Sending Out A MESSAGE on Illustration Friday!
"Sometimes I Tweet Things"
Happy Illustration Friday Everone!....
...Or whatever today is. lol. In all honesty, I did plan to get this project, blog, and everything completed and posted by Friday morning. It obviously did not work out that way. Some of you may have noticed recently that things haven't necessarily worked out the way you would have liked them to, things that involve communication and communicating. There kinda is a reason for that and that reason is what I would like to talk about today. But before I really get into the tweet of it, I have an announcement to make.
I AM ON TWITTER! @LewisWPorter
[ You can click the @-handle or you can click on the Illustration itself to go there...
and hopefully follow me :0) ]
Yes. Lewis W. Porter Illustration has an official Twitter account where it will tweet little things like new illustrations, sketchings from the day, SketchBlog posts, and just little inspirational musings and thoughts. This is why I illustrated my version of the Twitter Bird Logo. I thought this might be a cute and fun way to make this little announcement.
So, I really think the Twiter Bird is not only a sleek and clean and great-looking logo but it's also got a very interesting history. As a designer, myself, I am always interested in the story behind a particular company logo. I always want to know the who's, what's, how's, and (most importantly) the WHY's behind a pictogram (especially when that pictogram is unique.) So, why exactly did Twitter choose to use a bluebird for its iconography? Let's take a look at what Twitter actually is.
Unless you have been living in a cave or, for some reason, have consciously chosen not to be online or participate in social media, or you may have chosen not to own a "smart" phone. If, for any of the above or other reasons that you do not know what Twitter is, Twitter is a social media platform that allows its users to disseminate tiny bursts of information. These bursts are contained within 140 characters or less and can include images, links, or just be plain text. Twitter was launched in 2006 and now has over 800 million users. But still, why a bird? why blue? the iconography of the bird began with a bird called a Tanager. A tanager is a bluebird that is relatively small in size, located mostly in the Western Hemisphere in the tropics and is known for its boisterous chirping. It is constantly communicating and there are some scientists that joke about how it probably never sleeps or "shuts up." lol. Designer, Linda Gavin, pitched the idea of using this particular bird as the "mascot" and main logo for the Twitter social media platform. The bird is small, it communicates constantly in short little bursting chirps. It was the perfect object/creature in nature to visually represent what Twitter was, conceptually. Pretty cool, huh?
...Except most of the above paragraph is not true. This was not at all why Twitter chose to use a bird as their logogram. However, the above would make for a good explanation, conceptually as to why right? It would be a wonderful story to tell new investors in the company. But, alas, it is not true.
So, why spin such an obviously false yarn, you may ask? I wanted to demonstrate how simply easy it is for rumors, misinformation, and false communications (lies) can spread and disseminate within a Mercury Retrograde (the real topic I wanted to discuss today.)
While I am no professional astrologer, I will be just going over some of the bare basics just so I can share with you why I feel this is an important topic to discuss right now. As I study the subject and my knowledge of astrology expands, my mind and my heart become more and more fascinated by it. I'm quite a fanboy of it. Most people have heard the phrase "mercury retrograde" at some point in their lives (usually from an older individual within either their families or friend base.) It is most often used as a buzz-phrase in conjunction with situations where things are going awry. When things begin to break or nothing seems to work properly, people will often remark, "Mercury is in retrograde, after all" or something akin to this phrasing. People will say this even if Mercury is not in retrograde, whether they follow astrology or believe it's hogwash. It's become a buzz-phrase in our culture. However, just so you all know, Mercury is currently, in fact, in retrograde.
photo by Bada1
I don't plan to give an involved lecture on Astrology today. Partly because: 1.) I'm not qualified to do so. As I stated earlier, I'm not an expert. I am an avid learner, though, and I am going to share what I do know. 2.) we just don't need to go into EVERYTHING just to explain or discuss ONE THING. So most of you will know Astrology as only Sun-Sign Astrology. Meaning your know that you are a Cancer or a Libra or a Virgo or an Aries, etc. Though you are whatever sign you learned that you are, this is what is called your "sun sign." However, there are other "planets" and other "signs" that makeup who you are as a human being. You have a moon sign and an ascendant sign and a venus sign and a mercury sign, etc etc. It is called your natal or birth chart and you can contact your friendly neighborhood astrologer to pull up or write out your chart for you so that you can know all of your planetary placements and what they mean. You can also get it online for free at Cafe Astrology (click on the name to visit the site and find your birth chart.) Astrology is broken down into Planets, Signs, and Houses. You can think of these elements kinda like playing a game of Clue. In Clue, you try to figure out who killed Mr. Body. As you make your way around the gameboard, you make your guesses to solve the crime. You pick a WHO did it?, With WHAT? and WHERE? Astrology is a very basic way of thinking about it works in a very similar fashion. Signs are the Identity (Aries, Scorpio, Capricorn, Prof. Plum, Col. Mustard, Ms. Scarlet.) Planets are the Function (Communication, Pleasure, Action, Gun, Candlestick, Lead Pipe.) Houses are the Arena (Home, Family/Marriage, Work, Library, Billiard Room, Kitchen.)
