Let this sink in

Posted on April 4, 2019April 18, 2019 Posted in MY WORLDTagged Advice, Art, Design, Feelings, Gift, Graphic Design, Inspiration, Journal, Learning, Life, Mindfulness, Special7 Comments

Let this sink in

There are things we don’t say to ourselves as often as we could, like the way we truly are as individuals, blessed with unique abilities and idiosyncrasies. Allow these words ‘YOU ARE SPECIAL’ sink into your subconscious repeatedly, then you’ll begin to realise how awesome and special you are. Not just to you but to your loved ones, your peers, colleagues, and to those who you’ve just made their day today. Putting a smile on a person’s face requires something special from within. People never forget how you made them feel remember, and you’ve managed that, well done!

Anytime you begin to feel worthless, low, inferior, or useless, ruminate on the words above over and over, allow it to marinate in your subconscious, and you’ll begin to feel differently about yourself, who you are as a unique being (there is only one you) and what you bring (a gift) to this world.

You are special indeed! Truly!!

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

A little about HOPE

Posted on March 28, 2019May 9, 2019 Posted in Oh My! Quotes!!Tagged Advice, Anne Lamott, Art, Creativity, Design, Graphic Design, Hope, Inspiration, Journal, Life, Optimism, Progress, Quotes, ResilienceLeave a comment

A little about HOPE

Philip Abang. A little about HOPE. Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up. _Anne Lamott. quote — Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up. _Anne Lamott

A very specific message of doing your best, not giving up and the optimism that hope brings.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

Infinite loop

Posted on March 14, 2019April 13, 2019 Posted in Design, MY WORLDTagged Art, Creativity, Design, Discovery, Graphic Design, Ideas, Journal, Knowledge, Learning, Life, Mind, Photography, Quotes, Typography, Writing4 Comments

‘Learning is an infinite loop’ by Philip Abang

I created this series of works with the notion that our capacity to learn, generate idea(s) and discovering old or new things is infinite. Think about it, we are constantly learning and finding things foreign to us or discovering things unknown or unaware of, etc.

We share our old or new found knowledge by teaching it or disseminating it as information. In these events, new ideas are formed or generated, and if put in good use, amazing things are created.

This process repeats itself, on and on it goes like a loop thus the visual metaphor which I have created using pieces of strings and a scanner.

We will never stop learning, discovering or generating ideas, sharing, teaching, etc., and the process repeats itself like an infinite loop.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

Something to aim at

Posted on March 5, 2019April 13, 2019 Posted in Oh My! Quotes!!Tagged Advice, Bruce Lee, Design, Goals, Graphic Design, Ideas, Journal, Learning, Life, Progress, Quotes, Typography12 Comments

'Something to aim at'

'Something to aim at' Philip Abang. A goal is not always to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at. _Bruce Lee — A goal is not always to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at. _Bruce Lee

Isn’t it ironic that when a goal isn’t reached it is deemed a failure on ones own path. Although, not everyone sees it this way.

I have beat myself too many times not reaching certain goals that I had set. I look at my endeavour as a failure rather than a journey of discovery, learning and growth. I forget the progress and gains made in that process. I completely forget that some goals I had set was certainly to give me something to aim at, and definitely something to focus on.

The keyword in a goal is the phrase ‘something to aim at’. Take away our goals and we have nothing to aim at however basic that goal may seem.

I have come to the realisation that some goals take longer to achieve than others. Some are for self development and discovery, while some are just things that can take our awareness to certain areas. In all, it is just something that our awareness is aimed at.

I am practising being less harsh on myself realising that the process and progress in every goal is what counts. I wouldn’t look back at any point to evaluate my process or progress if there wasn’t something aimed at in the first place.

Be gentle on yourself if that goal isn’t yet accomplished. At least, you are driven by an aim. Take some time out to see your progress and what you have learnt in the process.

Slow progress to your goal is better than none. You still have ‘something to aim at’.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

The Egg and Life metaphor

Posted on February 7, 2019February 13, 2019 Posted in Hello Quotes!Tagged Art, Blogger, Creativity, Design, Graphic Design, Jim Kwik, Learning, Life, Quotes, Type, Typography, Visual art, Visual metaphorLeave a comment

The Egg and Life metaphor

“Your life is like an egg. If an egg is broken by an outside force life ends, but if an egg is broken by the inside force, life begins.” Jim kwik

Great quote from one of my favourite speaker and Brain Coach.

I hope that my visual metaphor does it justice.

Have a brilliant day today.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

Adopt Positivity

Posted on February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 Posted in DesignTagged Advice, Art, Design, Focus, Geoffrey James, Graphic Design, Growth, Inspiration, Learning, Life, People, Positivity, Type, Typography3 Comments

Adopt Positivity

I came across this article How to Create a Positive Attitude, it is worth a read.

Here are some bullets points I gathered from this insightful article by Geoffrey James:

1. Remember that YOU control your attitude.

2. Adopt beliefs that frame events in a positive way.

3. Create a “library” of positive thoughts.

4. Avoid angry or negative media.

5. Ignore whiners and complainers.

6. Use a more positive vocabulary.

Thank you very much and have a good day.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

A little of what I love… Period

Posted on January 28, 2019February 20, 2019 Posted in MY WORLDTagged Adventure, Afrobeats, Animals, Art, Calipso, Creativity, Documentaries, Etching, Experimenting, Exploration, Family, Gosple music, Graphic Design, Harmony, Jazz, Laugh, Learning, Life, Life and living, Love, Music, Nature, Peace, People, Period, Photograms, Pop, Rap, RnB, Screenprint, Script, Sports, Storytelling, Type, Typography, Unity, Words6 Comments

A little of what I love… Period

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I love pretty much everything to be honest, and I sincerely love my neighbours too period! 😉

Design, Art direction, Post 
By Philip Abang

31.12.18 and Thank YOUs

Posted on December 31, 2018January 30, 2019 Posted in Celebration, Hello ZedtearsTagged Art, Blogger, Creativity, Design, Family, Feelings, Graphic Design, Gratitude, Inspiration, Life, People, Quotes, Together, Typography, Writers3 Comments

31.12.18 and Thank YOUs

I know it is New Year’s day at some regions/places. It is 22.40 GMT here at the United Kingdom. I will like seize this moment to thank you all for being part of this adventure of mine.

I started my website in late February 2018 and posted my first blog post on Mar 4, 2018 7:07 PM titled Happiness followed by Potential and Confidence respectively.

Some of my favourite posts have been Living, Together, Storybook, and of course, Kojo and Not Just a Pretty Face by Tambu Geeray respectively. I must state that Collaborating with Tambu Geeray brought out the best in my design concept to bring his story to life.

96 posts and counting, I wouldn’t have been here without the amazing followers and readers that have become a huge part of this journey.

My initial intention when I started was to at least have someone have a peek at my portfolio (which seems outdated now) having gone and studied Graphic Design as a mature student and doing the best I could. Life is about learning and discovery, and also rising to challenges. Studying Graphic Design in my mid to late thirties was no exception. It was very tough, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Imaging not trying at all. I gave my all despite my struggles, and in the end I graduated with a First Class Honours in Graphic Design.

“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” _Jack Canfield

In all these, I have met so many wonderful people along the way, and on the WordPress platform I have discovered some gems in people, their writings and stories. Simply amazing!!

This post barely has the space to express my gratitude. But here is to you all that have helped shaped and moulded me to who I have become. I can proudly say that I blog, I design, I inspire (I’d like to think so), I aspire, I illustrate, I……, I TRY.

2019 holds greater challenges but we will all rise to the occasion. Let’s go!!!!!!

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart and have a blessed 2019.

Happy New Year.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Abang

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

Life is an ever-changing blend of sweet and sour

Posted on December 31, 2018 Posted in Hello Quotes!, Hello ZedtearsTagged Advice, Blogger, Creativity, Design, Dr Perry, Graphic Design, Ideas, Inspiration, Journal, Learning, Life, MakeItUltra, Mind, Nature, Poetry, Quotes, Typography13 Comments

Life is an ever-changing blend of sweet and sour. _Dr Perry

Life is an ever-changing blend of sweet and sour, sometimes it parallels the sweetness of honey and other times it can be as sour as a lemon. It is easy to become overwhelmed when we think of the frailty of life. Every day of our lives we have one foot stepping forward into the unknown while the other momentarily remains suspended in the past. Life is a flux of constant energy in motion. We grasp for it, only to momentarily hold onto it, as it slips away.

I wish I had the ability to suspend the forward motion of time. I would choose to live in certain moments of my life; only moving on when I was completely ready to do so. Sadly, life does not allow us to hit the pause or replay button. Every moment blooms and wilts replaced by countless others. We must treat our time with reverence and not waste it foolishly. Life should be lived consciously and not in a state of reverie.

Dr Perry.
MakeItUltra™ Psychology

I read Dr Perry’s Awaken The New Year 2019 and I was totally blown away by how he poetically summed up ‘life’. Being a lover of words and quotes, I reached out to Dr Perry to permit me to post these two paragraphs from his post. Being the gentleman that he is, he kindly accepted. I did what I usually do as a designer and that is to give a visual context using text and image to elicit the emotional connotation of what he was trying to convey.

I would highly recommend that you visit Dr Perry’s blog which is packed with words of wisdom and super knowledge on psychology and state of being.

Have a beautiful time.

Many Thanks.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang

A good first step towards greater understanding

Posted on December 30, 2018January 30, 2019 Posted in Hello Quotes!Tagged Advice, Design, Family, Graphic Design, Inspiration, Life, People, Queen Elizabeth II, Quotes, Typography, UnderstandingLeave a comment

A good first step towards greater understanding _ Queen Elizabeth II

This is a continuation of my initial post The Queen’s Goodwill Message and I. #1.

I guess you can call this #2.

The Queen’s goodwill message had plenty of good in it I must admit.

So here is another one.

“Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding.”_ Queen Elizabeth II

Do have a fantastic day.

Design, Art direction, Post
By Philip Abang