These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Christy Trapp (15)

Hi, my name’s Christy. I am your atypical fifteen-year-old girl. I like pictures and words. I like sugarcoated lullabies and thousand dollar heartache. I like disasters and impossible things that make you dream. I like things that don’t exist yet. I like the smell of coffee in the morning and crooked smiles. I believe in freedom and that everyone is born with a pair of wings upon their back. My love glides from room to room and I am not afraid to shine. I am forever infinite. I am restless in the way your bones always ache, and I store my heart in a jar for safekeeping. I am lights you turn out at night and sounds you only hear in the dark. I am a fan of cliches.

There is nothing that means more to me then pressing the shutter release on a camera. I want to make someone actually feel something when they look at my pictures. I want their breath to catch in their throat. I want to leave them speechless. I want them to wonder not what the concept in mind was, but to be able to associate their own experiences with it. And I prefer to use sewing lamps, overhead projectors, flashlights, and Christmas tree lights to do so. In more than one way photography is the perfect way for me to embrace every creative aspect of myself, and that in it’s self is reason enough to make it my life long ambition.

• flickr
• deviantart
• carbonmade
• modelmayhem

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Today’s inspiration: Design!

The internet is the best way to get inspired for a design project, so here you go!

Want more?!

• Instant Inspiration Series
• Attractive and Inspiring Liquor Labels
• Inspiring, Creative, & Artistic Examples of Web Design
• Design Inspiration: Businesses Going Green
• Textual Logos – Is Simple Better?
• BuildInternet! | Color Scheme Inspiration
• LogoPond

Thanks To Our Sources

• WellMedicated
• Smashing Magazine
• FFFFOUND!
• Ember
• BuildInternet!

What inspires you!? Email your favorites to chris@nonsensesociety.com or share them in the comments.

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- Chris Collins.

Copyright 2010 Chris Collins, All Rights Reserved.

Please do not judge me by what comes into my head.

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These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Bethany Grace (17)

I’m a seventeen self-taught photographer, adult in mind, child at heart. I want to travel the world one day, on a motorcycle, with my camera in my hands and the wind in my hair. But that is just a dream.

I work for a clothing boutique in prague, where I live, and otherwise I have my friends to take pictures of. That is all I ever feel like doing, all I ever want to do.

• Website
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• Twitter
• Flickr
• ModelMayhem

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What is your motivation for all of this? Is it to entertain? Do you want to be famous? Do you want money?

There is no greater feeling than seeing people enjoy my music. It is such a crazy idea that songs an inexperienced teenage girl writes about are being heard and enjoyed by a number of people. What I truly aim to get out of my musical career is for people to take my music for what it is and enjoy it. Sure, money is always great but it isn’t what my focus is. I would still be happy playing in a cute little coffee shop for free to people who enjoy it.

Can you explain how you’ve evolved as a musician?

I actually find myself almost embarrassed when I look back at my older videos on YouTube. I guess it’s really helpful to see what I’ve grown in as a musician. I look back at where I used to get my inspiration from by what music I used to listen to. It seems so juvenile and silly that I posted my “Hot n’ Cold” cover because my taste in music has definitely changed. I’m finding myself to be more open to new styles and trying them out as well as finding my own.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

As silly as it sounds, my inspiration to sing came from that corny movie, “Glitter” with Mariah Carey. To be honest, at first I really never thought of singing as something I would be known for. I did choir in school every year but I didn’t think much of it. However, after I saw that movie I wanted so badly to sing like her. I bought all of her CD’s and tried to match all of her runs with my voice. Although I know it isn’t true, I felt like I trained my voice to do all those cool little things that she did with hers. It made me feel really good, like I worked for something for myself and earned it on my own. Pretty soon I felt like I had a voice I never knew I had. Surely now that I think of it, my views of Mariah Carey have changed but I’m still grateful for that one day my family decided to rent that silly movie. It makes me wonder if I would have ever really found my voice if it wasn’t for that.

How do your peers feel about your recent fame? Has it changed anything?

I was never really the “popular” girl in school for starters. Instead, up until about eighth grade I was known as one of the shyest girls in our grade. I was afraid of people looking at me and saying, “Wow, I never expected her to be like that.” because I had already set my standards at being the quiet one and thought it was too late to change it. However, I really wanted to show people that I was more than just a quiet girl. And yes, I know it sounds cheesy but I turned to music to help show who I really was. The eighth grade talent show was the first time I had ever sung out in public and you can imagine how terrifying it was for me, the shyest girl who never spoke out, to do that. When the votes were counted for, I didn’t have words to describe the feeling that developed from the two words that came out of the announcer’s mouth; “Marie Hsiao!” It wasn’t even the gratitude of winning first place, it was simply the fact that people voted for me. The next day was one of the happiest days I will ever remember. People were congratulating me and they even knew my name. I didn’t have to worry about people thinking of me oddly and I could carry myself with confidence. When I have a bad day or something gets me down, I just think, “Hey, I’m Marie Hsiao. I have over 9,000 supporters. People listen to me.” Now pretty much the entire high school knows me as the singer from YouTube. Everyone in my school is very supportive and know that now I have something untouchable by anyone else, my music.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your goals?

