Long time no.. Blog?

With the Christmas season coming (and my roommate watching the extended Lord of the Rings on Netflix) I completely forgot  - but am now excited to announce - that I will hopefully be completing my ultimate Winter project this year: The Fell Beast!

Now for those who don't know the Fell Beast are the winged "dragon" like creatures that the Nazgûl ride towards he end of the series.

[..it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, neither quill nor feather did it bear, its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was..]—J.R.R. Tolkien

This has been a secret project I have wanted to do for a while, but has never made it to fruition yet. There are of course varied forms and adaptations of the fell beast's design to choose from. I will start by creating a full skeletal structure, along with organs (as many as I can fathom,) then I will cover it in muscle tissue, skin, texture, colour and finer details.

I expect the whole thing to weigh quite a bit AND take a fair amount of time to complete - but that's why I want to do it through the Winter to keep me sane. I will of course be photographing the process and completion of each layer.

Along with this I also have to complete a few other projects.. I have a few videos in mind (stop-motion, dancing and otherwise,) potential business partnerships and of course I will reestablish my blogging into 2017. As always thanks for your support & leave any ideas or requests in the comments! Does anyone want any funny Christmas/New Years videos?

Fantastic fandom at Fan Expo Canada 2016

After a stressful and tiring week & some last minute plans off my friend and I went to Toronto for Fan Expo Canada 2016! The ride was long but the company amazing!

First off we saw Jack Gleeson (aka Geoffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones) and William Shatner (aka Captain Kirk from Star Trek.) The lines were crazy, the building was crowded & the merchandise expensive! We also saw Christopher Lloyd (aka Emmett “Doc” Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy,) Linda Blair (aka the possessed child, Regan in the Exorcist movies) and Spock Vegas the cosplay/impersonator.

Throughout the day we battled through crowds, waded through the merchandise & retail outlets and saw a lot of AMAZING cosplay & costumes! Spiderman, Batman and Deadpool were everywhere! Also saw Levy, Natsu, Juvia & Lucy from Fairy Tail. We saw Kirito and Asuna from Sword Art Online. Jack Sparrow was wandering around late in the afternoon. I also spotted Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul and Ryuk from Death Note. Harley Quin in all her different fashion & the Joker were also everywhere! I saw some Ariel and Ursula too. I saw a beautiful Venusaur outside but alas I never got a picture with her... We saw Star Wars characters, Marvel superheros and lots of Attack on Titan soldiers!

Here are a few pictures from the Expo! To view more please go to my Facebook and check out Fan Expo next year! Maybe we will prepare to do full cosplay - Please comment below any ideas you have! I'm thinking Kirby...

A BIG Thanks to everyone who helped make an amazing Fan Expo for 2016 and the amazing work that went into all the cosplay & costumes!

Putting the 'Excellent' in Expo!

Some of you may know that while trying to work on my next stop-motion video I have been gathering more part-time jobs here & there. I have the pleasure to now work for Snapd Kingston taking pictures of events around the city for the paper. I've met some amazing, funny, kind and wonderful people on my travels!
So far I have met the wonderful reps of the Sleeman Cross-Canada Railside Tour and partied all over Kingston at concerts & art festivals.

BUT the event I am most excited about was the one I did the end of last month. I had the pleasure of covering the Limestone Genre Expo; hosted by the amazing Liz Strange. Canadian authors, artists, photographers & publishers came for a weekend of workshops, seminar panels, book signing & collection selling!

I had such a marvelous time getting to know and photograph everyone! I spent the afternoon talking about writing styles, story ideas, politics, weather, vampires, romance & everything in or far between! These author's write about Canadian topics, recipes, landscapes & characters.

I got the pleasure to meet authors such as Ira Nayman, Jen Frankel, Linda Wiken, Vicki Delany, Brian Lindsay (and of course Liz Strange) just to name a few! What wonderful talent people Canada has! I also spent the better part of my pay cheque on books... but that's not the point! I wish I could've bought one book from everyone! Maybe next year... None the less I did walk away with a giant arm full of books that I will be happily reading all through the Winter (since I don't go out in that weather.)

I would HIGHLY recommend anyone with a love of reading, writing or anything artistic to come next year to the Expo! You can follow their Facebook page here Limestone Genre Expo.

Keep checking my Blog for more posts for more news - as always thanks for the love & support everyone! Clues on my next video are SOON to come!

"I don't always apply for Contests... But when I do it's for my Dream Job!"

We all remember the famous DOS EQUIS commercials, with THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD. His pictures & memes still populate the internet and probably will for a VERY long time. Well This week I stumbled their latest contest called #ApplyWithin which asks:
"What if you could exchange your 9 to 5 for one of the world’s most interesting jobs?"

