Former student Alice Woodruff posted this list on my Facebook page.

It’s good thoughts and will probably offend some. Turning off one’s ego long enough to connect with others is often difficult. I have to enact #25 before week’s end. A good, unexpected apology for something I didn’t expect to occur will make someone else’s day. Fingers crossed.

[1]    Most people hide their suffering better than you think, you pass dozens of people a day on the street without any idea how well they’re wearing their tragedies.

[2]    People’s names are the sweetest sounds they hear. You should make a point of being good at learning and using them.

[3]    People love to spread their misery around, but not as much as they enjoy being lifted out of it.

[4]    Being young is not in and of itself an achievement. Neither is being beautiful. But people often treat you as if they are.

[5]    For a lot of people, music is a reflection of who they are and their relationship to life. Remember that before insulting someone’s favorite band.

[6]    The Golden Age never existed. People are always trying to get back to a time when things were simpler and better. The world was a far more dangerous place fifty years ago, especially if you were black or a woman or gay or diagnosed with cancer.

[7]    Most people, whatever their choice of profession, feel like complete novices that are about to be found out as frauds and fakers.

[8]    Most people love quite helplessly, despite what they would have you believe.

[9]    Show me the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’ll show you a man who’s bored with taking her to bed. Show me the most devoted husband, and I’ll show you a woman who feels that he’s just not doing enough. A lot of people are never satisfied because…

[10]    Most people have no idea what they want out of life, let alone how to get it. Most others are still waiting for someone to give them permission.

[11]    Whatever it is about yourself that you’re trying to hide, it’s usually the first thing someone else notices about you.

[12]    You should call your mother and tell her you love her. Like most women who decide to marry and have children or help take care of a dying parent, she probably sacrificed a lot of her dreams to be there for you, and she wishes that you appreciated her more for it. Susan Boyle represented this demographic powerfully, but for every one of her, was a woman like your mother who will never get that standing ovation.

[13]    If you tell a man about your problems, he assumes you want some sort of help or advice. If you tell a woman about your problems, she assumes you simply want a shoulder to cry on. Women rarely want to be told what to do about a problem, and men rarely want to be coddled through a hard time.

[14]    Creative people thrive on feedback. You can never give them enough of it, and you will endear yourselves to them mightily if you do it frequently, thoughtfully, and honestly. They understand far better than most think, the value of time.

[15]    For most people religion is a social commitment more than a spiritual one.

[16]    A lot of people who consider themselves intelligent can’t properly label all the states on a map, or all the countries in Europe, let alone Africa or the Middle East. Most couldn’t list off the ten commandments, five pilars, or the amendments of the Constitution, and feel that politics are too complicated to bother with understanding, let alone talking about.

[17]    A lot of Christians have never, and will never, read the Bible. Most of them will conduct their lives exactly as they would if they’d never attended a single church service. It is nearly impossible to tell a Christian from an atheist by their actions alone. Both Christians and atheists will probably find the previous statement offensive.

[18]    For nearly every crazy idea, you can find a fully credentialed scientist who will back it up.

[19]    People are more frequently kind and compassionate than they are fooled by our manipulations or lies.

[20]    Life often works in reverse. People treat strangers more politely than their family or friends. People will ask a friend’s band to play their party for free, will call their best girlfriend to come over and cut their hair without a thought to payment, but would never dream of calling a mechanic they found in the phonebook and asking them to donate their time and labor to fix a broken down car.

[21]    Everyone has done something they would be desperately embarrassed for anyone else to know about.

[22]    Never joke with a man about his sexual performance, and never joke with a woman about her appearance. No matter how much they make fun of these things in themselves, never, never do it for them. They may laugh along with you, but you’ve just driven a tiny needle into their brain.

[23]    Most women get married because they want to have a wedding, most men get married because they are ready to settle down with a woman for the rest of their lives. Women, statistically speaking are more likely to suffer clinical depression if married, and initiate upwards of 80% of all divorces citing irreconcilable differences. People expect a significant other to change their lives and make them happy without any conception of how this change will take place. Sort of like assuming a college degree is going to guarantee you security in life without ever thinking of how this can be practically possible. I call this the ‘If you build it, they will come’ approach to romance and one out of every two times it ends in divorce.

[24]    Most people are worried they’re not having as much fun as they should be. This usually makes men cheat and women nag.

