Developing White Space

F O R M3 I N G - #4 - Enjoy

2011-01-20T02:55:00.000-08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More cars

Understanding the nearly Invisible - A Tale in Dust

2010-11-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

Remember sitting in your home one day and you noticed the sunlight enhancing the air and the dust within it? A Dust Tale.

Biological Networking / Particle Downloads

Dust is a peculiar substance. Less a material in its own right, with its own characteristics or color, dust is a condition.
It is the “result of the divisibility of matter,” Joseph Amato writes in his book Dust: A History of the Small and the Invisible. Dust is a potpourri of ingredients, varied to the point of indefinability. Dust includes “dead insect parts, flakes of human skin, shreds of fabric, and other unpleasing materials,” Amato writes.

Many people are allergic to dust and spend vast amounts of time and money attempting to rid their homes and possessions of it, yet dust’s everyday conquest of the world’s surfaces never ends. Undefended, a room can quickly be buried in it. We breath and live in Dust everyday. Our skin merges and our lungs deal with dust every moment. This peculiar substance illuminated me one day. As I was watching the suns rays light up the dust in my own home, I pondered the the thought about dusts composition. Some say that Dust is made up of over 85% of our our own matter.

Human Matter - our own skin, hair, and excretions, from flakes to dried nose matter. (although this may seem detesting, that would mean, each day our bodies consume this matter and by choice or not we are forced into a form of cannibalism - even more detesting.)

This consuming sparked an idea that made complete sense. Our bodies have been coined before as biological machines (possibly by: Albrecht von Haller) - In this experience with Dust, particles of our selves and others can be tested that the mere thought of a past loved one or anyone living or not could be a direct result of our body chemistry reacting and processing with the remains (through the particles) of their dust still existing in our domains. For example while walking through your own home your feet will stir the dust of a memory of a loved one, your body will digest through inhalation this particle and your body will process this particle and reflect a moment of interaction with that person. So the dust particle itself becomes a processing chip of memory that once integrated with your system (a bio-computer) will recall the information. Or memory, experience or presence of someone.

To go deeper into this process, ghosts or memories of sounds and experience could be stored in microscopic dna particles floating through your personal areas (home, office, etc.) and in those moments you feel a presence could be your biological machine processing the dust of that being.

The inspiration of this though was triggered by the organic integration of James Camerons creative movie AVATAR. How the tribe of people integrated with their beasts organically. Then with simple observations of dust through a sunbeam of my window the connection of the thoughts opened up a forum of understanding the Magic of Dust. The integration of how mere dust carries years of history and experiences. I have seen in television and on the Discovery channel how smell can recall memories as well. Our senses have been dulled by visual and audiotory oversaturation - smell, taste and touch can then be processed through feel. When a person feels a presence, even though it cannot be explained physically (the entity) is not there. We may perceive it as a mental adaptation or physic adaptation.

Mental manifestation and recollection could be questioned as a biological transference of particle intelligence. A dust particle remains of a person who studied or conceived the notion and now that intelligence has been downloaded into a particle structure (dust dna) for ingestion by a third party.

So maybe dust can now be traced to memory, or ghosts, instant physic connections between forms - our brainiac scientist have discovered that great energy is stored at sub-atomic particles - maybe now we can travel by dust of
one another or appear in multiple planes of existence through the power of DUST.

Next time you wisk your hand through a sun ray or beam and part the dust take note that the download of this matter could be the intelligence of a well-known astro-physicist, pychoatic-killer, former Leader-President, prisoner of war, poet laurette, Class-clown, or just maybe yourself

Dusty Room
© mental images, 1998 Sunlight through a stained glass window, scattered off from dust particles in the room. Rendered with mental ray.

Payback Designer Karma

2010-05-11T03:28:00.000-07:00

Let me hop in the custom DeLorean and set the digital alarm for 1995. We are in Las Vegas, Nevada at the now closed (then open) Hands Ink Advertising. The firm is near I-15 and Meade Ave. A disgruntled production designer has been working for the company for three years and has put his time and due diligence into the company. Eager to have his wages reflect what he feels owed to him. He still tolerates a company that is not so eager to grow creativity. He visits a local Photography company called Adventure Studios and meets a photographers assistant Sergio “Checko” Salgato to discuss what this town really needs is better creative. Most creatives discuss these things but rarely have the chance to express nor develop these ideas. Then opportunity struck. Production Manager Bob Dempsey decided to ask the team at Hands Ink to design and develop the new “Concert of Love” for Opportunity Village. Everyone heard of OppVillage but very few heard about the “Concert Of Love.” A spectacle of Vegas’s top acts performing one or two acts to raise funds for Opp. Village. The show was a highlight reel of Vegas’s finest. The opportunity was exciting and such a change from the drab work of the daily grind.

