I spent two and a half months working as a connection planner during my summer internship . My time in New Orleans has changed my life.

This blog displays some art and thoughts had during my time there.

salt

photo.map

got a little carried away ....
and my numbers aren't showing up, but i bought a new camera and wanted to show off nola. the white dots are supposed to be numbers that correspond with where i took and then sent the pictures, but i can't figure out how to make the images big enough to see, you'll have to use your imagination...
hope you all are having a great summer. see ya back in school!

1.2.3.4.5.
6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.
16.17.

hmmm....

Okay, I am a total nerd, but I thought this was sorta funny. I typed happiness into the search field and here was the response: "Hmm, your search for happiness has no results. We're not saying it doesn't exist, but you may want to check the spelling. Not that you're a bad speller. Just try a similar topic."

snapshot from 10000ft

What is great about the fourth of july:

I spent the day with my family. Making food in the "treehouse" I designed for my mom’s property that was constructed by my dad and is lived in by my sister and her new husband. I made a new friend who, like me, has shared time with the city of New Orleans. The things that should be long were long and the things that should be quick were quick. Hours later, I found myself in the airport on this holiday ordering food from Schlotzsky’s, an Austin Original, knowing exactly what I wanted because I have had it so many times before. I sat applying an extreme positive and scribbled about my fast food order accomplishments, feeling empowered: “opportunity is everywhere, potential is from doing. so do something.” I scoffed at the neon sign “Keep Austin Weird 5k” with a Ziegenbach logo attached. I do this because “KAW” is a slogan to support local business, while Ziegenbach is owned by Budweiser, distributed in Texas as a direct competitor to Shiner (a real local brewer). I guess its only a matter of time before they both go “national,” certainly Austin has.

While on the plane I took this picture


because page 236 drew it was okay:

On the other side of the coin (or any other monetary measurement):
How many other Americans can afford to do this? Have we become a nation of consumers over a nation of citizens? I hope not. Our privilege, my privilege and those with respective resources, should be recognized, shared, and spread.

We can't afford to forget to vote.

for brian

This is an entry for Brian. Here is a photo of him, for those of you who have not met Brian.

Brian goes bowling every Monday night, I would join him more if I lived in Austin.
I wrote this: “I’m gonna stand out here because its getting really intense” outside of the bowling alley where I first told Brian I would write about this experience. We discussed how clearly what happened then would be conveyed on a blog. I guess only we really know...

I went on to write at different points in the evening, “It is raining really hard in Texas" and "I think I will rename my blog ‘The Thought Dump.’”

For contrast: bowling in two southern cities:

Layers

So there are many debates about what came first. I won’t enter that fight. Just a comment on a thought I had this morning while riding my scooter to work.

Often I find myself saying we are products of our environment, therefore we must influence the construction of a healthy environment for the future.

This is both for us and for our children, but since I don’t necessarily know that I will have kids, it is more for me. I had an epiphany (or one of many) a few months ago while “walking the dog.” I realized I need green space, I need to be able to walk away from humanity in order to return to it revitalized. I think that is why I am so obsessed with promoting sustainable issues.

I guess my thought this morning was:

We are products of our environment and our environment is a product of us. We have the power to influence. It is harder, or takes more work, right now to go against the grain and make serious lifestyle changes for the common good, but I think its worth it.

Why do we lack such a sense of urgency? Why are we too busy? What are we so busy with? And why is it more important?

a snippet from John Aielli’s Eklektikos:

“we must become a global community or there is no hope for humanity, I believe, but anyway…”


amen

sketching

i wrote this last semester:

School is a part of the real world. We all know its benefits in varying degrees. It is the place where you have to survive amid the rest of the naively intelligent beings. It was where groupthink may have first developed. Where popularity became a contest, where the boys first form “boys club” and where children who just want to sit and take it all in are called outcasts. School is the time when you are judged by what you do and by what you don’t do. You are forced to find self-validation.

You are always in school.

hello friends. i have finally put some more stuff on this thing. i strayed from the whole three question/answer thing and opted to post my self imposed therapy sessions. heehee.

actually things are great. i just tend to write when i stress to get through it, very cathardic. you guys are the best. more photos, sketches and probably less ramblings to come.

Why is it when you first do something it seems like such a great feat,

then a week later it doesn’t seem to matter,

only to reflect years later thinking how could I have forgotten that?

My personal goal is to learn to relish the moment more. To understand my concept of the relationship between time and space.

As a friend once told me:
Respect the past, live the present, create the future.

A quick note: I wrote this as an e-mail to my aunt…I think it sums up things well.

Hi!

Thank you so much for your last emails, although the design link did not come through.

I have decided to return to school. I might have over simplified my "coffee shop" idea. Really what I want to do is start an environmentally sustainable consulting agency that works with large companies to help them conserve the environment and save money. I also want to act as a solidified "media" voice for environmental causes to help promote such initiatives as the Kyoto plan and New York City's 2030. The consulting office is upstairs, while the coffee shop is a community space downstairs that acts as a collaborative workspace and access to information (internet/computers/community board/library-books&periodicals/games/movies on weekend, etc...) I realize these are ambitious goals, but I think achievable, more so with a M.S. in mass communication degree.

