• Aus einer Reihe an Experimenten, inspiriert von dem Buch „Nea Machina“: der Workflow ist bizarr, und ist­‑zumindest auf dem Tablet‑ohne Serifs Affinity Designer schlicht nicht möglich: moderne Software kann bedeuten, dass man alte Prozesse nicht mehr ausführen kann, hier an einem GIF meiner Katze Miez nachvollzogen.

    #gif #dithering #pixelcats

    Source: My Instagram account Mario Breskic

  • Eines der faszinierendsten Themengebiete ist der Bereich, wo sich Wortherkunft und Wahrnehmungspsychologie begegnen: hier am Beispiel dessen, was sowohl blau, als auch golden (blond) ist, hier schön an einem Tischläufer meiner Mutter dargestellt.

    Damals haben @ariane.konzepterin und ich in einem noch unveröffentlichen Kürzestessay nachgeforscht, wie sich im Europäischen Sprachraum die für uns Menschen so enigmatischen Farben „Weiß“, „Schwarz“, „Gold“, „Blau“ zum Teil nicht voneinander unterscheiden ließen, und zum anderen Teil auch heute noch synonym füreinander in einzelnen Sprachen geblieben sind (man denke nur an die Sprachen Europas, in denen die Wörter Blau und Blond den gleichen Begriff haben, gerade bei Haarfarben).

    Ich denke, dass wir in Zukunft diesen Essay durchaus noch veröffentlichen werden, sonst wäre die Arbeit ja auch für die Katzʼ! 😸

    Weil mir fast ausschließlich andere Gestalter und Craftspeople folgen (und ich euch), bin ich auch an euren eigenen, bisher unveröffentlichten Arbeiten interessiert.

    Was treibt euch um? Was fasziniert euch bis zur Recherche und Arbeit? Gerne per DM, Brief (Adresse steht im Impressum), Email (ebd.), Anruf (du hast doch bestimmt meine Nummer (du Freak)) etc.

    Schönen Start in die Arbeitswoche uns allen.

    Aktuell wird gelesen: Be so good they canʼt ignore you.
    Und wer würde das Buch mögen: Leute wie ich. Also du.

    Source: My Instagram account Mario Breskic

  • Iʼve been contemplating a tree I see through a window all morning. Wrote down a few notes about how the noun relates more to us as humans than to a tree. And I keep thinking of Adrian Frutiger and how the human relates to symbols. What is graphic design but a translation? #asca

    Source: My Twitter Account Mario Breskic

  • @mariobreskic:

    I am currently seven hours deep into my post-degree studies, and I can say that a point or the dot is incredibly difficult to grasp and understand intuitively. I would brag about my library but I think that I really do need all these books.
    Forget about balance or lines, forms, all that is high-level.
    The point is designʼs machine code, if you will #asca virtualcoworking

    Source: My Threads Account Mario Breskic

  • See you in 3,000 hours from now.

    Source: My after‑hours blog on Tumblr Code & Canvas

  • codeandcanvas:

    I have had a weird day, no, not a weird day: I have felt a stressful noise in my head earlier, like chatter I could not understand, and which only when focussing on it became words, emotions, memories maybe.

    This worried me, because I realised that I have no idea what the cause for this noise is. Talking about it with a dear person close to me, I came to understand that while the both of us had a clear memory of when this head noise happened (which later turned out to be what our brains literally default to when unfocussed and unoccupied with external stimuli, called “default mode network”), I had no idea what the physiological causes for the sensation itself were, or in general are.

    So I just went to ask Copilot, and you can see for yourself where that lead me to below

     What is the feeling of noise in my mind, a stressful, wordless chatter? 

Copilot 

It’s like your brain is playing a chaotic symphony, right? An endless loop of jumbled 
thoughts with no intermission. It can be exhausting. Just imagine if we could hit "mute" 
and let a little calmness settle in. Have you found anything that helps quiet it down? 

 You 

I am not sure. I believe that I am changing too many variables at once, while there 
are too many other variables which could cause this feeling of chaotic symphony. 
It is difficult to control all these variables. What kind of research exists about this, 
I want to read research about not only the causes for this stressful, wordless 
chatter in my mind, but also about what this noise neurologically, 
biophysiologically, chemically, and psychologically is, according to latest 
findings? 

