I enjoy reading a number of things from blogs to novels. I keep up with several fiction authors and I enjoy reading news articles. I pretty much just like to read. However, one type of material that I cannot go a day without sampling is poetry and prose. These forms of writing seem, to me, to be the most natural form of communication calling on all emotions and senses to form a work of art. Whether it be a simple speech or a sonnet, I enjoy the forming of stories in this creative manner.
Two of my favorite writers are Anais Nin and Pablo Neruda. Between the two exists a very wide range of work. I enjoy them for different reasons. A lot of the work of Anais Nin focuses on female sensuality and empowerment, where as, Neruda has a wide range of subjects from love to exile. One of my favorite Anais Nin Quotes reads as follows:
“I walk ahead of myself in perpetual expectancy of miracles.”-Anais Nin (1903-1977)
Anais Nin is the author of several diaries and novels. One of my favorite novels that she wrote is “Henry & June.” Nin was raised just outside of Paris in a town called Neuilly. She is most famous for her published journals which she began to write at only 11 years old. I enjoy Anais Nin because her diaries and works tell personal stories that women can relate to on every level. She had a beautiful way with words.
I was introduced to Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) my freshman year at Georgia Southern in an English course. Neruda was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. He served not only as a poet but as an “activist” during a time of uproar in Chile. There is a very touching story about him being exiled, Las Uvas y el Viento, which is a personal diary.
I fell in love with him after reading “I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You.” The following is an excerpt:
“I Love you only because it’s you the one I love; I hate you deeply, and hating you; Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you, is that I do not see you but love you blindly.”
The Following video is a clip from “II Postino.” A 1994 film that portrays a man seeking help from Neruda to get the attention of a woman.
Neruda and Nin both have an inspiring way with words that I find touching.
Anyone and everyone who knows me know that I am involved in a lot of things. I sometimes stretch myself so thin that I have to remind myself that I am only human and that I need to step back to take things in. The truth, simply put, is that I value success, not success in terms of wealth and popularity but success in the sense that everything I do benefits someone else.
For instance, every day I am an advocate for a boy’s home. I have volunteered at the home going into my third year and every day I wonder what I will do without them once I graduate and have to move on. Not only do I get to fill a void for things that the boys are missing but they remind me that I am a part of a bigger picture, a larger universe. I walk in and even though they probably will never tell me they are excited to see me, bombarding me with stories about school, and new girlfriends, and anything else they can think of. I get the privilege of knowing that when I leave for the day they feel like someone loves them.
Over the past few years of my life I have learned that life is not at all about what you get out of it but what you put into making another person’s life easier. So if I have to force a smile because my day is going bad and pretend everything is okay in order to make the people around me feel like life is good then that is what I will do.
I believe too many times we get caught up with this hands-on service commitment and miss the memo that people just need constant reassurance that life can be better than it is today or than it was yesterday.
So my service is simple. I do many things hands on but my ultimate goal is to just be a light in dark places for the people around me. If I have to tell a joke, I will tell a joke. If I have to do a silly dance, I will do just that. I have been blessed abundantly with the understanding that this world is not just about me.
…And even though there are times that I need a light I am perfectly content with putting me on hold in order to help someone else. See, I know that everything will be okay so it’s my duty to share that belief with someone else.
Professor Barbara Nixon recently introduced our class to the “Language of the Image” course hosted by News University.There was so much information presented yet it was easy to understand. I enjoyed learning new things about images and the vocabulary used to define them.
The most interesting thing about the course is the description of different elements in a photograph. My favorite being the way a photographer can take multiple shots from a different approach of one setting and capture a completely different emotion in each one. The course used the example of a photograph taking photos of a baby being born.
In the first image it is from the point of view of the mother with a point of entry (the element of the photograph that the viewer is drawn to) that focuses on the mother. In the second image the father is captured in an emotional state looking at the child. The photographer was able to capture the same moment from two completely different approaches.
One thing that surprised me about the course was the fact that until reading how many elements are considered when taking a photograph I had never noticed them before. Now I have begun to look at images differently. It is fascinating all of the things a photographer can do with an image.
I plan to learn more about the point of entry so that when I am working on my design portfolio my images will be appetizing for my viewers.
My Public Relations Writing classmates discussed their dream jobs this week in their blogs. Some of them were pretty interesting. Meghan for instance wanted to be a publicist to the stars. I think that could be fun but at the same time stressful. It’s possible that the fun will outweight the stressful times though! Check out the comment I left: Meghan C.
Jacquie, posted about event planning as well. She wants to specialize in wedding planning. Check out her blog post too!
I remember riding in the car with my mother explaining to her what I wanted to be when I grew up. I only wanted to be two things: a princess and a pediatrician.
Well in my Grandpa’s eyes I will always and forever be a princess but that pediatrician thing is far from my mind. After graduating from high school I was determined to become a registered nurse. As a matter of fact, when I first registered at Georgia Southern my major was Nursing. …that didn’t last long.
