New Beginnings
I think it's appropriate that I follow up my last post about the trial and tribulations of living in the East Village with one about new beginnings. Many things have happened over the last four months that have helped remind me that the only thing that's constant is change. I mean seriously.. I'm always moving.. figuratively and apparently, literally.I had a birthday. I suppose 32 puts me squarely "in my 30s" but I'm entirely okay with that. I'm also okay with sharing my age because most people mistaken me for 24, which I can imagine is a hinderance in business situations. I digress.
Recently, I've experienced many fortunate things. But thanks to some very bad luck, I was, and am still am able to fully appreciate how much my life has turned around for the good. At least for now. One of those lovely experiences was a Tribeca film screening of Mistaken for Strangers. On the surface, it was a documentary about the lead singer of The National, Matt Berninger, filmed from the perspective of his brother, Tom. But the brilliant film had so many other layers, about the relationship to ones family, ones self and the creative process. I hope to pass along the inspiration with some take aways from the movie and Q&A session;
• Regarding the creative process, when you reveal the pain and struggle you're going through, that's when the creativity flows. It's funny - so often it seems as if popular musicians or actors just appear out of thin air. Sometimes we learn afterward that they actually struggled for years before hitting it big. We all work hard but how many of us have held side jobs, lived as paupers, and consistently had to keep smiling and performing in the face of rejection? And through all of that, reveal our deepest selves through our performance whereby revealing our vulnerability is actually what helps us connect to our audience. So maybe the key to success is revealing our humanity - revealing that we're all just people going through the same struggles, with the same needs and concerns.
• It takes crafting to tell the truth. For the last few months, I've been in the throws of pitch after pitch at work. I research both the market and consumer. Then eventually, after my brain has been saturated with facts, some sort of story formulates in my head, or is usually scrawled haphazardly on a scrap piece of paper. Then eventually these notes make their way into a PowerPoint. And finally, I go back through the links and PDFs of research to find data points to back up my story. But in the end, it's about finding one truth. Then figuring out how to tell that truth. I am so amazed as to how clearly this process relates to so many other areas of my life. It has helped me in writing my novel. It has helped me figure out myself and how to tell my own story. What is the truth for how I live my life? What dots can I connect from my past, my habits or my behavior that reveal who I am and what truth do I choose to tell? And it has helped me see the world differently. The truth is subjective. It is formed by how you see the world and how you organize facts. So figure out how you want to tell it.
• Don't stop. I can't tell you how many ups and downs I've had over the last few months. Or maybe I should tell you given my above statement. Mostly it's been related to my living situation that is one day away from being completely resolved (hopefully!). The other day I was exploring Bushwick and found myself in a magic shop. Actually, I think they're called Magick shops. Yes, I bought a few inexpensive rocks and a ring in the hopes of ridding negative energy and symbolizing new beginnings. I am entirely aware that this could be complete nonsense but it makes just as much sense as baptism, touching a torah, saying a prayer, wearing a cross.. you get the idea. We look for external forces to help us get through our lives. We view these objects, chants, or rituals as a means to guide us in the right direction. But the truth, that I sometimes don't want to admit, is that no external force is going to save us. It's the way we behave after performing these rituals, whether it makes us more loving, more confident, more at ease or more determined, that helps us get through the hurdles. The only way you can change your situation is by changing yourself. So don't stop and keep going because you'll get through it.
We're Captive on the Carousel of Time
A few weeks ago my old roommate (or shall I say ten roommates ago) emailed me asking about my dealings with our old apartment. After six years in our East Village, St. Mark's apartment which I lovingly referred to as a small dark hole, she was moving out. Naturally I suggested we celebrate over drinks and asked her for an update on how the apartment has been since I moved out about four years ago. The St. Mark's apartment had been my first New York City apartment, a sublet steal. In fact, its very location inspired questions like "who did you have to screw to get this place." While it was a privilege to live on New York City's most iconic streets in one of my favorite neighborhoods, the apartment also provided enough creative fodder for Girls-like blog posts and novel-worthy story elements. There's nothing like a little pain to help the creative juices flow.Or to give you a full picture; when asked for an update on the apartment, my roommate's response was:
"I am actually moving back to parents for a few months, then moving in with my boyfriend. I just can't deal with the building anymore. Slum lord is right. We literally didn't have gas for six weeks over the holidays - so out of control! Let's see what else you missed - They redid the gas lines in the building two years ago, we literally had no wall outside of our apartment for the last two years. They just replaced it last week and repainted because they were fined by the city. They replaced the lines at least three times cause they kept doing it wrong. Our bathroom ceiling caved in last summer because the person above us rents the apartment like a hotel - a new person every 3 days and they broke the shower or toilet, it leaked down. Old Man Winter, and M both died (90yr old+ building tenants) :( Old Man Winter left behind a hoarders delight - literally men with hazmat suits were removing things from his apartment to dumpsters that were 12' high and half a block along the length of St. Mark's, it was insane. This went on for two days. And the little clog man who wears the heels and always used to say the elevator is broken has taken to peeing in the hall, in fact, I've caught him numerous times standing on the stairs holding his junk. Awesome. Never a dull moment at 22 St. Mark's. The one good thing is that the newish super is actually the nicest man and responsive. As crazy as it was in that building I will miss my usual surroundings for sure."
