Identity Library

Veronika Becher 0:14
Hey everyone, and welcome to another episode of identity library. My name is Veronika Becher, and today I'm here joined by Alex Hacks, and she's a wonderful friend of mine who actually at the gym in the gym class. And would you like to say hi? Maybe too.

Well, beautiful voice.

And you know you will never imagine how this episode actually came into fruition. We were planning on doing it for whole semester. It just never happened. But at some point, like we need to, we have to, yeah, and I don't know it's, uh, it's been going well. We are one month in. Um, you still haven't heard from me. I'm so sorry, dear listeners. Um, but it's okay. We're getting there. The weather is beautiful, of course, talking about something really random, and I'm super excited for spring to come. We had some snow days, some crazy snow days for everyone who's now from North Carolina. It's not a typical thing happening in Raleigh, right? Have you done anything during you know?

Alyx Hacks 1:21
Yes, I played with the snow a little bit in my driveway. That's about it. Relax at home. I feel like it's weird that the weather got so warm this week too, right after we had the snow. Like, 70 degrees outside right now, what just

happened? We had a snow day a week ago. Like, seriously, we were just building snowmen next to bell tower, and now we're,

Veronika Becher 1:42
like, literally walking around in a T shirt. But no, it's crazy. It's crazy. So, yeah, Alex, would you like to just introduce yourself, like, what are you studying? Kind of your background, just just a little bit more. So don't feel like I'm just talking over you.

Alyx Hacks 1:58
No, yeah, sure. I am a graphic and experience designer. That's my major. I'm minoring in anthropology, and yeah, it was a journey to get here, but I am here. I love NC State. I love studying here. Other than that, I also am an art to wear. I just started that this year. It's been a journey as well. But I just found out this week, I actually have been officially accepted to be in the show in April, so I'm excited and looking forward to that. Let's

Veronika Becher 2:29
just start. Okay, I want to just jump into the topic. I want to know, could you explain to people that don't know what ought to wear is? What ought to wear is, yeah,

Alyx Hacks 2:38
kind of Yeah. So it's basically like a club where there's different committees. So like, you don't have to be a designer if you don't want to be a designer. But I guess the main part of it is that there's these prospect designers that designed the clothes to eventually go on the runway in the spring. So you kind of spend the entire year, creating a concept and then designing, and then you like, actually make the piece, and then it's presented on the runway. This year, it's actually going to be at the Greg so it's a little different. It's going to be in the museum, and it's going to be like, I keep calling it an exhibition because I can't think of another word. It's almost like performance art, in a sense, because they're gonna have it rented for three hours, I believe. So there's, like, maybe choreography and things like that that are gonna be added as well. So it's gonna be cool to see, like, everything that the models are gonna be doing. But yeah, there's like, a production team, and then there's like, also a graphic design team. There's a few different teams, and that's actually what got me into it is I was like, I'll do the graphic work to promote art to wear. And then I was like, Maybe I want to actually design the wearable art itself. So I got involved in that, and kind of have been learning a new medium, because I've never really designed clothes before. So it's interesting, for sure.

Veronika Becher 3:59
This is crazy, because I actually talked about this event with my other podcast friend, and he was like, I don't know if I should say actually, I know it's my podcast, but he was like, laughing about it. He's like, this is so fascinating, because one thing that they incorporate is like, of course, these people are professionals, but you can, like, touch the person, like, on a mannequin type of thing, apparently. And I'm like, this is like terrifying, if you think about the fact that someone is like touching you. Well, of course, they're touching your clothes, but it's like such a strange abstract like picture. But the other like thought that came to my mind is when you have, like, art exhibitions and special performance art too. So like people, like dance and something like that, with, like a painting in the background, or, like some other things that's always so interesting. Or have you ever seen, I don't know it circulated over Instagram once. It's this woman who looks at someone and the person that sits across of her cannot express any. Emotions as well as her. And then they brought in her first love, like the the man she loved since like childhood, and they were never they. They broke up like years ago. And so this moment is like in her 50s, I think, and she's just looking at him and is not allowed to show any emotion. And just like she just breaks down. It's such an emotional video. If you've ever seen it, it's performance art, like one of the most like famous ones. But speaking of, speaking of art aware. So you said you're designing it, right? Are you like, actually making like the like the clothes yourself too?

Alyx Hacks 5:39
Yeah, to some extent. I mean, I will say some of it is, like thrifted clothes that I'm kind of like deconstructing and then reconstructing into something new. But I guess at that point, if you want to define it as like creation, I am so creating the piece. So, like, I took, you know, those, like, white little tank tops, they're called, like, wife beaters, but, yeah, not the my greatest term,

but I do know exactly what you mean. Yeah, it's easier to, like, buy them. They're also cheaper, or, like, you can get them, like, in any thrift store, almost only or so bad. So

I've been playing with that fabric because it's, it's interesting where it's ribbed, I can kind of, like, tear it apart. So I've been kind of, like, shredding the shirt, and then I've sewn it in different ways. And I've even been playing with, like pantyhose, or like tights too, and like ripping them up and then re sewing everything together. So I'm kind of going with this, like, half deconstructed and then, like reconstructed look. So it's kind of, it's kind of like controlled chaos, in a way. So it's really like, it's been interesting and fun to kind of explore with textiles. Because I feel like when you asked me to talk about, like, art and design, I kind of thought about very traditional art, especially because that's what I did growing up. I like Drew with a pencil and paper and stuff, and now I'm using that as like part of my process to make this like crazy thing that I never would have thought I'm like, I would be making. I had to learn how to, like sew on a machine earlier this week again, and I only did it a little bit as a kid, and I never did it since. So it's kind of interesting to see how, like me just wanting to make some kind of wearable art piece, or, like clothes, has kind of evolved into, well, now I'm having to learn sewing, and I might want to learn beading and needle felting and all these different like crafty things, so kind of all over the place.

Veronika Becher 7:31
That's amazing. No, seriously, I'm I'm curious. Would you say it's a trend that is like ongoing or we had previously that people perceive art in a completely different way, that, for instance, fashion can be sense of, not only like, you know, the normal fashion shows, but rather art pieces. I know I forgot the name, what's the category of fashion that you have or could do? Like, oh, just like couture. Yeah, I always think of like art in that context, but never, of like experimenting with fabrics in a way, was like I actually created for like a like an exhibition or like a performance. I don't know, art on campus was kind of crazy. Do you like? What do you think like? Do you think it's like a trend that changed, or is it an ongoing thing?

