Unlocking the Potential of Hobbies: Elevating Your Mental and Physical Well-Being

As we push through the demands of our everyday routines, we often find ourselves overlooking the profound impact hobbies can have on our overall well-being. Beyond mere pastimes, hobbies offer a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond the hours spent pursuing them. Today, Alicia Hanson delves into how engaging in hobbies can significantly enhance your mental and physical health.

A Respite from Daily Stressors

Amid the relentless demands of life, hobbies serve as a sanctuary, providing a much-needed break from daily stressors. This respite is essential for emotional balance, stress reduction, and safeguarding against burnout. Engaging in an activity you love redirects your focus, allowing your mind to unwind and recharge. This simple act of stepping away from work or responsibilities can make a world of difference in your mental and emotional well-being.

Transforming Passion into a Profession

For those fortunate enough to turn their passion into a profession, the rewards are boundless. However, treating it as a business venture involves writing a comprehensive business plan, conducting meticulous market research, and maintaining unwavering professionalism for enduring success. Many successful individuals have transformed their hobbies into thriving careers. This not only boosts financial well-being but also ensures that you wake up every day excited about your work – a priceless component of mental health.

Cultivating Cognitive Agility

Activities such as puzzles, reading, or acquiring new skills act as mental workouts, stimulating cognitive functions like memory, concentration, and problem-solving. These pursuits ensure that your mind remains sharp and agile. When you engage in intellectually stimulating hobbies, you are essentially investing in your long-term cognitive health. It’s like giving your brain a workout to keep it in top shape.

Marketing Your Creations

Creating a well-designed and appealing logo is essential for making a strong first impression when selling your crafted wares. It captures the essence of your brand and draws potential customers in. You can contact Hi Octane Design Simply choose a style and icon, add any necessary text, and you’ll be able to view an assortment of logos and adjust their fonts and colors to match your brand’s identity.

Elevation of Emotional Well-Being

Engaging in enjoyable activities triggers the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, fostering feelings of happiness and mitigating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Hobbies, in essence, serve as natural mood enhancers. Whether it’s painting, gardening, or playing a musical instrument, these activities provide a sense of accomplishment and joy that can brighten even the gloomiest of days.

Physical Health

Many hobbies entail physical exertion, contributing to improved cardiovascular health, strengthened muscles, and enhanced physical fitness. These pursuits are a cornerstone of a healthier lifestyle. Activities like hiking, dancing, or even practicing martial arts not only keep you physically fit but also make exercise enjoyable, ensuring that you stick with it over the long term.

Crafting Peaceful Nights

Engaging in relaxing hobbies, especially in the evening, facilitates a seamless transition into a restful night’s sleep. These soothing activities prepare your body for slumber, leading to enhanced sleep quality and patterns. Whether it’s reading a book, meditating, or indulging in a calming hobby, such practices signal to your body that it’s time to wind down, promoting a peaceful night’s rest.

Fostering Social Bonds

Group hobbies or community-based activities provide invaluable opportunities for social interaction, nurturing relationships, and fostering a sense of belonging. These are vital pillars of mental and emotional well-being. Joining clubs or participating in group hobbies not only helps you meet like-minded individuals but also provides a support network that can be instrumental during challenging times.

Incorporating hobbies into your daily routine is not a mere luxury; it is a necessity for your mental and physical well-being. They offer solace from life’s demands, stimulate your intellect, elevate your mood, and even offer the possibility of starting your own business. Embrace your passions and hobbies – they hold the key to a healthier and happier you!

Alicia & her husband Brad offer a variety of classes and workshops in DeLand, Florida at their studio Learnlostwaxcasting.com  including Silversmithing, Lost Wax Casting, Metal Etching and a variety of Workshops. Click on over and check it out. 

Alicia Hanson is an accomplished designer who’d love to connect. Click here to find here on Instagram!

Symbol signs are a system of 50 pictograms designed to communicate information to passengers and pedestrians in airports, transportation hubs, and other large international venues. They were developed by the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in the 1970s.

International Symbol signs are designed to be universally understood, regardless of language or culture. They use simple, geometric shapes and clear colors to convey information about essential services and facilities, such as restrooms, baggage claim, and emergency exits.

The symbols are also designed to be highly visible and legible from a distance. They are often used on signs and maps in airports and other busy transportation facilities, where people are often moving quickly and may not have time to read text.

