What are we looking at this week?
Been head down this week working with a client who's creating a global standard for responsible mining. The main piece is a book. I've enjoyed getting back into book design after a bit of a hiatus. There's a collage involved as well. I love collage. It was timely since I just read in The Lonely City (see below) about collage and it's power to mend and bring disparate ideas/things together. The project's been fast, leaving little time to "overthink." Sometimes you just have to make. I actually think the results can turn out more authentic, or surprisingly delightful that way. In this particular case, that's been true. I actually kept a note card on my desk this week that simply said, "make something ugly." The idea, as I took it, was to not focus on the end results. Just make something (even if it's ugly). Get feedback. Move forward. Repeat. That's what I did and eventually, I made something beautiful. Afterward, I edited the note card to say "make something ugly, beautiful." My thought there is that my work has to go through an ugly phase before it can become beautiful.
As far as links to share, I think there's a common theme of interiority this week. From reading about loneliness in The Lonely City to asking "what if money was no object?," the content I've consumed has challenged me to look within myself.
Enjoy,
D.J.
History of the Second World War Magazine I bought the whole collection of History Of The Second World War magazine about ten years ago. Been using them as inspiration on a recent project.
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol Just read about their collaboration in The Lonely City (book). Check out the work. It's amazing.
The Slash: 20-Foot Clearing Stretches 5,525 Miles Across World's Longest Border Kind of amazing. People are mighty capable creatures.
"Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver Joey, my friend and meditation instructor, shares this quote. I love the line, "You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves."
Jordan Peterson's 12 rules for life Rule 12.
What if money was no object? Found this oldie in my Evernote archive. A very good question. “What would you do if money was no object?” As a business owner, this is a tough one. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hours and dollars and forgot variables like happiness or legacy.
“Marketing” just means being considerate Marketing has been a bad word in my mind. Recently, I've realized it's need. Design and marketing are symbiotic. This article is timely and helpful as I overcome biases. Thanks to J.G. for the share.
You’ll Never Really Feel Like You’ve ‘Made It’ (And Why That’s A Good Thing) It's cliche, but George Founds, one of my design professors, always said "life's about the journey, not the destination." A good reminder here, as always, from Ryan Holiday.