Even Doing Nothing I Am Making the Most of Somehow
Even Doing Nothing I Am Making the Most of Somehow
Talking about movies that make me reconsider my existence, that funny new Nokia logo, a cutie little bakery in Barcelona, and what does it mean to have taste?
Over the weekend I finally watched Everything Everywhere All at Once. I knew I was going to love the film, and my expectations for it were high. Yet somehow, it was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
— *Spoilers ahead - ( ͡▀̿ ̿ ͜ʖ ͡▀̿ ̿ ) * —
So, I’m a fairly emotional person, and over the years I’ve learned to wrangle my deep feels in a positive way. For example, I used to be rather reactionary person. I would interrupt people, I would speak without thinking, and I lacked a certain mindfulness. Thanks to my former manager/mentor Mark, I learned to control that urge. And when it comes to some movies… I tend to cry. A lot. It’s something I share in common with a friend I worked with at Disney, Nicole. We’d go see early screenings of films, and together in the darkness of the theater, we’d cry together. Not because we were sad, mind you! Because we were so moved by what we were seeing on the screen (the worst one was watching the end of Endgame, we were A MESS lol).
Everything Everywhere All at Once hit that same chord for me. There’s something so powerful about someone coming to a realization that is life-changing. For Eveleyn, it was many things. That she was finally able to tap into all of her dreams and ambitions, to see what they would have been like, and if her life had been ever so slightly different, she would have realized those dreams. I also loved how they portrayed Waymond, and his ideal of “fighting” for the things he cared for in his own way, which for me was incredibly poignant. How his love for her helped unlock an entirely new point of view for Evelyn, her third (googly) eye finally opening.
I loved this film for making me truly feel something, like, something spiritually deep, to be honest. I literally cried tears of joy for more than half the film. For me it was energizing, inspiring, and motivating, and not in the bullshit LinkedIn “thought leadership” way we’re constantly being fed. It served as a reminder that I need to look after myself, those I love, and those that are closest to me. To rise above that feeling we all get sucked into, “busy-ness”, and the shackles of things that don’t really matter.
Am I living my life in the ways that make me happiest? Am I fulfilling my dreams? Life is hard and it can really hurt. I truly believe if we give love endlessly, boundlessly, we can do many wondrous things.
“All we get, are a few specks of time where any of this actually makes sense.” “Then I will cherish these few specks of time.”
This is your reminder to run after your Raccacoonie. We can do whatever we want. Nothing matters.
📌 — Does a logo need to be legible? That’s the convo I keep seeing in reaction to the recently unveiled logo for Nokia. The Finnish tech company worked with long time creative partner Lippincott on a new look in response to the fact that people (like me) still think Nokia makes phones (they sold that part of the business off years ago, who knew!).
First off, I think the logo’s legibility is totally fine. In fact, I think we’re overly safe and analytical about logos legibility/readability, what have you. Your brain is able to put together the missing pieces and tell you what this says. Second, do I think the logo is well-crafted? I feel like the logo makes sense for a massive tech company that does nebulous tech-y things (visit their website and get ready for an intense round of buzzword bingo). It fits the brief and differentiates them in the market, that’s the point.
Oftentimes, I think to the past, of intricately lettered logos and wordmarks. Ornate flourishes and details that made the proprietor or their goods feel premium, which, is not what we’re seeing here, though it is trying to do something different, which I appreciate. Let’s get off our creative director soapboxes of what’s right or wrong or how we’d do it better and focus on making better work ourselves.
📌 — A new bakery opened up on my block called Coush Armo and I’m a little obsessed. Started by Argentine baker Francisco Seubert, the bakery has a little bit of everything, a range of breads and sweets, as well as their adorable medialuna (half-moon), a sweet croissant-esque baby that also kind of looks like animal horns.
The interior design was handled by Arc Disseny who imbued the space with natural materials and a beautiful warmth. I love how they’ve built a wooden shelf into the window as a display to showcase what breads they have available, and how the lights are made of steel dough mixers. It all feels so effortless and cozy. Add it to your list when you visit Barcelona next.
