Returning to Writing: Why blogging is important to me

(Above: My notebook)

My dreams of being a writer fell between the cracks of wanting to be an astronaut, a baseball player, a marine biologist, and a graphic designer. Somewhere in between my career goals, I was a columnist for my high school newspaper. “As the ceiling fan spins,” I called the column. It took some convincing for our advisor to go with the title. I wanted to poke fun at myself; I was a sixteen-year-old kid who knew that his ideas weren’t revolutionary or exciting to a good portion of people. Instead of “As the World Turns,” it would be something far more trivial.

Background

I am the product of two college-educated journalists who met during their time at the Cal Poly Mustang Daily. While neither of my parents are still directly involved in journalism (communication, maybe), the itch to write is in my blood. My writing career at the school paper ended quickly; I became “graphics editor,”a title I tried to get changed to art director. I still was an “editor” which I liked, which meant we all got to hang out on an odd saturday every couple months and put the paper together. And even with a desire to be a page editor my senior year, I was cut off. My advisor and my fellow editors wanted me to be the “graphics editor.” That was the last time I wrote regularly.

(How odd, that it took me a good portion of my time at The Orion to connect those two storylines. While my time at The Eagle Eye (high school) was a much different experience (I don’t think we knew a thing about design theory), it gave me a lead-in to my career path as a graphic designer. That was really the beginning).

Why blog?

As I stated in my first post, I’ve begun many a blog. But all of them failed because I took it too seriously, tried too hard to perfect it, couldn’t stay organized, and when it fell short, I gave up. So how could I get back into it? I needed time, inspiration, motivation, and organization.

The time came during the past winter break, when I was able to relax and get my thoughts in order (blogs need thought). I was inspired by my Dad, as I often am, to get one going. He has one of his own, that he keeps updated regularly, to feature his open-water swimming love and the new work he produces for clients (he’s an illustrator/designer). Motivation comes from my friends at The Orion! All the section editors write a column each week, which is a skill I’ve always admired. I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a guest commentary a couple times, but my writing skills were just rusty. I needed to flex my brain a little bit.

Organization followed. I decided to keep all my ideas in this little notebook (you can find the inside page at the top of this post). Every time I had an idea, I would jot it down and keep it. I update it almost every day. That way I never forget exactly what I want to write about. A lot of my good ideas just come from reflection, simple pondering, and relaxation. If I’m too busy, I’m too focused to let a new idea spoil my concentration.

So finally, the three elements came together and I realized that I might actually have the momentum to carry this project through. The blogging system is something I fell in love with. It’s like newspaper work, with less restrictions on what you can write about. And I could make it my own! I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself and force a “design blog.” Because I’m not just a designer. I’m a Giants’ baseball fan too. I love scotch. Mad Men is my favorite TV show. I play the guitar, play video games, wield a DSLR, and sing to myself. I wanted my blog to be all about that.

That’s why I came up with the name “The Smörgåsblog.” It’s a variety of everything.

The Most Important Part

Communication is the most vital part of our world. Communication can help any career, any person, any relationship. The ability to let others know what you are thinking, and what message you want to convey is a very important part of life. Communication could solve a lot of the world’s problems, indirectly.

Writing is a fantastic way to organize your ideas and solve problems. You begin to make connections, ask yourself questions, and find answers. I wish I had been doing this years ago! Blogging really lets one be free, sort of frolicking through the world of the Internet and developing ideas.

I’ve always wanted to be better at communication. “How do I develop those kind of skills?” I asked myself. “If only there were a way to share my ideas with the world in more than 140 characters?” I pondered aloud.

Of course, you know the answer.

Shortpost: I’m glad to share this man’s name

I feel like Liam Neeson is still a rising star. And that’s a good thing. He’s an undervalued actor, in my opinion. Check out this bit from the Graham Norton Show, in which he leaves a threatening voicemail greeting for his first fan.

via The Daily What.

The Great Grocery Store Wars: Part 1: WinCo

A purveyor of ... foods.

The wars have begun. I present to you my shopping receipt from WinCo, with a grand total of $44.51. After deciphering the receipt (looks like they cut costs on their food by leaving out letters on the receipt), I was able to annotate it for you so you can see exactly what I spent my money on.

(The candy is for class. No, seriously. We’re designing a candy bar package.)

