RICM Vol4 Issue7

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Since 2012, RICM has been the catalyst for raising awareness of the economic value of the creative arts industry. It is Rhode Island’s one-of-a-kind creative multimedia publication that inspires and informs readers.

Partnerships Result in Expanded Reach of 400,000+ Cross-Platform Marketing & Social Networking reaches thousands daily.

Distributed On-line FREE Local & Global Reach

Print On-Demand Printed issues available by demand on-line

59% Women 41% Men 75% Age 25-54 69% New Users 31% Return Users

Events, Presentations, Workshops & Internships Servicing the Community Hands-on

The official publication of KS Designs, LLC

SUPPORTING THE

OF Rhode s Island Craftsmen and Artisan

SUPPORTING THE

Saturday, June 25, 2015 5-10PM

Park Theatre • Rolfe Square • 848 Park Avenue • Cranston, RI BEING PART OF A COMMUNITY OF MAKERS Maker & Vendor Booths • Fashion Show • Food • Cash Bar • Music Rhode Island Creative Magazine’s Annual Makers Event is brought to you this year in a collaboration with TOJ Design Studio, LLC, Ocean State Printers and Donahue Models & Talent

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from the founder The official publication of KS Designs, LLC Partnership, collaboration, and community are the buzzwords in this issue. As I continue to emphasize the importance of working together, I see growth among the circle of small businesses and organizations around me—including my own! Integrating the “C’s” of my longtime motto for a successful affiliation: Connect, Communicate, and Collaborate to Create. It’s a very effective way of doing business!

Founder and President Kimberly Sherman Leon Assistant to the President Pnina Pressburger

Kim

In this issue, we highlight a whirlwind of creative activity swirling around the radius of downtown Providence. The lines of collaboration and partnerships extend from the Providence Public Library and continue onward toward Nordstrom and the Rhode Island School of Design. We are proud to showcase the amazing programs these institutions have developed to enhance children’s lives. The Manton Ave Project in the Olneyville community fosters the unique potential of school-age children by amplifying their creative voices and mentoring them with professional artists to create original theater. A community event held at AS220 provided an atmosphere for people to experience what it is like to collaborate and work within the artists’ community. Whether you consider yourself to be a creative person or not, learning to balance the relationship between working alone or with others is an invaluable skill that you can apply to your work and throughout your life.

Hats off to the amazing community leaders featured in this issue for providing their resources, space, inspiration, and expertise. Their continuing support will swing our doors wide open to new, exciting opportunities that will certainly help build a brighter future here in Rhode Island.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue, and remember to surround yourself with amazing people, warmth, and inspiration.

Assistant Editor/Writer Janet Heffernan Assistant Secretary/Designer Regina Hogan Assistant in Creative Communications/Designer & Writer Joseph Shansky Design Manager Lisa Malm Designers Panhia Lee Kate Hanley Michael Ricci Lillian Ferranti Amy DeSantis Contributing Writers In this Issue Lisy P. Kim Celona Kristin MacRae Devon Landis, Esq. Paula Mottshaw Interns Sihan Xu - Bayveiw Academy Celia Contreras - Blackstone Academy

Sincerely, Rhode Island Creative Magazine Cranston, Rhode Island 401.440.3911 kim@ksdesignsri.com

Kimberly Sherman Leon KS Designs, LLC President & CEO Founder & President, Rhode Island Creative Magazine Connect + Communicate + Collaborate = Create Cross-pollination brings greater awareness, appreciation and understanding of our industry.

c 2012-2016 All rights reserved.

Rhode Island Creative Magazine is a KS Designs, LLC production.

Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

facebook Online twitter @ricreativemag ricreativemagazine RICREATIVEMAG.COM

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| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

contents 2

From the Founder

3

In This Issue

4

Contributing Team

8

Dynamics of Collaboration and Art of Community

10

When Do I Need to Meet with an Attorney?

11

Local Design Team Wins Multiple Awards at the RI Home Show

18

I {heart} Rhody

22

6 Areas Where People Get Stuck in the Organizing Process;

Creative Solutions to Get “Unstuck”

23

Website Design Projects - Step 5: Ready, Set, Launch!

24

9 Ways to Get Inspired

28

Creative Calendar

featured articles 12

Connect With Creative Spaces of Providence on Gallery Night

14

In Olneyville, The NY System Means More Than Hot Wieners

19 PORTALS to Creativity and Partnerships

on the cover Creating a team or building a business is like putting a puzzle together. It is a continuous effort to get the right pieces to fit where they belong. For the cover, we focused on RICM Founder’s long time motto for a successful affiliation: Connect, Communicate, and Collaborate to Create. that is highlighted in many of the featured articles in this issue.

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contributing team writers and designers in this issue

Kim Celona

Amy DeSantis

Lisy P.

