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146 results for “VisualInspiration”
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I'm looking back in to it today because I'm looking for things that I can use as visual inspiration as we build out v1 of the #SpaceLARPCafe
Stylistically there's a lot going on here, but practically it is pretty vapid.
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I'm looking back in to it today because I'm looking for things that I can use as visual inspiration as we build out v1 of the #SpaceLARPCafe
Stylistically there's a lot going on here, but practically it is pretty vapid.
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I'm looking back in to it today because I'm looking for things that I can use as visual inspiration as we build out v1 of the #SpaceLARPCafe
Stylistically there's a lot going on here, but practically it is pretty vapid.
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I'm looking back in to it today because I'm looking for things that I can use as visual inspiration as we build out v1 of the #SpaceLARPCafe
Stylistically there's a lot going on here, but practically it is pretty vapid.
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Anuchard - home (OST by clea leshlick) 🎶
🔊ON👂when you play the game, this place is like the main headquarter of the Bellwielder. I just can't post this without the very chill music lol.
my main visual inspiration for the vibe is Chrono Cross, specifically in Arni Village, and the cabin inside the jungle.
play the game if you haven't!!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1386620/Anuchard/#anuchard #pixelart #ドット絵 #indiegame #originalmusic #retro #mastoart #videogamemusic #jrpg #jrpgmusic
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Anuchard - home (OST by clea leshlick) 🎶
🔊ON👂when you play the game, this place is like the main headquarter of the Bellwielder. I just can't post this without the very chill music lol.
my main visual inspiration for the vibe is Chrono Cross, specifically in Arni Village, and the cabin inside the jungle.
play the game if you haven't!!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1386620/Anuchard/#anuchard #pixelart #ドット絵 #indiegame #originalmusic #retro #mastoart #videogamemusic #jrpg #jrpgmusic
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Anuchard - home (OST by clea leshlick) 🎶
🔊ON👂when you play the game, this place is like the main headquarter of the Bellwielder. I just can't post this without the very chill music lol.
my main visual inspiration for the vibe is Chrono Cross, specifically in Arni Village, and the cabin inside the jungle.
play the game if you haven't!!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1386620/Anuchard/#anuchard #pixelart #ドット絵 #indiegame #originalmusic #retro #mastoart #videogamemusic #jrpg #jrpgmusic
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Seeing as the #Louvre is very much in the news these days, I figured it's a good subject for #UrbanGaze today. #Paris is an endless source of visual inspiration! #urbangaze #architecture #EastCoastKin #ericgphoto #ArcanumAlumni #photography #G+Circle #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBluesky
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Since friday I've been listening to Candlemass "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" and "Nightfall" every time I've been outside. Somehow, I've managed NOT to walk the doom dance way. Maybe it's due to a lack of visual inspiration. So here it is, including Pelle "Dead" Ohlin (although I must admit I’m not entirely sure which one in the video is him).
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Visited the Clarke Historical Museum here in Eureka, CA today, and was a tad overwhelmed with visual inspiration… So much history and Victoriana… The architecture and the interior furnishings were stunning. And the Native American exhibit was gorgeous—partly curated by guest tribe members featuring their family heirlooms and weaving skills!
It was too much for my brain to handle. I have to return because there’s just so much…
Museums do that to me, but art museums especially. Clarke is a historical museum but it was still filled with artifacts and collections that were awe-inspiring to me…
I chatted with their gift shop manager, Jasmine, and got a consignment form to sell things in their gift shop. I’m beyond happy. I have some specific pieces in mind that will be perfect there!!
After last night’s street fair all by myself and then this, I’m feeling the need to crawl into my creative space for a while.
Ooooof, what a weekend.
#ArtistLife #RedwoodEmpire #EurekaCA #HumboldtCounty #Consignment
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Case in Point: Donald Trump – Twilight Zone
At one time, a voice instantly recognizable echoed to us, introductions to a masterful early science fiction television series, known as “The Twilight Zone.” I was inspired by an image (below), and my own memory of Rod’s “voice,” to bring that inspiring image to life. Gemini assisted me in the post. –DrWeb
Below is the inspiration image used for this Rod Serling–style narration experiment.