If you don't live in the fantasy world of Carrie Bradshaw and have to live within a real budget, you sure as hell better have a sense of humor. Despite the daily trials of the apartment, I still walk by it with fondness and I'm sure my former roommate will do the same. We made it out with steal resilience, tons of memories and our sense of humor in tact.
What It Means To Live In NYC
I've been living in Williamsburg for about three weeks now and I can't tell you how exciting it is to discover a new neighborhood. I'm not sure if any other city in the U.S. has such a range of distinct neighborhoods and characters, sometimes dramatically shifting from one block to another. How much does living in a neighborhood begin to shape ones style or personality? Or does it simply attract a certain type of person? What effect does the architecture have? Original inhabitants? Or even most recent? These are all questions I ask myself as I walk to the Bedford L out of my building that's barely a decade old where I haven't seen a neighbor over 40. I walk past the hispanic owned delis, past the elegant wine store, past the Dutch, red brick buildings that are nearly 300 years old and onto the packed L train.On Saturday, I had what could only be described as a classic New York City day - one that could have only happened in this decade - or oddly enough, maybe a hundred years ago. The night before, around midnight, I found a bedframe from Design Within Reach off of Craigslist after having too many issues with a previous UPS bedframe shipment. So despite the rain, I headed into Manhattan via the L train. But the train didn't come thanks to a malfunction. I briefly cursed my coffee addiction that had caused me to miss the last working train and waited on the corner for a cab. A few women nearby were waiting on the same corner and I suggested we all share a cab. So the four of us squeezed into a livery cab and happily discovered we were all headed the same direction. The cast of characters couldn't have been a better representation of the neighborhood. There was me, of course, representing the more recent influx of 30 something creative-ish folks. The girl next to me was off to her yoga class and as we discussed the recent subway troubles, commented that the subway should be free. My libertarian friend would have had a field day with that one. There was the girl next to her, a punk-ish, young blonde, most likely working in retail or the restaurant business given her claim that she was running late for work on a Saturday. And the girl sitting in the front was a Polish or Russian, blonde, recent immigrant.
My New York day continued as I arrived to my destination, an apartment in Tudor City. Have you ever been to an apartment in Tudor City? I hadn't up until that point. It's kind of awesome. Kind of like walking into a Renaissance castle except you're in Midtown East and it's 2013. Instead of being a creepy, random guy that I'd feel uncomfortable walking into a room with $250 in cash, my bed frame seller was a tall, youngish nice man an exceptional design sense and friendly girlfriend. Go figure. My friend, who I owe many MeatBall Shop meals, helped me drag the bed into his car and drove me back to Williamsburg. By 3pm, I had an assembled bed and the L train was working again so I continued my classic New York City day, heading back into the city for my spin class. Another day, another adventure.
Tipping Point
Last week, I stopped by a fruits and vegetable mini grocery store in my home town (suburban NJ) and was delighted to find veggie juice; i.e. kale, lemon, ginger, apple, etc. for only $4.50. I put it on the counter at the register and an older woman in her 60s said "What is that supposed to do?" And next to her was another older couple discussing their happiness at finding juice at Julio's (the store), mentioning that they were following some sort of diet by Dr. Oz. I explained to the woman that juice had tons of nutrients and that kale was awesome. It made me think, does this conversation mark what would be called a "tipping point?" Obviously healthy eating, juices and the idea of "alternative medicine" has been around since the 60s. It has gone slightly mainstream thanks to Whole Foods but could still be considered limited to a wealthier consumer or even younger demographic.My suspicions were confirmed a few days ago. The NY Times recently posted an article marking this shift. National food chains are offering healthier options at the demand of their consumers. We've reached a tipping point. Corporations are looking towards sustainability and even pharmacies are carrying fresh fruit. In the coming years, I believe there will be a societal pressure to eat healthy and live more sustainable just as we've pressured each other to quit smoking, wear seat belts, and not drink and drive. I'm hoping that the obesity epidemic, crazy weather and political strife around the world is one of those situations where it has to get worse before it gets better. Will everything will be uphill from here?
Keep Calm And Instagram On: #NoFilter
This week's Instagram fiasco told an interesting story beyond that over user's rights. I woke up on Tuesday to a slew of privacy right screen shots and declarations that Flickr was the new, old, new old.. you get the idea. I downloaded the new Flickr app just to see what all the hype was about and while it was definitely an improvement over the old app, I still wasn't terribly impressed as it forced me to switch between the mobile website and app. But that's not the point.
Everyone had their own, very strong opinion. Some Facebook friends declared how happy they were because they thought Instagram was dumb. Personally, I think they're dumb and were missing the entire point of Instagram in focusing on its filter functionality. HINT... intimate life sharing and relationship building! Many declared they'd be deleting their account in mid January before the new user rights came into effect. I just absorbed the conversation.
As a former art buyer, purchasing stock imagery and hiring photographers, I knew right off the bat that there was no way a photo of me via Instagram would find its way into a banner ad on Facebook. First off, unless Facebook has some sort of secret image recognizing technology or thousands of visually trained photo editors, there is no way an art buyer or photo editor is going to shift through millions of untagged photos to find the right image. For every breathtaking sunset, there are probably at least one hundred boring, blurry, under exposed, or plain visually unappealing photos. And beyond separating the good from the bad, most stock photos are tediously key worded from the more obvious descriptions to the more esoteric. Who would they hire to do that?