Prolific Artist &Writer

Senior Recruiter with The Creative Group Writer

in

Krist Kristin MacRae

Organizing & Efficiency Expert Owner, Organizing In RI, LLC Writer

n Devo Devon Landis, Esq.

Arts & Entertainment Attorney Writer

4

Amy

Lisy

Kim

| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

Paula Paula Mottshaw

Designer

Panhia Lee Designer

Writer & Designer

e

Lily

Mik Michael Ricci Writer & Designer

ia Panh

Lillian Ferranti Designer

“The team of creative contributors.

Each and every month, they provide our

Lisa Lisa Malm

Design Manager & Designer

readers with amazing business tips as well

Pnina

as creative and unique articles and designs which perfectly capture the inspiration of our very talented makers here in Rhode Island. Page by page, they take content

Pnina Pressburger

and bring it to life using their own style

Assistant to the President

of artistic expression, helping to build a stronger foundation and maintain the creative flow from one issue to the next.

They stand behind me, fully support the hard work this publication entails, and believe in my mission for Rhode Island.

Joe Joseph Shansky

ShanskyWorks/Founder & Creative Director Assistant in Creative Communications, Designer &Writer

a

Regin Regina Hogan

Assistant Secretary, Designer &Writer

I am grateful for all of the new relationships and the positive results that have come from RICM.

Together,

we make this happen…

we bring the vision to life.

- Kimberly Sherman Leon

Kate

You can learn more about these amazing and talented individuals on “The Team” page at www.ricreativemag.com.

Kate Hanley Designer

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As artists, we need the support as well as the empowering experience from others who think alike and are creators.

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Dynamics of Collaboration and ART of Community

By Kim Celona

An artist has his or her own work and style that shapes the way in which art is created. This is the dominant influence; however there are times when the artist needs to collaborate or work directly within the artist community. These are both fundamental pieces for artistic development.

In addition, it is important to reach out to those who may need a little help nurturing their latent creativity or just want to know more about the magic of the creative process and artists in their community.

A perfect example of this was an event called “Drink & Ink” on April 21st. AS220 of Providence held this fundraising event to reach out to the community and teach about all different types of printmaking processes.

Creative people are influenced and inspired by many personal interactions.

Other artists create not only additional inspiration but provide critical feedback and help us “feel” respected and understood in a world where one can often feel lost or isolated within their creative process. In addition, being a creative person with different thoughts and ideas other than the norm, it is integral to connect with other artistic people. It also becomes increasingly relevant to balance a relationship between working alone on creative pursuits and immersion in the artist community.

As artists, we need the support as well as the empowering experience from others who think alike and are creators.

AS220 has embraced this theory and enables artists to creatively coexist and create within an amazing community experience. I recall the first time I walked into AS220. The energy felt invigorating and contagious. I couldn’t get in there fast enough to create and communicate with other creators.

Artists, who are many times introverts, can come together and work together.

Artists can be side-by-side creating separate or collaborative projects, yet the effects are similar.

This is a place where one is at home with their ideas and thoughts. Artists can easily generate and flourish here.

Creative people in a group thrive within this cumulative artistic energy. Think about all the workshops in Renaissance Italy. Within the workshop setting, mastery of the craft occurred beginning from the ground up. Artists today primarily attend colleges, not traditional workshops, yet there is a connection between then and now. Creative and

like-minded people need each other.

This dynamism permeates the individual and the entire artistic community, providing benefits for both. Truly an amazing phenomenon; concepts and creativity blend freely in and out of each other.

This relationship and place to gather becomes an invaluable resource for the artist. One can connect and bridge the gap of isolation that occurs in an artist’s life, forge new artistic alliances and friendships, as well as create some new work in an environment which commands the very best from within your creative self.

In effect, this newfound collective art energy is just what the doctor ordered. Go breathe it in like the fresh spring air.

Layout Design By Lillian Ferranti and Kimberly Sherman Leon Photos taken by Kim Celona. www.linkedin.com/in/kim-celona

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When do I need to meet with an

ATTORNEY?

BY: DEVON LANDIS, ESQUIRE • RI & MA ATTORNEY

WWW.DEVONLANDISLAW.COM

More often than not, potential clients reach out once something has gone horribly wrong. When it comes to legal issues, many of the problems the client faced were issues that could have been resolved at the outset had they reached out to an attorney from the very beginning.

Situations when calling an attorney is a good idea:

FORMING A NEW BUSINESS a new business is being conceptualized •• Wthathenever is the best time to meet with an attorney. An attorney can assess your business plan, the services the business will provide and advise clients of the best business structure for their particular needs.

•• Many times in order to avoid potential personal

liability and lawsuits, a business can be incorporated

in a particular way to separate the owner’s personal assets from that of the business.

lot of businesses do not organize at the outset, •• Ainstead the business owner focuses on growing and they begin to prosper - and then realize down the road that they did not take the necessary steps once a potential problem occurs.

Working with others When two people or more decide to enter into business together, a whole host of issues can come up - such as:

• Who owns the name or intellectual property?

• How are profits/losses split?

• Who is responsible for which tasks?

• How are disputes resolved?

I could go on for pages! I will be doing a whole article dedicated to legal business partnerships, the various types, and what type of documents are needed to protect oneself.

Contracts Many clients call an attorney because one party to an agreement hasn't held up their end and they want to know what can be done. The first question an attorney wants to know is whether there is a contract in place? If so, the attorney must review the contract because many times contracts will limit the rights and remedies available. This is why it is always a good idea to have an attorney write or review a contract before signing and to never use a contract template found online. Contract templates are never a good idea for a variety of reasons, including the main reason previously stated: contracts often dictate the rights and remedies of the party and that should always be tailored to you and your needs.

Here are just a sample of additional reasons why template contracts are a bad idea:

•• The templates may be drafted by non-attorneys • Are not even the correct contract, or • Have clauses that don't suit your needs • Just plainly badly written leaving you • Have gaps of protection for your particular purpose exposed to a variety of legal problems

This may seem obvious, but those who have tried to handle threats of lawsuits through negotiations on their own, usually still have to turn to a lawyer in the end, now with less time to prepare.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only and not exhaustive of all aspectsof the law on this topic and it is not to be considered legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances, you should contact an attorney for advice on specific legal problems. www.linkedin.com/in/devon-landis-esq

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Layout Design by Lisa Malm

threatened with a lawsuit

L

ocal Design Team Wins Multiple Awards at Rhode Island Home Show A coastal theme with local pieces takes two top prizes

The design team led by Ainsley Bonham, a designer at Judd Brown Designs in Pawtucket, RI and Elise Fargnoli of Paradigm Media Consultants in Warwick, captured two awards during the interior design challenge at the Rhode Island Home Show, held at the Rhode Island Convention Center March 31-April 3. The team was awarded the “People’s Choice” and “Lifestyle Achievement” awards for its inspired live-work space design which featured almost exclusively Rhode Islandcreated furnishings and décor.

Home Show Award Winners – Ainsley Bonham of Judd Brown Designs, left, and Elise Fargnoli of Paradigm Media Consultants, show off their multiple awards while standing in their coastalthemed live-work space at the 2016 Rhode Island Home Show.

Layout Design by Joseph Shansky

by Regan Communications Group

The interior design challenge featured seven of Rhode Island’s top designers. Each started with an empty room to create something special with a coastal living theme.

Bonham’s team was comprised of primarily Rhode Island School of Design alumni. Bonham is currently an interior design certificate candidate at the Rhode Island School of Design. The team began designing the space in the fall of 2015 and created the room at the Convention Center in the nights leading up to the Home Show.

“I am grateful to help celebrate the creative and talented RISD alumni who have brought this room to life,” Bonham said. “And I am honored especially by the People’s Choice Award.” The People’s Choice Award was decided by ballot of the approximately 22,000 visitors that passed through the Rhode Island Home Show. Those in attendance were asked to vote for the coastal living concept they felt was most inviting and true to the Ocean State. Additional contributors included: Studio Endo, Nest Homeware, Gent Design, Spirare Surfboards, Leah KenttamaaSquires, Abby Martell, That Guy Refinishing, Oliveira Studio, Anelise Schroeder, Blazing Editions and Newstamp Lighting.

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Connect with creative spaces of Providence on Gallery Night...

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| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

as the Founder of RI Creative Magazine guides you through the city one gallery at a time.

On April 21, 2016, Kimberly Sherman Leon, Founder and Publisher of Rhode Island Creative Magazine (RICM) was the Celebrity Tour Guide aboard the Art Bus of Gallery Night Providence. She discussed pertinent information along the bus’ route to the various art galleries. During the tour, you heard the many inspiring stories, and viewed the creative work of some of Rhode Island’s most respected artists.

Gallery Night occurs every third Thursday of the month, from March to November. The tours start from the Regency Plaza at One Regency Plaza and travel to 20 of Providence’s galleries, museums and historic sites. This FREE event celebrates art, ranging from contemporary multi-media installations to one-of-akind functional artworks. You can immerse yourself at each gallery or museum in it’s featured artist, soak up

the style, the subject matter or just float along with the emotional feelings the art brings out in you.

Over 10,000 people each year enjoy exhibitions, demonstrations, lectures, live music and performances.

The 20-year old organization works to introduce and develop relationships between local creative communities, new and old. Take a guided tour or visit the galleries on your own. Enjoy wine and cheese, listen to music and experience the wonderful art Providence has to offer. See below for the galleries we visited on this tour and feel free to go by and explore!

Cover artwork created by Sihan Xu, Senior at St. Mary Academy - Bay View. Content created by Celia Contreras, Junior at Blackstone Academy. Layout design by Sihan Xu and Kimberly Sherman Leon.

