Quote of the Week

To be LOOSE in drawings -
As a designer, you first need to know a sketch is like a process tool to communicate your creative ideas with clients, and is not like a final painting that will be framed. So you should have a license to destroy it, experiment it so clients can understand it clearly. If you screw up, it is just a sheet of paper and not your life. So you need to be LOOSE in attitude, then your drawings will become better automatically. If you are too tight, it means you treat your drawing like a piece of art, that is why. - Mike Lin

To Draw Well - One just needs to learn graphic tricks, mimic other people's work and practice on papers continuously. Most great artists start with very plain and basic skills, but they just follow the above steps to achieve their status today. So go over our web site to obtain tips and tricks of graphics and remember to copy great artists' master pieces and ruin as many drawing as you can, your only screw up on papers but not your life. - Mike Lin

Live Healthy, most designers studied extremely hard in design school without enough sleep or proper meal, willing to kill themselves for teachers. After school to work in the firm, similar patten repeated, so when ready to retire, health is in poor condition and can't eat, see or travel. Therefore It is important to start today and live healthy, exercise daily and travel when you can - "a good and sound investment for your retirement." - Mike Lin

Giving back

If you have something to offer, start giving away or sharing what you know, so you will make an impact to others and leave a legacy behind, However, giving back with expectation will result in disappointment. - Mike Lin

Develop a "niche" to win

As most of the design programs at the universities level are gearing toward computer graphics, therefore most students or young professionals can no longer express their creative ideas by hands, Computer is great, but it can never replace our right brain - "Hand Graphics". So invest time to learn how to draw and this will be a "Niche" for the future if it is not already present. - Mike Lin

Why work so hard and will regret when get old.

I have seen too many designers who work so hard at the expenses of losing quality of life, marriage failure and when they got older, wonder why they did that for. I wish I can start my life all over again so I know what to do best, but it is not too late for younger people - Mike

Be a Versatile and Well Rounded Designer

Whatever in your field, you need to be versatile and well rounded so you have a better and solid foundation for your profession. Often an experienced designer has great training on many other fields to become a better designer. So don't just know 10% of what you already know, study 15% of what you know what you don't know and go extra miles to learn 75% of what you don't know what you don't know. - Mike

Be Firm, Positive yet Flexible

As life is not perfect, so whatever you do, you need to be firm with positive attitude and be flexible in case it doesn't work out. Most things happen for a reason so just let them be and prepared for the worse. Life is fun and joy if you are positive and happy and it is the only option you can choose. - Mike Lin

Don't show off

It is very normal and nature to show off what you do best to your peers, but you probably don't realize you may have scared them away or made them jealous on your achievement. The next level of maturity is to be humble to earn them back, you will know when you are over 70, but it is better if you know now and today before too much damages done. - Mike Lin

Travel to Learn

What could be more important thing to do as a designer - Travel to Learn. As a student, we are often too poor to go, as a professional, we are definitely too busy to go, when we retire, we my be too sick to go, so what is the secret? "just borrow $ or make time and do it now", all the other things can wait and will eventually fall into right places for you. Remember, time is ticking and it is better to do it now than regret later. - Mike Lin

Sad but True

As parents, we will serve like one of these balls in life: crystal ball, basket ball, football or baseball. When your kids are younger, they treat you like a crystal ball, when they grow up, if you don't treat them well, they may pass you around like a basketball between them, or kick you out of house like a football and eventually hit you and score the home run to make you disappear forever like a baseball. Sad but true and happen worldwide. - Mike Lin

Talking / Drawing

"I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies."

- Le Corbusier

Meaning of Life

As I grow older, I begin to see life in a better perspective. I have seen so many people who spend so much effort and energy climbing to the top of the pyramid with the expense of losing friends, family and health, then spend the remaining life trying to regain friendship, heal the family wound and recuperate from poor health.