Alyx Hacks 8:20
I don't know. I mean, I think it depends on, probably, who you talk to, who you ask, I would say probably a little bit of both. It seems like there's kind of always been a community, to some extent, in his within history, that's like, how to respect for art, and can kind of see art in different ways. I mean, I feel like you can find photography from like the 1800s when it first became relevant, that you know, it just depicts, like a family portrait or a landscape portrait, and then you can tell how, over time, photography became more of, like a nuanced art form, like you're talking about. So I don't know, I guess to some extent, yes, it's evolved over time. But I also think there's always been a little community that existed, and I think it's also changed over time to, like, a bigger community that kind of like, can find a respect for art, if that makes sense, and view it in a, like, more broad way. I don't know, no,

Veronika Becher 9:19
actually, I love this interpretation. I feel like you see all these different art movements and people like shift nowadays also to like more non traditional medium, like using, actually, like digital art to create something. But there are so many different movements happening, especially like aI being like, a big topic too nowadays where I'm like, really conflicted about it. I'm like, Oh my gosh. I don't know if I love or hate it. I miss I don't know. I feel like, sometimes I go through Pinterest and I see so many photos that I love, but they're not real. They just generated. And I get so upset because I'm like, I just, I've been getting into, like, photography, like, actually. You really, like, like, the analog, old cameras, and I don't know, I feel like it's just the beauty of taking your photo by, like, with a camera, that where you need to actually get everything out, like, know, the whole construction inside the camera. And it feels like it's an art, like it is actually art. It is art, right? It is, yeah, but it's more than just taking a photo on your phone. It's sometimes more than that. And I think that's just fascinating. Yeah,

Alyx Hacks 10:29
it is interesting to see how, like, the love for, I guess now vintage items has kind of, like become such a popular thing, especially with cameras. That's so interesting to me, because I always have found, like, even just older digital cameras, to be fun to use, compared to, like, the iPhone. I'm glad you brought that up, because it is, like, a different experience. You're like, pressing a button compared to, like, pressing a digital button on your phone. You know, like, there's almost a tactile experience for the person using it, too. That makes it more fun, almost. But I'm glad you brought up digital compared to like, I guess traditional or like physical art forms too, because I feel like that's been part of my learning curve with art to wear is, as a graphic designer, I'm so used to being on my laptop that switching back to like, oh, I have to drive to campus and go to studio so I can sew something, or, you know, I'm like, crocheting on my couch at home. I don't know working physically is, like, definitely different than working on your laptop. I mean, you can, like, physically, see it kind of come together in front of you. But there's also a learning curve with it too. I think, because you have to keep in mind, you can't just kind of like, I don't know, for me, it kind of came down to, like, time management too, because it's like, oh, I'm doing this all by myself with my own hands. It might take me a little longer, but yeah, especially, like thinking about AI with graphic design is interesting too, because, you know, everybody likes to say it's going to say it's going to take our jobs, but at the same time, I think, I think it could be used as a tool to, like, help our jobs in a way, as long as it's not, you know, typing into a generator, hey, can you make this image for me, and then being like, I made this, you know? But yeah, as far as I've seen, they're not really advanced enough to take our jobs. But it can be frustrating when you're searching for materials online and it's like, oh, well, I've I might not want to use this because it's from some random, I don't know, like generator or something. Yeah,

Veronika Becher 12:35
I think sometimes that traditional art might become more popular because of that, right? Yes, you cannot generate it, right? There are so many artists that print the art, and I think it's a great thing. I actually bought two printed art pieces, and I usually don't like it. I like, actually like the original pieces more on just seeing like the different, like medium on top of paper, and it just, I don't know, I feel like it just looks much better, but I think we would appreciate more the traditional art, because it's something you cannot just randomly recreate through a program. Yeah,

Alyx Hacks 13:11
and it does get complicated, like you mentioned, when it comes to digital art too, because that is so popular now, and I think it should be respected as much as traditional art, but then I feel like there's kind of, especially because of AI just existing, there's this interpretation, or like, misconception that people have that it's like, oh, well, digital art is, like, by definition, easier because, like, the machine is doing it for you. But that's not true. Like the technology is not it might age you in the process to, like, make a straight line faster or something like that, but I just think it's, it should just be viewed as a different medium. I mean, you're still drawing, it's just digital versus traditional. And I can agree, there's like, a respect that I have for traditional art, like physical on paper art, and I feel like every time I feel a little disconnected because I've been doing so much stuff on my laptop or my iPad, I can always go back to my sketchbook and kind of feel more relaxed again. I don't know how to explain it, because it's like an outlet for you maybe, I guess, to some extent, yeah, and it's also just like, I'm the most familiar with it. It's what I started with originally, and just in terms of, like, getting an idea out of my head, just like, if I want to sketch, I think there's something therapeutic about taking a pencil to paper. I mean, there's, like, screen protectors that exist for iPads that, like, make it feel like paper. I've always wanted those, because I just feel like it's, it's the tactile thing. Like, even with the cameras, like I mentioned, there's like, something about it that's like, oh, it's fun to operate this thing. There's all these different like, buttons on it. Or with the sketchbook, it's like, you can feel the paper and you can hear the pencil, like scratching it when you're drawing. You know, you don't always get that experience digitally. But that doesn't mean that it. Not cool in its own way. You know, it's just like a different experience while you're making it. And when you, like, buy the piece, or, like, see the finished product, you know,

Veronika Becher 15:12
I'm still waiting for the day when we have, you know, in these, like, utopian dystopian movies where you have, like, some crazy technology going on, yeah, and I seriously, what I always think, I love reading books, and something that I truly enjoy is just having a book on my hand, right? It's the same thing. It's just the feeling is different than having a Kindle or like some other, like electronical device that you use in order to read. I feel like it takes me so much longer to read online too, because it just gives me flashbacks, like I'm doing an assignment for school, and I'm like, I don't want to be on my laptop to even read and do things that I actually love and enjoy. And I realized I'm still waiting for the technology to come out where you have like, a book, like, actually a book, but the pages are like white, like they look like digital pages type of thing, but you can flip it the same way. That would be so cool, like you actually have a digital book. But this page flipping part is there too, in in like you maybe like it changes the pages changes like they I don't know. They change over time. I don't know, whatever, just waiting for this. But yeah, speaking of, yeah, traditional would you say people should start with traditional art first before they move on to, like graphic designing, or, like, anything less, more digital, or doesn't matter at all, to have, like, a certain order? How you learn to be graphic designer?

Alyx Hacks 16:42
Hmm, that's such a good question, because I've like, I guess I've never really thought about that, because most people I know did kind of start gravitating towards physical work, and then they're like, Oh, I like this. I want to kind of continue and maybe shift to something digital. But, yeah, I don't know I would say, at least for me personally, it was helpful to have some drawing knowledge. But I mean, at the same time, like I didn't study art all throughout high school, I know a lot of graphic design students did. I personally did not. I was always in band, actually, like in high school and middle school, I took maybe two art classes in middle school and high school, I did some private lessons when I was younger, my mom actually sought it out. I didn't want to go, but she made me go. And it was worth it. It was like just this retired professor who she got tired of, like being at home. So she would still have, you know, some students just literally come to her house and she would teach them art for like an hour or two. And it was like a relatively cheap rate too for private lessons, because she just wanted to keep herself busy. So just really sweet lady. Um, I feel like that just helped. So I would, I guess, like, it just depends. I mean, if I think, if you have a passion for it, like you can make it work. However, like for me, I also had, like, no professional digital training until I came to NC State, like I didn't take any classes in high school for Adobe or anything like that. No digital art classes. So I really was just, you know, kind of learning on my own. I taught myself procreate, which is like more of an illustration tool, like, kind of how we were talking about, like, drawing on an iPad and stuff like that. And then there's Adobe, and I just kind of watched YouTube videos to kind of figure out how to even use it on my own. And I think that that kind of helped going into this program just because NC State's program is absolutely wonderful. I would not trade it for the world that I came here. But there is not really a person that's gonna like, hold your hand and be like, Okay, this is how you use Adobe. You're gonna click this thing. You know, I finally took a class last semester that was more tutorial based, and it was super helpful, but it kind of just comes as, like a secondary thing here. So it's like, nice to kind of just throw yourself in personally. I hope this asks, like, or answers your question, because I feel like I've gone on a tangent. No, but