ArtProv Gallery

Gallery Belleau

150 Chestnut Street 3rd Floor, Providence 401-641-5182 artprovidence.com

424 Wickenden Street Providence 401-456-0011 gallerybelleau.com

ArtProv is a gallery of contemporary art that displays an evocative collection of works centered around color, texture and expression by local, regional, national and international artists.

“There is always something new at Gallery Belleau.”

The Peaceable Kingdom 116 Ives Street, Providence 401-351-3472 pkgifts.com For over 30 years, our family has been travelling the globe searching for unique folk art treasures that might not otherwise make it to the public.

Three Wheel Studio 436 Wickenden Street Providence 401.451.2350 threewheelstudio.com Three Wheel Studio is a ceramic studio and gallery which features a mix of fun, eclectic, and functional handmade ceramics and gifts from a variety of artists, including proprietor Dwo Wen Chen. Unique, one-of-a-kind pottery is made on site.

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In Olneyville, the NY System means How an afterschool program modeled after The 52 Street more than Project in New York, engages young people and enhances hot wieners. learning through playwriting. nd

Written and Designed by Joseph Shansky www.linkedin.com/in/shanskyworks

The Manton Avenue Project’s (MAP) mission is to bring out the unique potential of school-age children living in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence by amplifying their creative voices and mentoring them with professional artists to create original theater. This offers them the support and opportunities needed for positive personality development, increasing their creative potential and ability to navigate life’s challenges.

MAP was founded in 2004 by Jenny Peek, who having worked at the 52nd St. Project in New York City, came to Rhode Island to use that model to initiate a playwriting program among students in one of Providence’s low-income neighborhoods.

She remained MAP’s director until Meg Sullivan came on board in 2011.

Click on the image to see a video on “The Manton Avenue Project 2015”

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MAP encourages young people in Olneyville by offering positive life experiences in mastering the creation of a finished play, and to reap the rewards of that hard work with the excitement and joy of seeing their play performed by adult, professional actors, the pride in their accomplishment and the ego-pleasing applause of their adoring audience.

The children experience successes that can be transferred to other aspects of their lives, and by engaging them in programming for multiple years (we work with the same children for at least five years), MAP regularly reinforces the belief in their own capabilities.

“The idea of offering up the stage to a young person and saying, ‘This is your space, right here, right now, we are all listening to you,” emotes MAP’s executive/artistic director Meg Sullivan... “There’s something magic about the live moment.”

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD FAITHFUL: The National Parks Plays, written by 3rd and 4th grade MAP playwrights will be performed May 5-8, 2016 In celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th Anniversary, MAP is presenting 10 plays by young people, each set in a different national park. Happy Birthday, Old Faithful: The National Parks Plays is the culminating production of The Manton Avenue Project’s Playmaking program, an after school playwriting course held at MAP’s Clubhouse in Olneyville. Ten first time playwrights, 3rd graders and 4th graders, have each written a play about a National Park. For this project, The Manton Avenue Project partnered with the Roger Williams National Memorial.

The playwrights have been learning about National Parks and the history of the National Park Service. Each playwright is writing a short play set in one of the United States’ 410 parks. The resulting production will be directed and performed by local actors from Providence’s thriving theatrical community.

“We’ve extended our programs to include teenagers. We’ve added a Friday class, which is our “fun Friday” to continue serving the young people that we work with, so they have a continuous weekly meeting here (at the clubhouse) to look forward to. And because we’ve been growing, we also need to grow our capacity,“ says Meg Sullivan.

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“We are in a really critical moment in our organization’s life I think…for many reasons. We’ve been growing for the last 3 years since we opened the clubhouse. We are able to now serve teenagers who’ve been with us since the 3rd grade and want to stay involved… So we added a Teen Voices Project which meets every week,. We take them to see shows,… the lessons sort of have a weekly bonding time. We did a really cool writing project with the Providence Preservation Society last year… The teams each wrote a monologue from the perspective of an abandoned building… They were able to embody the hopes and the dreams of the building” Our next project with the teens is an oral history project…about “Home” and what “Home” means…they are going to interview someone from their family or someone from their community…to talk about “Home.” Which is such an interesting topic right now, in light of immigration, the refugees crisis in our country and sort of the idea concerning some of the terrible rhetoric around these days around immigrants. What does Home mean to you?”

Some exciting news is that MAP will be getting a space of its very own, a real community theater that will hold it’s plays and plays from other neighboring theater groups to use right down the street.

“We are over the moon,” says MAP’s board chair Kelly Seigh, “We are so grateful to RISCA and ONE Neighborhood Builders for believing in MAP and in our future. The Manton Avenue Project has long been seeking a theatre of our own to professionally produce our amazing young playwrights’ works. We are excited to work with ONE to create a thriving performing arts space in Olneyville. The future continues to brighten for MAP and for Olneyville.”