The Receipt

Nothing much to see here. A pretty regular shopping trip for me. I realized I left out the pesto and the parmesean cheese, so I had to grab that at Safeway. Anything I don’t get at all three stores will be eliminated from the equation.

Why’s WinCo so cheap?

Frankly, I was surprised how little I paid. In my time shopping at WinCo, I’ve noticed that while some of their items are priced pretty closely with other supermarkets, they have some really good deals on a lot of other products. Sierra Nevada beer, for example, costs about $6 for a six-pack. I don’t even think Safeway sells it for that cheap! Oh, to be a college student in Chico.

WinCo also offers a great deal of secondary products that other stores don’t. When I buy cereal, I get the no-frills stuff. In fact, I get the generic brand of the generic brand. WinCo has three tiers of cereal: the mainstream, name-brand stuff, like Cheerios and Rice Krispies (with the ‘K’), and Wheaties. Stuff that Kellogg and General Mills and Post make.

Generic Brands

Then there are the generic stuff, that still has a package design, but you get names like Honey-Toasted O’s, and Crispie Rice, and Shredded Wheat. (That last one might be a brand, actually). Off-brand characters for their cereals too.

But then there’s the barebones. The cereal names are as boring as you could get (“Toasted Oats”, “Crisped Rice”). And the packages are all exactly the same, with big color borders and clear windows so you can see the cereal. The typeface is the same ol’ straightforward serif, and the only change from cereal to cereal is the name and color. Which means you’re not paying anything extra for the “brand.”

And Hy-Top is the generic brand that WinCo uses for their groceries. So there’s Hy-Top cheese, Hy-Top peanut butter, Hy-Top aluminum foil, Hy-Top milk. You get the picture. It’s another cost-saving measure. When I hit Safeway, I’ll buy their generic brand of milk (Lucerne?) but I bet Hy-Top will still undercut it.

Hy-Top is so cheap they can’t even purchase the correct spelling of ‘high.’ Same thing. No money for the brand. Genius marketing decision or just careless? I’m not sure.

We’ll have more analytics in a couple weeks when I hit Trader Joe’s and we can see exactly how WinCo stacks up against the boutique.

The Great Grocery Store Wars have begun! (An introduction)

A debate with my girlfriend sparked an idea. Which grocery store in town actually sells the cheapest food? In my three and a half years in college, I’ve faithfully shopped at what was considered the cheapest place around, WinCo. Safeway was for the short trips usually, but WinCo was when I really needed a lot of food. My friends and I started going there freshman year, when only a couple of us had a car. We’d all pile in and make the few mile drive to the outskirts of town, purchase everything, and meet back at the car to pile all the food back in, taking care that we remembered who bought what.

(To tell you the truth, I miss those times. Going to the grocery store now is usually a solo trip, and that gets lonely. But that’s beside the point).

But I’ve never really known if WinCo is the cheapest option. I’ve always just assumed. There is also a FoodMaxx on the way to WinCo, but the store seemed unorganized and dirty compared to the bright, newly remodeled WinCo.

Samantha (the girlfriend), on the other hand, has shopped religiously at Safeway in her years of college. Granted, Safeway has its perks. It’s definitely the least expensive of the more “luxury” grocery stores. And they’re nice. They have everything in convenient locations, usually a wider variety of most items over WinCo, and a friendlier customer service. The stores are situated in neighborhoods, instead of way the heck on the edge of town, and thus easier to access.

Hence, the debate. To complicate matters further, I’ve started to venture out to our Trader Joe’s a little. They have awesome boutique items, good wine, and a lot of really cool food you won’t find at Safeway or WinCo. Plus, I love the “homegrown” feel the store has. Like it’s a little local market. And the stores aren’t that big.

And, believe it or not, Trader Joe’s isn’t all that expensive. It depends on what you buy, but you can get away with some pretty damn good deals at the place.

Which brings us to the Great Grocery Store Wars of 2012!

I want to figure out which of these three stores deserves my money the most. Deserving my money is pretty simple: I need to spend less of it and still get the same amount of satisfying food than the other two stores. While Safeway is closest, neither of the three stores are really that far away, so distance isn’t a factor.

How do I do this? Simple. Today, I shopped at WinCo. My last time shopping there? Maybe. But I bet it won’t be. WinCo has amazing deals, and I’m not really that picky when it comes to what brand I buy. As long as it’s cheap.

When I next need food, I’ll go to Trader Joe’s. I like Joe’s because it’s relatively inexpensive (or so I think), and the food there is unique and various. There’s always something fun to try there.

The time after that, you guessed it, I’ll shop at Safeway. As I’ve said before, Safeway is the most mainstream of the stores and the closest shop.

To keep things fair and even, I’ll make sure I buy exactly the same thing each time I shop. Any items on any of the three receipts that don’t appear on one or both of the other two will be stricken from the competition. I will also try to find comparable items. A frozen stir-fry meal at WinCo or Safeway is going to be a brand like P.F. Chang’s. At Joe’s, it’s more likely to be their house brand.

If I can’t find an item that I really need (an unlikely scenario), that bridge will have to be crossed then. I can’t imagine not finding the most basic of items at these three stores.

So this is it. I’ll post my WinCo results soon, and in a couple weeks I’ll update with Joe’s, and later, Safeway. I’m really looking forward to how all this turns out!

What’s in a (my) name?

With my parents in the good ol' days. My facial reaction says it all.

Thanks to my mom and dad, the first couple days with any new professor presents a challenge. Especially during roll call.

“William?” the professor asks.

“Here,” as I raise my hand, “I go by Liam.”

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I go by Liam. Call me Liam.”

“L–I …” the professor begins, and then pauses exasperatedly.

“A–M,” I finish, “It’s just short for William. The last four letters.”

“Oh, okay. And is that…”

“It’s Irish. It’s an Irish form of William.”

“Ah… Okay.”

That’s usually how it goes. My given (and official) name is William. But since my birth, my parents have called me by my nickname. And that has presented some challenges. If my name were Michael, or Steven, or even Richard, nobody would think twice if I introduced myself as Mike, or Steve, or Dick. (Sidebar: I don’t understand how Richard becomes Dick. It’s more confusing than William > Liam).

The point is, with the more common names, it’s obviously easier to connect a nickname with a formal name. Even Richard and Dick. But how many Mikes exist? Or Nicks? Or Ryans? The world is filled with people with similar names. I’ll take the burden of having the lengthy, awkward conversation with my teachers over sharing a name with six others in the classroom any day.

What’s insulting to me is when students and teachers alike ask if I go by Liam in a response to the Pirates of the Caribbean films (Will Turner). Of course not. Why would I change my whole identity because Disney decided to arbitrarily name their main swashbuckler Will Turner? The most common remark I find when I pay with a credit card or show someone my ID is, “Oh, Will Turner! Like Pirates of the Caribbean!” Thanks, Disney. So I’m glad I’m Liam.

I love my name because it’s rare. I get to have my own personality, in a way. At the same time, I’m glad it’s derivative of something, because it gives me a history and a connection. Which brings me to how I got my name.

Why I’m named William, but go by Liam

I’ve always heard from my parents (and confirmed with my mom today) that they chose to name me William, but wait till birth to decide what they would call me. Will or Liam were the two choices. “Never Bill,” said my mom. We know which one they chose, but why William in the first place?

There are three parts to the answer.

1.  My grandfather on my Dad’s side was named William as well. My sister and I called him Oompapa, which I believe comes from the musical “Oliver!”
2. My parents were (and still very much are) big San Francisco Giants fans (a genetic trait, I’m sure), and Will Clark was a really popular player at the time. “Will the Thrill,” as he was known, hit a home run in his first major league at-bat (off Nolan Ryan!), making him a household name quickly.
   
   (A little tangent here: Clark was a big part of the National League pennant-winning Giants team in 1989, and the reason why pitchers, catchers, and managers cover their mouths while discussing strategy on the mound. During the first round of the playoffs in ’89, Clark was at bat with the bases loaded, and read the lips of Cubs’ pitcher Greg Maddux as he said “fastball high, inside.” Clark hit the pitch onto the street behind Wrigley Field.)
   
3. My parents chose William because Liam is an Irish derivative, and they wanted to honor the Irish side of their families.

So out I came, and they decided to call me Liam. When I was younger, it was a pain to explain to my teachers that I wanted to be called Liam instead of William or Will.

‘Liam’ is rare, but in no way new.

When I was named, way back in 1990, Liam was the 600th most popular boys name. But as I got older, the name became more popular, and was in fact the 30th most common boys name in 2010. My parents and I started a trend! So as I entered high school, the name was a little more on the forefront. My cousin’s cousin was named Liam. A local newscaster named his young son the same. I still encountered teachers who had never heard the name before.

