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I'm a writer and creative director. I make things, collect books, write fiction and don't understand Zen. I'm Vegan.

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In Pursuit of Elegance

There is an elegant solution for everything. Matthew E. May makes this very argument in his fantastic book The Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing.

According to May, elegant solutions share four common characteristics:

  1. Symmetry
  2. Seduction
  3. Subtraction
  4. Sustainability

I loved this book. As it applies to aesthetics, we have a lot to learn in this cluttered world in which we now live. Elegance is an art. Knowing what not to say is as vital as what we say.

This is also about space: white space, the space between the notes and carving out a clean, clear space from which great ideas and manifest.

Awesome New Post On The Merits of Staring

I just published a piece over at the very cool productivity site, WorkAwsome. Here is an excerpt:

Imagine stopping in the middle of a busy work day, kicking up your feet on your desk, sitting back, arms cradling the back of the head in daydream mode. Now imagine that this is one of the best things you could do in the course of a busy work day.
It’s okay, let them stare. Because the truth is that your blank stare at the wall is just what the mind needs to slow down, clear out some of the clutter and give the creative brain the opportunity to open up to better thinking, greater creativity and maybe even the next big idea.

Stop by the site and give the post a read. Give the rest of the site a read, too. You’ll find Work Awesome to be full of great work productivity tips. Plus, it’s a fun read.

Now Hear This: Den of Maniacs by Dan Wallace

Just a quick mention: Den of Maniacs is out. Dan Wallace’s newest CD is filled with more great songs, interesting arrangements and tremendous performances including more guitar shredding than Dan has shown on previous releases.

Also of note for Dan Wallace fans is the new arrangement for his popular song, Fell. It’s one of the highlights of a CD with lots of really good moments.

This release is a bit more bold and experimental. But, anyone familiar with Dan’s music will be acquainted with the style and dynamics of the overall vibe of the disc. One particular mention goes to Morceau, a fun and oddly infectious song that reminds one of earlier pre-Pindrops days.

If you haven’t listened to any of Dan’s music yet, do so. He is one of the most innovative indie artists currently making music. His influences are vast and if you pay attention you can tease some of them out of the various songs.

Dan’s also an amazing guitar player. Look At Me, the discs first track, should demonstrate this quite clearly.

You can find this CD via Dan’s website.

There is no poet in the world who is not a mystic. A poet is a mystic whether consciously or unconsciously, for no one can write poetry without inspiration, and when a poet touches the profound depths of the spirit, struck by some aspect of life, he brings forth a poem as a diver brings forth a pearl.

Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sufi Mystic and Musician.
From a chapter on the writings of Rumi in his book The Heart of Sufism.

marty_brand

You Too Can Be An Innovator

I’ve always loved the way Marty Neumeier thinks. ZAG is still my favorite book on brands. Now, Marty has a DVD available with his famous Innovation Workshop on it. This should be fantastic.

Plus, the Tool Kit includes a copy of his most recent book, The Designful Company which is also a really good read.

tapes_poster

From the Vault

I worked on this a few years ago with my friend Vic Donati. He was comissioned to create a gig poster for the Tapes N Tapes show and we were kicking around a couple of ideas.

At some point, we began reminiscing about vintage rock and a few of its more iconic elements.

One of the first things that came to mind was Eddie Van Halen’s classic red guitar. We both remarked how it looked like he had simply covered it with tape and more tape.

This Whole New Mind of Mine

I just read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink and recommend it to anyone wanting to be grasp the emerging new realities of marketing and communications. His premise is simple: Gone are the days of left-brain dominance. In the age of Asia, Abundance and Automation, we are no longer able to compete as we once did. In fact, if someone overseas can do it more cheaply or if a computer can do it faster, then what you are doing is soon to go away.

But that’s okay. Especially if you’re more right-brained. For these high concept, high touch folks that future is very bright indeed.As for the book, Pink lays out a compelling argument and suggests 6 aptitudes critical for the future: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning.

As a writer, director and brand strategist, this book put some additional shape on much of what I’ve been thinking and feeling over the past 5 years. Meaning is essential to people and the various conceptual aptitudes get to the heart of what motivates consumers and what should drive companies into the future.