Just press play, and enjoy this recent master piece by Tom Waits. This isn't just song writing, this is art direction. I love the sense of urgency and desperation in this song's sound. A crowded feeling of competition. An only option. Leaving everything behind; taking a chance. The sound paints the words. Awesome, stuff.
I recently came across this Ted Talk from a few years back by Simon Sinek on how great leaders have inspired action. I found it to be an interesting look as to why certain people tend to out-achieve, and out-innovate others.
Continuing my goal to read one book per month, my book for March was Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation
The premise of the book is that in environments where good ideas are often generated, there are patterns that recur over and over again. The book takes a very scientific look at 7 specific patterns that contribute in creative innovation: The Adjacent Possible, Liquid Networks, The Slow Hunch, Serendipity, Error, Exaptation, and Platforms.
Erik Spiekermann - Putting Back the Face into Typeface from Gestalten on Vimeo.
Listen to the design genius talk about new visual languages, design processes, the analogies of music and typography, and why we need better client culture in our latest Gestalten.tv video and you will easily realize why. Before heading to new visionary pastures, the bike enthusiast will make a short stop to receive the German Design Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 in February.
What I particularly enjoy from this video, is when Erik talks through his design process and how he expands and arrives to the adjacent possible of an already existing idea.
If I find something that I really like, that I think would work for a client but it's already used by somebody else, or it's too old, or I can't afford to buy it, or it would be a rip off; then I look at it for a long time, I look through books, and I draw it, and I sketch over it, and then I put it away and then the next day I sit down and I draw it from memory, and then it's different.
I've been on a bit of a Milton Glaser kick lately. I find myself inspired by his humble insights on design and the creative process. I highly recommend reserving 40 minutes of your day to give his Creative Mornings Lecture, from a few months back, a watch.
2011/01 Milton Glaser from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.
I believe one of the great difficulties of professional life is you can't fail often enough without being out of the profession. ~ Milton Glaser
Last night I was browsing my Netflix Instant View library and stumbled across a wonderful documentary on Milton Glaser titled: To Inform and Delight.
Inform and Delight glances into the everyday moments of Milton Glaser's personal life and captures his immerse warmth and humanity, as well as boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.
I had no idea this film existed. No body ever told me, so I'm telling you: If you haven't seen it yet and you're into design, art, or better yet both, give it a watch.