The Mightier (iPad) Pen
I always said,
Early in life, I developed the aversion to fancy tools - from that pencil case with eject hidden sharpeners, to the watercolor brush shampoos. The reason is very simple: we cannot afford it. So ever since, I’ve comforted my angsty juvenile (pa-art) self that I should just focus on my techniques, given a very limited range of art tools.
But with more time and experience, I learned that even a very skilled artist (or technician), if given faulty tools, the process of creation won’t be as inspired. Worse, the work won’t be as efficient. Now, I recognize the importance of having the best tools that you can have. (Pag-ipunan na lang. Investment rin ‘yan.)
My iPad has been a very helpful tool for my art (and rakets). I use it for viewing of reference photos when I’m painting or sketching. But the Paper App and the Jot Pro stylus helped me maximize my iPad more. Now I can literally write down and doodle my ideas on the iPad. And just when I thought my Jot Pro stylus is the best, I get introduced to the Jot Pro Touch.
iPad screens (or any touch screen gadgets) need a certain amount of surface area to be covered to respond to touch. So the precision disc acts like your finger, but since the disc is transparent, you can see exactly where you are writing or doodling!
Jot Touch’s precision disc works naturally with any App on any touch screen; iOS, Android, and Windows.
The new sound Dampening Tip simulates the natural contact of writing with a pen on paper. This means your strokes will be quieter when note-taking or sketching.
Although all Jot stylus pens are quite sensitive, the Jot Touch reacts to how much pressure you apply, making more accurate strokes.
Bluetooth® Connect
Jot Touch uses Bluetooth 2.0 technology to communicate with Jot Ready apps on your iPad 2 or New iPad.
USB Charger
Plug the USB charger into your computer, tablet, or iPad/iPhone charger to replenish Jot Touch and keep writing and doodling.
The Jot Pro Touch really is just so
The Jot Pro Touch will be available in these following stores: Beyond The Box (One Rockwell, Resorts World, Lucky Chinatown Mall), Digital Hub (Virra Mall, Galleria, Pioneer, Market! Market!, II Terrazo), E-Central (Cebu), iBook (SM Clark), iCenter (Cebu & Iloilo), Podworx, Power Mac Center, Technoholics and The Inbox Store (SM Clark).
I'm definitely getting one for myself and for Wincy, who's been practicing his illustration skills lately. :P
Take It Easy With KEDS
When I saw the movie Limitless, I told my boss I wanted to have some NZT-48.
But he told me this: "Hoy de Silva, that's not what you need! You need a chill pill."
Oh yes, I'm the office Ms. Intense and I'll forever be acting busy and all fiery. Wincy even joked once that my only chill time is when I'm asleep. But hey, I do have my own form of relaxation - ART! I usually unwind with some of my favorite music while sketching or painting.
And this weekend, I wanna try sharing my relax-time with all of you! Let's all TAKE IT EASY and have fun tomorrow at:
This October, the UP Junior Marketing Association and Keds Philippines bring you: “Take It Easy with Keds”, an exciting outdoor picnic of food, drinks, hyped with a splash of fun and games that’ll keep you wanting more! Come and join the fun at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on October 20, 2012, Saturday with a program showcasing the latest trendy and preppy Keds looks, the new Keds Ambassadors known as the Kids for Keds, as well as celebrity guestings, and a whole lotta freebies from Keds.
Take It Easy with Keds is the UP JMA Strategic Marketing Team’s event for this semester. It holds as a picnic-carnival coachella style of event that will showcase the Everyday’s-a-Saturday feel of Keds shoes. The events is proposed to be set during the day in an outdoor environment, where people can relax, breathe, take a break from work, and purely have fun with the booths and games set for them.
The picnic scene isn’t just like any other picnic in that gaming, food and drink booths will surround the area, a program to showcase Keds products and endorsers (fashion show, Kids for Keds from the three chosen colleges, Keds ambassadors) will be hosted, hopefully by celebrities, who will be sited at the event. Take it Easy with Keds is meant to promote Keds’ Everyday’s-a-Saturday feel to its main target market, mainly college students, and everyone else who wants to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of work by TAKING IT EASY. Stop doing what you need to do. Start doing what you want to do. ‘Cos it’s time to take it easy with Keds.