Sometimes the signpost ahead isn’t a warning — it’s a mirror. If this piece hits a nerve, share it where you live online, and add your thoughts below.
Listen
Credits / Kudos
- Voice synthesis assistance: Fish Audio. Good tools, and they use model voices from the community at large.
- Original visual inspiration creator: Unknown.
- Production + narrative framing: DrWeb, with technical collaboration from ChatGPT.
- Note: The original image is not directly credited that I’ve found. However, there are numerous works using Trump and his agenda and policies along with Rod Serling and Twilight Zone images and connections. As an example, here’s a recent Google Images search result: https://bit.ly/4rnRzPK
Leave Your CommentsCancel reply
https://jetpack.wordpress.com/jetpack-comment/?blogid=75293122&postid=111126&comment_registration=0&require_name_email=0&stc_enabled=1&stb_enabled=1&show_avatars=1&avatar_default=gravatar_default&greeting=Leave+Your+Comments&jetpack_comments_nonce=076f29953b&greeting_reply=Leave+a+Reply+to+%25s&color_scheme=light&lang=en_US&jetpack_version=15.6-a.1&iframe_unique_id=2&show_cookie_consent=10&has_cookie_consent=0&is_current_user_subscribed=0&token_key=%3Bnormal%3B&sig=2f37767baca496d85edc40238985004390e8ff12#parent=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2F%3Fp%3D111126 Tags: AI Voice Models, Case in Point, Inspiration, Mirror, Mr. Donald Trump, Old Image, Parody, Rod Serling, Serling's Voice, Text, The Twilight Zone, Trump, Warning
#AIVoiceModels #CaseInPoint #Inspiration #Mirror #MrDonaldTrump #OldImage #Parody #RodSerling #SerlingSVoice #Text #TheTwilightZone #Trump #Warning -
Case in Point: Donald Trump – Twilight Zone
At one time, a voice instantly recognizable echoed to us, introductions to a masterful early science fiction television series, known as “The Twilight Zone.” I was inspired by an image (below), and my own memory of Rod’s “voice,” to bring that inspiring image to life. Gemini assisted me in the post. –DrWeb
Below is the inspiration image used for this Rod Serling–style narration experiment.
Sometimes the signpost ahead isn’t a warning — it’s a mirror. If this piece hits a nerve, share it where you live online, and add your thoughts below.
Listen
Credits / Kudos
- Voice synthesis assistance: Fish Audio. Good tools, and they use model voices from the community at large.
- Original visual inspiration creator: Unknown.
- Production + narrative framing: DrWeb, with technical collaboration from ChatGPT.
- Note: The original image is not directly credited that I’ve found. However, there are numerous works using Trump and his agenda and policies along with Rod Serling and Twilight Zone images and connections. As an example, here’s a recent Google Images search result: https://bit.ly/4rnRzPK
Leave Your CommentsCancel reply
https://jetpack.wordpress.com/jetpack-comment/?blogid=75293122&postid=111126&comment_registration=0&require_name_email=0&stc_enabled=1&stb_enabled=1&show_avatars=1&avatar_default=gravatar_default&greeting=Leave+Your+Comments&jetpack_comments_nonce=173011423e&greeting_reply=Leave+a+Reply+to+%25s&color_scheme=light&lang=en_US&jetpack_version=15.6-a.1&iframe_unique_id=2&hc_post_as=jetpack&hc_userid=1998549&hc_username=DrWeb&hc_userurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2F%23gsc.tab%3D0&hc_useremail=21806afb8f7c12c058cdd1b6e293db86&_wp_unfiltered_html_comment=ca3827868c&token_key=%3Bnormal%3B&sig=44705ccba1083d7620f47810d20346bbc940e731#parent=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2Fwp-admin%2Fadmin-ajax.php #AIVoiceModels #CaseInPoint #Inspiration #Mirror #MrDonaldTrump #OldImage #Parody #RodSerling #SerlingSVoice #Text #TheTwilightZone #Trump #Warning -
Case in Point: Donald Trump – Twilight Zone
At one time, a voice instantly recognizable echoed to us, introductions to a masterful early science fiction television series, known as “The Twilight Zone.” I was inspired by an image (below), and my own memory of Rod’s “voice,” to bring that inspiring image to life. Gemini assisted me in the post. –DrWeb
Below is the inspiration image used for this Rod Serling–style narration experiment.
