Polaroid-ization

Facebook is a terrible and soul-wrenching time (and mind) suck – this we all know to be true. But indulge once in a while, with your social anthropologist’s hat on (mine is a Holmes-style deerstalker), and you can unearth some pretty interesting cultural trends amongst ‘friends’ and networks. [In fact, dear Facebook: instead of surreptitiously selling my data to advertisers and partner websites, why not give me more power to accumulate data and analytics on my own friends and network? Oh the creative things I could do with this information!...but I digress...]

One phenomena I have observed in my mini-feed lately is the plethora of Polaroid-style, sepia colored photographs proudly and artistically uploaded and shared by friends. This nostalgic photographic craze seems to parallel the rise of the camera-enabled smart phone, and in particular the iPhone. A popular iPhone app converts pictures taken with the phone’s camera into retro-style Polaroids. Here are some examples:

It’s not just smart-phone power users and geeky photographers who are adapting this aesthetic. Polaroid-ization has gone mainstream across many media types – for example, check out the newest music video from the indie pop band 'The Girls', who adapt the aesthetic to film. Major retailer J.Crew is currently featuring a Polaroid-inspired motif on their homepage. Polaroid, the company that actually started it all and incidentally filed for bankruptcy in 2001, recently launched a slick new website and is partnering with Lady Gaga to be their new ‘Creative Director and Brand Ambassador’.

If Lady Gaga is on-board, you know something very apropos is going on here.

So, as usual, this all begs the question – what does it mean? Why this incessant interest in reverting back to lo-tech – not just with photography, but also more broadly as an aesthetic? And, perhaps even more interestingly, what does it mean that we are creating and romanticizing this lo-tech, 'pure' aesthetic with high-tech digital devices?

To me, the rise of the Polaroid represents society’s current ambivalence towards the ascendancy of digital technology in the media space. It seems that almost all media we consume these days is digital or virtual, from photography to books to online video, even birthday invitations (evite, anyone?). We consume this media on our computers, ipads, kindles, ipods, smart phones….and so on. No doubt digitalization allows us to consume a lot of media very quickly, and also allows for very broad access - all very good things. But there is something important about holding a photograph in your hand, or experiencing the colors of a painting in person, or reading the words off a crisp white page that you can turn, mark, smell. Perhaps what digitalization is lacking is a sense of physical intimacy with images - experiencing an image with our complete range of senses and not just through an artificial, pixel-ated window. Our need for this intimacy could explain the rise of the Polaroid, in all its grainy, imperfect, physical glory. However, the sentiment and urge is not strong enough to drive us to actually revert back to the original low-tech devices with which these images were created - we want images and aesthetics that celebrate lo-tech authenticity, but are not willing to sacrifice the convenience, speed, or mass access of high-tech.

The tension between the benefits of digitalization (ease, speed, access) and its costs (a loss of authenticity and visual intimacy) will continue to build as technology advances - Polaroid-ization is just one example of a collective response to that tension. I’m sure we will see more, similar responses.

Keep your eyes on your mini-feed…

Eat Right, Live Right

I don’t know if it’s the spring weather, or the fact that Earth Day is coming up, or my new part-time writing gig at a social issue non-profit (www.MeaningfulMedia.org!), but lately I have been thinking quite a bit about what it means to live – and in particular, to eat – consciously and sustainably.

It probably started a few weeks ago when I finally got around to watching Food, Inc., the Academy Award nominated documentary about our industrialized food system. For anyone who has read Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, the film explores similar issues – mainly, the monopolization of our food system by a handful of large corporations whose efforts to increase efficiency have led to a corn-based, pesticide rich, unhealthy diet for most Americans. The film also highlights how politicians and policymakers exacerbate the problem by acquiescing to the demands of big business lobbyists in exchange for political support.

What struck me about the film (besides the horrifying facts and images) was its overall hopeful message: that we as consumers have the power to change things through our choices and lifestyles. This got me thinking about my community, my family, and my peers. And I also got hopeful. Here are a few things I thought of:

• Many of my social activities in San Francisco often center on visits to Farmer’s Market, craft beer festivals, organic cuisine, etc.
• Several of my friends are vegetarians (or pescatarians, or flexatarians…)
• My brothers are both Environmental Sciences majors. My dad composts. My mom is supportive.
• I have friends who have spent summers working on sustainable farms
• The other night I had dinner with my brother’s twenty-three year-old girlfriend and her roommate, who cooked me a delicious dinner from mostly organic ingredients and showed me how they are making homemade Kombucha.
• Next week Google is taking employees to a local urban farm to help plant.