Veronika Becher 19:16
go ahead. Seriously. So good. I'm like, just listening. I'm like, Oh my gosh, someone finally is talking about that because I went so I actually, I'm, I'm more a traditional artist. I actually do art myself. Was kind of like, I don't know. Not everyone knows that. Like, I don't really, it's not the first thing that pops up in nowadays, like with the podcasting thing, is just, the first thing that pops out is just podcasting, dancing in volleyball, I don't know, like, maybe reading, but I was like, I always wanted to sketch. My mom, she loved art, so she would like paint in a living room. And she started, like, getting back into art after being like in college and sketching for fun. So. Through Bob Ross, that's kind of funny. So she just started, like, for fun watching his like, video tutorials. And he's like, he's wonderful. I mean, I don't know, like, the whole like, so many jokes just happened through Bob Ross. Like, it's funny, the little accidents and the little trees, it's just funny. And, and I always wanted to sketch, but it never worked out for me, like it just didn't click at all. I couldn't grasp how to sketch, like I tried, but it just didn't work. And I realized I went to South Dakota for my foreign exchange gear, and I decided to take an art class. And this professor was a wonderful professor. I think he was the one who brought me to the understanding of how to actually sketch. Because I realized in Germany, people that's the same thing that you just mentioned, with no one actually teaches you how to do it, something that I sometimes miss, like in Germany, it felt like maybe if you go to an art academy, but in order to get to the Art Academy, you need to create a portfolio, right? But no one teaches you how to sketch to get to this portfolio, to apply to art school. And it's so sad to me, because I'm like, You expect me to be an artist, and you don't really teach me the technique, but you think I already know how to do it, and we had, I feel like I'm going also on a tangent. No, you're fine. I took a so I went to South Dakota. He was teaching us from the basics, like color theory, like everything, like circles. He would put, like, literally, what you would imagine an art academy person would like, do, I don't know. And he said that's the way they taught him in the Royal Academy in London. And the interesting thing is, I don't know, I feel like I never really this is like a tangent moment. Okay, okay, so this man, really, his name is Rick Mott, and he's a wonderful professor, actually, in the rapids High School. And he retired, I think, two years ago. So this man was in art school, and he always wanted to sketch, but he actually also studied English and biology, I think, if I'm not mistaken, but he was like, Well, I really want to pursue the art career. You know, like, you probably have heard it that people ask you, like, why are you pursuing actually, graphic design? Like, yeah. Is it even worth as a career? Is it not like, yeah, like, you and the artist was gonna die, like, poor like, type of thing.

Alyx Hacks 22:24
Seriously, especially with AI, everyone loves to be like, well, good luck finding a job in five years.

Veronika Becher 22:30
Oh my gosh. But do you know how many times you, like, actually need graphic designers for, like, landscapes, for instance, absolutely. I'm taking landscape design class right now, and I'm like, I was not aware how much you need to know, like, how these different programs work. Like, the technical part is also important. And so tangent, continuing on the tangent, this man decided to make a bet with his professor that he's going to apply with like, art pieces to win this one award to go to London. And he's like, You will never get it. Like you're the worst student that we have, right doctor. And he's like, that, we're gonna try it, and I'm gonna prove you wrong, that you're wrong. And funny enough, he actually was elected out of the whole university to so he got a scholarship to study. And I don't know, like, you've heard, probably the Royal Academy of Arts in London is the best, like art school in the world. And so he studied there. And so the technique in the way he would teach us is the same way, like you see, like a random Apple laying on the floor, sketch it. Yeah, person sitting on the chair, sketch him. And it's just like, that was like a drill. I went from like, not being able to sketch anything, to like, oh, I can actually sketch. And realizing that there are different media and it's different, right? Some person might be super bad in like, watercolors. Oh my gosh, I don't understand watercolors to this point. I have no idea if you do, but I cannot, yeah,

Alyx Hacks 24:00
so it's so funny because, like, your story reminds me so much of, like my art teacher that I had for private lessons, especially where she was a former professor as well. She had taught pretty much any age group, and she was, like my by far favorite has been the kids. So I think that's why she wanted to work with me. I was nine when I started going to her, I believe, but, um, it was very similar, because in some in some ways, because I think I kind of naturally picked up drawing. I don't know why. It just kind of like came to me a little bit, because when I went to see her, she was like, you're actually far along enough. We don't have to use, like, some of the books I had prepared for you. But she also gifted me some books that are like these show you how to draw, which are, like, some things you mentioned, like perspective drawing with, like, I don't know, an object, like, there's still life. And then there's, you know, sketching people she really like, emphasized, like, you just need to like, practice, practice, practice. Like, especially with, if you want to draw people. People like as they're moving is really helpful too, just to like, get the movement down. It doesn't have to be, like, anatomically correct always. And I think that's something I kind of re learned in college too. There's just, like, all these different ways to approach drawing, to learn it. And it's just so nice to have someone who actually, like, knows what they're talking about to, like, teach you and actually be a good teacher and show you how to do it. But, you know, I feel like some, how do I word this? Like, once you get to a certain age, I guess it's kind of like, especially in college, they kind of expect you to do a little on your own, you know, like, learn certain things on your own. And maybe part of that too is because I didn't take those Adobe classes in high school. I think they do teach you, like, more about this tool does this, and you can do this, and it's a little different, because you're using a program to kind of make the same thing that you could, you know, with a pencil and paper, it's like, you might want to hold your pencil a different way, whereas, you know, like with the Adobe program, there's, like, all these different tools. Like, it's super confusing. It's not beginner friendly, but, um, you know, like, I kind of just had to teach myself. And it's funny that you brought up Bob Ross earlier, because it kind of made me think about how far tutorials have come over time. I mean, I kind of just started to, like, watch YouTube tutorials, learn from other people who are already professional graphic designers. What do they do? What do they make, you know? And so I kind of just tried to soak up as much information as I could, because that's like, all I knew to do, you know, because it's not like I, you know, wanted to go out of my way to, like, hire someone to teach me how to do a portfolio like you were saying, you know, I just kind of taught myself and tried to make connections as much as I could, which also helped. But yeah, ultimately, if I look at my original portfolio now, it makes me want to pull my hair out. It does not look good. You know, it's interesting to see how far you can come as a designer as well as an artist. But, yeah, I haven't done fine art in a long time. It's making me want to return to it now that we're talking about it so much. Yeah,

