How are you all feeling?

Each day is different (Hello captain obvious). You can wake up happy as ever and be ready for the day, only to end up feeling like you need a hug. The thing is, those who can cope with the rollercoaster ride of emotions tend to do the best. You don't let life hold you down and make every opportunity to change a negative spiral. I consider myself one of those people... Except for today. Now waaait a second. I am not saying I am some poor guy who wants to remove himself from the world.

I simply am having a bad day. And for me, a bad day is one where it is hard to figure out the source. Not one terrible thing has happened. This is why it is frustrating because your mood is way below the norm but your not positive why. If you have ever had a day like this you know what I am talking about. Anyway... Let's hope this changes---fast.

Live
Learn
Lead

-bjr-


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NonFiction supports EDUCATION

Months ago we asked 'What is to be OUR Generation's Fight?'. Mentioning past generations battles for Freedom, Human & Civil Rights, we began to shed some light over what we believe is to be the trademark of our own. While we'd like for you to believe that the time past was an attempt to build the suspense-- key to all great Blogs, really (typically) we just began something, and left it unfinished.

But typical no more, fighting our fight, NonFiction supports EDUCATION.

EDUCATION - the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

Naturally, by that definition, EDUCATION is something we all partake in knowingly & unknowingly, from the perspectives of the educator or the educated. What we do regularly through this blog is an attempt to educate and be educated on the cultural, social and world issues that concern us and others.

While we will resume addressing social, cultural and World issues, over the next few weeks we'll be taking particular interest in EDUCATION, specifically providing insight pertaining to EDUCATION in the academic and standardized sphere. With one recent college Grad -- go BJ it's your birthday! -- and one soon to be, hopefully we can provide some helpful insight on the current EDUCATION system.

until' next time ....

live + learn + lead
- RIO

DJ hero is the truth

As a birthday gift to myself I decided to buy DJ hero. One would figure that's what all 23 year old men do anyway; purchase fake DJ equipment and pretend to rock a party in their pajamas. After spending a bunch of days mixing the Jackson five and daft punk, I am impresssed. Every one if my friends who have tested the game out agree. If you have the money and want a party game. Thus is where it is at. The tracks are amazing and the mixes will blow your mind!

Cop this!

Bjr

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Get on them sticks boy!

Bottom line is... My money is tight. However I can not pass up a great video game. With all the talk of Uncharted 2 there was no way I was going to let everyone ruin the story for me. Today I sucked it up and threw down some money so I can put that playstation 3 to use. Maybe in between working full time and thinking about Non-fiction I can fight some pirates.



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Business cards

What is interesting these days is the death of the business card. Everyone wants to get all "techno" up in this place and not use good ol'e paper cards. I think that something tangible however is better than any digital iPhone bump. So I am working on a fresh card to give out to everyone who says "hey nice shirt what is that??" I am basing the front of the card off of the yellow school paper and a hand drawn NF logo. What ya think?


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Mobile blogging...

I am trying out a new iPhone app to get my blogging back on point. Does it work? Let's see


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Build it Better

When you have all of these ideas in your head, you get excited. You start placing additional parts together and wondering how to execute them. Nonfiction is that puzzle. It one of the many puzzles that I have been trying to build for a few years. And although I have some pieces, I want more. Think of it is a lego set. We got the base parts, colored parts, boards, and other fancy ish. When I first start some of my dreams I jump right to the end product and forget to build a base. Right now I am building (rebuilding) Nonfiction's base. Look out for a new look, a more refined look, and something that has been in the works for a while. Until then, keep playing with them legos.

-BJR-

Letting Go/Getting Back to a Familiar Place

My whole collection of boxed kicks, sneaks, steps -- whatever you may call them -- I'm handing over the rights to BJ to sell and do away with. While I made up my mind a while ago, that really I can do without, I'm still finding it difficult to let go. Not because of the depth to which I collected, but simply because of all the great memories that came along as a result of.


The picture above is the moment after the time my brother and I picked up the same pair of shoes, hysterically I'll much more remember the memories that subsequently followed. Moving and grooving to "Thriller" & "P.Y.T" in our underwear, high above the hills of San Francisco. They were cool shoes, but FUN times I'll never forget.


So I'm letting go and I'm also getting back to a place where several of my fondest memories occurred. The next few weeks will commence a new start, but gratefully I'll be able to get some rest and relaxation, headed back to California to revel in memories created and live in the ones to come.

-RIO

Throwback - My first shirt

Nonfiction has come a long way in 2 years. Just like our slogan "live + learn + lead", Nonfiction has continued to change and evolve. This picture here was the first design I finished and produced. I still love the colors to death. With little to no experience with Adobe Illustrator I tried my best with this one. I will always remember this shirt (and will def keep a bunch of dead stock for the future!).

Do any of yall own a shirt that you will never forget? If so feel free to post a comment bout it. What was it? What colors? and why do you think you remember it?