I applied for LATE NIGHT FOOD CRITIC. Which would combine two of my passions: food & writing! As a Late Night Food Critic, you review everything from classic diners to bustling street food stands - fully published for the world to see! Your journey will begin in Montreal and end in Toronto.

To apply you need to write a "recipe for the main ingredients of a life well-lived, my answer was as follows:

Respect - for yourself and others. 

Open-minded Enthusiam - to learn from others & continue to learn more about yourself. 

Optimistic Positivity - for whatever adventure(s) come your way. 

Belief - in your morals, values & belief in yourself. 

Courage - to chase after your dreams.

BUT this is just one out of four other jobs you can apply for. There is also: Treasure Diver, Sea Crew Member, Korean Soap Actor and Mexican Luchador! So go ahead and check it out!

While you're there you can rate "How Interesting You are." It's pretty entertaining.

What would YOU do with $1,000?

Food Basics has a contest going on right now to win $1000 (or what they think would be almost a year's worth) in free groceries! It's called the "ALL I WANT.. Video Contest."

Now normally I'm not big on entering contests - I never win anything, even on scratch tickets. I don't really believe in 'luck.' BUT I figured it would be fun to showcase my video skills and have a bit of fun. You can also find my entry on my Youtube Channel!

You can enter the contest yourself (and check out my videos and other entries) here at http://www.foodbasics.ca/video-contest.en.html

I'd also like to point out to my fellow 'cinematographers' in the world the great site I found to make these videos: BENSOUND.com! For anyone looking for royalty free music downloads & purchases please check out BENSOUND! BUT please always remember to give him some thanks in your credits/descriptions!

"I get by with a little Help from my Friends!"

We all hear the phrases while we're in college but never take them to heart.. "Network" or "stay in touch" or "one day you will need/help each other." But once your not stuck together in a class 4 floors high at 8:30am on a Wednesday morning, then you all start to fall into your own ways and paths.

Over the past years from the start of college to graduation then to early adulthood I have had many friends come & go - some friends I've helped and some have helped me. I want to take the time to talk about the Millennial Mom Marketing Maven: Jessica Avery!

During school we weren't always on the same teams.. We didn't always have the same standards for excellence.. But I did admire her drive, her talent and her willingness to always hear everyone out the first time when it came to brainstorming ideas. Over the years since Convocation I've found Jessica to be one of my biggest fans & inspiration to keep going with the work I do on creative.DUNNING. She has helped me find blogging partners and I talk to her about business advice. We Jessica's have to stick together you know!

When it came to her asking for my help to create a logo I could not have been more honoured. And somehow it is true - it is easier to work with fellow minded people than clients who do not know the process!

I love the graphic design work that I do for people and I love that I could make a design for Jessica that showcases her personality. She is professionally smooth like a well used font & creatively colourful like vast water colours!
And I'm pretty proud of my free-hand paint splatter technique!

As short, sweet and "cheesy" as this post may sound.. The point is that you really don't know where your next friend or business partner will come from. Especially in a business field you need to always be civil if not helpful to each other because that is what makes the business world go round - partnerships & compromise!

So as you continue to show your support for me, please also help me support a fellow IMC grad & friend, Jess Avery.

Let's call for Spring "K.W.E" "K.W.E"

With the hopeful start to Spring 2016 coming soon I've been hired to help out as a marketing assistant for Creative Concepts Event Planning as they host their 8th annual Kingston Women's Expo this coming October.

The Kingston Women's Expo brings together local businesses that are run by women, or offering services to women: everything from home parties to buying real estate. You can expect a fun filled day of exhibits, samplings, entertainment, interactive demonstrations, and shopping opportunities!

I will be helping out designing their posters/vendor packages and of course their advertising & marketing for the event. Proceeds from the KWE will be donated to the Kingston Interval House. Kingston Interval House is committed to supporting women, children and youth experiencing violence and working collaboratively with the community to eliminate all forms of violence and oppression.

The Kingston Women's Expo will be held October 29th 2016 at St. Lawrence College from 9am to 6pm. You can expect a fun filled day of exhibits, samplings, entertainment, interactive demonstrations, and shopping opportunities! I'm very excited to be helping out for this event & will probably be volunteering anyway that I can the day-of also. So if you want any details on how to participate as a vendor or help out please let me know and I will get you in touch with the genius in charge!

By women, for women.

A Flashback for Sabrina

While I've cleaning out my desktop computer and working on your soon-to-be newest Creative.Dunning video I found an old essay application for the Sabrina Shannon Memorial Award that I wrote way back in 2013.

