RDQLUS Dropshots; 100226

RDQLUS Stays So Complex

RDQLUS would like to thank Complex, who gave love for the third week (and 6 pairs) straight. Props to the crew over at Complex Magazine for the love. Keep doing what you do and I'll keep trying to come with the most RDQLUS style.

Speed Wobble + 25mph + iPhone = Still Stoked!

I've gotten a few requests to repost the night that I owned Pacific Street here in "The ONE"… and then it owned me! But first, a little back story;



In the spring and summer, I routinely do night skates where—because of the time of night—traffic is slow to no, and I can carve way big on my Sector9 longboard. Well, on this particular night I had just finished an amazing run of the entire half-mile hill. I was full-on stoked and got the urge to record my next run… yyyyeah, here's the thing; When you're focused down on a 3" screen, you're not focused on the wide view in front of you and carving the road the right way. As I tried to restart my bigger sweeping carves, I realized I was already going to fast to correct. Any boarder or BMX'er knows what comes next… SPEED WOBBLES!



But, here's the thing, like any boarder or biker knows, after something like this you get "stoke" and even while you're hurting and bloodied, you're on a high. I scooped up my deck, walked home with the biggest smile on my face, cleaned up my wounds, and got right to posting this vid.

Ah, Spring… where have you gone and when are you coming back?!

--
Steve G.

RDQLUS Sneaks for Weeks!

Complex Magazine has tapped RDQLUS Stash again, making it four straight selections and two straight weeks of making their top pics nationally for the best sneakers being put on the grid. It seems a small, trivial or slightly sad thing, but for those who truly love the culture, this is dream status.

This weeks selection was a mix of a classic silhouette from Nike's "golden era", and a fresh (and so clean) profile from a more recent upstart young footwear company, Supra.






To all my heads; Hustle hard… Rock higher… Step lightly… and everyone else can kick rocks!

--
Steve G

Get Torqued Off.

After being in the creative field long enough you meet a lot of people and even become very good friends with a few very talented individuals. There even comes a time when it ticks you off a bit how damn good they are. Not fair. Get up off my cloud! Well my boy Eric Hines is just such an individual. His Honest Bros. Concept Mechanics creative imprint has done it again with 'Torque'—a premium distilled, small batch vodka with specialty packaging and Honest Bros. branding all design by the HB camp.



I cold tell you more, but I want his Google Analytics hits to go up, so bop on over to the Concept Mechanics blog and read more about the work and the process. It's truly an amazing work and a good story. Seriously, how does he come up with this stuff?! My friends are upsetting sometimes, but I roll with the best.

--
SG. the RDQLUS One

COMPLEX.COM Respects the RDQLUS Passion!

It's no mystery, to any who truly know me, that I have an affinity for fine footwear. Translation: I'm a sneakerhead. I've had good friends find, put on hold, alert me to, and even send me the choicest sneakers because I have stay consistent, authentic and true to my passion for wrangling of rare soles.

Well, a little validation can invigorate and reaffirm a passion.



Marc Ecko's COMPLEX Magazine is a staple with urban aesthetic, streetwear & fashion set. The magazine's website and blog recently began a twice-weekly feature highlighting the best in reader/tweeter footwear. This week RDQLUS was 2-for-2, getting props on both weekly installments for my daily sneaker choices out of supposed thousands that submit photos thru the COMPLEX Twitter feed. Now this might be because my feets is so fly, or it could b simply because I have monkey arms and can take shots of my own person, giving the illusion of fine photography… who's to say? But I do know that it's nice to get love for my commitment to my "thing" and shine a little love on my city, the ONE aka Omaha, NE, not really known as a bastion of style—high, street or otherwise. That's not true and it is changing.





;-)

Thanks to COMPLEX Magazine (Twitter: @ComplexMag) and love to all those sneakerheads out there. Walk lightly… all others can kick rocks!


---
Stevie G

"SPN Doctors" Throw a Party!

