Prof. Philip Zimbardo On Time

Dan Eldon

This week has been super awe.some. I’ve been meeting with fellow dreamers and schemers talking through this summer’s programming and couldn’t be more excited about the growing group of young makers in Holland. RAD! During a conversation with Emily and Karla we started talking about artists we’ve had strong emotional connections to. Emily pointed me to the work of Dan Eldon, an English photojournalist who was killed by an angry mob in Mogadishu at only 22 years old. When she mentioned his work I was instantly taken back my college gallery which was lucky enough to host “Dan Eldon: Images of War, Celebrations of Peace,” in 2004. His collages were so powerful, raw and fresh; a genuine expression of curiosity and love for the world around him. Over the course of his short life he made many films and journals documenting the social and cultural issues prevalent in his travels. I’m really grateful for Emily’s reminder of his life and work and would love to see his exhibit come to Holland. Until that happens, check this website or book for more info.

Consequential Conversations and Happiness

In a recent study Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona, found that “people who spend more of their day having deep discussions and less time engaging in small talk seem to be happier.” Using a sample of 79 college students he recorded 30 second snippets of conversation every 12.5 minutes over the course of four days to create an auditory snapshot of their lives. The findings?  ”Together, the present findings demonstrate that the happy life is social rather than solitary, and conversationally deep rather than superficial.”

Via NYT

PieLab!

If that last post didn’t make you love Project M, then maybe this tasty treat will persuade you. One of their recent projects PieLab looks to be a little slice of design heaven. ba-da-bing!

It functions as and experimental design studio slash pie shop slash idea incubator slash neutral meeting space for community members to share ides with resident designers. ”More than simply a pie shop, PieLab operates as a community design center focusing on community development projects and small business incubation in Greensboro and the surrounding five counties.” Roadtrip?

We just fell in love…with Project M

This morning Shawn and I got together to talk art + design + convictions + etc. He’s a senior at Kendall this year majoring in Graphic Design, and he is awesome. A mutual point of interest is not wanting to use our abilities to manufacture perceived needs for objects which people have no need for. Instead we’d prefer (and who wouldn’t) to use our powers for the benefit of our community. Towards the end of our conversation he told me to check out Project M, a group doing just that. It was love at first site (hehe) and after clicking around I concluded that Project M looks to be the most amazing summer experience a young creative could ask for.

“Project M is an intensive summer program designed to inspire young graphic designers, writers, photographers and other creative people that their work can have a positive and significant impact on the world.”

So, to all you young designers wanting to make a larger impact than the ecological footprint of glossy package remnants piled in a landfill somewhere I strongly encourage you to apply for their summer program! In fact, I’ll make it easy. Here’s a copy of the application…it’s due April 30. GET A MOVE ON, ALREADY!

Other People’s Culture + A Search For My Own

First off, I’m sorry for the lack of posts lately. And by “lack” I mean zero over the past 30+ days. This past month has managed to be both chaotic and super exciting and in the process this blog has taken a back seat to other matters. Personally, my wife and I just purchased a home and, after years of deliberation, have decided to call Holland home officially. Professionally, we’ve been busy printing tees and scheming summer plans. All in all, the tail end of winter has been a blur and last night the above video (via Brian) stopped my in my tracks. It’s a short film about a man, his passion, and the obstacles he overcomes in order to obtain freedom. Technically, the film is well executed and the simplicity of presentation conveys the simplicity of conflict beautifully. It serves as a poignant reminder that we’re not alone in the struggle to live fully.

The tag-line of Brian’s blog is “Letting go of what’s easy to find what’s meaningful.” This is a consistent theme among our community. Although I love the internet and the breadth of lifestyles (perceived or actual) it transmits I’m even more grateful to have friends who encourage a critical stance of the culture we create and consume.

This is true joy of life-the being used for a purpose that is recognized by yourself as a right one, instead of being a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. – George Bernard Shaw

Mending for the People

GET INSPIRED! We’ve been doing a lot of sewing after school lately and this guy’s attitude takes the simple act to a whole new level. Michael Swaine is a ceramics arts instructor based in San Francisco and a lifelong mender. Once a month he travels to “The Tenderloin” (San Francisco’s neediest neighborhood) where he offers all-day free mending, friendship, and conversation. His mending is not only about the clothes – it’s about the community, the people in it, and his own needs to find comfort in a world that is so used to throwing things away. Beautiful. The more I read about this guy the more I love. Video by Studio Galli.