To find out more about The Manton Avenue Project, to donate, volunteer and participate in their community efforts, visit their website at http://mantonavenueproject.org/ or email them at info@mantonavenueproject.org

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encouragement for me: Mid-Century Modern design, Street Art, LowBrow Art, stone Sculpture, Ceramics, Independent Films, Architecture, Custom Car building (especially Hot Rods and Rat Rods) and Pre-1960 Automobiles, Photography, Abstract painting, Artist Books and plenty of amazing Tattoo artists. I really appreciate works that demonstrate an artist’s unconventional thinking. As in comedy, it’s the surprises that make an artwork work for me.

4. What’s your favorite item to create?

I {heart} Rhody interviews Jason Freedman from Cumberland

Well, right now I pretty much regularly do one of two artistic things: draw Monsters and take photographs. Both of them make me happy! However, I do not take photos of Monsters nor do I draw photographs. Though I suppose I’d draw a picture of a Monster taking photographs. Stay tuned!

Shop name: Uncle J’s Monsters

5. What’s your best seller?

onlinE UncleJs-Monsters.Pixels

People seem to be connecting most with my “Gentle Giant” and FacebooK “Omti + Itmo” creatures. At the unclejsmonsters same time, collectors often say something like “They’re all so cute, I can’t decide!” as they check out my stuff at my art fair booth.

1. Tell us about your work.

6. How long have you been in Rhode Island?

I draw Monsters who don’t know they’re monsters.

I settled in Rhode Island in the Spring of 1999.

7. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?

2. Is there a story behind the name of your business?

I’m a stay-at-home dad.

Among other parental duties, it’s my job to get our kids ready and off to school each day. That includes packing their lunches. I put a handwritten note with our son’s lunch when he started first grade – a little love from home. That was all good ‘til a few months into second grade when he admitted, “Dad…they’re embarrassing.”

Well, just because his young brain got a bit agitated, I’m not done telling him I love him. So, I began sending along a little sketch instead. That was November 2009.

Those early, two-minute drawings – my first since I don’t know when – always on plain 3” x 5” index cards – evolved from pretty rough geometric shapes and single-color stick figures, to bright creatures colorized with magic markers and then, with a fortuitous birthday present, colored pencils. Now, each day’s hand drawn monsters become the basis for digital portraits of Uncle J’s Monsters. My wife is the youngest of four siblings and as long as we’ve been together, I’ve been known as Uncle J to the next generation of her family.

I moved here all the way from Massachusetts. I grew up in the western part of The Bay State, thinking [sarcastically] “Rhode Island? Who the hell lives in Rhode Island? It’s so far away.” What I love about Rhode Island is that it’s the center of my universe.

But I didn’t know that until after my wife and I moved here. Our family and friends are scattered around New England and I soon realized it was really pretty easy to drive just about anywhere from our home in Cumberland. Since moving here, I’ve also found the amount of artists and art-related events and opportunities to be tremendous.

8. Any advice for new/wannabe makers?

Make stuff. Experiment. Learn to know when to say when... sometimes that one extra line is too much. But don’t sweat it.

It’s just a line. You’re creative. Find a solution. Do NOT compare yourself to other artists. Every one of us has a unique voice. If you don’t find and express yours, then you’re just a robot on an assembly line cranking out copies. Oh, and dig up some confidence sooner than later, call yourself an Artist and start showing your stuff in public. It’s scary at first, but amazing when total strangers actually look at -- really look -- and admire your work. Some of them even buy stuff!

3. Where do you draw your inspiration?

Though it can be said my work has a cartoon or comic vibe, I don’t really watch cartoons or read comics. The very broad category of Visual Arts serves up lots of inspiration and

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Connect with I {heart} Rhody

Photos courtsey of Jason Freedman

twitter @iheartrhody

facebook iheartrhody

online iheartrhody.com

Layout Design by Kimberly Sherman Leon

to

Creativity &

Partnerships

By Kim Celona

There is a whirlwind of

creative activity blowing around the radius of

downtown Providence. The lines of collaboration and partnerships are drawn

out from the Providence Public Library and

continue onward towards

Nordstrom and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Partnership and collaboration are both the buzzwords and premises of the “Portals: The History of the Future� program and many other events in the works which create connections between businesses, educational institutions, and the library.

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“

Bravo! To the

Looking for inspiration

Providence Public

Library, Nordstrom, and

RISD for providing these

kids the resources, space,

Small scale 1920’s inspired design

inspiration, expertise,

and information to grow

into what I hope, great creators of our future.”