This award is dedicated to Sabrina Shannon, an inspiring teenager who suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction in 2003. During her life, Sabrina helped to raise awareness about food allergy by creating a first-person radio documentary, “A Nutty Tale,” which aired on CBC radio in 2001. Since her passing, Sabrina’s parents and other members of the allergy community have kept Sabrina’s spirit alive by advocating for allergy-aware school environments. In 2005, Sabrina’s Law was passed in Ontario, resulting in landmark legislation that has influenced school anaphylaxis policies across Canada.

Although I did not win the award I wanted to share my submission with you - I promise my writing (and my passion for aiding in Anaphylaxis & Asthma awareness) have greatly improved since then..

"Growing up as a child with a food based allergy of any kind can be more than tough. It’s scary, confusing and stressful. You don’t feel like just another ‘average normal’ person in the world along with everyone else who can randomly call up dinner dates or take free samples in the mall.

My mother raised me to understand food allergies and the decisions and consequences that come with them. There weren’t a lot of children born with food allergies at that time and it confused a lot of people. I was fatally allergic to not only nuts/tree nuts but milk and eggs. We created pamphlets and handouts, updating semi-annually with information on anaphylaxis and asthma to give to friends, family and schools around our town. Not only did our efforts educate our immediate family, neighbours and friends but it carried on throughout the rest of my schooling.

My mother and I were the first to make nut allergy awareness a concern within the public and high schools of our town. Informational packages and warning letters were produced using our knowledge, then sent out to parents about the dangers of food based allergies and that any food products with or may containing nuts would not be permitted within the school. A ‘principal initiative’ was created to keep EpiPens in all faculty offices and ‘training’ was given to all staff members. Even after my graduation into high school the initiative is still going strong in my name and has started expanding onto dairy and shellfish allergy awareness as well. I brought that initiative into my high school and the principal was inspired to learn more. We had monthly meetings throughout my high school career to stay updated with facts and lists about the growing research of food based allergies.

I enrolled into an advertising course in college and learned how to ‘brand’ yourself within the business world. I used this opportunity to again help others within the community understand about how allergies and anaphylaxis works. My personal logo is a ‘no nuts’ sign, within it are words that describe who I am and my skills. That way no one can think of me without remember my fight for allergy awareness because it encompasses who I am. Not only do people see it on my business cards but throughout my online presence on Blogger, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

I use these social media platforms to spread informational about my own personal struggles, Anaphylaxis Canada, Allergic Living and EpiPen.ca. This information reaches not only the teachers and students but to all the faculty of my college (which averages around 28,000 students and 2,000 staff members.) This doesn’t include the word-of-mouth spread throughout the community and into the other university and college in the city and surrounding area. Or the amount of resumes and business cards I’ve handed out during events or interviews. 

Not only is my college campus community beginning to better inform themselves by supporting my blog and Allergic Living but the business owners/workers within our community that I have met through networking and teachers are starting to view my blog as well. In the two years I started my site http://www.creative-dunning.blogspot.ca/ I’ve earned over 1,900 recorded page views with my blog.

I have also been graced with the friendship of multiple international students during my first two years of college. Many of these students still live in countries that know little about allergies or the vast array of different food based allergies that people deal with today. I have taught several Chinese, Japanese and Korean students about nut allergies & symptoms, the difference between peanuts and tree nuts, Medic Alert jewelry and the EpiPen. We’ve had discussions about the different kind of allergies that ‘Westerners’ have in comparison to other countries such as celiac, gluten, sulphites and other food based allergies like spices, shellfish and eggs.

I do not solely deserve this award because there are countless people in the world that deserve to recognized along with my mother and myself, for helping to aid people struggling with various forms of allergies. But I do try my hardest to spread awareness and prevention as much as possible through my educational, business and personal life and have no plans to ever stop in the future. It is my dream to one day own a 100% all allergen free bakery facility that can cater to people suffering from dairy, egg, nut, citrus, fruit and spice allergies because no one deserve to live a sheltered life. I hope that my past and future contributions would make Sabrina and her family proud."

A New Year brings some new Services

I know you all have missed my blogs & videos while I've been off recovering from my extensive foot (reconstruction) surgery & finally getting my computer(s) back in working order. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back into the swing of things.

But Creative.Dunning is back! I promise. I have some new ideas for some Youtube videos on the way
- I may even make a video about my ordeal with surgery. Who knows!

In the meantime with so many new people viewing my Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/Creative.Dunning I've created a Services Card for anyone curious about some of the things I can help with.

I have another side-business that is going to be in the works soon! I will be blogging about it in the next upcoming days/weeks to come. I may even post some hints about it!

But until then, please continue to watch my videos, read my blogs & show your  support. It means a great deal to me. I'm thankful to all my family & friends who love my work.

If you have any ideas for any videos or blogs you'd like me to create than feel free to comment :)