Veronika Becher 27:19
I love the, you know, the concept of sip and paint. I don't know if you heard of it. It's, I feel like it started a lot like in Europe, because people can just drink much earlier. And here it's more like, oh, you can't drink there, and you can't drink on campus, etc, etc. But I think it's this concept of bringing people back together and actually developing this okay, art, for me, honestly, is the thing, almost like mathematics was kind of crazy, if you think about it this way. What I mean by that is people always have this superstition or this mindset that they cannot do art, that they don't know what artists. They would never be good artists. Yes, there are people that pick up art easier. But art is not about a talent. It's about how often you practice. It's like any other sport. And this whole stigma about, oh, I'm bad enough, so we'll probably never understand anything. It's the same thing. It's a mindset, thing that you block your own abilities of growing somewhere where you could potentially go right in 10 years. And I think it's the same thing. I think art nowadays with social media and like so many platforms or opportunities, and you can, like, you don't even need to paint, and like, buy the paint anymore, like we're talking about, think about like, 19th century or 18th century, where people need to buy the paint, and they wouldn't have the money to even, like, invest into a paper, right? And now you can just have your own phone, or, like, iPad, most people have iPads. You can just use it and, like, start sketching, right? So, much more accessible. And then the other thing is that's kind of funny, speaking of Adobe, that no one knew how to use Adobe, it's the same thing with Excel sheets. Like, how many people actually know, in actually right on their CV, that they are an expert in Microsoft Office programs, but have no clue how to even create a PowerPoint presentation? And then that was me, yes, I was taking my first internship, sitting there, and I realized that, oh my gosh, I can drag down one little like, like number, and then it's the same.

Alyx Hacks 29:23
Imagine me sitting and not only typing in for a whole hour each like day of the week because, because I didn't know there's a stupid function where you can just drag it down the whole like row, and then you have the perfect

Veronika Becher 29:38
but, yes, you learn you know, along the way, but, but basically, I feel like the issue is that people never taught us in school in Germany how to actually sketch. I didn't have even one class no matter what class I was in. And I, even after returned from South Dakota, I decided to take art as one of my let's go to AP classes. One that I actually focus on have my main like exams in so art and art history, and it's this whole thing of it's really interesting. It's complex. It's more than just knowing how to sketch. It's like much, much more complex understanding art itself, like the whole history and everything movements, like artists, techniques. It's complex. But who am I talking to? Right? You're like, even as a graphic designer, you still go through graphic design history and everything. And I just remember this one guy who went now to fashion school, and he always wanted to do it, but he didn't know how to sketch, and no one taught him. So it took him a whole year. He had to take off school. Like, after he finished high school, he decided to take off one whole year and just practice sketching to get his portfolio and and he got in, he's really wonderful, like, designer right now, and I'm, I'm really, like, proud of him, like, for the accomplishments, but it's just something that I'm super upset sometimes. Like, no one teaches you even the basics, like the fundamental parts of how to sketch.

Alyx Hacks 31:02
Yeah, it's crazy. Because, I mean, when I think about that, I feel so lucky to have the teachers that I've had, because I really did get look at the draw with my private art teacher that I had. And then I had a teacher in high school. I took him for one semester, but he was very sweet and very caring about what he did, and he definitely taught us how to draw. He did a lot of like perspective work, which I had already kind of done with my previous teacher. But I felt really lucky to have them, because I know that's not often the experience for everyone I see, like memes from other art students all the time where it's like, how your teacher ruins your picture, and they're, you know, sharpening, sharpening over the drawing, and just like ruining it during the crit. I never have had that happen, but I think it might just be, I had teachers that were fairly kind and but I don't know, you know. And like you said, traditional art, like my private teacher, my private art teacher that I had when I was younger, she actually started me with watercolor, and then we moved on to acrylics and oils. And it I was so frustrated with watercolor, but I think it was really helpful when it came to, like learning color theory, like you had mentioned, because like color theory, like sketching, kind of came easier to me, like, quote, unquote, easier. But color theory never really was, like, the most easy to me. I mean, I know how to shade, but picking colors that are complimentary and things like that are very important in graphic design, you know, especially like getting high contrast for a website and stuff like that. And so I think having that prior watercolor knowledge actually is kind of helpful, because you kind of work the opposite of oils, from what I understand. So, I mean, you're starting with, like, a blank paper, and if you don't, you know, like, block certain things out that you want to stay white, you could potentially, like, I mean, not ruin the piece, but, like, I've had moments like that where it's like, Oh, I forgot to, you know, put the coating on this so it doesn't get wet, and then it blended together. And, you know, not waiting long enough before it dries, and then the colors blend. And I don't know, getting the layering right, I think is what I'm getting at, is like, you're working from light to dark. And so I guess practicing with that, I don't know, kind of gives you perspective for how forgiving digital work can be, but it also gives you perspective for, like, how color theory works. I was

Veronika Becher 33:34
thinking I started with actuals, with like, pencils, like black, white, no colors. That's how in the interesting thing is, for me, was learning how to actually sketch a face just like from the front, something that comes to me now really natural, but it's this whole thing of, you know how a lot of people start with outlining how a face looks like on paper. So it's like the shape of the face first, and then they put in the everything else inside. I don't do that anymore, because my teacher taught me I should start with the eyes first. And it's crazy because I never thought of it and I realized this is, like, not art related. But a lot of times what we do is creating, like, this whole like picture and seeing like, Oh, this is how it actually, you know, this is what's happening there. This is what we should do. But actually starting from the middle, like part, and then working yourself, self outside, is actually maybe more beneficial in, like, certain concepts, really random thing. Example, in business, we work like about we do different analysis of, like, competition, etc, in the way usually people look at it, it's like, from the outside, they're like, oh yeah, we see Amazon being such a great, like, you know, competitor. But how you should actually look at it is, like, from an industry analysis perspective, that's what I've been learning a lot of. Lately is like looking from Amazon's perspective rather than from outside, knowing what is it like to be in that truth. Same thing, you don't understand how someone feels like right? Look how they feel in the situation, rather than from outside, how it looks like. Yeah, really random thing to take an analogy to like eyes and sketching faces.

