DO EPIC SHIT! declares Robert Wong...

Robert Wong, Executive Creative Director of Google Creative Lab will be speaking at C2-MTL this coming May. A few days ago, I came across the 1 hour video from Bill's Design Talks Series sponsored by The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, where he talks about the The Perfect Day. It's admirable how this young creative mind expresses himself, so down to earth! Check out my scribbles below and watch the clip...

Stay tuned for upcoming posts about the other high-profile speakers coming to C2-MTL.

Robert Wong mentions the books above in talk.

Image Credits (top - bottom):

1. B/W photo of Robert Wong borrowed from Eva Blue's flickr album, here.

2. Personal scribbles on page borrowed from C2-MTL's website here.

3. Burning Man Google doodle from August 30, 1998 borrowed from here.

4. Sir Isaac Newton's 367th Birthday Google doodle (January 4, 2010) borrowed from here.

5. A Whole New Mind cover borrowed from here. 

6. Steve Jobs cover borrowed from here. 

7. The Happiness Hypothesis cover borrowed from here. 

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS! 

Montreal, Schiaparelli, Prada, and 21st Century gurus...

Reading material for the weekend...

Fast Company (content partner of C2-MTL) has dedicated a special advertising section to Montreal in their April 2012 issue.  The graphics are playful and right on; It's clear that the 18-page spread (pgs.73-91) was crafted with enthusiasm.  I highly recommend you pick up a copy. 

To compliment Safian's cool biz updates, I also bought the latest issue of The New Yorker. That Maira Kalman cover is so irresistible. I'm looking forward to reading the Jonah Lehrer (speaking at C2-MTL) article, "ROYAL FLUSH, How Roger Thomas redesigned Vegas" and the piece, "Radical Chic" about the upcoming MET exhibition, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. I missed the McQueen exhibit, but this one, is a definite must!

As for the mountain of books below, I would like to take this time to thank the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, it always caters to my literary needs.  Do I really plan to read them all?. . . A little here, a little there...it's R&D for C2-MTL.

The list of books displayed above (in no particular order):  

Whatever You think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden  

Poke the Box by Seth Godin  

Linchpin by Seth Godin  

The Mind edited by John Brockman  

How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer  

A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink  

Conversational Capital, How to Create Stuff People Love to Talk About by Bertrand Cesvet

Other books of interest not illustrated in shot above:
Imagine, How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer (2012)
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt 
It's Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be, by Paul Arden.

I'm also currently reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Recommendations are welcomed!

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS! 

KINFOLK...a group of people related by blood.

I'm completely enamored with the recently launched (July 2011) quarterly magazine, KINFOLK. I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of their first two issues, the local magazines stands don't carry it, but I've been exploring its website nonstop. It fosters a collaborative editorial team which creates beautiful narrative videos and photographs of everyday life that are just enviable. Check out their recent video below from their Dinner Series, location: Brooklyn, NY.  Kinfolk team, please come to Montreal!


Side Note: I swear, I'm strongly considering opening a "curated magazine stand" here in Montreal because there are so many international magazines that I just cannot get my hands on.  And the magazine shop keepers here don't seem to care.  I've tried requesting various periodicals but so far, they have not been very forthcoming...hmmm...

An arm for a dime...

Have you browsed through The New York Times's latest online venture, The Lively Morgue?  
The shot below is my favorite one so far (hmm, a scene from MadMen?), but really, every picture is uniquely brilliant. You must check it out.  It's ironic that we live in a gadget-frenzied society, yet we still find nostalgic ephemera enriching, there's hope for us yet!

Image borrowed from here.

Anagrama and SOFIA

I just had to share with you the beautiful work by Anagrama for the luxurious residential/office tower, SOFIA, (currently under construction) designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli. The color palette is sophisticated, playful and just delicious.  Bravo Anagrama!

LOCATION: San Pedro, Coahuila, Mexico.

Images borrowed from Anagrama's website, here.

I often stop myself from creating because I'm afraid of that possible Eureka moment...

Have you ever felt this way? As creative people, why is it that we're always at war with ourselves?  Is it crazy to be afraid of success?  Elizabeth Gilbert's inspiring TED talk from 2009 reminded me of the ridiculous and prohibiting game we often play with our inner-genius! 

Happy International Women's Day!

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS!