Passionately Alive

What If?

2012-01-27T14:39:00.003-05:00

What if we didn't have to choose between solid business acumen and creative brainpower?

What if we viewed collaboration less as a trio of venn diagrams and more as a synergistic melding of minds?

What if we recognized the power of place and human connection as successful for success?

These are some questions that i've been developing as i've started taking my business incubator idea to the next level. Something fun is brewing and I can hardly wait to see where it goes next.

Waiting

2012-01-25T23:44:00.001-05:00

They well up inside me
Beat heavy, and hard
My veins pulse with the notes
The notes that I long to recreate

The words unwritten
A sort of melody I haven't yet caught wind of
But it's there
The faintest hint
The scratch
The warm hand on the small of my back
A look that speaks volumes

My heart palpitates to the beat of a car door slamming outside
I wait
And wait
My thumbs recount the fervent drumming of the braided man
His beat goes on
And on

The woman who has lost her voice
She sings for us
Inside her recesses

We long and grasp
To find voice for the ringing inside
To paint a way forward
Even when we've stopped leaning into the future

The song remains unfinished
Lacking for accompaniment, it feels raw
Waiting
Waiting
The beat goes on

Stories can enable us to look inwardly and then outwardly as we seek to unmask our identities in search of our true selves. Today, perhaps more than ever, I need these stories to remind me, to show me, to guide me. I need the hope that I can no longer find in myself but which can only be given and received. To see the world as a child. To trust and to love deeply without fear of rebuff. To step beyond the precipice of my own understanding and fall into the arms of another's leading. I press my outstretched flesh into the promises, and wait.

A Manifesto for the New Year

2012-01-01T23:11:00.002-05:00

I made some resolutions for the new year, but quite honestly I like this set better. Here's a snippet:

Put your faith in the two inches of humus that will build under the trees every thousand years. Listen to carrion - put your ear close, and hear the faint chattering of the songs that are to come. Expect the end of the world. Laugh. Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.

-Wendell Berry

Must I Write?

2011-11-24T18:33:00.000-05:00

I've been mulling a bit over a few lines from Rainer Maria Rilke where he advises the young poet that he should become a writer only if he feels that he must. So, i've been asking myself, "must I?" At times, I feel paralyzed as a writer, unable to put pen to paper because I fear the vulnerability, or I fear the rejection of a piece not well received. As I sit at home over the holidays, though, I want nothing more than to retreat over a cup of tea and a good album and write. I want to watch movies and reflect on them. I want to muse over memories and spin them into allegory. I want to stare at a crackling fire for hours and then consider how to repaint the image with words.

In any other day and age, i'd probably have tried my hand at making a career out of writing. But that is scary, and troublesome in today's publishing world. Is the status of publishing an excuse for my own failure to step into the call of a writer further? Maybe. But maybe I should also give myself a little break.

Today, I was hit by this nugget: sometimes we must first unweave lies to find truth. In order to find our true selves, we must often first learn to recognize our false selves. And in order to discover our truest passions, we must often excavate the caverns of those that are not. Sometimes we must fully grasp the thing that we thought we wanted most deeply, only to realize that it wasn't the thing that would make us happy.

My mother has told me since I was a very young child that i've always been one who couldn't learn lessons from the advice of others. I always had to stick my finger into the pot of burning water first to believe it was boiling. I don't trust easily and when that trust is broken, it becomes even harder for me to live with arms outstretched instead of arms crossed. Things have marred me. My heart and my deepest self bear wounds from those who have hurt me. Likewise, they bear the pain from people whom I have hurt and let down through my own selfish nature and desire for control.

But, through a long and ongoing process of healing, these wounds have enabled me to become someone who can step down into the mess of others' lives and share hope. When we hear tales of hope from those who have suffered little loss, they often feel empty. I am learning that to be a writer, I must feel deeply. I must become expressive, not only of my own emotions, desires, and aspirations, but also those of my generation, and of my world. I must be able to relate, to empathize. I must feel the pain of broken communities, I must finger the wound of lost loved ones, I must shoulder the load of unmet expectations.

I am not alone in this, but the journey is necessary in order to become the kind of person who resonates as a storyteller. What this set of reflections means for me, I don't quite know, but for now it is better for me to write than to remain mute.

In Others' Stories I Find Life

2011-11-23T22:09:00.001-05:00

Our lives are not always wrought with excitement. Sometimes stories that others provide offer the invigoration needed to press forward. One day it's a Wailin Jennys album. Another day it might be a photo collection of people wearing scarves. Yet another, it's a beat poetry show performed in the Shenandoah. Here are a few things that have gotten me excited lately:

Simple Tablescapes

Source: stinemos.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

The Lone Printed Accessory

Source: topshop.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Cheese and Jam

Source: ohjoy.blogs.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Music:
Diego Garcia's "Laura" album
The Wailin Jennys (obvi)
Marina and the Diamonds' "The Family Jewels" album
Anything and everything by Gary Clark Jr.

The Importance of Unplugging

2011-11-14T23:50:00.001-05:00

Perhaps at no time in my life have I felt such a temptation to always be moving as I do now that i'm in art school, where productivity is measured by what I make. My hands have spent the last few months flitting about from project to project, whilst my brain has strategized about how to get things done efficiently. I've immersed myself in inordinate amounts of literature related to my subject of study, and the many other subjects that inform it. Even when i'm at home and the day is nearing end, there is a temptation to clean, to organize, to create. One thing that is not stressed here in design school, however, is the need for good rest to enhance the power of one's mind and to help one set aside the temptation towards selfish aims.

Rest is a beautiful, mysterious and powerful thing. It involves a turning over of the things that one wants to control and a coming to terms with the fact that we simply cannot master everything, nor would we want to. We live in a culture that encourages us to be "on" 24/7. If not working directly, then soaking up or examining things from afar. We are pushed to immerse ourselves at every moment possible, to dive deep beneath the waves of culture and humanity and reemerge with a solution that will move both forward. Yet, solutions don't always come with immersion. Sometimes, we must look outside things to find understanding. And sometimes, too, we must look outside ourselves. Rest allows us to do this, to still our souls in the midst of a spinning universe and find rooting and grounding.

This remains an incomplete set of thoughts but is a kernel of what is brewing in my mind of late. There's certainly more to come.

The Subtle Thread

2011-11-12T21:35:00.003-05:00

Lesson of late: sometimes the subtle thread is the more important one. With each passing day I realize more and more that success, as we might traditionally define it, is not the end goal. What is, meanwhile, remains more strange, a bit like the dull hum of the itch that won't go away.

I am learning that life's simple moments, musing about relationships over bangers and mash, catching up with a long-distance friend whilst putting away the dishes, scribbling a list of ingredients for cranberry scones with The Velvet Underground in the background, become the pulses that make it feel rich and authentic. The trip, which we planned as a vacation, has become the theme upon which life's crux begins to form. Aye, riddles and rhymes seem to be the only verses that do justice to the rhythms of the universe.

I am a creator.

I am a child who wants to enthrall.

I am a daughter.

I am a cherisher of time and gift.

I am a woman.

I am a lover who longs to know and be known.

I am a sister.

I am a friend who wants to walk alongside.

I am becoming.

When the Story Hits a Bracket

2011-10-29T10:13:00.003-04:00

Do you ever feel like your story has hit a bracket? What I mean by this is that the events that are currently transpiring in your life might feel more like a short aside in the midst of a rich chapter than anything quoteworthy, noteworthy, triumphant. Life is full of in-betweens but we long for a feeling that our stories matter. We want people to tell us this. We want our life's circumstances to tell us this. If we push back at the darkness long enough, we will inevitably grow tired.

Lately, i've been musing a bit on the life of Mother Teresa, and her ability to be Christ in a place of her own spiritual darkness. As her personal accounts suggest, the time of the height of Mother Teresa's work was marked by her own profound experience of desolation. It was a time in which, while serving others, Mother Teresa felt distant from her God, found it difficult to press forward in faith, and struggled through feelings of "loneliness and meaninglessness." The modern church will often tell us that to be follower of Christ is to be ever-joyful, steadfast, placid. I'd like to counter this rather serene description by suggesting that the Christ-follower must often be a warrior, fierce, ever-watchful, persistent. Mother Teresa was a fighter, she fought against every voice (internal and external) that told her that she was crazy, that her work wouldn't make enough of a difference, that her God had forsaken her. And her struggle was real, deeply real. Read these words quoted in TIME Magazine in 2007:

Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.— Mother Teresa to the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, September 1979

What is most earth-shattering to me about Mother Teresa's story is not that she faced extreme darkness but the manner in which she dealt with it. Mother Teresa's courage in the midst of isolation is remarkable and inspiring. It is a dangerous kind of faith that many so often shy from in today's culture, and it is one that I plan to explore further over the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Random Thoughtlets

2011-10-02T20:21:00.001-04:00

There's not so much to say, but then also so much. How to...put thoughts to pen? It's not always easy and so sometimes we must listen, wait, pray, hope, and explore. Only through time will the story weave itself into words, and maybe, just maybe, the story will outlive us.

I make no apology for my lack of writing on this blog of late, but please know dear reader that when i'm not writing something is always bubbling just below the surface, waiting to come up for air. Mostly, i've been putting thoughts and ideas to pictures and music lately in the way of playlists and idea boards.

Here are a few droplets for the taking:

Neko Case's "Middle Cyclone" album
Creative incubators ala the salon movement gone Ace Hotel
Summer work-ventures
Becoming a master of avant garde soups
Knowing versus wanting, sharpening versus comfort
What is community?
What is normal versus what is good?

"We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time"

-T.S. Eliot

Music Crush

2011-09-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

Every now and then, I develop a music crush on an up-and-coming band. My latest one is Little Dragon. I've been aware of Little Dragon for a few years now, but for whatever reason didn't browse the band's melodic treasure troves until recently. Now, i'm hooked (okay, so maybe they're a little hippy dippy trippy, but i kinda dig 'em anyway). P.S. Check out the Video for "My Step," it uses clay marionettes; pure gold.

The Power of Pictures

2011-09-09T21:55:00.003-04:00

Ever since I was a very little girl, i've taken great pleasure in admiring beautiful things. When I was still quite young, my mom would take me to the zoo to visit the animals or to the museum to view the exhibits. I've always loved touching, tasting, and experiencing things deeply. Images help facilitate such a process when the hands-on isn't possible. More so, images can bring us into places that we need, that stir up the parts of us we don't want to face, that resurface the things that we've stopped dreaming about, or that force us to consider things that we feel are too difficult to face. On my walls in my apartment, I have images of things that inspire me: a magazine clipping of loosely arranged flowers in an urn, an art deco poster from the 1920s, a photograph of cherry blossoms in France. These things speak to who I am and they also speak into my everyday activities.

This afternoon, I spent a few hours perusing images online and pinning several to my online "pinboards" on Pinterest. The Pinterest site has become a great outlet for storing images, recipes, decoration ideas, and the like. I love the fact that a pinboard can be used as a way to share virtually the same kind of inspirations that I have in my home. Whilst pinning some images today, I was particularly struck by the depth and gravity of what images do to me. One blog, amusingly titled "There's a bird in your hair," features simple, serene images that made me feel contemplative. Combined with some light classical music and a neutral black background, these stunning pictures really come to life online. Meanwhile, through sites like Flickr, I can browse the work of specific photographers or the favorites of certain users. Today I stumbled upon one user's favorites list that features many shots enhanced with filters to tone down their colors, giving them an ethereal, dreamy quality. These images took me into a space of rest and reflection after a brisk mid-evening run. Yet another Flickr user, this one a photographer, showcases all kinds of portraits on her photostream: a black and white of a mother in a simple tunic with a diapered child in her arms, a child watching a pirate-clad figure paint a picture and laughing, and a colorful shot of a couple looking at a piece of art. All of these photo sources stirred me to consider further what pictures do to us and why they move us.

As Getty Images founder Jonathan Klein says in a rather intriguing TED talk "images provoke reactions in people and those reactions cause change to happen." Images shake us up, change our perceptions, and can bring us to the places of freedom (or awareness) that we've needed for far too long. Klein further suggests that we "bring our own value systems" to the images that we view, meaning that images move us based on the lens through which we view them. Because photographers do not force their subjects to interpret their work through a particular perspective, there is a great beauty in the power of photography. And yet, while the photographer cannot tell the viewer how to interpret his or her images, he or she can still guide the viewer's perceptions by following a particular aesthetic or focusing on a particular theme. Likewise the very humanness to photography makes it an appealing medium for speaking to people's emotions and stirring them to action. Can an image change the world? Klein says yes, and perhaps there is something to this. While I don't totally have my finger to the pulse of what makes an image captivating, the allure has me taken, hook, line and sinker. Featured below are two recent favorites:

Source: 100layercake.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: Harper's Bazaar via Rebecca on Pinterest

The Ultimate Thrift

2011-08-29T16:26:00.000-04:00

I've been on a search for the ultimate thrift, i.e. the best place to go shopping for vintage wares. A lover of culture and stories, I am a sucker for a good vintage jacket or a great piece of old furniture. Since i've been off the clock the past few weeks and also decorating a new space, i've also been on the lookout for some key pieces for my new place.

Source: countryliving.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

This past week I went shopping around downtown Savannah and stumbled upon the lovely Paris Market and Brocante (see image above) after a quick browse through DC2 Design. For those visiting SAV, both stores are worth a visit, and (to boot) Paris Market and Brocante may be the best curated space i've ever seen. I must say, though, Savannah has some great shops but most are rather out of my budget; so today my mom and I did a little tour around Five Points and Cameron Village in downtown Raleigh in search of the ultimate thrift (read awesome and affordable). Finally, after quite a few stops and a delicious lunch we hit the motherlode. Invariably the motherlode is a spot where the owners don't know just how great their stuff is, or they'd probably do a better job of organizing and displaying it. When one finds this kind of spot, the prices are right and you can often negotiate a package deal on several pieces. To illustrate, here are a few of the things I'll be pondering over the next few days:

Raw Wood Table with Painted Legs and Storage Shelf

Source: None via Rebecca on Pinterest

Wooden Chest used for Shipping (coffee table option?)

Source: None via Rebecca on Pinterest

World War 2 Military Trunk

Source: None via Rebecca on Pinterest

New Beginnings

2011-08-12T07:14:00.000-04:00

This time next week I'll be leaving the comfort of the adult working world that i've known for the past four years to pursue my dream of becoming a designer. For much of my life, I've leaned towards this dream, and now it is suddenly at my doorstep. The closeness of the change has pressed itself hotly against my chest and i'm ready for it. You see, I've been a designer for much of my life, often without admitting it. As early as the age of ten, I was designing grassroots initiatives with the goal of making my neighborhood a more exciting place to live. However, the possibility of what looms ahead is also bit daunting. The path up until this point has often been one with contours easy to navigate, but it now feels like i'm going into the dark.

This transition involves a different kind of waiting, it is a waiting for becoming and belonging, a waiting for others to meet me in the places to which I have been called and to journey with me. Soon I will meet the people of Savannah and those students who are to be my classmates over the next two years. The journey will grow me and it will shape me, and the people whom I encounter will never leave me the same.

Source: livecreatingyourself.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I'm Back

2011-07-28T21:00:00.001-04:00

After roughly 4 weeks spent mostly out of town, i'm back. And boy, let me tell you, it was refreshing to spend some time away. In addition to unplugging from this blog, I also deleted my facebook profile (a change that I may continue indefinitely).

During my time away, one of my favorite finds was the film "The Red Violin." It's been a while since I watched a good film and I must say, this one is worth a watch. I'll try to post a review soon, although I can't make any promises given my recent departure... So, for the meantime, here's a quote:

"What do you do when the thing you most wanted, so perfect, just comes?..." -Charles Morritz

This film ties in well with a few themes i've been meditating on lately, so i'm excited to share more soon.

Returning to the Well for Water

2011-06-27T23:31:00.000-04:00

My wellspring has been running dry lately. For the past 6 months, all circuits have been on go, save for a quasi-respite spent in France earlier this month. Nowhere has this been more evident than in my writing, a direct outpouring of my thought life, which has been severely lacking this year. To recharge my batteries, i'm going on a hiatus for the month of July. When I return, I hope to bring lessons from a place sometimes forgotten, but much needed, in today's ever-connected culture.

I've quoted the lines below before, but i'm going to again, because they just ring so utterly true:

One of the chief obstacles to this perfection of selfless charity is the selfish anxiety to get the most out of everything, to be a brilliant success in our own eyes and in the eyes of other men. We can only get rid of this anxiety by being content to miss something in almost everything we do. We cannot master everything, taste everything, understand everything, drain every experience to its last dregs. But if we have the courage to let almost everything else go, we will probably be able to retain the one thing necessary for us-whatever it may be. If we are too eager to have everything, we will almost certainly miss even the one thing we need.

-Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

Cheers folks, hope to see you soon!

Growing Till Tall: Musings

2011-06-20T23:13:00.000-04:00

Last week marked my return from a truly epic two-week vacation in France. My re-entry has been imprinted by a realization that I have a deeper sense of myself, and the world that surrounds me after a time of cultural immersion. This summer is a summer of change, and of new opportunity, as I embark on a journey towards a fuller realization of my passions and giftings. As of this May, i've been out of college for as long as I was in it. Thus, at this stage of adulthood, I particularly feel the berth and weight of what has come before as well as that of what lies ahead.

In more ways than one, my experience of growing up feels a lot like the time-worn saga of French culture and heritage. Amidst its many joyous moments, France's history has been marked with thorns and bristles-outlandish emperors, social unrest, political upstage after political upstage. Its story serves as a reminder that the journey is not safe, but that it is good, deeply richly good.

A few weeks ago, I stood in the ruins of a civilization that once was, the city of Entremont. Located just outside of Aix-en-Provence, it is now a tourist site with little glitz or glamour, but a lot of character. My group's informal afternoon tour was drizzly, and we plodded through mud and stone-strewn grass to catch a glimpse of this once-bustling community that is now in ruins. It felt strange to walk over rubble-filled areas once inhabited by families, where dwellers once cooked food, made babies, and met with friends and neighbors. Its history reminded me of the passing and fragile nature of life. Deep within, I was stirred to make each moment count.