- Kim Celona

Unique headpieces

Window display

Portals segment: “Teen Squad Fashion Forward” sponsored by Nordstrom, is a series of classes geared towards the fashionably minded. Teens signed up on a first come, first serve basis and are public, private, and homescholars from Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The classes which encompassed this trilogy of fashion are “Designing for the Future by Exploring the Past,” “From Turbans to Tiaras: Headdresses of the Roaring ’20s,” and “Back to the Future.” Students have created unique bejeweled and elegant headpieces, small scale 1920’s inspired designs, and regular scale designs made from paper.

RISD professors Bunky Hurter and Candace French taught all three segments.

In conjunction, Nordstrom Visual Merchandise Manager Rachael Batz and the Visual Merchandising Department will create and teach students about window display, using all the library windows. They will showcase the student work and Nordstrom designers.

Lucky us! We can all view these wonderful creative collaborations from April 16th to May 11th at the Providence Public Library.

Nordstrom will also be engaging in a two-week teen program running from May 9th to the 18th.

The theme will center on fitness, health, and wellness.

Regular scale made from paper

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| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

The greatest part of all this hoopla is it is free for the kids!

Providence Public Teen Librarian Shannon Lake and Curatorial Assistant Angela Di Veguea are providing and facilitating invaluable opportunities for learning with direct access for research of the history of fashion through Special Collections. These ladies are providing the teens with inspirational images and information, connecting them directly to their own fashion designs inspired by lush periods of fashion history, both global and American. These are skills critical to creation. RISD professors are teaching from a professional standpoint and give that feedback and support to the teens. The Nordstrom Visual Merchandising team is a driving force of fashion, showing the students how to create top-notch displays.

Also, perhaps most importantly, the high-school teenagers are forging valuable relationships with each other, Nordstrom, the Providence Public Library, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Instructor Bunky Hurter

As I watched a class taught by Bunky Hurter and overseen by Shannon Lake and asked students questions about their designs, it became crystal clear what all this is about—the kids. All these young creative minds so open to following their dreams and passions, absorbing this wonderful opportunity like sponges and developing friendships with one another.

(Mostly, all didn’t know each other before this experience.)

Bravo to the Providence Public Library, Nordstrom, and RISD for providing these kids the resources, space, inspiration, expertise, and information to grow into what I hope, great creators of our future.

Student making patterns

Student protypes

Layout Design By Kimberly Sherman Leon Photo courtesy of Shannon Lake and Kim Celona www.linkedin.com/in/kim-celona

Student brings design to full size

Regular scale fitting

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areas where people get stuck in the organizing process Creative Solutions to get “unstuck”

by Kristin MacRae www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-macrae

There are many stages to the organizing process.

People tend to get stuck in certain areas, which hinders them from completing their organizing projects. Once you can recognize where you get stuck, you can focus on that area and you’ll work through it and be on your way to getting organized.

Here are 6 areas where people get stuck:

Getting started and overwhelm.

You are motivated to get organized, but then something happens. It’s like you’ve hit a brick wall. You finally commit to the project but you walk into the room and you immediately shut down and nothing gets done. It’s that feeling of overwhelm that stops people in their tracks. They would rather be doing anything else than tackling a room full of disorganization. You have to break the process down. Make a plan before you even enter the room. Take apart the room piece by piece and don’t look at the room as the project, look at it as small pieces of the project.

Lack of skill set.

You really want to get organized, but just can’t seem to develop a great working system. You may have grown up in a disorganized home and the skill set was never transferred to you. You may have had parents that always straightened your room and never allowed you to create your own systems. Reach out to a professional if you feel you are lacking this skill set.

Decluttering.

Create a “maybe” pile when sorting. Don’t spend too much time deciding whether to keep or toss something.

When you have finished decluttering, you’ll look at everything you are keeping and tossing and may decide that you really don’t need anything else and you’ll decide that the “maybe pile” will go.

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| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

Layout Design by Amy DeSantis

Losing focus and distractions.

When people are confined to a room for 3 hours, they lose focus very quickly and get distracted. Stay in the room you are working in instead of transferring items all over the home. Keep a “move to another room pile.”

When you are finished with your project you can transfer those items to their designated rooms.

It’s the little things.

This is how junk drawers form. You’ve completed the decluttering process, but you have this pile of miscellaneous items that may have some value to you and may not, depending on what they are. They really don’t belong in any category. This is where people get stressed and tend to shut down because it’s the little things that stop you in your tracks. Decide if they are of value to you and create a system for them. Don’t just create a junk drawer of random items you will never use and probably never find when you are looking for them.

Maintenance.

All of your organizing efforts will go down in flames if you don’t maintain your organization. From the systems you create, you need to form habits and these habits will form routines. If the systems work, you will eventually be on auto-pilot with efficient routines. Many people will work with the system and the system fails and they never tweak the system to make it work better for them. Re-visit your systems. It’s all about becoming more efficient and productive in a streamlined space and maintaining these systems will help you achieve your goals.

Think about which areas you get stuck and then focus on thinking about how you can make changes in those areas to get you closer to your organizing goals.