Every Element has a meaning and a nuance and this is where the astrologer can gain insight and be able to interpret what is going on.
Here is a simplified list of planets and their functions as we will be discussing:
Sun- Our Center (ego)
Moon- Our Inner Emotions
Mercury- Our Communications
Venus- Our Pleasures, Loves
Mars- Our Actions
Jupiter- Our Understanding/Faith/Luck
Saturn- Self Discipline, Our Structure
Uranus- Unpredictable Change, Reformation
Neptune- Perception, Intuition, Dreams
Pluto- Transformation, Rebirth
Each planet is responsible for a different aspect of your personality as well as a particular function. Not to get too much into it, but they "rule" or are associated with particular astrological signs. I won't go into all of that other than to say that the particular planet we are going to discuss is Mercury, which rules the sign of Gemini.
Planet of Mercury
Mercury is the planet of communication. It governs our communication with others. It governs how well or unwell that communication is received by others, also. It governs how well our technology works or not works. This includes all visual forms of communication such as Art, Logos, Signs, Symbols, etc. Mercury is THE planet that governs this function. It is THE planet responsible for any message sent and/or received by every living creature.
But what does it mean when people say that Mercury is "retrograde?" Retrograde means that an astrological planet is "moving backward." I put that movement in quotes because no planet, in reality, ever moves backward in its orbit around the Sun. Every planet is, in reality, always moving forward. However, from the point of view of all the living creatures on Earth, as we observe the planets with our eyes (if you have good eyesight like that) or with the use of a telescope, depending on where Earth is in its own orbit, certain planets will APPEAR and give the impression of backward movement. This is what we call a RETROGRADE. When a planet is retrograde and moving backward, you may be able to guess what could happen. Whatever function a planet performs when it is "direct" (moving forward), that function will be performed as it is intended to. In the case of Mercury, when it is "direct," all communications will be working to the best of their ability. When Mercury is in "retrograde" communications are miss interpreted, miscommunicated, technology breaks down, we seem to miss signs and misunderstand symbols, texts, intent, etc. You can see the havoc that a retrograde could cause. You may have already noticed this in recent days in your own lives.
Mercury will go retrograde roughly 3 to 4 times annually. This particular Mercury retrograde began Saturday, May 29, 2021, and will last until Tuesday, June 22, 2021. It spans roughly 3.5 weeks. You may be asking yourself why are we even talking about it if Mercury does this 4 times a year like clockwork. I mean, why care about it? Well, this particular Mercury retrograde is falling within the sign of Gemini ( it's "home" sign.) The entire astrology community has been talking about this particular retrograde and how intense it is going to be and everyone has their own ideas as to what may or may not happen during this 3.5-week span.
Why will this specific retrograde be so intense? Well Mercury "rules" the sign of Gemini, right? Gemini is the "home" sign for the planet of Mercury. When the terms "ruler" or "home" are used in context to planets to a sign, what it means is that the particular sign has all of the proper tools that the particular planet needs to perform its job. If you think of the entire zodiac as a circular racetrack that is divided up into 12 sections (the track starting with Aries and making its way around the zodiac to Pisces then starting over again... because it's a circle) the planets race around that track every year. Some planets will move around the zodiac race track faster than others but all planets make it around the zodiac race track at some point. When a planet is in its "home" section of the track, it is able to do its job the best that it can do because it has all the tools it needs in that section of the track. When the planet moves to the next section of the track, that next section has a completely different set of tools for planets to use. Sometimes those tools aren't the best tools to use for the particular job that the planet does. Let's say, for example, that Mercury is a plumber. When Mercury is in the Gemini section of the race track, Mercury has all the necessary and properly sized wrenches and pipes and caulking materials that it needs to do its plumbing work. But then Mercury moves onto the next section of the track (which would be Cancer) and Cancer's toolbox contains boxes of kleenex, a hammer, and a mixtape of nostalgic songs... Plumber-Mercury isn't going to be able to fix pipes very well with these tools. This analogy gives you a basic idea of what it means for Mercury to be in Gemini during Gemini Season and To also be in retrograde. It has all the best tools to render communications, but it is now running backward so it has all the best tools to keep communications from working properly as well.
