
Mirecle33
Creativity Patch
Where Did I Learn My Joke-Making Skills?
Posted
May-30-2006
Practical Prankstering
Someone recently inquired where I learned how to create printable
jokes and gags that look so realistic (see: CreativiTea, Creativity
Patch, Money
Plant Seed Packets, World's
Hardest Puzzles).
My answer: My formal training as a graphic designer is how
I gained the technical knowledge and expertise for using layout
and design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign,
and QuarkXPress for my visual vicerations and typographic trappings.
The rest of it comes from lots of practice, having a healthy
sense of humor,
and the drive to manifest the swirling going-on's of my imagination
for my own amusement. When other people are amused too,
that's serendipity.
Other tools of my practical prankstering trade include a predisposition
for photography, a sensitivity to scanning, a prefect
to printing, and a coulomb to cutting. And plenty of double-sided
tape and glue.
Having had multiple jobs as a graphic designer has laid a
healthy bedrock for my creative compulsions. One of my first
and favorite jobs as a graphic artist was at a motivational
company several years ago. I worked side-by-side with the company's
art director developing all kinds of cool motivational theme
logos, posters, and other program communications for various
big-name companies across the United States.
I remember one time during a project brainstorming meeting
(when I was going through my zany Bazooka
Bubble Gum / Comic Wrapper phase), I introduced the idea
of adapting the gum concept into a program theme and the room
started buzzing with possibilities. We began developing the
concept in the creative department shortly after, and
from there on I knew that if *anything* could be conceptualized,
it could be created, even if it meant fusing fantasy with reality
and allowing one's imagination to fill in the gaps. •
© 2006 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com.
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