I could continue with this list – and when I think about it, its pretty incredible. Many people in my social and community network seem not only conscious of what they eat, but also committed to making social, consumer, and career choices that are healthy and responsible. This consciousness seems to spill over into other areas of life, from fitness to community involvement to emotional mindfulness. This collective energy and resolution motivates me every day, and is a big part of what I love about my community in San Francisco.

Now, before I seem too hippie dippy or Bay Area Elitist to you, let me recognize a few things. First, that the Bay Area is a pretty unique microcosm. Second, living here makes it much easier to consume responsibly – we have access, we have collective support, and we have money (relatively). However, I don’t think that lack of access or funds necessarily limits others from making lifestyle changes. For example, not drinking sugary sodas, eating only seasonal fruits and vegetables, and cutting out meat once a week are three very simple, cheap changes that would amount to a huge difference. Ultimately, most of us probably have something we could give-up, it’s just a matter of making the choice.

To me, the next question is how we can spread and adapt some of these cultural values to the rest of the country, and eventually the world, and what economic and policy changes need to happen first to allow those values to take root. I’m very confident in my generation of industrious leaders and social entrepreneurs, and I think we will make it happen in large part through technology, design innovation, and media. I’m still figuring out what form my own contributions will take, but I know that conscious and sustainable living will certainly be a large influencing factor.

Emotional Intelligence

It cannot be denied that in America today there exists a powerful subset of elite who have been ‘running the show’ - in government, on Wall Street, and in the boardroom. We see these people as “the best and the brightest”; presumably they have made their way to the top because of their intelligence and their hubris.

And yet, over the last several years we’ve seen a complete breakdown of the economic and political systems that they are charged with (as noted by David Brooks in his column last week.) How could this happen? One thing Brooks suggests briefly is that we as a society have a very narrow view of intelligence, and completely neglect to consider and reward emotional intelligence*: the ability to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.

I could not agree more. Having worked in a high functioning corporate environment, I’ve been exposed to many leaders considered part of the “power elite”. Most went to Ivy League schools and are highly intelligent in the traditional sense. Of this group, the ones who are the most effective, who truly inspire, motivate, and engage, are the ones who have a high level of emotional intelligence. They are empathetic, open, and able to deeply perceive and connect with the sentiments of a group. They have a humble understanding of how they fit into the current social and political context of their organization, as well as awareness around their own emotional tendencies. They also have the ability to bounce back quickly from failure, with an understanding of the lessons that can be gleaned, and with a positive outlook on the future.

Empathy, self-awareness, positive thinking – these elements of emotional intelligence are absolutely tantamount to success. So why don’t we value them more? Why don’t we teach emotional intelligence to children in schools, and incorporate it into the cultural fabric of more organizations? Other nations are far ahead of us on this. Perhaps it is because we see emotional intelligence as being at odds with the capitalistic values of competition and individualism that have built our nation and brought us historical success. However in today’s complex world of conflicting interests and limited resources, it is clear that these values are only taking us so far.

In my opinion, artists are some of the most emotionally intelligent people, because the creative process in large part involves observation, empathy, emphatic feeling, and reflection. For this reason, I look towards artists for inspiration and emotional learning. I recently watched a TED talk** with Eve Ensler (playwright, author, and performer). In the talk (about the suppression and destruction of girlhood around the world), Ensler says:

"The irony of course is that denying girl, suppressing girl, suppressing emotion, refusing feeling has led us here, where we have now come to live in a world where the most extreme forms of violence, the most horrific poverty, genocide, mass rape, the destruction of the earth, is completely out of control...we do not feel what is going on, so we're not being charged with the adequate response to what is happening."

Ensler’s analogy of “denying girl” is in many ways equivalent to denying our emotional intelligence – that part of our brain and our being that allows us to feel, to connect, and to empathize. While I think she takes it a bit far (probably for dramatic affect), I do agree with the sentiment that denying emotional expression is bad for the individual, and bad for society. Imagine a world where people truly strived to understand each other, and could better comprehend and regulate their own emotional responses. Countless friendships, relationships, and partnerships would be salvaged, even lives saved, if people had the courage to say what they felt and to say it well, and to listen, with thoughtfulness.

