#i think this may be the place where many a dutch teenage girl began exploring her sexuality

[inyoursheets]

5, 10, 12??? <3

5. Do you do research for your fics?

yes and no?

when it comes to fic im pretty lazy. plenty of things i could research but just don’t feel like researching, with most of my fics. other things i do look up, sometimes right away and then i get completely sidetracked and forget about the actual writing, sometimes later. the list varies.

for it’s hidden in heartbeats, exhales and in the hope of open hands i researched how long it takes to get over a break-up but also what kind of fake plants to use plus the names of different composers so i could name the building after someone dead and relevant but not notoriously racist.

for warm water there’s a lot i could’ve researched but didn’t, like if skyr exists in the us, how detroit street naming works, or how baseball or football or basketball games work, and things i did research that i might end up scrapping like how to make che dau trang and whether one would store coconut cream in the fridge or in the cupboard and things that are completely irrelevant to what i wrote like whether the boiling a frog metaphor is true to nature (it’s not. apparently a frog is also gonna jump out of a pot of water if you build up the heat) and the meaning of the name aria.

in conclusion i just wing it, do whatever i want, especially with fic, with the exception of things that i feel actually need their proper research otherwise im doing a bad / irresponsible job as writer

10. Which fanfiction trope have you written the most often?

uhhhh well since ive only written 7 fics and half of them are like, 2k of PWP i guess it’s.....that? porn without plot? but i could see myself slipping further into angst in future fics bc that is a vague common thread in the fics that have actual plot beyond “now eat her pussy”

12. Does your first fic still exist?

my first gg fic is still up in all its bouncey glory, but the first fic i ever wrote??? i dont think so. i have no idea what it is, either.

...... ok i just researched my old account on a dutch fanfiction website and it still exists, but i deleted all works. so i actually don’t remember what kind of fics i wrote when i was 13 lol. i think there was definitely some draco malfoy x OFC action there at some point

thank you!!!!!!!! fic writing asks!!!!!

#ask #ask games #bourbon-ontherocks #my fic #cant believe that account still exists #scratch that i cant believe that whole site still exists #and is in use!!!! wow #that website is how i first discovered one direction #through a harry styles x OFC fic #imagine that!!!! #i had no idea they were real people lmao #i think that site was mostly [character] x OFC #i think this may be the place where many a dutch teenage girl began exploring her sexuality #the fun thing that site does is show your former usernames so i can see the exact order of hyperfixations ive had from age... i wanna say 11 #'till like....idk 17? #fun times

[inspirationistro]

New Post has been published on Inspirationist

New Post has been published on http://inspirationist.net/inspirationist-exclusive-interview-with-constantina-tsoutsikou-creative-director-of-hba-london/

Inspirationist exclusive: Interview with Constantina Tsoutsikou, Creative Director of HBA London

Constantina Tsoutsikou, Creative Director of HBA London is a leader in global hospitality design, creating meaningful and memorable experiences for hotel, restaurant and spa guests.

Australian born and raised in Greece, Constantina came to London as a design student and has since made it her home and the base for her globe-trotting lifestyle. No day is ever the same – with visits to sites across Europe and the Middle East, the creative direction of new work in the studio to manage, a team to lead, international design awards to judge and speaking at events such as Maison et Objet. In all of this, Constantina believes in fun. “Fun and discovery are the lifeblood of great design” she says.

Her work emphasises the joy of discovery of the location, its history, and its culture. Her ways of bringing playfulness to hotels are utterly different – from a cosy, artistic boutique hotel Amadria Park Capital in the heart of Zagreb to a larger scale Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol hotel, offering respite for international visitors and travellers, through to a coastal resort on the Adriatic Sea.

She is a true trend-setter in luxury hotel design: leading the European arm of a global hospitality design practice and an active explorer of new ideas herself, who gives time to join speaking platforms and judge awards. Last year, she and her team created an outstanding concept room at Sleep + Eat which, working in collaboration with London’s National History Museum, delved into ideas such as nature, exploration, and discovery.

Constantina took a few moments out of her busy schedule to talk to Inspirationist about her roots, her visions for the future and how she brings fun and playfulness to hotel design:

INSPIRATIONIST: Where are you from and where do you live now?