MARKETING RAMBLES Paula Mottshaw Website Design Projects Step 6: READY, SET, LAUNCH! Designed by Freepik

You’ve done a lot of hard work to get to this point. Now, it’s time to launch! Unless you must do a hard launch on a specific date (e.g. for a product launch that just can’t wait), I suggest you first do a soft launch, and then a hard launch. A soft launch will allow for real-world testing prior to announcing your website to the world.

During a soft launch, your website is live, and you focus on sharing your site with partners, stakeholders, employees, and maybe a few select clients and customers for the purposes of (1) identifying any flaws or bugs that need attention and (2) getting critical feedback to fix any issues that may not have been discovered during the testing phase. There is nothing like taking the live site for a test spin to find hidden issues.

During a soft launch phase, you can gather information on your product’s usage and acceptance before making it available to the general public during the hard launch phase (or grand opening).

Your promotional strategy may include: Social media. Give people a reason to visit your site besides the fact that you have a new site. Do you have a new product or service? A cool success story or video? Write an intro for your post and then link the intro to the specific page of your site. Don’t have a link that sends visitors to your home page because visitors won’t take the time to find the rest of the story. It will frustrate visitors and they will leave your site. Also, give staff a template message they use on their personal social media accounts to further promote your new site.

Press releases. Send notices to authors and writers that you have relationships with and ask them to share with their followers and readers.

Signature line. Add information to your email signature line that is included with all outgoing emails.

Your scope of work or contract with your web designer should include things like simple bug fixes for a short period during the launch phase.

Newsletters. Announce in your newsletters and ask partners and stakeholders to announce in their newsletters.

As always, maintain good communication with your designer.

Launch time! Congratulations!

Identify a date when you will do your official (hard) launch because at some point you need to stop tweaking and editing the site so you CAN launch. Select a date a few days prior to the hard launch date. This date is set in stone. No more small issues will be fixed. No more edits or tweaks will be done. You need to have a finish line prior to the launch date because you need time to focus on the launch.

During the hard launch phase, you will be implementing your marketing strategy to promote your site as well as gather feedback that you may receive by email, telephone, or your website contact form. Be sure to write everything down. You will be using this list during your website maintenance phase to enable you to continually improve your website for visitors.

During your website design project, you may have thought about how to promote your newly designed (or re-designed) site.

Now is the time to visit your marketing plan and get ready to implement your strategy. No marketing plan? Then, take some time now and think about how you want to promote your site.

Paula Mottshaw specializes in web design and graphic design (print materials) for healthcare and non-profits. She can be reached at pmottshaw@mysimpledesignsolution.com. @pmottshaw

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www.linkedin.com/in/paulamottshaw

Vol. 4 Issue 7 |

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by Lisy P www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth15 Layout Design by Panhia Lee

L

ife certainly can get complicated and overwhelming and often times it’s easy to feel unmotivated. Rather than give up or sit there and complain, rest assured that the rainbow will show up at the end of the storm. If you’re not sure how to get inspired or who to turn to, you’ve landed on the right article at the right time!

1. Tap

into your

artistic

side

We all have an artistic side and it’s one of the most powerful ways to get inspired! It’s important to take time out of your day to do something for yourself and let that one thing be as crazy and creative as possible! Draw a picture, write a poem, dance on your way to the car - Anything! Don’t be afraid to let loose every now and then…I promise you it will make you feel better and also help you feel inspired.

2. read motivating

quotes and Stories

This has been my saving grace. Any time I feel like I’m going through a hard time, feeling stressed, or feeling unmotivated and discouraged, I read motivational quotes and inspiring stories. I challenge and encourage you to read something positive, even if you’re not feeling positive. With time, you’ll begin to see a shift in your mood.

inspiration is all around, you just have to open yourself up to it!

Layout Design by Kate Hanley

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| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

3. Set achievable

goals

Start with little goals that you feel can be easily accomplished. Once you see yourself reaching that goal, you will get an overwhelming feeling of inspiration and self-gratification that will encourage you. I usually set little goals such as: do the dishwasher, or do the laundry, or clean my bedroom. Completing even these easy tasks gives me such a sense of selfgratification and inspiration to keep setting goals throughout the day. As I feel accomplished and encouraged, I set bigger goals.

4. go

easy on

yourself

If you’re like me, just the thought of going easy on yourself sounds like the most challenging thing to do in the world. I’ve always been so hard on myself: in middle school, high school, and even throughout college. I always felt that I wanted to one-up myself. Reality check: life shouldn’t be that hard. We are human and human beings are not perfect. Once you accept that, you can move forward and learn to love yourself.

