First in 2007: Creative Exposure

Giving a talk each year has been a must for me. But this year, it started slowly. Due to heavy commitment of work, I make more time to increase my understanding and observation towards what we call the Creative Multimedia Industry, by coordinating and supporting a lot of launches and events throughout the year.

This year, I admit, I put my pencil down and do more typing. There wouldn’t be more of those 170 layers of Adobe Photoshop that I normally do over weekly basis. But recently, it’s about time. I don’t want to waste half of the year not doing anything in the digital art scene.



British Council invited me to present our group, Digital Malaya Project (DMP) collective for the Love & Money Design Dayz event, called 'Pecha Kucha Night'. The whole session from 8.30 pm - 10 pm was a blast aligned with great speakers from Juan, Chun Woei, even Sharon Chin, Jerome, Michael (Gilamon), Morag Myerscough, Matt Armitage, Aiko (FuriFuri) and others.



The rest of the pictures can be found in my flickr page.

For the first time this year, Abby, my sister had showcased her photography works together with Riz Ainuddin, and the key people of DMP, Perez & Shieko that night. It was a good crowd. I'm also glad to meet my friends from Bigbrosworkshop (Juan), Chun (UrbanCr3atures), Jay Lim & Vivian Toh, Simon (VectorBross), Tintoy, Gilamon (Lefty, Michael), Radio & Driva, Weng Keong (Arachnid), Salmi & her friends, Shafina and her cousin and the rest. Everyone had been very supportive and looking at them, they do care about education and creative awareness.

For more info about Design Dayz: Pecha Kucha, click here.

I have two upcoming art exhibition, and one upcoming talk in Johor Bahru called 'Menjana Kreatifiti Melalui Interaktif: Proses Animasi' will be held next month. I will keep you posted.
Web Design by Content that features my work are now available at Amazon.com


I had a good hangout session with DMP Collective (Abby, Shieko & Perez), Elyna Shukri, along with Ibah, Eka, Tini, Zatyl and 84Cube (Najib, Acit, and that guy) at Pelita, near KLCC.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank British Council Malaysia, especially to Patriana & Sunita for having us on the show, and thanks to all of my friends who came to the event yesterday to support our group. It was pleasure to see all of you guys. We have a lot of fun!

Like Paul Arden said; “Accentuate The Positive, Eliminate the negative.”


New Work: 'Cacausia'

New artwork that I created last three days back in the office.



We can't own them, but treasure them for the beauty of God's creation. Inspired by Cockatoo, our local call 'em Kakak Tua, I present to you my latest artwork, ‘Cacausia’ . This is a part of the continuous series from 'Obourius', in conjunction of ‘Extinction of the Wild Life’ series.

Facts:
'Caca' taken from the word 'Cacatuidae'. Cockatoo belongs to 21 bird species in the family Cacatuidae. 'Usia', means Age in Malay language. In Malay language, we called Parrot, ‘Kakak Tua’, meaning ‘Old Sister’ (or whichever you prefer :P).

Colors:
I would like to bring the warm colours to make it more emerging. Previously, my artwork ‘Obourius’ had been very ‘de-saturated’ where I set the color palette slightly pale. With ‘Cacausia’, this version will create more vitality and oriental.


Sony PSP Fever
This is not an ordinary gadget. I was way behind getting myself updated with handy tools lately (orang kata ketinggalan zaman) after givin' away my iPAQ to Abby for her birthday. I remember when I was somewhere in The Curve a couple of months ago, I saw few kids playing PSP. I thought it was cool for such a small age to have such privilege to own a PSP. I said to myself, once in awhile, I do need these kind of escapism, after all, you need to focus on some other things, before you turn old.

