The May 21 Jotter
At last! After a wet and windy few weeks (timed especially for our holiday last week), the sun is (occasionally) shining. Pubs and restaurants are open, it’s a long weekend and we can catch up with friends and family.
One of the things I have missed most is visiting galleries. They give me time to pause, prompt me to think and inspire new ideas (which I hope that this Monthly Jotter does in a small way for you too).
I’m particularly looking forward to visiting Charlotte Perriand at the Design Museum, Jean Dubuffet at the Barbican, James Barnor at the Serpentine, James Barnor (again) at Bristol Museum Art Gallery, Canaletto at the Holburne and the Photohub day at the Martin Parr Foundation and the RPS.
Where have you been and what are you looking forward to?
01, Humanity’s best friend
This poster once greeted me outside the Design Museum and does all of the above.
02, The way you do business
Tim LeRoy’s insights had me nodding my head in agreement until it ached.
“For me great marketing is a truly intuitive and deeply human interaction based on trust, empathy and integrity. Time and again, I’m most likely to be drawn to products, places and services that have good humans, behaving humanely. Put another way, the best marketing is the way you go about your business.”
03, Quote
Thank you Feasts and Fables for leading me to this nugget of wisdom.
04. Brain Pickings.
Maria Popova searches “for meaning across literature, science, art, philosophy, and the various other tentacles of human thought and feeling” and shares her learnings on the wonderful Brain Pickings website.
Seneca on friendship.
“… as we face the commodification of the word “friend,” what do we even mean — what should we mean — by this once-sacred term.”
05. Bristol Photo Festival
From May to September there are exhibitions, talks and events all across Bristol on the theme a Sense of Place.
06, 99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice
I would normally urge caution when someone offers a long list of advice. But there are always exceptions. Last year, on his 68th birthday, Kevin Kelly shared 68 bits of advice. This year he has gone 31 better.
My top 10:
It’s not an apology if it comes with an excuse. It is not a compliment if it comes with a request.
The foundation of maturity: Just because it’s not your fault doesn’t mean it’s not your responsibility.
A multitude of bad ideas is necessary for one good idea.
Compliment people behind their back. It’ll come back to you.
Be strict with yourself and forgiving of others. The reverse is hell for everyone.
Worth repeating: measure twice, cut once.
The greatest teacher is called “doing”.
A problem that can be solved with money is not really a problem.
Many backward steps are made by standing still.
Advice like these are not laws. They are like hats. If one doesn’t fit, try another.
07. What is Blockchain and Bitcoin?
Seth Godin explains the difference between the Blockchain and Bitcoin and how the Blockchain could help create a more open and resilient web.
Thanks also to James Birch for pointing me to this video:
08, Privacy corner
If you use Gmail, you might like to read this.
09, Work.
It’s been one of those months where there are a number of ongoing projects, but they are not quite ready to share. As a taster, we are designing new websites for:
A New York based pioneer in colour photography.
A brand new marketing agency who help food & drink businesses drive change for good.
A Bristol based mortgage broker.
A parish council in Wiltshire.
A pyschotherapist based in Cambridge.
A castle wedding venue in Edinburgh.
Updated the product range for this exciting patented product…
Thank you for reading this month’s Jotter. The next one will bloom into life at elevenses on Friday 25th June. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your June and if you see something which inspires you, please do share it.
Onwards
Andrew
