Man Made DIY

You know that ball of anxiety... that little, knotted wad of uncertainty and woe that churns your insides whenever you in the various states of a creative project? 

That's a good thing. … read more

"Productivity — the amount of output delivered per hour of work in the economy — is often viewed as the engine of progress in modern capitalist economies." But, what if, our drive to be more productive, to generate more output with fewer people, actually has met its ilmitations. What if it's time to actually shoot to be less productive? What if we can actually improve the quality of our lives, the professions of others, the economy, and our relationships, by seeking to be less… read more

Usually, I don't care much for things that are full of what they are: Hollywood movies about Hollywood, hip-hop songs about being a rapper. But, I have a soft spot for all the great type-based 'motivational' sayings that have all over the design blogosphere. I think it's mostly because I'm surprised that I can be moved by such visuals, actually inspired, certainly more than cheesey script-y phrases from the craft store or those photos of mountains with some definition that hung in everyone's office in the 90s. (Okay some of these have mountains too, but they're awesome … read more

The French summer photography festival Rencontres d'Arles offers, "From Here On..." a creative manifesto for the visual/curation/maker/editorial/right now… read more

I'm not really a "quotes" kinda guy. (See what I did there?) I don't have a phrase in my email signature line, and I struggled every time when I was in a small group in grad school and we had to choose a quote or phrase that best describes our outlook. (You'd think I'd just have picked one to make those [twenty-four!] first days of class easier...note to 22-year-old self.)… read more