Today is special

Can anyone guess why today is so special? Probably not but I will put it out there. Today Ralph is celebrating his 23rd birthday. Yes thats right! Nonfiction's own is celebrating a very semi special birthday. I mean 23 doesn't allow you to do much more than 22... but lets all forget about that and give show some love. Happy Birthday to RIO


-BJR-

Fighting OUR Fight

What is to be OUR Generation's Fight? This is something that's been near and dear to my heart since first hearing my Pastor speak on the struggles faced by his own generation. Americans past and present have confronted, what may have seemed to be insurmountable tasks, time and time again. Bouts that include the movement for Civil Rights in the '50s & '60s, the protests for Peace & not War during the early '70s, and we can even date back to the 18th century as our forefathers fought for American independence and what we now call our American Freedom. These examples highlight the constant challenges met and conquered, while offering insight that history is indeed bound to to repeat itself. So what's to come for this generation?

Let it be said that while we don't live in a era that's rid of discrimination and violence, the generations prior have done more than enough to ensure that those to follow would be better off than themselves. So it's now our duty and responsibility to guarantee the same for those who will come behind us, our children and our children's children.

NonFiction supports EDUCATION.
to be continued ...


Fighting our Fight.
-RIO-

The D Word

I am sure I will write many more posts on my thoughts as they change constantly all the time. Today I want to write about death…



And NOOOO im not emo or in a bad mood. Hear me out!



Death is the only thing that is guaranteed “in” life. So my point is…why worry about it? I am not saying to be reckless and not take care of yourself. What I am saying is we should value life so much that we don’t fear the end. I remember when Obama was being interviewed and some reporter asked Michelle was she scared of a potential assassination of her husband. She simply replied, “Obama could be killed any day.” She said she does not fear something that she has no control over, and that their goal would not be diverted because of fear. I really believe and understand where she was coming from. When you fear things, you tend to subscribe to behavior that may hold you back. Trust me, I still have fears and insecurities. But my goal is to not worry about something I don’t have ultimate control over. With all of these high profile artists and celebrities passing away, people are getting real nervous about the big D word. So this week lets focus on what we have control over, and use this control to make an impact, make a change, make a difference where it counts.



Live-Learn-Lead



-BJR-

My boy's siiiick art

So my friend Isaac has a sick blog with his illustrations. For those of you who have been with us from the beginning he took my vision for the build a brain shirt and created an amazing design. Look for some more nonfiction ideas executed by him.

http://www.orloffillustration.blogspot.com/

-BJR-

We Are Back!

NF is back! Let these two new posts be the beginning of a regularly updated blog. Plan on posts and posts. This is a great time for Nonfiction! We are constantly working on making “it” work. Above is a sample image I have been working on for the NF logo. RIO and I feel like the Logo’s natural color should be yellow. Tell us what you think about that? Picture the yellow used in this design and the standard logo. If I am able to get to it tonight I will post a Yellow NF for all to see. For those of you who don’t work tomorrow…enjoy the early Friday!

-BJR-

Legacy

For far too many of us, getting back to basics and starting from scratch sounds far too familiar, but really that's what's so great about life and the opportunities we've been so blessed to have. For Non-Fiction we've chosen not to pick up from where we left off but are fortunate to look towards a new beginning. A new chapter to a new novel, that starts with Commitment and ends in LEGACY.

In the wake of the passing of our beloved Michael J. Jackson better known as "the King of Pop" I couldn't help but feel for the Legacy he's left behind. While many of us choose to remember him for his music, his dance, his art ... other's found his embarrassments, his debts and his "freak" like nature much more appealing.

I fear that this will also be the case for many of us, while we will all go on to do great things, the things we do in passing or in the meantime will ultimately blemish or even worse, tarnish our own legacies. As important as it is that we do things right the first time around it's just as important when given another opportunity we make the most of it, living our lives not solely for the benefit of ourselves, but also for those around us and more importantly those who will follow. True LEGACY isn't up to us to determine.

-RIO-

Turning points

As I gear up to graduate. I started to think... What does it really mean? Graduating is an accomplishment but by what standards. Surely it's probably better to finish what you started.. However maybe It's more about the experience than the diploma. Tell me what you think about graduating? What does it mean to? And what do you think Orvy could do MORE in this design to represent all of these growing pain? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Live + Learn + Lead
Nonfiction

School...

Yes school. So something I listened too today really got my head going. "Education is NOT the key to success, It is merely a tool that can lead to being successful"

We focus on school so much. GPA = success. I have seen so many people who have no work skills.... but they have the ability to study for 2 weeks straight and be mad about a 98.5 on a test. Taking tests arent life skills and never well be. Now life testing you thats much different. I am by no meaning downing education. Its very important to progressing, but its more about your learning development and process and less about the tangible "paper" results. The more we focus on numbers the more we miss the point. Education is just another experience we have that leads to growing. Aight I am done.

Live + Learn + Lead

Nonfiction

Working on a new one

So graduation is creeping up. I want a shirt to go with it. Its not done yet but tell me what you think.

Wale

So if your not from the DMV (D.C. Maryland or Virginia) you may not know Wale. So get up on that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQbmnf-y438

Trying to keep up this time

Some old ish

Capital funk throws down!

Capital Funk shows the east coast what we do!

We back!

Like diddy Take that!! Take That!!