I’ve been lucky enough to take a ten-week course on emotional intelligence (thanks to my employer)– and it has had great effect on my life. I hope that emotional intelligence becomes more widely publicized and integrated into our education system and corporate worlds, so that we can reverse the trend of its undervaluation in American society.

*A good general overview of emotional intelligence is Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1996).

**TED Talks are an amazing source of inspiration, emotional and otherwise. TED.com is a small nonprofit devoted to “ideas worth spreading”. On their website they provide free access to lectures by highly successful people on topics such as technology, design, sustainability, and human rights (among many, many others).

Home Sweet Home

Perhaps I've been reading too many design and apartment makeover blogs lately, or perhaps I assume others are as nosy about people's homes as I am (you know who you are), but I thought it might be fun to share some pictures of my humble abode - my (tiny!) SF studio apartment. When you have a small space, love design, and enjoy nesting, as I do, you tend to become meticulous about the things you place in and around your home. Here's how I've gone about it:

I wanted bedding that had natural, floral elements, but without being too girly. I got this beige and brown garden duvet at the mass-market home decor mecca, Anthropologie. The painting hanging over the bed is one I did while taking classes with Susan Miller (Susan Miller Gallery, Union St.). I wish I had a better bedside table (this one is a shoddy excuse for craftsmanship from Ikea).

I love my iHome alarm clock and ipod player (it is, however, a bit bulky, and I'm sure they now sell much sleeker ones). Above the stack of books is a postcard I picked up at a store in Santa Monica that says "Meditation is for Everyone". It reminds me to (try) and do a quick meditation on the day right before I go to sleep.

I think that the books you choose for your bedside table are supremely important. There should be a mix of "staple books" (things that you like to flip through frequently, or that provide inspiration and thought provocation), and of course your current reads. I am currently reading Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers (for a book club), and Against Interpretation, by Susan Sontag. The rest are all regulars:

• Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Kundera, and Either/Or, A Fragment of Life, by Kierkagaard (for intellectual foyers)
• Strike Sparks, by Sharon Olds (when a poetry mood strikes)
• Practical Idealists, by Wilson, Barham, and Hammock (trying to learn how to have it all)
• The Principles of Uncertainty, by Maira Kalman (beautiful, beautiful book)
• Change by Design, by Tim Brown (design thinking is EVERYWHERE)
• Collaborative Habit, by Twyla Tharp (her soothing tone calms me)

I'm a big believer in a big, clear desk. No cluttered paperwork, no filers. Just a few important objects, and your computer. Nothing is more inspiring and makes you feel more like a 'professional' writer (or whatever), than a good desk. This dark wood desk is from Ikea, but is surprisingly sturdy and of good quality. In the center I have a desk calendar, note-cards (to inspire me to write thank you notes often), an old photograph of my grandparents, and some candles.

This little love seat couch pulls out into a twin bed, and has been a godsend for my out of town guests. It's actually comfortable, I don't know how - good work Crate and Barrel. Throw pillow and blankets from Pier One, guitar is a Guild (shamefully out of tune).

Perhaps my favorite thing in the apartment is this black and gold lacquer Japanese cabinet. I got it about ten years ago in Los Angeles (Japantown), and really love the funkiness that it adds to my space. It is crammed full of books and art supplies. The house slippers are handmade from Jaipur, India. The pictures in the frame are snapshots from my 2009 trip to Argentina and Brazil.

And finally, the kitchen. This is my baker's rack where I keep my dishes and kitchen knick knacks. The colorful tumbler cups and small plates in the front are from Pottery Barn, a gift from mom. The elephant teapot and small blue and yellow cups at the top are from Anthropologie. The small unframed picture on the left hand side is a Jennie Smith print that I picked up at Little Otsu in the Mission; the larger framed poster in the back is a John Post photograph of my hometown, Manhattan Beach.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. Interior design is a veritable playground for design lovers, and I have a feeling I will constantly be reinventing and reinvigorating my home with new items and themes. I look forward to having more space (and more funds) to play with in the future.

Gender Wars

Lately the news media has been rife with stories about the increased rate at which women are entering higher education and the workforce. The public discussion seemed to start with the release of a new study from the Pew Research Center in January titled “New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives”. The study finds that in recent decades, women have outpaced men in education and earnings growth, a trend that has resulted in shifting and increasingly ambiguous gender roles in marriages and relationships.