Alyx Hacks 35:20
I'm so glad you brought that up, because that actually is like exactly what I do. That is like, exactly what it's like being, especially a graphic and experience designer. So like, not being limited just to graphic design, but also doing experience design, which is going to be like user experience and like I even do a little like user interface, but just the whole concept of like, my job is to be designing for the user, designing for the people, and imagining what their perspective is going to be like using whatever that product is, whether it's like an app or like even a poster. If I'm designing a poster, what is this person going to feel when they look at this poster? Are they going to want to go to this event, or whatever, you know, if it's a flyer, you know, are they going to want to go to this event? Or is it going to actually be intriguing? And it's a lot of different things that you have to think about with, like making it eye catching, making it intriguing visually, but also having some kind of message there that's actually gonna resonate, or, like some kind of useful tool that's gonna be beneficial to them, if it's an app or a website. So definitely, perspective is something to think about, and I like that you talked about starting with the eyes withdrawing, because that's just your process. And it's like, if that works for you, then it works. And I think that that's something I've had to learn being in school too, is going through, like my own process. My process doesn't really look, you know, there is, like an ideal design process. I think it's like six steps. I definitely should know every step off the top of my head, okay, but I cannot think of it right now. You know, like, for me personally, I jump around. I'm you're not gonna see me go 123456, it's usually like, 123, okay, we're going back to one, okay, we're going back to three. No, we gotta go back to two. So it's like, kind of just this back and forth, but it is beneficial. And honestly, like a lot of teachers will tell you, like, sometimes that's necessary, sometimes you're gonna run into a problem, and it's like, well, now I have to kind of troubleshoot, you know, do I need to reform my concept a little bit? And I had this one project last semester that was like that a lot we wanted to make our assignment was kind of to make like a business, or it didn't even have to be a business. But we originally wanted it to be a B to B business, which I'm assuming, you know, business to business, yeah. So we were thinking about, you know, like doing this business that kind of works with other apartments and stuff, and kind of does interior design for them with plants. Like our assignment was to do some kind of plant related company, and so we were like, okay, you know, that could be really cool for people who rent, and working with rentals. How can we design ways that they can use plants and people can optimize the space and make it like, more inviting without sacrificing their lease agreements. So and then we were like, well, maybe working with the apartments is not really what we want to do. Maybe we do want to do B to C and be selling directly to those people. Well, yeah, because then it's like, I feel like that's almost more intriguing, you know, and honestly, more thoughtful, like, if I was a renter, you know, thinking about like them actually coming to me and being like, Hey, would you want to spend a little bit of money on this product, but you'll be able to have like, plants in your apartment without having to worry about all these other issues that could come with that, you know, because The whole reason we had gotten into that was just like, you can't garden if you rent, you know. So, like, thinking of problems that are also, like, relevant to us is also relevant to design. And I was hoping we'd get to talk about that today, just because, I mean, I don't know, you see a lot of like, people who are very prominent in design, like, I don't know, a good example I like to always harp on is like Elon Musk. I know he's not a designer, but he comes up with these concepts that, like, sound, okay, right? Like, the Tesla is, like, supposed to be outrageously sustainable and eco friendly because it's electric and

Veronika Becher 39:36
Tesla is a design product too, right, right? People think I've always designed in such a narrow way sometimes, but I'm like, when people ask me, oh, I actually love car design. Actually, the thing I'm actually passionate about is car designs. And I don't actually know the technical part as much, but I do appreciate how a car looks like, the colors, the seats. Oh my gosh, please write letter seeds. I'm sorry. We're like, no. No, yeah, no, it's just something. It's like, the way it's shaped. These are designers that also work. It's like, it's a different niche, but it's also important, right? How we me, how does us feel? How do you feel when you buy a certain car? The design plays a huge role, too. It's not only the function, right?

Alyx Hacks 40:16
Exactly, and I'm glad you were I like hers too. We could, we could. But, um, no, I just, I just bring him up, because it's like, cool idea. Like, yeah, there's this car that can be, like, super sustainable, but it feels like there's this like luxury vibe to it, because it is so expensive. What? What is the average per like, the average person is not going to buy a Tesla. So I guess that's kind of who I want to be as a designer. Is, like an ethical designer, if you want to, like, put a name on it, because I want to solve that problem of like, okay, well, how can we make this sustainable car actually affordable to the average person, in a way that would actually be sustainable, because then people would actually be using them, and it would actually cut down on the you know, because if it's only the people that can afford it, using it, how much is that actually going to cut down on pollution? You know, I don't know.

Veronika Becher 41:10
That's a valid point. Um, I think, like, from a business student perspective, it's kind of interesting to hear, like, a different complete view, because for us, like, how we learn, it's like, you target a certain group, and there's a there's a whole process is really more complex than just saying, Oh, we're targeting a group, like a segment. But he picked this segment because of different reasons, a different like, concepts and like, there are different reasons why he picks specifically, like, a luxury item, right exactly segment, and honestly, I don't like teslas.

Alyx Hacks 41:44
I don't either. There's so many issues that I'm not even mentioning.

Veronika Becher 41:48
It's just not my thing. I don't like the white seats inside. I think they get super dirty if you think from like, a perspective of someone who's like, even a college student. You don't want want white seats in your car? No,

Alyx Hacks 42:02
that car is too expensive to have as a college car unless you have the money to fix it. Oh,

Veronika Becher 42:07
my gosh, yes. But the other thing is, speaking well, car designs is one thing. I maybe to drop a name. I love Pagani cars. I don't know if you heard Pagani. I don't know if I do. Yeah, I think that's my favorite. Probably, when it comes to design the car design, it's so Pagani cars, I feel like now we dropped into a different design niche. I think the guy was working for Ferrari, if I'm not wrong, and he wanted to create his own design. So he started his own brand instead, and left Ferrari and started Pagani, what is Italian designer who models his cars after women eyes? Oh my gosh, this is so strange to say, but basically the way he apparently sees it, like the windshields are, like considered the eyes of the woman, and then you have this beautiful car. But whatever, it's an interesting, if anyone wants to look into that, I think it's an interesting car design to have looks a little bit like, back into the future type of thing where, like, the car opens up, like, how do you how would you call it, like, like a hatch. I guess it's, yeah, it's really interesting. But yeah, speaking, maybe going back a little bit to design, graphic design interface. I love the idea that you mentioned about the project, selling plants to like, actually focusing on the customer. I have a minor in horticulture science. So we, actually, we do right now, landscape design, small landscape design, and also like how to get more green spaces into, like, urban areas

Alyx Hacks 43:49
too. Yeah, that was, like something we were thinking about as well.

Veronika Becher 43:53
Yeah, I think what would be cool, in my opinion, but that's just a random thought that is, like a creative process. Thought is, if I'm the customer who is entering like I'm moving into the apartment, right? Let's just switch the direction, and I want to have plants, but I don't know much about plants, and let's be honest, I'm going to be saying that out loud, I'm not a big fan of succulents, and I have two of them at home, but I think people are just scared of taking care of other plants because we think sucker winds are the easiest ones to take care of, because we have this image and this, if you compare it, yes, maybe they're easier to take care of, but how many people out there actually kill a succulent? I mean, let's be honest. Oh my gosh. I'm just saying. And so when you look at it from this perspective, you're like, well, that's gonna die anyway, so you might as well give it a shot, like and understand what is actually happening. So the interesting thing is, in horticulture, horticulture is, I don't know if you know what horticulture is. Some people don't, and it's like, how to garden, basically. But also, like with botany and Like. Other things that you just need to incorporate into your like, studies, plant bio and so on. And it's just maybe I would love to just be like, Oh, I really want to have this one plant. And you talk to a designer who actually also has knowledge and works maybe with someone who has, like, knowledge on plants, and you can, like, bring in into the space and the interior design space plants that would fit the like setup of the room, but also bring more green space, like greenery into your room, without you even needing to know what type of plants you need. Because a lot of times you don't know what to even put it in the corner, right? You're like, I want to have a huge plant there. Let's just go with any plant. It doesn't work this way, right? So someone who could be like, like, even a designer, and be like, okay, we can place a specific plant in this corner, and you can pay us a fee, yeah?