[25]    When you insult or offend someone, always admit it and apologize promptly, even if it wasn’t your intention or you had no idea. It is always better to be a penitent villain than to appear so socially inept as to not recognize when you’ve hurt the people around you. An evil genius is someone to bring to your side, a blundering fool is someone to keep as far away from you as possible.

Sketches by Alice Woodruff

Here’s a roundup of advice graphics.

I’m always frustrated when beginning students give up prematurely, when there are those who see being ‘creative’ as either a job or something not important and/or not realizing the more a creative works at what they’re doing, the better they will get; collaboration is great, rules get in the way, others will never understand you and that’s okay, work should be fun (especially hard work), breaks are important and a zillion other things.

Click to view larger/jump.

Found via hyenabonz

Many creatives are introverts – some famous ones include J.K. Rowling, Eleanor Roosevelt, Clint Eastwood, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Steve Martin. The trick is most introverts are annoyed just enough by the banalities of everyday societal demands that one typically doesn’t want to get bogged down by the bullshit. Introverts have important thinking to do – typically, introverts are out to change the world in one way or another.

There’s a graphic that’s been bouncing around the interwebs (below) that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Shyness is something totally different.

Above, a list that nails it (and yes, the type is stretched. Typographers: Deal.) – it came from this cool post. And here’s an article with more detail (book available too).

When I’m in quiet mode, I’m busy. Then I come out and play when in a classroom or social situation. Even though the second part is a learned behavior, it is also quite fun and a great balance. Wouldn’t change it for anything.

Bullshit

Found via Lindsey, Jes

‘Perfectionism is exhausting’

I’ve watched my students push themselves so hard to get an ‘A’ that they’ll overlook what it really takes to come up with creative work.

Here’s another take on the concept – by author Michael Nobbs, with a pitch for his book Sustainable Creativity.

‘Creative people across all genres, it seems, have this reputation for being enormously mentally unstable  . . .  [and we've] accepted collectively the notion that creativity and suffering are somehow inherently linked’

Creativity = a horrible life? Anxieties, fear, alcohol – ?

In her TED Talk from 2009, Author Elizabeth Gilbert throws out some diversionary concepts to keep going – be undaunted.

What really motivates us to do the things we do? I’ve read studies like these over and over – it’s not quite money. And it’s not very simple either.

Found via Bill Mead

From last year: The bold choices ad. Starring Willem Dafoe and directed by Dante Ariola for StrawberryFrog.

Behind the scenes here.

‘Check out one of the songs i’m most proud of – my cowrite with Nicola Roberts on a very personal, epic and beautiful ballad.’ –Maya von Doll, Sohodolls

Video for Nicola Roberts’ Sticks + Stones.

Sticks + Stones brings back memories. When one is ‘creative,’ one doesn’t always fit in.

And you know what I’ve learned over the years? It’s fucking cool to not fit in.

Video for The Ting Tings’ Silence.

‘Written by T. Bryant & L. Origliasso’

Found via Lisa Veronica

Fan-made video for Garbage’s new single, Battle in Me.

New album – Not Your Kind of People – drops May 22 (May 15 on itunes) – and I’m really loving this beautiful g they’ve found  . . .

Found via Garbage

Typeface sheet set. Available thru Anthropologie.

‘My paper weaving technique — a process of interlacing objects with memories — attempts to redefine the commonplace book structure with chapters emerging from seams. The garments reveal new beginnings, life lessons and notable achievements. Memories evoke garments; garments evoke memories.’

The work of paper artist, graphic designer Julie VonDerVellen.

Website here, Twitter here.

‘Inventive costume project – created for Anne Boleyn.’

Found via Alice Smalley

‘The concept I’m trying to portray is: Nothing can cover the flaws we have, and the flaws, the flesh we were born with is who we truly are. They are even more truthful to what we are trying to make ourselves; this is why some of the area of the dress are not meant to be covered up. The dress barely covers the whole body. It is meant to be see-through to display the body in its whole and that since we all are imperfect is an important concept.’

The work of Hui-Ni Su.

Found via ‘Adrian Frutiger’

‘For our first release, Alphabuild for iOS, we wanted to pay tribute to the process of building letters (which is the other fun work we do here at our studio). We wish building letters for our clients was as zany and colorful as it is in Alphabuild. On the other hand, we’re glad we don’t have aliens, glue bottles and sawblades trying to mess up our letter drawings.’