Constantina Tsoutsikou: I was born in Australia to Greek parents but when I was seven we left the leafy streets of Adelaide for a small rural town in Greece.  It was a big change of scene, a new way of life. By the time I was a teenager, I was eager to search for my place in the world. Design studies took me to Athens and then onwards to London. It was here I made my home, although home to me means the place where I love to be in between my travels.  I still have the same thirst for discovery as when I first set out so it’s fortunate my work takes me on creative journeys around the globe.   

INSPIRATIONIST: What’s your background? 

C.T.: I grew up in a creative family. We owned a picture framing workshop, which was something of a social hub for our neighbours. Friends would drop by for conversation about art, philosophy, politics – or fishing. At other times, my sisters and I would be doing our homework in the front room while our father moulded cast plaster sculptures or experimented with paints and new patinas in the back. My mother had an interest in wool weaving, while she also ran a business selling linen for the home.

INSPIRATIONIST: Tell us a bit about your time at Esteé Lauder and what it taught you.

C.T.: Esteé Lauder is a global company with a grand vision and multiple iconic brands such as Clinique and La Mer. Working within its design department gave me the opportunity to master brand implementation across a range of different brands and learn how to make an impact and create an experience, all of which are invaluable in hospitality design.

INSPIRATIONIST: How did you fall in love with design and why? 

C.T.: Culture, arts, a love of nature and being creative formed the backdrop when I was growing up, so it wasn’t a question of falling in love with design, but rather a natural progression in what I had been exposed to. Our house was full to the brim with vintage books, artefacts and collections of fascinating objects. You could find hand-painted Japanese scrolls and rolls of block printed silks collected from travels in Asia next to wool yarn spinners, and everything else in between! The idea of layering in my approach to hospitality design is informed by these early memories. 

INSPIRATIONIST: What is your favourite part of your job?  

C.T.: I love the fact that my role touches on every aspect of running the studio, from leading the team to fronting the drive for new business and overseeing client relationships. Equally, I am so pleased that I can remain very involved in the project work itself, especially at the beginning in leading our creative direction, then reviewing ongoing progress and, finally, at the end, making a difference with last minute adjustments and accessorising. In fact, the favourite part of my job is probably just this – rolling up my sleeves with the team on-site.

The favourite part of my job is probably just this – rolling up my sleeves with the team on-site.

INSPIRATIONIST: Where do you spend most of your time, and what does a typical day for you entail?

C.T.: To say that no day is ever the same would be an understatement! If I am in our studio in West London, the day starts at nine and I make sure to touch base with all the teams first thing. 

Projects run at different speeds, so while one may be at concept stage, another may require problem solving in minute detail. This development stage is crucial to get right. The tiniest touchpoint can make a difference. I use quick pencil sketches to convey an idea and am very hands on with materials. 

Since many of our clients are international, video conference calls are very much part of my typical day. If I am in London on a Friday, I pick my girls up from school and take them swimming or ice skating. I try to balance family life around the job, or sometimes vice versa. It takes precise planning and a few blank spaces in the diary to allow for last minute things that come up.

I am often on the road, attending project meetings, reviewing site progress or evaluating a new assignment. I prefer to test what feels right or wrong on the ground, with a tape measure to hand and trusting my intuition rather than trying to solve all problems by looking at drawings on a screen in London.  The slightest shifts in scale, proportions, or light can make or break a design idea. 

When I am out and about, my antennas are always alert for innovation. I look for inspiration everywhere and travel never disappoints. I usually return to the studio with a bulging bag of books or magazines and numerous photos of what I have found interesting.   

The slightest shifts in scale, proportions, or light can make or break a design idea. 

INSPIRATIONIST: Can you describe an evolution in your work from when you began until today? 

C.T.: Designers are constantly on a journey and evolution happens on a daily basis. Starting out, one tests ideas, the work is task driven and it enables you to learn on the job. With experience, I like to push the design envelope further. I ask questions relentlessly and scrutinise ideas and assumptions until it all falls into place.

INSPIRATIONIST: You believe that “Fun and discovery are the lifeblood of great design.” How do you bring fun and playfulness to hotel design?