Silicon Prairie News is a power-blog hailing on world-wide frequencies from right here in the ONE (Omaha, NE). Run by Friend's of RDQLUS, Dusty Davidson and Jeff Slobotski, they are hosting the "SPN Launch Party" this eve to celebrate and kick off a new level of offerings and a clean new look to match.

Join RDQLUS and many other SPN supporters this evening @ LIV Lounge (2285 So. 67th St), in the Aksarben Village, or follow the party on Twitter with #SPNLaunch or @Siliconprairie

Manifesto of a RDQLUS CREATIVE

Hey world… I require that you have your own opinion. The strong often do and I welcome that, more so… respect that. But I give you this nugget of truth; My reality does not exist to serve your opinion. I can BE whatever I need to, but I AM what I am. I am not your "suit". I am not your executive. I am not a mazed rat in cubical chasing cheese. I am not your drone clone. I AM RDQLUS… far closer to a BMX'ing style-hound in custom sneakers that cost more than your Italian wingtips, carving my longboard to a meeting about your million-dollar initiative. Aw, sorry… you were expecting something different? Your mistake. Not mine. I'm focused. I'm pointed. I'm deliberate. Genuine, to a fault. Candid, but calculated. Yeah, you should indeed keep reading.

I am an unapologetic self-promoter. Self-assured and well versed in self-worth. But you should want this. Crave this. Desire this. I don't wait for your definition because you might not tell me, and if/when you do I might not like it. Not being harsh, that's just truth. So I don't look like the pack. I do not wear suits. I have tattoos and earrings. I boast a sneaker collection that would surely shame your best pair of executive loafers. But you know what—none of this matters because I have what you really want; My brain. My thoughts turned into gold, spun from the straws of our initial meetings. My choices are measured, tested and found true, and all yours for a proper fee. My experience is more vast than you could ever truly fathom because I exist on a time line and its tangents, not one simple plane.

I am not so many years into my profession, and decades into my life, without knowing a thing or two. If there is one thing I have learned all these years, it is knowing your audience and marketing consistently, organically, honestly and relentlessly is the proverbial "stuff". I most certainly know my audience and it has nothing to do with me sporting an executive look, or begging for particular approval. I never have, and I NEVER will. I know my audience and you may not be included, and that's okay. I know what you might be looking for, but did you ever care to think that the real balance may lie in what I might be looking for? This interview goes both ways. If my nameplate necklace is not high-end enough for you, then trust me, my occasional mohawk is an immediate no go, too.

Listen, I am NOT a mold-fitting cog. I don't have meetings about meetings regarding when we should meet. I am a "creative". I live where you imagine. Not one of my clients has ever come to me for looking "executive". Not one of my clients has ever left me for a supposed lack of high-end aesthetic. All have been serviced at the table of my need to bring all that I am to bear for them. If this poses a problem for you, the "chicken exit" is right here, right now. I will hustle hard and rock higher until the day my mind fails me. And at that point, I'll just settle for rocking higher, because even on half a brain, I do work! And I will not let you down if you're on board with me.

But hey, as I said… all opinions are welcome. But you have to clean up after 'it' and take it with you when you leave. I can't let you keep it here.

This is who I am.
This is what I do.
I… AM… RDQLUS.

RDQLUS Pic of the Day

I'm really not sure what happened, but that shocked look is real… nevermind the crown! That's just how I get down.

(Where: HOW Conf. - Austin, TX, June '09)

REEEEEEMIX!

("Stereo Lab, the Golden Receiver" Qee vinyl toy, designed by RDQLUS… holding down the beat laboratory)

Sometimes a former life comes back—in a good way—reminding me of my journey as a well-rounded and true 'creative', sparking up some of that good mojo that makes me who I am. After getting a Facebook message from an old friend from one of the lives of a previous incarnation of "Stevie G", I was called upon to fire up my musical side and hammer out a remix track. Yes, remix as in music. As the producing outfit 'DUSTLAB' & the crowd-rocker DJ 'Psyrendust', I loved the skill and atmosphere and always on point. I even had a brief legit music industry career that, to this day, I wonder about. Not in regret but more "what if…?"