Copilot 

It sounds like you're experiencing a lot of internal noise, which can be really challenging 
to manage. There's actually quite a bit of research on this topic, exploring various 
aspects of what causes this mental chatter and how it affects us. 

Causes of Mental Chatter 

Research suggests that mental chatter often stems from task-unrelated thoughts that 
intrude when we're trying to focus 

This can be due to stress, anxiety, or even just the brain's natural tendency to wander. 
Ethan Kross, in his book "Chatter," explains that this kind of self-talk can be both helpful 
and harmful, depending on how we manage it 

Neurological and Biophysical Aspects 

Neurologically, mental chatter is linked to the default mode network (DMN) in the 
brain, which is active when we're not focused on the outside world 

. Overactivity in the DMN can lead to excessive rumination and worry. Studies have 
shown that brain connectivity and the interaction between different brain regions play a 
significant role in this process 

Chemical and Psychological Aspects 

Chemically, neurotransmitters like glutamate and dopamine are involved in the 
regulation of thoughts and emotions ALT
    
Psychological research highlights the impact of mental chatter on emotional well-
being, stress levels, and interpersonal relationships. Techniques like distanced self-
talk (using your own name or the second person "you" in your inner monologue) have 
been shown to help manage this chatter 

Latest Findings 

Recent studies have explored the neural circuits involved in anxiety and how certain 
receptors, like delta opioid receptors (DOPs), can play a role in reducing anxiety 

Researchers are also looking into multi-omic data to understand the molecular 
differences in people with conditions like PTSD and depression, which can contribute to 
mental chatter 

Would you like more detailed information on any specific aspect, or perhaps some 
strategies to manage this mental noise? 

You 

For now, I think that exploring the “default mode network” in the brain is what I 
need to understand more about, and need more detailed information on this, the 
neurological and biophysical aspects. Go into as much detail as possible, and 
then collate a list of reading material consisting of published works about the 
“default mode network” in the brain, with an emphasis on two categories of 
books: for laymen, and for college-level readers/students, please. 

Copilot 

The default mode network (DMN) is a fascinating topic! It's a network of brain regions 
that show increased activity when a person is not focused on the outside world, such as 
during daydreaming, introspection, and mind-wandering 

The DMN includes areas like the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate 
cortex, precuneus, and angular gyrus. It's involved in self-referential thoughts, 
memory retrieval, envisioning the future, and understanding others' perspectives 

Detailed Information on the Default Mode Network 

Neurological Aspects 

• Brain Regions Involved: The DMN includes the medial prefrontal cortex, 
posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and angular gyrus ALT
    Function: It's active during rest and internally focused tasks like daydreaming, self-
reflection, and thinking about the past or future 

Clinical Significance: Dysregulation of the DMN has been linked to various mental 
health conditions, including depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, and autism 

Biophysical Aspects 

• Neuroimaging: Techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) 
have been crucial in identifying and studying the DMN 

Connectivity: The DMN shows coordinated activity across its regions, which is 
essential for its functions 

Metabolism: Studies have shown that the brain's metabolism remains relatively 
constant between rest and task performance, indicating ongoing activity in the DMN 
during rest 

Reading Material 

For Laymen 

1. "The Brain: The Story of You" by David Eagleman - This book provides an 
accessible introduction to various brain functions, including the DMN. 
2. "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman - While not exclusively about 
the DMN, it offers insights into how the brain processes information, which can 
help understand the DMN's role. 
3. "The Mind's Eye" by Oliver Sacks - This book explores the brain's visual system 
and includes discussions on brain networks like the DMN. 


For College-Level Readers/Students 

1. "The Neuroscience of Mind: A Unified Theory of the Human Brain" by Zoltan 
Torey - This book delves into the neuroscience behind brain functions, including 
the DMN. 
2. "Principles of Neural Science" by Eric Kandel - A comprehensive textbook that 
covers various aspects of neuroscience, including the DMN. 
ALT
    3. "The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory" by Michael D. Rugg and Endel 
Tulving - This book provides detailed information on memory processes and the 
role of the DMN. 


I hope this helps! If you have any more questions or need further information, feel free to 
ask. 

You 

Please export this interaction as a pdf 

Copilot 

I can’t generate a PDF for you directly, but you can easily copy our conversation and 
paste it into a document. From there, you can save it as a PDF. If you need help with this, 
just let me know! 

