SWEDISH

Nä nu blir det till att skriva på svenska istället, Berghs och kurserna på engelska är ju nästan slut så jag behöver nog börja skriva på svenska igen så att jag inte glömmer bort hur man gör... Well. Annars är livet pangbra, det är soligt, jag har varit hemma hos pappa och ätit pannkakor tills det står ut genom öronen och om en vecka börjar min praktik på SOLO! Ska bli hur kul som helst och jag tror jag kommer lära mig massor. Dessutom är det bara två månader tills jag flyttar in i lägenheten i Vasastan/Norrmalm! Längtar ganska så himla jättemycket faktiskt.
Okej, short update. More to come.
Puss

...................I LOVE THURSDAYS........................

Because that is the day before fridays. And fridays are usually just lovely.
Anyhow, today, I got up, ate porridge, and then I took the bus to the Rådhus to meet some nice people, and to fix a new passport. I must say that I'm not very content with how it all turned out. First of all I went to the wrong part of the Rådhus and ended up sitting among the badly dressed witnesses ´(one of them had a yellow jacket with purple stripes, and a pair of leopard pants to match it with...), watching laywers desperatly running back and fort carrying enourmus breifcases. I felt a bit misplaced to say the least. After a while I finally realized that I could call Matilda, and she guided me to the right place. Well there, I had to take a new pass photo... and I look like a criminal wearing very strange clothes, having an even stranger hair cut. Usch och blä. Well, the rest of the day has been great because the sun is up, and I found the tastiest yoghurt ever in the fridge. Nice.

I love you Paul Poiret.

Well, love is a strong word, ready to lick his feet (to get a piece of clothing of course...) is a better way to describe it. After writing 1500 words (not that much, I know) about this fat, short, bald, French fashion designer I'm quite amazed over what he achived. He was one of the first to use marketing, and public relations, as a tool to sell clothes (there I just gave you my thesis...) and his influence on fashion today is still enormous. I understand why, just look at these amazing clothes! Talk about creativity at its best. Poiret was highly influenced by the orient, and as he threw parties on the same themes as his collections he forced the cremé de la cremé of Paris to buy his clothes. You were simply not allowed to enter the dream world he created in his villa unless you were dressed in his extravagant design, that made the parties work as a catwalk. As the guests often were famous women, such as Josephine Baker and Isadora Duncan, these women drew attention of the press, a smart strategy. The designer wanted to make fashion into a more recognized art form, and he collaborated with the most famous illustrators during the la belle epoqué, such as Ertré, Lepape (see the one below)and Paul Irbe. Together with them he made beautiful albums (equal to the fashion catalogues of today)that was handed out to wealthy, and important clients. I can assure you that my essay is a bit fuller than this, but at least now my lovely mum can see that I'm using my fashion knowledge for something good. If she ever had any doubts that is.

PAINPAINPAIN BUT I DID IT ANYWAY

Yesterday I did something that is very typical of me: I was incredible impulsive. I decided the day before yesterdday that it was time to do something about my old (2 yrs) and not that beautiful tattoo (according to me taht is, mum), a flower on my left wrist. Anyway I called a tattoist and got an apointment. So today I've got a black heart, drawn by me, on my (hurting and double sized) wrist, instead.

A few nice people from the class accompanied me to the hell hole where I was due to lie on a bench, having a needle covered in paint being squeezed into my poor wrist. My plan was for Anna to hold my hand, but that wasn't allowed as the tattooist "was very determent to keep the hygiene at a good level". Fuck it liksom, I really needed that support! Because MAJ GAD it hurt. It was worse than when an elephant steps at your toe, it felt more like ten elephants dancing to Pussycat Dolls, wearing high heels too.
I actually think it was the worst time of my life, and according to Anna (who were nice enough to stay outside to pick up the pieces, and to see the final result) you could hear my screamings all the way to the waiting room. Must point out here that I did sing a bit too to get some nice thoughts in my head and not just "motherfcukinghelvetejävlaskit I am an idiooootpuckat pucko I'll never ever do this again".

It's a quite large tattoo (not huge), but I like it as it actually feels a bit like me, if you know what I mean. Now I can say that I always follow my heart and just point in the direction I want to go (höhö).
The best part of it all? I have to do it again to refill the black color. So if anyone knows someone who are in contact with a drug dealer, please call me.