Now let's say that they've somehow shifted through the photos and pulled out a handful that they deem sellable. Do you think any photo buyer would risk getting fired or sued just to use an Instagram photo when they have plenty of model released, legally acquired photos from Getty, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto? When I worked for an agency owned by a major holding company, we weren't even allowed to experiment with some of the lesser known stock agencies unless vetted by legal. In fact, every photo used was carefully tracked and assurances were made that the photos had model releases and the stock agency legally owned the photo. While imagery is more important than ever, the stock industry isn't necessarily growing. Rumor has it that 20 year old Corbis, Bill Gates' pet project, is just starting to turn a profit. And while startups like Foap seemed like an exciting idea, I don't know anyone who has actually made a sale of their photo.
So now let's get back to the users. What I found truly interesting about the situation was that as social network users we're becoming increasingly freaked out over the usage of our data. Yes, by all means, it seems oddly more terrifying to have a company profit over our "art" than the cumulative use of our data. But people come on! We've come to expect so much from startups without giving them anything in return. Instagram has introduced me to new friends. I've gotten job interviews through building relationships on the site. I've learned new recipes. I've discovered new restaurants / foods. I've been inspired. I've been moved. And I've been encourage. All through a service that I got for free.
So what can Instagram do to make a profit? Remember when the startup moto used to be, give people something for free and then once they have users, make them pay? Instagram could get away with changing a yearly fee, or creating a pro vs regular account like Flickr. They could work with advertisers like Tumblr to create branded content. Or they can even crowdsource from their loyal users to find out a better way to sustain the service. Now excuse me while I check my feed.
Weekend Web Guide
Just in case there's a moment this weekend where you actually want to spend time at your computer - you know - glued to it like it's a weekday- here's a short list of some of my favorite sites.For honest, entertaining and helpful relationship advice whether you're single or dating, check out The Date Report from HowAboutWe.
For gift ideas, fashion and all around regular inspiration for women, check out my favorite blog Cup of Jo by Joanna Goddard.
For a regular dose of creative inspiration, add Visual News to your RSS reader.
There's No Straight Answer
I'm currently reading Baratunde Thurston's How To Be Black. "But wait," you ask, "why would this very white girl from New Jersey care about issues of black identity?" A few months ago, while meeting with one of the most thoughtful in house agency recruiters, I was asked to explain what interested me about account planning. I told her that I have always been interested in how people's backgrounds and culture shape who they are."That's interesting," she responded. "So Molly, how would you describe yourself on those terms? How has your culture shaped who you are?"
I thought about this for a moment and then realized that despite outward appearances, I'm the product of two very different cultures. When asked what my religion is, I proudly proclaim that I'm a Jewthuran; Jewish and Lutheran. If the person asking is Jewish, it is almost guaranteed that their next question will be, "Who's Jewish, your mother or your father." To which I respond, "My mother, but her parents were practically Atheist while my dad's religion played a more prominent role in my upbringing." Occasionally they'll say in a satisfied, matter of fact tone, "You're Jewish." At which point I'll role my eyes and change the subject because I find the idea that someone else can declare you a particular religion somewhat absurd. I think back to my confirmation classes, bi-annual church visits and fantastically cooked Jewish holiday meals and realize that I still haven't determined which religion I ultimately will choose.
Just as Baratunde grapples with pre-conceived notions of what it means to be black, many of us have aspects of our own identities that fall outside of what is expected. And sometimes the realities of who we are contradicts the perception of who people think we are.
Recently, I decided to wear my hair curly. I usually make some attempt to straighten it because it's more predictable. The choice to let my hair go curly often feels like I'm embracing my Jewish heritage. Which in itself is an interesting discussion. Is Judaism the only religion that is both a religion and ethnicity? As I waited for the train with my abundant curls framing my face, an elderly man came up to me, asking me a question that I couldn't understand because it was presumably in Hebrew. I explained to him that I didn't speak Hebrew because I wasn't Jewish. He looked at me like he knew I was lying, because I was, or at least not telling him the whole truth. Because I am Jewish, at least partially by ethnicity. I'm also Norwegian, French, English ... but like a second generation American immigrant, my apparence allows me to navigate between two world while never feeling a full part of either.
So as planners, when we look at who our consumers are, we must look at them in the context of their culture. Did they grow up in an urban environment, exposed to a myriad of cultures and influences? Are they second generation Chinese whose only indicator of their ethnicity lies with their appearance? Self-made or family money? Private school or public? Artist or doctor? Gay or straight? What information do we need to tell the whole story of who these people are? Because until we get the whole story, we run the risk of speaking to them in a language that they don't understand.
With these questions in mind, what cultural influences have shaped who you are?
