It was 9th of November, our first day of meeting, when I, and about ten more of my block mates, volunteered ourselves to our Advertising professor, Sir Gil Velez, that we wanted to be part of the Organizing Team for this annual event he holds in partnership with UST’s College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD). He said, though, that he only needed five from our class. Since there were several of us who wanted to get the slots, our professor collected our names and randomly selected five – these people were to be part of the event’s organizing team. Fortunately, my name was called. 

The event, Ideas That Matter (ITM), is an annual competition organized by students from CFAD and Communication Arts (CA). It is an avenue for Advertising students to showcase their advertising, marketing and creativity skills. 

To be real honest, at first, I had no idea what ITM was or that it was an annual event held in UST and that it was organized by both CFAD and CA students. All that was running through my mind, and probably the minds of my block mates who also volunteered, was that it was a good opportunity for us CA students to acquire, at least, an experience for organizing an event. 

The idea of having to work with CFAD students was also a big factor for our being enthusiastic about the event. And true enough, our meetings with Sir Velez were never dull. We, CFAD and CA, were able to get along with one another very well. Given, there were tension and, perhaps, nervousness during the first couple of meetings, but soon enough, we were all laughing, talking and sharing our ideas with another. 

The event proper is nearing, and I hope that we could all pull off this big event. But right now, when it comes to the ITM Organizing Team, all I could think of is being closer to each and every one of them, both personally and professionally.

Good luck to us 2012 ITM OrgTeam!

By: Jobed Nadonga

CHRISTMAS AND HAPPINESS

It’s the most wonderful time of the year once again!

For some, they celebrate it with their relatives while others like to celebrate it with their own family. It’s Christmas time. Little kids are excited to open their gifts while their parents and other relatives are enjoying their cup of coffee while preparing the food. This is the time to be happy and grateful for all the blessings that we had for the whole year. We should not let hatred and selfishness rule over happiness. As the Christmas song goes, “Tis the season to be jolly!”

It does not matter if we don’t receive any gifts. Material things can only bring us temporary happiness. We just need to thank God that we are alive and we should pray for everyone a happy Christmas. There are many people who cannot afford to buy delicious food for their Noche Buena but they don’t need those delicious foods to be happy. If their family is complete, they are happy despite of their condition in life. For them, family matters the most.

Christmas is also the time to relax. We should keep off work for a while for us to enjoy the holidays. Our Christmas vacation may be disrupted by putting work before our relaxation time. Time to lay off those works, people!

                It’s only two days before Christmas. Aren’t you excited? Don’t the Christmas songs playing on the radios and the countdown to Christmas by TV networks give you the feeling of joy? Even the little kids on your neighborhood are starting to get into the Christmas feeling by singing Christmas carols from house to house. And every family has decorated their house for the Christmas. It has always been that way.

                Finally, we should always remember that it’s always better to give than to receive. There are many people who are in need. We should share our old clothes and toys, and we could also donate food for them. Everyone must be happy this coming Christmas. It’s the time of the year when we have to give something which would make people happy. Don’t be selfish. If we could help poor families, then help them. It’s a time for equality.

                Enjoy the holidays!

 By Abigail Diaz

Creativity: “Imagine an endless and empty canvas”

How can one possibly start on talking about creativity? In my opinion there are just too many things that we can possibly think of. One can start with a vision and we can get inspiration from various artists or even everyday things we encounter. Objects and happenings in our home, in school and everywhere in our community, we see art and with this, we realize that everything can be utilized.

When we were children, we would doodle all day, sing songs we hear on the radio and mimic what we hear. Once we started growing up, we began altering the rhythm by making our own dance steps to our favorite songs and making up cheesy songs about our best friend until we make art for the sake of art and share our ideas for the sake of learning and experience. You see, creativity comes naturally. It’s just up to us if we will choose to hone and nurture such natural talent.

With one idea at a time, we can maximize our imagination and eventually invent or create something out of the ordinary that we can call our own. 

