Changethethought

Well, try as I did, I was not able to get tickets to watch Obama speak tonight. I pulled out every stop but it just didn’t happen. I am planning on running by the Andenken Gallery one more time today for the Manifest Hope show and give away some posters I did for MoveOn.org this week along with what is left of the stickers I made a year or more back. So, if you are in the neighborhood today, stop by and pick up some free stuff.

I have been creating stickers and t-shirts for MoveOn all this month, and if you are at the speech tonight they will be selling the t-shirts afterwards. I don’t get anything from the sales, but I do believe some of the money goes towards the Obama campaign.

I think tonight will be a moment to remember in American history. I have zero doubt that Obama’s speech will be anything less than amazing. I just hope this pushes on through all the way. I really do. I will be downtown in Denver tonight with my wife and hopefully some friends to watch it happen wherever we can squeeze in and catch it on T.V. Then I will be out tonight downtown for a while. Even though I won’t be in the arena, it is still amazing to be living here in Denver while this is all happening. It really is history being made. It has been very surreal and I am so glad that even in a small way, I have been able to be an active part.

Hope may be a 4 letter word, but those are 4 very powerful letters that when combined can create a movement and make history.

written by Christopher | tags: Barack Obama, Changethethought, Denver DNC, DNC

Well, I am officially back in the all-too-stressful and fearful United States of America. It is always a breath of fresh air to visit a part of the world, in my case Brazil, where there are numerous people who have never owned a computer and probably will never even look at the internet. The major difference I notice now when traveling to Brazil is how much the U.S. has changed in the last 10 years. I have been traveling to Brazil for a decade now and it’s just amazes me how much of a downturn the U.S. has taken. Right off when you board the first full Brazilian airline bound for Brazil, you are greeted graciously, treated like royalty, allowed to order any beverage, including alcohol at any time during your flight and you are served something to eat on every single flight. They start the flight by walking down the aisle and handing out caramels. It sounds hard to believe when you spend a lot of time flying in the states where you are practically strip searched and harassed at every turn in the airport only to be treated like dogshit by the flight attendants once you finally get the chance to board your plane. I was called sir by every Brazilian airline steward and asked things like, ‘Sir, would you like another drink?’ When I was back in the states I was asked, ‘Hey, want somethin’ to drink? and, ‘Want some water?’ Also when I was leaving the plane the American stewardess, said (and I couldn’t make this up if I tried), ‘See ya later.’

I was also harassed by customs because apparently I am on the bullshit list they have now of people they like to harass and then they rummaged through my wife and I’s luggage for about 15 minutes throwing the contents aside and then telling us to repack it when we were done. This was all after flying through Brazil and overnight for around 12 hours before we reached the U.S. I just couldn’t believe it. It made me sick. I wanted to turn around and go right back to Brazil. What has happened in this country? Have we become so afraid that we actually expect to be treated like this? I don’t see how this is freedom anymore and how we can even pretend that it is. Don’t get me wrong, Brazil has it’s share of serious problems. The crime is awful and there is real poverty there. I guess after growing up in an altogether different version of the United States, I just find this new one unfriendly and difficult to adjust to. I wish the fearmongering and the harassment would stop. It doesn’t feel like after a lifetime of incredibly hard work and paying taxes without ever asking where that money is going, that someone should be treated so inhospitably. Especially when this is your home.

Anyway, off my soapbox for now. I was happy to get back to blogging again and the Democratic National Convention is underway here in Denver and it is really exciting. I am selling large format Obama posters here all week and you can also buy them at the Manifest Hope show at the Andenken Gallery. I was there today and finally had the chance to meet and converse with Shepard Fairey. He is a truly nice person and I was really happy to learn that. He was very gracious and is absolutely respectful to his fans. It is always nice to meet someone you look up to and learn they are a nice person.

I did have a little time to create some new experimental illustrations that you can find in the Illustration section of the site. You can see one of my latest creations above this post. You will also notice images of the posters now on sale in the online storefront below the sideblog. Thank you sincerely for those of you who have purchased posters, it helps keep the blog running.

I hope all is well for you out there and I am glad to be back communing with you all again. Thank you so much for reading and supporting the blog. Also thank you so much for my bloggers for holding it down in my absence.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought News, Graphic Design, Illustration, Posters

Finally, the first series of Changethethought posters is now available for sale. All of the posters in the image above were printed in sets of 100. You can purchase them here for 18 dollars a piece. If you buy 3 or more they are reduced to 15 dollars each. The posters are printed on extra heavy 100lb True White paper. The color reproduction is top notch. They are vivid, lush and rich in detail. I have signed and numbered every poster. The second generation of posters will be marked as such. Merchline ships internationally as well, so don’t be afraid to order if you are in Europe or anywhere else overseas.