Growing till tall is not without its pains, but it is a momentous thing. As we grow older day by day, year by year, we learn that decisions don't often come easily and that often one path is chosen at the loss of others. We must, however, choose and decide. We must also make and do, if we are to be happy with the people we are and the mark that we leave upon the world. As we learn to walk for the first time, or to dance in tune with music, or to cut across the waves of an ocean atop a finely-shaped fiberglass mass, we step more fully into the people we were created to be. At first, we may fall quite a lot, or tumble into laughter, but over time we will develop a mastery of craft and concept that is both beautiful and good. Like the city of Entremont, though, we must remember that our handiwork and homes will one day fade into the dust of history. Ultimately, what will last is something deeper, richer, fuller; it is that which we most deeply aspire to and most inwardly crave. It is a sense in which our stories matter, not just for now but for all history, aye, all eternity. Leaning into adulthood, we realize this with ever-increasing clarity, and oh my soul continues to ache towards its conclusion.

Travel Blog is Live

2011-06-02T16:42:00.001-04:00

Wondering what i've been up to lately? Check out Revel, where my friend Maggie and I are blogging about our 2-week journey to France. I'll probably be posting there exclusively for the next few weeks. Cheers!

R

Coming Soon!

2011-05-24T23:13:00.000-04:00

Wondering where i've been the past few months? Well friends, many layers of intrigue are about to unfold over the coming weeks. A friend and I are off to France on an adventure come Saturday. In tandem with the trip, we're launching an "adventure" blog, inviting users into a unique travel journalism experience that we hope to replicate many times over the course of the next few years.

We're going live in a few short days, so get pumped!

Source: iwantoneofthose.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Visual Resource of the Moment: Wovenplay

2011-04-27T00:52:00.001-04:00

Source: wovenplay.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Theme of the moment: get inspired by Wovenplay. I'm in love with the stunning photographs featured on this children's clothiers' website, despite the fact that it is not abundantly clear what this retailer is even selling from its online "store." Perhaps the utter mystery is what drew me in after all but, regardless, Wovenplay's site is loaded with great photos of kids playing dress-up and pretending. I highly suggest that you have a look.

Wovenplay's online photos evidence a very smart method of branding akin to that of Anthropologie, another retailer that focuses its advertising less upon product than upon lifestyle. Year after year, Anthro has crafted an image that speaks to consumers through ethos and aesthetic. The ethereal, artistic quality of its magazine photos make viewers want to buy into the brand. Even its stores are decorated with care and are highly stylized and individualistic, a stark contrast to the traditional department store approach.

The editorial nature of Wovenplay's digital archives has me itching for more and likewise just itching to work on some of my own creative work. I love that in viewing a photo on this website I am transported to another place, a place of the child's imagination. This place is one often captured by the lens of one of my favorite photographers, Helen Levitt. Now deceased, Levitt's work has spoken to me for quite a few years and each time I reflect back upon it i'm reminded of a quiet stillness and excitement about childhood that I often long to recapture. Likewise, the photos from Wovenplay stir up a sense of restlessness for the times in which all things seemed possible and the weight of responsibilities carried little consequence. There's something good about responsibilities and accountability, but there is also something wonderful about the sense of freedom and wonder so often exuded in a child's demeanor. Most adults, I think, could stand to learn something from the likes of Wovenplay's subjects. A sample of Wovenplay's work is provided above, but you'll have to visit the site to get the full experience.

On Friendship

2011-04-15T23:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since i've posted, and much is bubbling below the surface but not quite ready to come out. Meanwhile, I have been working on a piece about friendship and thought i'd share a few snippets from my reading of Thoreau's "A Week on the Concord," the themes of which are playing heavily into my own writing:

The violence of love is as much to be dreaded as that of hate. When it is durable it is serene and equable. Even its famous pains begin only with the ebb of love, for few are indeed lovers, though all would fain be. It is one proof of a man's fitness for Friendship that he is able to do without that which is cheap and passionate. A true Friendship is as wise as it is tender. The parties to it yield implicitly to the guidance of their love, and know no other law nor kindness. It is not extravagant and insane, but what it says is something established henceforth, and will bear to be stereotyped. It is a truer truth, it is better and fairer news, and no time will ever shame it, or prove it false. This is a plant which thrives best in a temperate zone, where summer and winter alternate with one another. The Friend is a necessarius, and meets his Friend on homely ground; not on carpets and cushions, but on the ground and on rocks they will sit, obeying the natural and primitive laws. They will meet without any outcry, and part without loud sorrow. Their relation implies such qualities as the warrior prizes; for it takes a valor to open the hearts of men as well as the gates of castles. It is not an idle sympathy and mutual consolation merely, but a heroic sympathy of aspiration and endeavor.

With the South In Mind

2011-03-27T08:58:00.001-04:00

Image: Destination 360.com

Headed down to Georgia this week for a day in Savannah, followed by a weekend in Atlanta. There's really no better time of year to hit the south and i'm so excited to get in touch with my southern roots on the visit. It's been years since I hit the streets of Savannah, but i'm thrilled for the upcoming trip. As a young girl, I first visited Savannah on a Girl Scouts field trip to the home of founder Juliette Gordon Low's birthplace. Today, my heart heats up as I remember that first visit to her historic home, where we dressed up in hoop skirts and pretended as if we were born centuries earlier. I love the historic charm of Savannah and its many old homes, some of which have been restored or updated. The city breathes a simple gentility that welcomes its visitors, somewhat like the tantalizing aroma of fresh spring flowers wafting from a garden.

Although i'm usually very bad at this, i'll aim to take some photos from my journey and post them here. Also, I welcome recommendations as to hot-spots to visit. It promises to be an adventure!

Building A Better Search

2011-03-22T00:28:00.005-04:00

Image: nicoleleec via flickr

Do you sit around wondering how to make the internet a better place to get things done? What about how to find legit, credible sources? Now, what about how to help us all feel just a little bit more human when we're online? An article written in this month's issue of The Atlantic implies that more and more of the "research" we're doing on the web is gearing us towards crowd-sourced solutions to everyday problems and likewise towards media that is entertainment-driven. The result of this scenario is one in which data-driven reporting, as one might traditionally define it, is being pushed out by up-to-the-minute sensational journalism. We've seen it, says Atlantic author Fallows, with the now widespread Gawker. We've also seen it with the rise of services such as social plugins and the ever trendier term "realtime search." But what happens when what we really want to know isn't the most popular search term, or for that matter the most "frequently recommended" solution? What if we want a more intuitive search? This is where realtime, crowdsourced solutions fall to the wayside and the current moanings of academics begin to make a bit of sense.

Well, I for one would like to make the web simultaneously more useful, more collaborative, and less obtusely-driven by a set of organizations whose main objective is sales, especially at the expense of true (albeit sometimes unpopular) journalism. In such a vein, this blogpost recently featured by PSFK (a personal fave) presents a rather amusing set of rumblings on the topic...

Science has a very vigorous process for moving the scientific understanding of an issue forward, and a key component of that process is the peer reviewed paper. A peer reviewed paper is, in simplest terms, a paper that has undergone the scrutiny of other scientists to insure that nothing in there is opinion or conjecture and that all conclusions are supported by the facts. It's an anonymous and brutal process, and it's often criticized because it means that science moves at an overly sluggish and methodical pace. But it wasn't developed for speed. It was developed so that our understanding of the world can build upon a sound foundation of what has come before.

When you search a topic like "the best coffee in America" the results can come back with a zillion equal opinions, and it won't mean that you now have a distorted world view. But if you search "gravitational effects" it would be helpful to have a way to separate the science from the chaff.

This piece raises some very, let me repeat very, important issues related to the forward motion of the internet. The problem that faces content managers today is less "what's newsworthy" than it is "what is science and what is chaff," or more pointedly "what matters?" How might we shape the web so that it points us towards the most useful resources rather than just those that consistently make headlines? If predictive analytics don't do the trick, is there another way? If so, what might that solution look like?

Hopes, the Present Moment, and Waiting

2011-03-18T00:44:00.000-04:00

As the title of this piece suggests, i'm in a period that is particularly full of lots of hopes and waiting. There is a lot of looming uncertainty about the future: what projects I might undertake, where I might travel, with whom I might spend my time, the list goes on. This is, many might say, the space that fills most of our lives, and it is a space we rarely take the time to enjoy constructively.

Like an adrenaline rush, we yearn towards the future, taste just a hint then find ourselves hungering for more. As a woman in her mid-twenties, I have stepped into a space where I can live comfortably, thoughtfully, and strategically yet often feel as if I lack the things that would make my life feel full. My longing, I can quite honestly say, is for something more than accomplishment; in fact, I think articles in women's magazines are just starting to get at this. Women in general are climbing the ladders of their corporate, even social, fantasies and then finding that all of the things that they thought would make them feel good just end up feeling, well, not. My suspicion is that the same is holding true for men.

For many of us, the first few years out of college involve a pressing into dreams for accomplishment, entrepreneurial endeavors, and life-defining moments. I've had many of these along the way since I graduated. But what i've realized, increasingly over time, is that what I actually want is something a lot deeper than these shallow dreams of my youth entailed. A mentor in my first year out of college once cautioned me and several friends (fellows, actually) to treasure the days of our youth for as long as we could before the days of the diapers came along. Increasingly, aye interestingly, I find myself caught at the crossroads of one's youthful dreams and a slight longing for diaper wonderland. And this is the space that no one prepares you for quite adequately; it is a deeply-entrenched life of already but not quite yet.

We go to work energized, come home feeling exhausted and longing for deep connection with other people but so often find ourselves in the space of loneliness. This sense of loneliness can go with us whether we're sitting at home watching movies by ourselves or out at a show with friends just feeling distant. We crave connectedness but so many modern day realities have made it hard for us to cultivate worthwhile relationships with others in our communities. Whether it is the sheer distance between us and our peers or the fact that many of us are transient, unattached, and continuously mobile, it is easy to feel like it has been weeks since we touched ground. My guess is that this sentiment touches on the experience of both marrieds and unmarrieds in my generation, as a few new friends that fall into the former category recently remarked that all their unmarried friends largely ignore them and assume they're off happy in married bliss while they pander on feeling isolated.

Concurrently, in a city like DC so much conversation focuses around the things that we do for a living, the things that I truly believe we in this city think make us who we are. I believe that this is a falsehood, which may have taken the year I spent outside this city to truly sink in. Who we are is not where we work, it is not our talents, it is not our accolades. It is something more, very much more. But our culture has not given us the proper framework to understand or even appreciate this truth, even though so much around us hints at it. There is a sense of fragmentation that runs deep in our communities and it concerns me. It is a way of living that says "its okay if you don't show up, because i'll find something better to do, when a friend drops the ball on plans." We puff in whispered silence "I don't really need you" when others let us down. And something of our "pull 'em up by 'er bootstraps" upbringing has taught us to think this way.

But, what if we change the scenario completely and acknowledge the fact that we do really need each other, desperately? What if we candidly say to our friends and communities, "I can't do this without you and I need you to show up?" What if we openly acknowledge that our forms of community feel isolating, and shallow? Now, what if we decide that we want to do something about this and start breathing life into a vision for something deeper and more communal?

This is the vague space in which my mind is operating as of late, and it is-to be sure-the kernel of a much longer work in the making. I know not how to express it in anything other than abstraction today. Right now I am being challenged to confront many of the questions addressed here head-on and determine how my reaction is something more than lamentation. What I crave, most desperately, is a remedy, even a model of the remedy, something I feel is largely lacking in our modern day America. I don't think the lesson that I am longing for will be found here in this city, but do believe that the process of discovering it will leave me changed forever. Adventure is on the horizon, and this one will most definitely be shared. As for now, hoping, waiting, and learning to enjoy the present moment, however small and simple.

A Brief Reflection

2011-02-14T21:44:00.007-05:00

Sitting at home tonight, writing and reflecting, working on a new piece about family seafood dinners that i'll hope to finish soon. While sifting through some thoughts, I ran across this piece that I wrote last year and decided to run on my blog. I wrote it about this time last year and it's speaking to my current place of need.

Something about this piece that I love is that it feels like it wasn't written by me. I had dinner with a local artist this past week and this sentiment resonated with her as she shared how often whole poems come to her and her pen just flows, seemingly out of nowhere. The thoughts are mine, and yet not mine, all at the same time. Thus, this piece of my writing is uniquely able to speak to me in a way that feels fresh and resonates deeply.

My writing process began with these words: "There is a part of me that is rush and restless and thinks it has all the answers. Then another, quieter, part realizes that it is okay to take things as they come and learn to simply be present where I am." These thoughts much later resulted in the reflection offered in the next few lines, which hit home tonight as i'm now back in the city I once left:

I recently left the city for a smaller town, in search of myself, in search of a slower pace of life, in search of a sense of rootedness in place and community. What I found after leaving is that where we live does not dictate how much we are-or are not-in touch with ourselves, our land, and our people. What matters always, everywhere, is our willingness to live authentically and intentionally.

A year since writing these words, they still ring especially true, particularly as i've returned to DC. Each day I have a choice to live clawing and fighting for a different way of life or to embrace both trial and treasure as they come my way, knowing that both will shape me into the kind of person I was made to be. In my mid twenties with no major list of world-shattering accomplishments, much of my story feels unwritten. Simultaneously, though, the weight of a story that is itching to be told bears me forward. I am, to be sure, not quite certain of what the future may bring, but in order to write my story well I know I must go on living, authentically and intentionally.

Deepening DC Culture

2011-02-06T09:50:00.002-05:00

A good friend and I spent a bit of time yesterday chatting with a woman who owns a start-up vintage shop on U Street. The conversation excited me on many levels, and encouraged me to further believe that the DC design/art scene is really starting to blossom. This woman and her partner moved to DC to start their fashion line and she has been pleasantly surprised to find DC friendly and chock full of fun cultural opportunities (if you know where to look).

During the discussion, we were told about a neat local group that puts on vintage-themed bike rides twice per year (the Tweed Ride and the Seersucker Ride). Think people getting fully decked out in vintage seersucker and biking around downtown, then gathering for music and socializing at a big old mansion. That's a bit of what you'll find at the Dandies and Quaintrelles gatherings.

The Seersucker Ride is coming up this summer, and I can't wait to take part in this amusing event.

The Seersucker Social from ReadysetDC on Vimeo.

Latest Film Recommendation: Blame it On Fidel

2011-01-29T17:54:00.000-05:00

Julie Grava's "Blame it on Fidel" is a delicately complex showpiece. It illustrates the maturation of a young girl whose parents give up a life of wealth and comfort for one that rings truer to their own ideals. The film's main character, 9-year-old Anna, undergoes a transformation throughout its scenes, struggling at first with the loss of her big house and polished view of reality. Forced by her parents to exchange the life she once knew for one that is always brimming with obtuse visitors and rustled by political activism, Anna comes to reckon with a slew of issues she never previously considered.

Through the eyes of a child, this movie wrestles with big questions. As Anna considers her parents' involvement in the Allende movement and her own Spanish heritage, she bumps alongside the issues of freedom and oppression. The outside world that once felt far away hits home when members' of Anna's own family suffer and when women with heart-wrenching and confusing stories unfold their tragedies in Anna's living room. Anna's prior way of life, steeped in French traditionalism and a laissez-faire approach to inequality, had its virtues, which Anna recognizes and esteems long after her parents have given them up. Yet, as Anna is jolted onto a different path she increasingly begins to ask "what does true freedom look like?" and also "what does true justice look like?" Along the way, she unlearns the myth that grown-ups are always right and tries to find meaning amidst conflicting worldviews that come visiting from multiple angles.

Whether viewers follow the filmmaker's political leanings or not, there is much to be gleaned from this piece. Set in Paris during the early '70s, beautifully shot and scored to boot, it begs viewers to ask a similar set of questions as young Anna. While Anna's rosy world unmasks itself in this film, the grime and dirt of poverty and injustice surface. Without too much resolution, but just enough to offer hope, it leaves both Anna and the onlooker to ponder "how should this be?" and more pointedly "where do we go from here?" If you have an hour or two and can manage the subtitles, its well worth a watch.

Collage Peek: Round 1

2011-01-24T18:00:00.000-05:00

Source images: assorted creative commons licensed

Here's a peek at some of my creative work from this past semester. This is from our final collage project; it was printed out poster size in tandem with a black and white print also playing on the "city life" theme. Cheers!

DeShallowing and the Web

2011-01-03T19:27:00.002-05:00

Image: Έλενα Λαγαρία via flickr

Over the course of the past several months, I havebeen reading a book that has helped me unpack a notion that has been hauntingme for quite a few years, namely: how to make sense of and live thoughtfullyinto the ever-connected virtual age. Nicholas Carr's The Shallows posits that the web is nota singularly neutral tool but instead a vessel that is reshaping the humanbrain. In this work Carr thoughtfully illustrates how the internet hasfacilitated a reshaping of the human brain, tying in lessons from neuroscience,communication and behavioral psychology.

In The Shallows Carrchallenges his readers to question the true pros and cons of an ever-connectedculture. Having read Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" and hissubsequent writings on the topic in times past, I was curious to explore thephenomena that he refers to as "shallow reading" and its consequencesfor daily life. I was particularly drawn to the thesis of this book when Iperused his June 2010 interview with The Atlantic.States Carr:

What I started noticing around 2007 was that Iseemed to be losing my ability to concentrate. Not just when I was sitting at acomputer. Even when the computer was off and I tried to read a book, to sustaina single train of thought, I found it difficult.

This, more than anything, is why I purchased Carr'sbook and why it has had such a huge impact upon me. As a knowledge worker inthe 21st century economy, what I am often valued for more than anything is myability to connect ideas and churn out content at lightening speeds. However,the time that I have spent scouring the web has significantly dumbed down myability to concentrate on a given task for more than a few minutes, and I nolonger find it easy to sit down and read entire books or lengthy articles.

I often find myself skimming and scanning, and notjust when it comes to reading. I do the same thing in conversation-my mindbursts out ideas from a million different directions and the practice ofsustaining an intelligent discussion about a single subject over the course ofmultiple hours has become incredibly difficult. In social interactions, Ibounce quickly from topic to topic, and also sometimes person to person inefforts to pull in as many ideas as possible. Yet, this "bouncing" approachto interacting with the world has left me feeling somewhat fragmented andscatterbrained. Thus, I have found Carr's book quite timely, and sought ways toremedy my own ailments.