Shall We Meet Over Coffee? And other social rituals centered around chemical addictions
I've recently discovered the joys of color-correcting my DSLR photos to give them more of an Instagram aesthetic and playing with type to flex my design muscle. So I'm now going to attempt to write posts based on my imagery.True story: During the month of September, I completed the Clean Program, a 21+ day cleanse that involved giving up alcohol, caffeine, dairy, wheat, refined sugars and a plethora of other foods like bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs and peanuts, to name a few. I felt that the beginning of the Fall was the perfect time because it's always symbolized new beginnings to me. The purpose of the cleanse is to feel more energized and learn which foods one is intolerant to. A food intolerance is not like an allergy but like building a tolerance to alcohol. When you drink regularly, alcohol may effect you very little but there are subtle, unnoticeable side effects like fatigue or if you drink too much, liver damage. But if you were to stop drinking then go back on, your body would lose its tolerance and you'd get noticeably drunk or even sick. The world of intolerances versus allergies can get quite confusing and I don't think many traditional doctors even know how to diagnose these problems because often blood tests are of no help.
The first three days were brutal. I didn't realize that my two to three cups of caffeine (mostly coffee) were such an addiction. Coffee stays in your body for over five hours and it can take a few days for the caffeine to completely leave your system. And it left with a bang. For days I felt completely listless, unable to concentrate or even stay awake despite having multiple important interviews on my plate that week. On the third day, I woke up with my entire body aching, like I had just gone on a long, intense run on hard pavement - another unforgiving withdrawal system. Finally, on the fourth day, I felt energized and was able to even choose green juice over tea or coffee before my interview.
For the rest of the cleanse, I felt like my energy was steadier than it's ever been before. I lost about five pounds and ended up weighing less than I've ever weighed since early high school. I rarely felt hungry and I mostly just felt happy. But the hardest part was navigating social situations. Since I'm not dating anyone, that part was easy. But how would things have differed if I chose to date? I couldn't have a first date over a drink or even coffee. Would I get to know the person even better over a walk in Central Park? Day trip to a museum? Was catching up with my girlfriends over lunch just as satisfying as it is over dinner and a few glasses of wine? Even harder than navigating social situations were the rituals associated with my addictions. Could I permanently give up my regular visits to coffee shops where I had not only made friends but often found to be a great place to work? Would I feel like a member of the "coffee tribe" ordering herbal tea? Could I give up the feeling of sophistication and cultural indulgence that comes with ordering a nice glass of red wine? But more importantly, why are so many of our social interactions done over chemical addictions? Is it because the excuse of catching up makes our addictions socially acceptable - like ordering dessert only after your friends do?
It's been at least three weeks since I've gone back to my regular eating habits. I drink less coffee and don't feel I need it to wake up. But until my friends prefer catching up over a run in the park versus an indulgent meal at Ditch Plains, or networking events start serving green juice instead of wine and healthy restaurants start providing wifi, it looks like I'll have to learn how to indulge in moderation. Because what good is being healthy and feeling energetic if you have no one to share that energy with? Perhaps I'll just stop ordering dessert.
Climate Change is Coming So Get Prepared
I thought I'd share a relatively short TED video about what countries and cities are doing to prepare for climate change. This video is fitting as we all gloomily look out the window (at least on the East Coast) wondering when our favorite season, Fall, will actually begin. Some of us may even be contemplating what happens to environmental policies if Romney wins the election. Hopefully they'll address those issues in upcoming debates.http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf
Celebrities = Photography Clusterf$ck
I spent a limited amount of time outside the "tents" but I have a feeling most of the major celebrities either went through a secret entrance or the bigger named shows were moved to locations outside of Lincoln Center. Given the stampede of photographers and fans surrounding Kimora Lee Simmons and Joan Rivers, I can only imagine what kind of attention bigger named celebrities would have drawn. And I don't think there would have been enough bodyguards to protect them. So Kimora Lee Simmons is freaking tall. The funny thing is that in real life, if you're a woman who's 6ft tall, that's kind of awkward which is a good reminder that most models are almost weird looking in real life. I mean it's hard enough to date in NYC as it is but can you imagine having to then narrow down your choices to men above 6ft tall? Kelly Osbourne looked stunning even with purple hair. She has literally managed to transform herself by losing weight and I hope it's a happy, sustainable weight for her. They both managed to grow into their brands in such a classy way that for a moment, I literally forgot that they both rose to fame as reality T.V. stars.
Mercedes-Benz Spring 2013 Collection at Lincoln Center
I realized my last post title was deceptive since the photos where from a few years ago. This week, I managed to shoot outside the shows twice and the adventures continued. Lincoln Center seems to be a much better location than Bryant Park because the long pathway from the street to the entrance allows for plenty of photography opportunities. I almost feel bad for the celebrities, models and fashionistas who have to navigate the walk in six inch heels with dozens of photographers snapping away.But the location change is nothing compared to a major cultural shift in the last three years or so. First, let's rewind back to my last post where I described the scene three years ago outside the shows. At the time, there were only a handful of street fashion bloggers, Hanneli, Jak and Jil, The Sartorialist, and a few others who mainly shot with more professional-grade DSLRs like the Canon 5D. While they certainly dressed well, especially Hanneli, the photographers mainly focused on shooting those coming out of the shows, especially celebrities or models.
Now lets fast forward nearly four years later. The iPhone and Canon Rebel have been out for a few years and it's nearly become the norm for people to carry around a $500 piece of machinery on their necks or in their pockets. With Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter, everyone has a fairly robust social media presence, perhaps even a popular blog. And with Pinterest, Gilt, and Etsy, it seems that everyone has access to trendsetting designer pieces that they put together in head-turning ways.
