Thursday, March 19, 2009

Need Your Input

You guys are amazing and clever, which is why I'm asking for your help and creative thoughts. My former design school is having a silent auction for postcard art submitted by students and alumni. I wanted to have fun with this project and thought...hmm...what's fun? Vintage stuff is fun. Ah-ha - vintage postcards! Luckily a local shop had a ton of old postcards, and I bought several to play around with.

I've recently been inspired by text and images, so here's my thought - I would like to paint happy and motivating phrases on the vintage postcards. Maybe even travel related?

Do you have an inspiring phrase for these postcards? It could be a simple thought...maybe something you tell yourself to get motivated or words that popped into your mind on a great trip. Please let me know and if I pick your phrase I'll be sure to send you something lovely. I truly appreciate your thoughts and ideas - I'm excited to brainstorm with you!

73 comments:

Jan said...

Posts of the past, always make me smile.

Anonymous said...

Okay... here a few qoutes abouth traveling:

-The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine

-I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

-A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu

-If God had really intended men to fly, he'd make it easier to get to the airport. ~George Winters

-The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. ~Henry Boye

abigail said...

my smart ass friend writes "the weather is here, wish you were beautiful" on pretty much every postcard he sends. It's hardly inspirational, but it makes me laugh.
I'll try and think of more appropriate phrases.

Ann Marie said...

great idea! i'll let you know if i come up with anything.

Sharon said...

that is such an exciting project! ok, here's my input(which is from an amazing post on Anna's 'absolutelybeautifulthings' blog)

"Let's find some beautiful place to get lost"

suzanne cabrera said...

Haha...I love Abigail's idea. I'm going to be thinking....

Wondering Helen said...

Hmm ... okay ... here are a few simple ones:

-Happy Camper
-Been There, Done That, Bought the T-Shirt
-Onward and Upward
-Home, James

That's all I got right now ... but I'll pop back over if I think of others.

suzanne cabrera said...

You might also enjoy what a student of mine did with a vintage postcard for a project last semester:

http://laurasnoderly.blogspot.com/2008/09/postcard-3-to-john-linn.html

aimee said...

two of my favorite things - travel and postcards!! well, the first thing that comes to mind is something simple but always truthful: 'time to travel' :)

Jan said...

Most of the things we remember/repeat from trips are not postcard-worthy, like "it's not everyday you see horsebutts!"

I am looking at a card on my bulletin board that says "live the moment" - that's about all my creative side can muster at the mo. sorry!!

Design Scouting said...

hmmmm how about words like "rush" or "busy, busy, busy" on postcards of beautiful places and words like "serene" or "lakeside" on postcards on NYC? Somehow play with our ideas of what an image means? or you could find postcards of places people you know where born and paint in their names and birth dates -- postcards can seem so anonymous!

Laura. said...

oh, i am so bad at stuff like this, but i did laugh at the "weather is here. . ." comment and i like the descriptive opposite words--i guess the abigail/abbeys have the wisdom today.

Anonymous said...

well, here are my two:
life is for living, so live it now.
or
the little traveler

Victoria said...

Great idea, (and I love vintage postcards, too.)

I like these quotes:

- “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

- “Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

- “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G. K. Chesterton

- “A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of a faraway place. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse… and thinks of home.” - Carl Burns.

Good luck with your project!

Hila said...

Oh quotes, quotes! I have plenty of them, but I'm so tired at the moment, so I'll get back to you tomorrow on this (it's bed time here in my side of the world).
Speak to you tomorrow ... :)

Nihal said...

: Kiss the world.
: The world is the glory of God.
: Don't feel blue, post a card.
: HiCrossing
: Easiest way of flying freely
: Destination in the mail
: Wish I weren't here!
: A small piece of paper: visible, intent and mind.
: Artwork, without an envelope.

I love postcards, and have a great collection since my teenage yrs. Every kind of, from fiber, embellished, painted, printed, travel cards, all.. Definitely can be very powerful marketing tool for business, commerce and art.

Brainstorming is what I do most of the time in my life. Hope above may work for you. If not, tell me I could produce some more:)

Btw, pop over my page when you can. I think there's a surprise for you.

Netty said...

"let's get lost in the woods or the sea.... No matter, let's get lost together."

AMM blog said...

I don't think I have anything genius. The first thing to pop into my head is the common saying that, "it's not the destination but the journey."

Good luck!

Unknown said...

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind" by Seneca. I love this quote a lot, it's on my blog anyway..hope you'll find a good inspiration...

Karen said...

My first thought was:

"Enjoy the ride"

please sir said...

YAY - you guys are AMAZING! There are some really great ideas in here - helps so much!

please sir said...

Oh and the quotes are great - but I'm looking more for simple sayings and thoughts. Not sure if an official quote will work...plus I would have to put a name with it. But I'll keep these in mind - still brainstorming myself!

Ann Marie said...

Here are a few from this site I found (link below)

"A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

Check out this link - The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/07/50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/

Megan @ Pink O'Clock said...

i love that henry miller quote. :)

also, love this one by ralph waldo emerson: “though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

erin@designcrisis said...

I love your idea and sounds like you've already got some good quotes cooking!

My brain isn't throwing any greatness my way this morning, but I'll think on it for you...

Rita Angelica said...

Such a great idea! I love postcards...and vintage even better! :)

hmmm...all that comes to mind is something about "getting lost together". When I travel (or read a book, look at a nice photo) I love the fact that I can get be immersed and get "lost" in the moment.

Tina { Luphia Loves... } said...

it sounds like a fun project! although i'm not much of a help in the words dept, how about "take photos & carry on"?

:)

Cindy said...

this sounds great! here's one, but i'll keep thinking. i'm a terrible traveler.

exploring beyond your front door is worth the effort.

Couture Carrie said...

Oooooh captioning vintage postcards sounds fun!

I have taken the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.

Wish I were there.

The longest journey begins with a single step.

xoxox,
CC

Anonymous said...

hi sweet thing!

i love your idea--- you don't need any help from us, you creative storm!

BUT, if you do, here are a few of my faves:

GO OUTSIDE.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
BE QUIET.
GET LOST.

Fifi Flowers said...

I had to think about this... so here are my OWN words... Fifi quote...

"To travel delightful... To explore new avenues delicious... To have memories DIVINE!!!"

Okkkkkk... that's all I've got!

Yoli said...

Once in awhile,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life,
Love gives us a fairy tale.
~ by Anonymous ~

Suzanne : : S.HOPtalk said...

Great idea! I don't know if anyone has mentioned this one or not, but it's one of my favorites:

Time you enjoyed wasting, is not wasted time.
~T.S. Eliot

Anonymous said...

I really like your postcard idea!

In terms of phrasing, I suppose it's a bit cliche, but carpe diem is what really inspires me to hit the pavement (or sand) and really vacation to the fullest :)

Paula said...

"Seeing with new eyes"

Kind of a play on seeing the world with new eyes, and seeing old postcards with new eyes. What do they tell us about our life's journey? I love this idea for your project!!

drollgirl said...

every time i travel to cool new places i say I WANT TO MOVE HERE!!! it is ridiculous!

Amber said...

There are a lot of good ideas here, I am copying some of them.
Mine...from the Beatles "The long and winding road." And from Mary Englebreit "Where ever you go, There you are." Not necessarily inspirational but I like them. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

I like a lyric from "Frontier City" by Kings of Leon...

"Fly yourself away from here, 'cause life is going, going, gone."

Kierstin Bridger said...

"I'ts here- wish you were beautiful" just isn't going to cut it is it?
How bout...Ureka! We've stuck Gold! (For any Cali post card) or "Color me happy!" for Colorado post cards---not deep but fun.

please sir said...

Great feedback - loving all these!!

Unknown said...

how about 'go where your heart takes you'? that's what travel always makes me think of-- there are so many places i'd love to visit... oh how i love traveling!

or how about 'your path is unique'? or 'there's a place for us all'?

i'll let you know if i think of any more!!

Anonymous said...

My favorite travel quote is from Paul Theroux: "To be anonymous and traveling in an interesting place is an intoxication."

I saw an absolutely amazing installation this year made from vintage postcards. Can't find a photo of it, but you can read about it here:
http://www.diacenter.org/dia/press/leonard_bcn.html

Leciawp said...

Are there any well known slogans from magazine or tv ads from the era of the postcards that would fit and be recognizable? That would be fun. There are a couple of great websites for poems and quotes - I think one is called poemhunter.com. What a neat project! - if something comes to mind, I'll let you know.

Valerie Rojas Braverman said...

the rain in spain happens only on the plains.

ha! that's all i've got! i'll think of more. best of luck :)

Anonymous said...

Hi

I love your idea... why don't you mix up or blur the idea of motivation and travel quotes... little things like.

You're almost there.
Look how far you've come
You're the winner or You're a winner
How much further now?
Great race
You've marked that one off the list
One city down, how many more to go?
You've found success - where was it again?
You've had the pain, now for the gain.
This is serious campers

I haven't quite nailed what I mean, but am hoping it has given you some ideas.