5. Stick

with your

plan

Ah, consistency, consistency, consistency. This is a huge part of STAYING inspired. If you don’t practice what you preach, you will fall back into the same downward spiral of feeling unmotivated and discouraged. Don’t make this more difficult than it sounds, though. Sticking to a plan can simply mean following motivational speakers on Twitter and reading a positive quote every day when you wake up. That’s an easy plan to stick to, right? You’ll soon realize that the feeling you get when you surround yourself with positive thoughts and people will actually become addicting and you’ll want to stick to your plan more and more.

6. listen to

music

Music heals the soul. I’m such a firm believer that music can change your mood. So it’s your choice: what do you want your music to make you feel? If you want to feel inspired, listen to anything that has a great beat or a song with encouraging lyrics. I personally enjoy listening to positive, encouraging K-Love – it’s such a great station that always plays uplifting music with great beats and messages. I’ve recently became more in tune with my spiritual side, and have been getting into the habit of lighting candles while playing ocean sounds with music in the background. That’s a great way to get in tune with your creative side and spend some time with you.

7. accept change

Woof, this is another heavy pointer. Accepting change was something I struggled with for years and years. I’ve always wanted to make sense of everything around me, and it had become a toxic roadblock to feeling inspired. This happens at different times for different people in their journey through life. But that’s just it: life is a journey. You know the saying, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”. Once you accept change, maybe something you’ve been looking at every single day will appear like a new opportunity to invent something. Who knows? Maybe you could be the next Mark Zuckerberg!

8. clean

your

space

It’s much more challenging to get inspired with clutter surrounding you. Let this be one of your first projects to tackle before you get into the groove of making changes in your life! Cleaning can be such a great way to let go of old things and mentally prepare yourself. Tell yourself that you’re allowing and accepting new things to come in. So go crazy – throw out old notes that have been cluttering your desk for months! Go through drawers you haven’t gone through in years. This is a very personal task and it’s a way to clear not only your room, but your mind, too.

9. remember to

laugh

Laugh your worries away. Life doesn’t need to be a cage keeping you from living your dreams and it certainly should not be a box keeping you from feeling inspired. If you’re going through something difficult right now it will, of course, be difficult to laugh about it. However, go find something, ANYTHING, that will make you crack a smile. It could be a TV show, a YouTube video, a friend, a family member…the list goes on. For me, it’s The Big Bang Theory.

Vol. 4 Issue 7 |

25

26

| Rhode Island Creative Magazine

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What's happening creatively in Rhode Island?

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A rtsNowRI.com An easy-to-use calendar that covers all

art related events statewide. You can view the many different artists and events that our creative state has to offer. It’s also where you can submit any events you may be having. Make this your go-to calendar to see what is going on creatively in RI! 4/1/16 - 5/29/16 SUPPORT AND DEFEND An Exhibition of Artworks by Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and by Family Members of Veterans VETS Gallery, 83 Park Street, Providence

5/11/16 WEINER - presented by newportFILM Jane Pickens Theater and Event Center 49 Touro Street, Newport Tickets here

5/14/16 - 5/15/16 Rhode Island Civic Chorale & Orchestra: Britten’s & Fauré’s Requiem 5/14 - Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul 30 Fenner Street, Providence 7:30PM; Tickets here 5/15 - St. Joseph’s Parish Newport 5 Mann Avenue, Newport 3PM; Tickets here 5/14/16 Give Me 5 Teen Film Festival The Greenwich Odeum 59 Main Street, East Greenwich FREE; 7PM 5/18/16 Restored By Design Awareness Night Oki Japanese Steakhouse 1270 Mineral Spring Ave, N. Providence 6 PM - 9 PM; Donatiom $5

4/28/16 - 5/6/16 MIY STORY STUDIO Monday-Saturday 11AM-7PM Sunday 1-6PM 250 Westminster Street Providence All events are free and open to the public. www.miystorystudio.com 5/5/16 - 5/8/16 Festival of Dance 2016 Brown University Theatre - Stuart Theatre 75 Waterman Street, Providence Tickets here 5/8/16 COLLECTION 2016: RISD Apparel Design Seniors to Debut their Work on the Runway Fleet Library at RISD 15 Westminster Street, Providence 4:00PM and 7:00PM Tickets Here

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5/19/16 School One’s Annual Student Art Show School One 220 University Avenue, Providence FREE; 5PM, www.school-one.org 5/12/16 Fusionworks Dance Company An Evening with the Stars Museum of Natural History and Planetarium 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence Tickets here 5/13/16 Girls Night Out! ArtProv Gallery Mixed Magic Theatre 150 Chestnut Street, 3rd Floor Providence FREE; 5PM

5/21/16 WaterFire Providence: Basin Lighting Waterplace Park, In between Memorial Blvd & Francis Street, Providence 8PM; FREE; waterfire.org 5/28/16 Field of Artisans at Jamestown Arts Center

18 Valley Street, Jamestown 10am-3pm; FREE

Check out the full calendar online! www.ricreativemag.com

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