That brings me to this week where I saw first hand how the photography industry and fashion world has been flipped on its head. While the fashion show attendees were often demurely dressed professionals, some seeming to purposely avoid attention, the photographers wore brightly colored, edgy, ensembles that screamed for attention. If you were thin, tall, well dressed and beautiful, you were bound to have a cluster of photographers surrounding you. If you were average looking but wore a quirky, well-styled, funky outfit, you could command the attention of the eager photographers. And like the NY Times pointed out today, everyone readily answered who they were wearing. While a celebrity like Kelly Osbourne or Kimora Lee Simmons occasionally caused a mass stampede, the real stars of the Lincoln Center runway were the bloggers, fashion students and anyone else who wanted their 15 seconds of fashion fame.
In fact, this image sums up the experience entirely. The word "meta" comes to mind as I captured my friend, a photographer, who eagerly captured the scene with her adorable four month old son happily attached to her front. People were so enthralled by her son, and her passion for photography that they photographed her while she was photographing others. And others were so delighted that she was now getting her 15 seconds of fame, that they photographed the photographers who were photographing her. And the cycle continues.
A Brief History of Street Fashion Blogs
Aside from the crisp fall weather and chance to start afresh, one of my favorite things about September is the NY fashion shows. Every year, I try to photograph the fashionably dress characters who come in and out of the shows. This tradition has consistently come with its share of adventures.A few years ago, I endured the fridget February cold for the Fall shows, standing outside the DKNY show, secretly located in the West Village, and managed to capture this celebrity filled scene. Nearly three years later, these are still some of my favorite shots taken with my humble Canon 40D using the kit lens.
Later that evening, I stood outside the Marc Jacobs show, making friends with some of the other photographers who I had met earlier during the day. One of those photographers, Henneli, went on to become an international photographer / celebrity. I'm happy to say that I've recently found a few magazine articles and features on both her style and work. She's a model turned photographer and became known for her impecable style, not letting even the highest heels get in the way of her photography abilities. We bonded over our Norwegian heritage (she's actually Norwegian while I only inherited my last name and love of gravlaks). And she invited me to an exclusive party thrown by Justin Timberlake. It was definitely one of those "only in New York" type moments that reminded me why I love the city so much. If you keep an open mind, a smile and a sense of adventure, you never know where the day or night can take you.
Stay tuned for photos of my most recent mini adventure.
Stepping Away From The Internet
One of my favorite things to do is wander around the city, photograph people or draw them. Yes, I know, all slightly stalker-ish activities. But I've always found endless fascination with people-watching. Yesterday, I did just that and thought I'd give you a visual recap of my day.
I spent a significant amount of time at Ground Support in Soho. My initial intention was to read and catch up on news but with my iPad, new Bamboo stylus, and Paper 53 app, I couldn't resist one of my all time favorite past times - sketching people. I later overheard the French girl I drew talk about how high rents, mentioning she took a Skillshare class about how to live rent free. Which I mentally noted was the same class I took. Small world.
My sketching was briefly interrupted by a celebrity sighting. I think that years or should I say, 10,000 hours of memorizing figures and faces in order to draw them, has given me excellent facial recognition. Can you spot him in the above, right picture?
One of the benefits of everyone being glued to their devices is that they sit relatively still for a few minutes, giving me enough time to draw them. Thank you internet. While I was admittedly tempted to sit across from MG and practice my sketching using him as a subject, I smartly chose to sit outside instead.
I witnessed a lost pigeon flying into a café that had trouble getting out. So like MacGyver, I instructed the panicked staff to create a trail of crumbs out the door. Success!
Seeking an Answer to the End of Fact Checking
Truth be told, I've never been a fan of Fourth of July fireworks. The idea of standing around in oppressive heat, dealing with massive crowds, and getting eaten alive by mosquitos to watch a bunch of sparkly things go boom in the night has never appealed to me. So to honor my American heritage in my own special way, I decided to see a movie. Instead of seeing Spiderman, what would have surely been guaranteed, mindless entertainment, we decided to take a chance with Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. The movie was a total bomb, and even worse, a complete waste of a perfectly good idea.So let's put aside the script, the believability of their characters, and whether or not the scenarios represent how people would actually behave and let's look at the facts. The fact is that this 10 million dollar movie did not look at the facts. In fact, they did not fact check at all, completely interfering with the believability of the film.
In Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, the main characters, Dodge and Penny, live in an apartment complex that we later learn is in the East Village, on 1st Avenue and 9th Street. Are we to believe that a insurance salesman lives in the East Village, one of the most liveliest, artsiest, young neighborhoods in Manhattan? In a tree lined, carpeted, airy and large apartment complex? He works at a large, suburban office complex that he drives to everyday, quite the commute to any suburb from the East Village. After leaving Manhattan, the two start a road trip bound for New Jersey. They are seen driving through dry arid, California-looking fields, presumably right outside of Manhattan. The only dry, California looking fields I know of are in ... California. The only fields within an hour of Manhattan are football fields. And if you've spent two hours driving through New Jersey in any one direction, you've probably already driven through the state. The lack of fact checking takes a turn for the worst when they arrive in Camden, New Jersey - in the film, a picturesque suburban enclave. Pop quiz: What city was listed as the second most dangerous city of America in 2011? Congrats, that would be Camden, NJ!