Sometimes the signpost ahead isn’t a warning — it’s a mirror. If this piece hits a nerve, share it where you live online, and add your thoughts below.
Listen
Credits / Kudos
- Voice synthesis assistance: Fish Audio. Good tools, and they use model voices from the community at large.
- Original visual inspiration creator: Unknown.
- Production + narrative framing: DrWeb, with technical collaboration from ChatGPT.
- Note: The original image is not directly credited that I’ve found. However, there are numerous works using Trump and his agenda and policies along with Rod Serling and Twilight Zone images and connections. As an example, here’s a recent Google Images search result: https://bit.ly/4rnRzPK
Leave Your CommentsCancel reply
https://jetpack.wordpress.com/jetpack-comment/?blogid=75293122&postid=111126&comment_registration=0&require_name_email=0&stc_enabled=1&stb_enabled=1&show_avatars=1&avatar_default=gravatar_default&greeting=Leave+Your+Comments&jetpack_comments_nonce=173011423e&greeting_reply=Leave+a+Reply+to+%25s&color_scheme=light&lang=en_US&jetpack_version=15.6-a.1&iframe_unique_id=2&hc_post_as=jetpack&hc_userid=1998549&hc_username=DrWeb&hc_userurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2F%23gsc.tab%3D0&hc_useremail=21806afb8f7c12c058cdd1b6e293db86&_wp_unfiltered_html_comment=ca3827868c&token_key=%3Bnormal%3B&sig=44705ccba1083d7620f47810d20346bbc940e731#parent=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2Fwp-admin%2Fadmin-ajax.php #AIVoiceModels #CaseInPoint #Inspiration #Mirror #MrDonaldTrump #OldImage #Parody #RodSerling #SerlingSVoice #Text #TheTwilightZone #Trump #Warning -
Case in Point: Donald Trump – Twilight Zone
At one time, a voice instantly recognizable echoed to us, introductions to a masterful early science fiction television series, known as “The Twilight Zone.” I was inspired by an image (below), and my own memory of Rod’s “voice,” to bring that inspiring image to life. Gemini assisted me in the post. –DrWeb
Below is the inspiration image used for this Rod Serling–style narration experiment.
Sometimes the signpost ahead isn’t a warning — it’s a mirror. If this piece hits a nerve, share it where you live online, and add your thoughts below.
Listen
Credits / Kudos
- Voice synthesis assistance: Fish Audio. Good tools, and they use model voices from the community at large.
- Original visual inspiration creator: Unknown.
- Production + narrative framing: DrWeb, with technical collaboration from ChatGPT.
- Note: The original image is not directly credited that I’ve found. However, there are numerous works using Trump and his agenda and policies along with Rod Serling and Twilight Zone images and connections. As an example, here’s a recent Google Images search result: https://bit.ly/4rnRzPK
Leave Your CommentsCancel reply
https://jetpack.wordpress.com/jetpack-comment/?blogid=75293122&postid=111126&comment_registration=0&require_name_email=0&stc_enabled=1&stb_enabled=1&show_avatars=1&avatar_default=gravatar_default&greeting=Leave+Your+Comments&jetpack_comments_nonce=173011423e&greeting_reply=Leave+a+Reply+to+%25s&color_scheme=light&lang=en_US&jetpack_version=15.6-a.1&iframe_unique_id=2&hc_post_as=jetpack&hc_userid=1998549&hc_username=DrWeb&hc_userurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2F%23gsc.tab%3D0&hc_useremail=21806afb8f7c12c058cdd1b6e293db86&_wp_unfiltered_html_comment=ca3827868c&token_key=%3Bnormal%3B&sig=44705ccba1083d7620f47810d20346bbc940e731#parent=https%3A%2F%2Fdrwebdomain.blog%2Fwp-admin%2Fadmin-ajax.php #AIVoiceModels #CaseInPoint #Inspiration #Mirror #MrDonaldTrump #OldImage #Parody #RodSerling #SerlingSVoice #Text #TheTwilightZone #Trump #Warning -
I’ve been making local-themed pieces lately, referencing #HumboldtCounty. There’s a lot here that makes it unique: the number of rhododendrons everywhere, the redwoods, the ocean, the victorian architecture… There is no lack of visual inspiration!
https://goimagine.com/beaches-and-rhododendrons-single-illustrated-greeting-card-5x7-with-envelope/
#HumanMade: Painted, printed, & packaged by me—no POD or drop shipping.
