Odorifous: T.C. Worley
Posted by Troy | Filed under Odorifous
As part of my inner-circle camping buddies (and so much more) over the years T.C. has inspired me—not to do something I don’t already—but to never give up on our greatest shared values.
- Do what you love.
- Collaborate.
- Get off your butt.
When young photographers (which is anyone with a Canon Rebel these days, right?) see the amazing work that T.C. is doing – mountaineering in the Alps, mtn. biking in the west and testing adventure gear around the world with Gear Junkie (this year alone he shot work in Chilean Patagonia, Germany, Alaska, Switzerland, not to mention from the Catskills to the Rockies…. ) they think “this is the work I’m going to do, he has the best job ever!!”
So they set up their Facebook page and wait.
Tags: interview, TC Worley, video
Odorifous: Mollie Greene
Posted by Troy | Filed under Odorifous
What is quickly becoming a shocking number of years ago I was a freshman at one of the strangest universities in the west wandering sheepishly around the world’s largest cafeteria clutching my overloaded tray and trying to maintain some composure because you know how I get around lunch (agog).
If I’d been in a movie the camera would be panning 360° around me..
Just then a new friend resolved the dissonance in the score, grabbed me by the shoulders and swooped me to a table of misfit ladies where I met my wife for the very first time.
But among those ladies was another special misfit who played a very important party in our story.
Tags: interview, Mollie, royal buffet
Odorifous: Von Glitchka
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Odorifous
Glitschka Studios logo by Von Glitschka
At first glace Von Glitchka’s work might not seem so special… but (though this is a bit hard to explain) that is exactly what makes him such a master. Great design should after all, be “invisible.”
Tags: contest, interview, Von Glitschka
Odorifous: Thomas Allen
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Odorifous
Sometime last year I had just a hint of an idea that involved taking my designs and photographing them to give it a little dimensional feel. I think the idea came when I was maxing out my photoshop skills to make client photos respectable for their print pieces. I come up with about a dozen new ideas each day though, so this one like most others came and went and was buried in my mental rolltop where all the clutter is stored.
Around that same time Ward Jenkins posted a few photos on Facebook of one of his favorite artists – Tom Allen.
Tags: art, interview, photography, Tom Allen
Odorifous: Lisa Congdon
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Odorifous
Reindeer by Lisa Congdon
Lisa Congdon is inspiring to me because (like me) she’s a self-taught artist—no fancy art school, no grad school connections with whom to jump-start careers—and didn’t start working as an artist until she was in her thirties.
She’s one of those people that give the self-taught, mid-thirties, bible-college-grad like me a bit of hope for this “career” I’m working on.
Because I have a tendency to want to do everything NOW.
Tags: art, illustration, interview, Lisa Congdon
Odorifous: Edward Orato
Posted by Troy | Filed under Odorifous
Orato
On my last night in Kenya last February the team was invited to the national director’s home to meet his family. It was quite an experience considering he and his wife currently have 19 children they’ve adopted (or merely taken in) living at home right now..
Just prior to the kids sending us off with a staircase seranade (imagine the Von Trapps were from east Africa) I happened to notice a painting hanging in the family dining room.
Odorifous: Todd Wilkerson
Posted by Troy | Filed under Culture, Odorifous
When Burger King first brought back their mascot a few years ago I thought it was the funniest and smartest ad campaign I’d seen in a long time. I was creating my first TV commercials at the time so I’d notice stuff like that.
It was also the first time that I realized other people from my generation were now working in the creative industry and companies were taking risks with them for their marketing. As soon as I saw the first ad with The King I knew it must have been created by other dudes who like me were weaned by the likes of Pee-Wee Herman and Ren & Stimpy.
Tags: interview
Odorifous: Craig Kopas
Posted by Troy | Filed under Odorifous
I grew up with this kid named Craig Kopas. “CK” I called him.
We weren’t BFFs or anything, but we were friends. We’d hang out, listen to Boys II Men and stuff like that.
Played a Gus Macker tournament together one year….
At the time I never really thought Craig was special. I liked hanging out with him because he didn’t think or act like he was better than me.
It was only much later in life that I realized how special that is.
Tags: blog action day, freewater, interview
Odorifous: Chris Harding
Posted by Troy | Filed under Odorifous
Note: Click “Play” below for a cinematic soundtrack to your reading. You’ll find out what it is later.
I only had to see this Coldplay video one time and I had to find out who made it.
Turns out it’s a group of college buddies who stuck together all these years later as the collective Shynola—a name which not only comes from one of my all-time favorite movies, but has also produced videos for some of my all-time favorite artists, like Beck and Radiohead and of course everyone’s favorite Coldplay…
I get so excited whenever I see artwork that is something like I would do. When I saw the work of these guys, I wanted to go out and make videos again.
I suppose that’s called “inspiring.”
Odorifous: Susan Isaacs
Posted by Troy | Filed under Books, Odorifous
I grew up in a particular Christian culture where it was considered sin to be angry with God. We also had no framework for Christian living that recognized sin as a part of our lives.
“Just stop sinning!” was the underlying theme. (well, that and “culture is evil”).
I don’t know if Susan Isaacs came up the provocative title for her book Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir
I remember seeing an ad when the book first released and thought, “I must read that book.” It took me a couple years to finally get to it, but I’m glad I did.
The perspective is unavoidably female, which might make the book seem un-relatable for some guys (not everyone is as sensitive as me), but her struggles are universal. She battles self-worth and identity; faith and doubt; relationships and honesty; and ultimately her view of God.
I especially related to Susan’s struggles to find herself in her art. She was always so compelled to fulfill her calling and find real meaning in touching the lives of those that encountered her work along the way.
(and of course she’s totally honest about her desires to be successful too – something I have a hard time with sometimes)
Even though I’d already had plans to read her book, I was especially interested in touching base with her about this interview when I saw that her acting career had landed her on some of my all-time favorite shows like Parks and Rec, Family Ties, My Name is Earl, Quantum Leap (!), Fresh Prince and movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles (the one John Hughes classic that I unfortunately had to leave out of my recent JH poster series because I ran out of time).
When I saw she was also in one of my favorite eposodes of Seinfeld (the one with Jean-Paul and George taking the reps from Texas out on the town) I flipped.
Honestly though, it has been her writing that moved me the most. She is so honest and has come so far and so many women share her struggles with heartache and frustration and loneliness and impossible expectations that I must insist every woman I know read this book.
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