Symbol signs have become a standard feature of transportation facilities around the world. They are also used in other public places, such as museums, stadiums, and shopping malls.

Benefits ofsymbol signs:

• Universal communication:  symbol signs can be understood by people of all languages and cultures.
• Clear and concise: The symbols are simple and easy to understand, even from a distance.
• Highly visible: The bright colors and bold shapes of the symbols make them easy to see in busy environments.
• Versatile: symbol signs can be used to convey a wide range of information, from essential services to directional cues.

How to use International symbol signs:

When using symbol signs, it is important to consider the following guidelines:

• Use the symbols in a consistent way throughout your signage system.
• Place the symbols in a prominent location where they can easily be seen by pedestrians and travelers.
• Use clear and concise text to supplement the symbols, but avoid cluttering the signs.
• Make sure the symbols are large enough to be legible from a distance.

Conclusion

Pictograms or symbol signs are a valuable tool for communicating information to people from all walks of life. By using these symbols in a clear and consistent way, you can help to create a more welcoming and accessible environment for everyone.

The key to thinking differently is to perceive things differently, through the lenses of a trailblazer.

When the brain is confronted by the same visual stimulus repeatedly the neural responses are reduced…

In order for our imaginations to operate at peak levels those neurons have to fire at maximum output. Bombard the brain with new experiences.

Leonardo had 3 principal traits in common: insatiable curiosity, a desire to challenge the status quo, and the knowledge, that creative inspiration comes from seeking out new experiences.

Creativity is connecting things

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice.”

The signature of artists is not in what they do but in how intense their motivation is to manifest the extraordinary.

Because art is the act of navigating without a map.. S Godin

The key to thinking differently is to perceive things differently, through the lenses of a trailblazer.

Jobs perceives things differently. Vision is not the same as perception; perception separates the innovator from the imitator.

The key to thinking differently is to perceive things differently, through the lenses of a trailblazer.

When brain is confronted by the same visual stimulus repeatedly the neural responses are reduced…

In order for our imaginations to operate at peak levels those neurons have to fire at maximum output. Bombard the brain with new experiences.

Leonardo had 3 principal traits in common: insatiable curiosity, a desire to challenge the status quo, and the knowledge, that creative inspiration comes from seeking out new experiences.

Creativity is connecting things

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice.”

The signature of artists is not in what they do but in how intense their motivation is to manifest the extraordinary.

Because art is the act of navigating without a map.. S Godin

You might be thinking, “My business doesn’t need a website. I have a Facebook page.” While that may be true, it’s also missing the point. A website is way more than just an online brochure—it’s an important part of your overall marketing strategy that shouldn’t be overlooked. A good website design can boost your search engine rankings and increase brand awareness, while also making it easier for people to find information on your products or services. The best website designs are built with responsive design, which means they look great on any device (phone, tablet, desktop) and make sure visitors can easily navigate around your site by organizing information into logical sections rather than just dumping everything into one big list (like this article). In short: if you’re not taking full advantage of this powerful tool for reaching potential customers then you’re missing out!

In today’s over-saturated digital world, is your website design doing more harm than good for your business?

These days, a website isn’t just a brochure; it’s the place where your business can connect with your customers.

Your visitors want to find their way around your site easily and quickly so they can get what they came for and move on with their lives. They don’t want to spend time fumbling through pages that look like they were made by someone who has no idea what they’re doing and no interest in making things better.

The best thing you can do for yourself is hire someone who understands what makes websites work well (and doesn’t just think that text boxes are an appropriate replacement for buttons).

Do you have a unique look that separates you from the competition?

Do you have a unique look that separates you from the competition?

Your website is your digital storefront and it needs to be memorable. In fact, most people will only read up to the first paragraph of your product descriptions on Amazon or other eCommerce sites, so having a sleek and professional design can help boost sales. The best way to achieve this is by using an eye-catching design that makes people want to stick around for more than just a glance. Here are some ways you can stand out from the crowd:

• Unique color scheme and logo – Your brand’s colors should be consistent across all platforms, including social media profiles, business cards and websites (including mobile). This helps build recognition for your brand in consumers’ minds.

Are you using the latest technology and marketing tools?

Keeping up with the latest technology is important. The tools that you use to create and maintain your website are constantly changing, so you need to make sure that your business website is using the latest technology.