Here’s the first part of the livestream recording when it was made, with links to the second to parts in the description:
https://makertube.net/w/32fMacxy263qkebhVCF1AB#RedwoodCurtain #EurekaCA #ArtNouveau #GreetingCards #IndieArtist #Art #MastoArt #FediGiftShop
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I’ve been making local-themed pieces lately, referencing #HumboldtCounty. There’s a lot here that makes it unique: the number of rhododendrons everywhere, the redwoods, the ocean, the victorian architecture… There is no lack of visual inspiration!
https://goimagine.com/beaches-and-rhododendrons-single-illustrated-greeting-card-5x7-with-envelope/
#HumanMade: Painted, printed, & packaged by me—no POD or drop shipping.
Here’s the first part of the livestream recording when it was made, with links to the second to parts in the description:
https://makertube.net/w/32fMacxy263qkebhVCF1AB#RedwoodCurtain #EurekaCA #ArtNouveau #GreetingCards #IndieArtist #Art #MastoArt #FediGiftShop
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I’ve been making local-themed pieces lately, referencing #HumboldtCounty. There’s a lot here that makes it unique: the number of rhododendrons everywhere, the redwoods, the ocean, the victorian architecture… There is no lack of visual inspiration!
https://goimagine.com/beaches-and-rhododendrons-single-illustrated-greeting-card-5x7-with-envelope/
#HumanMade: Painted, printed, & packaged by me—no POD or drop shipping.
Here’s the first part of the livestream recording when it was made, with links to the second to parts in the description:
https://makertube.net/w/32fMacxy263qkebhVCF1AB#RedwoodCurtain #EurekaCA #ArtNouveau #GreetingCards #IndieArtist #Art #MastoArt #FediGiftShop
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I’ve been making local-themed pieces lately, referencing #HumboldtCounty. There’s a lot here that makes it unique: the number of rhododendrons everywhere, the redwoods, the ocean, the victorian architecture… There is no lack of visual inspiration!
https://goimagine.com/beaches-and-rhododendrons-single-illustrated-greeting-card-5x7-with-envelope/
#HumanMade: Painted, printed, & packaged by me—no POD or drop shipping.
Here’s the first part of the livestream recording when it was made, with links to the second to parts in the description:
https://makertube.net/w/32fMacxy263qkebhVCF1AB#RedwoodCurtain #EurekaCA #ArtNouveau #GreetingCards #IndieArtist #Art #MastoArt #FediGiftShop
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I’ve been making local-themed pieces lately, referencing #HumboldtCounty. There’s a lot here that makes it unique: the number of rhododendrons everywhere, the redwoods, the ocean, the victorian architecture… There is no lack of visual inspiration!
https://goimagine.com/beaches-and-rhododendrons-single-illustrated-greeting-card-5x7-with-envelope/
#HumanMade: Painted, printed, & packaged by me—no POD or drop shipping.
Here’s the first part of the livestream recording when it was made, with links to the second to parts in the description:
https://makertube.net/w/32fMacxy263qkebhVCF1AB#RedwoodCurtain #EurekaCA #ArtNouveau #GreetingCards #IndieArtist #Art #MastoArt #FediGiftShop
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I Moved from America to Morocco and This Changed My Crochet Business
There are moments in life when everything changes so suddenly that you almost do not recognize your own life anymore.
For me, moving from America to Morocco was one of those moments.
When I first packed up my crochet hooks, yarn, cameras, computers, and the life I had spent decades building in the United States, I honestly did not know what would happen to my crochet business. I did not know if people would still follow my work. I did not know if I would still feel inspired to design. I did not know if I would even be able to find yarn I liked using.
What I did know was this:
I needed a change.
After spending most of my life in America, everything had started to feel rushed, loud, exhausting, and emotionally draining. Day after day felt like survival mode. Even creativity, the thing that once brought me peace, started feeling buried underneath stress, responsibilities, and constant pressure.
