Changethethought

I returned yesterday from a week-long holiday to New York. I am sure you noticed the lack of updates to the blog which I have to apologize for as I didn’t really tell anyone I was leaving. I had an absolutely fantastic time there and got to hang with some really wonderful people. I attended the opening of Hyper Island’s New York school and met some nice people there including the founder of Hyper Island. It was a fun event but boy I have to say it had to be 200 degrees inside. It was hot as hell that night and made for a sweaty affair. That same night I ended up going out with a really talented Senior Art Director from Big Spaceship for some drinks and a slice of pizza.

I also attended a Yankee’s game at the new Yankee stadium which was really enjoyable even though I am not a huge sports fan (except for World Cup). It was hotter than the mind could imagine at the game but the new stadium is really impressive. I went to a wedding in Bryant Park which is somewhere you should stop by next time you are in the city. It’s a beautiful park. I finally got to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) which did not disappoint. I got to see some of my favorite Francis Bacon paintings up close and personal and that was really inspiring. I also attended the American Museum of Natural History which I really enjoyed, more so than I thought I would to be honest. I absolutely love anything and everything to do with dinosaurs and the collection there is absolutely fantastic. Rarely does the word apply but it is the only adjective that comes close to describing the collection there. I also visited the Solomon Guggenheim Museum and enjoyed their current photography exhibit entitled ‘Haunted’. Walking up through Frank Lloyd Wright’s classic architectural masterpiece is a very memorable way to experience art. If you ever visit New York, don’t skip a chance to visit the Guggenheim. I walked back and forth across Central Park 2 or 3 times since the train doesn’t really cross it. Central Park in the summer is always an interesting place to visit. I tried to hit up the New Museum since it was only two blocks from my hotel but it was closed Monday and Tuesday. I was sad I didn’t get to see it. I stayed at the Sohotel in Soho close to Little Italy and Little China. The hotel was very affordable and it was also very nice. I recommend it if you are looking for somewhere to stay in NY close to the action but don’t want to spend 3 or 400 dollars a night on a hotel. I hit up some bars in Soho near Houston and Ludlow and also ate dinner in Little Italy. All experiences included were wonderful. I went to the top of the Empire State Building. You have to stand in line forever to get up there and I was a little salty by the time I arrived but when you look out on Ellis Island and the rest of the city from above, it is totally worth the wait. I visited Times Square and took in the movie Inception as well as a cheesey but super fun 80’s rock musical called Rock of Ages on Broadway. I wanted to see the new Mamet play starting Eddie Izzard titled ‘Race‘ but it was sold out. Rock of Ages was a really great time though and I highly recommend it. I  walked by the new interactive Forever 21 billboard directed by my close friend Jasper Gray at Futuristic Films. The billboard points a camera back at the crowd and a lot of people were gathered to stop and take photos. It was exciting to see something from a local Denver shop in the heart of Times Square drawing a crowd, especially something directed by one of my best friends. I also partied a night or two in Brooklyn near Bed-Stuy. I got to see a Banksy piece in the neighborhood and also hit up some really cool bars. That neighborhood is really an exciting place and just spilling over with art. I stayed with my good friend Josh Pipic who works at Agency Net and lives in an absolutely beautiful apartment in Williamsburg. He was really a great host and I can’t say enough about how talented he is and how much of just a great all-around person he is. I had drinks with the fine people of Agency Net one night as well and still keep them high on my Rolodex of people to work with. They are just good souls and have the talent to match. I was stood up by Mario Hugo for drinks since he said they landed a big account and had been pulling back to back all nighters. I accepted a rain check but was bummed I didn’t get to check in with him in his local habitat. Next time I guess.

As always, I love riding the subway in New York. With all of it’s decay and sweltering summer heat it has to be one of the strangest places on Earth. I saw magicians, choirs, crazy people and musicians on the train and riding it is a cultural experience that is unique to NY. I was asked a lot of questions by tourists so I must have looked local which made me feel good.

All in all, it couldn’t have been a more eventful trip for only 1 week’s time. Go to NYC when you get the chance, it’s one of the most amazing cities on this planet. You can live harder, denser and faster there than anywhere else in the world.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Christopher Cox, Holiday, New York, vacation

Well, it’s time for my first vacation in something like two years. I will be traveling to Sunderland on Friday evening to attend the Think Tank show at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art. I will be in Newcastle for a couple days after that and then on to Barcelona for 5 days, then Berlin for a few days and maybe Hamburg or provincial Northern Germany. I will be traveling with my wife. I hope to rekindle some romantic fires and find some new inspiration. I have some big plans upon my return. I will be redesigning then hiring someone to redevelop and then relaunch the blog. I have an account now with Media Temple as well, who will be sponsoring the hosting for Changethethought now. I will be moving over to their servers when I return from my Holiday.

I want to say thank you for all of the sincerely amazing submissions that have been rolling in lately. I have seen some amazing things and beg you to keep them coming. Many more of the posts now are coming from user submissions and I hope that number continues to rise. I also wanted to apologize for any unanswered emails or forgotten posts. I have been overwhelmingly busy this year between my work for Cactus, my new house and Changethethought. I am doing things I love right now though and that is all that matters. I work with some really wonderful people who make me laugh everyday, and I have been surrounded by and speaking with some truely talented and inspiring people this year. All of this is a real blessing.

I have added some new Editors to the site in the last few days and hopefully there will be a few posts while I am away. It is a full time job posting as many things to this site as I do, so I don’t expect that from my Editors. That is my job. Expect that job to resume full throttle upon my return and thank you so much for your support. Keep those submissions coming and stay tuned for more.

You can download a wallpaper for your iPhone of the above logo treatment (minus the type at the bottom) right here. Just click and hold on your iPhone and save the image. See and speak with you again in two weeks.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought, Ctt News, Holiday, vacation

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

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