The brilliant [and lovely] @uberblond put this together a talk she gave at Sweden's APG.
I think it's quite truth and inspiring.
April 20, 2012
Stuff That Inspires Me
The brilliant [and lovely] @uberblond put this together a talk she gave at Sweden's APG.
I think it's quite truth and inspiring.
March 09, 2012
January 30, 2012
I found this here. Wise words to live by.
-----
In 1933, renowned author F. Scott Fitzgerald ended a letter to his 11-year-old daughter, Scottie, with a list of things to worry about, not worry about, and simply think about. It read as follows.
(Source: F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters; Image: F. Scott Fitzgerald with his daughter, Scottie, in 1924.)
(Source: F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters; Image: F. Scott Fitzgerald with his daughter, Scottie, in 1924.)
Things to worry about:
Worry about courage
Worry about cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship
Things not to worry about:
Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about boys
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions
Things to think about:
What am I really aiming at?
How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:
(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?
With dearest love,
Daddy
January 02, 2012
Less & More
a new year has begun and we're supposed to take some time to reflect on the stuff we want to accomplish throughout the next 363 days...
boy, i’m not really into writing resolutions or anything like that but this time i’ll make an exception since 2011 was really kind to me and pretty much feels like i owe it back to the years.
so, only one resolution for 2012:
a better balance between less and more.
[less time tweeting to strangers, more time writing to the ones i dear]
[less brain cells thinking about intellectual rubbish, more into finding ways to make my friends’ lives - and my own - a bit more fun & special]
[less time consuming, more creating]
[less of me online, more offline]
ultimately, less energy devoted to trivialities and much more into experiencing the things that truly matter.
i’m determined to make 2012 my bitch. let’s make it count.
September 09, 2011
July 04, 2011
February 22, 2011
January 25, 2011
January 08, 2011
December 21, 2010
December 08, 2010
What Truly Matters
"The thing is, I really like saying yes. I like new things, projects, plans, getting people together and doing something, trying something, even when it's corny or stupid. I am not good at saying no. And I do not get along with people who say no. When you die, and it really could be this afternoon, under the same bus wheels I'll stick my head if need be, you will not be happy about having said no. You will be kicking your ass about all the no's you've said. No to that opportunity, or no to that trip to Nova Scotia or no to that night out, or no to that project or no to that person who wants to be naked with you but you worry about what your friends will say.
No is for wimps. No is for pussies. No is to live small and embittered, cherishing the opportunities you missed because they might have sent the wrong message.
There is a point in one's life when one cares about selling out and not selling out. One worries whether or not wearing a certain shirt means that they are behind the curve or ahead of it, or that having certain music in one's collection means that they are impressive, or unimpressive.
Thankfully, for some, this all passes. I am here to tell you that I have, a few years ago, found my way out of that thicket of comparison and relentless suspicion and judgment. And it is a nice feeling. Because, in the end, no one will ever give a shit who has kept shit 'real' except the two or three people, sitting in their apartments, bitter and self-devouring, who take it upon themselves to wonder about such things. The keeping real of shit matters to some people, but it does not matter to me. It's fashion, and I don't like fashion, because fashion does not matter.
What matters is that you do good work. What matters is that you produce things that are true and will stand. What matters is that the Flaming Lips's new album is ravishing and I've listened to it a thousand times already, sometimes for days on end, and it enriches me and makes me want to save people. What matters is that it will stand forever, long after any narrow-hearted curmudgeons have forgotten their appearance on goddamn 90210. What matters is not the perception, nor the fashion, not who's up and who's down, but what someone has done and if they meant it. What matters is that you want to see and make and do, on as grand a scale as you want, regardless of what the tiny voices of tiny people say. Do not be critics, you people, I beg you. I was a critic and I wish I could take it all back because it came from a smelly and ignorant place in me, and spoke with a voice that was all rage and envy. Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them. It is a fuckload of work to be open-minded and generous and understanding and forgiving and accepting, but Christ, that is what matters. What matters is saying yes."
It really doesn't matter how much time you spend tweeting interesting data or writing clever posts about whatever is hot based on industry standards [hell, i'm the first one who does it and i enjoy doing it]... as long as you don't forget that what really matters is the work that you get done.
Let's cut the crap, ignore the damn social media rockstars and get back to work. You're still as good as the last thing you've done and that's what counts at the end of the day.
Image courtesy of Gapingvoid
November 17, 2010
Comics, Cartoons & the Art of Storytelling
Once upon a time, enchanted by the power of grayskull and reading the future through the mystical Eye of Thundera, there was a kid that dreamed of having the power to help his beloved superheroes destroy the malevolence forces invading earth.
That kid was me.
Ever since I was ten years old, I’ve been living countless adventures traveling between planets and alternate dimensions, thanks to the magical world of comics and cartoons. With the years, I then learned to appreciate them as much more than just a source of entertainment and begun to value their ability as powerful communication tools.
Wikipedia defines comic as a graphic medium in which images are utilized in order to convey a sequential narrative. McCloud describes it as language that happens when two or more panels work together to contribute to a whole. Regardless of the definition, comics promise two things: 1) Spatially juxtaposed structure, and 2) sequential nature that distinguishes it from cartoons and comic strips.
Since its origins, artists have used comics in a myriad of ways: to leave a mark (drawings from prehistoric times), to express ideas (street artists) and to entertain (traditional comic artists)… despite the end goal, what has been consistent across the years is its ability to convey a clear message in a simpler way.
And here is why, when it comes to storytelling, comics are king. They not only establish the ideal standards for simplicity and engagement with stories delivered via frames (sometimes without using words), but also teach us some lessons on how to play with our audience’s minds and hearts. Comics use the power of closure to allow us to just observe specific parts of a story but still let our imagination perceive it as a whole. This technique is very common on movie making where icons from Hitchcock to Guy Ritchie have used it for many years (remember the famous scene on the shower, you actually never saw the knife hitting her), and comic artists still use it religiously. What’s interesting about these is that overtime they have certainly become tools that storytellers can master and use to tell better stories.
Here are some useful tips to begin with:
- Play with the power of the mind – our brain is programmed to read between the lines, which allows storytellers to inspire readers beyond the medium. When crafting brand stories, we can use that same principle to ensure we have an engaging and interesting enough one to say.
- Master the practice of re-arranging the boxes – storytelling implies a high level of involvement and self-identification therefore, as every story has more than one angle just by re-arranging the order of the elements it is possible to tell more that one story and connect with more than one.
- Be subtractive – less is definitely enough. Good storytelling demands a clear and concise structure and the same principle should be applied when we are telling a brand story. If we can’t tell our story in one sentence then it is quite probable that it could be improved.
- Use narrative wisely – as comics have shown us, you can pretty much say anything you want as long as you keep one single and unified voice across the board. Make sure your brand is doing the same across every touch point.
November 04, 2010
October 25, 2010
October 19, 2010
The Original W+K Rules
Quite a pleasure to be part of this team.
According to Mr. David Kennedy, These rules were found in a desk drawer a long time ago. A six year old kid had come into the office one day with his parents and wrote these out to keep himself occupied while Mom and Dad worked. David found these and adopted them. "This was highly evolved way of thinking and we could learn from it."
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