Crochet had always been more than yarn and stitches to me.
It was comfort.
It was therapy.
It was memory.
It was the one thing that stayed with me through every stage of life, going all the way back to childhood when I first learned how to crochet and make little outfits for Barbie dolls. Back then, I had no idea those tiny stitches would eventually become a business, a creative outlet, and a connection to thousands of people around the world.
Then came Morocco.
And somehow, slowly, quietly, everything began to change.
Slowing Down Changed My Creativity
One of the first things I noticed after arriving in Morocco was that life moved differently.
People sit longer.
Talk longer.
Drink coffee slower.
Families gather more.
Stores close in the afternoon.
The nights feel alive.
There is a rhythm here that is difficult to explain unless you experience it yourself.
For the first time in years, I felt my mind slowing down.
And strangely enough, that changed the way I designed crochet patterns.
In America, I often felt pressure to constantly produce:
- more patterns
- more content
- more videos
- more posts
- more engagement
Everything felt tied to algorithms, numbers, deadlines, and burnout.
But in Morocco, I started reconnecting with why I loved crochet in the first place.
I started paying attention to textures again.
Colors again.
Details again.
I began designing more intentionally instead of just trying to “keep up.”
And honestly, I think people noticed the difference.
Morocco Reignited My Inspiration
Morocco is full of texture, color, geometry, and artistry.
You see it everywhere:
- in the tile work
- in the architecture
- in the markets
- in the fabrics
- in the desert landscapes
- in the old doors
- in the handmade goods
Even ordinary things here often feel artistic.
As someone who designs crochet patterns, being surrounded by that kind of visual inspiration changes you creatively.
Some of my recent crochet ideas, color choices, and textures absolutely came from simply living here and observing everyday life around me.
Even the natural light feels different when I photograph my work now.
Warmer.
Softer.
More alive.
The Challenges Nobody Sees
Of course, moving overseas also came with challenges.
A lot of them.
Finding crochet supplies was not always easy at first. Yarn brands I used for years in America suddenly were not available anymore. Simple things became complicated. Shipping costs were shocking. Learning where to buy materials in a completely different country took time.
There were language barriers.
Cultural adjustments.
Moments of homesickness.
Moments where I questioned whether I had made the right decision at all.
Building a creative business while adjusting to life in another country is not glamorous the way social media sometimes makes it look.
There were days I felt completely overwhelmed.
But there was also something beautiful happening underneath all of that uncertainty.
I was rebuilding creatively from the ground up.
Crochet Became Personal Again
Somewhere along the way, crochet stopped feeling like a race again.
It became personal.
Peaceful.
Meaningful.
I started creating things because I genuinely loved them, not because I thought they would perform well online.
Ironically, I think that authenticity actually helped my business grow stronger.
People can feel when something is real.
They can feel when creativity comes from passion instead of pressure.
And I think moving to Morocco helped me rediscover that part of myself.
The Internet Made the World Feel Smaller
One of the most unexpected parts of this journey has been realizing how connected creativity really is.
Even while living thousands of miles away from America, I still wake up every day connected to crocheters from all over the world through:
- YouTube
- my blog
- pattern sales
- messages and comments
It reminds me that creativity has no borders.
A crochet pattern designed in Morocco can end up being stitched together in Texas, Canada, Australia, Germany, or South Africa by someone I may never meet.
That still amazes me.
This Move Changed More Than My Business
At the end of the day, moving from America to Morocco changed far more than just my crochet business.
It changed my pace.
My perspective.
My priorities.
My creativity.
And maybe most importantly, it reminded me that sometimes we need to step completely outside of our old environment to rediscover who we are.
Crochet followed me across an ocean.
And somehow, through all the uncertainty and change, it became home again.