Get them while you can. It may be a while before the next series is printed. Massive 24 by 36 Obama posters will be available in September.

Spread the word.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought Posters, Ctt News, Graphic Design, Posters

I have to warn you that the blog will probably be very slow over the next two weeks. It pains me to say it but the traffic is higher than it ever has been since the site first launched as a full on blog. Right now there are close to 3,000 people a day stopping by and that just reached that particular threshold this week. So it saddens me to not be able to keep up the pace for two whole weeks but I will be traveling to Brazil for the next two weeks with my wife. She lives in a fairly remote part of northern Brazil called Teresina. You can see a picture of it above. I will have a spotty dial-up connection here and there but that will be about it for the next two weeks. I wish I could lie and say I will feel bad that I am not pumping out the latest news for you when I am on the beach for 4 days in Fortaleza but I won’t. I am going to give my self at least that long to collect myself and kind of get my focus back.

This year has been the hardest working year of my entire life. That is no exaggeration. This blog has really turned into a part time, if not sometimes full time job but it is something I have wanted to do for a very long time and it has been really exciting to see so many people coming here for inspiration. I don’t think a lot of people realize how hard it can be to run something like this and since about 95% of the posts come directly from me, it has been a tremendous amount of work. I believe in art and design though and I also believe in inspiring people and helping give artists, designers, photographers and anyone in between a place where they can show their work to an interested audience. That was something that really helped me forward my career in the past and I wanted to give that back.

So please bare with me for the next couple of weeks while I soak up a little long needed sun and finally spend some quality time with the woman who has supported me and all my crazy ideas for the last 10 years.

On the Changethethought news front, I have printed 10 of the posters from the print section in series of 100 per design. They are all A3 sized and printed on 100lb true white stock. The color reproduction really blew my mind. I was so excited when I got them back. They really look amazing. They are every bit as vivid and rich in person as they are on the website. I was really stunned. My printer really pulled out all the stops for me and did a great job. The posters include the ‘We Not Me, Buckminster Fuller and Pure Energy’ designs that a lot of people seem to like. They should be in the Changethethought Merchline store the week after next.

Lastly, I also printed 2,000 of the Obama Commemorative posters. Yep, 2,000. It cost me a damned fortune but I think it was worth it. I haven’t had time to photograph them properly yet but they are stunning. I took them out of the packaging and immediately sold 8 of them to my coworkers right there on the spot. If I can actually sell all of them, I would like to give somewhere around 10,000 dollars or so back to the Obama campaign. Maybe even more. I haven’t figured out the math yet. The posters are printed on 80lb Mohawk Felt White paper. There is a texture to the paper that really absorbed the color and they printed really rich and deep. I was really excited. The crazy thing is that when you stack them all they stand about waist high and weigh something like 300-400 pounds. I have no clue how the hell I am going to get them shipped to Merchline. I plan on signing and numbering every single one. Chances are I will never print another run but who knows. I will number them in succession as I print them though.

So when I get home, I gotta crack into those bad boys and start signing away. Then figure out how the hell you ship 400lbs worth of posters over 2,000 miles. Ah the things we do in the creative business. I really felt like there was a need for a more austere and serious Obama poster though. I wanted people to have something that kind of memorialized him and was symbolic of his place in history and his accomplishments. If your for him or not, he really is a special case and I think it’s important to create something that lets people remember this moment in history.

So thank you for reading and thank you for sending emails and thank you for supporting me. I promise you as soon as I am back in the states I will turn it back on again full throttle and keep pouring out every good tidbit of design that I can find to keep your gears turning. For all my bloggers on the site here, if you can keep it rolling for me over the next couple of weeks. Thank you to my fellow bloggers on the site as well. I really appreciate your effort sincerely.

written by Christopher | tags: Brazil, Changethethought, Ctt News, Teresina, vacation

There is new work posted to both my print and illustration sections. Some of which is actual client work the other is experimentation. I try to keep creating things that are different and challenge my skillsets and keep me fresh. That is an ongoing challenge in this field especially when things get stagnant and unchallenging at the day job. It is a struggle to stay relevant in this field. It takes work everyday. I remain committed to the cause.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Illustration, Print, Work

Well, this one goes out to all the readers in the United States. I am currently in San Antonio, Texas visiting some old college friends of my wife and I. They recently had a baby who is absolutely adorable and has boundless energy. I don’t think I have ever been around a baby so little who has such a lust for life. She barely sleeps and is constantly smiling and ready to go. She is already making all kinds of sounds and even standing by pulling herself up on the sofa. All of that is happening while she is only 7 months old. I think she is going to be some kind of a child genius. It doesn’t surprise me though since my friend is working on his P.H.D. at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

