katharine writes a book

later this year, i will enter my third decade of life. earlier this year i decided to put together a little list of what i’d like to accomplish before reaching that milestone. i won’t reveal the whole list because i don’t want to look back and regret anything i didn’t get to before August.

the one item i will discuss is my book. once upon a time, i wrote a vaguely humorous romance advice column for a now defunct relationship-themed website. as one of my goals, i decided to turn this pile of essays into a short book. i’ve taken on the tasks as writer, editor, illustrator, and designer and plan to go the ol’ self publishing route via Lulu.com. it’s an interesting challenge to wear so many hats at once. having control over all of the creative means the only toes i risk stepping on are my own. but it also means there are no checks and balances, so if it goes out with glaring errors i’ve no one to blame but myself.

going the DIY/self-publishing route means i’ll also have to take on the role of marketing—which is where most of my creative endeavors fall short. but i am stopping short of trying to print/bind them all myself. as much as i’m tempted to learn and master the book binding process, we simply haven’t got the space to store tons of books.

so far i’ve got a sizable InDesign file, a song in my heart, a book cover, and an ISBN number.

fancy plans have to be set into motion somehow. more updates and sneak peeks to follow.

katharine hearts design blogs

a lot of my time can be frittered away by looking at various design blogs. if you are newly underemployed and/or have the luxury of spare time, perhaps you’d like to join me:

Swiss Miss: rarely is there a link on this blog that i don’t follow. most of the things Ms. Eisenberg posts are things i wish i’d found first or wind up sharing with others.

Dyna Moe’s Illustrated Mad Men Flickr set. Not a blog. Sometimes better than a screen capture and my second choice for artwork i’d like to live in (first choice is a Shag painting).

Flickrdesign is a nice resource that compiles some of the more interesting posters and graphics that are housed on Flickr. if you’re looking for design inspiration, it’s a nice page to bookmark.

Spacesick: i don’t frequent this one as much, but when i do, i occasionally find something to add to my own inspiration folder. the “I Can Read Movies” series is one of my favourite finds in recent months.

on the other end of the spectrum is Your Logo Makes Me Barf, which is a nice boost for my own ego. after looking at all the amazing work being created, it’s kind of nice to know there’s still bad design in the world that makes my work look a little better.