The best beer commercial

According to David. I agree, if I drank beer I probably would choose this one. It´s so pure.

Nice looking man... I mean great ad.

This ad is simple but it actually works. I think that if I were a man (horrible thought, I mean, that whole beard thingy blä?)I definately would run to the store and buy the perfume. Just smelling like him would be enough.
Ps. The lovely man is Evandro Soldati from Ford models.

..................................................................

There is one thing I hate more than anything and that is missing something. It doesn't really matter what it's about, it could be a party, a lesson, the bus, that my favourite magazine is out, that it's my dear father's birthday in a few weeks, that I've forgotten all about that I were supposed to call someone this afternoon, it could practically be about anything. I do not like missing it. Therefore I hate being ill, and even though I kind of like lying here in my comfy bed eating ice cream, looking at different fashion blogs, and having quite a nice time, I feel it in my stomach that I'm not content. I would rather be out dancing, or just doing anythingthat is active. Well.. a bit of nagging makes it feel a lot better (not really but I'm trying to use the power of imagination here) and I think I'll try to be even less active than before by trying to sleep the sickness away. Nighty night.

I AM ON A HORSE

I'm sure some of you already have seen this crazy commercial, but if not do so and get some excercise for your stomach muscles.

BUHU I HAVE A COLD.

I'm sitting in the cafteria at Berghs trying to see something with my left eye. It's completely red and I look quite scary to say the least. It's a fucking cold that has made this to me, it makes my nose water, my head feel as if it's full of cotton etc etc. I'm ill but I still feel energetic though, a very strange feeling, I don't want to lie at home and do nothing even though I probably should. Well, that's the end of the complaining here, I hate wining people. Sometimes that is, not when it's me doing it.
Ps. Einstein has nothing to do with my cold, but his lovely face make me smile. A good thing indeed.

I wish I could dress like this today.

Professor von Sydow showed us this lovely page from one of Elsa Beskow books this afternoon. I must say that I really would like to walk around dressed as a strawberry (but I probably would change the hat to a little green one instead) someday, maybe in school, or when visiting the Modern museum or something. And it would of course be done in honour to the best writer of children books... not at all because I would like the attention. Please, I'm not that much of an attention whore.

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to...

luckily I don't want to. I'm not exactly thrilled over the fact that I'm a year older, but it doesn't feel like the end of the world either. I just have to get a bit more mature now when my age ends with a big zero. I mean 20. Woha liksom! One thing feels a bit strange though and that is knowing that next year I will not wake up freezing my butt of in the morning, next year I'll wake up in a warm country on the other side of the planet. I look forward to spending my 21 birthday in a bikini (with a matching surfer feeding me with watermelon of course), not fifty sweaters and a double pair of trousers.

A night the Royal Opera

Yesterday evening I payed a visit to the ballet here in Stockholm. Both my companion, Anna, and I were completely amazed after seeing the wonderful dancers in Onegin. I really do love going to the ballet, just sitting in the beautiful and luxurious (yes the chairs are very comfortable actually) environment, listening to incredible music that doesn't come from crappy speakers, watching old ladies with their diamonds and furs, and just get totally lost in the performance taking place on the stage. For me, when visiting a concert, opera, or like in this case the ballet, it's important to once in a while close my eyes and just listen, the music often is beyond description and it feels so much more intense if you try to switch off all other senses then the hearing and just focus your attention to all the small detalils, all the small nuances.
It's also quite fantastic to see how the men and women on stage are in such complete control over their bodies. I find it difficult to imagine ever being able to have that dicipline that it must take to be that strong physically, I meant the people are walking on their toes for heavens sake!
So I must say that it's lucky for me my brain is as strong as a horse (no exeggerations in this blog no no) when my thighs aren't.

Don't smoke dear kangaroo.

I don't smoke but if I did I definatly would stop after looking at this anti smoking ad from an agency in Australia. I mean, who the f**k wants to turn into a kangaroo?

Such a great day!

Today I spent the whole day in a big studio watching when a commercial for a big shoe brand was recorded. I got to do a bit more than just watching though, like carry things around from one place to another, make tea (yes, I admit, mostly for myself), make plates of fruit and stand infront of the camera flipping clothes on a hangar (I got to work as siluette or something like that). It was really interesting to see how it all worked and how much effort it takes to shoot a short commerical. Also the fact that there are so many people involved is worth mentioning, and that they all knew what they were doing, regardless of it being the art director, the one who took care of the dishes, the models/actors (really good looking man and a very famous woman), the producer or whoever. They all were very nice too, and even though the whole thing isn't very glamourus I still liked the whole atmosphere that were both creative and relaxed.
I must say that I'm very impressed over the fact that our classmate, Henrik, directed the whole thing... it almost makes me a bit jealous. Mostly due to the fact that his idea will become something real, something other people will see and be affected off. In this case I'm quite sure people actually will buy more shoes. It's simply so much fun when you see a good idea become true.I think that is what drives me, I want to become a creative director who spits out ideas and I want to affect people to make actions, wether is is to buy something or to give money to charity.
Ps. the picture has absolutely nothing to do with the shoe label, or with the fact that people are supporting consumtion by making great ads or something that silly.

I should wear lipstick more often.

It just looks so nice, and it (sometimes) kind of makes me feel like the lovely Rita in this ad. Yeah, well except that I don't really have that much hair... or the ambition to wear purple gloves. But otherwise putting on a lipstick is a great way to feel special, just try it. And yes, if your a man you should try it as well, it's always good to be in touch with your feminine side.

A few reasons...

...that apples are the best fruit in the world. First I should say that; yes I'm tired and a bit bored, I got up way to early after going to bed also way to early in the morning so I'm allowed to feel a bit dopey. Anyway, I started my morning in the sign of health (very ambitious indeed) and made myself a little (huge) fruit salad. As I pealed the apple I realised that that lovely red fruit really is a great invention by mother nature. Here is why.

1. They are hard on the outside. They won't break if you throw them into a bag and then forget that you did and accidentally sit on it on the way to school (belive me I've tried a lot of times).
2. They look good on the outside. Appearence is the first thing we think of when we se something and looking good really is an advantage worth thinking about, I do and I think most of us would rather choose a healthy looking, red, shiny (yes, with artificial help...) apple than one with dark spots and ugly shoes.
3. They taste good on the inside. And that really is what counts to be honest. Having a nice outside can only take you so far but if you're inside is sweet and crisp I'll eat you straight away regardless of the less appealing outside.
4. They are everywhere. I've eaten an apple sitting in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, when trying to find the dome by myself in Florence (it wasn't that hard, it's quite big, in Prague watching the opera Tosca and in Stockholm I've probably eaten an apple everywhere. Apples never fail you, and they are never far away which a nice feeling.
So after this hommage to the apple I think I'll go and have an ice cream.

Someday I'll have my very own chateau in France...

...because that is what you get if you become a really good copywriter. Well at least if your name was David Ogilvy and you made advertisment that was more then just that. Oglivy made ads that I find both interesting and fun regardless of if it's for beer, cars or schampoo. Last week the class started a course in Writing at Berghs and the teacher (a cool Canadian lady) ordered us to buy the book "Oglivy on advertising" and I'm very glad she did. Talk about a book that's both a pep talk, a source for knowledge, inspiration and completely fascinating. I've heard about this giant before but now he's my idol. Just listen to this quote for example "A blind pig can sometimes find truffles, but it helps to know that they are found in oak forests". So true.

Hopenhagen is the capital of Scandinavia.

Or perhaps I should say that what this lovely ad for Coca-Cola really stands for probably is the small fact that we all live in a society where the brands rule the world. It's not about countries anymore it's about what the cuntries consume, I mean look at the ad, it's about Coca-Cola making the world a better, greener, place. Ehh...is anyone really fooled by that? Maybe Coke is a very ambitious brand and actually do want to improve the current environmental situation, but still, it feels a bit hypocryptic.
Anyways, after being a total moral tant (moral bitch) I'll just go on and say that I do think it's quite a funny idea though. I almost wish would have thought of it and not Oglivy in New York. The agency I'll work for in the future by the way, they just don't know it yet.

When I got myself a pony.

I like holding speeches (makes me feel like a president or something) and tomorrow it's speech time in school. In three hours 18 student will speak for minimum three minutes about a life shaping/changing experience. My plan is to tell the others about when I got a honey coloured pony and became a dressage riding fanatic. I learnt so much during the years I spent in the stables; like being passionate, how to take responsibility for an other being (and for my own actions), to handle pressure and the power of working your ass off. I also learnt that being passionate should be fun, not demanding. And that having a passion (goes for other things than horses as well) should be based not on trying to be the best or to achieve a goal just for achieving it, but on you doing the very best you can, and to be satisfied with that.
So the plan tomorrow will be to do my very best and then feel happy about that...maybe.