Not surprisingly, Carr is not the only persondiscussing this topic today. In fact, it seems to be a subject of growinginterest amongst a variety of intellectuals, and even those within GenerationY. For instance, in a piece for the New York Review of Books ZadieSmith weaves a compelling discussion regarding the Facebook generation,Mark Zuckerburg, and human nature. I found the latter half of Smith's articleparticularly enlightening. Starting on its second page, Smith quotes JaronLanier, author of You Are Not a Gadget:

Different media designs stimulate differentpotentials in human nature. We shouldn’t seek to make the pack mentality asefficient as possible. We should instead seek to inspire the phenomenon ofindividual intelligence.

Here, Smith begins to tie in similar threads as Carrin a rather striking way. Both argue against the grain that upholds technologyas a neutral vessel. Interestingly, though, Smith highlights less the factthat the web is facilitating a certain type of brain activity and morethat the web in its current state is advocating a particular type of philosophy.In Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg's case, this philosophy is one thatpromotes a complete freedom of information and declares war upon privacy. Yet,the great irony of the "social graph mentality" is that nothing isever free and that the price users pay for their use of Facebook is multifold:use of their personal information for marketing purposes, rapid exposure tocleverly targeted advertising campaigns, a digestion of one's personality intoa series of small boxes that can never supersede the significance of tacitknowledge. Perhaps further, Facebook promotes a replacement of deep connectionwith a shallowness that is in many ways similar to Carr's notion of shallowreading. Comments Smith:

When a human being becomes a set of data on a websitelike Facebook, he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character.Friendships. Language. Sensibility. In a way it’s a transcendent experience: welose our bodies, our messy feelings, our desires, our fears. It reminds me thatthose of us who turn in disgust from what we consider an overinflatedliberal-bourgeois sense of self should be careful what we wish for: our denudednetworked selves don’t look more free, they just look more owned.

This, I believe, is the very argument at the heartof Carr's book. Yet, the question of the hour is not so much "what is the webdoing to us?" as it is "how do we cope effectively?" While i'm not the biggest fanof completely removing oneself from the social web (although i've done itrecently to develop some better boundaries), I am also well aware of itslimitations. Quite honestly, I find myself both intrigued by thepossibilities and frightened by the magnitude of the social web in its currentstate.

Speaking of coping, a few months ago, I read about a group of brainresearchers who went on a trip out West to discover what effect technology hasupon brain function. The catch with this particular trip was that theresearchers were not supposed to check email, make calls, or connect to the webduring their day-to-day. Instead, they were asked to be fully present, andtherefore fully engaged in, the moments at hand. The results of this odd studywere somewhat scattered, and mostly qualitative, but they unequivocallysuggested that taking a break from technology was important for optimal brainactivity.

Like these researchers, I recently embarked upon abrain experiment of my own. The task: listen to a CD from start to finish inits entirety, no screens nearby, no books or magazines at my side, and no otheractivities allowed besides thinking, listening, and writing a response to themusic. The results from my study were astounding. At the beginning of my chosenalbum, I found it hard to concentrate, and was desperately itching to get upand do something else. The idea of sitting restfully for nearly an hour on endwithout engaging in some other form of activity seemed incredibly daunting. Andyet, by the end of my time “resting” with the music I felt incrediblyrefreshed.

After the success of my first experiment, I begananother, much larger experiment: a respite from the social web to regroup,reenergize, and refocus. This experiment is ongoing and it has had multiple, wide-reaching impacts upon my thought processes and day-to-day activities. In removing my personality from the hands oftechnology, in some ways I feel that I have re-found it. Simultaneously, though,I have missed my web of so called friends, or at the very least ready access tocontent whenever I want it. I want to believe that I am more than a bee in thehive that is forming online, but yet there is something about this growing massthat is alluring.

Truth be told, Facebook does a better job managing my contentfrom different channels than anything i've ever come across, particularlyrelated to articles/readings of interest. Yet, this content comes at a price:the price of my personal privacy and my time. By allowing my "likes" to betracked and mined, I gain access to more targeted information that is, at thevery least, closer to what i'm looking for. However, the deluge of relevantcontent coming my way, while interesting, can become overwhelming. Time andenergy once spent reading print media must now be used scanning web sources andcommunication that was once mostly aural is now mostly visual. When using the social web, my eyes can growtired of browsing and my mind sometimes races too fast for its owngood. Its an odd give-take that I have not totally wrapped my head around.

My experiment has taught me that both Smith and Carrmay be onto something: that a certain amount of deshallowing will be necessaryif we are to move beyond the dull hum of minds tuned perfectly to the beat ofthe web. What I’ve learned so far is that the answer to the shallowness thancan result from web-centrism may lie less in completely removing ourselves thanin learning how to discipline ourselves to use these tools thoughtfully andlimitedly. T.S. Eliot once said in reference to the radio: "It is a medium of entertainment which permitsmillions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remainlonesome." Interestingly, the same holds true of the web. It is a mediumwhereby millions of people can instantly connect with one another yet lack theelements of tacit relationship with word and world that facilitate a deep andauthentic kind of knowing. To truly know and be known, we must learn to live in the messy lifeblood of physical relationship with the world and with others. For this, there is no digital substitute.

2011-01-02T23:59:00.002-05:00

"So to act on what matters, we must choose to define our place more broadly. We do not justify it with instrumental explanations, because we are unwilling to shrink the best part of ourselves. We decide at this moment to be accountable for something larger, for the whole, for the common good, and this is a more powerful definition of accountability. I no longer dilute my own freedom. I exchange what seems like safety for a life that matters, caring for the whole." -Peter Block

The Healthy Business Series: Organizational Alignment

2010-12-30T10:32:00.001-05:00

Image: Minimalist Photography via flickr

Nearly 20 years ago management expert Thomas Powell wrote a piece for Strategic Management Journal entitled "Organizational Alignment as Competitive Advantage." In this piece, Powell discusses the importance of "integrating" an organization's objectives into its culture for its long-term sustainability. Bottom line, alignment can help boost an organization's ability to thrive.

So, what exactly is the culture of an organization? John Kotter describes this notion of culture as the "norms of behavior and shared values in a group of people." It is exemplified in the way that an organization's individual members act on a day to day basis. Suggests Kotter, "A good test of whether something is embedded in a culture is if our peers, without really thinking, find ways to nudge us back to group norms when we go astray." When an organization's raison d'être is embedded in the very way that its employees act on a day to day basis, i.e. when its mission statement and organizational objectives become a living, breathing reality, then its culture is aligned.

The word culture comes from a Latin stem meaning "to till, cultivate, attend to." MIT's Edgar Schein argues that an organization's culture involves three levels, which include its behavior and artifacts, its values, and (most deeply) its assumptions and beliefs. Those deep down factors that influence actions and often go unnoticed are the very stuff of culture that organizational alignment is most concerned with. As Schein has noted, "Most managers are quite blind to the fact that their strategy and structure are dominated by cultural assumptions and that a history of success and failure hardwires these cultural assumptions into their thinking."

Its easy enough to imagine what might result from a misaligned organizational culture: disengaged employees, weak leadership that is not respected by subordinates, poor quality work product, rapid turnover, the list goes on. But how exactly might an organization go about aligning itself, particularly if it seems to be bleeding at the hip? Schein suggests that cultural change takes time and should not be expected to come quickly. Like the Latin stem for the word culture might suggest, cultural leaders must spend time nurturing, cultivating, attending to, their cultures if they want alignment. Far too often, when leaders realize that their organizations are not aligned, they immediately jump into rebranding or reorganization schemes without first learning from and listening to the existing organization. Instead of leaping blindly into a series of recalibrations, Schein recommends that organizations develop the tools necessary for cultural assessment. Change starts by learning from the existing organization and drilling down to the assumptions that are driving its actions. Then, and only then, can a true plan for change begin.

Works referenced: Kotter, J. and D. Cohen, The Heart of Change. 2002Schein, E. "Coming to a New Awareness of Organizational Culture." MIT Sloan Management Review, 1984.Schein, E. "Sense and Nonsense about Culture and Climate." 1999.

Resolved: 2011

2010-12-29T00:25:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of setting resolutions but not overburdening oneself with too-tightly laid plans, i've drafted a short list of resolutions for the new year. Ponder and enjoy; perhaps a few might make it onto your list as well!

throw off the expectations you have unduly placed upon yourself and live the life you were meant to live
be willing to take risks, make mistakes, leap into the unknown
embrace your true self; true friends will love you for it and perhaps you'll discover new ones along the less trodden path
cherish the moments of simple delight
tell the people you care about that you love them
willingly drop the daily hum drum to create something at least once a week, whether it is a new recipe, a work of art, or a written piece
become a more avid listener, i.e. don't listen to more things, but listen more closely to a select few
simplify: get rid of the clutter that is taking up more time or space than it is worth
the perfect mold is your own false creation, learn to love the roughened contours
travel, take weekend excursions, spend more time exploring culture and landscape
remember that everything will not be resolved today but that the painting remains in progress

Colin Price on Organizational Health

2010-12-27T17:15:00.003-05:00

In this video from the Management Innovation Exchange, McKinsey and Company's Colin Price highlights many of my own beliefs about what caused the Great Recession and what is needed to sustain businesses in the future.

Building a sustainable business isn't just about towing the financial bottom line. And competitive advantage, says Price, is about much more than productivity. In this video Price underscores three "elements" necessary for organizational health (read: organizational sustainability): alignment, execution, and renewal. Alignment is about tying the organization's objectives with what its employees actually believe about the business; execution is about translating ideas into realities; and renewal is about rapid and repeated innovation. I'd like to elaborate further upon each element discussed here in the coming week, but for now, enjoy Price's musings!

Best Tunes of 2010

2010-12-22T15:27:00.005-05:00

Here is a list of my top music picks from 2010. In several cases, i've also provided links to some relevant/particularly moving renderings.

Andrew Belle (Static Waves): The Ladder (feat. Katie Herzig)
Black Keys (Brothers): Everlasting Light
Broken Bells (Broken Bells): The Ghost Inside
Broken Social Scene (Forgiveness Rock Record): All to All
Caribou (Swim): Odessa
Deerhunter (N/A-Diplo & Lunice Remix): Helicopter
Dirty Projectors (Bitte Orca-expanded): Two Doves (live version)
Efterklang (Magic Chairs): Natural Tune
Four Tet (There is Love in You): Circling
Gorillaz (Plastic Beach): Stylo
Janelle Monae (Archandroid): Tightrope (feat. Big Boi)
Jonsi (Go): Go Do
Keepaway (Baby Style): Yellow Wings
Local Natives (Gorilla Manor): Stranger Things
School of Seven Bells (Disconnect from Desire): Babelonia
Spoon (Transference): I Saw the Light
Tame Impala (Inner Speaker): Solitude is Bliss
The Album Leaf (A Chorus of Storytellers): Falling from the Sun
Turin Brakes (Outbursts): The Sea Change
White Hinterland (Kairos): Icarus
Mumford and Sons (*Sigh No More): Roll Away Your Stone
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (*Up from Below): Home

*indicates 2009 album release; cited here due to my overall love of these bands and especially these particular tunes in 2010. Pointedly, neither band really came into full bloom until 2010 anyway.

Winter Music Find

2010-12-16T17:30:00.017-05:00

First Aid Kit covers Fever Ray's "When I Grow Up." Lovely. Enjoy!

Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About

2010-12-16T17:29:00.001-05:00

Mark Zuckerburg has been named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year," and I for one am not surprised, although admittedly i'm probably not his biggest fan. I believe that Zuckerburg has exhibited a tremendous potential for turning his billion dollar network into something more than a simple online yearbook, and yet much of my hope for what his web of data might hold has yet to be realized.

A few weeks ago, I left Facebook, not so much in rebellion as to see what life would be like without it and to discern what kinds of boundaries I needed to develop for using it thoughtfully. After beginning a book by Nicholas Carr entitled "The Shallows," about which i'll post another piece sometime soon, I determined that I needed some space to take a breather and define myself outside the social web. The conclusions of my experiment thus far have been remarkable in many ways. More or less, I don't miss Facebook all that much, and I also find that a lack of Facebook has not changed my ability to connect with the people that I care about. Equally surprising, though, what I do miss about Facebook is the ease with which I could share and catalogue links/snippets of interesting information. Admittedly my interaction with this aspect of Facebook was likely enhanced by my large "like" list which enabled me to track new content from all web sources of interest in a single portal. This was a real value as it often led me to useful links and helped me stay up-to-date on things like concerts by my favorite bands, new content from my favorite design companies, and readings of interest from my favorite online mags. However, today the algorithm is imperfect at best. I still have to filter through so much unwanted content to get to the stuff that is really of interest that the quest almost seems ridiculous. This, to me, is the incongruity that exists in the Facebook world at present: too much fluff.

Zuckerburg has gotten closer to the ideal in the very recent past, but I think he has quite a ways to go, and I'm not yet convinced he has the staff or futuristic know-how to pull it off. As MIT's Neil Gershenfeld (When Things Start to Think) said something to the effect of years ago, the web (or in this case, Facebook) hasn't exactly lived up to its full potential. Given the power of his network and his prestigious new title, the question of the moment is: has Zuckerburg lived up to his full potential?

The Fall: A Beautiful Allegory to Inspire the Imagination

2010-12-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

I love what stories can do to us, and I particularly like this film and how much it has gotten my imagination spinning. How did this movie fly completely under the radar for two years without my noticing it or hearing about it from anyone? Personally, I think it is stunning. I'll try to post a more even-handed review soon but for now here's the trailer to "The Fall."

Fashion Goes Watercolor

2010-12-01T00:53:00.001-05:00

The past several weeks have been scattered with lots of digital image searches for my big end of semester collage project. Tonight, I stumbled upon the gorgeous creations of Noemi Malang. Colorfully and delicately, Malang illustrates a few "it" looks of the coming season, showcasing takes on the likes of Alexander Wang, Burberry, and Calvin Klein. While hitting on a few key trends, though, Malang's image collection maintains a timeless sense of chic that feels effortless. I must say that I am smitten with her work, and thankfully some of it is available through Creative Commons, allowing me to mix it into some of my Photoshop creations for class. Here are a few glimpses of Malang's lovely work:

All images from: Naomi Malang's Flickr Photostream

More of these luscious illustrations can be viewed either at flickr or at Malang's visually appetizing blog.

Sir George Cox on Multidisciplinarity in Business

2010-11-24T01:44:00.003-05:00

"We need business people who understand creativity, who know when and how to use the specialist, and who can manage innovation; creative specialists who understand the environment in which their talents will be used and who can talk the same language as their clients and business colleagues; and engineers and technologists who understand the design process and can talk the language of the business."-Sir George Cox

A Taste of Provence

2010-11-22T19:12:00.002-05:00

Image: Toprural via flickr

"Everybody in some childlike way craves a life of simplicity where they have a garden, beautiful sun, where they can walk into a small town and everybody will know them and wave. You can go to the boulangerie and the baker will say "ahh, good to see you again..." -Anthony Bourdain

One of the gems on my horizon is a plan to spend 2-4 weeks in some combination of Italy, France, and Spain this coming year. As some of you may know, this past fall I began planning a trip to Chile, which was inspired by none other than Anthony Bourdain and his lovely show "No Reservations." That trip would have been the fulfillment of many dreams-a first-hand view of Patagonia, a food tour of a South American country (which I planned to write about), some leisurely surfing... Last summer's trip, however, was cancelled long before fully planned due to the Chile earthquake.

I have high hopes that the trip for this coming year will not be a bust, and have been enjoying the early stages of research and planning. Last night I enjoyed yet another Anthony Bourdain special, this one featuring Provence, an unassuming food mecca for tourists in search of the good life. Watching the show, I was captivated by the above quote and think it may get at the heart of some of my own desires to travel Europe. The idea of soaking in a simple lifestyle accompanied by fresh delicious food, good wine and no real plans or commitments, albeit somewhat mythical, is incredibly alluring. As tourists far and wide flock to places like Provence I wonder if the vision for these trips is getting at some deeper craving to fully invest oneself in a place and its people-ultimately to know and be known.

The kind of lifestyle featured in Bourdain's tour de Provence often seems impractical, but perhaps the clutter of our own lives has muddied our ability to catch glimpses of such a life in the here and now. I am curious to know what it might look like to cultivate a consistent lifestyle, not of leisure and no commitments, but of centering life around the table and more broadly around the community and its many tables, right here in the states. This is not some idealistic hope, but rather an inkling that the Provencals may be on to something: that a slower, more deliberate pace of life is something to be valued and striven for. As someone who has yet to visit Provence, I can't be quite sure, but am curious for a richer taste...

Letting the Outside In-A Space for Creativity

2010-11-11T13:09:00.003-05:00

Image and styling: Shannon Fricke

I love the styling of this space, recently featured on Shannon Fricke's blog. It feels organic and ethereal, and the outside-in feel is just wonderful. This space makes me pine for an artist studio of my own, something that i've been craving for quite a while. For myself, I imagine a space like this with an unfinished wood floor and big windows, luxuriously long tables for sketching and crafting, and shelf upon shelf of vintage papers, paints, pencils, and more.

As featured here, I like the idea of using a space like this to foster not only one's own creativity but also that of one's children or the larger community. This is something that I treasured as a child-in my case, an unfinished basement where my sister and I made pottery, rumbled the rock tumbler for hours on end, and had all sorts of fun adventures. The thought of developing a space like this to share with others is simply lovely, and i'm curious to know what it might look like to develop something like this in a place like DC.

See more photos of the space above at the owner's blog. She, Sonya Marish of Jatana Interiors, specializes in rare floor and wall coverings (think incredible Moroccan-influenced tiles that lend a laid back lived-in feel to a space).

Convergence

2010-11-04T23:42:00.003-04:00

Image: Steve Snodgrass via flickr

convergence con·ver·gence (kən-vûr'jəns)

The process of coming together or the state of having come together toward a common point.

After much reflection on the subject, I have decided to merge content from both of my blogs into this one, and I am very happy with the result. For those of you who have been following this blog for a while, you may have noticed a markedly low level of reflection upon art and design in the past year. That, my friends, is because I reserved much of these musings for my other blog, Exquisitus Inquisitus. However, today marks the start of a new chapter-the merging of the blogs. Get excited, because the synthesis of the two parts will likely result in a more seamless whole.