Good luck,

Anonymous said...

Not sure if someone has used these yet or not:

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

It's not the destination, it's the journey that counts or ...something! I can't rememberhow it ends!

amy turn sharp said...

not all who wander are lost? xo

Alyssa said...

Well, this is my little saying..."It's time for another pilgrimage"

yasmine said...

ooh! nice concept for your project diana!

ok...i'll need to think about this.

i.d. said...

"The present is a gift."

x

Michelle Engel Bencsko said...

Ugh! I'm having brainstorm-block! Can't seem to think... it will come to me at most crazy moment, no doubt.

Hila said...

Hi Diana,
So do you not want quotes by other people? (i.e. authors, etc.) That's the impression I get. I can probably give you lots of quotes by authors and so on, but I get the feeling you want simpler quotes we come up with ourselves? If so, I'm having a brain-freeze too and I usually love these brainstorms - very frustrating. If I think of something creative I'll let you know. I'm also sorry I don't visit your blog as much as I should. Like my brain-freeze, I blame this all on my thesis :)
Anyway, back to work for me ...

Mrs.French said...

ooooo....let's see:
"follow your bliss" (of course)
xo t

Mrs.French said...

oh and by the way, I am dying over the coolness of this project...xo t

Unknown said...

eee! i love projects!

Well when I travel and wake up everyday, I think to make the most of it.
so hence mine is an oldie:

Seize the day!

Joyce said...

It looks like you have some wonderful ideas. If all the pictures are of water, here is something from Thoreau My life is like a stroll on the beach...as near to the edge as I can get.
Keep us posted!

aksapupa said...

Imagine a person who is collecting the cards for himself and to remember the place writes some additional info, like, "mmm. greatest pizza was here!" or
"next time go there at once, skip the bla-bla-bla"
"bring more money for souvenirs from this place"
"this is a must see for Peter, he would finally get my idea".. stuff like that

vicki archer said...

Has anyone suggested, 'Seize the day' - that's what we all need to do. They are wonderful postcards and i love your idea, xv.

Bonbon Oiseau said...

wow--all of these are so inspiring././i'm copying half of them down right now...

I guess theonly thing I could add to such a masterful list is nothing really...maybe:

GET LOST

ok that's it---you have some good stuff here lady!!! I love it!

Jessie Cacciola said...

• sailing away...be back later.

Anonymous said...

OOh--LOVE this project!

When in doubt I turn to e.e. cummings. this is one of my all time fave poems--feel free to pull lines at random, and they'll still work beautifully!

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15401

jae said...

I was thinking how postcards sometimes just say the state in a font that represents it well. One or two word options might also work well space wise....maybe something like Found or Here or Miss You or Not Lost. I just remember old postcards to be quite simple in thought. Looks like you've had some great suggestions. Will be wanting to see the final product!

heidi said...

I have 2 ideas:
1) Instead of YOU are here... I am here. (and have a red arrow pointing to that spot)

2) A fave saying: " Have a nice trip, see you next fall!"

Nihal said...

Oh how you are surrounded with thousands of ideas Di. I'm sure you'll get difficulty when making up decision. That's why I like blogsland as it's a market of free ideas and thoughts. Have a nice sunshiny weekend~

A "cheery" disposition said...

Ok the quote I was going to say is already up there. But I just want to say I love this post and old postcards are fablous!

SimplyGrove said...

GIVE LOTS AND WRAP WELL

evencleveland said...

Wow ... so many good suggestions! Postcard art makes me think of Walker Evans and his amazing collection.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.

pve design said...

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.
- Oscar Wilde

"Take me away" ( remember that line from Calgon)

Seems like a fun project - wishing you all the best with it.
pve

Stella said...

Very interesting and particulary project.

I've got two sentence:
This place is beautiful; I'm sure that you like it!

Every trip is new experience where you get lost so let's start and enjoy it.

Have a nice weekend

Brittany | the Home Ground said...

This sounds like a fun little project! My brain is mush from moving, but if I randomly think of something or see anything, I'll let you know! probably on Twitter :)

nelya said...

How about something simple like "hello" in different languages, each with a different color and typography?

Great project, I'm excited to see what you come up with!

Hey Harriet said...

Oh what a neat idea! I have a bunch of motivational style phrases jotted down at work. I'm at home now, but when I'm at work I'll take note of the better ones and pop back in with some :)

Laura @ the shorehouse. said...

I'm a little late to the game here...but that lovely mountain postcard is speaking to me..."Reflecting." I guess I'm a woman of few words today. :-)

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