After exploring several options. We needed Sergio’s photography and the designs to merge to a poster design that would set the tone of the whole show. After working several nights with loss of sleep and dedication towards creating a work of art, The new design was taking flight. I designed and developed two concepts, mounted them and prepared them for client viewing. The next day the owner came in made the announcement that the client was coming to see the creative, yet not one single designer answered, except m3. The owner took one look at the work and bluntly stated they sucked and he doesn’t want to show the work at all. By the time he mentioned that statement My hero walked through our front door. Linda Smith, CEO of Opp. Village. She is bright full of life and was very excited to be there. After basic cordials I presented the work and she was speechless until she slowly mumbled Its Beautiful!! I absolutely LOVE IT!
The owner must have forgot what he said about the work since he all of a sudden loved it too. Luckily for him he didn’t have to pull strings for a photographer to shoot the four elements using light filters and cool objects. And countless hours of research to develop a theme for the event! - Inside turmoil and steam were building, I couldn’t believe the owner pulled such a switcheroo. I had to go get fresh air, I took Linda’s advice and visited Opp.Village and to my surprise all my worries, a majority of my stress went away. The place had workers that absolutely loved hat they were doing and when I entered the room everyone greeted me with a smile of hug. The people at Opportunity Village allowed me to drain my current frustrations and fill my DeLorean up with fuel. As guests of Linda Smith we were able to see the show and our design won a couple of ADDY’s, they were my first of many to collect dust on my studios shelves. More importantly, we set a standard for the Concert of Love for the next few years! The poster was simple in a challenging format. How does one “grasp a concept of Love?” worked in Venus (Greek myth), a bed of Red Roses and elements of photography to represent the heart. It was a big event for Opp. Village they deserve all the support and luster from our town.

Hop back in the DeLorean, rev back to 2010, last weekend, went to Sam’s Club to do my ritual of snack and Graze and Noticed a New book on display, “Helping Hands, Healing Hearts” the story of Opportunity Village. I thumbed threw the pages to see how Linda would share her venture. Then the Designer Karma hit me harder than an elbow to the face from a UFC match. The very design that would give me permission to defend myself is still be honored (Page 153). I was floored, Thank you Linda Smith, Peggy Smith, Bob Dempsey and Sergio Salgato my deepest thanks! You never know when designs will later in life be gifts of inspiration!

Looking forward now to reading the story!

REMODELING THEMES of YESTERYEAR

2010-03-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Every other year a pattern of remodeling occurs. A pattern where

the memories of yesteryear creep back into our lives and invigorate

the fond memories of our youth. It would seem every generation

witnesses a reblend of old songs that are now hip-hop riffs.

Old themes are adrenolized for a faster more connected society.

A japanese method of fighting movie is now is Kung fu, vintage

shows are being repackaged for a society that doesn’t remember

their original orgins.

Pasttimes of recreation were outdoor activities and daily rituals

of slurpees, comics and allowances drained in games. Game

interaction has been more on the domesticated home front

than the vintage FLYNN hangouts. How could we forget ARCADES?

It would be hard to fathom the acceleration of lost quarters or homemade slugs we dropped in those machines. In Las Vegas, we have our own version of FLYNN - Tim Arnold owner and operator of the PINBALL HALL OF FAME. Talk about remodeling, Tim patiently reworks each machine and restores them to 100% working condition and rewires key machines to use more green lighting effects! His collection is well over 1000 pieces! Hollywood has a wealth or remodeling from vintage movies and television shows. In the next year we will see a remodeling of Clash of the Titans, The A-Team, The Karate Kid and the much anticipated

TRON Legacy. If you had to go back and remodel for your current future what would you remodel? A friendship, a lost love, A desire to journey somewhere? A favorite toy? Fila shoes? Members Only jackets? Light Bolts? OP shorts? To relieve a moment from your past? Pop culture definately influenced me and revisiting Tim’s place,, akhmmm I mean FLYNN’s place restore the childlike venture that was more enjoyable than a typical outing - I think its time to

dust off my rollarskates and see if my knees can handle my vintage bee gees dance moves! And while the sound and smells rekindle the fond memories creativity I will wonder how design, the creative though invigorated music, films, graphics for the machines and the articles of cloth we wore. What design takes you back? Or what design would you remodel for now?

www.pinballmuseum.org/

DARE YOU TO MOVE ++++

2009-12-22T01:57:00.000-08:00

If I was Dared to Move....

I can honestly look back at 2009 and be bewildered at the crazy stunts I pulled just to get my ego in check and make sure my heart was more useful than pumpin blood. 2009 was filled with many transitional firsts for me as an artist, a business man, a father, a husband, a patron of design and patron of PATRON SILVER, That is...all with leaving a lasting impression as a professor. From leaving a business partnership that had its moments of greatness to embarking upon marketing my wife’s book RocketRisks. Every embrace of panic and distraught brought amazing opportunities...From going to LA and trying out for a reality show to interviewing a Rebel Billionaire, lets play and recap those moments...