It’s always good to get away and see old friends. I rarely get personal on this blog and sometimes I think I should more often because that is what people like. I have been really stressed out lately trying to figure out how to earn more income for my wife and I since she is really ready to have a child. I want to be able to provide for her and my baby when the time comes and it has just been hard to earn enough in this field to do so. The United States has become a lot tougher place in the last 10 years for younger couples and the future doesn’t always look so bright either. It’s a hard time right now I think for everyone. I would love it if I did well enough that my wife could stay home for a year and take care of our baby but I just don’t and that weighs heavy on me. It’s hard not to get down and be a little angry sometimes and when that happens I sometimes bite the hand that feeds me and then make it even worse for myself.

So, I am trying a lot of new things in the future to try to get the ball rolling more for myself. Hopefully some of those things will pan out. It’s been a crazy year so far with this blog and in my own personal work. I never thought it would attract the attention that it has but I am just getting started. I really want to start doing interviews this year with other people in the creative industry and starting to add some new content to the site that will make it a lot more resourceful and meaningful for people.

Happy 4th everyone and if you have the chance to, take some time for yourself or to spend with your family. I’ll try to keep posting a few things here and there while I am on the road and I will be back in the saddle again fulltime come Monday.

written by Christopher | tags: 4th of July, Changethethought, Ctt News, Personal

I just put yet another new poster in the print section. More more more.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Posters, Print

I wasn’t going to do a separate post about this but it is already drawing some interest so I decided I might as well. I created a couple new posters in the print section this week along with the large scale Obama Commemorative Poster last week. This most recent poster was meant to be both meditative and introspective but also about design and typography. I am a big fan of Helvetica and I thought why not combine that with my love for metaphysics? It was kind of a strange idea and hard to explain but fortunately an interesting poster that hopefully has a little more going on than what appears on the surface came out of the exercise. It’s a simple poster in terms of the design but hopefully the complexity comes through when it is given a little extra thought. Anyway, it’s now in the print section and may or may not be printed in the future depending on how much demand it generates.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought Posters, Ctt News, Graphic Design, Helvetica, Posters

I have been interviewed recently by several publications including Pilot Magazine in New Zealand, .PSD Magazine and an interview with Advanced Photoshop UK that hit the newstands today. Being interviewed is always interesting in my case because since I have been so open about my political beliefs on the site, I am often asked questions that I don’t think a lot of other designers would be asked. Inevitably the discussion always shifts away from design and into ideas about the future and where exactly civilization is going. It’s hard for me to talk about what I do without talking about how I see the bigger picture influencing my work. One thing I always hate talking about is style. I always feel like there is this urgent need to be able to pigeon hole designers and artists into a neat little definable genre. I like to experiment a lot and never really settle on any discernable style. I feel like the digital age offers up that opportunity now and I like to take advantage of that.

Anyway, those are some of the things discussed in my recent interviews. If you would like to read my interview with Advanced Photoshop UK, you can do so by downloading a low-res PDF of the interview here.

I also put a couple new poster designs in the print section of the site that you can check out. You can read more about them there as well. There is one in there for all of you fellow Helvetica lovers. There are lots of things going on in my life right now. Stay tuned. I promise you posters will be printed soon. This whole blog thing along with a fulltime job are really pulling me at both ends. It’s been difficult to stay on top of it all lately. I am going back into classes for acting next week as well. So, there are lots of things happening. You gotta live while you can.

written by Christopher | tags: Advanced Photoshop Magazine, Changethethought Posters, Ctt News, Poster

I created yet one more pack of free posters as a creative alternative to the existing posters. This set comes with a version at 8.5 x 11 so it is even more ‘at home’ printer friendly. It is also available in both 11×17 and 24×36. In all honesty these were created because I was experimenting with a new style of vector illustration and a poster came out of that experimentation. I thought I might as well offer it up to anyone who might like to use it to promote Obama. I created this at the same time as the commemoritive poster but decided to go with the look and feel for the commemoritive poster versus this style. It’s a bit more of a characatur than previous images. The image does translate well from a distance though.

As always you can download all of the files in the Obama section and use at your discression (so long as you do not intend to sell them).

I am in the process of gathering price quotes for the printing of the large scale commemoritive poster, so it should be available for sale within the next 3 weeks.

written by Christopher | tags: Barack Obama, Changethethought, Ctt News, Free Obama Posters

I decided just before Obama won the nomination for the Democratic party that I wanted to do a commemorative poster for him. I felt like what has been missing lately with a lot of the work that has been done out there for him is something a little more ageless and less trendy. I thought a lot of older voters would appreciate having something they could hang on their wall as well. So I set out to try and create something that would bridge that divide a little bit and appeal to both young and old. I wanted the image to almost appear as a giant commemorative stamp. At least that was how I saw it in my head. I realized that his logo worked with the same composition as I had done earlier for the poster I created commemorating Buckminster Fuller. So, I decided to stick with that design and potentially do a series of these.

I will be printing this poster sometime in the next few weeks before the DNC and it will be available for purchase in my Merchline Storefront when it is off the press. Once the cost of production is paid for through the sales, whatever profit is accrued by the posters will be donated directly to Obama’s campaign. The poster is very large measuring in at 24 by 36 inches (2 feet by 3 feet). It just about destroyed my computer as the actual 300 dpi Photoshop file was nearing 3 gigs. I have been whittling away at it for about 2 weeks off an on now and I am finally satisfied with the result. The poster will be printed on crisp white 100lb stock paper to preserve the highlight effect on Obama’s face. I also used the official Obama typeface as well since it has become such a known part of his propaganda, and I felt it was important to make sure that was in this poster.

I will write another entry announcing when the poster will be available for sale. Stay tuned. As always you can see the poster along with a closer detail in the PRINT section with the rest of my print work.

YOU CAN NOW PURCHASE ONE HERE.

written by Christopher | tags: Barack Obama, Changethethought, DNC, Obama Poster

I find the name of Andrew Laidlaw’s website (Authentic GOP) slightly ironic when considering the email he sent me tonight. Needless to say I was a little upset about the email. What I tried to make clear to Mr. Laidlaw was that his intention of ‘ripping me off’ as he puts it only undermines what he is attempting to do by creating materials that support his cause. I told him that if he was an honest person and cared about his integrity, he would work as hard as I have for Obama to create his own materials to support McCain, and by doing so he might help galvanize some integrity for young voters interested in McCain. I find it really sad that his conscience won’t allow him to ‘rip me off’ without first warning me about it. It shows that he knows what he is doing is wrong, otherwise he would just do it. It’s a level that I won’t sink to and I think it destroys his credibility and injects a fatal flaw into his argument. If he really cared about his candidate, then he should create original works that support him and give them away as I have. I think it’s a lot more effective to create materials that ‘support’ a candidate you believe in then it is to create negative materials that seek to smear the candidate you are against. One of these methods shows passion and inspires others while the other only encourages negativity and sours the argument. Here is his email and his contact information. Feel free to read it and contact him letting him know what you think. As for me, you can always reach me easily. He has already told me he knows I am a ‘novice’ and don’t have a legal leg to stand on. Cheers to you Andrew. You are a really talented guy for figuring out how to effectively steal from people and take advantage instead of putting in your own work.

Below is Andrew Laidlaw’s email to me and you can reach Andrew at (click the address to send him an email if you like): andrewlaidlaw@comcast.net

“Even tough I’m not on the obama side of the isle, I wish to help you out… sort of…

I don’t think your going to be happy with some of the art you have made available for free advising people to change it any way they want. That’s what I plan to do and I know your not going to be happy with the results. I don’t wish to aggravate you or dishearten you, but you left your self wide open for this one. I suggest you now modify your statement for future downloads.

I know I wouldn’t be happy if I had created art like that and some one used it for an opposite intention. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN RIPPING OF ART, AND DONT but you did advise people do so as they please with it… so the reason I’m writing you is a courtesy to point out that which I don’t think you really thought that throughly about.

Best wishes,

Andrew
Authentic GOP.com”

Can you believe this guy? Seriously. Please send him an email letting him know what you think of people poaching other artist’s work for their own gain.

written by Christopher | tags: Andrew Laidlaw, authentic gop, ripping people off

I just wanted to note that the reason for the decreased amount of entries over the last few days is because of my absence from the United States. I am currently lounging by the pool at the San Carlos Plaza Hotel in San Carlos, Mexico (you can see it on the coastline in the distance in the picture above). It is absolutely beautiful here. My brother-in-law’s wife’s father owns the hotel and it is a real tropical paradise. I went fishing on a yacht in the Sea of Cortez yesterday and have been on a steady diet of seafood and mojitos now for about 2 days straight. It has been great to unwind. The blog has been kicking my ass lately and wearing me out, so it has been nice to take a little break.

I will be back in the saddle on Wednesday so expect the regular amount of entries later this week.