Some Snippets

2010-11-04T02:54:00.004-04:00

For those of you wondering why I have not been posting much lately, it is because I have been taking design courses for the past 5 months. The summer kicked off with a failed attempt at attending RISD (apparently my program didn't have enough enrollees to commence?), which was followed shortly thereafter by my enrollment at a local community college to take my first true design course.

I spent the summer exploring various art-making techniques, such as a hand-gridding technique employed by the likes of Chuck Close (see my recent piece at Curator Magazine for more on his stunning work), color theory, and the principles of design. Since then, I have graduated on to learning Adobe CS5 and am now working on a collage project in my latest class through the Corcoran.

To say the least, the journey has been incredibly worthwhile. It has helped me bring together a set of disparate passions that now seem neatly tied. In the latest project, we've been given an incredible amount of freedom to explore the meaning of various words and develop a representational collage. I've chosen to focus my sights upon the notions of cities, authenticity, and spontaneity. These themes will likely surface in many of my outpourings over the next few months, but as for now some snippets from early on in the project:

A nice-looking vintage license plate ala Roma (flatworldsedge via flickr)

When I think of cities, I almost immediately think of Rome and its once-global prowess as a hub for trade, as well as its prestigious and indelible cultural image. Just flipping through pictures from the photographer linked above is riling up my longing to travel.

A hint of Parisian charm, from rent a moose via flickr, as inspired by a read-through of Hausmann's renovation of Paris.

Speaking of city planning, i'm also planning to check out Edmund Bacon's book "Design of Cities." Has anyone read it?

A lovely illustrator, genie espinosa (trouvezlelapin), whom I discovered while searching for source images.

For one thing, I love bicycles, and for another, I really really really love hand-drawn illustrations. Can I say that enough? Probably not. In an age where so much has gone digital, I have such an appreciation for those capable of crafting visual splendors like this one.

Fuel for the Futurists

2010-10-28T08:28:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned how much I've been enjoying the DConstruct2010 conference content yet? Well, here's a quote from my favorite presentation:

"The whole planet is both our brush and the canvas. Everything the network touches is our playground."

-Tom Coates

Check out the podcast here and the slides from Coates' presentation here.

Design in the Business World

2010-10-15T17:05:00.000-04:00

Ten Things CEOs Need to Know About Design

View more presentations from JESS3.

Let's just say that the cat's out of the bag and i've decided to start posting more regularly about my interest in design. Here's some fodder from today's journey. Slide 14 is my personal favorite.

Reframing the Powerpoint Equation

2010-10-14T00:40:00.005-04:00

Source Image: torres21 via Flickr

I've been working on and off on a Powerpoint template for some client presentations the past few days. While brainstorming slide design ideas last week, I stumbled upon this lovely specimen developed by Duarte Design.

Since first discovering their work early this past spring, Duarte Design has in many ways completely reshaped my views on Powerpoint. Whereas previously I balked at any opportunity to use Powerpoint and often saw it as a cop-out to really engaging with one's audience, Nancy Duarte suggests that Powerpoints can be dynamic, thought-provoking, and interactive. She encourages developing "ideas, not slides" and using presentations to "build connections" with an audience. Coupled with a growing interest in data visualization, my reading of Duarte's book "slide:ology" has helped me begin to unpack data in newly-fashioned ways and rethink the notion of interaction design.

What I particularly love about Duarte's work is that she and her colleagues do not oversimplify content, but rather seek to find innovative means of visual communication where the existing tools might fail, whether that involves using Flash animation, developing process graphics, or avoiding Powerpoint altogether in favor of a flip chart. However, what I also (and especially) love is that they have pumped new life into a presentation medium that many see as boring, bland, and second rate.

As my interest in the applications of design principles in the business world continues to develop, presentation design has become just another way for me to hone and apply my skillset as an intermediary between the two realms. Duarte's work is a great reminder that design has applications in the business sector that extend well beyond the topics of marketing and product development. And I, for one, think we have something to learn from this example.

Sacramental Living

2010-10-01T19:34:00.002-04:00

Source Image: Juliana Coutinho via Flickr

"Thus, in the sacramental pattern of life, everything means something, everything may be a pointer to the holy. The connections, the comparisons, the metaphors, the sounds are all there, waiting to be recognized. The dazzling of truth may be gradual, but it is inevitable for those with eyes open to see." -Luci Shaw

Yesterday morning as I was reading before work, these words from Luci Shaw spoke to me particularly. Today, I have a piece just published at Curator Magazine that speaks to a similar theme-the idea that there is a truth that transcends, and that such a truth was placed there for he who has eyes to see and ears to hear. As an adult, I have been astounded by the simultaneous depth and smallness of the world, that is the ability to dive deep into so many notions in so many fields and still be able to find a common thread amongst them all. If we read between the lines, we will see that Shaw is suggesting that even the sourest and sorest of moments have the ability to dazzle and amaze.

A view of the world that is sacramental involves a trust and a belief that both the best of times and the worst of times are forming us, aye forming the world, into something magnificent. Part of growing up, I am learning, is becoming able to accept both the good and the bad and viewing all things through a lens that says "God has the ability to transform and use this, and he will."

There are deep things that pain me about the world that surrounds me for which I lack the capacity to enact change. As I mourn these wounds and bruises, what is there to do but grow despondent? Unless, of course, some great artist is arranging the dots in just such a way as to make the most beautiful portrait possible. Without a shade of grey here, and a touch of blood red there, the painting would read static and lifeless. The roughened edges of each little crease and fold have begun to make the painting feel true to reality.

While I lack the chops to explain the reason for pain in much philosophical depth, what I do know is that there is a subtle rhythm to the world, and at times I feel its crescendos. As I take the time to unplug and turn my eyes outward, I become more and more captivated by each beat and note. Seeing the world in such a way has freed me from feeling that I have to fix everything, and enabled me to rejoice amidst the greatest of sorrows-confusing as they may be. It also pushes me towards a steady hopefulness that says "the world is not as it ought to be, but it is being reformed, and one day it will be made new." To use Shaw's imagery, "the comparisons, the metaphors, the sounds are all there, waiting to be recognized." The question is: are we paying attention?

The Real People ReBrand

2010-09-21T08:56:00.002-04:00

Image: Banana Republic

From DJs to doctors, it seems that real people are showing up in a variety of fashion publications these days. Several months ago, I paged through the newest issue of JCrew's monthly mailer and to my surprise ran across a slew of real women. JCrew's glossy has featured both real females and real males alike, providing little profiles of the featured individuals underneath their pics. As most of these individuals haven't been trained to photograph well, there is an amateurish quality to their poses, yet a simultaneous feeling of genuineness and approachability.

I set aside several of the images from JCrew's magazine in hopes to share them later but had all but forgotten until I ran across BananaRepublic's new website. The image above is pulled from BR's women's feature campaign related to "wear to work" garb. I kind of love it.

After spotting this trend in more than one place, i'm interested in exploring what is happening here. What does the rise of "real people" campaigns say about where today's retail marketing is headed? And furthermore, what does it say about today's culture? More to come...

Nashville's Imogene+Willie in the Spotlight

2010-08-13T00:03:00.000-04:00

I have been admiring the work of Nashville-based clothier Imogene+Willie for quite some time, and am excited to say that I recently happened upon a feature of their work in none other than Garden&Gun magazine last weekend. For those Southerners-at-a-distance like me out there, this magazine may well be a friendly taste of home. For one thing, the title of this glossy alone stopped me in my tracks, and for another, the byline of this month's feature (of which Imogene+Willie are a part) captivatingly reads "21 Architects, Artists, Designers, and Craftsmen Who Are Making Us All Look Good." The thing that I love most about this article, and really this magazine in general, is that it delights in the artists, artisans, designers, and such, who live amongst the places that many of us call home. It doesn't refer to them as some niche group who are too obscured by their artmaking to understand the real world, but rather it considers them a people who help us live more fully and more deeply.

Image: Imogene+Willie

It's valuable to mention that the aforementioned sentiment is worth more than a fleeting glance. What does it mean when we view artists as the sorts who "help the rest of us look good," or perhaps more aptly put, help the rest of us look more closely? Artists don't always provide a glossy sheen that masks the problems of the world, but can help us all to have a deeper appreciation for the rhythms of the created order. Sometimes an artists' work, justly so, serves to highlight disparities that exist in the world-disparities of black versus white, blood versus beauty, and joy versus tears. At other times, they dig up the raw earth that we've been trodding far too quickly with our busy feet and give us a real, vivid sense of what it means to be a part of something that shakes us to our core. Their stories are not always pretty, but goodness they help us see things more closely.

As artists in their own right, the creators of Imogene+Willie have fashioned a brand that exudes a down home Americana feel without too much fanfare, a whispering comfort of worn-in blue jeans that function just as well creekside as they do out on the town. The creators of this line fashion many of the items that adorn their stores' racks in-shop, developing new washes, fits, and custom details for denim items right in their own little "factory" before turning them out to the public. The store also offers tops, dresses, and rustic boots with a lived-in appeal. All in all, Imogene+Willie offer up a heaping helping of Southern charm that is not overly pretentious but nonetheless capable of whetting the visual appetite. Their clothes are welcoming and call out, "come, live in me." They certainly don't scream "look at me," but instead suggest "I already know who I am." The resulting aesthetic reads fun and flirty but without too many frills, and it's accessible to both males and females alike.

Blending Business and Design to Extend the Bottom Line

2010-08-11T21:16:00.001-04:00

Source Image: @boetter via flickr

If the mantra of the twentieth century business world was“getting things done,” then the mantra for the twenty-first may well be “buildingsmarter businesses.” As the recent years’ recession has worn heavy on many agood business plan in the works, many executives have realized that business asusual just will not work anymore. Increasingly, these leaders are turning tocreative problem-solvers to help them move into the future. And simultaneously,creative entrepreneurs are turning the wheels of business in new and differentways.

A growing number of sources are recommending that businessesbring creatives into the boardroom, not to build marketing strategies or mediamobilization plans, but to help re-envision business models and craftinnovative problem-solving strategies. Companies like game-changing design firmIDEO are redefining the conceptions of what artsy-types can offer the businessworld. Simultaneously, business schools are developing DesignMBA programs anddesign schools are offering emphases in fields such as design management. Thebusiness world is changing, and many are taking note.

This growing movement is picking up speed in a variety ofrealms, and believe me, it’s one to watch. London’s Royal College of Art andthe Imperial College of London have launched the DesignLondon program, aimed atbringing together MBAers, engineers, and design students for collaborativelearning and doing opportunities. A continent away, Hong Kong's government hasdeveloped the DesignSmart Initiative, which is intended to fuel innovation bypartnering businesses with designers. And here in the US, renowned US designschools such as Pratt and SCAD now offer programs in design management, a fieldthat equips professionals for work on things like branding schemes, organizationalplanning, and strategy discussions.

Whilst some companies have solicited the thoughts ofcreative directors and their comrades for years, the idea of includingdesigners in business development has only recently become trendy and is stillby no means mainstream. Amidst the seasoned business crowd there remains alingering skepticism about the kinds of ideas that designers might bring to thetable. Some worry that an over-emphasis on creativity might lead companies to overlookthe basics of business administration. Others doubt designers’ abilities todevelop scalable, sustainable solutions to everyday business problems.

Meanwhile, numerous sources suggest that creatives have somethingunique to offer the business world, and perhaps also vice versa. Consider, forexample, a simple search for “design thinking” on the Harvard Business Review website.Or take it down a tier and start searching for the terms “organizational design”or “employer branding” amongst the business world. The linkages are interestingand growing rapidly.

Truth be told, both the business and the design realms stillhave a lot to learn about one another. And, perhaps it should be said that thelearning may very well begin with realizing that neither artmaking nor businessdevelopment are easy. If there’s one thing that “The Great Recession”(as it’snow being called) has taught us, it is that there are no easy answers. The workthat is needed is challenging, perplexing, and at times unwelcomed. But, theneed for a rebranding of the notion of business as usual in today’s economic,social, and cultural landscapes is unmistakable.

As I navigate my own way in these murky waters,I’ve been encouraged by the words of Wendell Berry in his recent book Imaginationin Place, which I’m currently reading. In one of the earlier chapters,Berry talks about the importance of both knowing and imagination for thoughtfulliving. His words suggest that to thoughtfully live into the world we must beable to simultaneously know some corner of it and its problems intimately and possess the capacity to re-imagine thatcorner of the world as something more than what it is now. For me, this is partof the appeal of bringing design to the business world, and just as muchbringing the principles of good business to the likes of artists and designers.The two realms are not, and should not, be considered separate-for truly gooddesign thinkers are also good business thinkers, and truly good businessthinkers know how to operate a bit like designers. Both are capable of dreamingof a better world and translating that envisioned reality into something thatlives in the present moment-whether it’s a strategy, a work of art, or aphysical commitment to a people and place. As they find their way into our livesin one form or another, their dreams-turned-reality have the ability to changeus and give us the courage to live into our own dreams even when it feels likewe’re stuck in slow motion.

For an excellent read on this topic, check out Tim Brown's 2008 piece for the Harvard Business Review entitled "Design Thinking."

Window Seat Wonderment

2010-08-08T23:31:00.000-04:00

Image: Robert Bejil Photography via Flickr

Not much to write for now, this summer has been busy! I have, however, been doing a lot of reading, including getting back into reading the news and political journals after a not-so-brief repose. Here's something I discovered amidst some reading today (not exactly political, but certainly deeply moving):

Wanting to know all
I overlooked each particle
Containing the whole
Unknowable.

Intent on one great love, perfect,
Requited and for ever,
I missed love's everywhere
Small presence, thousand-guised.

-From the poem "Confessions" by Kathleen Raine

I have seen this kind of "small presence" particularly the past few weeks through the eyes of children. They have such wonderment and joy that can help us adults remember what it is to truly live with a sense of expectancy and trust. Today, these words took on flesh through a little boy sitting across the aisle from me, who couldn't take his eyes away from the window. He was filled with incredulity and excitement as the plane went through the clouds, and began its descent. As we rumbled through a bit of turbulence, he wasn't even phased, but instead watched expectantly for what would come next, fully confident that the people running the plane had things under control and content to just enjoy the small beauties in the moment at hand.

Summer Feature: Sophie Blackall

2010-07-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

Image: Sophie Blackall

I have been loving the work of artist Sophie Blackall for many months now. She is perhaps best-known for creating paintings depicting recent New York City "Missed Connections" posts, bringing these stories of missed opportunity to new levels of life and excitement in visual form. Besides coming up with a great idea for a blog, Blackall is an incredibly talented artist. Not only is Blackall's work featured on her blog, but also in various children's books and in the materials of several businesses and magazines. I love the way she uses rich visual narratives to broaden stories that might otherwise be viewed as mundane occurrences. Her command of color is striking, her composition is thoughtful, and her craftsmanship is impeccable.

With an upcoming move, Sophie B. is on my list of artists to watch for decorating my new space. To see more of her work visit her website, her other blog, or her Etsy store. Cheers to Sophie Blackall for helping us see the world with fresh eyes through her ethereal artwork!

2010-07-12T20:09:00.001-04:00

"The central issue is never strategy, structure, culture, or systems. The core of the matter is always about changing the behavior of people."-John Kotter

John Kotter is quickly becoming a favorite resource regarding organizational change and this quote has been tacked to my bulletin board for the past month. Every time I think about taking it down to put up something new, I decide to keep it up because it's just such a dead-on reminder.

Lessons from Unexpected Places: A Not-So-Brief Film Review

2010-06-29T23:51:00.002-04:00

Lately, my head has been whirling with a lot of incompletely-formed concepts and notions. Typically, my brain fires off all kinds of odd ideas, but usually I can connect and bridge these seemingly opposite worlds in a way that makes remarkable sense. Lately, though, my brain has been a little rusty. In efforts to "get away" from some of these thoughts and take a breather, this past weekend I stumbled upon the film "TiMER" on Netflix. While I don't really love the resolution of the film, I think that it raises some very interesting questions regarding relationships, waiting, and expectations.

Taking a bit of creative license, I'd like to take some of the issues tossed out in the film and apply them to a broader context. For instance, what happens when your whole life feels like a big waiting game? You're single, female, and about to turn 30 but have no good prospects for marriage. Your expectations for adulthood have failed to come to fruition. You wonder what the point of going on is when every day feels like you're pushing through an endless ocean of grey. You hope that one day things will get better but you're really not so sure anymore and are considering dropping out of the race for good. Sound familiar?

This film, if we'll let it, poses some important questions to the young adult crowd. [Spoiler alert...] It kicks off with a lead character who has grown tired of waiting for the right relationship and decides to dip her toes into the almost but not quite good enough. She was raised with the belief that one has a true destiny, in this particular case the "one" that he or she is meant to be with forever. But, as age begins to take its toll and many of the seemingly good relationships around her appear less than idyllic, she begins to wonder if those childhood lessons were actually just myths.

Throughout the movie, the lead character clings to the hope that something "better" really is in store for her while facing up to the fact that her life doesn't seem that way. In growing tired of relationships that never work out, she decides to pursue one that she knows isn't going anywhere. For a while, she loses herself in the idea of this relationship-the idea that she can have fun, live in the moment, and not worry about her once-grand hopes and dreams. As a perfectly capable, accomplished, intelligent almost-30 year old, she finds herself spending her evenings with an early 20-something musician who is adventurous and sexy in the slightly indie sense but who is also relatively clueless in the "doing something with his life" department. From the get-go, this guy is set up as the character who is probably only a few years from pulling his act together, but he's just not quite there yet. The only problem, of course, is that the girl already has her stuff in order and is simply waiting for the next steps to fall into place.

On the one hand, this film is an incredibly-accurate cultural commentary regarding the tensions present amongst the 20 and early 30-something dating population. You have a whole lot of disgruntled late 20s/early 30s females just waiting for the right guy to come along but wondering if they've been crazy to ever imagine he might be lurking in the shadows. Simultaneously you have a whole lot of boy-not-yet-a-man early to late 20-something males who are sowing their wild oats and for the most part thinking about the next best thing rather than the next ten years. Got it together, got a job, out from under her loans, career woman collides with video gaming musician and it's a match made in well...Neverland. These are, however, stereotypes that need some qualification. For one thing, got it together career woman doesn't really have it all together. Most of the time she's an emotional wreck, and if she's already capped the career ladder she's wondering how else to make herself useful. For another, Peter Pan has some worthwhile ideals: a desire to link his passions with his day-to-day affairs, a thirst for adventure, a hopefulness that he can do something with worthwhile impact. Far too easily, we forget the complexities inherent within both typecast situations.