In a leap of faith I tried-out for a reality show in Los Angeles based on America’s top-graphic designers, called - CMYK. Although taping was postponed until 2010 - I am hopeful the show will find the necessary channels to grow and flourish. During the CMYK, I had the opportunity to meet some amazing designers Barry Lai, Travis Neilson, Derrick Kardos & so many more -

I even got the chance to see Disney’s New Music Hall - Designed by the great Frank Gehry: http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2009.11.disney2.jpg The whole trip I blasted Dare You To Move by Switchfoot -Two weeks prior I saw Jon Foreman and Switchfoot conduct a small performance at LAX and he (Jon) jumped of stage headed towards me high five’d me then used my height to get up on a table to sing this song Dare You To Move...talk about leaving an IMPRESSION.. www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=93247401915

Out of over 1064 designers that tried out only 64 were selected as semi-finalists. After the 4 hour design challenge only 10 remained, My design was in third place and the only knucklehead from Las Vegas on the show - Look out world MThree will be more than just a bad BMW!!

My personality tends to push boundaries constantly, I think I was just fed up of all the reoccurring sameness in design. A close friend called me up out of the blue and told me CSN was looking to hire professional designers to teach and he could only think of me when they asked him for recommendations...Ironically one of the classes I taught used all PC’s and I am a devoted Mac Crack head. The students taught me PC - I taught them design. I pushed their envelope and they broadened my awareness of what’s cool. I used inspiration from Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen and The F-Word to develop an intensive immersion design process that worked beyond my expectations. Instead of having a final exam the students had to create an design exhibition. We birthed it as IMPRESSIONS:

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=138721&id=89054686757&ref=share

The bold steps endured to take on being Professor M3 made the impression, one jedi - decided to blog about his triumphs - well deserved, he ripped blood into ink and churned out some fine cheese this year - keep an eye or two on this one his use of the force is strong....www.travisneilson.com

This year I had the privilege to design a few book covers and lend the voice of M3 for an audio portion of Wealth Magnetz. I have been told for years that my voice would be great for broadcast and now I believe them. The voice is also a bookend on RocketRisks Audio book and Dr. Cherie-Carter-Scott who is a New York Times best seller and has been on numerous shows like CNN and Oprah asked if I could be her Ed McMahan to her Johnny Carson -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfU5y6tNC1M - So officially MThree is into audio design!

Another first is motion design, although been a secret fan from the movies for years, I wanted to take on motion design and review the efforts. RocketRisks Introduction video gained a few awards. One of the awards was the Silver Award For Excellence in Motion Graphics at AIGA Las Vegas 10th Work Show judged by Joe Duffy, Lynda Weinman and Patricia Hallenbeck and some recognition from an unexpected source, Michael Riley - former designer at Imaginary Forces and now owner of Shine in Hollywood, CA. (The RocketRisks video is my first attempt at Motion, with now training prior too.)

Your video is awesome and inspiring. Thank you for sharing it. There is a lot of good thought in your piece. It's got a lot of good energy. I love looking at design work that tries to pull the world toward a better place. It's a work of art.

Michael Riley
creative director / Motion designer (hollywood, CA) (known for beginning & end title sequences of Gattaca & Kung Fu Panda)

Before the passing of a great teacher Randy Pausch, “ The Last Lecture” one line from his statements ring true for me. “If you do what you love with passion your dreams will come to you.” I love design and I love the entrepreneur spirit, because of the video access of youtube.com - I watched ted talk highlights, lectures and watch a reality show I never had the chance to see when it aired - Richard Branson’s ‘Rebel Billionaire’ - the winner Shawn D. was from my hometown of Salt Lake City, UT and owner of LoveSac. He was given the key to run a part of Virgin for a year before he returned to running LoveSac. I consider him Branson’s protége and just a few short weeks ago I had the privilege of interviewing him for goinggreen.com. Shawn D. installs his own stores merchandising racks, has one on one meetings wit his sac-aroos and has an insane work ethic. He calls the shots and his heart is on the line for his people make sure you google his youetube business tips they are nectar for the cranium - So now we can add journalist, interviewer, motion designer, audio personality, professor and dream maker to my resume. I am in awe of the path presented before me and I’m looking forward to taking more risks learning more from my students and having several exhibitions a year to connect people, inspire audiences through the power of design.

If your were Dared to move, where are you gonna go?

MThree - Take Risks, Live Life.

Block 16 - Vintage Red Light District in Vegas!

2009-07-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More social clubs

More show with less tell ... M3 Book .01

2009-07-28T02:07:00.001-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More wine labels

F O R M3 I N G

2009-07-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More creative

It’s amazing who you can run into these days...

2009-06-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, was an interesting day, It was my 39th Birthday, Thirty-nine, It was an awkward feeling knowing that in a year
I will have reached my half-way mark in life - it was a very-self-reflective day - to say the least. I have always dreamt of what I should be doing and what I needed to accomplish in my life and while my mind was wasting time on those mental ghosts. I found myself struggling with enjoying the present moment. So I did what I normally - not do for myself on my birthday - Go to the mall and get some items.