So after much thought and mental maneuvering, I flipped the switches that brought all of my electronics to life—and made the local power company quite happy— and set about getting lost in the button taps and knob-twists that I used so many times in making a hall full of humanity roar to vibrant, kinetic life. Yes, I still have all of my equipment. Perhaps sadly looking to the horizon for a return to the game? Who knows. Maybe it just cost too much to get rid of?

So… Where's the track you ask? Still under consideration so I have to hold off on that. But rest assured, I rocked it as is my norm. As soon as I can post, I'll do a follow up.

'Til then… here's some other beats from that former life. The DUSTLAB Project

-Stevie G

What'up in the ONE; 11-06-09

I was contemplating, quite painstakingly, about what to write for a new blog post. Toiling over the idea that I needed to write something… anything… was making it more difficult, to be honest. So as I sat back thinking about what all went down this week in the fantastically fractured time-lines in the life of RDQLUS, it hit me. My town is on the come-up. That's it. I'll just pen a brief "What's good in my little burgeoning, no-coast burg this weekend?" So…

It's been a crazy couple months here in the O.NE with an amazing amount of events and hob-nobbery going down on the streets. Meet-ups and culture clashes abound, with much to be seen and done, and hashed out and talked about.

Tuesday, there was another fantastic Omaha Tweet-Up, this go round being held at the Omaha staple, the Brazen Head Pub. It may seem a strange thing to meet with a bunch of folks you met or cavort with on Twitter, but it flies in that face of the skewed reasoning that some have of the web creating this culture of tech-pacified, anti-social zombies. Nay, this event proved that when used properly such technology can extend its reach beyond the circuits it was born and bred in. An good time was had and good info was passed. Oh, and I cop'ed my Omaha Bar Camp t-shirt that night. Jealous? You should be,.

Wednesday night/Thursday morn I had yet another installment of "What the hell are we doing?!" when I met up with my ever-present partners in crime, Megan H. (Princess Lasertron) & E-rock D. (Downs Design) for a late-night Perkins run. Strangely enough, we always seem to glean info from the excursions. you might want to get down with us the next time we re-up.

I hate that I missed the Matisyahu show last night at the Slowdown… if you were there chime in and let me know how it was. "Art & Copy" was last night too. So much goodness going 'round. It's tough to keep up.

Tonight, I'm heading over to 1020 Bistro in Dundeezle to have a libation or two and rub the stylishly clad, incredibly skilled elbows of Megan Hunt aka 'Princess Lasertron' who will be celebrating a release party of sorts for her inclusion in several wedding & event industry publications. On top of that she's kicking of the redesign of her website by personal friend and Friend of RDQLUS, Eric Downs of Downs Design.

After that I'll roll the chariot down to the Bemis Underground, in the Old Market, for the 18th Annual Nebraska AIGA Design Show to see some fine design works from the talented creatives here in the O.NE. Should be a good time, and with any luck perhaps RDQLUS Creative will have a reason to celebrate?

That's just a little chemical rinse of what this week was like in Omaha. There was much more going on and if anyone attended some of the events I missed, drop a comment and let everyone know what went down.

I'm RDQLUS… and I'm from the ONE!
Peaces.

The Life & Times of RDQLUS 090918

RDQLUS' 'COLDFOOLISH' CARE PKG 090918

"If Travel is Searching and Home What's Been Found…"

Welcome to RDQLUS' "COLDFOOLISH"–the new weekly drop-shop of just a handful of fly goodnesses that I've come across this week. There's no rhyme, reason, slant or even purpose, except to lace you with a sip of tasty deelish while you zone on a Friday, faking like you're working. Get your [cmnd+tab/ctrl+tab] actions ready for when your boss comes lurking.


Click pics to get up… get out… and get som'thin!