I’ve yet to meet anyone my age who shares my name. In fact, apart from the European Liams I’ve heard of (Liam Neeson and Liam Gallagher), I’m the oldest Liam I know. A weird fact. How many of you can say you’re the oldest [your name here] you’ve met?

I did some research into the history behind Liam and William. According to Wikipedia, it’s of Old German origin, originally “Willahelm,” meaning “helmet of will.” In fact, the French name Guillaume is just as developed as William is in the English language. The name didn’t come to England until William the Conquerer’s invasion, and not to Ireland until the Norman invasion of the island a year later.

Surprising, then, that Liam is viewed as an Irish name. In a way, the shortened form is of purely Irish invention. But the centuries of groundwork beforehand goes unnoticed. The great potato famine was the real catalyst for my version of William. It forced many Irish out of the country and into other nations, including America. And that’s where my roots lie. In the late 80s, I’m not sure how my parents discovered the shortened version. Mr. Neeson wasn’t incredibly famous at the time, and there weren’t a whole lot of other famous Liams around. A story for another day, I suppose.

—————

I encounter fewer and fewer teachers who need me to spell my name out any longer. Liam‘s getting more popular. Which I suppose is a good thing, but I liked being the member of an exclusive club. The few people I do share a name with usually aren’t legally named William. To me, that’s a cardinal sin. With just the loose, shortened version, you lose all the rich history the name carries. I wouldn’t be able to honor my grandfather or trace back the origins of my name. It would just seem modern and shallow. I wondered often as a kid if I should legally shorten my name. But I’m glad I didn’t. Liam  and William are more powerful together. It’s made me who I am.

Shortpost: Campus beauty in the rain

I’m often struck by how “ivy-league” Chico state looks. The grass lawns surround old brick buildings, standing long before all the current students’ time. Tree branches grow, ever slowly, high above the buildings and the students entering and exiting.

When it rains here, the “ivy-league” look is ramped up; the fog and overcast skies reminiscent of Massachusetts or Maryland. It’s a nice time of year, here, even though I’m constantly getting wet.

First Impressions: My new design internship!

A landing page for the Studio. This might be outdated.

On Friday, I was treated to a very informative orientation with my new talented art director, Ron, and my new colleagues (all classmates of mine). We’re situated in the basement of the school library, a part of Chico State’s Academic Technologies division. As we found out, the graphic design studio (as we’re calling ourselves now) is going through a bit of an identity crisis, although nothing but the name has changed. When I interviewed last fall, I was under the impression it was part of a group called IMC Productions, which it may have been at the time but isn’t any longer.

Orientation was fun, and it got better as we went along. I’m always terrible in new situations at first. I don’t know where to stand or who I should talk to. Yesterday I awkwardly shook hands with people and discussed our winter breaks. But once we got into the orientation, it went smoothly.

The Studio

The studio is awesome! It’s not a huge space, nor is it exceedingly small, but it’s just enough room for the roughly ten people that will work in there on a regular basis. State of the art printers and computers, of course, and an attached photo studio! (Although that’s not really for us). My friends who are beginning their second semester at the studio are all really talented designers. I’m looking forward to working side-by-side with them.

All the machines are named after typefaces (I love working with designers!) and there’s graphical inspiration everywhere. It’s going to be a fun place to spend 12 hours a week.

The Work

On top of all that, though, are the projects we’ll get to work on! The Studio is the one-stop shop for colleges, schools, departments, and groups within the university for design work. So we produce posters, postcards, publications, brochures, and the like for most (I’m not sure if there are exceptions) campus organizations.

That means pure graphic design work, which I’m really excited about. In my stints at two different advertising agencies and my time at The Orion, the goal has always been slightly different (which isn’t a bad thing, nor something I dislike, it’s just different). Now, at the Studio (as I’m calling it) I’ll finally have the chance to practice a more pure form of graphic design.

We saw examples of the work the more veteran designers have worked on, including two different posters and a publication project. We’ll actually get the chance to interact (and almost be the sole contact) for the clients who commission the Studio to do the design. Which is something in which I’ve always wanted experience.

And I’m pumped. It’s going to be a wonderful semester.

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Good Rainy Days vs. Bad Rainy Days

I know you've all seen a wet window before.