After leaving New Jersey, they end up in Delaware for a brief, romantic and spiritual moment away from the chaos on a rocky beach, beaches that could be found in California, not remotely resembling the sandy beaches of Delaware. The movie ends in the same way that it began, stupidly. Dodge puts Penny in a small propeller plane with his father as pilot, bound for her family in England. But like the art of fact checking, the only thing that plane will do if facts had its way - is crash and burn. I'm hoping just hoping that the art of movie fact checking fairs better.
The Outing of Instagram: Online Communities and Changing Habits
On this hot Saturday morning, I did what I do nearly every Saturday morning. I woke up, made breakfast, then sat down to read the NYTimes. I flipped through the travel section, slightly disappointed in the lack of photos illuminating the stories and then realized - I haven't checked my Instagram today. Immediately upon realizing this, I pulled out my phone, opened the app and hit refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Nothing. So I checked for updates in the App store. Nothing. I connected my phone to my computer, wondering if the app had crashed in some weird fashion and considered deleting and reinstalling.
"Deleting "Instagram" will also delete all of its data"
All of its data!? You mean - it might erase my comments? The autofill when I type in #catsagram?! I decided the risk of doing this was too great and chose instead to seek answers. I opened Twitter and typed in #instagram. Five seconds later I had my answer - lightening from a storm had brought down Instagram's servers. Surrounding that pertinent information were sarcastic Tweets reminding everyone that, yes, they could eat their breakfast without documenting and sharing the process. Others smartly pointed out that it's ironic that nature was the cause of such a disruption in our newly formed digital habits. It was a timely reminder of just how powerful nature is - that despite our technological leaps, nature can still destroy us with its forrest fires, hurricanes, heat and draughts.
After reading through a few more Tweets, I leaned back from my computer and suddenly a brief moment of sadness washed over me. I wondered, what's my "Instagram friend" in London doing right now? Did he explore any new interesting places in the English countryside with his family? Where are my daily, mind-blowingly gorgeous photos of the South African coast? How is my friend in Brooklyn right now? Has she stumbled upon any interesting graffiti? What will my day be like if I am forced to actually live in the moment - sharing my world with just those who are physically in my presence?
While I agree that we need to be more present and respect nature, I think they're missing the bigger point. Nature is a powerful force that will always push back regardless of our technological advances. It may be punishing us for our pollution and destruction but certainly not for our advanced communication tools. But the bigger question is - do we really share just for the sake of sharing?
No - we share to become part of a community, using our photos and comments as a tool to build relationships. Like the closing of ones neighborhood bar - we're not sad because we miss the drinks. We're sad because we miss the people. And thus the world of Instagram is not a magical place for its ability to turn mundane imagery into something beautiful - it's magical because like a crystal ball - it allows me to see what they see - helping me connect with these specific people in a way that no other platform can.
Vampires & Witches - Who were they really?
Just read a post on CNN that graves with iron stakes driven through the hearts were found in Bulgaria. So basically these people were thought to be vampires and they were killed in a horrible way because of it. This reminds me of The Messenger, which I finally saw a few days ago. As I'm sure we're all familiar - Jean D'Arc is thought to have heard voices from God that guided her on how to defeat the British while the British cruelly occupied French territory. Her visions helped the army to defeat the British but because of political desires to please the English, she was burned at the stake, accused of being a witch. We've all read about "witches" being burned and now "vampires" being killed this way. One theory is that the women accused of being witches were midwives and healers, possessing more knowledge about how to heal than the male doctors who commonly resorted to blood letting. Accusing them of being witches was a way to restore power to the doctors. History is literred with tales of people being falsely accused of being some sort of mythical creature for the sole purpose of those in power, staying in power.
So I'm curious - if we establish the fact that no, these people were not witches or vampires - then what were they? Were they people who just happened to be stronger than your average citizen? Or strikingly more attractive? Did they live longer than the average person? Were they smarter than the established power? Did they choose to believe in science over religion? Or were they autistic - having trouble interacting with people but possessing an extraordinary knowledge or memory in one particular subject? Or were they schizophrenic, multiple personalities? It would be interesting to learn the scientific reasons to these longstanding myths. Any ideas?
And some more food for thought - what has been going on in the last 5 years in American culture that has gotten us suddenly so obsessed with the world of vampires and witches? Is our life so difficult now with the ongoing recession that we need to transport ourselves to another world ?
Brands: A Lesson in Western Religion
As I contemplate my next move in the advertising world, I’ve started to delve into the science and philosophies behind positioning a brand. With each client I've worked for, I've wondered, will these ads even matter if at its core, the company does not share these beliefs? A few months ago, I attended PSFK’s conference in NYC and was inspired by their collection of speakers ranging from those passing on philosophical insights to practical advice. Vikram Gandhi’s talk on “Directing “Kumaré From Illusion Comes Truth,” stood out as an eye opening look into why brands have become such an important part of our lives. And well known for being an expert on branding, Debbie Millman’s book Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits compares brands to religions in the first few pages.As an art history minor who spent a semester in Florence, I realize how the history of advertising can neatly be aligned with the history of Christianity. I focus on Christianity only because I am more familiar with its history and symbolism thanks to my art history classes while abroad.