Pullin' Jack(et) Moves… Garbstore @ hypebeast.com


Fix the Rip… PK Ripper "Fixie" @ highsnobiety.com


To tha' Moon Alice… Kid Cudi - Man On the Moon @ iTMS


Shadow Boxin'… food & style @ LuxiRare.com



Site Hump of the Week:
highsnobiety

Style is not WHAT you do… It's HOW you do it!

Being a creative bloke–doing design and loving fashion, like I do–I run into conversations on "style" almost daily. As is my usual, that got me to thinking on "style" and what it actually means in practice. (I say in practice because dictionary definitions are often too clinical to make any practical sense given the situation, place or time you're in)

It's my opinion that most view style as an absolute–a hard-lined definitive that allows for no flexibility or movement. We define our clothing as a style. We define our artwork as a style. We even define the foods we eat in terms of a favorite "kind". But I have a thought; Perhaps style is not the end result of what we do but how we go about the act of "doing".

For instance, in my oft talked about and cherished sneaker collection there are many "styles" of shoes so to look at them as a collection it would prove difficult to say that I have a style. However, my collection methods do give rise to the idea that I have a process to the actual collecting of said sneakers. I base my acquisitions on factors such as availability to mass audiences, the method and wardrobe with which I will wear them, the venues that I foresee myself rocking them in, and even the seasonal weather in my area. My collection is diverse, but my collection criteria is most certainly my style. For those who have seen me in my various pairs of customs, most have agreed, "Steve, that's totally your style", even given the completely different physical shapes and designs of the shoes. Why? Because it's not what I am rocking, but rather the way I consistently rock it.

Another example is my supposed design "style". In crafting my artworks for clients, I used to be quite reluctant to admit to having a style because I wanted to avoid the pigeon hole that comes from such definition. But recently (during this particular round of silly brain-bending) I've come to realize that I do tend toward a certain stylistic outcome. But the work I do varies nicely, so how is it that I have developed a style? I believe it's in the method and approach. I have a scholastic history in architectural design. My favorite genre of art and architecture bear the same names, in as much that they are a time period of particular display and structure more so than a style; Art Deco. Concentric shapes, balance, strong lines, implied visual kinetic movement from static elements, shading, color and lofty drama… all of these could describe the art or the structures of the day. The very architectural method of rendering structures, products and art produced a result that is timelessly unmistakable. In my affinity for the entire genre of Art Deco, I could never copy it if I tried. Well… I could but it would be far too evident that it was an attempt to copy. However, in personally digging Art Deco, I have a more "industrial" artistic slant to my work that is a heavy dose of "form v. function". This often leaves my design looking very minimal at times and at others somewhat opulent when the function calls for an embellishment of form, yet all with strong lines, a play on balance and a very strong lean toward shape. All very calculated in conveying message and emotion. When I stepped back for a blurry-eyed view of my work, I said "wow, I have a style", and it has little to do with the final look as many pieces look different. It was in the method.

Okay, so in all of this rambling… what am I getting at? From a both a creative and life standpoint, in our attempts to shake definition and be free of labels that hold us to any one thing, we tend to give ourselves definition and attach labels holding us to something else. We escape boxes by jumping into other boxes. If we must apply definition, pay particular attention to how we move more so than the direction we are pointing. How you move may offer flexibility in both journey and destination that a straight, aimed, defined, blocked path may not.

--
Steve G the RDQLUS One, out!

RDQLUS is Going Mobile… T-Mobile that is.

How do I get myself into these situations?! What a RDQLUS life I live.

I've had the chance in the past to work with national telecomm company T-Mobile as an independent creative consultant doing some early idea shaping and writing for some of their marketing efforts. Over the past few months I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to flex the creative muscles behind the scenes with my good friends at T-Mobile on a particularly fun project, the rollout of their new 'myTouch' mobile device. Talk about fun?! My good friend, Jen Whelan, is one hell of a creative force and project management specialist and I was honored to be a part of her very capable creative team and add anything that I could.