While at Nordstrom, I wanted to look for a shirt and some Men’s care items that I love to use. I was introduced to the products five years ago when I was being treated for a massage at Green Valley Ranch - (A gift from my amazing wife-to be) I saw some cool packaging for a Men’s care products that was on sale, a facial scrub, a lotion and liquid soap. I used the items while my wife and I were on our honeymoon and the stuff not only smelled amazing it made me feel refreshed and clean and just awesome ( I feel like the metrosexual is now coming out of me) - Men usually don’t talk about this stuff, That’s my RocketRisk (www.rocketrisks.com)!! Is to be open about the hygiene, and maintenance for our skin and faces.

Everytime I used this stuff it takes me back to our honeymoon in Cairnes, Austrailia. My skin loves the stuff and I feel better that I am doing something to keep my face looking slick..My wife is five years my senior and she looks ten years my junior! She cleans her face everynight it’s a dedication to aspire towards. So there is the background..

As I was hunting through Nordstroms, they were having some special promotion on these male grooming products that I love-
“what are the odds!, I was able to sit down get a better understanding of the product that I love and get a free facial!“ I was stoked, what blew me away was that one three other guys were checking out the products and this young man with amazing skin for his face (of course, dressed like a real-estate developer) asked me what products I use and we had an amazing talk. It turns out he was once a very successful Real-estate developer from Michigan that enjoyed good Hygiene and saw an opportunity in the market during the Millennium, so he invested his money and started the product line! He is the owner! What amazed me was his age 40! In 2005 his men’s care line grossed 20% each year and made 35 Million!! I was able to discuss matters that interested me, the development of his logo, the packaging, what ingredients were special to him, his greatest challenges and triumphs. He entertained me and was very cordial. A self made millionaire, still knocking on doors and greeting the customers face to face! A large company still holding on to its principals - It’s amazing who you can run into these days while pondering life... For more about Anthony Sosnick and his line read below..

Groomed For Success: Introducing Anthony Sosnick,
Creator of Anthony Logistics

Truman was a haberdasher before his career, Tom Clancy was an insurance salesman and Anthony Sosnick… he was a real-estate developer. Some people take a while to find their niche, but come in with a bang.

Anthony Sosnick, creator of the premier men’s skincare, bath and body line Anthony Logistics For Men, spent nearly ten years at Redico, a Michigan-based real estate development firm. As partner and vice-president, Sosnick was a key player in expanding sports and entertainment venues and commercial real estate throughout the United States.

Armed with his savvy business sense, invaluable work experience and a fiery entrepreneurial spirit, Sosnick decided to venture into the personal care arena. As a grooming-conscious consumer, he had searched endlessly for a full collection of men’s products in a market geared towards women. Dismayed by the lack of choices, he set out to personally deliver a head-to-toe men’s grooming line to the modern man.

After two years of extensive marketing and product research, hundreds of surveys, worldwide focus group studies, and over 500,000 distributed samples, Anthony Logistics For Men was born. With a meticulous approach towards perfection, Sosnick developed the line based on direct feedback on the specific concerns and needs of men – right down to their preference for oversized tubes and fragrance-free blends.

The line, consisting of 26 products, is broken down into four core areas of face, hair, shave and body. Each product is designed with natural ingredients and essential oils that are specifically beneficial to men’s skin.

So if your are interested, Anthony products can be found online or at Barneys or at Nordstom, in Henderson,NV they can be found at PURE in The District!

Humility / Humanity / Happyness

2008-11-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

Yes that last word is to pay homage to Chris Gardner. Today I am inspired by my three daughters Bree, Cayla and Destinee. Although technically they are my step-daughters I have embraced them as my own. They have given me such inspiration. I have been through many challenges with them and many happy moments. Through everything they have been vastly a great source of understanding and commitment to what being a father and Dad is all about just like the movie The Pursuit of Happyness.

In many mythos, there are mentions of three wise or old women that kings and great men would go to for understanding and Knowledge. In the cinematic movie of Clash of Titans, the story of Perseus is lead by Bubo (a mechanical owl) to the Stygian Witches, three blind women who disclose the information he needs. In Greek times, The Delphic Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout Hellenic culture. The Greeks consulted her prior to all major undertakings, wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth. Woman have always represented great wisdom, and have granted men such understanding. Guidance when uncertainty is present. There are times I have no clue about my daughters thoughts and actions yet, when opportunity presents itself I gain so much from them. They are free-spirited, compassionate, loving, hurting, angry, energetic, powerful, silly, fun, stubborn - pain in the neck, beautiful and sometimes emotionally not so great. But They are so Human, so full of life so invigorating. I love seeing them in their passionate mode of just being. Today we played volleyball together for the first time in a long time and it felt so good, so amazing so magical. yet days before we struggled with understanding each other to the point of isolation and separation. I am so humbled by their grace and love, their passion and embrace of life. Their willingness to struggle and deal with big chucks of understanding this so-called complex life.