A lot can happen in 5 years. Just noticing it, I’ll be 21 and boy do these years fly by. I hope that by then I have a few of my own albums out and to have gained more listeners. It’s so odd to imagine myself being 21 since I’m still only a teenager but 5 years can pass by quickly. I can only wonder what the future has in store for me.

What emotions speak to you most through your music?

I find that the majority of my music is upbeat and cheery. It mainly focuses on what every other teenage girl dreams of; your everyday crushes, relationships, etc. Although I must admit, I have little experience of my own, I find myself writing about scenarios that make me happy and hopefully bring a smile to other’s faces. However, not all of my music is so straightforward and cheerful. As I expand my ear to new music, I find myself writing songs with a more deep approach. For instance; I recently wrote a song titled “Winter” which is far different from the rest of my songs. But hey, I’m only 16. I have a long way to go to find my own style and genre so experimenting is the best I can do.

Does your age help or hurt you in this business?

Being 16, my age can both benefit me as well as being a burden. People wouldn’t really expect maturity from a 16 year and hopefully I could pleasantly surprise them. On the other hand, people would assume that my music would appeal only to the younger audience and might not take me seriously.

Can you talk about your experience with criticism and how you deal with it?

There is no question that criticism will be evident no matter what. I’ve dealt with many negative comments on YouTube and to my own surprise, I can easily get past it. At first I will admit, of course I was offended but there is no way to stop people from acting the way they do. Now it rarely affects me to see someone trashing on my videos because I’ve learned that people use that as a way to make them feel better about themselves.

You have a lot of people looking up to you. What do you have to say to them?

I cannot even begin to say how grateful I am to the number of people following my music. I know everyone says it, but I honestly don’t think I would be as far as I am now without these people supporting me. It means so much to me when I see people leaving me messages saying they enjoy my music and I only hope that the numbers keep increasing. If I were given the chance I would tell my listeners to keep doing what you love. Even if others put you down, don’t be discouraged. Do what you want for yourself and no one else because in the end you should be happy with who you are and nobody else is the judge of that.

More Marie Hsiao?

YouTube

Facebook

MySpace

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All of these images are Copyright Brianna Elton, so don’t steal them, okay!?

Brianna Elton (17)

Well, my name’s Brianna Elton, and I’m 17, I live in sydney australia, and really really like photography. I just started my HSC (australian high school certificate – which essentially takes up a whole year of your life and ruins your brain in the process), so at the moment that’s pretty much what’s keeping me occupied. I started taking photographs when i was around 15, but didn’t really recognize it as a true medium/artistic outlet ’till I got my digital SLR. Until then it’d kind of been a hobby, something to do, but once realized what I was capable of, I ran with it and didn’t look back.

When I first started out, a lot of what I did – my style, my ideas, and generally my creative process; was dictated by the trends and feedback from the many online photography communities I frequented. I almost idolized certain photographers on these websites such as deviantart and flickr, and simply endeavored to imitate/’appropriate’ what I saw & liked. Most of the time I like to think it was just a subconscious misapprehension, but now that I reflect on it, I guess there are a lot of photographers out there who never stop trying to emulate what they see.

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“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” – Gandalf the Grey

So how do you succeed? You need to know how to deal with people. You need to learn how to portray an attitude that attracts opportunity. In this particular article, I’d like to refer to one of my favorite books of all time: How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. The book has long been considered one of the best self-help books ever written. Unfortunately, it is often marketed as a book for businesspeople. In reality, it can help anyone. I am writing this article as a supplementary resource geared toward you creative-types. I have picked several chapter titles’ in the book to talk about.

Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.

Stop complaining. Don’t complain about your life, your art, or anybody else. The most impressive people I have ever met are the most self-assured and accepting people.

“I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar.” – Wash, Serenity

The less you complain about circumstances and people, the less people will complain about you. If you are an artist (of any kind) you know how much criticism can hurt. React to this by simply not participating in it. People tell me I sucks all the time! For a while I tried to argue back, but it never made me feel good. You will find that by letting go, you feel great (and other people will see you as great).

“I will speak ill of no man… and speak all the good I know of everybody.” – Benjamin Franklin

Become genuinely interested in other people.

“Every man is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him.” – R. W. Emerson

Everywhere I go, I talk to people. I try and learn from them. I genuinely care about what they have to say and what they do. Don’t run around trying to be the best (and therefore thinking you are the best). Next time you need inspiration, go out and find someone who makes you say wow! You have so much to gain from other people. Start appreciating them. Better yet, go tell them how much you appreciate them.

Disclaimer: The word “genuine” is of utmost importance here. If you approach someone with selfish intentions they will see right through you.

Give honest and sincere appreciation.

Who inspires you? Go tell them! I have achieved to much through appreciating other people. When I started the Nonsense Society, I wanted to bring all the creative people I knew together. I loved their creativity so much! I wanted to do whatever I could to promote them. After I did that, I began to write to everyone else I admired. They ALL gave me a response. Every single one. I wrote to band managers. I wrote to incredible artists. I wrote to famous people asking for advice. They ALL gave me whatever I wanted. You want to know why they gave me what I wanted? I appreciated them. Now incredible people find me, and I don’t have to ask anymore.

“For example, many years ago a boy of ten was working in a factory in Naples. He longed to be a singer but his first teacher discouraged him. ‘You can’t sing,’ he said, ‘You haven’t any voice at all. It sounds like the wind in the shutters.’ But his mother, a poor peasant woman, put her arms about him and praised him and told him she knew he could sing, she could already see an improvement, and she went barefoot in order to save money to pay for his music lessons. that peasant mother’s praise and encouragement changed that boy’s life. His name was Enrico Caruso, and he became the greatest and most famous opera singer of his age.” (Carnegie, p.228)

Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately

When I read this chapter title in How to Win Friends & Influence People, I immediately felt invigorated. Just thinking about saying “yes, yes” gets me all worked up. I’ve met so many creative people who inspire me with their ideas. When you meet someone interesting. Think about what makes them interesting. What are they passionate about? When you figure that out, talk to them about it. Find a similar interest and go nuts. This person will respect you, get involved in your projects, and help you in whatever way they can. I’ve had people give me more than I could have ever dreamed of. I didn’t even have to ask. How? I found a connection between their passion and mine.

Let the other person do a great deal of the talking

I don’t understand people who talk constantly. I rarely argue or debate. Why do you need to know my opinion? Does it make you like me more? Does it help me learn anything? Not really.

Rather than blabbing on and on about how great my latest film is, I’d rather hear what you have to say. I already know why I made the choices I made. I’d much rather hear about what you would have done. I’d much rather hear about what you think about film as an art form. You can learn so much from listening.

I tell people all the time, “Shut up and let everyone else talk.” People like to talk. I challenge you to stop being a good talker and start being a good listener. It will do wonders for you! The more I get people talking, the more they like me! It works every time. Talk less. Constantly ask questions. You will notice people calling you a “good conversationalist” and just smile.

Smile.

There is nothing more attractive than a happy person. This goes double in the arts. Following High School, I went to a competitive music school (side note: I quit) and noticed that 90% of the students appeared miserable to be playing their instruments. They were obsessed with perfection. Not only did I not like these people, but I found I would rather listen to my 5 year-old cousin bang on a piano than go to their recitals. They had lost touch with an aspect of music that makes all the difference: joy. Next time you perform or have an art show I dare you to smile like you have never been more proud. Everyone will come back for more. I promise.

“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” (Carnegie, p.71)

thoughts by Chris Collins

Carnegie, Dale. How to Win Friends & Influence People. New York: Pocket, 1990. Print.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

If this inspired you, go buy the book (because it’s awesome).

Want to learn how to make money and do what you love? Want to not sit behind a desk 8AM-5PM Monday through Friday?! I suggest you talk to my friend Angela Lussier of 365 Degrees Consulting and buy her book too! It just might change your life.

If you live in Western Massachusetts, Angela also runs a group for people who want to do what they love. You might even meet me there! *gasp* My other friend, Allison Biggs does some wicked sweet creative workshops.

Anything else to add? Please share in the comments, or talk to me.

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These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Julia Trotti (18)

My name is Julia Trotti and I’m an eighteen year old photography from Sydney, Australia. I photograph things that mean something to me. Friends, music, strange thoughts, my mind wandering, being young. I create dreams and document people and places that are lovely and strange and beautiful.

I see photography as a record of living, for anyone who really sees. I want it to take me to photographing amazing musicians at concerts, capturing the atmosphere and the energy of the music on the crowd, shooting editorials for magazines like Russh and Oyster and inspiring the mass of today’s youth. Photography is important to me because it’s a way of living, and of explaining a part of myself to everyone else, putting them in my shoes to see the beauty that I see everywhere.

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Banner Image by Kristin Manson.

Remember, all rights to works posted on the Nonsense Society are reserved by the controlling rightholder(s). Click on each image to see the source.

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Tessa Abrahams

I am a 19-year old girl raised by LA’s waves, now attempting to stand out among the other 8.5 million souls lost in New York City’s sea of ennui. Ever since I was presented with my first camera at the age of 15, it has yet to leave my side for long. The only thing that I can honestly say is certain about my life is my ever-lasting relationship with photography- without it I would lack any sort of force driving me towards a goal. I exist for the sheer bliss of seeing beauty in this world that often times can be unforgiving and cruel.

• Flickr

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