Little did I know…



I got a call one day that found Jen asking me if I wanted to give something new a shot. Those who know me know that the answer was first, "Hells YEAH!" and a secondly, "uh, now what is it I have to do?" One thing lead to another and I find myself at T-Mobile's Bellevue, WA headquarters filming a spot for the 'myTouch' microsite and testing my acting chops!



When we've wrapped and it's time for me to go, I get an amazing added bonus: I'm given a 'myTouch' mobile device of my very own to test out! WHAAAAAAT?! Now everyone knows I have a full-on "love thang" going on with my iPhone, but who turns down tech-swag? I mean really! And I'll tell you, it's an amazing device that I carry everywhere right alongside my iPhone at all times.

If you're not a member of the "cult", then you should indeed check out this little gem manufactured by HTC & offered exclusively thru T-Mobile. View the myTouch "micro-site".

When It's a Tat, It's an Honor!

I recently got a sweet "tweet" (a Twitter message, for the non-online socialites) from a happy former client wanting to show off something really rather flattering for any creative who does this for a living.

It appears that the identity I fashioned for them has moved into the highest level of wearables–the temporary tatoo!





"Check this out Steve: http://www.flickr.com/photos/loraincounty/ We have people calling to wear logo now!"
(via @BRaBMultisport on Twitter)

Now how cool and RDQLUS is that?!


(pictures courtesy of Visit Lorain County on Flickr.com)

Constant Motivation and The Myth of Inspiration

Lately I've been going over a few things in my head that just don't make good sense, and those who know me know that when something doesn't make good sense to me my head becomes almost gridlocked until the thought is fully figured or abjectly dismissed. Well just such a thing has happened because I've recently encountered lot of talk of "inspiration" recently. I think inspiration is a good thing—scratch that, a great thing—for most humans on this planet. Note that I said "most". For a select few, inspiration is damn-near mythical.

For any who call themselves "creatives", a need for inspiration would signal a very bad thing. It would be an admission that creativity itself does indeed have an end point. An measureable fail point. That's a rather dire thought for me. In my head, that's what didn't make sense; in a not-so round about way, that is the blatant, almost purposeful ignoring of Life itself. With all of the natural miracles and everyday occurrences that we seem to take so blindly for granted an inch from our faces every minute of every day, many have simply become dead to the very details. At the end of inspiration, sits the admission that we have run dry of Life. Well I say damn that! Straight up. Now believe me, I'm not at all saying that inspiration is not needed for some, even many. What I am saying is that for us—the creatives of the world—there should not come an easy concession to being uninspired. We artists, creatives, keepers of great imaginations and innovative thinkers are the inspiration for others. We can't lack what we are at our core. That is complete self-denial and that ain't at all good.

What the real issue is "motivation". The very word by definition means "to move". If that's is true then we simply need to be almost physically moved. It's not even a spiritual thing most times. It's pure, grade-A lazy. We have grown complacent for the moving of one's own self to get out there and explore and find, to think and do our works. We can search for many excuses to say why that is; fast food mentality, technology, economics, social issues… To all of this I simply I say "lazy". We don't become uninspired. For the so-called creative-minded, it's more along the lines of becoming unmotivated. Listen, this life is a big one. This ball of dirt we spin on, while socially smaller do to the means by which we connect, is still a worthy, lovely, gargantuan place full of the biggest wonders and the most fantastic details. If you can't find the motivation to get out there and explore things that fuel you to go and be inspiring, then I fear you are might be poser. A fake "creative", simply acting out a role. If it is that easy for you to run dry of that motivation, you may not be a creative person. Nothing wrong with that admission, but in my mind, creatives are the source, not the needy. But if you truly believe that you are a creative by nature, then yours is not the task to find inspiration. Yours is the task to find the constant, prepetual motivation to be inspiring to the world around you. I humbly offer that I am not immune the the mental and verbal vomit that has found me spouting "I just want to be inspired", but it was hearing those words come out of my mouth one day that jolted me this momentary epiphany. Life itself is motivation enough for me. Life is the massive Rubbermaid™ into which I put all my toys. I go back to that container every morning and search for the toy, the plaything that fits my mood and my day and gives me the appropriate little spark, that motivation to go in a certain direction and do what I do. I'm not saying we don't run dry. I'm not at all implying that we don't need a little push or a hand up out of the mire that bogs us down and dulls our view. But don't ever attribute that to being uninspired. You just need help in motivation department. You just need the muck cleaned off your windshield so you can again see that amazing road you are traveling on.