On the other hand, this film raises some good questions about long-term relationships and one's expectations for life in general. As the lead character has watched her own parents marriage crumble and her mother idealize her second marriage, she longs for a relationship that comes with a guarantee. If she's going to put her time into something, she wants the proof positive that it is and will always be going in the right direction. But, life doesn't come with guarantees and neither do relationships. Even as many people's lives are graced with wonderful depictions of hopes-realized, life remains a mix of joy and pain. Simultaneously, we watch how a woman's choice to pursue a temporary next-best-thing stalls her opportunity to live into the right kind of relationship, creating a variety of roadblocks that hinder her ability to fully embrace such a relationship when it finally comes into perspective.

Now, for my primary critique of the movie...As this movie's leading lady encounters Mr. "charming boyish tumbling tumbleweed" early 20-something male, he helps her see that real relationships aren't quite as easy as she'd imagined. The difficulty, though, is that while said male helps to highlight the flaws in this woman's perspective, he doesn't provide her with a constructive alternative to her overly-idealized view of what a relationship should look like. This, I believe, is where the movie falls short. Towards the end of the film, there was a lot of room to develop this aspect of the plot, but instead of providing much resolution the viewers are left with a bunch of loose strings. These strings, mind you, can be tied together, it's just going to take some serious work. I'd like to see a firmer conclusion that grey is not the end of the story. We get a hint of that here, but it's just not quite enough for my tastes.

A Few Whiffs of Something New

2010-06-28T23:37:00.001-04:00

Leo Tolstoy, Jon J. Muth and a story that has been in the making for about 10 months are starting to come together. This one feels like a gift.

A foretaste for now from a book of poems given to me during childhood by my mother...it comes from a larger body of work entitled "What Men Live By":

"I knew before that God gives life to men, and desires them to live; but now I know far more. I know that God does not desire men to live apart from each other, and therefore has not revealed to them what is needful for each of them to live by himself. He wishes them to live together united, and therefore has revealed to them that they are needful to each other's happiness."-Leo Tolstoy

Digital Discombobulation: In Search of a Remedy

2010-06-25T19:16:00.002-04:00

I spend the majority of my working life browsing the internet in search of reliable information. Really, it's often a mix of tough work and pleasurable work and i've certainly learned a lot in the process. One of the many lessons i've wrestled through in the process of trying to understand the world and working to help others make reliable decisions based upon factual information is that by and large the internet is a web of disappointment. Sure, we've gotten "closer" to one another via virtual connections, and goodness knows data is flowing at practically the speed of light. But, in flesh and blood reality, the world feels further away than ever before.

As a child, the majority of my evenings were spent gallivanting in the woods or concocting schemes with friends. Rarely would you find me plugged to a computer, or any other digital device for that matter. As an early teen, I discovered the wonderful world of Carmen San Diego ala MS DOS and the AIM chat prototype. By the time I hit college, these slight intrigues had crescendoed into a way of life and I found myself sitting up in bed "chatting" away via laptop late at night. Correspondingly, my love of books and the outdoors dwindled fast into a relic of the past. By and large my experience with technology has been at best mediocre. And, while i'm not here to decry the woes of the digital world, I am here to say that for the most part it has left me wanting more.

These days I find it hard to watch movies all the way through, to read books beyond a few pages, to learn and know a subject well in a way that sticks with me for more than a few days. The internet world has groomed people like me to be quick, and speedy, and indecisive. Yes, indecisive, or at the very least hampered from utilizing wisdom and true discernment. The Web 2.0 gurus say "if you can't make a decision, we can help you." In fact, the real revolutionaries claim to even know your preferences better than you do yourself. And that's all well and good, to a point...

But what if that's not what I want? What if what I want is to be a person who is capable of being fully immersed in a subject, a composition, a person, for hours on end without wondering who's tweeting the latest news or whether i've missed the launch of some revolutionary new campaign. What if I want to know one thing well and be able to teach it to others with a sense of mastery and a strong command of the language through which I express my sentiments?

Author, scholar, and technical guru Neil Gershenfeld has written something to the following effect: we haven't expected too much of the internet, we've expected far too little. I'd like to revise his statement just a bit and turn it into something altogether different: What if what we've really expected far too little from is ourselves? In building a world founded primarily upon digital communication, we have fabricated a place in which hiding behind masks and putting on airs is all too easy. It is a place where what appears to be brilliant work may in fact be a re-depiction of a script stolen from the original writers. And with the original writers silenced, no one will ever be the wiser.

Many of today's elites have decided that in order to get ahead, we need to pump ourselves full of knowledge and teach our kids how to innovate. But what if what's really needed in today's economy is the ability to appreciate and cherish the joys of our fellow human beings, to admit the places where we lack and ask others to help where we fall short, to commit ourselves to the good of a particular cause, people or purpose even when it has a shoddy website or is getting little to no air time. What if...?

My point here is simple, but in many ways the subtext reads grey. Sometimes, the right thing isn't glamorous. Sometimes the noble thing feels like you're washing your future down the drain. Sometimes the good thing is of a rare and unfashionable breed (a breed that is simply incapable of being caged or tamed). Many times what we need is not to learn something new, but to unlearn all the lessons that we thought we needed to know in order to make us the kind of people that we thought we needed to become.

For more on this subject, check out this NPR interview with Nicholas Carr, who famously penned the controversial "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" article put out a few years ago.

A Sustainability START-up

2010-06-16T22:20:00.001-04:00

I'm a sucker for a good marketing campaign, although i'll quickly lose interest if the bait doesn't eventually lead to a school of fish. This one has my interest piqued for the moment with both its premise and the tools used to communicate its underlying message.

Return to the City

2010-06-10T18:32:00.000-04:00

I don't have everything that I wish that I could have. I'm not the woman I wish that I could be. But, I am longing to be rooted and to be known, to love a place and a people even when the going gets really tough. And so, somewhat suprisingly, I am returning to the nation's capital after a year away.

My reasons for moving cannot be fully explained in words, but there is a part of my heart that hungers to hold up my flickering candle in that mass of people and say "I'm here, and I care about this city." Almost three years ago, I moved to DC to work in the national policy scene and participate in a fellows program that enabled me to deepen my understanding of what it means to be a person of faith in today's culture. The program helped me find grounding for adult life and broadened my perspective. Meanwhile, the policy scene was a bit disenchanting and in many ways unfulfilling.

Soon after getting to DC, I felt like I had left the kiddie pool and migrated to the Olympic-sized lanes, complete with a high dive, big wall timers, and a swath of well-trained athletes. However, interestingly enough, I also found that most of the athletes were there for one thing: to win. They weren't interested in the impact that the pool's facility might have on the surrounding community, they had little concern for the preschoolers who were learning how to swim there in the off-season, and they seemed unconcerned about the health and well-being of the other teams. After all, it was a competition and only the strongest survive. But, this winner-take-all sort of attitude bristled me as someone who had grown up in small Southern towns where it was simply impossible to ignore one's neighbors and community was more than just a buzzword for an institutionally-driven initiative. In the words of Jane Jacobs:

Neighborhood is a word that has come to sound like a Valentine. As a sentimental concept, 'neighborhood' is harmful to city planning. It leads to attempts at warping city life into imitations of town or suburban life. Sentimentality plays with sweet intentions in place of good sense.

What I wanted when I first moved to the city, and still want today, was to foster a deep sense of community in and amongst its people, despite the disparate issues and limited resources that abound within its borders.

The fight for any city's prosperity, and for its peace, is most certainly a hard one, but its is also a noble and worthwhile fight. When I first approached DC, I came brimming with perhaps a few too many doses of youthful optimism and idealism. My attitude of "you can save the world" and "our generation can do anything," slowly wore off over the two years I spent living and working in and around the DC metro, and probably rightly so. I cannot save the world, and our generation cannot do absolutely anything that it wants. There are limitations, and quite frankly there are a lot of things that are a mess. But, at the same time, little pockets of renewal are possible.

And so, later this summer, I return with the hope that I can be a part of the change that I wish to see in the world, while recognizing that I am also in need of transformation. While I am not everything that I wish I could be at this stage of my life, and some days I just feel like going home and curling up under the covers to cry over my failed expectations, I recognize that my story has many pages yet to be written. I also recognize that mine is a story much bigger than myself. The goal of life is not, in fact, me and mine, but rather something much more significant and in many ways much more complicated. I am moving in efforts to live more fully into this realization, while remaining thankful for the many gifts of my former community.

Dirty Water

2010-06-05T01:48:00.000-04:00

Image: paul david via flickr

This is a thought I had several years ago in college and it has resurfaced recently. Here's an excerpt from an old journal:

"Another water fountain realization: I was sooo thirsty, [I went to the water fountain] and I filled up my cup with water…drank almost all of it, then went to fill it with some more water only to notice that there was some stuff floating around in it. The realization….this is how it is for many people living in this world ----it’s like they’re so thirsty that they don’t care that the water is dirty."

The question to ponder: what does it look like to drink a glass of fresh clean water that goes down smooth? Where are we settling for dirty water instead of the good stuff?

Designing Homes a Few Kids at a Time

2010-06-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

If you love design and haven't heard of the Novogratz family, you need to listen up.

This week, the first season of this family fun series wraps on Bravo and it has been one wild ride. With a brood of kids in tow, seven and counting, the Novogratz are a couple who turn subpar, and often once commercial, spaces into stunning homes, working mostly in downtown New York City.

Image: Sixx Design

I love this show for a variety of reasons. For one thing, I love interior design and this show packs a lot of it into a 45-minute weekly dose. For another, the Novogratz have a bustling family life. With seven little ones bouncing around, they make time for things like basketball fundraisers, birthday parties, and playdates while also juggling the responsibilities of a growing design business. Notably, however, you don't see this couple hacking off their kids to their nanny 24/7, although they do have one. The children are a big part of the parents' lives and its evident in the way that the children are portrayed. When the husband and wife team go to London, for instance, they bring along their older children and take time out of their promotional touring to play tourist with their children. This show also features a happy marriage. Contrary to most family reality shows, the Novogratz aren't getting screentime for HD-quality fights. Instead, they seem to play off of one another's personalities in a mostly encouraging way, bringing out the best in each other and suggesting that they work better as a team than as two distinct parts. And yet, the Novogratz don't claim to have it all together, and readily admit that they make mistakes and have to roll with the punches. When you have lots of kids, that's pretty much a necessity, especially if you live in Manhattan.

Most of all, I love what the Novogratz' work proudly stands for: a sprinkling of design can bring hope and beauty to even the darkest places and serve as a catalyst for enriching homes and communities. The home is front and center in this show, and the Novogratz proudly display their knack for design by entertaining, helping friends decorate their homes and offices, and offering their home and their creative skills towards raising money for noteworthy causes.

To see more of the Novogratz' work, visit their website Sixx Design or check out their book Downtown Chic.

Musings in the Wilderness Repost

2010-05-30T22:45:00.001-04:00

"Musings in the Wilderness"-posted earlier this month and taken down for a bit. Now i'm reposting it as it was originally written. More thoughts to come soon.

Over the course of the past 10-11 months, my life has felt like a roller-coaster. In August of 2009, I moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, in hopes of finding a deeper sense of rootedness. I came here looking for that-longing to be rooted in a place, in a people, in a community. After nearly two years of reading the works of Wendell Berry, I longed to plant myself in a place that I could call home, maybe even building or buying a home, starting a life there, and cultivating rich ties to a place and a people.

Soon after moving here, I realized that moving alone is dangerous, particularly when one has no community from which to draw support. And slowly I also realized that not all people are made for every place. There are communities here, some of which that are doing quite well, but everywhere I turn it feels like i'm a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Where I lived before, Washington, DC, I would often lament the transience of city life, particularly amongst my generation. However, in the process of wailing over its vices, I rarely stopped to think that I might be part of the change that I wanted so deeply to see in my own city. DC for me was usually transitory, a place that I was merely passing through that would help me get to the place that I wanted to go, perhaps-I told myself-even needed to go.

Now, as I look back on my time in the city in yet another place of transience, a college town with few folks my age who have plans to spend their lives here, I am faced with the consequences of my shortsighted approach to urban life. Had I stayed in DC, I wonder if things couldn't have been different-if i'd moved into the city, against all odds making the place that seemed so cause-focused but remained so disconnected my home. If I had chosen to love the brokenness and hardship that is urban life because I believed that the city had the ability to change, and to change me, maybe life would look differently.

At its roots, though, this is no "I wish I had done the past differently" tale, although at times I do wish I had done the past differently. The decisions I made have helped shape my character and my understanding into what they are today, and had I not gone through some of the hardships of the past year i'd never have the hopes and longings that I do now. The road has been tough, incredibly tough, and lonely but it does not end here. To the city I will one day return. In the meantime, I am a pilgrim who is roaming the prairie in search of the Western pass that will take me through the mountains and into the new land of plenty. The wilderness has been exhausting, and it has felt like years since I had a good meal, but the hint of purple on the horizon tells me there is something beyond its setting that I cannot quite see.

At this point, there is no glimmer of a radiant Pacific Ocean and truly no sense of when the trail will stop winding through the thorny brush. What remains instead is the almost foolish hope against hope that one day things will be different and that one day the sun-parched ground that I have been tilling will be soaked in a glorious rain. Until then, I long for what is not yet revealed but craved from deep within.

Sing Me to Sleep with Your Sweet Melodies, Mumford and Sons

2010-05-22T21:16:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I fell in love with the music of Mumford and Sons. It is a rare occasion to find a band this musically talented that also has such solid lyrics. Their music is perfect, and I mean perfect, for a Saturday afternoon drive through the Shenandoah Valley, or for that matter any mountainous outdoor setting. I've listened to their album in this capacity so many times that it will certainly be jolted back to memory every time I listen to it again, no matter where I live in the coming years. On Thursday night I attended their show at the 9:30 Club and was awed by the band's stage presence and command of their sound in a live space. Mumford and Sons rocked out with one of their new songs, "Lover of the Light," and I thought I'd share a taste from YouTube.

Cheers!

Sewing Hope Through Kenyan Fabric

2010-05-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

Image: Suno, Fall 2010 Collection

On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, I stumbled across the designs of one Max Osterweiss and found myself intrigued. In 2008, Osterweis launched a line known as Suno, which draws from Osterweis' experience gathering textiles from Kenya and working with Kenyan tailors. One of the things that immediately captivated me about Osterweis' line was his use of color and pattern to tell a story in his designs. Another more subtle tone, although still apparent, was Osterweis' commitment to the Kenyan culture. Osterweis' designs have a consistent bold feel to them that celebrates Kenya's heritage and traditions, while making them accessible to the Western consumer. I really love the richness of this brand and what it represents. Here's a quick excerpt from a 2009 interview Osterweis did with HandeyeMagazine:

H/E: Can you summarize the vision behind Suno for us?

MO: I’d like to create a visible and sustainable brand that produces high quality clothing out of Kenya while using and developing local talent. I was motivated to do something in Kenya after last year’s post-election violence, something that would help Kenya psychologically, economically, and cosmetically - in the sense that people from the outside would be able to appreciate and be introduced to a different side of Kenya.

Osterweis' designs blend whimsy with elegance to create looks that make a statement. The styling on the Suno site reflects this approach, as many of the outfits mix patterns and palettes and pair already bold looks with vibrant accessories. Yet, the aesthetic feels approachable and fun. For a more everyday look, I imagine one of Osterweis' colorful skirts paired with a plain white tee and boots for a Friday night concert or one of his bright and cheery dresses with a simple ponytail and flats for a Saturday brunch with family friends. Regardless, i'm sold on Osterweis' intricate and interesting mix of colors and fabrics as well as his commitment to fostering Kenya's culture and economy.

Image: Suno, Spring/Summer 2010 Collection

Short Film on Bottled Water

2010-05-01T15:36:00.003-04:00

This video was developed by The Story of Stuff for World Water Day. Hope you enjoy!

Sugar with a Touch of Spice: A Gentle Blend for the Musical Pallette

2010-04-28T23:50:00.000-04:00

This is a beautiful song, which was performed live at my alma mater in 2008. In many regards, I was a late-comer on the Avett Brothers wave, only truly getting into their music last fall. But, the more I explore, the more I am taken aback by the depth of their lyrics and by the tender, stripped down nature of songs like this one. Take a sip of their music, and you might leave with a hint of lemon on your lips; drink deeply and the flavors will meld in your mouth like a fresh glass of carefully steeped sweet tea that slowly burrows its way into many a southern repertoire. Enjoy!

What Matters Most to Millenials?

2010-04-28T01:16:00.006-04:00

Source: Harvard Business Review

Loving the content in this graphic (although i'd prefer to redesign it) and the accompanying article on "Mentoring Millennials" that is up at the Harvard Business Review. Hopefully, i'll post some thoughts later.

Spring Orchid Tour

2010-04-22T18:49:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been taking some intentional outings to cultivate my design sensibilities. This past Sunday, I stopped through downtown DC for a few hours and spent a bit of time at the US Botanic Garden to stimulate my senses. During this particular visit, I browsed around primarily in the orchids section, which is the portion of the gardens right inside the main entrance. Immediately upon entering the room, I was hit with the wonderful light aroma of flowers and warmed by the rays sifting in through the high glass overhead. I snapped a few pictures which i've included below. For you photo gurus, please excuse the low quality of these photos, they were taken with an iPhone, since the visit was a bit off the cuff.

In this picture, I wanted to capture the juxtaposition between the moss, flowers, and water. I love how the water in this photo has taken on a bit of a soft and shimmery quality, which adds a nice contrast with the hard edges formed by the moss' visual character and the burgundy-spotted orchids with their vibrant yellow backdrop.

This delicate blend reminds me a bit of pansies, and I really enjoy how the colors in this flower play off of each other in an almost tiger-striped pattern.

