VI. ABOUT







































ABOUT


DIQUE CreativeLabCorp (Design Intensive Quantum-Mechanical Ultra Effective Creative Laboratory Corporation) is the design office of Delgis Jose Mustafa Rodriguez (me).

(Some pictures of what I actually look like.)

Re: Core Values





(A little diagram to show off the core values of DIQUE Creative.)

DIQUE CreativeLabCorp was created to show and tell that details, distinction, excellent craftsmanship, and utility matter.

These are our working definitions:

  1. Fresh and Distinct - new or different, in a positive way.

  2. Utility - Fulfills its intended function in a way that meets or exceeds expectations.

  3. Excellence - Making things with exceptional skill, attention to detail, and a high level of quality.

Below are some things that can help you get to know me a bit better.

Re: My Skills and Abilities

(My attempt at being clever and creative by placing my face on photos of Picasso, Spielberg, Steve Jobs, Don Draper, and Dr. Dre.)
There’s a laundry list of things I’m not particularly good at. Basketball immediately comes to mind, as do math, swimming, singing, first-person shooter video games, solving riddles, hitting a well-pitched baseball, and much more.

Then there are things that I’m decent at, like playing ping-pong, assembling IKEA furniture, playing two-hand touch/flag football, and cooking (my wife might not agree there).

But there are also some things that I am above average at. These are what I consider to be my most marketable skills: graphic design and creative direction, directing and creative writing, business administration and leadership, marketing and branding, and music production*.

*My working definition for music producer: someone who shapes the sound and direction of a musical project.


Re: Meaningful Geography
(Here’s a bunch of locations that hold a special place in my heart.)

Re: My Biggest Influences
(Another attempt at being clever and creative by placing my face in photos with my biggest influences.)

There are a bunch of humans* who have been deeply resonant to me. People like: Nas, Timothy Keller, Michael Jordan, Ricky Gervais, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Jay-Z aka Jigga, Juan Luis Guerra, Anthony Bourdain, Steve Jobs, C.S. Lewis and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Some common characteristics among these influences are high intelligence, vocational excellence, and a general coolness and style about them.

 *Jesus didn’t make this list because he’s superhuman, of course.

Re: My Favorite Hobbies
(I’m clearly bullish on this face blending technique.)

I never used to take rest seriously until I heard the G.O.A.T. Tim Keller, aka Killer Keller, speak on it. This experience caused me to have a paradigm shift about the importance of resting and what it means to rest.

Some of my favorite hobbies include: eating good food and trying new restaurants, drinking good wine and trying new varietals, watching futbol and playing FIFA, reading, listening to music and making playlists and mixes, watching films, architectural tourism, thrifting, vinyl collecting, and antiquing, hiking, praying and meditative walks.

If you ever see me in person, ask me about it, and I’ll tell you more.


Re: Films, Films, Films

(More of the same here, technique wise, but look through this slideshow to see photos of my High School film teacher John Mollica, along with the Seinfeld character based on him.)

In high school, I took a film class taught by John “Johnny Boy” Mollica. (Go to slide 9 and 10 in the corresponding slideshow to see the man, myth, and legend himself).

He would walk into class daily in all black— leather jacket, jeans, biker boots, and shades. I was in my early teens, watching movies like The Godfather, Deer Hunter, Clerks, and Terms of Endearment.

It had a profound impact on my taste in films. It’s also why I call movies “films.”

Also, a fun fact - John Mollica was friends with Larry David and had a character named after him in Season 3, Episode 14 “The Pez Dispenser” (see corresponding slideshow)


Re: Classic Cars

(A kind of shotty blend job of me inside some of my favorite designed classic cars.)

I am not a “car guy” as much as I am an appreciator of the design ethos behind classic cars.

Anytime I see a well-designed classic car, I pause to admire and appreciate it.

These are some of my favorite classic car designs: BMW M1 (E26), Porsche 911 (993 Series), Honda City w/ Motocompo (First Generation), A bunch of classic Kei Car Vans and Japanese Vans, BMW Z1, BMW 2002 (1802), Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen (W460), Mercedes-Benz 240D (W123), BMW Alpina B6 3.5.


Re: Music, Music, Music


(Here I am doing the face thing again. Shout-out to David Byrne!)
I grew up in the Napster and Mozilla era. I remember my friends and I competing for who could find the most obscure songs from our favorite artists online.

We were such music snobs that we would torture each other by playing songs and refusing to disclose their names (this is pre-Shazam) to each other.

Anyway, here's a playlist^ I made that does a pretty good job of capturing some of my favorite musical genres.

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