The second semester of my freshman year I went to the emergency room with one of my best friends. I will not go into detail but I will say that the experience completely changed my mind about being in any field that involved me coming in contact with body parts and blood. Around that same time I also realized that I really enjoyed my public speaking class. I went immediately to the advising center to let my peer adviser know that I wanted to do anything that dealt with communications.She just so happened to be a Public Relations major.
It is now approximately three years later and I am currently a senior Public Relations major and I know that I have taken the right path. I am scheduled to graduate in May of 2010. My ultimate goal is to own my own firm that handles every aspect of creative marketing and promotions. I picture people introducing me as, Natalia Daies, Creative Director and Senior Publicist. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Currently in one of my courses at Georgia Southern I am learning how to effectively use QuarkXpress so from time to time I forget little things about InDesign that can be helpful to anyone when designing a document.
One of the tips that I would like to share is “grouping” items on a page. Grouping items can allow a designer to move items collectively without losing the work that has already been done. The directions are simple once you understand what is going on. The following is provided by About.Com: Desktop Publishing.
To (Un)Group those same objects select them again, go to object, and select (un)group.
In order to select a single item once objects have been grouped you must use the direct selection tool.
To Lock those items once you have them in place simply select the item, go back up to object, but this time select lock. Once you have done that you will see that the item cannot be moved from its position.
I have also added a video with additional tips! Hope you Enjoy!
My classmate, Sarah, discussed her pet peeves on her blog this week. She talked about people who can’t be trusted to keep their word. I agreed with her that it is frustrating to deal with people who continuously make promises and rarely follow through. Click her name and check out her post!..but wait!
That’s not where it ends.
Adam, another classmate of ours, shared his pet peeve as well…SMACKING! Who doesn’t hate that? Probably the same person who is chewing with their mouth open. I commented on his blog as well make sure you read what he had to say.
Morton goes on to note that “according to visual communication theory, white space creates structure” in a document while “creating a resting place for readers’ eyes.”
One thing that is important to remember that white space should never be considered simply blank space. Information provided by Wikipedia concludes that white space used effectively “can give a page a classy, elegant, or rich appearance.”
I see a lot of documents that seem cluttered because the designer does not use white space in order to correctly align all of the elements on the page. White space can make it easier for an audience to decipher information in a publication.
Larisa Thomason, author of The Value of White Space, speaks on a concept known as “active” white space. Thomason shares that active white space is “space that is deliberately left blank to better structure the page and emphasize different areas of content.”
A reader’s ability to read a document is extremely important. If the message a client or an organization is not easily comprehended in its publications the target audience may begin to lose interest. A designer’s ability to utilize white space can serve as a key component in creating good documents.
Would you like to know what really burns my grits? …Of course, by that I mean would you like to know what really gets under my skin?
It’s hard to point out one major thing and label it as a pet peeve… Wait! I think I have it.
The one thing that I do not like is to have to answer questions about things that have been clearly explained. You have seen it before. You are leading a meeting or group discussion and you have handouts, a PowerPoint presentation, a series of emails that have been sent before the meeting, and yet there is that one individual who asks, “So, what is this for?”
My friends always laugh at me because I have to hold my composure anytime i’m in a situation where I am asked to continuously repeat myself. It just really frustrates me to have to explain simple things to people I believe should just understand after the material has been set out in front of them.
…or maybe I just need to work on being patient. Nope, people should just pay attention!
Lol! Actually twitter told me so it doesn't count! RT @GotMeeSH: Dang! @So_Talia is SO nosy...LOL. My day would be made further if...☺ 1 hour ago
Lol! need 2go get more! RT @jaleesaja: The V8 fusion juice commercial just came on nd it made me think of @So_Talia drinking her vegetables. 1 hour ago
K. Just making sure. I'm in that class! ☺ RT @BarbaraNixon: .@So_Talia Yes. #PRCA3030 is the Social Media for PR class. 1 hour ago
I was introduced to Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) my freshman year at Georgia Southern in an English course. Neruda was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. He served not only as a poet but as an “activist” during a time of uproar in Chile. There is a very touching story about him being exiled, Las Uvas y el Viento, which is a personal diary. 
Anyone and everyone who knows me know that I am involved in a lot of things. I sometimes stretch myself so thin that I have to remind myself that I am only human and that I need to step back to take things in. The truth, simply put, is that I value success, not success in terms of wealth and popularity but success in the sense that everything I do benefits someone else.
In every design or publication there is space that is not filled with graphics or text. This space is known as “white space.”
Would you like to know what really burns my grits? …Of course, by that I mean would you like to know what really gets under my skin?
October 22, 2009
Dream Jobs
My Public Relations Writing classmates discussed their dream jobs this week in their blogs. Some of them were pretty interesting. Meghan for instance wanted to be a publicist to the stars. I think that could be fun but at the same time stressful. It’s possible that the fun will outweight the stressful times though! Check out the comment I left: Meghan C.
Jacquie, posted about event planning as well. She wants to specialize in wedding planning. Check out her blog post too!
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