Sometimes my daughters are like the magical Sirens, singing their song as I stir my ship towards the doomed shore. their emotions and drama play the part of their song. And the rocky shores is the aftermath of what my wife and I deal with to restore the ship after the fact. Our daughters are blessed with such gifts: fortitude, strength, courage, love, independence they are self-reliant and driven. Yet searching for what they want. I admire this quality in them. Nothing could please a Father so much as to see their child growth and deal with tough issues and understand more about life.

My wife wrote in her book RocketRisks (www.rocketrisks.com) that children are our greatest teachers. I am fortunate enough to have the oracles, my sages, my sirens, my inspiration wrapped up into three amazing women who will in my lifetime effect and touch many peoples lives because who they are now is just the beginning of who they are becoming, and I am deeply humbled by that.

Thread The Sword - The Dream Message

2008-10-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

Do you remember your dreams? I remember as a child that certain dreams would last until the morning and I could recall them all day long. In my adult years, with all the activity my mind and body digest I would be fortunate to remember any dream. Just last week I had this memorable dream. So vivid and detail that the message of the dream came true. Let me share with you events leading up to the dream and then what occurred afterward. Before the dream I made a connection at my 20th year high school reunion that had a potential new client opportunity for my company. I was thrilled for the referral. As Monday and Tuesday roll pass this potential client contacted me to arrange a meeting. We set the meeting for Friday. The night before is when I had this most memorable dream. On Thursday night I was in a dream where a Male actor who in real life is much older, yet in my dream he was in his prime. This actor tossed me a wooden something that I could easily grab or catch. Once I caught the object, I looked up at the youthful celebrity and he said convincingly and full of courage stated “THREAD THE SWORD.”I term that I was completely unaware of until it was spoken. What did it mean? With this new potential client about to jump onboard my thoughts told me the phrase meant prepare for battle and glory the new client is sealing the deal. However this message, dream, Godsbreathe, holy spirit, God’s word was a special phrase. So i did what any technoGeek would do....I Google the phrase. And an ancient Greek myth sprouted - The Sword of Damocles: (From wikipedia)

The Damocles of the anecdote was an excessively flattering courtier in the court of Dionysius II of Syracuse, a fourth century BC tyrant of Syracuse. He exclaimed that, as a great man of power and authority, Dionysius was truly fortunate. Dionysius offered to switch places with him for a day, so he could taste first hand that fortune. In the evening a banquet was held, where Damocles very much enjoyed being waited upon like a king. Only at the end of the meal did he look up and notice a sharpened sword hanging by a single horsehair directly above his head. Immediately, he lost all taste for the fine foods and beautiful boys, and asked leave of the tyrant, saying he no longer wanted to be so fortunate.

The story has many phrases that we use still to this day...
“Hanging buy a thread”
(”Try walking in my shoes - perception)

The main concept of why it was delivered is unknown for know, but what I believe the message is about respecting Change.

After Launch - Fuel to Life

2008-06-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Letting go of what you know. I hope you can relate, after spending the last week exhausting myself to the brink of
passing out and having everything go wrong that could wrong for launching my wifes book and signing event
I was rather surprised how smooth and amazing life became with tremendous support from others. Asking for assistance
is so freeing of the mind and physical aspects of oneself. My wife just launched a book called RocketRisks™ and I had many challenges to deal with: learning a new tool to create the video, handle my clients and business all while finding a new printer for her books and spending hours repositioning the text for her book. What a week! Then to top everything off our books were not going to arrive on time, thanks to unforeseen weather conditions and a certain BROWN company that will not under any circumstances live UPS to customer service (I am joking here) they did their best, I hope. In authentic meltdown mode my stomach was doubling over in stress ball knots and my body was shutting down from the lack of sleep - 2 to 4 hours the whole week. The event was amazing, I kept breathing, and doing special moments of prayer and breathing more, just to calm by steam engine and get me through the night. My wife was simply brilliant - her client mentioned that same evening a very profound insight:

Friday, june 20th, 2008 we have just witnessed the birth of an amazing dream! It did feel like that. After only 5 hours sleep - I felt like I slept 12 hours. My body and mind completely refreshed. Today as I have come to my office and catch up on this blog and some emails I came across an amazing video - its so full of life and how profound it is. When Matt is by himself the video is quarky and funny but when others join in you can feel the living planet and spirit resonate through everyone.

I’m excited this week to share and continue this journey in launching more dreams to becoming reality.
Enjoy the video.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

The origins of MThree

2008-01-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

MThree (M3) - Beginning The Search

In Search of Meaning, Message, and Mystery the origins of M3. through preliminary research, a fanatic who wants to uncover the mystery of the name may find themselves in an expedition more mysterious than the series of universal sequences that formulated the name M3 (MThree). Although many inquiries speculated I was a BMW vehicle fan, or a copy cat of Mach 3 razors I will state for the record the M3 BMW series did come out prior to the name, yet had no influence whatsoever. However , the Mach 3 blades in a bizarre state of sequences may have been influenced by my work to formulate or evolve their name.