Alyx Hacks 45:50
And that's definitely something we thought about with that project too. Is like, I think for me and my role in the project, I really wanted to create a sense of community, even though we were going to do a more traditional B to C, kind of like business plan or business model, I guess I didn't want it to be like too digital, because it's like, okay, well, we're making a website that has all these like resources on it. And you know, you can order these little kits that are easy to install and renter friendly for you to have, like, an indoor mini garden. Or, you know, have your little plants however you want them. But, you know, I made like fly, you know, flyers for these fake events for this project, because I really wanted it to be like communal, like, hey, come to this. Build your own mini greenhouse workshop, so you can have like, a tiny greenhouse in your apartment, or, you know, like, whatever. I think that that's the only event I can remember off the top of my head right now. But yeah, just like, I think community is important, like in the plant world, especially, too, because the more I've made friends that know how to take care of plants, I'm like, oh, so I definitely did not take care of that properly. That was my fault, that that thing died. It's a learning curve, for sure, with that kind of stuff for me. But yeah,

Veronika Becher 47:12
no, that's that's totally fine. I think a lot of people kill their plans. I'm just saying, Would you say like, regarding of like art and design. Do you? Do you think you have to go to school to be a graphic designer?

Alyx Hacks 47:27
I'm so glad you brought this up, because I was hoping we kind of like return to some school topics too. I really, I have mixed feelings. Personally, honestly, no, no, because it depends on what you want to do. I think for me, the the best thing to do was school, just because I've always wanted to go to school, like, why not? At least that way. Unfortunately, in our society, it's like kind of more guaranteed that I'll get a certain amount of money when I get, you know, entry level job or whatever, but I think it's completely doable to do it on your own. And same thing to be said for you know, your portfolio, like you can build a portfolio, whether you have proper experience or not. I mean, I built my portfolio that got me into this program without any prior graphic design knowledge, I literally just watched YouTube videos, talked to as many people as I could, just soaked up information wherever I could. And I think that that is really what helped. And I think just like as long as you can get a good grasp on like design, I don't know like the main concepts of design that are important, especially in like, I just find experience design to be so important, especially with graphic because I feel like it's made me so much more ethical and how I design. And I think that that should just be, like, an important thing for everyone as well, because we have, I think we have too many people in the world right now that are just designing to get rich. So it's like, the get rich quick kind of formula. Like, that's why I say, like, No, you don't need to school, go to school to be a graphic designer. But that's like with an asterisk. Like, do you have the right passion and do you have the right motives? I think if you can answer both of those questions with, like, Yes, I care about, you know, helping people with my designs, then like, I think it's, you know, it'll come. I just, I really don't like those, like Instagram posts that are like, Oh, do you need a side hustle? Just design a t shirt really quick in Canva, and then you can upload it to printify, and you can have your own side business. I just don't like those because I feel like it's this false sense of hope, of like, oh, you can be a graphic designer. You just can do it on the side. It's a little side hustle. Like, no, it's a little more than that. But, you know, it's, it's a first stunt right into. The door and just getting up there, like, yeah. Like, if you want to do that for fun, that's great. But don't sit around saying, Oh, I can learn graphic design in a weekend and have a side, side hustle, you know. I feel like there's like, that should be kind of like a how to practice kind of thing, you know, rather than, Oh, I already know how to do it, I know how to use Canva. There's like levels here. But that being said, I mean, Canva shouldn't be hated on as much as it is. I think, I think it's looked down upon, like, oh, you're a graphic designer. You shouldn't be using that or same thing with like Wix. If you know Wix studio, the like website maker, I've, I've received some like, kind of, I don't know, looking down upon kind of vibes from people, from using it before, but I think it's just whatever you're comfortable with, like, getting more familiar with how to create this stuff. I think Wix is a great resource to, just like, learn from templates like what works on a website, like what looks good, what color combos look good depending on what kind of like message you want your website to have. What do you want it to like come off like? What do you want the tone to be like, you know? And same thing for Canva. They have some great templates on there that can teach you hierarchy and color contrast and things like that too. So, I mean, they're good, like beginner tools, and I think that they can be like, used in ways that can eventually look like more professional, like you don't have to just take a template and throw your information in it, if that serves the purpose that you need it for. That's great, but it's like, if you want to go deeper into graphic design, you can look at the template and be like, Okay, well, how did they lay this out? And how can I take my style and create my own thing from learning from like, oh, well, this text is bigger than this text. Does that make sense? I feel like I'm getting no,

Veronika Becher 51:50
it's perfect. I think, like, especially if any of anyone who's listening or like, if you're interested in, like, graphic design, but you're completely like, I don't know if you're an engineer, but you're interested in graphic design, like even I'm thinking of, like, how many people want to start a startup? And I'm thinking, how Canva and like, these type of programs can help them build up their startup or in business, or even their like portfolio on Instagram. Like it helps, because not everyone has the money to invest into an Adobe program that is super expensive, right? Not everyone has the time too. So having, like, a program that might help you generate faster things and actually getting into it and, like, feeling it out type of thing, like, do I even like it? Do I want to actually do it? Might be helpful, like, even for high school students, do you like doing these type of things, just giving it a try, and seeing, like, where it brings you, and then realizing, Oh, maybe I can do more of that, right, right?

Alyx Hacks 52:46
Yeah. Because, I mean, like we talked about earlier, like Adobe is not the most beginner friendly. So, I mean, I wouldn't take a 14 year old who says I'm interested in graphic design, and put them right in front of a computer that just has Adobe on it and say, have fun, because they're gonna be like, how do I use this? I don't know where any of the tools are. What any of them do? You know? Like, at least give them a video or, like you said, there's plenty of places that have these templates that you can learn from. I think the only thing I would say is, like, when it comes to making a portfolio, it should be original work. And I think that's why, like, even like, AI gets this bad connotation too, of like, Oh, you shouldn't use that. That's not original. A machine made that. But it's like, if you're using it for showing someone a concept, you know, not a final product, I think it's totally fine. Like, I've done that in my classes before too. Like working on, like, product design, what is this thing that I'm making gonna look like? And my friend actually, it was a project we did for the marbles kids museum a few years ago. And my friend actually ended up making the it was a map made out of like wood, kind of like you would see it like, for example, you go to the the doctor's office as a kid, and they have like, the little wood toys that you can kind of like play around with and stuff. It was like, kind of based off of that. And our original concept image was I just typed into AI, like, can you make a wooden map with like, little knobs on it that looks like the little toys in the doctor's office, and it was pretty good, like it looked like what that sounds like. You could tell the kid was like, AI generated it put like a little kid in the image, playing with it, but it got the message across, because me saying these words, you might not be able to visualize, but when there's an image that I didn't have to spend hours making just to, you know, present a concept. You know, it saves a lot of time, because then a designer doesn't have to spend those hours just to get well, I don't really think that that fits, you know, when you're going to a critique, sometimes your work is just going to get thrown out. So it's nice to have it as. Tool. You know, I think that, like these programs that have been like frowned upon could also just be used as tools to make your life a little bit easier as a designer, but in a way, that's not lazy. You know what I mean? Because, like, it would be lazy to take a template and claim it as your own work, but you know, to take it and learn from it, like, this is how the hierarchy works. This is what, you know, maybe a poster should look like, oh, well, like I'm noticing all the text is left aligned. And then you start to learn, like, the rules of graphic design, you know,