I really fell in love with the pattern on these yellow flowers and ended up taking many pictures of them for future inspiration. The bright daffodil-yellow of these flowers is stunning and I love the carefully-placed water droplet effect that the burgundy shade plays, helping to pump up the volume for these beauts.

Architectural Metaphors for Business Development

2010-04-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

Image: Stefhan Weis' Photostream

I read this piece by James Kerr this morning and was intrigued by his use of architectural references to discuss the concept of organizational design. This topic has been stewing in my mind for quite some time lately and i'm nearing a point in time where I will probably start writing about it at greater length. In the meantime, Kerr's piece touches upon a few interesting themes that I think are worthwhile:

Need for a true plan for action; a lack of planning leads to unintended consequences and waste: "Indeed these artifacts must be constructed in a predictable and deliberate way or deep-rooted internal chaos is likely to result within the enterprise – and deep-rooted internal chaos does not translate well within the markets that a business intends to compete in."
Business architecture is about more than a business plan or conversely a coherent vision statement: It involves "organizational design charts, operating models and [the less-often considered] workflow designs." All pieces must work together like a set of thoughtfully-placed gears in a well-oiled machine to function effectively.

More to come...

A Different Kind of Passion for Fashion

2010-04-10T00:12:00.000-04:00

Image: Vogue "Beauty and the Beast" Shoot

Last weekend I watched "The September Issue," a documentary about Vogue (or about as close as it comes) and boy was I in for a surprise! In watching this film, I expected to see a bit more of the human side of the ever-watched Anna Wintour, but instead I found myself captivated by one Grace Coddington. This woman stands as a fierce red-headed ribbon of distinction amongst Vogue's elite.

In the documentary, Coddington is featured wearing comfy loafers to the Vogue offices and sporting several loose-fitting semi-casual black ensembles. And yet, as Coddington unfolds her creations as Vogue's creative director all one can do is simply stand back in sheer awe. Even Wintour notes Coddington's creative genius, and this genius is wildly evident in Coddington's photos that made it into this documentary.

To Wintour's potential shame, Coddington is the star of this movie. "The September Issue's" filmmakers reveal stunning image after image shot under Coddington's perceptive eye. These images have such sophistication, such beauty, and such humanness. And, they're fun to boot. Quite honestly, they stand as a stark contrast to much of the content featured in the beauty industry and are a true breath of fresh air amidst too much uber-modernist flair.

And there you have it, I believe that Grace Coddington is literally breathing life into the pages of Vogue through her self-styled, self-directed photo shoots. At times, her photos are whimsical and airy, at others they are highly styled with ornate backdrops and over-the-top hairstyles, but they are always about more than selling clothes or even selling a lifestyle. Her photos express the part of the fashion tale that opens up our emotions, not our pocketbooks. To that effect, i'll close with a quote from Coddington herself:

You have to have that fashion story. You know, spots are in, or stripes, or full skirts, or straight skirts, or whatever it is. But I try to make that secondary. We build a fantasy around the girl and what she's doing, what she's thinking, who she is. [emphasis added]

Visualizing Data in the New Millennium

2010-04-06T18:34:00.006-04:00

Infographic source: Westwood College Website

The internet is far too full of gobbledygook, quite literally and often figuratively. Futurist that I am, I predict that the ability to synthesize massive amounts of information into bite-sized chunks will become ever-more important as reading materials and communication pieces continue to migrate online. Publishing companies, take note.

Those working in the field of information design have a decent heads-up when it comes to understanding how to sink or swim in an information-saturated culture. When information is now available by the Google-load, all at the click of a few buttons, what will set some resources apart from the others is their ability to dissect, synthesize, and represent information in a useful and accessible way. Increasingly, multidisciplinary tools (infographics, easy-to-understand videos, and the like) are being used to communicate information to the average consumer. And those consuming this information are frequently coming back for more.

Imagine, if you can wrap your head around this concept, an infographicy augmented reality-like search engine. That is my slightly ambitious dream of where the internet (atleast the "smart" version) might be headed. Telling a good story is just not good enough anymore, but the design trade can help storytellers of fact and fiction alike get their bits and bytes into the public's noggins. Eventually, if the rate of information feeeeeding it's way into the airwaves continues people will either unplug, go crazy, or start a revolution. If the work of information designers is any hint, I think that a revolution might be in the making.

Don't get what i'm talking about? Take, as one small example, this brilliant project recently launched by IBM that uses incredibly smart visualization techniques to summarize what blah blah bland bills in Congress hold within their pages.

loose prose-untitled

2010-03-26T00:21:00.002-04:00

oh breath of spring refresh

this barren wasteland

oh change this thorny branch

into a full, fragrant blossom

take the gauze from my ears

take the patches from my eyes

bring me to the valley

bring me to the sun

in the shadows

in the light

your face, it stays the same

door opened
a fresh breeze enters the room

heart turned cold
relit
by the joy of your embrace

The Vacation

2010-03-20T01:34:00.001-04:00

It was late Friday evening when Amanda finally made her way out of town. The journey ahead was long and exhausting, but she had committed so many months ago to visiting her aunt in the mountains, and now it was finally time to make good on that promise. Three hours into the trip, nearly midnight, she made her way into a little diner on the side of the two-lane highway and was greeted warmly by a pack of locals who were still riding high with a few kicks of late-night spirits.

Amanda quickly slid into a booth far removed from the modest crowd and picked up a menu. “Hi there, darlin’,” a mousy middle-aged woman cooed. “What’ll ‘ya have this evenin’.” “I’d like a grilled cheese, a coffee, and uhhh…ummm…how about a milkshake too?” “Perfect, it’ll be right out.” The thought of an oozy mess of cheese was only slightly tantalizing, but without at least some form of nourishment and a jolt of caffeine another two hours of driving seemed all but surmountable.

As Amanda lounged back into the scuffed burgundy cushions, she reflected upon her previous week. The heavy burden of stress that she had carried with her over the past few days of work now seemed far removed. She was venturing out of the city, for the first time in months, with a vision of making sense of the mess that her life had somehow become over the course of its recent chapters. Now, there was time to think and reflect.

Amanda’s mind quickly wandered back to days of her youth, when she and her dad would scuttle out of town early on Saturday mornings to do some mulling around a few rural yard sales. Just about lunchtime, on their way home, her dad would pull into a little blue diner on the edge of the highway and he would order a burger, or if he was really hungry a hearty helping of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. For Amanda, the order was always the same, a grilled cheese and a coke. They’d sit for about 20 minutes eating their food and chatting about her dad’s plans to mow the yard or repair the fence once they returned home. Before they left, Amanda would sit on the edge of her seat while her dad ran to the restroom, elbows perched atop the table and legs curled underneath, watching truckers and other travelers hustle in for a quick bite. Still, she remembered the time when the little boy with the broken leg came stumbling in with his mother hoping for a few steamy cups of soup to go. His hands were muddy and his hair looked like a swarm of bees had flown into it and made a nest. The mother’s appearance was striking-bloodshot eyes turned downward except for a quick piercing glance in the direction of a lone man sitting quietly by the door reading the morning paper.

“Here you are, sweetheart” came the words that ushered Amanda back to the present. A big white plate with Texas Toast slathered in American cheese was placed before her, and soon thereafter a scalding cup of coffee, a peachy-tinted milkshake, and the check. “Not quite the same as it used to be,” Amanda thought, as she picked at her food. She slipped an ice cube into her mug and quickly gulped back the black hazelnut blend, pushed aside her milkshake and then hit the road.

Before she knew it, Amanda was rounding the corner to Aunt Janine’s cabin, tucked away in a dark mountain pass. Walking up to the door, Amanda noticed the egg-shaped mat that had been there for years, with the words “Welcome Home” faintly blended into its faded green backdrop. Amanda tugged at the latch, which opened slowly with a loud creak, and let herself into the living room. Along the opposite wall, embers from an earlier fire exhaled their last breaths and tumbled down into a pile of ashes. To Amanda’s right, Aunt Janine was snuggled underneath a thick mass of brown fur, stirring slightly at the noise at the entryway. Amanda flicked off the lamp beside the couch and eased her aunt down, covering her with another blanket that lay across the back of the couch. This place seemed familiar but forgotten all at the same time. It’d been years since her uncle’s passing, but Amanda could see how his death had changed her aunt’s appearance; her body felt frail and worn down. Amanda recalled the days when her aunt used to run marathons in the mountains. Aunt Janine would rise with the sun, hit the trails, and be back before Uncle Joe had even finished heating up the water for his morning coffee. Those days now felt like eons past. The weakened frame that Amanda slowly released felt foreign and helpless. Her aunt had always been a peculiar woman with a lot of spunk, and even in her weakened health Amanda knew that she was still a firecracker at the dinner table.

Soon, Amanda settled into bed, with the radiator chugging to the rhythms of the nighttime chill. What the next day held in store was a mystery that awaited her. Lots to think about, lots to discuss. But for now, her eyelids dropped and her body cocooned itself into a deep slumber.

[to be continued...]

2010-03-18T22:46:00.000-04:00

"The flash that struck thy tree, -no more
To shelter thee,-lets Heaven's blue floor
Shine where it never shone before."
-Adelaide Anne Procter, from "Light and Shade"

A Taste from Down South

2010-03-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

Image: Southern Flourish, Spring 2010 Issue

I've been following a blog called "Everyday Musings" by Olivia Rae, who is based in Charleston, SC for several months now. Through a visit to the blog earlier this year, I learned about an up-and-coming online magazine called Southern Flourish to which Rae is a contributor.

The spring issue of Southern Flourish just launched and i'm super-excited. As a girl who grew up in the Carolinas and fondly recalls her Southern upbringing, this magazine speaks to some of my own story and the wonderment that is life in the South. One of my favorite aspects of growing up Southern is the appreciation that I have gained for bringing touches of beauty to everyday life. The South embraces elegance, finery, and decorum. Rather than stifle them, Southern men pride themselves on their lady-folk's ability to pull together classy dinners on the lawn complete with fancy flowers, ornate fabrics, and carefully-chosen place settings. While 'ere a Northerner might scoff at a woman who takes "too long" to get dressed, a good Southern man knows how important just-the-right-look can be for a woman who is making a social appearance and realizes that a cake that takes 24 hours to prepare is probably better than one that can be whipped up from a box. And this is what makes Southern Flourish wonderful; it embraces the good life that is life in the South.

While there is certainly both good and bad to being Southern, there are many things about the South that are very good and this magazine celebrates them: freshly-picked bouquets of spring flowers to brighten a room, a smartly-calculated sportcoat and bowtie combination ala shaggy Southern gent, the incredible culinary offerings and climes of Southern beaches, ahh I could go on and on. This magazine, though, is not just about a culture of over-accessorization. It includes discussions on topics such as organic agriculture, sustainable fashion, and buying local. All around, a good read if you're hoping to brush up on Southern culture or just looking for a little something to whet your visual palate. Not a fan of the South? Have a read; I think you might find yourself surprised at all it has to offer.

“A culture is made-or destroyed-by its articulate voices.”-Ayn Rand

On Self-Confidence

2010-03-15T21:53:00.000-04:00

"What Mahoney needed was the opportunity to prove to herself that she was something more than she believed."-Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Workspace Design

2010-03-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

Right now, i'm working on a new piece about workplace/workspace design and ran across the work of Laura Guido-Clark today. To get the ideas flowing, I thought i'd share a video where she discusses her work because it is in a similar vein to the piece that i'm currently writing. Something that I am particularly interested in exploring is the way that an innovatively-designed workspace encourages worker productivity, engagement and innovation.

Laura Guido-Clark's website is also fascinating, if you get a chance to check it out.

A Lenten Reflection

2010-03-11T21:31:00.002-05:00

It's Lent and thus an interesting time of year for me, a time of waiting, hoping, and praying. In the Christian tradition, Lent is a time in which expectations are reformed, and the followers of Jesus are taught to live moderately in hopes that the feast is coming. And the feast is, indeed, coming.

Tonight a gentle rain is watering the land. I sit here now soaking in its quiet solace. Drip drip drip, whirrrr, drip. A gentle whisper that something deeply wonderful is brewing, although we can't quite see it. The showers water the land in preparation for the coming season of rebirth and renewal; the hope of spring is nearly upon us here in the western world. The just-barely toasty afternoons of the coming season remind us that after darkness comes light; and after death, life. Like creation itself, the human experience comes in cycles.

Lent is a time for looking forward with expectation to the coming joys of a spring not yet fully revealed. We do not yet see it, but we know that it is coming. We smack our lips with longing for the flowing wine, and our heartstrings tug with hope for spring blossoms bursting forth from the auburn soil. Our bodies have ached in the world's wintry boughs, wondering if the summer warmth will ever return to thaw our limbs that we might once again rejoice in creation unencumbered.

In Lent we live with the understanding that spring is coming and yet face the gripping reality of a chilly frost each morning as we rise from slumber. The glances of warmer climes seem fleeting, although ever stronger. In the process of waiting, we learn to take joy in the moments at hand while keeping a firm gaze upon the way ahead, knowing, deeply, that what is now will not be forever. Our hearts beat ever faster as we move into the changing season, waifs from the feast begin to permeate the air and our expectation grows nearly unbearable. When, oh when, shall the bride and groom at last be united? Oh dear host, the table is neatly spread and our hearts await the unfolding of your bounty. Be gracious, be gentle, but do not tarry.

A Look Into the Wonderful Work of Susie Ibarra

2010-03-09T20:41:00.005-05:00

I was first introduced to Susie Ibarra through my former job working with an angel investment company based in Washington, DC. Our relationship was strictly business at first but then, as with many artists, we quickly became friends. Upon meeting Susie, I was immediately struck by her quiet nature and thoughtful approach to engaging culture through sound. She is someone who is unconcerned with trends and fads, and comes across as deeply genuine and caring. Both her approach to music and her approach to building relationships resonate with this sense of intentionality. And her work is just the sort of thing that is so needed in our culture today.

Ibarra's recent film project, Song of the Bird King, is no exception. Song of the Bird King is a look into the quieter side of globalization-the dying culture of the Phillipines and their treasured animal species, the Phillipine Eagle. On the one hand, Susie's work with Song of the Bird King is an attempt to highlight the deep, beautiful cultural heritage of the Filipinos, and on the other it is a move to raise awareness on issues of environmental concern. I love the vision and the message that this story carries with it.

Susie Ibarra is an artist that is worth a closer look, although one could easily miss her because she isn't making headlines at the top music blogs or on MTV. I've been a fan of Susie and this project for over a year now, and now the world is finally starting to take notice as well. Ibarra was recently named a TED 2010 Fellow and presented at the February TED Conference in Long Beach. Here's a quote from Ibarra in a recent profile by BusinessWeek:

How exactly do you plan to change the world?

One step at a time, helping to create beauty, spread compassion, engage in cultural dialogue, take action and bring awareness to issues that plague our global community. My collaborative work in music specifically addresses heritage and environmental preservation, creating platforms for Indigenous artists to work in, and outreach to help children and under-served communities.  

And changing the world she is, through aurally rich works of art that transcend both place and time in their messages, while simultaneously remaining rooted in Ibarra's own heritage and experiences. Take, as one small example, the trailer below from Song of the Bird King:

Song of the Bird King - Trailer by Song of the Bird King, LLC from Song of the Bird King on Vimeo.

And keep your eyes and ears peeled for a certainly forthcoming TED release about Ibarra.

Nick Kristof on Evangelicals

2010-03-01T20:19:00.003-05:00

I've been following the work of Nicholas Kristof since fall of my junior year of college when I read the excellent book China Wakes, which he co-wrote with Sheryl WuDunn. Upon reading this book, Kristof immediately garnered my respect and admiration and I began following his discussions related to a myriad of issues. I particularly admire him as a writer who is deeply perceptive, brave, and humble. He often says things that transcend party lines and cut to the truth of a matter, many times at risk of his own acclaim.

In a piece published just yesterday for the New York Times, Kristof heralds the success of Christians in the international development landscape. He notes the particularly effective work of organizations like World Vision who the typical humanitarian would have once scoffed at for feeding Jesus pills to the hungry instead of food. Things have changed and Kristof is taking note; as he says: "A growing number of conservative Christians are explicitly and self-critically acknowledging that to be 'pro-life' must mean more than opposing abortion."

Well said, Kristof's words echo nicely the sentiments of Ron Sider who holds a similar, albeit controversial, stance on this issue. As Sider puts it: "To be completely pro-life means to defend human life wherever it is threatened". More and more Christians, whether conservative or liberal, are coming to hold the fore with such a stance and it is radically changing the way that they approach issues such as poverty, human trafficking, capital punishment, and free trade. I, for one, am excited to see the likes of Nicholas Kristof taking notice. And, more so, I am excited to see burned bridges rebuilt through the words and actions of authentic Christians who are expanding their view of justice in the public sphere.

Check out the rest of Kristof's column here.

If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy this review of The Poor Will be Glad.

Coming to Grips with New Technology

2010-02-26T19:05:00.002-05:00

Over the course of the last few months, i've had a change of heart in regards to the role of new technology in our culture. About six months ago, I would barely bat an eye when someone mentioned twittering, crowdsourcing, or any other myriad of digital networking/connecting tools. While we're at it, we might as well throw gaming, crackberrying, and reality mining into the mix. But now, i'm rounding the corner to a new sense of appreciation for the way that new technologies can be used to promote the social good in our culture. By no means have I fully embraced the concept of living digitally, but what I have seen is the potential that lies within digital tools. People in Haiti twittering their way to safety, friends building their portfolios via Flickr, gaming devices being used to teach marginalized kids. There is real possibility in such tools, there is also real danger in them as well.

But, while we can throw on sackcloth and bark a doomsday chant in revolt, it does little good to change the status quo. The reality is, the world is increasingly dependent upon social media for its everyday activities and the spread of such technology is global. Sure, there are limitations to what social media can do, but what if we stopped crying about the bad and starting working to unlock the good of these technologies? For instance, what if the term "augmented reality" was seen less for its scary Big Brother potential and more for its ability to provide incredibly interactive interfaces that blend digital and physical in a seamless way? What if "gaming" became less about sitting behind a screen detached from the world and more about kids building social skills and business skills in a real-world setting with digital cues? These things are possible, they just involve a different perspective and transformed tools.

Let's start a conversation about this, and let's start with the next big thing in new technology, FourSquare:

Several museums are now using FourSquare as an innovative way to get young adults into their doors and interacting more readily with their exhibits. I'm not quite ready to download this app just yet, but i'm curious to know what others think about it and the questions that such an application raises regarding the future of technology. From there, we can broaden the discussion to some other technologies and the future of social media.

A Heart Rubbed Raw

2010-02-20T20:20:00.011-05:00

Today started off not unlike many others-laundry, music, chores around the house. Amidst the dull hum of a life busied with little necessities, I was craving something more. I'm the kind of woman who might jump on a train to New York at the last minute for kicks, or toss caution to the wind and schedule a last-minute visit home when i'm feeling bored or lonely. And so, almost without thinking I planned to hit the road. Charlottesville didn't have much going on, I had no plans until Sunday afternoon and so I thought "why not?" And of course, why not? I'm young, i'm unattached, I have literally no responsibilities or commitments besides paying my bills and showing up at work on weekday mornings.

In some ways, such a life is exhiliarating, no ties, no chains, no burdens-not physical at least. The sky is the limit. I could move to China tomorrow and the only person that i'd have to answer to about my decision is myself. And there's the rub. I'm alone, incredibly alone. In seeking to build a life of self-sufficiency, where I need no one for my own well-being, I have created a way of life that is dusty, vapid, and cold.

We were not made to live in a vacuum, and when we try to build worlds that let us pretend that such a thing is possible eventually we will hit the pavement. I finally did-hard screeching halt; brakes squealing; horns blowing. I hit rock bottom emotionally. I've been feeling this way for a while, but it's often easy to mask emotions in beautiful clothes, an attitude of poise, and a smile that pays little more than lip service. Amidst the moving masses, I've been crying inwardly for quite some time. Not unlike a few other moments in the past few months, the harsh grit of my own depravity and desperate need for community and meaning reemerged today.

I spent nearly an hour and a half on the phone with my mom this afternoon working through frustrated emotions, such as "why did I move here?" and "what in the world am I doing with my life?" only to hear back on the other end that i'd been too caught up in my own satisfaction. When I was a child, I was the do-it-yourself kind of girl. My philosophy was always make the grade or get off the bus and let someone else on. And often when I approach the business world, and my own vocation (larger terminology here than just occupation), the same holds true. There is no room for mistakes or failure, and if you fail all that's left over is a dark, silent glass room where they send the troublemakers when they've disrupted class. In having such a philosophy, i've given myself little room for mistakes, or failure, or heartbreak. And now, as I live in a still-new town that I very much still don't know and wouldn't call home, I often feel as though I've thrown myself off the bus with nowhere to go.

What am I doing here? The truth is, I don't know. We live in a world that wants you to have an answer to that question-"I moved here to find myself," or "I needed to settle down after the fast pace of big city life." Perhaps both of those things hold true to a certain extent, but they do not capture the fullness of my decision to leave DC. I left DC for many healthy reasons, but I also left because I had grown bored and wanted a new adventure. Climb the mountain, and then go for another. Surely the next one would provide more thrills than the last. But it didn't, and I'm pretty sure that if I hopped a train to Madrid tomorrow my problems would follow me.

I'm scared of commitment, of almost any shape, face, or form. I am deeply afraid of putting my heart in a place where it can become pricked, bruised, or broken. And so, I sometimes seek out places where I don't have to go deep enough to ever face such disappointments. But in being unwilling to bare my scars to others, I have prevented myself from true relationship. From pretending like I have heard it all before, have my life packaged ever-so-perfectly, and have no need for anyone else, I have prevented myself from experiencing some of the most life-giving kinds of joy. The joy of working through brokenness in community, the joy of sharing a meal with a new friend and admitting you're not sure what you want for your future, the joy of a low key evening with no expectations. These are things that I so desperately want, but am so afraid of finding, because what if I find them and the very people who share them with me turn their backs on me?

After wrestling through these things for a few hours, I went to see the film "Up in the Air" this afternoon. This movie only reconfirmed the rumblings deep within my core. I long to be rooted, committed, settled, but i'm desperately afraid that no one will want me. Being rooted means being vulnerable, and it means being willing to get hurt, tragically. What happens when disappointments come (as they surely will)? Being committed means being willing to stick with something-or someone-even when the going gets tough, really tough. Being settled means being willing to say no to bigger, and seemingly better, offers from the outside world because you've chosen a given path. "Up in the Air" touches upon all of these issues in a beautiful, poignant, and entertaining way. At the beginning of the film Clooney's take on life could be summed well by the following quote (his own words): "The slower we move the faster we die; make no mistake moving is living." However, as the movie progresses he comes to question what he's really living for; what happens after he's jumped over the last goal he ever set for himself? He can keep moving, but it will hold no meaning.

Clooney's character comes to realize that all of the things he's been running from his whole life are really the very things he needs most-community, family, relationship. He comes to see that without putting himself in the places where his heart can be truly rubbed raw, and perhaps hurt more than one could possibly imagine, he'll never truly live. I, like this fellow, fear for what might happen when I open up my suitcase and put the clothes away in a closet for good. But, i've come to learn that i'd rather live with the potential for searing pain than with my heart locked away in a cage where no one and no thing can ever touch it.

Time to Flex Your Design Muscles

2010-02-18T21:21:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking about a little notion i'd like to call "play for profit" lately. Somewhat in that capacity, I ran across the video below and it got my design muscles pumping. Have a gander.

Escape from IDEO on Vimeo.

Consider Taking A Creative Leap With LEGO

2010-02-16T23:17:00.007-05:00

It started with a brief conversation with my Mom about a week ago regarding a woman in Raleigh who recently took a job where she will promote LEGOs as a non-traditional learning tool to North Carolina's budding metropolis known loosely as "The Triangle." The conversation has now blossomed into a mild obsession. Here's a thrilling video from LEGO to get your creative juices flowing:

If that's enough to whet your appetite, check out LEGO® CL!CK's intriguing website. The site provides links to all kinds of fascinating creative endeavors, such as a popcorn-making robot that is run via twitter!

P.S. I may or may not have built a computer-run greenhouse with LEGOs in my 8th grade computer class. Who's to say that these things don't come back to visit you years later?

Fostering Creativity

2010-02-14T21:52:00.004-05:00

Image: Trumpet's Flare by Wolfpix

Those who are near and dear to my heart know well that some of my deepest passions lie at the intersection between artists and entrepreneurs. I've had a dream for several years of developing a creative incubator that could bring together individuals from disparate industries to host a working dialogue about topics like innovation, sustainability, and design-thinking. While this is not presently the best forum to discuss a still-forming idea, I would like to share a piece i've been reading over the last few days that has been informing my views on this incubator idea.

In 2005, the National Center on Education and the Economy for the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce commissioned a piece to address the topics of innovation and creativity, more specifically a piece meant to discuss ways to foster innovation and creativity. I'm still reading through this rather long report and taking copious notes along the way, including knowledge dives into many of the cited resources. Once i've read the entire thing, you can expect several posts based loosely around some of the concepts teased out within it; the report itself is a gold mine of information for those interested in helping innovation and creativity flourish. Quotables from notable authors such as Dan Pink (A Whole New Mind), Peter Drucker (author of too many books to name on the topic of management, and coiner of the term "knowledge worker"), and many others grace the pages of this report. Questions raised in this fascinating paper include:[1]

What are the sources of creativity and innovation in individuals?
What educational and pedagogical techniques have proven effective in promoting innovation and creativity?
How can creativity be assessed and what is the impact of assessment on creativity?
What techniques stimulate creativity and innovation in the workplace?
What contributes to the development of successful entrepreneurs?
What is the nature of our culture, society and economy that makes our country creative and innovative?

Here's a notable quote from some of my reading thus far:[2]

"The extrinsically motivated person will take the shortest, most obvious path to get to the reward at the finish line. The intrinsically motivated person will explore various pathways and alternatives, taking his/her time and enjoying the process along the way. This exploration will lead to novel, alternative solutions, some of which will turn out to be more appropriate and successful than the original, obvious path."

[1] Adams, Karlyn. "The Sources of Innovation and Creativity." National Center on Education and the Economy for the New Commision on the Skills of the American Workforce, September 2005. Available online: http://www.skillscommission.org/pdf/commissioned_papers/Sources%20of%20Innovation%20and%20Creativity.pdf

[2] Ibid, 10.

Dulcet Delights

2010-02-12T23:42:00.000-05:00

Image: Message in a Bottle Necklace, Dulcet

"Imagine an attic filled with books, birdcages, costume jewelry and old linens. Antique trunks overflowing with dresses, photos, maps, advertisements." Meet Dulcet, a treat for the wandering eye, a store overflowing with decorative accents, divine papers, and delicate jewelry.

I discovered Dulcet's wares this past fall while browsing Etsy and was immediately captivated by the store's beautiful photographs marketing a unique selection of lovely products. Many of these photos could easily be described as well-framed works of art. Dulcet's creator does a wonderful job of presenting old maps, postcards, papers, and jewelry in a beautiful and thoughtful way. And further, Dulcet's store is reminiscent of a visit to a simple but well-appointed country cottage. In viewing its treats and treasures, I am transported to a world of freshly wrung clothes billowing on the line, homemade concord jam spread thick upon just-baked tufts of bread, and long afternoons sitting on the front porch sipping lemonade. These fond recollections of a forgotten place of rest and wonder press upon me with a sense of serene timelessness. They push me to go deeper and linger longer, dwelling upon the polaroids of moments now scattered in gray matter. These images urge me to probe and widen my aesthetic sensibilities, realizing that good design tells a story and weaves its readers into an intricate plot that is thick, rich, and life-giving.

Image: Evangeline Fragrant Bath Tea, Dulcet

Barry's Beauts

2010-02-07T17:40:00.000-05:00

"Style has nothing to do with money and everything to do with discipline and restraint. Quality speaks for itself, and I think we should build our interiors over time incorporating quality. A dark, polished wood floor will look great even with sparse furnishings." -Barbara Barry, Style at Home interview

A few weeks ago, I ran across the lovely work of designer Barbara Barry at Barnes and Noble in a book called Inspired Styles. The book provides work samples and biographies from several different interior designers and I was immediately struck by the design choices and philosophy of Barry. Her less is more approach to interior design, even in high-end spaces, allows room for viewers to appreciate the elegance of choice pieces, be they a bold wallpaper, or a stunning mantel. This design approach allows viewers to feel restful and at home in her spaces as their eyes are not overwhelmed by competing elements. Barry's look reads Hollywood Regency with a softer edge and has a kind of timeless transcendence to it. In the Inspired Styles book, Barry describes her sense of design as one that "emerges from a philosophy rather than a style...based on principles of balance, proportion and symmetry. This sensibility shows in her work, as Barry's postmark involves making a room work functionally-less as a gallery space, and more as a livable space-while dressing it up with a few striking touches of glamour.

Barry's designs for the Brentwood Residence, Image: Barbara Barry Company

Barry creates spaces where residents, shoppers, travelers, diners, etc. can relax and be comfortable while also enjoying some of the finer things in life. What makes her distinctive is a strong, but tastefully editing, eye for details-she masterfully paints the fine lines that make a picture pop without impeding a viewer's appreciation of the overall aesthetic. Barry has an excellent sensibility for finding pieces that work well in a given space and work well together, blending new and old to create spaces that feel homey and down-to-earth but also chic and high fashion. This knack has enabled Barry to work for a varied clientele, including restaurants, hotels, homes, retail boutiques, and more, both domestically and abroad. In addition to space design, Barry has also tried her hand at product design, creating lighting, linens, and tablescapes that leave viewers gasping.

A sample of Barry's offerings through Wedgwood

A true treat for the meandering artsy types who like to find inspiration from high-end designers and make it their own, Barry's work offers just the right blend of luxe and hand-me-down antique. To read/see more about Barry's work visit her website.

Sometimes the Lilies Speak the Loudest

2010-02-06T19:01:00.002-05:00

Image: Meredith Horton

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” A good friend recently shared with me these words from Leonardo DaVinci. I don’t know about you, but this statement is one that I would do well to remember at the dawning of a new decade. As we embark upon another year, one of the biggest challenges that we face is how to balance our wants to do more with the knowledge that we must simultaneously do less. Whether we are ambassadors of truth, creators of beauty, or carriers of good tidings our works only ring true when punctuated by a balanced equilibrium of doing and resting. Only in crafting a pleasant harmony between our yes’s and no’s can we form a coherent way of life, a vocation that remains uncluttered, but also meaningful.

Perhaps now more than ever, it is tempting to scale the bigger and better in attempts to one-up ourselves from years past and fashion a more pleasant self-image. Within business, for example, companies worldwide are clamoring for consumers’ attention by launching cutting-edge initiatives, developing innovative new technologies, and introducing dynamic marketing campaigns. And while these can all be good things, if we aren’t careful we could miss something amidst the zeal for greatness. Like DaVinci, we have to be willing to leave some aspects of a painting “undone,” for fear of overworking them to the point where they lose their aura of mystery.

As a writer I find myself in a constant battle between the self that wants to make headlines-you know, the self that says something witty and knows just how witty it is-and the self that longs to speak those messages that are not always well-received but are exactly the things that others need to hear. There is a part of me that is rush and restless and thinks it has all the answers. Then another, quieter, part realizes that it is okay to take things as they come and learn to simply be present where I am.

I recently left the city for a smaller town, in search of myself, in search of a slower pace of life, in search of a sense of rootedness in place and community. What I found after leaving is that where we live does not dictate how much we are-or are not-in touch with ourselves, our land, and our people. What matters always, everywhere, is our willingness to live authentically and intentionally.

Often it takes a time of getting away, by going on a hike, stepping into our backyard for a few hours or simply taking a long hot bath, to realize that the world is big and we are little. As much of a difference as we may think we make, we are but a drop in the bucket. And yet, each of our lives is simultaneously as beautiful and complex as the finest painting to ever grace a museum. Our faces, especially our eyes, provide glimpses of the human soul-a powerful story that words escaping lips cannot fully express. Like multi-faceted gems found deep beneath the earth’s crust, our inner selves bear stories of great import often masked by the guises of appearance, position, and talent. By taking the time to rest in that inner beauty, then and only then can we come into full bloom.

Each day, we step out into the created order, simultaneous masterpiece and milieu. Some of us step into places of bleakness, others into places of constant invigoration. We press forward to make something of ourselves and the world around us, to look, to listen, to respond. For all of us there are highs and lows, bursts of light, long lapses of darkness. But no matter where we might find ourselves, we all maintain a common thread as each of us wrestle in search of meaning, truth, and significance.

In that quest for meaning, the notion that I keep bumping up against again and again is that sometimes the lilies speak the loudest. What I mean by this phrase is that sometimes we can learn more by spending a few hours on a walk in an arboretum than by sitting in a classroom soaking up information. At other moments this translates into a cup of hot tea by the fire instead of a jaunt to the neighborhood grind. Often life’s seemingly “simple” pleasures, like lilies sprouting in a garden or perched nicely in a glass vase, hold hidden pockets of depth and intrigue. These secret gardens of wonder can enable us to drink deeply from tender springs that bring life, renewal and lasting joy. Like Thomas Merton once wrote, “If we are too eager to have everything, we will almost certainly miss even the one thing we need.” (No Man Is An Island) But, if we are willing to miss some things, we may realize that we have finally found exactly what we have been looking for all along.

On Tonight's Menu

2010-01-31T18:50:00.001-05:00

Cooking is a favorite hobby of mine. Whether i've had the craziest day ever or have been trapped inside all weekend, I rarely tire of the opportunities to jump behind a stove and whip up something tasty. While I love cooking, i'm not very good at following recipes or creating my own-it's all this innate process for me-a pinch of this a touch of that, taste and adjust accordingly. I know what i've cooked and can replicate it, but rarely take the time to write it down.

Tonight, however, I made a meal that was so delicious that it made me second guess my disinclination to record my culinary escapades. And so begins a new project; I've decided that 1) i'm going to try my best to keep track of what i'm cooking over the next 9-12 months and 2) i'm going to try to turn it into a storybook-type cookbook, complete with photos and a bit of narration. I can't promise how long this will be, but it will involve complete meals-with pairings like drinks, appetizers, and on occasion desserts. I'll try to post entries on my blog as I go along. Let tonight's menu serve as a taster of what is to come, since I've yet to record ingredients for this one.

On the Menu
To drink: Pomegranate lemonade with mint
Light dinner: Three cheese and spinach stuffed ravioli in a lemon parmesan cream sauce; lemon-seasoned green beans topped with slivered almond/walnut blend

The slant of this project will be its straightforward on-the-go approach to gourmet that blends store-bought items, like fresh pasta or steam-in-the-bag veggies, with homemade accompaniments. Not every recipe will be simple, but my musings should provide a healthy and affordable approach to meal-making.

A Burst of Flavor for Your Walls

2010-01-29T16:53:00.000-05:00

Imagine a pack of fruit-striped gum morphed into a wall hanging; what comes to mind? Well the folks at Flavor Paper have gone there, creating colorful, juicy wallpapers that pack a real punch. One of my favorites is their Fruits of Design brocade-patterned paper in gold and blue (see below).

Image: Flavor Paper

Envision an elaborate dinner party with a large dark wood table, gold rimmed white china, and beautiful touches of peacock blue in a room outfitted with this flavorful creation! Crisp linen napkins, beautiful glass goblets (my choice peacock again), and a loose arrangement of white gladiolas could add the perfect touches for such an elegant occasion.

Thinking of something with a softer edge? Try on the Iris paper in fushia for size:

Image: Flavor Paper

This paper would look lovely in a guest bathroom paired with some crisp white towels (I happen to love the options at Designers Guild, although I can't quite afford them), soft lavender-scented soaps piled high in a silver bowl, and a few cotton blossom votives adorning the countertop.

I simply love how wallpaper can make a room feel complete. Furthermore, I love the notion of framed patterns and prints. Say, for instance, you live in an apartment where you aren't allowed to paint or simply don't have the budget for walls laden with paper. A few large framed strips of wallpaper arranged beside one another could add loads of visual interest to a wall without breaking the bank or the irking the landlord.

Culinaria Catharsis

2010-01-26T00:15:00.003-05:00

Image: Symic's Flickr Photostream

Cooking is a pleasure and a release for me-it enlivens my acuity to flavors and textures and quiets the restless reverberations of my unceasing mind. After a long day at work today with far too many thoughts spinning round in my brain, I skipped the gym and immediately headed home for some R&R. Instead of embarking upon my intended plans for the evening, I decided to relax a bit and spent about an hour honing a lettuce wraps recipe that I tested on friends a few weeks ago. Chopping like mad with a jagged-edged blade and tossing nutty oils into a sizzling hot pan, my frustration over the day waned.

Fast-forward two hours and I was back at my computer, sitting, restless. I did not allow myself to stay at rest because I was so anxious to get back to my "have-tos" that never came to fruition. I still needed the rest that working in the kitchen allowed me. My mind has been on fast-forward for the last 2-3 months and to be quite honest it's been driving me a little bit crazy. I have questions that I am practically dying for answers to, but am so unwilling to wait and be present in the moments at hand. In the process, I want big heavy tears to fall-to just have a huge outburst and get it all out. But, even that seems impossible for the moment. And so, I often feel trapped in my own head, with no understanding of how to escape. Cooking for me, though, remains a way to do something constructive with my perplexing interior life.

Turning into the wee hours of the evening when I probably should have been settling into a nice warm bath or slipping under the covers, I decided instead to head back into the kitchen. Contrary to what some might surmise, it was the right decision. I did some cleaning and then made a fresh fruit salad by chopping up kiwi, apples, a blood orange, and assorted berries; finishing things off with a few squeezes of lime juice. Rather than wear me out, the time spent working with my hands refreshed me and renewed my sense of self-awareness and confidence. For some, I realize, cooking is a chore. For me, cooking is a way to escape the worries of the day and become fully present in a particular moment. When I chop fresh fruits and vegetables with my hands, the pent up frustrations from deep within rise to the top and are allowed to escape. Stress and unrealized expectations melt away as I peek into a steaming pot. And, putting the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and scrubbing down the counters at the end leaves me with a sense of accomplishment and deep satisfaction: I have done something-made something-and used my time constructively-to provide flavorful sustenance.

Like Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in the film "Simply Irresistible," my deepest joys and frustrations are poured into my food. As I cook, the thoughts that have pounded hard or scratched gnawingly within my head float to the surface as bubbles and are allowed to pop. Heavy fears and cresting hopes seep into the juices of my dishes, and in the process of cooking I am allowed to be fully human. Without words, thoughts can be expressed in a way that gives them full voice, and whether the final dish turns out sweet or sour, it can always be transformed into a masterpiece with just the right blend of seasonings. As an artist who paints his passions onto a canvas, mine are painted into my food-the honeycombed mountaintops and bitter valleys of life form the skeleton of my culinary creations. And in allowing my feelings to gain expression through the act of cooking, I am given a fresh breath of life and the courage to carry on.

Too Much to Tell?

2010-01-19T22:24:00.001-05:00

To tell the Beauty would decrease
To state the Spell demean--
There is a syllable-less Sea
Of which it is the sign--
My will endeavors for its word
And fails, but entertains
A Rapture as of Legacies--
Of introspective Mines--

-"To Tell The Beauty Would Decrease" Emily Dickinson

Some stories are woven far too deep to tell, and perhaps some questions are better left unanswered. And yet, we live in a day and age where people far and wide are trying immensely to pin things down and make them readily accessible after a mere 5-second digital search. What do these searches yield? Certainly some results are worthwhile, but I surmise that we must look deeper than the instantaneous grit and sand if we are to find real pearls. What about those dark misty eyes, or that bottomless abyss that is the human soul? Have we really traversed the depths of the universe high and low and come to its finale? Ah, limited we remain. What of the tacit dimension? How might one even begin to capture the essence of its composition? We try but fail, still, to put into words that which is beyond words. To describe in some regard would be to limit what remains inexpressible. And so, we must create metaphors for those images and notions that can never be distilled into mere verbiage. A hint, a glimpse, an icon.

An Auditory Masterpiece

2010-01-17T22:26:00.001-05:00

Anathallo (Greek): to shoot up, sprout again, grow green again, flourish again

Anathallo is an incredibly talented band that has flown below the radar for far too long. Their live performances are hard to forget, as a whole slew of instruments and artists crowd onto a tiny stage for a true show-stopper complete with stomping, giant stamp up drums, and bells! Beyond the band's vocal and instrumental abilities, their lyrics are also astounding. This group has such a captivating way of weaving deep, difficult themes into their songs. In one example, Kasa No Hone, the band crafted a poem-like Japanese tune that turns on the themes of brokenness and restoration. This band has something to teach both listener and musician; their music is neither monotonous nor fadish. While one song may feature heavy vocals, intermittent yelling and six or seven different instruments, another may be completely instrumental and involve a small number of players/instruments.

Linked below is a little treat from the band's "Canopy Glow" album:.

This band captures well the essence of a poem entitled "Unexpressed" by Adelaide Anne Procter from her Legends and Lyrics series. Here's a bit:

Dwells within the soul of every Artist
More than all his effort can express;
And he knows the best remains unuttered;
Sighing at what we call his success.

Vainly he may strive; he dare not tell us
All the sacred mysteries of the skies:
Vainly he may strive; the deepest beauty
Cannot be unveiled to mortal eyes.

Like Anathallo, Procter has a distinctive quality about her work and a remarkable talent for using imagery to tell complex lessons in a beautiful way. Both Procter and Anathallo have a strong grasp on what it means to show, rather than tell, and as a result have garnered audiences in varied settings and from varied backgrounds. To understand either of their approaches as artists, it takes more than a passing glance, but by digging deeper one may find gems of immeasurable worth.

A New Writing Outlet

2010-01-15T01:22:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I launched a new blog entitled "ExquisitusInquisitus." I'm still carving out the niche for this blog, as its emphasis will be distinct from this one (which will remain my primary writing outlet), but am excited for what is to come. Below is the description that I formulated for this project. It has more of an artistic bent, and allows me to indulge a bit more in my art/design interests than I typically do here. In case you're curious about the name for this new resource, it is derived from two Latin words: exquisitus and inquisitus. Exquisitus means "sought after, excellent, fine" and inquisitus comes from the Latin root "inquiro," which means "to inquire, search for, or examine."

From ExquisitusInquisitus-Why This Blog?

About a year ago I ran across a simple quote by a designer and philosopher, of sorts, named Alexandra Stoddard which goes: "Live by the trinity of what is true, good, and beautiful." I liked this statement because it was crisp, clean, and to the point. All too often we are overly flowery with language when what is really needed is a sharp, simple statement. And yet, simultaneously, the world also needs imaginative language, and oftentimes beauty comes in the form of a blooming metaphor, a simile that bubbles under our skin like a bottle of freshly-popped champagne, or an image that awakens both the literal and the figurative eyes.

This series of reflections is meant to serve as a resource for those who recognize their deep aching for beautiful things and know that it is good and life-giving to rejoice in the created world but simultaneously recognize the need for balance and simplicity. And so, this little ripple in the blogosphere will attempt to carefully walk the line between asceticism and overindulgence, stumbling most certainly at points. Its story: a celebration. Put concisely, the purpose of this discourse is to rejoice in the those things that are thoughtfully crafted, be they songs, stories, or objects, and push others to think deeply about how these things ignite and enrich the human experience.

The Ache for Spring and the Process of Waiting

2010-01-11T20:06:00.004-05:00

Image: Four Seasons Print, ErinJane Illustrations

About this time every year, my house begins to feel cold and dusty and the novelty of winter is no longer novel. Today, I drove to work and noticed three-week-old snow still on the ground, trounced with mud, and patches of grass that were matted and weepy. My mind wanders away from the chilly recesses of the present to the warm peaks of summer-late still-sunny evenings over a feast of shrimp, fish, and fresh vegetables; relaxing afternoon dips in the pool; a casual morning walk to the store.

I long for those bright and beautiful sunsets, hours spent in the sunshine, and meals shared al fresco. But for now, they remain an abstraction. In the dearth of winter, we are reminded, perhaps more than ever, of the need for rebirth. The mustard-tinted tulips have long ago wilted, the trees have shed their coverings, and the birds have mostly shifted towards warmer climes. Here, we wait, and long for what cannot yet be. Our hearts grow weary with the days that darken all-too-early, and our creative spirits wane amidst the memories of faded oases. Oh beauty of new buds, blooming fruit trees, and warm air, where are you?

At times, we wonder if spring will ever come or if we'll be trapped under a soporific blanket of coats, gloves, and scarves forever. My eyes mist slightly as I feel the weight of expectations unrealized, loved ones distant, and evenings lonely. Deep in my soul, I yearn for the warmth and hospitality that the coming season will bring. Like the smell of fresh-baked bread when walking through the market, the faintest flavors of future glory sprinkle the air and bring comfort to my hungry palate. But when, oh when, will you and I taste the feast of spring and summer bounty? Not yet, not yet the whirling winds cry.

However, this time of waiting is good and necessary for the process of rebirth to run its course. The land must have its time of rest before it can go into full-harvest, and we as humans must have good time to store up energy for our more spirited moments. Similar to how we need sleep to function well, we too need winter to ready us for spring.

As I write this, I am reminded of the Byrds' popular song "Turn, Turn, Turn," which uses the words of Ecclesiastes to tell a poignant tale of things happening in their appropriate season. And further, these words point me towards those of John Owen, who once wrote:

Gaudia post luctus veniunt, post gaudia luctus / Semper in ambiguo, speve metuve, sumus.

Simply translated: "Joys come after griefs, and after joys, grief. / We are always in doubt, either hope or fear."

Web of Progress, Web of Limitations

2010-01-10T00:36:00.008-05:00

tip tap
click clack
it leaves me wanting more

send delete
open close
now we're moving faster

minimize, maximize
so much to read and learn
i see works gutenberg never fathomed

an app for this an app for that
message me and let's start to chat
welcome back user, you have 500 new messages

we burn the candle at both ends
in efforts to keep pace
but try in vain we will
until realizing
no point click smiley
can ever rival face to face

the human frame
undignified
inside a pixellated cage

inwardly we groan
true feeling unexpressed
a yearning to grow closer

assume we shall
until we know
what avatars removed uncover

without a bridging thread
connecting digital with flesh on flesh
words remain abstractions

after pondering a text on screen
our sense of wonder may multiply
when moved beyond the digitati

the breath from the mouth
the gleam in the eye
they never cease to amaze

families gathered over meals
or moments filled with laughter peals
joined hearts and lives form common bonds

a shoulder to cry upon
a loved one to console
a partner to play with
connections that transcend wires and waves

in joy and in pain
beauty and deep ugliness
at times hurt yet forgiving
we step into the flames of life united

Felicita

2010-01-07T00:50:00.000-05:00

Seven Pounds and Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino is at it again, this time with his release of Italian flick Baciami Ancora. Although this film has yet to hit theaters, its trailers suggest a plot where love and adventure intertwine. As I've obviously yet to see this film, I can't comment on its content. However, Lorenzo "Jovanotti" Cherubini recently released a beautiful music video in the spirit of the film, which I will make a few comments on below.

What is striking about this video? The communal family feel; the images of simple delight in relationship, landscape, and community. Each of the moments captured in this brief video are like portraits capturing the images many of us hold dearly: a big family-style dinner, dancing, the delight of children, and the pleasure of spending time with those you love. One of my favorite scenes from this little piece is where Jovanotti is bouncing around and raising his hands with the family that is playing in the ocean. It reminds me of the cover of Sigur Ros' "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum" album, with bare-bottomed youths running across a highway. It has the same spirit, a spirit of delight exhibited by people who are fully in a moment and thus able to taste a hint of something spectacular. As the viewers of such moments, we can taste it too. Watching something like this leaves one feeling more attuned to life's lunar eclipses as they quickly pass.

Teach us Delight in simple things,
And Mirth that has no bitter springs;
Forgiveness free of evil done,
And Love to all men 'neath the sun!
-Rudyard Kipling

Change in Branding

2010-01-05T22:19:00.003-05:00

Re-inventing the wheel seems to be the American dream these days. From GE who has completely revamped its image to IBM, who is leading the way with its "A Smarter Planet" commercials, companies across the country are looking to poise themselves in a renewed marketplace. With the failure of many get-rich-quick schemes of the '90s internet boom to the major shortfalls now seen in Wall Street short-trading, it seems that the once-imagined idea of using shortcuts to make it rich has crumpled. And so, accordingly, many corporations and companies have sought new ways to brand themselves and are even seeking new opportunities in the marketplace that might not lead to quick sales, but could very well result in major long-term gains.

In the midst of a changing marketplace, these companies are suggesting that cutting edge equates with products and services that are niche, sustainable, and innovative. Whether true or imagined, these concepts are popping up all over the marketplace. Take, for just one example, Cadillac's commercial for its 2010 SRX: "Re-envisioned. Reorganized. Reactivated. All designed to reignite the soul..."

Sure, that song by Phoenix is catchy. But, my question as we run across these images of "re-imagined" commodities is whether or not the end product has actually changed. Is Cadillac's 2010 model really any better than the 2009? Do Americans, even the rich and privileged few, really need a Crossover Cadillac when their stocks are still tanking and the unemployment rate is still soaring?

For the past week, i've been reading Yvon Chouinard's (yes, I just posted about him) book Let My People Go Surfing. On page 94, in the midst of a discussion on simplicity, Chouinard says:

Complexity is often a sure sign that the functional needs have not been solved. Take the difference between the Ferrari and the Cadillac of the 1960s. The Ferrari's clean lines suited its high performance aims. The Cadillac really didn't have functional aims. It didn't have the steering, suspension, torque, aerodynamics, or brakes appropriate to its immense horsepower. But then nothing about its design really had to work. All it had to do was convey the idea of power, creature comfort, of a living room floating down the highway to the golf course. So, to a basically ugly shape were added all manner of useless chrome gingerbread: fins at the back, breasts at the front. Once you lose the discipline of functionality as a design guidepost, the imagination goes amok. Once you design a monster, it tends to look like one too."

What do Chouinard's thoughts mean for the "Cadillacs" of 2010? Now, i'm not here to cast blame on any particular company or brand, rather i'm here to ask a few questions, challenging the status quo. At first the idea of re-inventing and re-thinking seemed intriguing and novel. But what happens when everyone seems to be doing it? Whose marketing schemes add up to more than mere puffs of smoke? Is what we really need a new kind of car, or something different altogether?

An Intriguing and Practical Wall Adornment

2009-12-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

I happen to love artistic touches that utilize collages and mixed media. When looking for a way to spend a bit of Christmas money on some decorative elements for my apartment that weren't cookie cutter but also wouldn't break the bank, I ran across this lovely calendar/collage at Etsy.

This canvas-sized calendar packs a punch thanks to the creative twist that its developers have used in forming its contents. Using various letterhead images from photos taken in Paris, this functional collage provides a cool way to bring a hint of European charm to a home or workplace. Owners of this beaut can customize the numbers to fit the current month, providing a chic way to display dates in a setting where a more traditional calendar might stick out like a sore thumb.

To learn more about how this lovely work of art was made, check this out:

In case you're interested, you can purchase the calendar either at Etsy in the "Little Brown Pen" store or at littlebrownpen.com. Or, if you're feeling artistic, perhaps you can take a bit of inspiration from these creatives and go make your own one-of-a-kind collage.

Yvon Chouinard and Walmart, Really?!

2009-12-21T18:21:00.003-05:00

About a year and a half ago I was watching a college basketball game with a bunch of friends when the first green Walmart commercial ever popped up. My immediate reaction was: you have got to be kidding me! In my book, and perhaps at the time, Walmart was one of the furthest things from green that I could possibly imagine, much less a socially viable purchasing option. From the looks of the commercial, it sounded like Walmart was just jumping onto the eco-friendly train to sell more products, and maybe they were at first but the message is now more than marketing hype. Almost two years later and Yvon Chouinard, founder of the eco-mecca for urban elites and outdoorsy folk known as Patagonia, is now working with Walmart to translate image into principle. Chalk it up to market need or market niche, but Walmart has decided to put a new spin on their products.

Whereas previously most of the wares at the typical Wally world might hail from the hands of Chinese laborers, or represent one of the worst eco-footprints in terms of fuel usage (ala massive global transit schemes to get those goods from one end of the world to your own), today Walmart is taking a hard look at its business plan and rethinking the future. This will certainly take a lot of time and effort, but the result will be incredibly powerful given Walmart's immense purchasing power. It seems Chouinard may be as shocked as I am, but this is no joke. See more below:

You can also learn more here: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/harvardbusiness?sid=H2c7e044be78a5e6d144f9b45ab085921

Clean, Bright, and Cheery

2009-12-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Image: Rubie Green (Indian Lake upholstery fabric)

Today's featured resource is fabric designer Rubie Green. The idea behind the designs: Rubie Green makes a product that is not only visually stunning but also beautifully made. What is beautifully made, you might ask? In this case, it is that which is made from organic eco-friendly materials. Moving beyond the idea of creating a product that is aesthetically pleasing, Rubie Green's designer Michelle Adams recognizes the need for integrity in other areas, including where her raw materials come from and how her products are made. This ethos translates into Adams' other work. Quite a few of the features at one of Adam's current collaborations, Lonny Magazine, highlight green designers and eco-friendly ways to spruce up one's home or throw a party.

Image: Rubie Green

Fabrics: East Village (left), Megan (right)

Things you might do with a Rubie Green fabric:

Line the walls in a small room/closet to cultivate an intimate, homey feel. Think: staple gun or thumb-tacks. A great solution for rentals/short-term leases.
Create a custom headboard using a staple gun, and a large piece of wood with foam batting. you could accent the corners with a nailhead trim.
Spruce up an old sitting room chair with the Mary, East Village, or Habibi fabrics to add visual interest with a modern feel
Purchase a bolt of fabric and use it to make placemats for your next dinner party. fabrics to consider: Tillinghast, Ann, Patsy
Update your basic bulletin board by purchasing some of this fabric and turning it into a work of art ala staple gun
Recover your ugly pool chairs with a festive new fabric just before the spring sunshine hits
Cover an assortment of boxes in one of Rubie Green's bold patterns to use as decorative pieces that also serve a function
Sew custom curtains, covering the backs in a velveteen fabric for a luxurious feel that exudes modern meets traditional