#AmericanExpat #AmericanInMorocco #crafts #creativeBusiness #creativeLife #Crochet #crochetAndTravel #crochetArtist #crochetBlog #crochetBlogging #crochetBusiness #crochetCommunity #crochetContentCreator #crochetCreativity #crochetCreator #crochetDesignProcess #crochetDesigner #crochetEntrepreneur #crochetInspiration #crochetInspirationBlog #crochetInspirationMorocco #crochetJourney #crochetLife #crochetLifestyle #crochetLove #crochetMaker #crochetPassion #crochetPatternDesigner #CrochetPatterns #crochetPhotography #crochetProjects #crochetSmallBusiness #crochetStorytelling #crochetStudio #CrochetTips #crochetWorld #crochetYouTuber #crochetPattern #expatCreator #expatLifeMorocco #fiberArts #freePattern #handmadeBusiness #handmadeLifestyle #HodgePodgeCrochet #lifeInMorocco #MoroccanCulture #MoroccanInspiration #MoroccoLifestyle #movingToMorocco #slowLiving #womenWhoCrochet #yarn #yarnLover #yarnShoppingMorocco -
Exploring Openclipart.org: A Treasure Trove of Free Vector Images
I am not a talented artist, but I enjoy using graphics for greeting cards, posters, and occasionally hoodies or t-shirts. When I need an image of a creature such as a cow, horse, or eagle, I turn to Openclipart.org. This unique platform is dedicated to providing a vast collection of free-to-use vector graphics. Launched in 2004, the site has grown into one of the largest repositories of clipart, featuring thousands of contributions from artists worldwide.
Why Choose Openclipart.org?
1. Completely Free and Open
One of the standout features of Openclipart.org is its commitment to open access. All images on the platform are released into the public domain, which means you can use them for any purpose—personal, educational, or commercial—without any concerns about copyright restrictions. This liberating approach empowers users to incorporate visual elements confidently into their projects.
2. Extensive and Diverse Collection
The diversity of clipart available on Openclipart.org is truly impressive. There’s something for everyone, from simple icons and logos to intricate illustrations and themed collections. Whether you’re designing a website, creating educational materials, or crafting a presentation, you’ll find an abundance of resources to enhance your work.
3. User-Friendly Interface
Navigating Openclipart.org is a breeze, thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly interface. The site offers robust search functionality, allowing you to quickly find the perfect image. Categories and tags further streamline the process, making it easy to explore and discover new artwork.
4. Community-Driven
Openclipart.org thrives on community contributions. Artists from all walks of life share their creations, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. This sense of community not only enriches the platform but also encourages creativity and learning among users.
5. Customization and Versatility
The vector format of the clipart ensures that the images are easily scalable and editable. Whether you need to tweak colors, resize elements, or combine multiple graphics, Openclipart.org’s resources provide the flexibility to tailor images to your specific needs.
Recently I have been looking for a way to give a special birthday present to a friend. My friend lives on a dairy farm. I wanted to incorporate a cow into my design that could be used on a hoodie. I could easily download a vector graphic image of a cow from Openclipart.org. I used Inkscape to add text around the picture, and I saved the complete design as a vector graphic. I love using vector graphics in my designs because they can be easily resized and incorporated into other without danger of pixelation or distortion.
Screen picture by Don Watkins CC by SA 4.0Conclusion
Openclipart.org is more than just a repository of clipart; It’s a community of clipart and artists willing to share their work so that others may enjoy it too. Next time you’re in need of visual inspiration or an image for one of your own creations I suggest you head over to Openclipart.org to find the perfect image to elevate your project.
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Computing: Home Era
Christmas 1994. Grandma Ward’s house. A huge box with a Sears computer bundle inside showed up next to the tree early Christmas Morning. I knew it hadn’t come in the car with us so it must be for my cousins? But no, this Performa 6115CD and StyleWriter II (and Global Village 14.4 modem!) was ours, and a Core Memory was unlocked.
This is probably my densest and longest era, because I had so much much free time as a tween/teen. It is also in some ways my least documented. I still have archives of many of my files, transferred over the years from Mac to Mac. I could spend a very long time curating a few of those! Maybe a retirement project. 😂 Sadly there are basically no photos of me, well, computing. Film was still a precious commodity!
Having Macs both at home and at school (and for my dad, at work) really changed things. We now had compatible files, 3.5″ 💾, and more. For 6th grade Spanish we had to draw our “dream house” and label all the rooms; I of course used a ClarisWorks Drawing document to create blueprints for several basement levels with secret passages, a movie theater, and a submarine pen.
