The Donut Project

This week we have something a little different. Darq E. Freaker with Detroit’s own Danny Brown will get your Monday shaking. The video could be considered NSFW depending on where you work. Enjoy.

This small fire lane in an apartment complex’s parking lot is where I have been finding myself spending a good bit of my time lately. It by no means looks like any place to be inspired, but it has done just that.

This gravel-covered, unevenly-paved, broken-glass haven, has become my makeshift soccer field. And whether you have played soccer before or not, you must know that this is by no means, a soccer field. An ideal soccer field would be covered in well-kept green grass and have regulation goals and maybe even clearly marked lines. I have played on those types of fields for a good portion of my life, and have never gained as much as I have from the past few weeks playing in my small little hazardous nook of a parking lot. I’ve been forced to gain new foot skills, I’ve been challenged to keep more control, and I’ve learned the hard way to be a bit more graceful in doing so.

You may be asking yourself, why am I reading about this girl’s weird pastime in a parking lot? But stick with me, I have a point.

As designers, or creatives in general, we may always be aspiring for a golden moment to let our particular talents shine. The project that will get our name out there, or make our portfolio just that much better, or maybe even make us a lot of money. But this reject soccer field has reminded me and inspired me to take on the weird, runty, less-glamorous projects. Learn from them, gain new skills, be challenged to keep more control, and to do so gracefully. It is easy to make a good project turn out good… but it’s a challenge to take on a fire lane and make it soccer field.

Oh, by the way i’m Casey

Nesl is a neat and simple desk organizer created by a few students from the Cleveland Institute of Art. It’s durable rubber polymer fingers hold on to cords, pens, phones… really anything you can cram into it.

It’s currently being funded on Kickstarter, where $20 will get you a pair for your desk. Head to Nesl’s Kickstarter page and get yours. I’m crossing my fingers for some white ones.

I’ve been drooling over the trailer for the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi for months now. Jiro, considered to be the world’s best sushi chef, operates out of a tiny shop in the Shinjuku district in Tokyo. Although I haven’t made the journey to his restaurant yet (and I will by the way) it’s clear through the presentation that this is authentic as it gets. The humbleness of both the restaurant, which operates out of a subway station, and its owner is inspiring. Jiro is 85 years old and despite being the only sushi chef in the world to win a 3 star Michelin review he still feels he has not yet mastered his craft. As young designers we would do well to take a lesson from Jiro and remember to be humble and to approach ourselves and our craft as if we haven’t arrived yet, no matter our level of success.

Visit the official movie site here.

Another Monday, another video. Released last year this album has been getting a lot of spins at my house. Enjoy.

In his new book, New York Times best-selling author Jonah Lehrer takes a deeper look into what defines creativity, and more importantly how it is achieved. Challenging the classic theories of an all-powerful gift possessed by the lucky few, Lehrer explains it is a skill that everyone has, but we can all learn to use more effectively. He points out that daydreaming, travel and even drinking help nurture the creative flow and foster unique solutions. Whether you are in a so-called creative field or not, “creativity is our natural state”, and it is something that we should all embrace.

If you are a fan of handwritten typography, then you should definitely take a look at the work of Drew Melton. The detail and precision in his lettering is inspiring. Aside from his portfolio site, his work can be found on Phraseology Project where he handwrites phrases submitted by users, Sevenly where he creates the design for the t-shirts each week, and dribbble. Be sure to check it out.

Peg Leg Sam may be the realest person many of you will ever see. The realness of the man goes much deeper than any effect that his life as a huckster and a drifter could ever have. He bears the realness of the sweltering, depressed rural south. This is a quality of authenticity that resolves its host to perseverance beyond any struggle this life has to offer.
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