C.T.: Spaces dictate how we feel in them. In hotel interiors, formality is usually required or desired, but a total absence of things that are fun or of opportunities for discovery leave a hotel feeling very impersonal and uninspiring. I believe that striking the right balance between sophistication and a relaxed ambience is key. 

To my mind, design is not dissimilar to a conversation. I compare it with sitting around a table at a dinner party – sometimes you can feel stuck with a dull conversationalist or sometimes you are  exhilarated when you meet an interesting new acquaintance and a spark is lit. 

Every design choice says something about our intent. For example, a comfortable sofa with deep cushions and smooth upholstery is an invitation to relax and unwind, or a well-framed view through the window directs you to take in your surroundings. Quirky artefacts or a disruptive feature is often what makes a scheme charming. Nobody likes an interior that feels like a monotonous furniture showroom. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like to have some fun. 

Take for example, the Capital Hotel in Zagreb which we have recently completed. We introduced oversized illustrations by David Doran in the Café to give a dreamy perspective on the city’s laid-back culture. They make the sun filled space feel very much about Zagreb NOW, whereas the building itself is a restored bank that opened in 1923.  At the start of the project, I talked to many people who remembered the bank when it was still operating and they told me how depressing and cold it felt. I made it my mission to take it to the other end of the spectrum and rewrite the building’s narrative. Today you could describe it as playful, warm, welcoming and full of personality. There was no place for imposing or dreary in my plans.

A completely different project, but sharing the same principle of creating fun, was our design of the new Hilton at Schiphol airport. Historically, airport hotels have been anonymous experiences; guest stay there because they have to and forget them as soon as they leave. I was determined to make this hotel stand out and a destination of choice. We christened our approach the Dutch Touch. We took the local landscape, the waterways, craft traditions and the modern day Amsterdam spirit, we even played with the design of the city’s much loved Speculaas Plankjes biscuit, and we translated all of these into a hotel with soul, one that puts a smile on the face of even the most jaded global traveller.

Spaces dictate how we feel in them.

INSPIRATIONIST: Can you share with us any exciting projects that you are working on at the moment?

C.T.: In Dubai we are building a luxury hotel, and in Istanbul our beautiful guestrooms are coming together for a new apartment tower. In Europe, I have just set out the art and accessories in the guestrooms of the Camellia Hotel in the chic Croatian coastal resort of Opatija. The guest experience here is wonderful. We have designed a joyful geometric floor covering with an energy that feels entirely complimentary to an otherwise very calm room. At night, you fall asleep to the sounds of gentle waves lapping the rocks below. The next phase at Camellia will be a wellness space over two floors which we can’t wait to get started on. Meanwhile, in London, we have a wonderful residential project in the heart of a new city centre development and I am also dipping into the world of cruise-liner design for the first time, thanks to a very exciting collaboration.

The best projects are those where there is synergy and things happen!

INSPIRATIONIST: Do you have a favourite amongst all your projects? 

C.T.: I like maintaining momentum and working fast. The best projects are those where there is synergy and things happen!

INSPIRATIONIST: What are your visions for the future? 

C.T.: Given my wander lust, I would of course like projects in new locations, as well as opportunities to work on ground-breaking concepts. Last year, we were offered the fascinating challenge of designing a guestroom that expressed London’s Natural History Museum brand and I would very much like to work on more brand collaborations such as this. Whatever and wherever the project, however, it is clear that it is evermore important to design responsibly and act as custodians of Earth’s precious resources. My last, but not least, vision is to create more places where people can connect with one another and with themselves.

My last, but not least, vision is to create more places where people can connect with one another and with themselves.

INSPIRATIONIST: How do you unwind?

C.T.: Music is a big part of my everyday life. I also read as much as I can. My favourite weekend decompression is devouring the Sunday papers. In fact, I could easily spend the entire day without doing much else, but my family has other ideas and thankfully they usually succeed in getting me out and about. 

INSPIRATIONIST: What kind of music are you listening to at the moment?

C.T.: Anyone who has stayed in our house, knows that the kitchen radio is permanently tuned to Classic FM. It goes on first thing in the morning with the coffee maker and stays on until the lights are switched off at night. 