Pre - Origin History:

While in college earning my degree in design I started a company to sell and design T-shirts to various organizations for their yearly debauchery celebrations the name was called dm design Lab. I simply used my initials and I love the uniqueness of calling a design studio a design Lab - brings a weight of knowledge to the name.

OMR - The Next Step

In 1996, I started my second company o’miley|ryan advertising design (OMR) the name was created from a rebelious point of view to advertising agencies naming themselves after the principals - an old school, corporate structure that stimulated us fellow artists to a calling of dening that status quo by pure mockery. To this day I laugh at all the calls we had asking for a o’Miley or Ryan, - they simply didn’t exist in our studio so this allowed us to play with creative sensationalised ideas of explaining where they were or why they were not in the office as if they were real people. We flat out lied and had a blast with it. OMR lasted 4 years before closing its doors, in the second / third year of OMR expansive growth, I sold my partnership to OMR to gain creative control and design freedom once more. Upon deciding to sell my partnership our third partner asked what I was going to do? “Start up dm design Lab again?” - I never thought about it and that remark angered me because the decision to sell my partnership wasn’t easy and the partnership dissolving was due to emotional trauma and lack of relationship growth by the partnership. “What would I call myself?” I graduated college in 1992, did my tour of duty with other design firms until 1996, launched my business to financial success and it was time to grow once more into a new entity a new mature design firm. “What should I call myself? “

How It Came to be - MThree

I find it amusing how God enlightens artists, the mind puts the question out to the universe and if open enough one can find the answer in the most amazing of ways. I was valet parking my Toyota 4runner at a Las Vegas hotel when the valet asked me for my last name, I stated boldly “McElhattan the third” the valet stared at me as if i were speaking a foriegn language. (A normal response when I ’m prompted my last name,) so I just stated it and he said “no worries, M3” and put on the ticket M3! and thats how its the name came to be. the beautiful irony is clients loved the name but wanted to know what it meant - which became a filter in understanding most of my clients thought patterns. So I developed a simple message to those that didn’t quite get it at first: Meaning (understand what you do and how you do it) Message (develop the voice to communicate through design and words your message) and Mystery (allow the art of design to define and develop your corporate communications).

The Mysterious connections / meanings

As time passed more layers of the onion was revealed how special the name M3 is, various movies would use the letter “M” (Bond, Golden Compass) and the number “3’ (Mission Impossible 3, Will Smith’s son is named Tre, The Island -room number, etc..) I recently discovered M3 as a star in the part of the Canes Venatici Constellation. The letter M was named after Charles Messier, a French astronomer, a Messier object means Nebulae and Star Clusters. M3 is the third object he recorded and was later named as part of a constellation Canes Venatici the first galaxy recognized as having a spiral structure. The photo attached with this blog M3 is located on the bottom paw of the dog. The Canes Venatici is one of three constellations that represents dogs , along with Canis Major and Minor. Digging deeper into the symbolism and mystery was the year of my birth was known as the Year of the Dog, which ties in nicely to the constellation. Within this galaxy M3 is a Whirlpool Galaxywhich was discovered by Charles Messier on October 13, 1773. ( Ironically my daughters birthday is October 13 she shares her Birthday with Marie Osmund, Kelly Preston, Jerry Rice, and even Borat creator - Sacha Baron Cohen.)

Every day is a new discovery in the development and meaning of MThree, I welcome anyone to send any pictures of Threes or Letter M’s or combinations that show M3 to add to our Chronos series of calendars. After a three - year break they have been brought back to fruition to be received in 2009.

Step-Daedalus, A Tragedy...of choice

2007-11-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

Ever ponder what difference you are making in society? Ever wonder if you have contributed enough to others to feel fulfillment? This Thanksgiving I was faced with an enormous challenge. Thanksgiving is to be the time of gratitude, of family, praise and abundance of food to gorge while we chat about our lives and find the significance we can sometimes lose sight of. This Thanksgivings challenge was to face my two run-away daughters. I say this in bitterness, because they didn’t really run-away, they manipulated my wife and mine’s rules and discpline to supposedly go live with their biological father. A father that has done nothing for them but fill their minds up with fantasy stories and taught them that following the rules should never apply to anyone.

It is so painful to watch one’s step-daughters (ages 14-16) completely drop out of High School, have no respect for their Mother that sacrificed everything for their health and lively hood, run away from their Mother to a man who has consistently lied, manipulated, and neglected them. To live a life of no rules, no responsibility, only to be addicted to others drama, problems and live a life of ignorance, what could they possibly learn from that? I am so shocked that they embrace him so.

