For our first project at BYU Idaho Online we had to create a series of seven separate compositions that exhibited the major creative approaches: combination, juxtaposition, isolation, metaphor/simile, change of environment/context, physical/shape similarity and material change, wrap or focus.

For this project we were to pick an ordinary useful object and brainstorm ideas on other ways that item might be used.  I chose a mug as it was sitting right next to me while I was reading the project guidelines.

I found that most of my thinking about mugs centered around their use for coffee.  (For now, we will put aside the irony of an LDS person creating coffee-centric images.) Instead of fighting this idea I went with it and tried to utilize that thought within many of the project pieces. I hope you enjoy my project as much as I enjoyed creating it. 

For this piece I was imagining an article written in an editorial style about a single worker's experiences serving in a bustling coffee shop.  The lens that the writer sees the world through would be via their interactions with customers.  Each lens has a slightly different style as each individual is also unique.

For this composition I wanted to take something wholesome and seemingly delicious and turn it into something disgusting.  It made me think about the impact pollution has on our food supply chain and even the food we eat.

This image in my mind is a bit of a light hearted take on the idea that drinking coffee helps you go to the restroom.  I tried to put it a bit more politely by referring to fiber which is known to get things moving.

At first I had the idea of taking the word "mug" and make a literal "mugshot" But why would a mug be in trouble? I found several articles that go between coffee is great and coffee is bad.  I thought this image would be a great way to convey that thought process.

I was thinking of drinking a cup of delicious hot chocolate and how people will say "It's so good I want to swim in it." With that thought I also associate hot chocolate and warm drinks with coziness and comfort.  I had the woman be serene looking to put relaxation on the mind as well.

Using a mug to hold coffee is typical.  Coffee waking up a person and being used as an alarm clock isn't exactly a new idea.  I wanted to change up the thought behind it and instead imagined how many college students use coffee as an aid to stay awake late into the night and early hours to study and cram for tests.  Also, midnight oil is meant to draw to mind the dark beverage.

As a mother and knowing quite a few mothers myself, I found that the most common Mother's Day gifts are flowers and "I love mom" mugs.  (Or customized mugs with all their kids names on them.) I was thinking about how mom's have enough mugs already and perhaps an article that offered gift suggestions that were outside of the "mug & flowers" realm.