Most of the time, I am on the go however, and I rely heavily on a good pair of earphones that keep me connected to my playlists. I am happily addicted to music and outside my kitchen, my music is more varied. I am into synth pop, electronica and experimental. On heavy rotation this month, you will find John Maus, a small Swedish band called Amason, and the Russian artist Amnfx. Happily, I have a small group of like-minded friends and we ping pong tunes to each other, new tracks or just something that struck a chord.

INSPIRATIONIST: What is your favourite colour?

C.T.: Colour in design is a great tool. It can perk up a quiet scheme and add energy and vibrance. I like wearing colour too, not just working with it. This week, I have opted for forest green, and that’s just for my manicure!

#boutique hotel #Constantina Tsoutsikou #Creative Director #HBA London #hospitality design #hotel design #interview #luxury hotel design

[houstonlocalus-blog]

Reflections of Ourselves: Ron Mueck at MFAH

Ron Mueck, “Couple Under an Umbrella,” 2013.

  Ron Mueck opened at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston this past weekend, an exhibition that’s been years in the making.  Mueck’s work is known around the globe for its haunting and hyperrealist figures trapped in frozen moments of contemplation.  His subjects hold an essence of displacement and discomfort, bringing the viewer in to explore these expressions.  “Ever since I saw his show at the Brooklyn Museum his work has been under my skin. For almost 20 years I have been provoked and impressed by Ron Mueck’s balance of the real and unreal,” states Alison de Lima Greene, Contemporary curator at the MFAH. Mueck didn’t hit the ground running as a contemporary artist.  The Australian born native began his early career working as the Creative Director for a children’s TV show, Shirl’s Neighbourhood, where he also made, voiced, and operated the puppets on the show.  In TV and film he eventually began working as a creator and puppeteer with such greats as Jim Henson on projects including The Labyrinth and The Storyteller. It wasn’t until 1996 that Mueck began working as a fine artist and began collaborating with his mother-in-law Paula Rego.  It was Rego that introduced him to Charles Saatchi, who immediately took a shining to his work and began commissioning and collecting his latest creations.

  Mueck employs a very interesting process that compels me to his work. Surprisingly, he does not compose his pieces based on real people.  Seeing his work and the attention to detail, you might think that he at least works from photographs of his subjects, but that’s not the case.  His works spawn from drawings and contain no real ongoing narrative.  The relationships to the figures are ambiguous. Mueck captures moments, while isolating himself from the world around him during creation, often times spending a year on a figure. The subjects tend to stand still in an ambiguous place in time, remaining in a limbo.  His ever changing scale from large to small, small to large presents a disjunction while pushing unrealism to realism.  I found myself as close as I could possibly get to the sculptures to investigate the features, the distressed facial expressions, the pores, the complections.  The choice of size is not random and even the pedestals are mandated with specific heights as to lead the viewer to see as Mueck wants you to see.  The pedestals are presented in such a way that although many are very close to walls, there is just enough space welcoming you to walk around them.  Interestingly enough, even the lighting and wall color is chosen specifically for each show to ensure the proper element is set to appropriately display his works.

  Ron Mueck, “Woman with Shopping,” 2013.

  The exhibition lacks chronological order and not intended to be scene with a theme or story line.  In fact, as de Lima Greene states, “The show is as satisfying walking in from the exit as it is entering from the front.”  As you walk through the show you feel heavy, very much like the people Mueck presents.  Many of them stare at the ground or with a thousand yard stare, unless the viewer breaks this site line, which only passes through them.  There are only two of his 40 pieces that he has made that actually came from real life.  One of his first pieces, entitled “Dead Dad,” was a miniature of the body of his deceased father, and even contained Mueck’s own hair, with this being the only piece to do so.  “Women with Shopping” features a woman Mueck saw on the streets of London looking blankly waiting to cross the streets.  She is loaded down with groceries and a child is stuffed into her jacket, with only the head popping out of the collar.  Dressed monochromatically she is almost embedded, standing for an eternal amount of time.  As individuals or pairs, they merely remain in a mystery of emotion.

