I was lucky enough to work for Cliff Freeman in the early/mid 2000s (hear that in Conan Obrien’s voice). My partner and I helped collect some of the agency’s most memorable TV work, so thought I’d share it here, since these ideas are often in my thoughts. They have inspired lots of creatives. Cliff was inducted into the One Club Hall of Fame in 2005 and passed away in 2021. I’m sure his last words were funny.
I recently found myself doing something that you will, literally, never, ever, find me doing. I was looking at charts and graphs. I know, WTC? (what the chart?) A creative brain looking at charts and graphs? Why? Well, when I opened Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report, (see last week’s Peckachucka post) something struck me, and got me looking for even more charts and graphs. Crazy thing is some of those graphs are actually quite beautiful and inspiring. Once you crop out all the data, stats and number stuff that is.
Lydia Ricci is a second-generation hoarder, who uses tiny bits of scraps and garbage that her mother (first-generation hoarder) had collected. She’s spent the past 30 years building miniature art pieces with them. Anyone who knows me, knows I have a soft spot for miniature furniture, but miniature furniture and objects made out of recycled materials? And mid-century? Those are all my boxes, checked. fromscraps.com. Follow her on IG
While working on a pitch for a financial client recently, I started researching Bitcoin and other alternative currencies that are floating around out there. And while Cameroon’s adoption of bottle caps as currency, and Zimbabwe’s hyper inflated ‘One Hundred Trillion Dollar” bills, were interesting. The country of Somali was the winner for me, with coins issued as guitars and motorcycles. This all made me consider what kind of currencies I might accept as payment. The net: Make me an offer in tiny erasers or Mr. T puffy stickers, and we might just have a deal.
Last week’s topic of alternative currencies led me to another relevant topic: Social currency. Check out The Social Currency Show podcast where they discuss Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report. Almost more interesting than her findings, is her use of Pechakucha, a Japanese form of storytelling, one where you speak minimally, relying on heavy use of visuals. Here’s her talk at the Code Conference.
I love a good t-shirt, but I think I’m as over snarky, apathetic T-shirts as Haute Couture design duo, Victor & Rolf. When I reflect deeply, I conclude that I have no value-added to my day by knowing that you can’t do anything until you’ve had coffee, are bored, don’t care, didn’t want to come, or don’t give a fuck. Last pic is of me voting at the midterms, giving a fuck. Whatever.
Mexican designer, Norberto Miranda has designed inflatable structures that look like beans for a gastronomy/music/culture exhibition in Papalotla, Mexico. A perfect example of how smart design can be anywhere, turning something functional into something conceptual and beautiful. In a parallel bean-path, when participating in her first Young Entrepreneur Showcase by Produced with Purpose last year, my daughter designed these bean-themed up-cycled greeting cards. Beans, and design, for all.
After seeing one of Ester Aarts’s illustrated gifs for the New York Times, a quick google search for more of her work landed me on a site called Lettercult where I found her hand-lettered “excited” along with piles of other great typography. The kind I used to see in Tibor Kalman’s Colors Magazine. Speaking of, this Colors IG page uses the Colors name/logo. Not sure if it’s official or just a contemporary designer using the name.