Along with keeping up with new tools, it’s also important to stay on top of search engine algorithms. You may be using all of the best marketing strategies out there, but if Google or Bing thinks that your site isn’t relevant for certain keywords or phrases (or even worse — if they think that your site might be harmful), they can penalize it by placing it lower in their ranking system than websites who have not been penalized at all!

Do your visitors find it easy to navigate your site and find the information they seek?

Navigating a website is the first step in providing value to visitors. If a user can’t find the information they’re looking for, they will leave your site and never come back.

To make sure that your navigation provides value and is easy for users to use:

• Be intuitive. Your navigation should be easily found and understood by anyone who uses it, whether they are familiar with your website or not. Make sure that the labels on each link make sense (no pun intended).
• Keep it consistent across pages if possible so people know where things are when they come back later; otherwise, create an internal link structure so users know how to get around without needing instructions every time they visit a page on your site that doesn’t have an obvious navigation bar at top or bottom of page (such as blogs).
• Make sure links are fast and responsive when clicked so there aren’t any delays between rolling over them or clicking them and having content appear where you want it too–especially important if this happens frequently throughout different parts of site because users might start getting frustrated having waited several seconds between each action taken while trying out different parts?!”

Your website is much more than an online brochure. It’s a powerful tool that needs to work as hard as you do.

Your website is much more than an online brochure. It’s a powerful tool that needs to work as hard as you do.

Your website is the first thing people will see when they search for your business online—it’s the first impression they’ll get of your business and what it has to offer. A well-designed website can set you apart from competitors by making it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, making them more likely to make a purchase from you instead of somewhere else.

Your website should also be designed with SEO in mind (search engine optimization). This means having relevant keywords in text on the page, including an image alt tag (a relevant image description) and meta description tags on each page so Google knows what each page is about when it crawls through its index every day looking at new sites submitted by web developers around the world!

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped to dispel some of the myths surrounding website design and its importance

Affordable housing has a branding problem. When we think about affordable housing, we tend to think of projects that are built with the cheapest materials and least investment in design, aesthetics and amenities. Affordable housing is often viewed as an afterthought—a place for people who don’t deserve better or can’t afford better than what they get. But this isn’t the truth at all! Affordable housing can be beautiful and fun (and healthy!) just like market rate homes. In fact, many cities have been slowly realizing this important shift: by rebranding affordable housing, they are changing how they think about building communities for everyone instead of just those with money to spend.”

How we think about affordable housing is holding us back.

• Affordability is not charity.
• Affordable housing is a good investment.
• Affordable housing is good for the economy, environment, and community.
• Affordable housing supports people who need it most in their communities.

Rebranding Affordable Housing

Affordable housing has a bad name. The word itself is a misnomer, since the reality is that affordable housing costs money to maintain and build. Affordable housing aims to provide low-income families with decent living conditions at an affordable price. However, many believe that only those who are below the poverty line should be able to afford it; thus it is often called “low income” or “subsidized” housing in order to avoid using the pejorative term “poor.”

The reality is that all Americans should have access to decent living conditions at an affordable price: renters who earn too much money for public assistance but not enough to buy a home; young adults who can’t afford their own place yet; families with children whose parents aren’t making enough money yet; etc. Even though they may not need government assistance themselves (or even know they qualify), these people deserve help because they are part of our community and contribute positively towards our society’s growth.

Reclaiming the Community of Need

The community of need is a concept as old as affordable housing itself. The idea is that there are communities of people who have needs that are not being met by the market, and therefore they require some form of intervention to meet those needs.

To reclaim the community of need, we must first understand what it means and what it stands for. In essence, the community of need describes those who are underserved by our society’s current market forces: people with low incomes or without any income at all; families with children; seniors and disabled individuals; veterans; immigrants—all groups that require some level of public assistance in order to achieve an adequate standard of living. In some cases (such as families) this assistance takes place within a family unit; in others (such as disabled individuals), it takes place outside the family unit but still relies heavily on other people within society helping out through charity or government programs like Medicaid/Medicare or Social Security disability benefits

Designing Communities With our Residents In Mind

In the last 50 years, affordable housing has been thought of as a problem to be solved. We need to change that mindset by looking at affordable housing as a solution. Affordable housing is not just a set-aside or a program; it’s an opportunity to create communities that are attractive and appealing to residents, functional and easy to use on a daily basis, safe and secure for families, healthy for residents—both physically and environmentally—and most importantly, affordable. It also allows us to build beautiful places where people want to live!