So boys and girls, see you tomorrow! I'll be painting walls and probably some pair of Keds!
Ang Kauna-Unahan Kong Aklat Na Pambata: Ang Ikaklit Sa Aming Hardin
Una kong nakilala si Ikaklit sa klaseng Panitikang Pilipino 19 ni Prof. Eugene Evasco noong tinalakay namin ang kwentong pambatang Ang Ikaklit Sa Aming Hardin na sinulat ni Bernadette Neri. Sabi ni Sir Eugene, hindi raw na-publish ang kwentong ito dahil walang mainstream publication na gustong tumanggap dahil sa “maselang” tema nito: ang isang homosekswal na pamilya.
Naisip ko, ang isang kwentong singganda ng Ang Ikaklit Sa Aming Hardin ay nararapat na mailathala at maibahagi sa nakararami. Kaya’t ipinangako ko sa sarili ko na hahanapin ko si Bernadette Neri at magpriprisinta na lang ako bilang ilustrador. Tutulungan ko siya sa abot ng makakaya ko para mabuo ang aklat na ito, indie kung indie.
Makalipas ang apat na taon, hindi ko inakalang matutupad ang isa sa mga “major” pangarap ko!
Sana makapunta kayo sa pormal na pagpapakilala sa publiko ng aming aklat, ang book launch ng Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin. Setyembre 13, 2012, 3:00-5:00 PM, sa CM Rector Hall, Bulwagang Rizal, KAL (CAL), UP Diliman.
Muli, maraming salamat kay Bernadette Neri, sa pagtitiwalang mabibigyang buhay ko ang kwento niya. Kay Sir Eugene Evasco - kayo ang dahilan ng lahat (kung hindi ko kinuha ang klase ninyo at nabasa si Ikaklit, wala naman ang lahat ng ito!) Salamat rin sa team: Siyawi, Ate Powti, at Ate Jeni. (Excited na akong makilala kayo nang personal!)
Para sa inyo, mga kaibigan at kakilala online, kung interesado kayong makakuha ng kopya ng aklat na ito, maaring mag-email sa akin sa contact@cjdesilva.com at publikasyong.twamkittens@gmail.com (Subject: IKAKLIT)! Maraming salamat muli!
Heto ang isa sa mga paborito kong spread sa aming aklat!
10 Gifts I Got As I Turned 25
Since 2007, my birthday has been life lectures more than actual celebrations. I always attempt to drown it out with loud music and booze, but for some reason, life always manages to feed me its bitter (but very useful) pill, filled with substances that activate me to finally grow up.
This year, I thought if I make my celebration low key, life’s whipping would go weak on me. No party, no friends, just me and some after-concert coffee. But like an unwelcome guest, life still persistently joined me -- all month long.
So I figured, if life won’t leave me alone. Might as well, I ask for fabulous birthday gifts. And so far, here they are:
- I don’t know everything and I’m not always right. I’ve been told by a dear friend, “Hindi ka na fun kausap. You always think you’re right. Di ka nakikinig.” True to form, I did not listen to him at that time. I used to think that if you believe in something, you fight for it, in any way you can. But now, I discovered that strength also comes in the form of humility.
- Stress is viral. Symptoms are extreme mood swings, shortening of patience and disrespectful behavior. So when you get struck by it, you better do everything you can to protect other people from it.
- When you find your voice, express responsibly. Admit it or not, there’s a certain feeling of accomplishment when your opinion seem to matter to other people. In this age of attention, followers, likes, retweets and views are our measure of reach. This gives you more reason to express with prudence, because more people listen to you.
- Social Media, ironically, is not your friend. That’s the greatest irony, I must say. My good friend and mentor once told me, “The more famous you are, the more fake friends you have.” Social media brags about how it simulates our relationships with other people and I am now focusing on the term simulate. And in this process of simulation, context and subtexts are either lost or misconstrued. The more we tweet, update our Facebook status or post photos on Instagram, the more we expose our lives to misinterpretation by people who barely know us.
- Help your family first before helping strangers. Because your family will be your greatest support system as you help others. But make sure you help with decency and justice. Stealing from strangers so that you can help your families is an entirely different thing.
- Everyone has their roles to fill. And I don’t have to save the world. When our house got flooded by the nameless monsoon, I felt the urge to change the world, or at least the Philippines. But hours of research, texts and phone calls to friends made me realize that advocating for an idea may be good, realizing these advocacies is an entirely different case. So I would just find my role to support the people who were born and equipped to be heroes. Batman always needed Alfred anyway.
- Romance is abundant. Commitment is scarce. Blame the movies for romancing the search and the struggle for “finding the one”. But the the truth is, there are plenty of guys (and girls) out there who would like the same music as we do, or whom we can talk to for a whole day straight but there will only be a few people who would actually stick with us, make love with us even if we gained weight after 3 months, or choose to be patient while we throw tantrums. It’s so easy to fall in love but it requires a certain maturity to commit.
- When you can’t accept, tolerate. I believe that there will always be people who will annoy you even without them doing anything wrong. Or some people’s values just won’t match yours. Either way, these were never valid reasons to bully other people.
- There are plenty of creative people out there. Some like putting it out there, loud and extravagant. Some choose to subtly show it. Popularity is a factor, but it is not the complete translation for excellence.
- Just make art, leave the politics to others. When stuck in a social or cultural hierarchy, create your own pedestal. History has proved it, politics and society would always coexist. People will either protect the status quo or shake it. It will be bloody and at the end of the day, I will not matter to these people. So I’d just create something on my own, apart from the field they have been all playing in.
But one gift topped everything that life has given me. Ely Buendia gave me something too. Thanks to his sister, Lally, for making it possible for me to claim it during her brother’s concert in Hard Rock Cafe. Through the years, this song was like my shots of bravery to my blood. But when I heard it live, for the first time, it now feels like the anthem I have always been looking for.
And now its my gift to all of you, free for download. For your desktops, iPhones and Blackberries.
Urbanears: Express Yourself in Colors
“It's like you're always wearing your music on your sleeve, huh.” A dear friend once told me.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of what he said because it’s either he thinks I’m a hipster who gets validation from publicly displaying her taste or I just share my music more openly that usual. I’d like to think it’s the latter. But whatever he truly means, I do really wear my music. And I try to make it fashionable. I complete my music experience through my Urbanears.
Urbanears is a Scandinavian headphones brand that recognized that we don’t simply “use” our headphones, we wear them. So they made headphones and earphones with superb sound quality that felt more like clothes, in affordable prices. This August 14 at the Podium, Urbanears will open its first concept store in the Philippines. They will also be launching their new Fall/Winter collection that will includes 3 new colors.
Right now, I’m using Urbanears Medis in mustard. I opted for a pair of earphones because I listen to music when I commute but I don’t want to wear big, attention-grabbing headphones. Medis may be small but with its bold color, it still looks very quirky and stylish. Also, I love the EarClick construction. I’m not really comfortable with earplugs - I’m scared for my ears! Medis is just perfect for me - great sound quality, ideal size and comfortable fit.
And to all my fellow of Urbanears lovers, let’s express the love some more and join this contest!
Look, here’s mine. (Sorry, I really find it hard to take a good photo of myself wearing my Urbanears Medis!)
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Urbanears come in different styles and prices: Plattan - Php 2950, Plattan Plus - PhP 3450, Medis - PhP 2450, Medis Plus - PhP 2950, Tanto - PhP 1950, Bagis - PhP 1200
You can get them in these following stores: Astrovision, Digital Walker, Mobile 1, Automatic Center, Egghead, Power Hub, Avant, Electroworld, Power Mac Center, Beyond The Box, Gadgets in Style, ROX, Bratpack, Gui, Switch, Buzz, iCenter, Technoholics, Complex, iGig, Toby's Arena, Digital Hub, iStudio and Urban Athletics