via Frank: Elegance, Lightness, and Nothing
Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest, most basic ones.
There’s an old story, true or not, that people love telling about writing implements in space. The American space program discovered that normal ink pens didn’t work on missions (no gravity in orbit to pull down the ink), so they spent millions to research and develop a pen that could write upside down. The Russians, the story goes, brought a pack of pencils.
Now, I suppose one could think that this story is about the Americans’ rigidity in thought, the bureaucratic waste in creating an object with limited utility, or even the enthusiasm with which the space program took up a new frontier of upside-down pens. But I like to think that the story is about the elegance of thought in the Russians’ solution. It was a simple swap, an obvious fix that must have been face-palmingly infuriating and suddenly obvious to the American scientists, a bit like the first time someone told me that I could keep those automatic toilets at the airport from flushing on me by putting some toilet paper over the sensor.
We as designers strive for our solutions to be elegant, so what’s interesting about this story is how it seems to suggest that the most elegant solution, in certain situations, might not be creating anything new at all. Lightness is to be found in substitution or recomposing, not in rote addition.
But, hammer sees nail, and all that. The new and novel has an appeal to it that hypnotizes even those who are the most steeped in the design process. A particularly interesting example occurred a few weeks ago at a design conference where I was speaking. Talk about ergonomics, health, and the benefits of standing over sitting for eight hours a day came up over coffee. Many had said they were researching or had bought standing-height desks with small motors that could have their height adjusted to sitting level for the times they wanted to sit for a bit. And I just looked down into my coffee, and thought about saying, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy a bar-height table and a stool?” But I decided it’d be better to just say nothing.
Erase the logo from every single one of your brand identifiers—products, stationary, signage. Close your eyes, now reopen them. Is there anything left? Would consumers still recognize those items as belonging to your brand? Look at your packaging, your copy, your colors, your design, your font, your spacing. Do any of them convey your brand’s identity? Or without a logo are you adrift and bailing water?
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Vision Without Obstruction: What We Learn From Steve Jobs :: Articles :: The 99 Percent
Jobs also said this in his Stanford commencement speech in 2005, which I previously posted.
I’m doing a little Steve Jobs stalking because the Martin Lindstrom seminar I attended yesterday at SMX reminded me about why Apple really is so great, not that it could be doubted.
I’ll be writing a blog entry about the Martin Lindstrom talk soon enough. :)
5 Timeless Productivity Habits Worth Reviewing and Remembering
(via Accidental Creative)
Excellent article. And I’m proud that I’ve previously shared with my other colleagues that we should start applying similar practices at Punchdrunk Panda. :D
How Routine Can Be Good For Creativity
More so than other people perhaps, I am a stickler for operational definitions. I feel that it’s important that we know the nuances of words, and what people really mean when they say “routine”.
On one hand, it can mean monotonous or tedious, as in, We are set in our dull routine existence. On the other hand, it can mean a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program, as in, Sticking to a routine will develop commitment and discipline.
I’m only starting out with this myself, but I wanted to share how I plan the things I want to achieve. Now these may not all be directly related to achieving location independence, but I need to pursue things outside of work (strictly speaking) in order to keep a semblance of sanity. :P
Skills I Want To Develop Over The Next 6-9 Months
Okay, so while the inspiration for this post was What Startups Can Learn From Haruki Murakami, and I read that he maintain an exercise regimen for his craft and that he sits down to write 3-4 hours a day, I don’t necessarily think that’s for me. For someone self-diagnosed with ADHD, I think committing to develop several skills in the span of months is a really big deal in itself without dedicating all my time to just a couple of things. I’m pretty sure that will lead to burnout for me. Like a short-lived sprint versus a sustained marathon.
So anyway, the below listed may be a bit overwhelming, and it may be doubted that I’ll be able to manage them all without losing focus on the others, but I feel that each skill addresses a different need, and will ultimately lead to a more well-rounded me. :P
- Blogging (To continue documenting my progress and life in general, in a less whiny high schooler manner)
- Watercolor painting (So I can produce my own paintings which I can proudly exhibit)
- Yoga (To develop strength, balance and a quiet mind)
- Healthy cooking (To support my pursuit of an ovo lacto pescetarian diet, which is the least vegetarian of all vegetarian permutations :P)
- Spanish (To learn a foreign language)
- Basic video editing + soundtrack/score producing (To document future travels in moving pictures)
- Building international relations (For couchsurfing, globetrotting and Punchdrunk Panda world-dominating)
How Routine Can Help Me Achieve These
I am running out of time for this post, as I need to get to work soon, and there is merit in reading the entire source articles from 99% (which is a GREAT resource, by the way) than me summarizing, but I hope to make a summary in the future for my benefit…especially if I find myself falling out of routine.
Here are some great cases for following routines (some titles reworded according to my takeaway):
- Why You Should Start Your Day Early
- RSS Creativity: Routines, Systems, Spontaneity
- Achieve Goals With Routines (This, I’m kind of applying to my current state, but is not necessarily her main purpose for the article per se, but I see it as help for Routine Management & Aiming To Achieve [not necessarily “finish”])
- Maintain Routines For Yourself: The Benefits of “Unnecessary Creating”
In a nutshell, routines help instill the discipline to pursue one’s goals, and the commitment to and repeated exposure to these routines push us to excel in whatever fields we pursue.
That said, I’ll be developing a routine/schedule that allows me to pursue all these other things while managing Punchdrunk Panda.
I know this blog was created for the pursuit of nomadic management, and somehow integrating a routine while traveling may seem quite challenging. But either fortunately or unfortunately, I am not faced with a “disruptive” travel schedule right now, so I can maximize the time to learn new skills and make things interesting where I am “stuck”, and consequently feel like I’m leading a more interesting and creative life even without travel. :)
Travel Writing For Travel Bloggers
Title should read:Travel Writing For Travel Bloggers
Helpful tips for those who aspire to refine the craft of blogging, and elevating it from lower echelons of spontaneous word vomit.
Glad You're Not Here: A Solo Traveler's Manifesto
Why traveling alone is not weird. Amen.