Veronika Becher 55:31
yeah, no, um, makes totally sense. I think, um, I'll be curious regarding, like, the concept of AI, but more like, on a personal level. What are your like goals with graphic design? Like, what are the your like next two years? Goals? Let's say this way. What is something you want to like, work on, improve or you feel like something I don't know, just like a personal maybe intake into your career. And that's a big question, I guess, like, maybe one thing like that, you feel like, this is the thing that I want to work on. After having so much you, you went through so many different stages of graphic designing and just understanding the concepts and what is like, where are you now? Like, where's your path going to? Yeah,

Alyx Hacks 56:18
I honestly like, don't know. I guess getting, I guess getting clarity on that. I'm still trying to figure out exactly like, what parts of graphic and experience design appeal the most to me, because I feel like I've always kind of been, like, a versatile artist or designer or like, kind of in anything I do, like, even when I was in band in high school, I didn't like to tell people like, oh, I have a favorite. Because I was in percussion, I would just play anything I liked doing snare, I liked playing piano. Those are two completely different things, but usually people have more of a preference for keyboard versus like, drums, and I feel like it's really similar with design of like, at least in our major here at State, having both disciplines kind of combined together is typically, people prefer UX versus graphic, but I kind of like both. So kind of just finding my place there, I think, and I think I'm slowly like getting there, I would say, Gosh, next two years. Well, I will graduate next year, so I'm hoping that I will have a job two years from now, some kind of entry level job. And I don't really know exactly what I want to do yet. You know, do I want to work like in a studio or in house? There's so many different opportunities, and I think that's like, the beautiful thing about being a designer is that there are so many opportunities. You can find a niche in anything. And I guess you know you can pick out if you like to work more fast paced. You might want to be in a studio, if you want to always be around other designers, or if you want to work, if you want to be the only designer, or like one of the main designers for a company, you might want to work in house, it's going to be like, slower work. It just kind of depends on the company at that point then, because, you know, for me personally, I kind of, know, I don't want to work for like a law firm, for example, like in house, because I feel like it would be kind of repetitive work. You know, the most you're going to be doing is, like building them, you know, little like logos for like, where they're gonna go, on their papers and little brochures and stuff like that. You know, it's not uninteresting. But I think I'm just trying to figure out how to, like, broaden my horizons. I guess because there are so many opportunities, I almost feel like I don't want to miss them, because I'm interested in just a bunch of different things. Like, I'm interested in publication I'm interested in, you know, even, like website building, I find that fun. Like, I'd like visual design too, like poster design and stuff like that. So it's just kind of all over the place. I'm hoping to maybe, like, build more freelance work. I think that would be really fun, so then I can, like, truly experiment with what I want to do past the the boundaries of my classes. But even within my classes, I've been able to figure out a little more about what I want to do, I guess, kind of broad answer to your question, but, but

Veronika Becher 59:27
it's a valid point right to, like, not know exactly what you want to do, but it also shows me how many different layers and aspects you have with your career. A lot of times we think it's just this one way street, and it's just like you have, just, if you're graphic designer, you're gonna do this, and that you're gonna do logo design, you know, like the picture people have sometimes, of graphic design, and I think it's just so much more diverse, right? You can go into almost any industry and find a place, a niche, where you need to be a designer, right? Yeah. Maybe, like a last question for this session would be, you know, like, how my podcast is about identity and, like, self expression and finding yourself, and I think maybe, like speaking a little bit of like, even the the art pieces that you're creating right now for the art to wear event, would you say? How would you describe your like graphic design style? I know that might be a complex thing, and how do you feel like it gives you the chance of expressing yourself who you are. Or would you say that the art is independent from you, and it's not part of your identity, as much

Alyx Hacks 1:00:36
I would say, at least for this project, it is really personal, and that was kind of said at my review on Tuesday as well. It was mentioned like that, it is really personal, like they can even tell from an outside perspective that it is personal to me. And I don't know if it's like that project specifically, or if it's kind of a little bit of, like, everything I do, at least in my graphic design style, I feel like I'm still kind of finding it to some extent. But I definitely have kind of like, I guess if there is like, such a thing as, like, alternative, like graphic design style, like, I really like these, like, heavy weighted letters, or like, just like fonts that look a little bit quirky, a little different, but also clean, if that makes sense. And like, with colors, I kind of like, I like a lot of contrast. I like a lot of like, dark and light colors. And I feel like that can be seen in my piece, especially since my piece is like my art to wear piece, it's like transformative. So even though I'm doing one look, it kind of feels like I'm designing two. And I've even drawn it that way in my sketches. Because, you know, before the look transforms, it's like, got these, like black pieces on it, but like, majority of it is like these light colors, like white and beige and silver, and then those, like black or like darker pieces are removed. And there's a few other colors as well, like brown and red, but they're eventually removed to just show the light colors. And I feel like that kind of, I feel like the contrast really boosts, like, what it could mean, like, people see a clear difference there between the two colors, and so you can kind of read into it and interpret the symbolism however you want. But for me, personally, it kind of was inspired by like, should I go into the concept? It gets a little deep.

Veronika Becher 1:02:39
Well, go ahead. Okay,

Alyx Hacks 1:02:43
so it's kind of like been inspired by, in short, like, inspired by possession, for me. So it's like this character, I guess, that, you know, has some like evil spirit in them, and that's like symbolized through the dark colors that are used that eventually get removed, and they slowly get torn off. And with the performance, it's going to be like, fairly dramatic and emotional. And I think that it's, you know, become something that can be interpreted any way that anyone would want to, to make it personal to them, but like to me, it kind of became personal because I was originally inspired, like, by my grandmother and so like, where she always crocheted and always sewed, like her entire life was always very crafty into, like, any kind of Home Ec, if you've learned that term, like any kind of home ec kind of activity. She liked to cook and stuff too. But, you know, she passed away, like, two years ago. So for me, that was like the biggest loss I had close to me. And so I kind of viewed possession from this different angle of like, rather than this like, I feel like in movies, it's always this, like, angry, like, really intense fight. I kind of wanted it to be like this transformation of like, experiencing, like grief and sorrow too, because the mortal person that's being possessed is like realizing they could lose themselves too, like, so it's like this kind of concept of loss in a way that can be interpreted, but also eventually finding like self growth. And I feel like that was kind of my personal experience too. Was just like realizing she wouldn't want me depressed, you know, she wouldn't want me to be like all sad and not doing anything like I did for a little while after she passed away, she would want me to continue like designing and like making things. And so I feel like I've kind of like found my own self growth in a way, like on my own, but also like through this project. And so it's kind of interesting, because I don't typically present this project as like, Well, my grandma inspired me, you know, but, uh. Deep down for me, that's what it means. And I'm hoping that, like, when people see the exhibition, they can kind of find their own meaning too. Because you could see it as like an internal battle, but you could also see it as like external, because it's like, how would you even define that? You know, with possession? Like, where is the difference between the the soul and the body, like, where's the like? Where's that boundary between like, spirit, body, or like soul and mind, or like, however you want to put it, you know what I mean? I don't know if that's No,

