Adteacher

I often see the "little kid" in the eyes of some of my high school students when we hit the topic of stereotypes and especially bullying in school. I'll ask that they not necessarily raise their hand, but if they will just think back to when they were in elementary school and middle school (for some of them, that is not that long ago...) and it is hard to define, but it's a sort of wistfulness that sweeps across their face. It's a notion that they are having a vague feeling of nostalgia mixed with a sort of melancholy. I know from their faces that they have been the victim of hurtful words from time to time. We all have. I remember once when someone I didn't even know called me a name, based on my physical characteristics. I was stung, and then I was just angry. I understand how it feels to be bullied. Our school counselor is going to be doing a presentation to our school next Monday on cyber-bullying, and I can hardly wait to hear it. I think it does us...

Huh? What's a Moxie Sozo? Well, Moxie Sozo is a Boulder, Colorado PR, Advertising and Design firm. Not just any firm... they have been wise enough to hire recent Kansas City Art Institute graduate and former DJCC Ad Design alumni, Ramzy Masri. Ramzy's first job out of KCAI is a real dream come true... a socially conscious and innovative designer like Ramzy has found just the same in the firm that has hired him. http://www.moxiesozo.com/index.php Who has moxie? (Moxie = backbone: fortitude and determination) MoxieSozo has moxie. And now, MoxieSozo has Ramzy.

For any of you looking for an update on what Karen To has been up to lately, check out her new website. It has a great deal of very cool work on it, and it showcases her great design sensibilities. She has recently posted it, and she has not completely proofed it - but overlook the spelling for now, and take a look at the work itself. It is a preview of what is to come when she launches her professional site next year. Enjoy! http://www.karen-to.com/

I have really earned my paycheck this week. Most weeks I feel like I do, but this week in particular has been a doozy. I like the feeling of putting in a full day of honest work, but I could have used a tiny bit more "me time" this week. I know that I have work to do over the weekend to prepare for another busy week next week, but I really hope to get those moments of sitting at home with my feet up just enjoying life. They have flown past me lately, and I want to reclaim some of that! With that said, I feel as though at 7:19 PM, it is time for me to leave CCE for the day. Over and out! See everyone tomorrow!

Our old friend, Wikipedia, has defined sleep very simply. Sleep is a naturally recurring altered state of consciousness with relatively suspended sensory and motor activity, characterized by the inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles.  For me, sleep is just practically impossible these days. I am still plagued by my summer nightowl habits, and I can't seem to wind down. Then it's 7 AM and I realize that I haven't slept enough hours and it's - to say the least - a "rude awakening." I never used to value the wonderful ability I had to just doze off at a reasonable hour. Maybe it's just a thing that I am discovering recently, but I don't seem to need as much sleep as I used to. I can keep going on just about 5 hours of sleep without any problem. Why do we need less sleep as we get older? According to Live Science, "Healthy aging appears to be associated with reductions in sleep duration and depth required to maintain daytime alertness." Ac...

SCAD, you are getting two of our graduates in a few days! Lucky you! Ryan Brownhill and Ariel Coday are off to college, and both recently dropped by to say goodbye. We will miss you both and for Heaven's sake, do great things at SCAD! We are anxiously awaiting your updates from school. Good luck and our best wishes for success go with you. Ryan was with us for five semesters if you count his internship, and Ariel, while with us for only two semesters was able to make her dreams come true! She told me on the way out of town that she has been invited to be in the Student Honors Ambassadors program and that she may already have an internship lined up in Washington DC for next summer! Good things are happening for our graduates, and that always makes me happy. Another weird thing is that Ryan and Ariel ended up one door down from each other in the dorm at SCAD! Who would've expected that? Crazy coincidence! Keep each other sane and on top of your game, guys. You both have worked ha...

It's 2 PM on Labor Day, and I am in the midst of a day full of work and trial. Setting up the photography studio for the upcoming week has proved to be more difficult than I feared it might be due to the fact that only the product lighting arrived and not the portrait lighting... This will be helpful for the first year students, but not so much the advanced students. I have a lot of work ahead of me (which would not have been at all possible without Andi, my wonderful daughter, and Ryan Urban) I have a large group of people who are planning to be at the house at 7 PM to celebrate my eldest son's 26th birthday - oh wow. That makes me old enough to have kids who are on the slippery slope toward 30. Soon I will be getting the senior discount at Denny's. Life moves on!