It will also help me make better industry connections, build capital (from a job after school) and gives me time to develop a business model/plan. and...I also want to work on developing the next popular board game.

Lots to do!
I hope this reaches you well.
Love you!

Upon hearing some other firms’ (who shall remain unnamed) ambitions, maybe it will be a teahouse. This photo inspires...

An empowered individual has the ability to become an entrepreneur (agent for change). The collaboration of like-minded entrepreneurs has the ability to form organizations (economic change), thus a community of organizations resulting in a culture for change (small businesses with big ideas and exportable models).

The cycle repeats. Empowered (socially responsible) individuals are more likely to pay it forward, moving upward in socio-economic status and bringing the community/market with them.

hmm, some stuff I wrote thinking about what i do?

Connection planning is a discipline that actively seeks those who will understand our message. This transcends all forms of media. A creative hybrid of planners and researchers we add technological advancements, ideas, and human interaction to our toolkit.

We craft communication strategies.

To do this, we utilize the traditional media forms handed down to us from previous generations, we experiment with new versions and we innovate to create new forms.

We assess the current equity of the situation; including the brand from its team members to its media holdings and the forest it is growing in.

We understand that our experiences shape our perception of reality. Trust and positive growth must therefore be integral to our interactions. The advancement of web applications makes this not only an ethical issue but also a demand. People can tell when you are lying to them. We have to be honest.

Increasingly aware of how little we know in relation to the universe, of our naïve intelligence, we are obsessed with acquiring more knowledge. We are as much students as we are teachers, relying on a shared knowledge base to solve problems. We fill in the holes.

We have manual focus, taking a solution; strategy, concept and execution from ten thousand feet to 40X optical zoom then back out. We back up our research, compare our sketches, photos, and vector art.

We make sure there is a logic flow and all points of deviation have been identified. We communicate miscommunication. After this is complete, we take our informed point of view and engage in dialogue for fresh perspective.

We are committed. We are increasingly aware of how our message is being perceived. We constantly assess the relationship between content and context to ensure a credible and meaningful interaction.

Like a magnetic force, not all will be attracted, but the ones that are have a structural bond. With this analogy in mind, we take the time to formulate the right words then we speak what we believe. We accept that not everyone will find value in what we have to say, but that is a small price to pay for those who do.

Connection planning is as complex as it is simple. As innate, as it is learned. As nature as it is nurture. As science as it is religion.

I was feeling stifled, like I lacked the ability to think creatively, solve problems or do what I am asked to do as part of my internship. At first I thought to say, I am only an intern, chill out, but then I thought stink if I act like that what will I say next year?

That’s when it “re-hit” me, I am just as capable of communication or miscommunication as any one else.

I had a meeting the other day. We seemed to run around in circles, although we were all pretty much saying the same thing, the problem of course was communication. I sat back, listened, tried to offer up where I thought we (a collective group of individuals) were not connecting and offered up my suggestions in an attempt for clearer understanding on both ends. It is funny that even when people are saying they are talking about something, they are not talking about the same "something" the person next to them is thinking. I think the hope is that everyone feels like we are on the same page, to find what can we all agree on, because isn’t that the point?

I tend to argue that the cause must be promoted above the category, and the category above the organization, and that individuals try to come to an agreement throughout.

You cannot magnify what you do to people you want to talk to if you do not allow them to interact. People are people, we have opinions, constructed from a multitude of factors, and we love to share them. Connect on the cause, provide sustainable positive options, promote social responsibility. Think Action. Action Thinks.

Dear Director of Internship Opportunities,

I am applying for the following summer internship opportunities:

Corporate Business Development
Communications/Public and Media Relations
All Things Considered
Talk of the Nation

I am currently enrolled in the Communication Strategy tract within Virginia Commonwealth University’s Adcenter masters program. My focus in studying communication strategy is to develop socially minded objectives within business structures. I view becoming a member of the advertising and business community as a great opportunity to use our resources to act as a service for our society. My goal in becoming a communications strategist is to acquire a skill set that can be used to help build stronger communication by researching the needs of the community, finding a common goal and implementing a plan for action. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2001 I have defined my aspirations for meaningful work. The society in which we live is divided into social constructs by factors such as, culture, gender, sexual orientation, financial status, and political beliefs. Unfortunately these differences are not usually celebrated, but instead a root cause of misunderstanding and conflict. These banes are seen on a global as well as local spectrum.

As a strategist and through mass communication I want to help alleviate the differences between the “haves” and “have nots” as well as make technology more tangible for those in need of its resources.

The resources and responsibility within the advertising and business industries are so great I believe they can help build stronger communities. Through proper branding, business development and responsible advertising, I want to help achieve this goal. I believe National Public Radio’s mission is a working example of positive reform and education. I view the opportunity to intern within its departments as an invaluable experience.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,


Beth Stone

Today an eight pushes the seven to follow the two.