We finally have some rain! It has literally been more than a month and a half since I’ve seen hardly a drop, and it’s winter! I know, a post about weather sounds incredibly boring, but I have a point to make.

The Good Day

There’s something about rain that invites introspection. It forces people inside, and is one of the few ways nature can have a profound effect on living beings. Things seem quieter and more intimate when it rains. The only outside noise is the pitter-patter of rain and the occasional car passing outside.

So it was a quiet and relaxing day (Thursday). I stared out my bedroom window and listened to music. Watched some television. Sounds boring, I know, but after the busy, busy winter break I’ve had, the rain was a welcome mellower and mind-clearer before the hectic school semester begins.

Listening to the water tumbling down outside my apartment, and peering through the rain-streaked glass as lights shine through and create all kinds of patterns makes one think. (Which is why you get to read a blog post like this one). People stay inside and keep warm; cups of tea or cocoa accompanying a good book or a movie, blankets piled up, and the heater on. Cold days create more warmth.

Unless, that is, you have stuff to do.

The Bad Day

Ok, so the title’s a little misleading, because the day itself was actually pretty good. I had orientation for my new campus design job (look for a post later!) and lunch with a friend. But I had to ride my bike. Which wasn’t too bad when I left; the rain was light and I was bundled up. But rain has a funny way of changing intensity throughout the day, and by the time I hopped on my bike to ride home, it was pouring.

When I got home I peeled off my wet clothing. Jacket, beanie, gloves, button-down, t-shirt, jeans, socks, shoes, even my boxers.

Thankfully, I have a roof over my head.

(Hey, if you like this blog enough, go ahead and share it!)

Music for a Rainy Day

(Cue: “Music For a Found Harmonium” by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra)

There is a time and a song for all weather patterns. Thunderstorm? Thunderstruck. White, puffy clouds in a blue sky on a sunny day? You’ve got a Friend in Me or Married Life (from Up). When it rains in Maryland? Try Raining in Baltimore (Counting Crows). When Dustin Hoffman returns home from college? Scarborough Fair.

Alright, you get the point. I wanted to share my own mix of rainy day music, one I put together yesterday. I really wanted to capture the essence of a rainy day: introspection, soft music, sitting indoors, and thinking.

Without further ado:

My Last Christmas Present

The gift, its container, and all the additional material included

Every year, my roommate Larry and I exchange t-shirts as Christmas presents. By every year I mean “for the last two years”. This year we decided to have some more fun with it (because t-shirts are already incredibly fun) and use Hipstery.

The concept behind Hipstery is more or less genius. Basically, you’re purchasing a random t-shirt. It’s like playing Russian roulette, except you don’t die, and your gifts are usually pretty awesome (100% success rate so far!). Ok, so it’s not like Russian roulette. I was actually pretty pleased with this shirt! The above video describes it in better detail, but it’s the words “Everything will be ok” made up of different words in our world that disprove that point (race, tropical deforestation). The bottom of the shirt finishes the sentence with “, isn’t it?”

Hipstery is a German company, so the packages don’t exactly arrive on time (it’s January 20th), but it’s well worth the wait. Even the shipping confirmation emails are fun! Instead of your boring old, “We shipped it!” from most online retailers, Hipstery gets creative. The following is a quote from the shipping confirmation email:

After some serious head scratching, a team punch up, and many heated words, we finally all agreed on which shirt to send you. It’s our pleasure to inform you that your Hipstery mystery package Order ID: 5d0d5 has left our secret bunker here in the heart of East Germany.

“It was a proud moment for the team and we all crammed into the Hipstery Moped and Side Car for the trip down to the post office. We had trouble at first – Willem cried, Rikard tried to baptize the mail sack in milk for luck, Bjarni got confused and ate the postage, Budge just sort of wandered off. Still, eventually it was accepted by the lovingly stern people of Deutsche Post and began its long expedition to your doormat.

Awesome! The email had me cracking up. I love that the whole thing is shrouded in mystery — it makes the consumer feel like they’re in on a joke, or a secret message, etc. And I don’t have to choose my t-shirt. Certainly an awesome service! Larry’s present is still packaged, the secret shirt inside still a secret, awaiting his arrival.

Check out the rest of the photos below!

The gift, its container, and all the additional material included

Shirt detail

shirt detail

Included in the packaging.

The packaging material. Such a mystery.