Last two weeks, I was thinking of buying iPod video but it turns out PSP was the right and perfect choice. For RM690 (Basic kit) + 4GB of Memory Stick Pro - RM170, (together cost RM860). Adding a UMD game, 'Open Season' - RM140. Now, TOTAL cost = RM1000, this amazing gadget gives you 5 power function;

i) Playing amazing 3D games (UMD), Well, original UMD games costs RM80-170.
ii) Downloading and viewing photos, (good for portfolio review for interviews & clients)
iii) Videos (Elyana told me most of the directors uses PSP to showcase their film on PSP)
iv) Music playback and download (depends on your card. In my case, i have 2 GB of MP3s!, 1GB of videos)
v) Internet (Yes, check email here, Adobe Flash enabled, Portable TV, RSS, wi-fi surfing baby!)



Now, my iPod Nano merajuk. I think I lost it somewhere in my room, or in the office, or forever gone! Anyway, with PSP, I have saved a lot of money comparing to iPod Video. You get five (5) major function (giving you the resolution of 480x272) of PSP for RM1,000 while for iPod Video, they offer few functions and small resolution (320x280), without cool games and Internet surfing for RM1,099! The price different is RM99, but think of the big features that PSP offers. Plus, with MemoryStick, you can even store your documents and files (like a thumbdrive) whenever you are connected to your USB cable and a computer / laptop. Of course PSP doesn't offer playlist for MP3 playback and bigger size compared to iPod, but they also have art album cover and great quality of sound. The battery last longer than iPod, plus I don't need to find weird USB cable to connect to my psp, as I can borrow anyone's USB cable (camera, external hardrive, etc).

I also purchase Tekken Dark Resurrection (probably the best!) and the worst game ever, which is the new Transformers: The Game. Oke la, maybe the game trailer looks fantastic, but the game NOT! Well, since I'm a big fan of Transformers (Collector of G1, Masterforce and Cybertron), I would say it's a good collectible items, but not meant to be played. The game sucks! Not worth any of my penny.

To add more suprise, in my office, there are 7 people who owned PSP including two of my great bosses! Hasnul helped me to get the best deal of PSP in Gamers Hideout, Cineleisure, Damansara. Although they have limited PSP games on their rack, but their customer service support was good. At first, I bought UMD game called 'WTF' (Work Time Fun, yeah right!). I played this game (WTF) for one day and later I was not even satisfied (for RM80, giler rugi oke). I trade it with 'Open Season' UMD a week later at Games Hideout. Those guys are great!

With this PSP, I get to spend more time especially Ramadan is coming soon. I have my al-Quran PSP installed in my memory stick, thanks to Ikhwan Nazri from Flavert and his friends for developing a holy application for this. Good job!

Next year, there's iPhone arriving in Malaysia right? Let's just see.

Btw, Angel, a visitor from my blog informed me that she got to know my blog from a local TV station. Thanks for informing me. Now, I have to find out how my blog got on the show :) If you guys have any news about it, do let me know.

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Alhamdulillah: Being Thankful

Creative Freedom Vs. Creative Breakdown

It may sound chaotic, yes only to several people on this planet. Being creative is indeed extraordinary. Sometimes I'm impress with all the people around me. Each and every one of us see things differently. Some might see a plain wall, but I can see animation and different perspective. Once you're outside the box, you no longer felt naive. But that's not just it. There's more. Once you get out, you are an explorer, and a visionizer. Every one of us have a purpose in life, not only to commit, but to create multi-level of personality in areas such as communication and commitment to someone or something. It's also to show how far you adapt and inspire, either by influencing people to be negative, or positive. Who ever buy your culture, you are the one they look up to.

Through The Fire

I have been struggling 3 months to find if I ever experiencing creative breakdown; where at one point, you can't even do any creative, you ran out of ideas, and you try to force yourself into creating or produce, and it won't come out. Creative breakdown is like a coma, until at a certain time and mood, it will come back to you. I have this on and off. It's weird. I even thought if it's got to do with age, but when I remember hanging out with Joshua Davis, I would definitely say age is not a factor for any creative breakdown. But I also began to wonder if ever I would die out of ideas and design. I believe not. This is because within that period, I was able to design things. But I learn few things after that. It was my techniques. The techniques and the skill set I own, is like a cup of coffee which is just spilling all over the place. It's the time in my life that I need to reboot. To clarify my mind and empty that cup of coffee and learn new things, and new experiences.

Even to that result, I have found a lot of solution. It not only involves creative, but actually the root of the problem, which is our daily lives. How we practice our timetable.

Muid Designer Work Out Plan (Tips):

1. Sleep early as possible. Nothing beat stress from sleeping. A good sleep gives you a good charge the next day.
2. Eat properly. Eat more vegetables, less meat and drink lots, and lots of water.
   
3. Get into the mood. Find things that you like to do best and work on it. Music also helps you while driving to work.
4. As an artist, do a lot of sketches. Draw whatever you have in your mind and what you feel.
5. Exercise regularly. For me, jogging really helps. Always stretch yourself (fingers, arms, neck, back, etc) for 5-10 minute after finish doing your assignment.
   
6. Read more books, more articles that can increase your understanding in developing ideas. Paul Arden is a good start!
   
7. Sort your financial well, and try to spend less on entertainment. Forget all the figurine and designer's toys, sneakers and expensive clothings. Save some money or bring your parents and family to dinner, spend more money with your family or do savings.
   
8. Hang out with families and good friends. Choosing a right friend will make you learn a lot of things, even to identify your weakness or your great potential. Accept criticism to make you become a better person.
   
9. Smile a lot, not too freaky but a simple smile. Smile makes you feel positive. People who have angry expressions most likely a negative person with negative thoughts.
   
10. Travel. Go to interesting places. Take a nature walk. Take photography. It helps a lot.
    
11. Do charity. God loves those who like to do good-doings. Never forget to donate to Surau and mosques / temples / church after your Friday prayer. Don't put a dollar. Put more!
    
12. Seek forgiveness each day, and always be courtesy. Change your attitude to a positive life. Bring passion to your life and your career. Make people like you, don't make people respect or scared of you. For me, I make people like me, for my personality, and get respect from them, for what I stand for and for what I fight for. What do you stand for?
13. Read the news! Keep yourself updated with the surroundings. If MySpace and Friendster is the only first task of work you start with, it's a bad sign. Read Bernama, TheStar or even design portals like Newstoday and FWA to get yourself inspired.
14. Learn and learn! Always expose yourself to new techniques, design-styles, new education and most of all, accept advices and criticism. Like Paul Arden said, 'Do Not Seek Praise, Seek Criticism'. ;-)
    

'Accentuate The Positive, Eliminate the negative'. - Paul Arden

Work Updates

_Websites:


Last month, I finish developing the IAP website for MDeC.


Upcoming flash website for Zulkarnain Yusof / Loud House Entertainment



Upcoming Art4Merdeka, under Perdana Leadership Foundation.

_Digital Montage:


A special Honda City wallpaper I had created, just for fun ;-).
Feel free to download it.[ Download 1024x786] [ Download: 1280x800 (Widescreen)]

_Photography:


Recent shot at Avillion, Port Dickson. This is my second commission work as a model / talent. I remember my first paid job as a model is for Ford Landrover from art director, Ian, for his advertising agency (Lowe). I think now he's in Arc Worldwide. Find more works in my flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ml



_Press Feature

Alhamdulillah, From February til Now, NST & TheStar had been so supportive to feature me and my friends. Recently, Steven Patrick & Jo (anne) made a big splash of articles about Digital Art Scene in Malaysia, which feature my POV along with other talented people.


TheStar feature. 'Art is Jim, But Not As We Know It'. You can also visit InTech website or download PDF article that I had scanned, here.



NST Feature: Movie Carnival. (I was one of Saladin cosplay! :P) It's so nice to be 'them', because kids love to take pictures of us with them. It's so sweet that the kids loves you (not in Michael Jackson ways lah..).



My Digital Malaya Project (DMP) MekarMara PDF magazine also was featured in Computer Arts Magazine UK! Yeay!Thanks to Ms. Lydia from Sabah, Malaysia for scanning this page and sent this one to me. Love you girl! Check it out here.


Some Poetry

I actually don't remember when I wrote this. I thought I wrote this. It could be from a book i recently read. But I like this poem. If you found this poem elsewhere, please kindly inform.

Happy doesn't mean easy, it doesn't mean perfect.
But happy means contented and hope. Happy means manageable,
Free doesn't mean easy, free doesn't mean to get loose,
but free means rejoice. Free means confidence.

Now, this one I wrote.

AkuBatuAlam

Disaat kau hadir membelai jiwaku yang telah mati,
sekali lagi aku dapat rasakan yang sebuah harapan akan tiba,
yang akan membawaku ke destinasi yang permai,'

Mungkin bila kau (bayu) menciumku,
hatiku rasakan damparan ketenangan,
pilu dahulukala hilang sekelip mata,
Kasih menguasai dengan mekar,

Tetapi kau (bayu) dikala saat pergi,
meninggal tanpa kesan membiarkan hatiku terguris,
memecahkan lagi serpihan-serpihan luka,
hanya mengungkap sandiwara semalam.

Tanpa kusedari, hanya dia (bulan) saja yang tinggal,
di satu sudut memperhatiku, hingga si dia pula (matahari) tiba,
kini aku dipancar hangat, mengadu kepiluan,
aku perlukan ketenangan darinya (air)

Harapanku sekali lagi malap, kini ku takbisa bertahan,
kerna sekali lagi aku terpaksa ditolak ke langkah anjal,
menolak nasibku ke sana, kesini,

hari aku sedari aku bukan aku,
aku hanya sebuah batu yang perlu dibaling,
ke alam baru yang sekali lagi terpaksa memulakan,
sebuah kehidupan yang penuh dengan pacaroba kehidupan.


Merdekakah Kita Dari Dijajah Warga Asing?



Aku bukan risau, bukan membakar pelita sengketa menjadi seorang prajudis mahupun untuk mencetuskan perkauman, tetapi fikir pada akarnya, apa yang sudah terjadi dengan agensi di bumi nusantara ini? Ceritera ini adalah sambutan realiti. Sekiranya Melayu dan bangsa uniti lain membenarkan warga asing memijak kepala dan membenarkan 'mereka' bertakhta didalam majoriti industri untuk memonopoli dunia bumiputra, sedangkan bakat-bakat anak tempatan yang sedia-ada yang lebih profesional dari bangsa asing diabaikan, apa akan terjadi dengan bumi Malaysia kelak? Equiti dimonopoli warga asing?

Fikirkan sejenak, jika dibandingkan, mereka hanya pandai bercakap, sedangkan pada dasar praktikalnya tidak mampu melaksanakan. Maka perlukah kita tunduk dan beri muka? Apa akan terjadi pada syarikat-syarikat bumiputra dan bukan bumiputra (kelahiran Malaysia) yang memerahkan titik peluh mereka untuk mencapai suatu impian yang dibina, dan begitu mudah diambilalih dan dimonopoli kuasa barat? Harapkan penampilan dan tuturkata, tetapi fungsinya? Dimanakah kita? Perlukah kita mendewa-dewakan mereka?

Tepuk dada, tanya selera.

Pada pengamatanku, seketika aku pernah dengar sebuah cerita seorang jurutera telekomunikasi gergasi Malaysia yang bertungkus lumus bekerja selama 10 tahun lebih untuk mendapatkan suatu impian bekecai, apabila jawatan yang sepatutnya berhak diberikan olehnya, di'curi' oleh warga asing yang tidak sampai dua hari datang ke Malaysia. Dimanakah keadilannya?


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Note:
Due to many parties uses my post, poetry and others for their own profit-gaining, such as their own articles publications, thesis submission for colleges and universities, or personal gaining, This post is copyright with CreativeCommons shareAlike, noncommercial license.

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