Veronika Becher 1:05:32
no. Makes sense. It does be like, it would have another hour, but probably go into philosophy, like, right? Most interesting topics, in my opinion, about, like, do we have a soul? Where's the soul? Is it a thing at all? Like, the spirit of your own body? Like, I don't know it's super, super interesting, but I think it's, I love that you shared with us. Like, just, I'm not curious to see the like and like piece, how it's gonna look like, and just knowing the story and how emotional it is. And I think it shows just how much you can put like of yourself, in your own like, stories and experiences into like an art piece. And even if people don't see the full picture, I think how intentional every maybe like even think of like art like in a traditional way, every brush stroke has a specific meaning or maybe intention, even though maybe it's not right, but you don't know. Right? You don't know. And I think that's a really powerful message to have here on the podcast. When is the art to wear show? I know this is like, going

Speaker 1 1:06:41
from deep to like, non deep things. No,

Alyx Hacks 1:06:44
that's fine. I'm trying to remember, I think it is April 24 Okay, one of those days, I will let you know for sure, end

Veronika Becher 1:06:53
of April, yes, yeah. So you better, no matter who's listening, you better go like and see how like work. Seriously, like, I'm so excited for you. I think this is, like, one of the best experiences. And just, I think, getting out there and, like, creating something, and I think it's so much work, and the process of, like, getting the concept out, thinking of all these details, having this, oh my gosh, it's probably such an emotional aspect too, right? You like getting emotional over doing this, because it has the connection to your own self to some extent. I mean, you're not crying in the corner like while doing that concept, no, yeah,

Alyx Hacks 1:07:31
because it's kind of been, like, more inspiring than anything else. I feel like it's kind of continuously giving me more confidence, in a way, because I'm I'm realizing, like, even in my own story, which, you know, I went surface level with, but just like how much I've grown as a person, like in college and since, like, losing my grandmother, and even, like things that aren't even related to her, just like growing up, and I feel like that kind of is part of my theme as well. Like, with just like, which I'm kind of surprised we didn't touch on this more. But like, internal struggles, like even having, like, my own struggles with, like mental health, I feel like that's, like, very common in college, and so like, dealing with, like, anxiety and depression too. I feel like that's how this piece could be interpreted. And I'm really hoping, like, I'm really excited to see like, what people think like, if it's kind of like external or internal, and like how that affects, like, if they see it as self growth, or if they see it as just, like, defeating your demons kind of thing. You know, it can kind of be seen as however you want to see it. That's one of those. I

Veronika Becher 1:08:37
always think of art therapy, like how people use art to, like, just get things out. And there's this whole concept that a friend of mine once showed me. So if you would take out your, like, a piece of paper right now and draw a tree, just start drawing a tree. It doesn't matter if you're good artists, if you know how to draw a tree, just draw a tree. And so this practices, so if you're listening, you need to stop here. So draw a tree on piece of paper, and now you're looking at what you've drawn, and based on the reflection, how the tree looks like. It shows apparently, and apparently it's proven by scientists to your emotional well being, because of the tree is really like, has no leaves and is really like. Think of any like autumn creepy that you will see that's a reflection of you not doing well right now and and so people apparently add more details and draw a tree in completely different ways, because I don't know, maybe we have a connection to nature. I don't know. There is something that I can't even fully explain, but the way we perceive nature and art and specifically plans resonates with our well being too.

Alyx Hacks 1:09:53
Yeah, that's so interesting to think about, too, because I've had a I've had a therapist do that with me. Before, like, sit me down, and it's like, okay, you're gonna draw a tree, yeah, but there are different steps to it. It was like, there were like, different elements that were supposed to, like, like, represent different things. And I don't remember, like, everything. I think it was like leaves on the tree, or like, people who are in your support system, and things like that, I don't remember exactly. And there were also, like, roots, like you, you drew the roots into the ground and like, they were supposed to represent something to like, like, how grounded you are, almost. Or, I guess I think you like pick. I think that part was like people in your life who have, like, impacted you in like, positive ways. So it was kind of like a positive spin on what you're talking about, where, I guess that would be, like, more of an indication of how you're mentally doing this one was kind of more like, look at all the like, good things you have, like, going in your life. I just thought it was a cool exercise, because then I had, like, this whole picture of a tree, and I was like, there's all these people and, like pets and, you know, like blessings I have in my life, basically, like all these things that I'm grateful for, kind of, so it was nice,

Veronika Becher 1:11:06
grateful for exactly that word that I was waiting for, maybe, like to, I know we couldn't talk about everything. It's kind of always upsetting, But time flies. I'm serious, right? So, yeah, fantastic. But do you have like, a last thing, like piece of advice or just a thought that you just would love to leave with the listeners here, specific, like anything we talked about today,

Alyx Hacks 1:11:29
hmm, um, well, I guess if you're interested in design or art, like in any way, shape or form, I would say just like, go for it. It doesn't have to be perfect. Everybody can have their own style, their own medium. The opportunities are literally endless, and if you want to learn more, the information is out there. It's online, it's in person. I know there's like, a lot of resources around here, especially like on campus, if you're a student, there's like, the craft center, and then the design library is, like, open to anyone before five, 5pm I believe so. I mean, there's, like, there's different resources you can use. I'm probably forgetting a lot of them, but I don't know. I just, I think that's an important thing that we talked about today, is just like soaking up any like information or any education that you can give yourself. I think is so important when it comes to, like, learning something new like that, and it's allowed me to, like, keep myself busy, which wasn't always, like, easy to do for me. So I mean, yeah, I just say, like, throw yourself at it. I never thought I was good at sewing. I didn't want to sew for this, but I made myself do it, and it was worth it. You know, it's not about how good you are at it. It's like, how willing you are to try and experiment and

Veronika Becher 1:12:46
experience it, right? And I'm like, like, just thinking about, I was like, get outside. The weather is good. We were talking about how nice the weather is. And go to this one. We have even, like, a book shop, like on a corner, like at the corner, like the second hand book shop find, like, even go to a second hand book shop and buy just a random book about whatever you're interested in. And you can even, like, do old school things that you can just look at, like an art book and, like, see, like what they teach you, technique and like color theory. Like, there's so many different things that you can do. And just even

Alyx Hacks 1:13:21
buy a cheap book and make a collage out of it, if you wanted. Yes,

Veronika Becher 1:13:24
exactly in look on Pinterest, go on Instagram, it's, I think it's a willingness to actually do it. It's not exactly perceiving something as a dream, but rather it's a goal. Yeah, I exactly, I was reading up on that a lot, and I feel like we dream so many times about something, oh, I would love to be a good artist. I would love to create this 1t shirt. We have, like, t shirt contests. I know we were joking about the T shirts. Yeah, you're not a graphic designer if you're creating it like a T shirt. But at same time, if you think about it, if you want to give it a try, get out there and do these things and put a goal out there and like, this is a goal I'm gonna achieve. It's not a New Year's resolution, it's not a dream, it's a goal that I'm gonna actually achieve in small, little steps. So thank you so much. This was fantastic. It's been really fun. I love this episode. I'm really happy that you were here. I hope your design project will just work out for the best and for anyone who's interested in art, aware please, please, please, please look out for the beautiful, beautiful piece that Alex will create for us. So thank you so much, Alex again, yeah, thank you for having me and everyone. I wish you a wonderful day bye, bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai