Summer reading...

Do you see a theme?...
Ever since I moved to Montreal, I've become very curious about the art of writing. I want to be a more informed blogger, improve my writing skills, and learn as much as I can from inspiring literary masters. 
Possible career change? (you ask). . .well, my intrigue is more for personal enrichment - for now. In the meantime, I'm surrounding myself with insightful (+ amusing) publications, and rounding up a wondrously selective palette of iconic storytellers from the colossal world of literature.

List above:

A Writer's Paris by Eric Maisel

The Other Paris and Montreal Stories by Mavis Gallant

The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman

Microscripts by Robert Walser

A quarterly magazine of art and culture, Cabinet (Issue 45, Games, Spring 2012)

The Elements of Style  by William Strunk Jr. + E. B. White  -  Illustrated by Maira Kalman

ZOETROPE ALL-STORY: Special One-Act Play Issue (Winter 2000) + The Horror Issue (Fall 2011)

A visual archive of C2-MTL 2012 à la Pinterest

As some of you know, I recently had the privilege of being part of the C2-MTL 2012 team. I worked on several incredible projects before, during and after the event, and in the course of the post-mortem evaluation phase, I was given the green light to construct an especially  unique undertaking, which I'm ecstatic to finally share with you. 

My incredibly-talented-supervising collaborators allowed me to create a visual archive - via  Pinterest - using the plethora of images shot by a group of brilliant photographers hired to document the C2-MTL 3-day experience.  After weeks of categorizing, shifting, pinning, configuring, repinning - etcetera - I can honestly say that I'm very proud of this self-induced project. Check out the C2-MTL Pinterest boards HERE. I invite you to browse, comment and follow. If you attended the conference and have images you would like to share with the C2-MTL team, please contact me. 

Thank you to the C2-MTL team for allowing me to exercise my playful eye!

The planning for next year's conference is already underway. I strongly encourage you to consider attending the event's second year, taking place in May of 2013! Visit C2-MTL's official site HERE for details.

Image Credits 
+ (top) Moment Factory Installation at C2-MTL 2012 - reset button © Karel Chladek / C2-MTL. Read article, "A tunnel open for open minds" (about installation) written by Josée Noiseux HERE.  
+ (bottom) C2-MTL Pinterest boards curated by me.

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS!

The planning and execution of a business conference...

C2-MTL 2012 is almost coming to its fin.  I say almost, because even though the actual event concluded the morning of the 25th of May (two weeks ago today to be exact), there are still details pending: post-mortem reports to be typed, until next time(s) and merci beaucoup(s) to be said, invoices to be paid, rentals to be returned (unharmed ideally), sleep to catch-up on, family to acknowledge once again, and many many more quelque choses...

A few of us, behind-the-scenes, are just starting to come out of that jet-lagged feeling. If you've ever lived through the construction or renovation of a house, the planning of a wedding (even a small one), a permanent relocation to an unfamiliar land, the birth of a baby, trained for a triathlon, etcetera, well, multiply that by 100 or more. That's how exhausted many of us feel - combined. If you're a circus performer or ringmaster,  then maybe only you can fully grasp the love-hate relationship one can develop for such a grandiose undertaking - such as the planning and execution of a business conference. . .only different!

There were times when I wanted to scream and just cry endlessly, but not because of lack of devotion - but because my entire body and brain could no longer function properly. No matter how much coffee I drank, my physical exhaustion was just too monumental. I pleaded for more energy - "No please - toes and fingers - don't give up just yet" (I found myself thinking at times).

Because there was just too much at stake. 

Find creative answers to commercial questions! (the conferences's mantra would often cry out inside my head). . .
and that I (WE) did. . .many times over. And yet, I can't wait to do it all over again next year, but after a much deserved and restful break...(smiling). . .right team?  

I leave you with a quote from THE ringmaster himself, Guy Laliberté. The Founder of Cirque du Soleil expressed as he stood on the C2-MTL stage,  "At the end, it’s a give and take. It’s feeding the circle of life, it’s feeding the circle of creativity, more you give, more you’ll get back. In the end it’s what I live on."

This post was inspired (with a dash of hyperbole) by those witnessed funny moments and overheard anecdotes (sometimes in French) from like-minded colleagues within the C2-MTL 2012 team.
Personal notes: Thank you Hanneke for that time you "pranced" yes "pranced" over to the printer; thank you Johanne for that delicious carrot at 10pm; Thank you Antoine for trying to feed me during the conference; Thank you Vivien Leung for existing- you're a true team player. (I'm still jealous you "concierged" Robert Wong)!; Thank you Caroline for not hanging up on me that time I answered your call with speedy Spanish (long long ago); Thank you to all of you that signed your email requests with a "thank you" or "merci" - always...

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS!

16 days to go...

I've been crazy busy the past few weeks...I was recently hired to join the backstage team behind the upcoming business conference, Commerce + Creativity Montréal, C2-MTL. 

- How did this opportunity come my way, you ask?

Well, it all started with this blog. My Cosmo was discovered by une belle-femme-Québécoise (aka Julie Armstrong-Boileau), who introduced me to another belle-femme-Québécoise (aka Caroline Lavergne) that happened to be looking for English-writing bloggers. I use the word blogger instead of writer because I have incredible respect for those talented individuals who master the art of writing beautifully. I consider myself a mere literary hacker with a unique point of view, who makes occasional grammatical (forward slash) spelling errors, and who sometimes makes up words. 

So after a plethora of cover letters, ongoing job hunts, a temporary detour to Portland, Oregon (with no employment success), and a move to another country (Canada/Québec), it was this laissez-faire pastime that launched me once-again into the professional working world after 4 years! I would love nothing more than to reward my Cosmo with a new MacBook, but I don't make enough $ for this indulgence - yet.

I started as a blogger, and then I was offered the position of Content Visualization Coordinator, which makes me laugh every time I say it, because several of the people I work with find it challenging to pronounce the word visualization - try it - it's a bit of a tongue twister. It's a huge improvement from my last official title, professional staff, don't you think? - given to me when I worked as an architectural designer - no less. I won't bore you with details about what I do, but I will say that I'm working with an exceptional group of creative professionals and I'm loving every minute of it. I'm constantly pinching myself, I still can't believe I'm a contributing piece to this amazing event (well a pawn really - but no complaints here). You'll understand why I'm expressing myself with such glee when you watch the video below...

+ Check out my recent bloguerary contribution, here.




Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS!

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! 

What do you see?

The images below display one of Mark's old shirts cleverly knotted and transformed into a chewing toy for our puppy, Babas. 

She surprisingly untangles it without tearing it apart.  NOTE: I wash it often, yuck! . . . I see a heart, what do you see?

Can the networking follies at conferences really influence the way we meet people?

My first conference-like experience was in 2003 when I attended Milan's infamous fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile. It was an incredible experience, especially since I was a student at the time, and everything just seemed beautifully intentional. . .from the networking follies, to the global representation of designers, to the gorgeous people in attendance, it was all unforgettable eye candy. You know it's a successful event when I'm is still talking about it 9 years later, right? A shot from my archives below.

Image below, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, 2003.

Earlier this week, the shot below was released as a teaser really, for the upcoming C2-MTL (Commerce + Creativity) conference which promises to reinvent the business conference experience.  Gorgeous right? Well, it made me think of two things.  One, the fact that networking is still a more successful activity when done face to face no matter what you facebook-addicts (linkedin-users) say. Two, what about those networking spaces? In recent years, some conferences/design shows/conventions etc...have been going out their way to design creative environments in a monumental scale. And so I'm curious,  can the networking follies at these conferences really influence the way we meet people?  I found a couple of recent examples to illustrate my wonder...see below.

Images below borrowed from the C2-MTL site.

Images below, courtesy of Fredrik Färg, of his installation / bar and furniture pieces for this year's furniture fair in Stockholm. 

Networking next to that giant yellow dinosaur was probably fun.

Images below of Novo Nordisk's new corporate conference center, Favrholm, designed by SeARCH architects, located in a historic farm 25 miles north of Copenhagen.  You can read a detailed article about it in this month's Architectural Record, click here.  Even the floor plan is alluring. Those Danes, what would we do without them? -  they foster innovation and restoration with great pride.  Can you believe this is a healthcare research facility (dash) conference center?

Images below borrowed from the Architectural Record site.

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS! 

Those eyes...

I have a view of my favorite Montreal building from my French class, c'est magnifique!  I'm in love with its narrow-tall profile and urban facades. 

Oh, those eyes are so hypnotic, I take their picture from time to time.


FYI: The building where I'm currently studying French is undergoing renovation, hence the scaffolding.

The Super Bowl of parties...

The picture above highlights 6 of the12 multidisciplinary designers behind the Super Bowl's Halftime Show projections. (Top: left to right): Katie Wilson, Aude Guivarch, Pamela Rocks, Johanna Marsal (Bottom: left to right): Adam Hummel, François Desrochers. 

Now that we've all fully digested the media's fetish with M.I.A.'s provoking gesture, let's highlight what really made last Sunday's Super Bowl Halftime Show truly memorable. . .the kick ass visuals created by the multimedia design studio, Moment Factory, from none other than Montreal. Their peerless collaboration with Jamie King and Cirque du Soleil transformed the football field at Lucas Oil Stadium into a Voguing platform.  Thank you Moment Factory for the metamorphic visual effects!


Enjoy the shots below of the Super Bowl Party held at Moment Factory's creative lab. It was an honor to be in the presence of such a talented crowd.

Learning French with Monsieur Lagerfeld...

If you're a subway-reading-urbanite like me, then you probably browsed through the pages of the metro: Karl Lagerfeld-Special Edition issue printed on Tuesday (February 7, 2012) of this week in several cosmopolitan cities throughout the world. Montreal's version is published in French, of which I have much appreciation for, because it feeds that tiny hard working part of my brain eagerly desiring to parler français.

If you're not a Lagerfeld fan, well then you probably didn't enjoy the issue as much as I did, but I loved how his sketches and bona fide commentary of world affairs were scattered throughout the pages from beginning to end.  I had a special smirk on my face when I came across President Obama's drawing with the complementary quote, "please, once again with feeling! " (ditto, I say) .

But the note that really made me laugh was Monsieur Lagerfeld's take on the M.I.A. faux pas during last Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show. He basically stated that the young people of today do it often, that it's not a polite thing to do, a bad habit.  I found it humorous because one, metro asked him to comment on this overblown stunt, two, he answered, and three, consequently, I learned the French phrase for "flipping the bird" which is "le doigt d'honneur" (the finger of honor!)  I love French, so hysterically honest.
Overall, it was a creative and unique issue. Thank you metro, keep the special editions coming. 

Shots of my copy below, a complete PDF format of the original printed version can be viewed here.

NOT my red cowboy boots...Babas!

I make this hairy monster one-of-a-kind toys, feed her yummy snacks, and rub her belly, but apparently nothing satisfies her more than my favorite pair of cowboy boots. 

An innovative conference for women by women...