Since the release of this study, there has been a flood of follow-up articles analyzing the potential pros and cons of this “new” arrangement. Today I saw one such story in the New York Times that discussed the repercussions of this new gender imbalance specifically for female college students. According to the author, the growing scarcity of men on university campuses is leading to decreased dating amongst co-eds, and heightened insecurities amongst female students who worry about being able to find a suitable match in their early twenties. He writes that this phenomenon has created an atmosphere where it is acceptable for young men to aggressively and nonchalantly play the field, and where young women must reluctantly acquiesce to casual hook-ups and flings in place of committed relationships.

I’m certainly interested in this topic. I am a young professional woman, and as such know many other successful young women. I also know plenty of young men. And, when I reflect, it does seem that my female friends in their early twenties tend (on average) to be more intensely focused on career aspirations, professional growth, and intellectual growth (Although I might argue that for men, this impulse kicks in later, perhaps in the early thirties, when they start to focus more on providing for a family and gaining more financial stability.)

This fact does leave many of my friends feeling uncomfortable. After reading these types of articles, they get nervous about their ability to find eligible men who will be their equal in terms of ambition and intellect, despite their willingness and readiness to be in committed relationships. I myself sometimes wonder, should I be worried about the consequences of my choice to pursue a graduate degree and a career? Are these choices mutually exclusive to choosing a partner and a family? A creeping feeling of panic has been known to set in from time to time.

And this is why I take issue with these articles. The fact that more women are entering college, strengthening their minds, and contributing ideas to the world is something we should all be celebrating, not fearing – it is something that generations of women have fought for. Portraying educated women as “victims” is dangerous because it encourages a social construct where women can only be happy and whole if they are attached in some way to men (a concept we've never forced upon men).

Furthermore, by overstating the potential “negative” consequences of increased female education, we put women in a position to question their decisions around pursuing education – a position that I find to be not only unfair, but also unproductive. A million and one variables exist within each of our individual lives before such a macro-level trend might come into play – family background, ethnicity, religion, geographic location, personality traits, etc. While it is tempting to ponder the potential impact such a cultural and demographic phenomena has on our own lives, we are far better off focusing on the matrix of personal opportunities that lie before us.

As such, while I find the Pew study and these articles interesting and fun to ponder, I refuse to be discouraged by them and acquiesce to the idea that pursuing higher education is potentially cutting me off from a happy romantic partnership. I know plenty of amazing women who balance professional and academic aspirations with wonderful relationships with equally amazing men. I think that these articles don’t give men enough credit - I have faith that the male species is going to evolve with this changing landscape, and we will see a new kind of gender egalitarianism that will surely only benefit both groups. And if not, I can be content in the knowledge that I have pursued my passions and made no sacrifices based on insecurity and fear. I don’t think that is too bad of a worst-case scenario.

A Design Thinker’s Reading List

I have read three books in the last few months that I think provide ample inspiration and thought-provoking fodder for any design thinker:

• The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp: In this “how-to” guide, Tharp suggests that being creatively inclined is not some pre-ordained gift, but rather a skill that can be acquired and honed by anyone with the right outlook and set of tools. Using anecdotes from her own life and career as a professional choreographer, Tharp discusses both the theory and psychology behind harnessing creativity, and the practical steps that can help. Her straightforward and no-nonsense writing style lends credibility to her credo – you feel as if you have just had a stern but productive talk with an experienced mentor.

• Design Thinking, by Tim Brown: Brown is the CEO of IDEO, the well-known Palo Alto based design consultancy. In this book he shares the secrets behind IDEO's success and discusses how design thinking can transform organizations and societies. To paraphrase, Brown describes the concept of ‘design thinking’ as the act of intensely and intelligently observing human activity and interaction, with the goal of uncovering a need and turning it into demand. The idea that design thinking is a business and management strategy and not just a designer’s tool has been gaining traction – as evidenced by this recent NY Times article discussing the ways in which Business Schools are incorporating it into their curriculum. As a businessperson, this book excites me – too often in the business world we approach problems from a staid and wholly left-brained perspective; design thinking teaches us to question assumptions and address the ‘why’ before we jump to the ‘how’.