By Ma. Gianina V. Tomas

Teamwork!

Nov.16, 2012, a Friday was the first time I attended the Ideas That Matter group meeting. I felt really awkward at first, and very clueless of what's gonna happen, I barely know the members except for my classmates. As I walk around, I observed the people, some were just standing(maybe they feel uncomfortable, too, like me), some were laughing and talking with their friends. I told myself, nothing's gonna happen to me if I just stand here, and stare at them. So I gave it a shot, walked towards a bunch of people in civilian clothes(well, I was wearing my AB uniform, as well as my co-AB students). I tried to make a conversation with another member, I started by asking if the topic about blogging could be changed, 'cause mine was about Ad Quest, but our class haven't started preparing yet. I might end up composing something not related to it. So this member told me that he isn't sure about it and he seemed busy so I backed off. I gave it another try after having our photos taken, a group of mixed AB students and CFAD students were talking and laughing. While walking towards them, I was thinking on what kind of approach I will do, if I will just suddenly laugh like I know what they were talking about, or if I will ask someone what they were talking about and try to share something about it, too. So I opted to do the second one, I imagined doing the first one and felt stupid, and the second one looked safer. So I started asking, and the conversation went on, the presence of awkwardness was still there, but it was lessened. There were still some quiet moments but the meeting ended well. People might not have noticed me, and it's alright. What's important is, I took some initiative to know them and I learned something. Another thought came to me, if I didn't approach them, I might drown myself with shyness until the next meeting and I will not be able to make new friends. 

I believe that initiative is a part of teamwork, and if everybody took a little initiative, we are gonna get closer and closer to our goals faster.

By Noelle Regine Reyes

Live and..

Yesterday, I was blessed enough to chill for a while and catch a movie. I asked my mother to accompany me and watch Rise of the Guardians which by the way is a movie that you’ll regret not watching. Lately, I’m slacking off and I feel too uninspired to do any artwork and worse, my plates... And I realized that maybe the reason why I can’t create anything is because I stopped dreaming. We need our dreams for ourselves to marvel, to be inspired, to welcome creativity. When we welcome our creativity, we begin a colorful journey; a journey to places that only our minds can create. This is a chance to paint the world with colors that are alive, a chance to revive a sweet childhood memory and be able to share it with the world.

But this doesn't always happen; we have our doubts and fears. There are anxieties that we can’t get rid of. Clashing schemes and muddled thoughts: how do I start if my pencil isn't sharpened, if my pen is out of ink, and if my camera is out of film? Where will my first step lead me? Or do I even know why I want to take this journey in the first place?

Maybe a sack of creativity is what I need in this journey that I am willing to take a crack at. Creativity is my weapon. 

This semester, I am part of the organizing team of Ideas that Matter which is totally awesome. As an org team member, we are expected to produce magic in a wand’s flutter. Besides, it is part of being an advertising student, right?

So I was wandering in the streets of the World Wide Web last night and I found Kendra Cherry’s article entitled “How to Boost Your Creativity” and here are some of the tips she mentioned:

Commit Yourself to Developing Your Creativity

Realize that Creativity is Sometimes Its Own Reward

Be Willing to Take Risks

Make Time for Creativity

Overcome Negative Attitudes that Block Creativity

Fight Your Fear of Failure

For us to make it to the end of a colorful voyage, let us not limit ourselves to things, habits, and people that are just around us. Be curious to everything that life has to offer in order for ideas to flow in you and in no time, you’ll be as creative (or even more) as your favorite artist, art director, film maker, and writer!

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people”

– Leo Burnett

Make art, draw your friends, enhance your skills, draw people and things that inspire you, create, make more art, draw the New York City skyline, go to New York – the city of art, try something new, drink coffee, finish the artworks you've started, believe, create your own maps in your mind, show people your work, always dream, take time to sit in the park and sketch, write, enjoy, dance, be positive, be free, say yes, don’t say you can’t, and most importantly.. Don’t forget to live. 

By: Louise Samantha Claire Padua