In the beginning of Christianity, Jesus and his story were depicted through symbols. A circle, or halo was used to indicate Jesus along with other elements to indicate important people in his story. Mosaics in North Eastern Italy (Ravenna, Rimini), were featured in churches where people gathered to gain wisdom, a sense of community and direction from these images, each other and spiritual leaders. Compare this to the experience of regularly buying from a store in the 1800s. Would buying from one particular dressmaker or tailor make you seem more educated or put you in the upper class? While you felt that wearing their clothing gave you a particular sense of confidence, the key contact with the "brand" was limited to the physical location it was sold in just as the main connection with Jesus was made in a church.
Eventually, as Christianity grew in Italy, so did the experience of worshipping Jesus. Catholic Churches became more gilded, and church-goers were surrounded by painted imagery that told the story of Jesus. Through rituals and community, Christians were reassured that they were a part of something special and somehow connected to something bigger than themselves. The spread of the word of God inspired countless artwork around its stories but the ownership of the "brand of Christianity" was strictly controlled by the Catholic church.
In parallel, as brands developed in the late 1800s, so did the experiences around them. Their story was told through the
in store experience and through newspaper ads. Brands helped people identify who they were and gave them a sense of belonging. Do you drive a Ford or a Mercedes? Do you smoke Camels or Marlboros? The brand images were tightly controlled by the companies that ran them. Brands developed manifestos and content; Soap Operas, The Michelin Guide, etc. but it was not a two way conversation between the brand and the consumer.
Eventually, the Catholic church became the most powerful force in Europe and started abusing its power by charging believers to have their sins forgiven. Like a company that lies to their customers because they know they can get away with it, their brand image eventually suffered. The intersection of Martin Luther's theses' against the Catholic church and invention of the printing press created a huge shift in people's relationships with Christianity. The new group of Protestants were taught that they had a direct relationship with Jesus and could read the Bible for guidance.
Fast forward to the onset of social media in our current century. Like the invention of the printing press in the early 15th Century, social media has enabled an even faster spread of information. Companies who have chosen to take advantage of customers have been exposed and no longer exist. Like Protestants, I can have a direct relationship with the brands I admire through social media. I have a shared set of beliefs with other users of my brands and the brand acts as a virtual church or community where I can connect with people who share my interests. I can go into a Nike store and put on a pair of shoes that I think will make me run faster. Or I can go for a run, motivated by Nike+ in the hopes that I'll run faster and further. Just as I can go to church and take communion or choose to cultivate my own relationship with God at home worshiping various icons and performing certain rituals.
During Easter Services this year, my Pastor, Pastor Derr, known in the religious community for promoting the universality of all religions, said that religions are connected by a universal, human truth. He cautioned against religions that discriminate or against those who skew parts of the Bible for their own personal agenda. He reminded us that we all have the power to learn from our religious leader's teachings and find support through our faith. Clearly this thinking doesn't have to apply to Jesus but rather, to any religion.
So where does this leave brands? Consumers are increasingly expecting the brands they buy to entertain and more importantly, inspire them. I want to know that a brand isn't just out there just to get my money, but exists to make a positive contribution to society, just like I know that my offering to the church will go towards helping the needy. Only then when a brand has entertained or inspired me and given back to society, will I purchase their products in the hopes that the brand will live on to "do good."
I gave money to my church at the service not because I had to, but because I wanted to support the institution and people who had inspired me, who had connected me to others, and who I know will continue to give me spiritual guidance and fulfilling experiences. Because as strong and as resilient as I am, I still need a supportive community and the occasional inspirational push. I don't know if that moment of support will come from a brand or a religious institution but I do know that the person giving it to me will receive my loyalty as a customer.
The Politics Of Taxes
As the deadline for our taxes quickly approaches, countless articles have recently been written about our archaic tax code and the politics that shape our economy. The latest issue of Business Week somehow managed to make taxes an engaging subject. Joel Stein, in an attempt to figure out the best tax preparation method, points out the ridiculousness in having to prepare our taxes ourselves.
"I don’t resent taxes for the usual reason—that government wastes my hard-earned money. No, I resent paying taxes because if the government wants my money, it should have to do the work of figuring out how much it wants. I don’t click on a book on Amazon.com and then fill out 20 pages of forms to figure out how much it will cost me, and then keep every receipt and form in case Amazon wants to make sure I got the number right five years from now. If I had to do all of that for Amazon, I’d have an even lower chance of reading Finnegans Wake."
In fact, the tax system is so complicated that when the IRS studied 46,000 audits of taxpayers in 2006, they found that 67% of the problems were unintentional errors. Even the IRS computers have trouble navigating the system; 27% of those errors were computational errors by the IRS or tax preparer. To deal with all these errors, Congress created a Taxpayer Advocate Service, overseen nationally by Nina Olson who has tirelessly fought to help foster a more trusting relationship between taxpayers and the IRS. She points out that the wait time for half of the people who have written to the IRS is more than six weeks. Not surprisingly, the 1% get special treatment even by the IRS - they're some of the only people who actually get face-to face time with the IRS if audited. Nina is looking into the psychology behind those who do not pay taxes, using data to learn what regions, jobs, income levels, etc. are more likely to pay or not pay taxes. She strongly believes the government needs to focus on innovation within the IRS.