Viva la Mexico.

written by Christopher | tags: Ctt News, Mexico, San Carlos Plaza Hotel, vacation

Changethethought is currently seeking new authors for the blog. If you are an artist, designer, musician, filmmaker, art director, creative director, fashion designer, motion graphics designer, web designer or all around design guru who has an interest in sharing your knowledge with the world, please send an email to hire [at] changethethought dot com along with your name, the city and country you would be writing from, 3 news items you would post to Changethethought and a link to your website and/or portfolio.

If you do not want to send an email directly, you can also use the contact form currently on our website.

You are welcome to be open, honest and express your opinions here at Changethethought. We hope to hear from you soon.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought News, Seeking Bloggers

Alright, so the fateful time has finally drawn near where it is time to actually print some of the posters I have created over the last several months. I have my quotes in for the first 7 posters. All of the posters (minus the Iso Series posters commemorating the isometric paper system) will be printed on A3 size paper. A3 is pretty close to 11×17. All of the posters will be printed on 100lb stock paper, some on white others on natural tone. Since they aren’t really large posters, they will be fairly inexpensive. The cost per poster will probably be in the 15-20 dollar range and I will be able to ship overseas, which makes it a pretty good deal if you are not subjugated to the sinking dollar like we are here in the states.

The question is, and I am having trouble with this myself so I am asking you, which ones do I print first? I will only be doing 7 at first and depending on how well the first series goes, I will be printing more in the fall. Which posters would you buy? Which posters do you like? Let me know with your comments or send me an email. I will be printing the ‘We Not Me’ poster for sure because there has been a really high volume of emails requesting that particular poster. Outside of that, they are all fair game. Please help me decide. I value your opinion as readers and you, after all, are my audience. If you frequent the blog often and enjoy the work I do, now is your chance to help determine what you would like to own for yourself. If you need a memory refresher, the posters are all listed in the PRINT section of the website.

Thank you so much in advance for reading the blog and supporting the site.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Posters, Print

I posted a short series I did in the personal section of the site. I usually try to do short series of art or illustrations throughout the year just to try my hand at different styles and flex my brain a little.

I have a few leads on projects but I am still seeking freelance opportunity and artistic representation as well. Please contact me if you are interested.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought News, Opportunity, Personal Work

I wanted to officially put out a notice that I am currently seeking new opportunities. I realize immediately that sounds vague, so let me explain. I am currently looking for several things. I am seeking representation artistically. I would like to gain representation to help me better access freelance projects for both my design and illustration work. With that said I am also actively seeking freelance work at this time. I want to emphasize that the work on this website, all filed under the ‘WORK’ section and subsections was all created by me (Christopher Cox) individually and no one else. So, if you feel you may have a project suitable for me but would like to see my capabilities you can find a good cross section of my work in the work section of the site. I have no real discernable style but consider myself a bit of a renaissance man in that regard. I feel comfortable working in whatever style best suits the unique considerations of the project. If you would like to see something more in a specific style I would be happy to send samples, if available, that are not currently on the site. I am fully capable in creating motion boards, digital illustration, typography, branding, logo development, design for apparel (t-shirt art), posters, comps for websites and providing concepts for television commercials. I am willing and happy to work for or with clients both in the United States and overseas.

In the very near future, because the site is growing so rapidly in audience and content, I will most likely have to move the site to a new host and server. So I am seeking hosting sponsorship along with potential advertising on and for the site. If you or anyone you know are interested in this please contact me.

In the near future I will be printing several posters and I am also looking for good printers for that project as well. I will be printing both digitally on heavy stock paper and screen printing. So for those of you that have been requesting posters, there will be several available before the summer is out.

If you would like to contact me regarding representation, a creative project, or are interested in advertising on the site please contact me via the contact section. Thank you so much for your support and for visiting the site. It’s been a fascinating sociological experiment and it has been great sharing with and engaging with you all on a daily basis. It has been a real growing experience and it will continue to be. Changethethought is only just beginning.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Seeking Opportunity

I created two more Changethethought ‘message’ posters last week. I wanted to try to create something timeless, yet stylish that looks as though it could either be current or could have been created years back. The font is entirely custom. It is a variant of the font I created for the Barack Obama posters that some people loved and others hated. I have since refined the font greatly to make it my own.

These posters will most likely be silkscreened on heavy paper, natural tone stock for the chocolate poster and white for the lime poster. I have been receiving a lot of emails lately requesting posters. I have not printed any officially yet but there should be some available near the end of this summer. I will let everyone know when they are in the storefront.

It’s been great just working with pure typography again lately. I almost forgot how much I love type. I have a new image series in the works however and that will be on the site sometime in the next few weeks. Lots of things going on. Stay tuned.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Posters, Print