It seems that business conferences and creative workshops are incredibly popular nowadays, which is probably due to the fact that a lot of us are exhausted of being under-employed, under-payed and let's face it, uninspired as a result of this horrid economy.  I love that these PR gatherings exist, and I would gladly attend, if they didn't cost so much money. (Between Mark and I, we would easily need at least 10K!) But I get it, the phenomenal speakers need to get paid.  I'm especially tantalized by two forums in particular; the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conferences hosted in Long Beach, Palm Springs and Edinburgh, Scotland AND the Domaine de Boisbuchet workshops sponsored by vitra. and Centre Pompidou. But again, the $$$ is very much an obstacle...
So a few days ago, I was elated to discover that Montreal will be hosting a conference here (near ME), this coming May called, Commerce + Creativity, organized by no other than...Sid Lee (and prominent friends).  Its main focus is really to attract possible international collaborators to Montreal, which I love, but I was quickly dispirited by 2 main things, the price ($2,700+) and the line up of speakers. The only female speaker on the panel so far is Arianna Huffington.  I have nothing against Arianna Huffington, but is she the only successful woman available in May? Don't get me wrong, the men invited to speak are fantastic, but I do hope a few more affluent and motivational women are added to the list.  See complete list here. 

Which leads me to the photographs I have selected for this post.  It would be fascinating to attend a conference for women by women, right? Do they exist?  AND I don't mean craft fairs...not at all what I mean.  Does anybody know Oprah?, maybe she can help us get this going...

Here are a few women that come to mind. . .who would you add to the list?

Phyllis Lambert, Founding Director of The Canadian Centre for Architecture, located here in Montreal.  Image from Review/Tendances FW 2010.
Maira Kalman, Author, Illustrator, and frequent contributor to The New Yorker.  Image borrowed from here.
Leith Clark, Editor-in-chief of LULA magazine. (Great article here.) Photo by Maja Flink.
Kate and Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte).  Incredible recent news about them, here. Photo by Inez Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.
Desirée Rogers, Former social secretary to the White House for the Obamas.  Informative article here. Photo borrowed from here.
Elizabeth Diller, Partner and founding member of Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Great article by DOMUS here.
Alice Waters, Chef, author, and the proprietor of Chez Panisse. Photo borrowed from here.
Grace Coddington, Former model and the creative director of American Vogue, read here.
Sofia Coppola, Screenwriter, film director/producer. Photo by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.
Tilda Swinton, Model and peerless actress.  Photo by Tim Walker for W Magazine.

Topic No.1: Innovative Conferences, Cosmo THIS! 

apartamento...

I don't understand why it's impossible to get a copy of apartamento in Montreal...anyway, it's a fabulous periodical and the quote below from the magazine's website inspired me to take a snapshot of the mini library next to my side of the bed. . .What's next to yours?

A barbecued chicken emporium...

Mark and I dined at Laurier Gordon Ramsay for the second time this past weekend.  The Scottish born revered chef, Gordon Ramsay recently rescued what used to be Laurier Bar-B-Q and transformed it into a delicious hot spot with admirable service.  We had yummy chicken (I forgot to shoot it, sorry), the flavorful market salad accompanied by a gluttonous poutine (french fries with gravy and cheese curds), and for the grand finale we shared a reasonable portion of the butterscotch bread pudding.  Enjoy my snapshots...Oh and the bottomless pickles were delish!

Happy Friday from my little Bohème and her giant new bird...

This two-foot long companion makes Babas Bohème extremely happy. I had to make her a giant bird because she completely destroyed the smaller (earlier) models.

piece by piece...

Some of you will recognize that I've been making a few visual changes to Cosmo, I hope you like. It's for a reason...
I started blogging in 2009 with no specific purpose or direction (which was ok at the time), but now I want a more curated experience both for me and those of you who enjoy reading my random thoughts.  Basically, Montreal, the city where I currently dwell, will have a stronger presence; And, I will allow it (and only it) to influence & guide those miscellaneous posts from around the world. Well, I will give it a try anyway...After all, Montreal is very Cosmopolitan!  


Welcome, passersby, and merci beaucoup to my loyal readers!


The image above is not of Montreal, it's of Los Angeles, a city I love to hate and called home for many years. Oh, those palm trees! The sketch is by the artist, Chris Dent.  His urban illustrations are very Calvinoesque in my eyes. Image borrowed from here.