Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Lisa-Marie's Pi Panic


When I first read Betty’s challenge, I was excited. I have always loved the elegant simplicity of symbols, rich with meaning yet clear and concise. The challenge to create a symbol of my own was daunting but exhilarating.

I had several ideas of situations that needed symbols: 
  •   Murphy’s Law (If anything can go wrong it will, and at the worst possible moment)
  •   The pain of the mundane (the endless stream of meaningless obligations)
  •   The odd experience when, after re-tying a shoe that has come untied, the other shoe suddenly feels too loose.
Unfortunately, my enthusiasm quickly gave way to panic: what in the world will I create? It’s one thing to conceive of situations, but how will I depict them? I got tripped up thinking my symbol had to be linear, like an Asian character, but then I started noticing logos and how figures and words are also used. I noticed that symbols aren’t necessarily completely unique, they are often just an innovative way of rendering existing shapes.

Lost and Found
AT&T


Phew! That helps alleviate some of the pressure. I am not limited to line, I can use letters or figures or combinations of these to create something new. 

Though I see a broader range of possibilities, I confess, I’m not making much progress. 
I have, however, noticed my challenge experience follows a familiar path: 
  1. Excitement
  2. Panic
  3. Procrastination
  4. Design
  5. Deadline
  6. Reality
  7. Relief
  8. Repeat

Looks like I’m right on target.  Maybe I need to develop a symbol for that.

1 comment:

  1. Oh, Lisa-Marie! You totally nailed the phases I go through with each of these challenges! I'm currently somewhere between Steps 2 and 3.... I need a nice big slice of Pi about now!

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