Forbidden Images

A friend just posted a movie called "Forbidden Images" on Facebook. Not quite knowing what to expect, I clicked "play" and watched closely as the seconds unfolded flickeringly across my screen. Over the next 4 minutes I saw image upon image celebrating women, their exuberant playfulness, their femininity and their sensuality. The images are so hauntingly beautiful it is hard to believe they were once banned...

(This short film was made for the 72-hour Film Festival in Frederick, Maryland (2007). All of the clips used in this film came from a reel of 35mm nitrate, found in an old theater somewhere in Pennsylvania.)

$20.000 for your creative project?

Because there's a chance you can win $20.000 being creative, we simply had to let you know.

Swatch & MTV have teamed up to bring you the "Swatch MTV Playground" - described by the companies as "an exciting new community website that aims to showcase creative talent from across the globe. The idea is to create the biggest international collective of imaginative minds and designers from around the world. And get them talking to each other."


The competition:
Enter the first Swatch MTV Playground competition by answering the brief “Imagine time in the future”.

To enter, login to the Swatch MTV Playground community and then upload your work. Entries can be submitted in any of the following creative disciplines:
Music
Film
Print design
2D animation
3D animation
Motion design
Illustration
Fashion

What's in it for the winners?
There are two main prizes – one for students and another for professional creatives. If you’re a student you’ll win your $20,000 towards your choice of either tuition fees or project funding. Professionals will win an inspirational trip to an iconic exhibition or art event.

There will also be runners-up prizes of annual memberships to museums and art galleries, books and magazine subscriptions.

Even if you don’t win, you could get some valuable exposure for your work. The most inspiring, challenging and exciting submissions will feature in an online gallery, and could also be featured at Swatch MTV Playground events taking place around the world.

Cards of Change

I came across the initiative "Cards of Change" via Clo's blog. I simply LOVE the idea behind the Cards of Change concept ( Its mission is to collect as many business cards and stories of positive change of people who have recently been laid off and connect them with new opportunities from potential employers, business partners and people who make the effort to look on the bright side of life).

I liked it so much that I decided to upload my own business card too. Not because I've been laid off but because I wanted to show everyone who is being laid off that it is possible to make it out there on your own. And because I want to be a part of a positive, empowering initiative and to give a positive message during a difficult time.

No, it's not easy out there at the moment - for no-one. But there is a HUGE difference between difficult and impossible. And that's the message I wanted to share: it's not impossible!

This is just such a creative, empowering initiative (with great viral possibilities!). No doubt it won't be the last we will hear of it!