I had already prepared myself, almost convinced in fact, that I had been 28 for at least three months. In such process it has become clear that I will have many momentous events occur.

First, I will graduate from my master’s program, hopefully achieving some piece of mind in that my approach to life can manifest in some tangible monetary form. Not that I look for much, just enough to cover my investment and eventually purchase a home where I can grow roots.

It will also be 2008. I see no coincidence there as I constantly look for how things are related. There seems to be a beautiful interplay between the qualitative and the quantitative on such days. Reflection, anticipation (which I consider to be the most complicated of emotions) and a surprising calmness dominate the internal conversation.

Maybe I have stopped saying “by this age I hope to have such and such accomplished.” I don’t think that twenty-eight was one of those numbers that filled my head when I was young as a marker for accomplishment. Twenty-one, five, even four were stressed more.

My guess thus far is that you can only give yourself gifts on your birthday. The gift of knowing that you have had another year of experience and something else to add to the construction of the “meaning of life.” That freaking out is worthless as only you are adversely affected by it. That no matter how hard you try, it is never enough for yourself, therefore you have to consistently strike internal compromise. That wanting to get things done largely entails doing it yourself, but also it feels like when it counts you have to let someone else take the credit or ownership. That is part of growing up. That is part of letting go of self-importance, only to realize that is all we have.

Everything is constructed by my perceptions. Everything happens outside of me, but its reasons for doing so is only understood by me through internal conversations. This is not unique, everyone does this, we just have different levels of self-actualization. An example:

Today when I pulled up to work my scooter miles were 420. I remember April 20th, it was a wonderful day. Samara and I bought fruit and flowers while Quintina and I caught it on tape. It felt like the first day of spring. People were flowers and I had a walk though the poppies.

Every number has an experience, therefore every quantitative has a qualitative. To me the secret, which really isn’t one, is active memory. Use the two qs to create a symbiotic relationship to not only construct your reality, but to remember it.

I found myself saying that the “before” and “after” is much better than “the during.” Maybe that is why so many people have a hard time living for the moment, because it is the least fun. Retrospect, “hindsight is 20/20,” daydreaming, planning all take place in a realm outside of the immediate. They imply action but do not take it.

What I have learned from my 28 years on my 28th birthday as of 12:02 pm, your birthday is only what you make it, but its nice when people remember.

You also learn to avoid validation through a birthday. Your life is not summed up by who remembers to wish you a happy birthday.

On dealing with disappointment: cognizance of expectations and reasons for such. What do you expect to happen and why? How do you get over it?

Oh yeah, and I guess you have to be on facebook or myspace for anyone to remember.

May 20

1. One thing I learned today.

GDP, the most popular measure of economic activity stands for gross domestic product. Another measure is GDI, gross domestic income. According to BusinessWeek GDP "includes expenditures on all goods and services and changes in inventories," whereas GDI "includes wages and corporate profits." In theory the two should be the same, but mistakes in data collection often result in variation. Overall, everything I have been reading lately is good news for small business entrepreneurs.

2. One thing I crossed off the list today.

I finally started a blog!

3. Personal connection I made today.

I emailed some friends in Austin information about the founders of the New Orleans Biofuel Initiative.

May 19

1. One thing I learned today.

The secret location of an outdoor pool in downtown NOLA, sorry promised I wouldn't say where.

2. One thing I crossed off the list today

Drove my scooter around town to get myself acclimated.

3. One personal connection I made today.

Met a super nice guy named Jason, a local film maker, outside of CC's who gave me his motorcycle guidelines book to save me a trip to the DMV.

May 18

1. One thing I learned today.

www.wayn.com, a travel social networking site, grew from 45,000 members in 2005 to 7 million on December 30th 2006.

2. One thing I crossed off the list.

I ate my first "blood bug" at a crawfish boil.

3. One personal connection I made today.

I talked with Tom, a content designer, about fire jumpers, Bruce Mau, and Cradle to Cradle.

May 17

1. One thing I learned today.

The going rate for a used paracute is about $1200.

2. One thing I crossed off the list today.

First day of my new internship!

3. Personal connection I made today.

Confirmed that Grady (a Phd student at Tulane - adult brain stem cell research) would join us for coffee in the morning.

May 16

1. One thing I learned today.

The first difference between a sweet crepe and a regular crepe is the intial seasoning on the hot plate.

2. One thing I crossed off the list today.

Bought markers and journals at art supply store on Magazine Street.

3. Personal connections I made today.

My new housemates, Amanda and Alex, bought me a crepe and I bought them vitamen water.

May 15

1. One thing I learned today.

Bojangles famous chicken and biscuits was founded in 1982.

2. One thing I crossed off the list.

Moved to New Orleans.

3. One personal connection I made today.

Strengthened my relationship with my Dad. We have made about twenty trips up and down the east coast so far.