Featuring types from the great Psy/Ops library (including my own Jeanne Moderno) as well as a few tikis (see below) – James Beall’s Alphabuild is a fun, quirky educational alphabet game for iPhone, iPad and iPod.

Snag it in the App store. Website here, Twitter here. And free goodies here.

Happy alphabuilding!

Simone Massoni’s Chicks & Types calendar, still available here.

‘W Korea is celebrating seven wonderful years by creating a splendid set of collectible covers, starring seven of the industry’s lovely ones’

Photographer Jang Hyun Hong, Louis Vuitton, W Korea, March 2012.

Behind the scenes here.

Found via Eyegasmic

The work of Jessica Jones.

Found via CMYBacon

Lady Gaga performing Just Dance from last year’s HBO special.

Caught the rerun this week.

Coco Rocha and plastic, photographed by Craig McDean for W Magazine, October 2006.

Found via Trendnista

The work of photographer Aleksey Kozlov and designer Marina Khiebnikova.

Found via No Ones Nemesis

Behind the scenes here.

Lanvin Fall/Winter 2011 campaign. Directed by Steven Meisel.

Found via spinning bird kick

Dancing in the Street, 1985.

Found via Waxaudio

‘Two versions of Coco Rocha tap dancing for White House | Black Market’s spring 2012 TV campaign’

Behind the scenes here.

‘Earlier this year Mikhael Paskalev won the title ‘Årets Urørt,’ which basically means that he is the most promising unsigned artist in Norway at the moment.’

Video for Mikhael Paskalev’s I Spy. Directed by André Chocron.

Karlie Kloss by Gabriele Revere, LIFE Magazine, 2011.

Found via fuckyeahmagazinecover

Another shot of the great Audrey Hepburn.

Found via XXI Why Not

‘and dreaming of the day she will own a motorcycle’ 

New on the fashion blog radar: Lezsquire is a (quite detailed) ‘style and culture guide for the modern lesbian.’ Read and follow here.

The Falling, fashion editorial by Melissa Rodwell for Ben Trovato.

More here.

The work of Michael Shapcott.

Cover art by Pedro Henrique Ferreira for Tokyo Savannah.

John Lee Star Stocks, photograph by Robert Knight.

John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat: Whiskey & Wimmen

Julie Tierney is an incredible designer; part fashion, part graphic design, part something else. That something else landed her a spot on last season’s Project Runway.

Julie is now working on a snowboard-inspired Americana clothing line – and seeking funding on Kickstarter. Drop her some bucks, k? She needs a few things.

Go here.

‘Only the finest quality’

The lettering art of Jon Contino.

‘Built in Belfast’

Go for the whiskey. Cause I know that one can’t actually purchase sriracha in Belfast.

Package design by Adam Crane.

Found via Lovely Package

Sriracha Bitters by Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters. For your next cocktail.

Website (with recipes) here. Also available, rhubarb, Meyer lemon and black mission fig.

Found via A Thirsty Spirit

Graphic designer Tim Parsons’ Adoboloco Jalapeño Sauce.

Red label, two headed rooster. Snag it here.

Found via Lovely Package

The work of Heather Perry.

Found via All the World Will be Grand

‘This collection of stories, instructions, memories and scrumptious ‘must try’ recipes makes a fascinating, entertaining, and revealing read’

Available this month from Baseline, What’s cooking? Famous designers on food.

I like savory because it tastes savory. Which I think is why they call it that.

Found via batixa

‘Émilie Vast’s third Herbarium is dedicated to plants that find the strength to creep into our urban space, into the joints of gutters and pavements, in the wall’s cracks, at the bottom of the trees, the park’s grass, on the roofs  . . .  just like their cousins from the woods, they have a history, uses and mythology.’

Cool find. This ‘wild plants in the city’ edition also features my Jeanne Moderno fonts.

Found via Iconoclastic and le lièvre de mars

Design by Lewis Moberly’s Poppy Stedman for Waitrose. Details here.

Found via Popsop

Found via Library of Congress

I need loud music in the morning. Video for Natt Weller’s Make It Louder.

‘~600 photos, >100 photographers, >40 countries’

New Vintage Digital Vernacular Letters runs thru March 31, 2012. Mota Italic Gallery, Berlin. Details here.

From 1978: The work of Arnie Lynde.

Found via It’s Nice That

Garbage’s Cup of Coffee.