Affordable housing deserves as much confidence and attention as market rate. It can also be beautiful, fun and healthy.

Affordable housing is a community issue. It’s not just about building homes; it’s also about creating healthy, vibrant communities where people can thrive. YIMBYism (stands for “Yes In My Backyard”) isn’t just about building as many units as possible; it’s about creating communities that are better for everyone.

Affordable housing is not just a housing issue. Affordable housing is also an economic development tool and an environmental sustainability measure—a way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and reduce traffic congestion by allowing people to live close to their jobs or school districts, rather than being forced out of the area by rising costs of living and transportation needs. Affordable housing provides opportunities for low-income residents in high-opportunity areas who might otherwise be excluded from these neighborhoods due to cost barriers like down payments or credit requirements while encouraging mixed-income developments that support diverse social networks and enriching local businesses.”

Conclusion

Affordable housing is a vital part of our communities. It’s time we start treating it that way by creating more spaces where people can meet their basic needs without sacrificing quality of life or access to the things they love. Rebranding affordable housing will help us do this by giving people better access to high quality homes and neighborhoods at lower costs than those available today on the market rate side of things. The future of affordable housing depends on how well we rebrand it, so let’s get started!

Target has been named the 2021 VMSD/Peter Glen Retailer of the Year, it’s design-oriented culture is helping to curate innovative retailer locations that break the mold on big box store design.

Here are some of Target’s recent openings and remodels that are thinking outside of the big box and into reusing cool existing spaces.

A small-format store in Portland won Store of the Year honors in the 48th annual Shop! Awards, which recognize the best in retail design, including originality in the use of space and materials and the quality of concept execution. Renovating a former 1950s-era bowling alley building, designers paid homage to the store’s location with a nostalgic design, signage and environmental graphics.

Architectural graphics have very deep roots.

But when exactly was it that we started using words, symbols, and patterns to create an environment? The short answer: from the start.

Graphics have always been an inherent part of architecture, making the language of patterns, words, signage, and narratives as much of a part of the community as the buildings themselves. Almost every documented culture used words, symbols, or patterns in their environments—and we’re still doing it today, taking old techniques to new levels.

Taking a look back, as we create environments for the future, is fascinating and inspiring, which is why we are publishing a series of articles that take an in-depth look at the relationship of graphics and architecture. First, we’re starting with the origins, exploring how typography, patterns, and culture have helped create the architectural identity of buildings for centuries. 

Graphic Design Connections to Architecture

IN THE BEGINNING

For centuries, architecture and graphic design have coexisted in the built environment, although each discipline has its own unique language. If you combine and meld them, they create a whole new vocabulary that can give a building its unique identity.

ANCIENT EGYPT

Let’s go all the way back to hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphics used graphic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements to create characters and tell stories. However, these did not just act as storytelling—they also gave structures cultural identities that are still being studied today. 

While the centuries, uses, and structures have changed, we’re still seeing the same relationship between graphics and architecture. Classical inscriptions, figurative murals, and ornamental surfaces have all evolved over time to reflect the social and cultural climate of each changing era, becoming part of our visual heritage.

‍ARCH OF TITUS

Over the decades, these depictions evolved to reflect the social and cultural climate of each changing era, becoming part of our visual heritage. You can take a walk through any city and see graphic elements in architecture almost everywhere. Think of a city hall, or maybe your town’s library. While your city hall may not have the intricate carvings like the ones seen on the Arch of Titus in Rome, it may have similar carved inscriptions letting you know that it is a city hall.

The Arch of Titus itself is an example of graphics evolving to reflect changing times. It was restored in 1821, and the restorations included new carvings to reflect the current religious landscape, which were made in travertine limestone to differentiate between the old and the new.

What’s changed as times changed?

NOTHING AND EVERYTHING

Through all of the world’s political, religious, and industrial revolutions, the use of architectural graphics hasn’t just continued—it has flourished and grown into a critical component of how society engages with architecture. Today, we are still using graphics in architecture to convey language and meaning through both two- and three-dimensional design. Architectural graphics woven into the environment solidify narratives, culture, and history, and build a sense of community.

1939 WORLD’S FAIR

The combination of graphics and architecture is what most inspired environmental graphic design pioneer Deborah Sussman. Sussman vividly recalls her memory of the 1939 New York World’s Fair installation:

“The famous ‘Trylon and Perisphere’ of the 1939 New York World’s Fair became another lasting icon for me. In this case, it was the form and its whiteness, its newness, its bigness, and its simplicity that lives in memory. It wasn’t architecture; it wasn’t really sculpture, and certainly not graphic design. So what was it? It did not fit into a category neatly. Could it have been ‘environmental graphic design’?”

– Deborah Sussman‍

Sussman helped to define what structures did not fit into a category, but still made a powerful impression. Now, the famous Trylon and Perisphere lives on in memory as the origin of modern environmental graphic design.

The Power of Typography and 2D Patterns

GRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE

The graphic design of typography, imagery, symbology, and art can tell cultural and visual stories, and oftentimes echo an architectural and cultural message.

The human desire to “dedicate” places is clearly the reason graphics were integrated into the built environment. Inscriptions, figurative murals, and ornamental surfaces have long been a part of architecture. These elements and concepts transformed over time, reflecting the social, political, and cultural climate of each period and becoming part of our rich visual and cultural heritage.

TYPOGRAPHY AS A TOOL

The typography we see today, along with layered two-dimensional patterns, have been used to define a structure’s identity for centuries.

Typography is a particularly powerful tool. Compare The New York Times building in New York, the Arch of Titus in Rome, and Mussolini’s Palazzo Braschi in Rome. While the three structures bear little resemblance to each other culturally, politically, or geographically, they all use typography to tell their identity story.

The Arch of Titus is a religious honorific arch, whereas Palazzo Braschi was once the headquarters for Italy’s fascist party. Then you have The New York Times building, which tells you not only that it’s a prominent publication, but also that it is part of the very fabric of New York City.

Environmental Architecture

COMING OF AGE

LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas in the 1940s is a great example of how wayfinding and signage are design elements that can turn buildings into landmarks. Sure, the bright lights and typography gave you information and told you where to go—but they also helped to give Las Vegas its cultural identity.

SANTA MONICA PLACE

Architects of the 1980s embraced using typography to solidify architecture brand identity. Take Frank Gehry’s Santa Monica Place in Los Angeles, for example. He used gigantic typography layered with chainlink to turn something that could have been ordinary into an iconic image that has been woven into the pop culture history of Los Angeles.

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM

Go a little farther up north to Washington, and you can see another excellent example of typography in architecture. The Seattle Art Museum, designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, uses typography in a way that seems so simple, but has such an impact. That “simple” typography has made the museum truly stand out in a city full of iconic buildings.

UNIVERSAL CITYWALK HOLLYWOOD

If you jump to the 1990s, Jon Jerde’s design for Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles also shows how signage isn’t just a simple addition to the architecture, or something that gets in the way of it—it is a crucial part of the design.

The engaging aspect about examples of architectural graphics is that they’re everywhere, in almost every city or town. Even now, we’re seeing some of the most exciting examples of architectural graphics yet—which is what we’ll talk about in our next blog post.

GRAPHIC DESIGN CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM ARCHITECTURE

Many aspects of the built environment—including urban streetscapes, office buildings, museums, airports, public parks, mixed-use developments, and entertainment centers—have been transformed by the integration of graphic design and architecture.  

Although the discipline of architectural graphics was only recognized relatively recently, it has long been known not only for its functional improvements, but also for its integral relationship to changes in architecture, cultural movements, and art. This combination of the disciplines can shape our overall perception and memory of place and ultimately enrich our experiences with the built environment. 

The conversations surrounding graphics in architecture are important. Graphic typography and texture can enhance architectural design in so many ways, and even turn a building into an iconic destination.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hi Octane Design Receives 2021 Best of Oceanside Award

Oceanside Award Program Honors the Achievement

OCEANSIDE March 11, 2021 — Hi Octane Design has been selected for the 2021 Best of Oceanside Award in the Website Designer category by the Oceanside Award Program.

Each year, the Oceanside Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Oceanside area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2021 Oceanside Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Oceanside Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Oceanside Award Program

The Oceanside Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Oceanside area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Oceanside Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Oceanside Award Program

CONTACT:
Oceanside Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@2021management-best-notice.net
URL: http://www.2021management-best-notice.net

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