"The IRS budget, currently $11.8 billion, has been cut each year for the past two years, resulting in a hiring freeze. “No one is willing to fund the IRS to do imaginative thinking,” she says. “The military gets funding to develop the next new weapons system. But the IRS does not get funding to sit down and say, how could we harness the iPad? How could we harness video technology to talk to the taxpayer in their home? I mean, we don’t even e-mail or text the taxpayers. We’re so far behind.”
Finally, in today's New York Times article, A Tax Code of Politics, Not Reason, Eduardo Porter points out how the complications of our tax system can attributed to compromises between the Democratic and Republican parties. Parts of the tax code that seem to charge a lot to taxpayers are actually littered with loopholes for certain groups.
"Among the 34 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, only Mexico and Chile collect less in taxes. The average across the O.E.C.D. is 9 percentage points higher."
Eduardo suggests simplifying the tax code and implementing higher consumption taxes, a suggestion supported by the vast majority of economists and a strategy that has worked in prosperous countries like Denmark and Sweden.
As usual, after reading a few articles about our archaic tax system and our economic policy shaped by people with special interests, I feel informed but helpless and also furious. Why is so much of our economic policy shaped by politicians when bi-partisan economists have quantifiable data to support their policy recommendations? Would I want an insurance company standing in for my doctor to determine my care? Both parties have managed to stand together to defeat the enemies of our country because we believe we will be stronger as a nation. Why should our economic policy be any different? What good is it to protect us from outside enemies if within our own country, we're nurturing a select few through partisan economic policies?
New York Tech Meetup "March" Re-Cap
The New York Tech Meetup "March" event tops my list of best NYTM's. The technology and new products were both groundbreaking and more importantly, incredibly useful.
First on the stage was Watch It. It was the first in a long list of "why didn't I think of that?" Watch It aggregates available movies across multiple platforms so you can easily find a movie you want to watch either online, DVD, in the theaters, etc. You can make a queue, share it with your friends, and get alerts when a movie becomes available. Simple yet brilliant.
Yapp took the stage next. I think Yapp marks an important milestone in our digital behaviors and needs. Yapp allows users to easily make a mobile app. Currently in beta, they demonstrated how to make an app for an event - which I'm sure all us nerdy tech folks will want to use to impress our other nerdy tech friends. So does that mean we will go from everyone having their own website to everyone having their own app? Special shout out to the preggers demoer who cracked us up with her Vegas wedding app suggestion. It's always nice to see female presenters onstage especially when they're developing startups outside of fashion.
For those of you trying to juggle your various social media presences (isn't that all of us?!), there's Engagio, a platform that allows you to see all your social media comments and interactions in one place.
Float schedule looks like a useful tool for agencies, studios, digital project managers - or anyone else who has to manage the schedules of various client projects. The act of producing projects is often under appreciated. I consider myself a dreamer or incrementalist according to Scott Belsky's Making Ideas Happen so any tools to help me be more of a "doer" is very much appreciated.
And another special shout-out - this time to my former hometown classmate Andy Tider who presented his Hack of the Month with Ben Fisher called Pool Party. I'm not 100% sure what it does because I was distracted by him throwing beach balls at the audience. Oh - and the hysterically awesome "please be patient" commentary while the program pulls data. Pool Party connects with LinkedIn's APi to help you make better use of a particular group's members - so when you sign in, it connects to LinkedIn, then one of the groups you belong to. From there, you can easily pull out UX Designers, Interaction, Product, Rails, etc. to better connect with. And as if I can't give enough props - another special shout out for getting the URL: JumpInThePool.com.
It would seem as if a shower of beach balls would be a tough act to follow but UnRoll.me did it with ease. UnRoll.me could be the most useful thing since ... email. UnRoll.me is a very simple email add-on that allows you to easily unsubscribe to unwanted emails, receive the subscriptions you like in one convenient email and here's where this service can become the next Groupon: get recommendations on newsletters you may actually want to read. It's in beta so sign up and be sure to tell your friends, or work on making your newsletter more interesting and engaging so it doesn't end up "unrolled."
When Kapitall took the stage, it became apparent that the hits would keep coming. French accents, online gaming and stocks! OH MY! Kapitall aims to make investing in stocks understandable and engaging to the masses by creating a game around researching and trading stocks. I'd tell you more but I just signed up and want to go play! Sign up now because trades are only $5 up until March 31st. The potential for educating people about stock trading is groundbreaking. I'll let you ponder that while I introduce the final presenter.
Last but certainly not least, the seasoned Anthony Caselena from Squarespace took the stage with an introduction to their revised portfolio and website publishing platform. There were collective oohs and ahs as we watched Anthony create a photographer's portfolio under a minute. And cringes as we silently cursed ourselves for renewing our Wordpress hosting sites. And curses from web designers who realized they have some serious competition.
So the common theme with all of these, and why I think they're going to be successful, is that they were all incredibly useful. More importantly their use can easily be explained.
Be sure to sign up for the next NYTM on March 27th. If you haven't attended yet, you're missing out. A trick to getting the ticket before they sell out is to make sure your payment is correctly linked before they go on sale. Also, they sell like hotcakes so set your alarm and be on your computer when they sell. If you can't get a ticket, people often resell theirs closer to the date when they realize they have a conflict and can't make it so don't "unroll" your NYTM message board.