
#190 Kiss & Make Up
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August 25 is National Kiss & Make Up Day
If you’re reading this a day or two before August 25, you have plenty of time & no excuses to not kiss & make up.
According to Jacqueline Milgate of Hilton, New York, who founded National Kiss & Make Up Day, & the good folks at National Day Calendar (who also officialized National Ampersand Day, coming up in just a couple weeks), here is some advice to make things better between those people you really want in your life:
This National Day gives us a chance to make amends. Each one of us has had a fight with a loved one at some point in our lives. Whether it is between you & a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker after time has passed, do you remember the cause? Who was even at fault? Do you want the discord to go on any longer? That is probably the most important question of all.
Offering an apology, or simply just breaking the silence can be enough to begin the healing. Strive to compromise. Even in a no-win situation, if the relationship is worth preserving agreeing to disagree may be the only resolution. When we talk through issues calmly after a serious dispute, we often find both sides misunderstood the other person. Looking back, hopefully, we can find something to laugh about & repair the relationship.
Why is the kiss important?
Kissing prompts your brain to release a happy elixir of feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, & oxytocin. This isn’t only important for your happiness, it may also help to strengthen your relationship.
Also by National Day Calendar:
What are the best movie make up scenes?
- The Notebook – Allie & Noah reunite after years apart, but they have a firey argument followed by an epic make up.
- Juno – Juno fills Paulie’s mailbox full of Tic Tacs.
- The Mission – Rodrigo, an indigenous tribe, & Father Gabriel reconcile after a penance for Rodrigo’s sinful acts.
- Happy Gilmore – Happy Gilmore apologies to Chubbs by saying, “I’m stupid. You’re smart. I was wrong. You were right. You’re the best. I’m the worst. You’re very good-looking. I’m not attractive.”
- Jerry Maguire – Jerry’s “I love you” speech to Dorothy hits the mark when he says, “You complete me.”
Anyone else on the list?
Even if you’ve had a squabble with your boss, buddy or barista, you can still make up — kissing is entirely optional.
I was upset that my cat woke me up at 4am. I think I’ll make up with her now & kiss her too.
Concept & design
I got the idea (which I should have thought of years ago) to simply visit nationaldaycalendar.com to see if any special celebrations were on the horizon with an ampersand (or “and” or “+”), & sure enough two days away was National Kiss & Make Up Day.
Immediately I visualized a big red pair of lips in the center of the piece, with nothing all that clever about the text, originally intending “Kiss &” to be the top line & “Make Up” being the bottom. But while perusing the images at depositphotos.com for a “kiss” I came across the perfect concept for an ampersand: a lip ring (or two). That was fun to put together — once I did my research as to where the actually piercing occurs. (I like to keep my work as authentic as feasible, lest creative license intervenes.)
Turns out, rarely is the lip actually pierced; it’s usually above &/or below, although there are times when it’s right through the smacker. Here are the two articles that helped me create the artwork, which I found interesting: freshtrends.com & thelist.com. If you’re considering a piercing, these are excellent articles. (Truth be told, the second one scared me off. What a wuss, I know.)
Production notes for #190 Kiss & Make Up:
Original size: 20x30 inches
Program: Adobe Illustrator
Font: Stalemate
Ampersand: 24k gold
Credits:
Lips image & ring image (pierced by Chaz): depositphotos.com
Inspiration & most of the text: nationaldaycalendar.com
Creative guidance on piercing: freshtrends.com & thelist.com
Note: “&” replaces “and” in most or all text, including quotations, headlines & titles.
You may repost the image & article. Please credit AmperArt.com.
To download a full-size high-resolution 11x17-inch poster suitable for printing & framing, click on the image.

Chaz DeSimone is the creator of AmperArt & owner of Desimone Design. He was adding serifs to letters when he was just a little brat scribbling on walls. Now he’s a big brat & his entire career is design for clients who desire the most sophisticated, logical, captivating creative. Contact him at chaz@desimonedesign.com to discuss your project, pick his brain, or just talk shop.

A global solution for peace
Wouldn’t it be great if countries could simply kiss & make up?
This is just one of my opinions on the chaz sez blog.
Rants & raves mostly about design, sometimes about the universe.
An occasional bit of useful advice.
Read the blog:
desimonedesign.com/chaz-sez