📌 — I’ve been going to a pilates class for the last couple months and it’s been pretty amazing to see my body changing so quickly. So when I spotted this brand new book, Yoga for Stiff Birds by Marion Deuchars, I knew I had to share. Marion is a British illustrator and author, and the book is sort of an “Idiot’s Guide To…” but for yoga, sharing tips on stretching and getting more limber. I would also highly recommend checking out this animated spot created by Mathieu Maillefer, it’s simply charming. I would definitely watch a stiff birds series.
📌 — I was doing my little scrolling through TikTok when I came across this great take from @franslittlelife who shared this post on Are.na by Brie Wolfson who wrote about “taste.” Both Francine and I seem to have the same joy in talking about taste, as it’s quite interesting these days to discuss. Oftentimes, many people confuse people wearing expensive, major label brands as having “taste” when it’s in fact the opposite. Mostly likely they’ve been given the clothing by the label or they pay a stylist to help them achieve that appearance. Money rarely equates to taste.
In order to wrap her arms around the qualities of having “taste,” Brie outlines her thoughts in 23 points, inspired by the format used in Susan Sontag’s “Notes on Camp.” Below are my personal favorites, many of which I feel describe my point of view, if I’m being honest —
Though taste may appear effortless, you can’t have taste by mistake. It requires intention, focus, and care. Taste is a commitment to a state of attention. It’s a process of peeling back layer after layer, turning over rock after rock. As John Saltivier says in an essay about building a set of stairs, “surprising detail is a near universal property of getting up close and personal with reality.”
Most people with taste can tell you, in explicit terms, how they came to it. That story typically involves someone else ushering them into it, directly or indirectly.
Taste honors someone’s standards of quality, but also the distinctive way the world bounces off a person. It reflects what they know about how the world works, and also what they’re working with in their inner worlds. When we recognize true taste, we are recognizing that alchemic combination of skill and soul. This is why it is so alluring.
Another hypothesis is that artists are more sensitive. They’re more observant, feel things more deeply, more obsessive about details, more focused on how they measure up to greatness. It’s self-conscious. It’s intimate. It’s idiosyncratic. And when they get it right, it’s as tasteful as it gets.
There are no shortcuts to taste. Taste cannot sublimate. It can only bloom.
Brie has blown my mind with her list. It’s for me, and for Francine as well, a truly beautiful way of describing something that is so ethereal yet feels so ever-present in our every day lives. Thank you Brie!
🍃 — If you drink those wretched espresso martinis I implore you to try this drink I came across recently, the Fergroni. 50% gin, 30% Punt e Mes, and 20% Campari. It’s got personality and body and I cannot wait to try it 😍
🍃 — Let’s go further down the path on “recipes Bobby needs to make” with a dish called Mac Kimcheese, basically a melty, cheesy, sauce combined with kimchi, topped with chili crisp breadcrumbs. Dying to make this.
🍃 — One of my favorite recent runway shows was Schiaparelli’s Fall 202 collection. A couple of weeks ago, Vogue shared a day in the life of Daniel Roseberry, Schiaparelli’s creative director, and it was a beautiful glimpse into this brilliant man’s life. Please throuple with me Daniel.
🍃 — As a creative director by trade, who frequently receives lots of notes and feedback on work, this fictional feedback on Milton Glaser’s iconic Bob Dylan poster makes my soul ache.
🍃 — Touching back on EEAAO, A24 released this beautiful song reader featuring the music created by Son Lux with beautiful generative artwork from the iconic Zach Lieberman. WANT.
🍃 — I found myself nodding along to this piece by Drew Millard on how “Buttons Are Bougie Now” which talks about how most interfaces these days are touchscreens devoid of haptic feedback. Physical buttons will always be easier for us humans to use, period.
🍃 — Christoph Niemann never fails to surprise me, as I recently came across a fully explorable, illustrated version of the Cádiz Cathedral. And you can explore it in VR. When does this guy sleep?!
🍃 — Everyone has that thing they buy too many of and for me it’s blankets ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So you can imagine how challenging it is for me to steer away from these Le Corbusier inspired blankets from Tekla.