly Deck" guy, but I think I'll call him Furr. And the girl who by the way is cute as little hell, (but so is Silly Deck guy, but so NOT my type. Ha) I shall refer to her as Techie, even though he seems to be the one who knows a slight more.

Yeah, so I drove Furr and Techie to MacDonalds we enjoyed fries and drink at the bus stop outside it in Riverhead.

THAT WAS until techie was randomly kidnapped! No shit, someone was driving by and stopped the car in the bus lane, opened the door and she just jumped in without explanation! WHAT THE BLOODY DEVIL?!

Anyway, I stuck around with Furr until his bus came, which was a bit more exciting that expected, unfortunately.

This poor old man who must have been staying at the bus stop for shelter had tripped and busted his mouth on the street and me and Furr helped him up and I got him napkins from the McDs.

That really made me feel bad for the old man.

Anyway, today was fulfilling and the least bit interesting. I found out a friends of mine's ticklish in a strange place (and get your mind of the gutter, I'm with holding out of respect because I don't want someone to tickler her) (though I might so HA!) and heard way to many Italian Stalion jokes from and about Furr. I mean, I'm not too modest to stay I'm intimidated. I mean I can hold my own in that department, but really folks, that's a bit much. BUT SO WORTH IT,  it was hysterical. I guess I'm too modest to make jokes like that, lol.

Anyway.

Jenna is going to be here later so I'm going to sign out!

May God bless,

Brent Matthew Lillard

Align="Justify"

So I've been rooting around in the old HTML script for my blog last night and this morning. Rechoosing typeface, colour order, simplifying the appearance and red aligning such things. I'm also updated the layout, begun work on a portfolio page, reorganized my links and redid the about me page. I think it all is starting to unify quite well. • Also had a crazy conversation about Zapdos and sexy snakes (not to be confused with solid snake) with the other cute one over text machine! • So I've come to try and begin work on a project that Professor Kolossus gave us (making a menu in InDesign) but I am completely useless in InDesign. I can't even figure out how to begin. I was told it was just like Illustrator and clearly it is, only a different foundation! WHAT THE FRAK‽ • Onward and forward to the old crusty html script. I must further declutter! • See you next time! • Brent Matthew Lillard • @SAKUTOnoSai

Regression

The title a is a throwback to the Edward Sharpe song that's playing as I write. I've begun work on my playlist of this month so I'm compiling a list of songs with remorseful tonalities and such. I dunno why but I have the feeling something sad is approaching. Like a brokenness that opens the mind to something new or exciting or both.   •   It's like that screaming voice in the depths of your soul or heart screaming out a warning, only I don't quite understand how this could be a silence before any storm.   •   I'm always running around, searching for a simple quarter or dollar just carry in my pocket, always with the lovely Jenna, or at school being badgered by Professer Kolossus or yammered at by another and excited for work.  It seems as though, at this point, while I find imminent enjoyment from everything, I just don't really seem to like where I am and I'm not sure what it is.   •   Now, don't get me wrong I am for the most part where I want to be. I have a job as the only in house designer at a T-Shirt company that promotes awareness and assistance to people with autism. I'm going to school for the very field I love and am working in. The group of friends I hang out with are mostly all in the field of art are and artists. But somehow I feel like something is regressing.   •   But onto the subject of music. Something lighter, as it were. I've been listening to Other Lives and Edward Sharpe lately, with a mix of the Kooks and Vandervelde at work with Patrick. Ironically, my boss and comrade at Spectrum is from the U.K. so he heard me listening to them while working and had me crank it up.   •   On the subject of work I'm working at a place call Spectrum Designs Foundation. It's a really cool t-shirt designing/printing start up up in Port Washington village. It's actually apart of something bigger, too.   •   The Nicholas Center for autism. My program leader and the "CEO", I think is appropriate for her title in this case, just began this foundation to offer jobs to young adults with autism, allowing them to get a taste of working, earn some money in our collapsing economy, develop skills needed to survive in the world. In my case, I'm an asbergers case, highly functional and I am damn good designer with no experience who needs a job and practice in my field. They were looking for someone to be in-house and who was willing to do the 'labor' side of the job and I was looking for any amount of work and for practice in my field. It's a win-win scenario. The link for their website is www.SpectrumDesigns.org and www.NCfAutism.org   •   For me, I'm a freshman in my first semester and I'm already being paid to design for a small company that will always be throwing me work that is different, challenging, and interesting. Plus, from what I understand I'm their first in-house designer. Which is brilliant for my resume and portfolio. The pay wage is very nice compared to what I expected and the environment is friendly and exciting. And even further, the company is still apart of something amazing and inspirational. Most of my works will be somehow strongly connected to the awareness of autism spectrum disorders, which is something I want to support. Much like the LGBTQ movement.   •   My first design there has been a really fun task. Taking the logo of the Butterfy Mission forming into a dynamic looking flying butterfly that's losing it's pigment, which flakes off into a spectrum wave, much like our logo. I'll show you after the finished job is printed.   •   So in leaving, I'd like to talk about nothing. So goodbye and may god bless you.   •   +Brent Matthew Lillard   •   @SAKUTOnoSai