I feel our life is like one of these water drops on leaves (attached picture), you don't know how long yours will stay and when it will fall and what material beneath when it falls. When you grow to a bigger in size with the expense of others, it falls faster. So I strongly suggest you to stay small and be yourself, by joining other drops can easily make your water drop bigger and falls quicker. In life, we shouldn’t try too hard, need to act LOOSE, and let the nature to take its course.

You need to be more generous, share what you know and make a visible dust so people know you do contribute on this planet. It is more important to stay longer on leaf and not how big the size you create. I know my water drop stays small and also like to keep others in balance so we all can stay longer and enjoy the beautiful sunrise and sunset daily. In my past 35 years, I have tried to carefully locate a more peaceful water basin so people will eventually fall into it with comfort, fun and joy. Keep in touch and have a great summer. - Mike Lin

Three most important things to remember in order to obtain a designer's job successfully:
1. Having Great Attitude.
2. With Proficient Portfolio.
3. Be Energetic.

Academic grade doesn't mean anything at all. So while in school, don't waste time pleasing instructors for good grades, enjoy your learning experience by making vast damages as it will cost nothing but good memories. I only wish I can go back to school and enjoy the experience one more time with a different attitude than before. Mike Lin

Life is too short to worry too much. Ruining a sketch is just on a piece of paper but not your life, so why you are so upset and feel want to key or scratch someone's car. If you don't make mistakes on a drawing, you are making a very big mistake in your life as a designer. Mike Lin

“As kids, we tried to please our parents. As students, we tried to please our teachers. As professionals, we tried to please our bosses, but when we get ready to retire and please ourselves, we are sick, weak, poor and are too old to do anything. So as students, try to travel to learn, as professionals, try to make time for your spouse, and don't retire, just do less and enjoy life to its fullest.” – Mike Lin 10-30-2011

“Don’t take no for an answer. When it can’t be done, do it. If you don’t do it, it doesn’t exist. If you can’t solve a problem, it’s because you are playing by the rules. The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. ‘Fail, fail again. Fail better.” - Paul Arden

We all like a clown, plays five balls in our hands, the five balls represent your job, health, family, friends and your soul. There is only a ball that is made of rubber and will bounce when falls, it is your job. The other four are made of glass, if drop and they will break and will never be put together again to its original. So value your health, family, friends and soul more than your job.

Success means you wake up in the morning and go to bed at night, then enjoy what you do in between. An accomplished career requires two elements; opportunity and hard work. So to acquire an opportunity, just show up and be there, or hunt one, then put an enormous effort, hence the success will follow you. Mike Lin 10-9-2011

If someone doesn't like your drawings: This is how you tell them:
1. I am not done yet.
2. I am a designer and not an artist, so I don't need to draw well.
3. I only took 5 mins, that is why.
4. Can I see your drawings?
5. Please show me how you draw? Mike Lin 10-1-2011

To draw well, you simply need to do the following three steps:
1. Learn best graphic tricks available.
2. Learn to copy other people's work.
3. Work hard, never stop drawing. Mike Lin 9-26-2011

A landscape architect is like an interior designer of the Universe. Who isn't sure what he is doing but is licensed. The older he gets, the less mistakes he will make. That is why we still continue to practice until we retire. Mike Lin 9-25-11

I often thought we came to this world with a naked body and spend our entire life working so hard, but only leave the world with one extra clothes, shoe and leave $ behind. So why work so hard at the expense of losing your friends, spouse and children. I suggest you to do something meaningful, share what you know and leave a legacy behind, so people can remember you. Mike LinI used to have a desire to become the best graphic illustrator in the world, as the result, it has given me too much pressure. Now I just want to draw better than my wife's tree, much happier and fun in life. - Mike Lin.

Life is too short to worry too much. Be loose and you will enjoy life so much more.

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.

He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith, loses all.

We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all.

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.

Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.

Friends, you and me.......You brought another friend....
and we started our group....our circle of friends.....
and like a circle.....there is no beginning or end......
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.