GUM

Today I've probably eaten a whole package of gums trying to relax and enjoy the fact that I've read about 200 pages more than I "was encouraged" to do for school. After a while I started feeling a bit nauseous though, realizing how many nice little chemicals I'd put in my mouth but luckily this great ad from the 30's made me feel better again! It's spot on.

I could never date a man wearing crocs.

Last week I went to a very interesting seminar at Berghs. One of the speakers was Ove Rönnström who spoke about the connection between cultural science, marketing and adversising and how important that connection is, that the world is a complex place and we need to have the tools on how to read it. One of the things he emphasized was, for exmple, that we all should ask ourselfs "varför är det på detta viset?", but also that what we humans do not see (like hidden norms) really is what means the most. That what a person says he does and what he actually end up doing everyday in reality are two very different things. That we all produce our very own way of looking at the world and that if you want to sell something to someone you should be able to understand that fact and ask them what it is that they want? Ask and understand befor you go on to the action, so to speak.
That last thing may sound a bit obvious but I actually think that it's an important thing to think about. I know that I myself sometimes have a hard time trying to understand how a person could wear crocs to take a shallow example. But if I ever got the task to make an ad for those horrible shoes it would be important for me to throw away all my personal prejudices and just look at them with a new pair of spectacles. Maybe that is something you should do more often, regardless of it being about selling something or making new freinds.
Still one thing is for sure though, I could never date a man wearing crocs, that would be to take it way to far from my safety net of prejudices and personal norms.

I want to be blue too.

Yesterday afternoon the lovely Anna (with the polish last name, a chinese grandfather and still a completely swedish background)and I went to the cinema and saw Avatar in 3D. I must admit that it was the second time for me (saw it in London a couple of weeks ago)but it was even better this time, and that says quite a lot coming from a person who otherwise mostly watch old Audrey Hepbur movies and thinks that "The big Lebowski" is great. Describing Avatar is difficult, the story is like Poccahonta's and the acting perhaps isn't amazing but the ANIMATIONS MY GOD. They are breathtaking, it feels as if you're in a dream world. Go and see it or you're... well a bit stupid.

what a wonderful morning.

I am tired. Very tired. It's early morning and I'm trying to eat my breakfast (double portion of extremely sticky porridge) and at the same time look at silly ads on adsoftheworld.com which is perfect when you don't really have the energy to think or read something properly.
I must say that the print ads feels mostly grey today but I also found this one and it's great. My first thought was "oh, how colorful and energetic, I could have this as my desk background". Then I realized what it was for. Have a look and you'll see it too. But still, it really is a wonderful idea by the agency Diamond Ogilvy in Seoul. I almost wish I was the target audience.

"You could do that print as a wallpaper"

That was the words of Andrew Redman, our teacher in the course "Powers of invention". I must say that made me happy since drawing really isn't my forte... Andy was the most amazing teacher, he's one of those men you simply cannot describe with words. He's more inspiring and fascinating than you can imagine, you get the impression that he really has lived every day as if it was his last. That's how I intend to live my life as well!




The task was to describe something about yourself as a brand, I decided to focus on my ability to come up with new ideas.
/Nell

I like it.

Since last time I wrote, yes it's been a while, I've started at Berghs (the bachelor programe) and I must say that it really is a wonderful experience. The teatchers are extremely passionate (some of who you get a bit scared of...) and they really know what they are talking about since they all work in the advertising industry, or have done so in the past. The atmosphere at the school makes you feel creative just by sitting in the cafeteria and I like my class a lot, I think we'll have a great time together.
Yesterday we had our first writing class and I think that's going to be one of my favorites... well except for Visual cultural history, Thinking media... and a bunch of other fascinating classes. I can feel myself getting both excited and a bit stressed out, I just want to make everything NOW. I love this so much that it sometimes feels as if time goes to fast but still to slow, I don't have the time to do everything I want but I can't wait until I've my education and can start working!Still I guess the real challenge will come when I go to Perth, Australia, to start the whole bacholor of communication programe there.
Anyways, from now on this will be an ACTIVE blog. I know everyone who reads my blog will be absolutely amazed when they here about my intriguing life. No, that was not at all ment to be ironic.