Graphic Overload

I have been brainwashed by architecture. Everything we see is designed. Fonts, lineweights, and swatches program every billboard, packaging label, Espn score chart, and hot dog vendor.
As a designer we wanna be the best, if not then really really good when it comes to graphics and artistic expression. Personally, I often feel overwhelmed and nauseous. Cheese and rice, I even wonder what the spacing ratio is on the Helvetica bold label for the MTA Subway signs. Thanks architecture.



I mean how can I not get jealous of say this guy... heywookchan.com Hey's a good guy and student at WashU. He does everything. I claim music is a passion of mine, he makes it.

Also, I recently found the blog notcot.org via Jordys links. Its the conglomerate Meccah of cool stuff from the internets. If I didn't value my personal time I would probably go through every single one of those pages, picking things out saying "ooh cool Modern Minimalist" or "that's a nice color set I could use." How did I get this way?
Where does this get us? Maybe this is teaching me to not care so much about graphic stuff... (Which I should be doing in the first place.)



Simplifying things, I really enjoy just making stuff, like crafting furniture or as categorized 'Industrial design.' I take great comfort in the physical construction and the process of making. My friend Jono said to me once "drawing by hand is great because you are always working with the final output." Which I found quite, well relaxing really. Its less stressful when you have part of the end product right in front of you.
I have a number of ideas for building/making things, mostly keeping in the same spirit as my trusty (although could be more functional) Muffler Lamp.

In this wake of a graphic overload, its healthy to focus on design that has more depth than my 1/4-inch thick laptop screen.