MacAddict
We started to get online, first with eWorld (bundled with the computer), then AOL, then a full dial-up ISP called ISD (whose three-letter domain now seems to be in escrow). I also tried out some BBSes using the ClarisWorks Communication tool, but never really got into that scene. The Internet, and more specifically the Web, arrived for me a little bit later.
Pretty soon after getting this machine I used my allowance to subscribe to MacAddict Magazine, which really helped forge me into an Apple fan. Those included discs came with a ton of cool demos, some of which drove me to buy some software, or at least wish for it. I also loved paging through the old MacWarehouse catalog. I bought basic 3D home modeling software to make fun floor plans (I was always interested in architecture) which I also used for some school projects.
MacAddict was where I found out about OpenDoc and tried using CyberDog as my web browser briefly. All those embeds may have been a dead end but it feels like they’ve kinda be realized by modern web technologies. I was really following along with all of Apple’s weird ’90s experiments back then.
Gaming
Much of my game playing in this era was built around pseudo-educational games like Civilization II and Dr. Brain and of course the Many Maxis games, but most especially SimFarm, SimTower, and of course, SimCity 2000. I still have many of my original save files and they run fine under emulation. At some point we upgraded from 8 MB to 24 MB of RAM. I remember trying to arrange direct dial games of Command & Conquer with friends, as well as a lot of Myst, among others. (Continuing a trend, after playing Riven, I was briefly really into D’ni.)
I especially got into the shareware offerings, mostly Atari clones, from Ambrosia Software. I didn’t just play these games; I also was modifying and making my own plugins for the Escape Velocity games using ResEdit (sadly most of my work was lost to a resourceforkpocalypse migrating files at some point). Definitely some Star Trek/Star Wars visual inspiration. I don’t remember what 3D tool I used, but it wasn’t Bryce 3D. (The incantation to get these files into portable form was
TalonOspreyMakoFalconBarracudasips --format jpeg ship.pict --out ship.jpg).Of course this was also a time where it seemed like niche shareware was about the only thing you could play on the Mac, or you’d be waiting for some MacPlay port for years, with a few exceptions. A Windows-using classmate would jokingly ask me when Reader Rabbit 6 was coming out. In some ways it was a tough time to become a MacAddict, as Jason and Myke noted on a recent Upgrade… at least we had Marathon?
This was when I got a Zip drive as a Christmas gift from my Mac-loving uncle Mike (I remember seeing his early PowerBook and being amazed). If you’ve followed me for a while you’ve probably seen my photographed excitement? This drive enabled even faster data exchange with school (which, with faster than dialup speeds I often used to FTP download new software) and bringing larger multimedia documents back and forth. (It may have also been used to share larger applications with friends).
The Web
Sometime around 1996 I picked UltraNurd as both my Yahoo! Games profile and my AIM username. (I don’t recall for sure which one came first.) I’m sure I was kinda unsafe posting a/s/l in too many places. The name has obviously stuck, especially once I committed to it for my personal domain. It’s not entirely accurate but it still makes for an interesting conversation when I have to give someone my email. While I know I used Gopher a few times at school my first regular web use would have been Netscape Navigator. (Or maybe even Communicator?)
I remember using Fetch (wild this is still actively developed on macOS) on faster school connection to FTP some SITs and SEAs that I then brought home on a Zip disk. One of those shareware servers was the first place I encountered fanfic without realizing what it was: a short story about Barney being a harbinger of the apocalypse responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs, among other past events.
I don’t remember the exact grade, 8th maybe?, where Ms. Passoneau, the computer teacher, offered an after school mini class on HyperCard and HTML. I think we also learned some AppleScript? I made some silly games and animated presentations and learned the basics of making a web page, skills I still use today. I also remember an I think HyperCard-based game where you had to bloodily massacre Barney. The ’90s were a strange time when it came to PBS related content. We also had access to a Sony Mavica which was my first exposure to digital photography. Later in high school I got involved doing layout for the yearbook, although desktop publishing didn’t grab me the same as some other kids.
For a 10th grade science class project I set up a GeoCities site, which also had some other random nerd humor stuff. (I don’t recall my neighborhood but the archive does still exist on this domain, unlinked.) I got a huge purple hardcover book on HTML (pretty sure it was this one) and was even paid to build a website for my math teacher as well as the Minnesota Resource Recovery Association. Technically my first paid programming gig! (I made way more from babysitting.)