For deeper understanding, their father would promise to pick them up when they were younger on Friday nights and take them to the mall and out to dinner, the only problem was he never showed up, if and when he did, it would be hours later and amazingly he had the most tall-tell story to tell why. We would receive calls at midnight or later on school nights from their Father wanting to talk with his children, as if he had no regard to sleep or that they had school the next day. There were a few occasions that he would drop them off at the mall with hundreds of dollars and promise to pick them up later, only to abandon them there! - Yet they love their Dad. They would rather be with him. For the last two months, they decided not to live with their Mother and Step-Father. So that they could officially avoid the responsibility of not going to school. Their Mother and I have heard that they occassionally live with their father who lives from hotel to hotel, but actually they bounce from Aunt to Uncle to friends homes to find shelter. They live life by no rules, no responsibility and decided that their intelligence was socially the only education they need, so they didn’t need school. ( as adults we understand the challenges that one particular choice will have in their lives). Recent rumors state that in the first time in over 7 years their father bought and moved into a condo - The girls decided to pick up their belongings and some of our housewares to support their needs without asking.

These choices remind me of Daedalus and his challenges as a Father. Although a profound creator, inventor, skillman, craftsman, architect - Daedalus had many emotional challenges and fears to face, challenges in competition, drama of a murder and even watched one of his two children die by not listening to his warning. I can just hear him now, “be careful son, not to get to close to the sun the wax will melt...” - I wonder, while flying with his son, when he noticed his son pushing forward and higher with the exhuberation, did it ever cross this intellectual mind “That son of a Bit**! I told him not to go higher!”, If only children would listen to to the wisdom of their older lost children (parents). I ponder if Daedalus life was shortened by the grief that it was his intellect that created the apparatus that would be the demise of his own sons life?
Or did he have the courage to face the truth that it was his son’s blind ambition and naivity that ended his life?

Daedalus was once a wise man whom faced many intellectual and emotional challenges, similar to all the step-fathers whom struggle watching their adopted children struggle with acceptance, love and that other adult in the house. I find it fascinating that the men whom have placed themselves to be the Step-Daedalus in the family will need to embrace pain, hardship, challenges on every emotional front and they may have to face bigger challenges of loss. Loss of a child, loss of happiness, loss of sanity, loss of invested time. It doesn’t sound too great does it? Then again many people know of the story of Icarus, but have they paid attention to the man behind Icarus that built him the wings to fly? Have they invested time to discuss about a man whom many have been the precursor to Leonardo Di Vinci? - Its amazing how the death of Icarus, and the tradegy of the story is more popular because of the lack of understanding of child not listening to his parent. Ever wonder if you are contributing to society as a step-parent? We may have to take a look not at the child we are making strives for, but the parent of the child, and the added value (longevity) less stress created, in their lives.

And too the parents that neglect their children, lie to them, manipulate them, abuse them, yell or try to buy their love, your time is ticking, and soon your games will be over, and thank you, for making mediorce people look like saints. Thank you for challenging the good-natured people in the world. Thank you for testing, challenging and educating others on what not to do. Your negative actions will propel salvation, faith and love to be tested and fortified within the believers of society. Thank you for teaching your children how to be independent and resourceful, but most imporatantly how to be forgiven. Now the only challenges the children will face is their own guilt, shame and choices...

*Photography of Icarus by Gene Hoffman, taken by M.D. Friedman.

Suspenseful Marketing - Verbal Aikado - The discovery of new methods of Meaning

2007-10-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Creating a demand before the INITIAL REVEAL. Anticipation and suspense are effective tools when establishing a buzz for a specific launch. Steve Jobs of Apple embraces suspense on any new product he discusses. Steve Wynn in Las Vegas reinvents the town he re-established using suspense in his reveal of his new properties, and even J.J. Abrams (writer of V Shows Lost & Alias) is now applying the trick to his unnamed monster movie slated for 1.18.08. The true magic is finding a balance between what will be revealed and what information to pull out later.

The movie industry has embraced the method as a tool deemed trailers, TV shows uses the terms cliffhangers. These designed tools are to grasp the audience and unfulfill their insatible needs to understand the bigger picture. The suspense causes angst in not knowing what will happen next and create an emotional response to be prolonged until the next episode. Design and marketing usually have a reveal after the creative process that hardly uses the technique. However could advertising and marketing tools be adept to utilize this method in causing sensationalism or unperceived expectations of a product or service forthcoming? An audience loves to be teased and tested. Only the daring of companies risk their fortunes on suspenseful campaigns so far the products / services and companies leading the pack are in the clients perception leaders of the pack.

- Side bar -

Through a mutual friend, I was introduced to Jon Forrests site on Verbal Aikado (www.verbalaikido.com), a unique subject that will be a fascinating read. I will post more on a creative adaptation of the subject soon. Check back for more details.

-MThree

A Different Approach

2007-09-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

The following is very religious and somewhat disturbing to some and it might open a can of worms to others. I merely decided to post the conversation due to the amazing discussions created since its first inception. Also for the record, the following are mere thoughts, not factual, just thoughts that may need exploring..without revealing the subject I will have a disclaimer at the bottom of this blog as well.

“Just a thought, after having a conversation with a friend, we dove into a spiritual conversation about how we could be deceived (so easily) by a prophecy and the so called Mark of the beast. I have put the Bible passage here for you to read,”

Mark of the beast required:
“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17

The Bible specifically does say, “He deceived them that had received the mark of the beast” (Revelation 19:20). Notice carefully. Those who receive the mark are deceived. Therefore the 666 and the Mark of the Beast must involve some sort of subtle deception. That is, it must not be too obvious or easily noticed. If it were, how could almost the entire world be mislead? Jesus warned us that Satan’s deceptions are so tricky they can “‘deceive, if possible, even the elect’ ” (Matthew 24:24, NKJV).

Does the mark of the beast look nice?
The mark of the beast will look attractive and beautiful. It will please the senses and will excite the admiration of those who see it. Most people who wear it will be proud to have it.

The mark will be plainly visible for all to see. Your friends and family will be able to see if you have received the mark. Your employer can look at you and see the mark. When you go shopping the store clerk will be able to see if you are wearing the mark of the beast.

What could this mark be?
Our conversation was to explore what mark could be easily overlooked or even embraced by all yet be so elegantly deceiving for those whom may not be paying attention? Such a great arguement to explore and discover. What we uncovered however has been stiring up certain circles of influence and has caused a few people to question a theory as more than just that. The original separation of Man and God happened in Genesis, when sin was created by man through eating fruit from a particular tree. The tree of knowledge that bore a particular fruit (apples). How ironic that such a simple symbol could imply so much? Sin/Separation truly a unique perspective from a deceitful point of view. Realize how innocent Apple is. iPods, iPhones, iMacs, iTunes have become more and more popular, useful and to a degree needed daily.

As a designer I love Macs®, I love the technology Apple® has developed, it’s unique and fun and very useful, does this mean that I have beguilled to temptations and I have embraced a sign that I ought not to? A bold question. It becomes more disturbing when you see patrons of the iShuffle wearing their mp3 around their necks close to their hearts. Each device is hand held (possible relationship to the hand) and each device has a number or marking on the piece. Could those innocent music boxes be a sign of the demon? Or is this a figment of a wildly expressive imagination. Your thoughts and comments are welcomed.

Disclaimer: I own an iPod, iShuffle, and many macs for my design firm. I love the iPhone, in no way should the thoughts of this blog mean to discredit or disway you from purchasing or still using any Apple® product. This blog is a merely an artistic expression of thought. What do you think the mark could be?

M3 EXPOSED! - It’s Fun to Mock!

2007-08-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday and end of August to all. Summer is becoming a faded memory and fall is almost upon us. I have witnessed Halloween and Christmas material infecting certain stores already. (shocking!) At the end of Summer is usually a good time to re-evaluate the year and see how much on or off course the years projections are. Although this year has been a drastic year of changes and adaptations, relationships and business dealings have been cemented and more fruitful than ever before. This month DesignerID will post an Interview of me that was conducted over several months ago. It will be my official first interview for any publication. I have been so excited that I contacted Brian of Designer ID to send me some files of his ad campaign, because for fun, I wanted to make a joke of a picture photographed by Shane O’Neal of me that I always thought was hilarious. I tweaked with the ad by adding some elements to connect the artwork with the designer and the actual link to my profile – again I just did this for fun, the ad was created as a joke to pay homage to Brian at DesignerID. Now the photo has a life of its own and now its beginning to make waves in the designer PR circles.

It is posted now. Check it out.
http://designburn.typepad.com

I am amazed how having fun poking at oneself can get so much publicity these days. I can relate to Miss Teen South Carolina, aka the “such as” woman. Over 8 million hits later (you tube) everyone knows her as the MapGal, (Caitlin Upton) and how ironic, a select few even paid attention to who won the contest. (Hilary Cruz, Miss Colorado, Miss Teen USA 2007).

My favorite YouTube link on Miss Teen South Carolina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR75L08SBHo

Her Bio:
http://www.misssouthcarolinausa.com/aboutteentitleholder.html

The irony of why I talk about her is although she blundered on national TV, she also created a hype machine about herself . After – digging deeper into who she is and what she wants to be I discovered she wants to do was rather shocking!!!

She promotes GRAPHIC DESIGN! (Help us all.)

(I’ still chewing on the thought - if this declaration is another challenge for the profession or another opportunity to promote Graphic Design and discount designers as non-intelligent strategists or artists)

Miss South Carolina web site states:
Caitlin is a talented artist with a focus in the area of graphic design. She has received “Star Student” awards in both Photoshop and Advertising Design. She holds a student government office as President of Skills USA. Her career goals include earning a four-year Graphic Design degree. Ultimately Caitlin aspires to create special effects for television and movies.

(personally I think she should venture into modeling more and stand up comedy, she is quite hilarious, maybe The reality show Sunset Tan is looking to challenge the Ollygirls ? )

Enjoy the mockery and the YouTube surfing, and just remember
“even when you fall getting back up can be a great opportunity.” - DM3