  It’s apparent that in many pieces, things are not exactly as they appear.  This can be seen in one of the anchor pieces, “Mask II,” an oversized self portrait of Mueck’s own face.  Beautiful as it lays heavy and half squished for those to creep in uncomfortably close, like watching someone sleep inches from their face.  The face remains unconscious and unaware of your presence. Walking around the piece you see an empty shell of a man’s head.  There is no back to it and you as the viewer are to become aware of this.  The mask, as it is called, is not just an ironic description of his face, but a literal one.  With “Young Couple,” the work presents a teenage couple, standing close to each other, dressed ordinarily with almost pained faces.  As no preset narrative is given to you, it appears the boy is consoling the young girl, as if they are both sharing this unpleasantry.  The girl hangs her head with the boy, who is much taller, almost as to resting his head against hers or deciding whether to do so.  The girl does not grasp or hug her partner, but has her hands dropped to her sides.  When you decide to walk around the figures, you see the boy is grasping her forearm, although their bodies obstruct this fact.  This made me feel immediately uncomfortable.  It is as if seeing your friends from across the park engaged in a tantalizing conversation only to hear upon approach they are involved in a heated argument.  One gets this feeling from many of the pieces in the show.  The Mueck ‘people’ certainly wear the perfume of loneliness, but there is certainly a darkness with each piece.  “Couple under an Umbrella” depicts two elderly beach goers lounging under the warm glow of a colorful umbrella.  The woman sits with a slight hunch about her as her male counterpart lays flat on the floor with his head resting against her.  He reclines with a clueless tranquility as she stares down upon him.  As one approaches these large beach giants, you think, “oh well look at them having a nice holiday in the sun.”  However, she isn’t beaming with joy. The both of them are not much of anything.  Upon walking through the exhibition with London’s Charlie Clark, who has been a long time friend and has worked closely with Ron Mueck for years, he stated, “We don’t even know if they are together or if she cares for him at all.”  So it comes not as a projection from myself, but from Mueck himself.  There isn’t one smiling face in the collection. Its as if they have all just awoken from a deep sleep and they are taking that minute to get their bearings.

  Ron Mueck, “Mask II,” 2001.

  Moments of tranquility are present in a few of the works.  By tranquility I mean the expressions are not entirely pained, but there certainly much to think about as you walk around with a furrowed brow. “Youth” displays an African American youth standing as he pulls up his shirt.  Looking down, he peers at a wound in his abdomen.  His shirt is slightly bloodied, but the wound is substantial.  He stands barefoot and doesn’t seemed to be bothered by it at the moment.  The didactic tells a story of resurrection and relation to Christ.  Perhaps he is Christ after he arises and looks over his body only to see the laceration.  Even the height of this pedestal is similar to that of a religious statue posted in a church or holy place.  This may be one of the heaviest pieces in the show.  It is also the only figure that is physically wounded.  Maybe he has fallen off his bike or maybe the injury was inflicted upon him?  There is more to ponder about, for instead of feeling an emotional pain as the others, you feel both physically and emotionally over his wound.

  The entire collection of Mueck’s work has depth to it and doesn’t just rely on his ability to create lifelike people of the everyday.  European art history flows strongly through the works giving moments of Lucien Freud and Albrecht Durer as you review his pieces.  His work “Still Life,” an enormous featherless chicken, hangs lifeless as if about to be added into a Dutch painting surrounded with flowers, glasses of wine, and a strange looking feline. It’s clear there remains an embedded thought process with all the figures we see of Mueck’s creations.  More than just the making process and welcoming our interpretations.

  As you make the final conclusion through the exhibition and into the final room you are sent on your way by “Girl,” a room sized infant. The viewer is forced upon this piece and into the environment. The new child is still covered in blood and awaiting that slap on the back to bring air into the lungs.  A few times around the child you take in all the details of this little-large body sprawled with its still-attached umbilical cord. Mueck provides a deep look into the time in between moments. Viewing his subjects not as objects of portraits but as a means of exposing an accurate in-depth window into human essence. Mueck’s figures are elaborate puzzles, each one with a different message to be uncovered. Within his reality, much like our own, first glances are deceiving and misguided. There are many instances of loneliness throughout the exhibition, but the individuals populating the show are far from still and alone. It’s the reflection of ourselves in the subjects that give them motion.

  Ron Mueck will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston through August 13, 2017.

Reflections of Ourselves: Ron Mueck at MFAH this is a repost