Andrew DeVigal

Beer, curry and music. #livingthedream (at Captured By Porches)

I love how she appreciates music. (at Al Forno Ferruzza)

I found great collaborators in… Jon Huang (a developer and, from all I can tell, warlock).

I will hereby call Jon Huang (or @huang_apiaries) “warlock” from here on out. Other wise words from @abstractsunday:

Simplicity is not about making something without ornament, but rather about making something very complex, then slicing elements away, until you reveal the very essence.

and

The painful and inevitable struggle remains to create in a childlike and openhearted manner, but to be un-wistful and cruel when judging one’s creation.

The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative.

The power of storytelling goes keep. Furthermore…

The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned.

Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA — in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where “the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.”

Inspiring. And there’s also this:

• The Farming Technique That Could Revolutionize the Way We Eat

Happy urban farming, everyone!

If you told me a year ago that this was what I was going to be doing… I would not have believed you

dreamlectures:

Scott McCloud on comics (via Scott McCloud on comics | Video on TED.com)

In this unmissable look at the magic of comics, Scott McCloud bends the presentation format into a cartoon-like experience, where colorful diversions whiz through childhood fascinations and imagined futures that our eyes can hear and touch.

All good stuff but the great stuff starts 12 minutes in:

So the question was: was there any way to preserve that spatial relationship while still taking advantage of all of the things that digital had to offer us?

Let children play games that are not educational in their free time. Personally, I’d rather my children played Cookie Doodle or Cut the Rope on my iPhone while waiting for the subway to school than do multiplication tables to a beep-driven soundtrack. Then, once they’re in the classroom, they can challenge themselves.

Cut the Rope is actually an excellent problem-solving game that I suspect has excellent value for kids… and adults alike.

Taking Requests from Andrew DeVigal on Vimeo.

Reflective Clouds of White

dreamlectures:

Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories (by David Comberg)

Short lecture by Kurt Vonnegut on the ‘simple shapes of stories.’

There’s also this recent “infographic” from Visual.ly.

dreamlectures:

Storytelling for Brands - Our Storytelling Matrix (by StoryWorldwide)

Storytelling matrix — a framework that allows you to fully understand and orchestrate your brand narrative. Its three axes (Activity, Complexity, and Personality) are used to plot in the executions necessary to maximize meaningful interaction with a given group.

The X axis is about activity, and illustrates how linear or interactive a particular story is. This ranges from printed magazines and cinematic experiences all the way to full-blown video games — where the user controls each and every aspect of the story.

The Y axis is about complexity, and illustrates just how much information is loaded into the story. Is it a scholarly approach to the subject matter, or is it pure entertainment?

The Z axis is about personality: is it a mass produced, universal story, or is it tailored and customized to each individual?

Helpful.

dreamlectures:

SEVA Training Series: Austin Madison of Pixar (by SECCEducationalTV)

Pixar Animator, Austin Madison recently worked with students at a SEVA (Student Educational Video Awards) Training Event. Austin led students through the different stages of building a story.

An excellent way to teach young adults (or anyone who needs/wants the basic framework of)  the power of storytelling.

1. Once there was a…
2. Every day, he/she…
3. Until one day…
4. Because of this/that… (design/do process on “beats”)
5. Until finally…
6. Ever since then!

Intuitively, we know that the best stuff in life isn’t stuff at all, and that relationships, experiences and meaningful work are the staples of a happy life.

Seems apropos that I was reading this editorial when Laura made this photo.

Above all, there is learning, the kind of learning that allows you to navigate unknown areas, make unusual connections, and achieve new goals in unforeseen ways.

Aka: The Adjacent Possible

Magic circles are “temporary worlds within the ordinary world, dedicated to the performance of an act apart.” Building a special space away from normal activity, where people trust each other and agree to behave by a different set of rituals, is key to enhancing your team’s creative capability.

Sort of like this post from Daniel Myers on AIGA:  Space and Time: Modeling the Studio of the Future.

My favorite:

Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.

But so many others. Great list to keep in mind.

Missed this when it first came out*, but I’m overjoyed for Béatrice, Nancy And Nick for the shooting and the editing. I presented this piece recently in a talk. It’s a must see. If it doesn’t touch you, check your pulse.

(* I was going to state in my typical way, I don’t know how I missed this… but frankly, I do know. I’m just not watching Twitter let alone competition as closely as I used to. Some things do change when you leave journalism.)

Beer and grilled cheese sandwich. Loving PDX. #foodcart (at The Cheese Plate PDX)

kenyatta:

triciawang:

journalism content reflects structural racism. 360 words = 1 person shot in white hood = 370 words. 23 words = 4 people shot in black hood.

braiker:

wbez:

verosays:

This is what structural racism looks like. 

Chicago, we have to do better.

Media criticism done on a napkin.

Not only did the Chicago Tribune respond but they posted it to their Tumblr:

This image of an article from Monday’s (March 4) edition of RedEye has been passed around by many on social media. It highlights a condensed article about overnight violence in Chicago, including a shooting in West Rogers Park and shootings in the Back of the Yards, Englewood, Gage Park and New City neighborhoods. 

We hear you. 

The online conversation that’s developing around this story is an important one. Thank you for the comments and feedback. This is incredibly important to us, especially as we set out to shine a light on Chicago violence this year. Conversations like these will continue to inform and improve our coverage. We hope you’ll continue to join us in addressing these issues.

The article in question is from the Chicago Tribune and can be found in full here.

Not bad.

Double by Double Robotics - (by Double Robotics)

With all this talk about working remotely or in the office, here’s a different way to “look” at it.

Now if this thing comes up behind me and starts asking for my TPS report, I’m just gonna have to kick its screen in with my boot.

More on doublerobotics.com.