• Beautiful Evidence, by Edward Tufte: This is the first in a series of four volumes by Tufte that seek to explore how the components of an image, be it a scientific diagram or an artistic masterpiece, can either enlighten or subvert the intended meaning of the visual. For example, in the first chapter Tufte explains how any image whose purpose is direct visual evidence must contain a scale or map, in order to inform the viewer of the image’s context within its broader environment. The subject matter may sound uninspiring and the tone egregiously academic (Tufte is a Professor Emeritus at Yale University), but trust me, you will never look at a PowerPoint deck or a scatter plot the same way again. Tufte’s insights and observations will inspire you to consider the elements of style and design with every visual you create or encounter.

Tharp, Brown, and Tufte have inspired me to foster a creative habit everyday, look for design-centric solutions to business challenges, and be intensely aware of the role design plays in everything we create. Not a bad starting set of principles.

Twyla Tharp: twlatharp.org

Tim Brown: designthinking.ideo.com

Edward Tufte: edwardtufte.com

SF Moma: 75th Anniversary

Attention SF Readers!

This weekend the SF Moma celebrates its 75th Anniversary - admission is free! There are also a host of activities to enjoy, from gallery talks, to evening performances, to snacks from SF's top local food vendors (yes there will be Blue Bottle Coffee).

The Gap has also gotten in on the fun and partnered with Moma to create eight limited-addition T-shirts designed by local artists. Despite representing all things lame and mass marketed, Gap does a good job supporting non-profits and the local SF community - these shirts are a great way to raise awareness for the Moma, the arts, and the artists. My favorite is this abstract landscape design from artist Leslie Shows:

You can buy the Gap t-shirts here: http://sfmoma.stores.yahoo.net/gaptshirts.html

Stripe Design Group

I just got back from a day in Santa Cruz, where I discovered an adorable home and clothing store called Stripe. The store is owned by The Stripe Design Group, a "creative collective" company that, in addition to owning the retail store, does residential and commercial interior design. The store is more like a gallery than a shop, with works by local artists adorning the walls and fun design objects strewn about to play with and admire. The handmade cards, antique jewelry, old cameras, and delicate glassware were some of my favorite things. I walked out with this harmonica necklace by Garrett Jewelry.

The owner changes the decor of the store for every season - all the more reason to visit every couple of months. They also hold frequent events with local designers and artists. However if you can't make it down to Santa Cruz, an online store is coming soon to their website, www.stripedesigngroup.com.

Great Outdoors

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to spend some time outdoors (thank you, California!). I went on walks along the beach, went for a hike on the bluffs of Palos Verdes, and went camping on the central coast of California. Although I am decidedly a city lover, it was nice to slow down, quiet down, and get out and enjoy the small and large wonders of the natural world. I was reminded of how much inspiration can be drawn from the outdoors – not only because of the beauty of the landscapes and seascapes, but also because of the focus and clarity it brings. When you are hiking or merely ‘being’ outdoors, distractions are gone and all that’s left to focus on is the environment. You become increasingly aware of the noises, smells, colors, and textures. As an artist, I immediately begin to wonder, how might I paint that hillside, or that tide pool? What colors would I use, what kind of brushstrokes? Other thoughts fade away and I am content to simply contemplate my surroundings. Its no wonder that the Transcendentalists and Impressionists turned out such inspired work. And then there is of course the wonderful sense of peace that the outdoors brings – a reminder of the larger forces at work, and the pure miracle that is such an abundance of life. The ‘natural high’ one gets from being outside is a powerful, visceral force, when one really sinks into it.

And yet – it is tragically fleeting. We get back in our cars, back to our homes, our comforts and conveniences, and the spiritedness and revelations we experienced, the gratitude we felt simply for being alive, are soon forgotten. Of course it would be nice to simply abscond from our modern lives and amenities. Some do just that - this couple, recently highlighted in the New York Times, live full-time with their baby in a yurt out in the Alaskan wilderness:

And this is certainly admirable – but for those of us who want to balance a host of interests and goals requiring contact with modern society, it is necessary to find a way to integrate nature with urban life. One approach is to bring the outdoors in – creating homes and spaces that celebrate nature. John Carson of Margaretville, New York, embraced this idea when he decided to build his home around a 250-ton boulder:

Although perhaps a bit extreme, I love the idea of co-habitating with something so massive and raw – there is no way to avoid contemplating the natural building blocks of our earth when you have a eight-foot tall rock in your living room.

However you integrate nature into your life, whether it is with regular walks, camping trips, living in a yurt, or building your home around a giant boulder, it is important to make an effort to connect with the outdoors on a regular basis. It reminds us of our history, our unity, and our mortality as human beings.

Palos Verdes, California