Monday 10 June 2013

Social media games, outrageous fashion and an obsession with A Clockwork Orange

 

David Bowie Is… truly amazing!  You probably already know that I’m a huge Bowie fan as I’ve borrowed his lyrics a few times, so I expected to enjoy the exhibition at the V&A.  But I wasn’t prepared to be so completely blown away.  The dynamic and comprehensive display of artwork was superb, without even beginning to think about the music, videos and film media.  I had no idea that he was such an accomplished artist, and his impressive array of paintings gave me plenty to gasp at.
Imaginative Training social media blogArtistic examples spanning school to drug rehab period in Berlin, stage designs and page doodles show clearly the road not taken.   Had he not come from a musical family he could, perhaps, have become London’s answer to Andy Warhol.  And, in fact, it was interesting to learn about his fragile relationship with Warhol, as well as his obsession with Clockwork Orange.  (Brian recommended that book to me in 1985 and I still haven’t read it.)

I loved the original album cover artwork, the lyrics scribbled on pages torn from school-type A4 notepads and graph paper, and the many references to those who provided his inspiration. I was impressed with his total control over his ‘brand,’ art direction and attention to detail.  But mostly, I loved the incredible costumes.

On leaving the V&A and Bowie’s zany colours and outrageous garments, I headed to Earl’s Court for the Graduate Fashion Week’s gala fashion show – full of zany colours and outrageous garments!  One of my clients is a sponsor for GFW so we had super dooper catwalk seats behind Zandra Rhodes and a free pass for exclusive areas, complimentary champagne and white chocolate and raspberry organic ice cream…

My client provides strategic business Imaginative Training social media blogadvice to emerging fashion designers and helps them to create viable enterprises that don’t compromise their creativity.  He gets a great reception when he lectures, but this time the guest speaker outshone us all.  Victoria Beckham definitely attracted the highest number of students in her session on developing a fashion label.  Huge congratulations to the catwalk winners, especially Lauren Smith, whose dreamlike appliqué and paper clip designs waltzed her away with a £20,000 cheque and a contract to design a capsule range for George at Asda.

But not congratulations to Facebook! Two weeks after the social media platform updated its Scrabble app there has been nothing but complaints and upset.  My three years of accruing high and higher scores wiped out in one sweep.  My top scores – a 583 point game and highest word score: upstater, covering two triple word tiles: vanished.  All I read on Facebook for the first few days after the scrabble annihilation was people questioning why?  “If it ain’t broke…”

You may recall me telling you about exploits with Naked Scrabble Buddy (not those sort of exploits!!) but actually, it’s more than that.  As with any social media, I have secured business over the little green squares by developing a relationship with potential clients.  Social media games that allow you to interact and build relationships are valuable in any number of ways – one being business.  Another being straightforward friendship, of course – I built my friendship with the Cake Lady over the Facebook scrabble board and she is celebrating right now as I’m typing this… so, happy birthday Sharon!

Of course I should end this with David Bowie’s Fashion (turn to the left…) but I’ve used those lyrics twice already.  So instead, ‘While colour lights up your face… let’s sway – sway through the crowd to an empty space.  If you say run, I’ll run with you; if you say hide, we’ll hide.’  And if you say “please can you teach me how to use social media to market my business more effectively?” I’ll say: “Sure.”  We can chat about it here: @weekendWitch.

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