Again, let me say that for the average person the word inspiration is perfectly fine. But we are not average. We are creatives. I truly believe that most are looking to us to be inspired. And to that end, we are inspiring to others. We just need to motivation to keep being that which we already are. Remember, we are the source that supplies those in need. You are inspiring already, so I'll just with you the best of luck on staying constantly motivated.

Yeah I know… this doesn't make sense to everyone. But it does to me. If I've confused you by now, just pat me on the head and tell me, "just be pretty, Steve." I'm okay with that. ;-)


-Steve G.

RDQLUS Heads Out to SEA… again!

This has been an amazing summer of opportunities to make things happen. Times are lame, we all know this, but the ability to move on even the slightes crack in an opened doorway can lead to many god things. So with my trusty CHROME bag packed and backed, last week, I headed off for the cool patch-worked city of Seattle, WA.



























(my CHROME bag is tougher than ya' momz!)



I recently found myself and the banner of 'RDQLUS CREATIVE' called out to the Seattle-area (yet again), this time to do a fun bit of work with friend and collegue Jen Whelan, Sr. Manager of Advertising at T-MOBILE. The fruits of this collaboration can't be told of currently but I am quite proud of the work and fully stoked at the opportunity to once again 'show & prove'. All i can say is get your heads ready… T-Mobile is cranking on goodness and getting to see it first-hand was pretty damn cool.




























(Say "hi" to Jen W.! She rocks way big!)



While in the Pac Northwest, I was able to meet up with friend & client, Jeni Herberger as well. A delightful mix of work and play was had, so the line blurred quite often as one moment we'd find ourselves discussing identity, messaging and brand assets and the next, I'm sitting dock-side with the family and the dogs! (Love me some Bruce and Opus)



































(Jeni Herberger… intelligent, fun and the only thing sweeter is the Maple syrup!)





"When in Rome…" applies wherever I roam, so of course there was much eats, sneakers and "Pikes" to be had.



























As much as I do love my own town (the "ONE"), Seattle is an amazingly chill place. The set-up is that of a hub city with suburbs as "spokes". There's a different vibe from 'burb to 'burb and I thank Jen w., Jeni and the cast of others that helped me get around to these fantastic areas. 'SEA', I see you! OMA sends love and trust, I'll be back soon!

Advice from a Freelancer

I recently did an interview with my good friend and "Friend of RDQLUS" Bryn Mooth, editor of HOW Magazine. Coming off of their amazingly popular HOW Design Conference, the staff at HOW have created the Creative Freelancer Conference aimed squarely at issues facing independent creative types. Bryn was kind enough to contact me with a few questions.

Click the post title or the link below to read the part 1 of the interview.

CFC: Advice from a Freelancer

Thanks to Bryn and the staff at HOW!

HOW Magazine Online

It's a Celebration!

The night has finally been picked and the event is planned! It's going to be a low-key chill & spill for the official release of my first book! Yeah a little late but a brotha's been workin' y'all! I'm am very humbled, excited and very thankful to all who have helped or been involved in even the smallest way with so many of the good things that have gone down lately.

If you can join, come on thru and say hey! I'll have a few books on hand if you want to grab one, but it's not about that. I just want to celebrate and party with you… come on now… CeeeelllllabrAAAAAYshun!
(Cool & the Gang is NEVER wrong!)

Special thanks to Tanya Patry & Brenda Lyman for their lasting support and efforts making the good times happen.

(photo courtesy of Donovan Beery… who bought the most books of any one person!)