Peak web designUpgrades
We bought my Grandma a used Performa 5300-series and set it up for her. I distinctly remember walking her through the entire Desktop Metaphor to explain where her files were. She had run a business for years, and used a DOS-based point-of-sale and inventory system, but had never used a computer personally. I grabbed a copy of PhotoShop 3 that came already installed on it before wiping it; I used that for several school projects. I think it also came with a copy of the Oregon Trail II CD-ROM which had little videos of historical characters and a very different vibe from the classic game.
Somehow don’t have a picture of me using any of our computersBy 1999 Steve Jobs had returned to Apple and the iMac had completely changed the design trends of electronics, bringing them back from the brink. I was wanting to do heavier multimedia work, and my sister and I were more frequently conflicting on needing a computer for homework, so we each chipped in from our savings for a share of a B&W G3.
I did all sorts of projects on this machine: DV editing in iMovie via FireWire, animated sequences in Bryce 3D, many school papers, and 5,772 SETI@Home compute-hours (as part of Team MacAddict!). I remember finding some QuickTime VR panoramas of the Arecibo radio telescope to use in a class presentation which super impressed everyone; I guess that kind of tech was still ahead of its time. Sadly I can’t find these archived anywhere. I should really fire up an emulator with ClarisWorks and other old applications and try to extract a few of my old projects. Game-wise, I even sometimes managed to convince my parents to let me lug the whole thing to friends houses for LAN parties of Quake III Arena or Unreal Tournament. I would sometimes use GameRanger to trick some games into operating their LAN mode over dialup, including Masters of Orion II.
There was, of course, no shortage of Star Trek… including the CD-ROM release of 25th Anniversary (complete with actual actor dialogue!) and its sequel, Judgement Rites. I had the Omnipedia with its voice search which seemed like a Trek future that is still struggling to be realized with today’s models. On the G3 I also had the Quake III powered Elite Force and its Expansion Pack. You wouldn’t think a first-person shooter would fit Star Trek but somehow they made it work and gave it a pretty interesting story!
I think by this time performance wise I had switched to surfing using Internet Explorer 5. I was using Sherlock to search Lycos, AltaVista, Ask Jeeves, Yahoo!, and more all simultaneously. Sure it was hard to figure out who had indexed a site, but there was definitely a lot less garbage to sift through.
Some time around this here I also got on Napster to very slowly get more music even over dialup. I was using SoundJam MP with this round window Atlantis theme I found. I and friends were burning CDs for sharing and car use. My afore-mentioned Zip drive or the LAN parties were another opportunity to trade MP3s for things not covered in my expanding CD collection, especially with friends who had higher bandwidth collections. This was the main way I got trance and other electronica tracks like those from trance[]control that you wouldn’t hear on the radio and generally couldn’t find on CD, at least not at our store options.
I think in many ways the B&W G3 is my favorite Mac I’ve ever owned, never mind that many others were more powerful or flexible. An extremely elegant tower with the main board mounted on the door for easy access. It seemed like I could do anything with it. I even liked the oft-maligned hockey puck mouse that came with it, and was common on the iMacs that had started showing up at school. Not to mention it had an excellent color!
Summer Jobs
In high school I had my first job in tech: a summer internship at the Minnesota Muscle Lab, where I would use Unix for the first time (with a cheat sheet!) in their Silicon Graphics lab (I’m pretty sure these were Octanes) simulating some actin protein structures. This also gave me a taste of academia.
After graduation I worked at the now-defunct Ciprico building a web interface for one of their RAID products, extending a May Program internship. It was also my first bicycle commute, zipping along the shoulder of Highway 55 to get to the next light from our neighborhood and its office park. This involved Windows 2000 machines, and working with an older C backend developer who called the web browser “nutscrape”. The team also played Counter-Strike on the network almost every day at lunch. One of the other developers was an expert sniper who went by the username Soldat and called me “Little Nicky”. At some point I used a WAD editor to make a custom level for everyone to play. I remember the ladder code being especially tricky.
Middle school and high school were arguably my peak Mac time; I had the free time to experiment, the Web was booming, computers were changing rapidly, and Apple started coming out of its Dark Ages. For the next era, college, I would need my own Mac…
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