I've Come a Long Way and I'm Just Beginning
Asking for your support in a time of change, and links links links
I started writing back in 2007 as a way to share my point of view. To get out all of the thoughts I had in my jumbled little 25 year old brain. Since then, it’s been a wild journey, a trajectory I never expected for myself, with experiences I could never have imagined. Oftentimes, I look back and think, “Why didn’t I blog full time? Why didn’t I do more with what I’d built?” Well, hindsight is 20/20, sadly. There were a lot of factors, yet ultimately, I can’t change the past. But I can set a course for my future.
Each week I speak more and more about changes. In my career, my freelance design work, ideas for projects, etc. I’ve realized over time how important it is to set a foundation for your plans. Rushing into things blindly works okay when you’re younger, but in my 40’s, my considerations are different. I can already feel that 2024 is going to be an interesting year, things both scary and exciting, and honestly, that’s ok. Change is never easy. So, I’m continuing to build a strong foundation by taking a small step, opening up pledges here on Substack.
This is for a few reasons. First, many of you have been along for the ride for a long time now, which is an incredible feeling. Getting that message of, “I’ve followed you since Kitsune Noir days” or “I loved the desktop wallpapers” always bring a smile to my face. I want to continue to share meaningful, inspiring ideas and projects with you, because… reason two, the internet is in a weird spot right now. It’s hard to find good places on the web that we can rely on. Social networks are beehives of ads and hatred, websites are a mess of pop-ups and paywalls, it’s a tough time.
I think carefully about what I do and don’t talk about, the latter sometimes being more important. Having a clear perspective of what I don’t want to talk about (the evils of cars, AI, Amazon, and annoying redesigns) is just as important as what I do share. A clear perspective is what I admire in so many people, and I think it’s what is valuable in an era of too much information. When you read my writing you know that it’s something I wholeheartedly find interesting, enjoyable, or downright wonderful.
It’s a bit nerve wracking to be asking for pledges like this after handling things by myself for so long. But in order to keep doing this, and continue to grow and evolve, I would absolutely appreciate your help. If you visit my Substack there’s a button that says “Pledge Your Support” at the top, and then you take it from there. Everything will continue to be free to access regardless if you pledge or not. My goal will always be to share all the beautiful things I find. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you have an amazing week 💙
👁️🗨️ — Opal has launched a “new species” of webcam called Tadpole, a pcoket-sized webcam that can fit over your laptops camera. It offers a bunch of nifty features, and I find it really interesting that they’re marketing it almost as a lifestyle product versus a tech gadget.
🎁 — We’re approaching the holidays, and I’m already overwhelmed by silly gift guides. My advice, visit small shops like Bard, Scotland’s most fascinating home goods shop, for one-of-a-kind offerings you won’t find anywhere else. Items are pricey, but at the least, you’ll enjoy the digital window shopping.
🪵 — Formafantasma and Artek collaborated on the Stool 60 Villi project, highlighting climate change's impact on wood products and advocating for systemic change in the furniture industry. Essentially, creating a more natural version of the iconic Stool 60.
🗣️ — Snagged the most recent issue of Apartamento and it’s incredible. There are interviews with artists Deanna and Ed Templeton, King Krule, Louise Bonnet and Adam Silverman, and as well as the guys behind the Tom of Finland house in Los Angeles. Stellar issue, well worth picking up.
〽️ — Creative Review has a great look at the newest issue of Port magazine, which features uniquely designed covers with logos that were hand drawn by the people featured on said covers. I just love to see all the cover permutations they created, always fascinating to see the process.
📸 — In last month’s issue of World of Interiors photographer Manny Jefferson took some fantastic photos of textile artist Nike Davies-Okundaye, aka Mama Nike. Her work is stunning, as is the the beautiful portrait he took of her in her studio.
🖍️ — Stumbled upon Inventaire, a Paris-based shop that dabbles in fine prints, risograph work, as well as original pieces, all at pretty affordable prices. Such a beautifully curated selection of artists and works.
🔠 — Studio Folly released a game called Gubbins (great name) “a friendly puzzle game where players place tiles to construct words, with the help and hindrance of wildcard modifiers called Gubbins.” I started playing over the weekend and it’s very fun!
🚲 — Ars Technica released a piece on the dramatic effect that e-bikes and scooters are having, displacing 4x as much demand for oil as all of the electric vehicles in the world. They’re cheaper, produce far less carbon monoxide, and of course, are healthier for you.