Cam White, Astrologer
There is an AMAZING astrologer that I follow and adore. His name is Cam White. I recommend following him on his YouTube channel. He also just started a Patreon as well as a podcast called Delineation (which is lit btw.) A very good friend introduced me to them (via sending me a link to one of his videos. I've never met this astrologer in person lol.) If you click on the photo of him above, you will be directed to a recent video he made especially for the Mercury retrograde in Gemini. He explains it perfectly in a way that will make sense for everyone to understand and be able to follow. I highly recommend checking it out.
I kinda felt that talking about the Mercury Retrograde in Gemini Season very appropriate to this particular illustration surrounding the announcement of my account on a social media platform that does nothing but communicate with others and spread information. And here we are in the middle of an intensely powerful astrological event that is affecting our ability to communicate in every single way. It just tickles me that the timing happened that way. Funny, huh? Or maybe not funny as I am trying to convince others to connect with me so that I can communicate with them about my artistic activities and endeavors and just whatever weird things I'm thinking about and we are in a space where communications are completely affected. lol. It's just weird.
So, since I spun an intentional false yarn about the history of the Twitter logo in order to prove and introduce a point about communicating in a space where communication will definitely be affected, allow me to share with you the REAL story behind Twitter's iconic icon.
When Twitter was starting out, it wasn't called twitter. Inspired by the trend of so many Apps being developed back during the early 2000s, Twitter was actually called "twttr" (similar to Flickr, and other five-character length American SMS codes.) you can see it in the first-ever tweet "@jack 'just setting up my twttr'" The logo originally had a snot-green color scheme and had appeared to be letters made from drops of mucus that were "sneezed" onto the computer screen. Its intention was said to be inspired by youthfulness. I am glad that the company decided to ditch this iteration of the company brand as it's not very appealing to think that your communication is a virus that you cough or sneeze out onto others... YUCK!
Before the official launch in 2006, Twitter founders hired graphic designer Linda Gavin to redesign the logo. She was given only a single day to revise the snot-green logogram. The result of a feverish and hard day's work was the calming light blue bubble typography we all are now familiar with.
In 2010, Twitter debuted the now world-famous Twitter Bird, known then as "Larry the Bird." The bird silhouette was based on an anthropomorphic bird caricature of the NBA Boston Celtics ball player Larry Bird. This is the REAL reason that the Twitter icon is a bird... because the developers were fans of the famous ballplayer.
In 2012, Twitter hired designer Douglas Bowman to redesign their third and still currently used company brand. Bowman redesigned the bird icon into a more geometric-based graphic. This new bird was visually more appealing, clean, and more "corporate" in appearance. While the bird graphic may appear like a very simple icon. It is actually constructed from 15 perfect circles. The bird, Bowman explains, was based on a mountain bluebird.
It was simplified by deleting the plumage, and the fourth feather on the wing. It was tilted a more upward angle. All of these changes created a more powerful icon with a great mass appeal. Bowman convinced Twitter to drop the typographic-based logo, putting it in step with companies like Levi, Coke, and Starbucks all of which have ditched their typed-out logographs for just a single icon. The Twitter logo is one of my favorite corporate brands that are in use around the world. I smile every time I see it. This icon actually elicits joy when I look at it (not from the company that it represents, but just as an image. I find it SO appealing.)
Well, friends, this is the Message I wanted to share with you about my little illustration. I had a lot of fun illustrating my version of what I thought the Twitter Bird is. My Twitter bird is a mail-man or mail-woman who delivers little letters out to all the creatures of this world. They are having to work EXTRA hard right now because of the Mercury Retrograde, and (for that matter) so am I. lol. I do implore you all to check out and visit me now on Twitter (if Twitter is something you do and enjoy.) In the meantime, I hope you all will have a great week and be a little aware of the messages you are sending and receiving during this time. It's Gemini Season so we are already ALL of us acting like Geminis, whether we are a Gemini or not, especially after this past year. We are READY to get OUT and be SOCIAL and TALK to our FAMILY and our FRIENDS. So I encourage you all to try to connect with a good friend or a close family member and let them know you are thinking about them...
...preferably in 140 characters or less. :0)
Until next time, friends,
Keep dreaming, keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing, and most important of all, keep making art.
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