You 

Thank you. You have helped me. 

Copilot 

I'm really glad to hear that. Any time you're curious or need to untangle your thoughts, I'll 
be right here. Take care, friend. ALT

    You can find the original upload on my arena account here https://www.are.na/block/31536061 with my comments on how two of these books (the more academic ones) are labelled wrong, but I will provide these comments here as well, but first I’ll link you to the commented pdf in my social archive:

    Below are now the comments I made about this exchange with Copilot

    Caveat lector:
    None of the Zoltan Torey books are called that, and “The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory” is not by Rugg et Tulving.
    Take this as what it is, not what you want it to be.

    Second comment

    URLs from this interaction, to peruse at your own discretion:

    Third comment

    Further quizzing Copilot about the missing books lead to this:

    “The Neuroscience of Mind: A Unified Theory of the Human Brain” by Zoltan Torey has the ISBN of
    9780262530859
    which is actually “Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of Mind/Brain: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain (Computational Models of Cognition and Perception)”

    “The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory” by Michael D. Rugg and Endel Tulving has the ISBN of
    9781848727724
    which is actually “Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory (Special Issues of Cognitive Neuroscience)”

    Close enough in case of the second book, but confused. See here https://ift.tt/2aqud7m or here https://ift.tt/tpmXVBy for my rubberducking/notepadding in public

    End of comments

    Interesting, right?

    The noise in our heads, and what this noise defaults to, is literally the default mode of our brains. We, as far as I can understand it, rarely, if ever, idle. I don’t know if this default can be changed, but I’ll just be cheerful for no damn reason.

    Copilot’s quality control for quoted and referenced books is meh, but I don’t think that will stop you from researching for yourself, now will it? Tagging this up with a few sensible hashtag guesses, keeping it away from the archive by not using the tag “code and canvas”, should hook it into tumblr’s internal knowledge database quite nicely.

    Much has happened in between then and now, and as I am watching the sci‑fi show Foundation, I notice how often I still have to I stop thinking about myself watching it, but then I am just in the present, enjoying the show.

    And quitting rumination feels a lot like quitting smoking. At least, it reminds me of that kind of effort. All these moments of saying “no” will eventually become a sum “no”.

    I’ll be gone for a while. Remember those couple of hundred hours of study? I think I can manage them now.

    I think I can manage a lot of things now. Let’s see where this takes us, yeah?

    Source: My after‑hours blog on Tumblr Code & Canvas

  • @mariobreskic 🔁:

    I have to ask. How close is your project to being a designer’s equivalent of a jazz musician’s Real Book, or fake book in general?

    There are a few, mostly barely associated designers who are looking for the golden grail of making design theory work closer to music theory, so yeah, at the risk of letting that secret out, I just must ask. asca

    I’ve been working on something special, a little something that will help you rethink grids, hierarchy and type.

    No rules, no thought leadership—just my way of creating. A glimpse into my process.

    A small gift to those who have always enjoyed my work.

    Keep an eye out, this free guide will be coming soon.

    — @typokicks — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 01:17:23 GMT

    Source: My Threads Account Mario Breskic

  • I am looking for ways to switch from having an idea to doing everything in order to fulfill the goal of the idea.

    When the idea is from others, hey man, no problem.

    But my own ideas?

    Wrote down a few lines about this in my morning pages, which are not morning pages at all, and added a footnote there, on page 94:

    “ideas travel in groups, or do they multiply by budding?”

    I wrote down two ideas, too, which are my goals:

    1. I want to draw figuratevily/create fine art
    2. I want to design computationally/programmatically
    3. I want­­­…

    For now, I think that having an idea is about as good as it gets. Spending more time in your own head, thinking about this idea without an action, an execution?

    Now that’s just failing to start.

    I have just familiarised myself with rock bottom and assured myself of it being solid ground to stand and build upon.

    Fingers crossed that writing about this is not thinking about ideas in another medium, huh?

    Source: My after‑hours blog on Tumblr Code & Canvas

  • @mariobreskic:

    You want to create great design? Lock yourself in.
    You want to create great art? Lock the world out. asca

    Source: My Threads Account Mario Breskic

  • Whatever it is you do, be the J. R. R. Tolkien to your Lord of the Rings. If you can’t, be the Peter Jackson to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. #asca

    Source: My Twitter Account Mario Breskic