INSPIRATION FOR DAYS: Mickey Smith — “Darkside of the Lens” (via DoLectures)
You should really watch both the above video and also Mickey’s talk at the Do Lectures from last year; a more humble artist than you can imagine.
—In late December I started a new fitness regime, it goes by the name CrossFit and I haven’t had so much fun working out in a LONG TIME. I also haven’t been so sore post-workout in a long time, but I like that too honestly.
Obviously starting a new routine means obsessively watching videos of people doing it on YouTube. For me, the main channel I’ve been “tuning in to” is Blair Morrison’s.
In addition to placing well the past few years at the CrossFit games, this guy takes his workouts outside the box & shows us how it doesn’t take a gym to get a workout in — or to find a new degree of strength.
Check out a group trip he planned to Iceland above — he’s doing another one this year. You can sign up here.
—My favorite cover in a long time.
UPDATE: The vocalist is a man named Damon C. Scott and he also is part of a group called Storm Queen.
—New York
November 10, 1958
Dear Thom:
We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.
First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.
Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.
You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.
But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.
Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.
The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.
If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.
Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.
It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.
Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.
We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.
And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love,
Father
(Source: youmightfindyourself, via tiffanyneedham)
That makes me want to go order some business cards and write some letters on Gary’s paper.
—Ink & Paper by Ben Proudfoot
Ben Proudfoot’s short documentary on the last paper company and the last letterpress printer in downtown Los Angeles. Needless to say we love print :)
via the R.S.V.P Papershop via freundevonfreunden
I just ordered these amazing earrings by Laura Lombardi on Of A Kind.
Cannot wait for them to arrive.
Love this mini documentary on how people are working to shift the variety of content being uploaded to Wikipedia (via DoLectures)
An exciting project of mine taking form in 2012 is the documentation via interviews of my family history. I started this last May in a series of short conversations with my grandmother — a magical woman — and this year, I will continue it in a higher quality way (better audio recording device, better photographs) and expand it to include loads more family members. You cannot imagine the story tellers I am lucky enough to have in my family and the lives they’ve led.
This film inspires me to do it even more.
—
Great interview with photographer Magnus Reed over at FvF.
Most interesting are his thoughts on whether or not it is easier to be a photographer today or back in the 80s when he got his start relatively casually.
I think in many professions this is a good question to consider — now, we have so much access to tools and networks, but it can almost be overwhelming and there are so many paths forward. I think it is just a question of choosing and going forward stubbornly and adjusting as life happens.
Via freundevonfreunden: FvF Berlin: Meet Photographer Magnus Reed
I found an amazing female adventurer!!!!!
Meet Klara Harden, who hiked across Iceland by herself and then made a gorgeous short length film about it. Learn more about her, her work and the trip via her Facebook, Flickr and Vimeo.
Thanks to Black Eiffel for the tip-off.
—
Me as a “My Little Pony”, glasses & all.
Thank you amtendler for the heads up on this, my childhood dream just came true.
A beautiful photograph of my favorite jewelry designer Kate Jones wearing work from her line Ursa Major. Whenever I have something special to celebrate personally, I allow myself to indulge in a piece of Kate’s.
Is it being 2012 reason enough to celebrate?
Be sure to also check out an ever-evolving storyboard on Kate’s blog. There is also a great interview with Kate over on N’east Style from last year.
Photo from umajor: My hands, my jewelry, shot by dear friend, Ellinor Stigle
Last year I stumbled upon a blog depicting modern-day adventurer/explorer Ben Saunder’s attempt to reach the Geographic North Pole, unsupported aka SOLO in the fastest time ever.
Note: Be sure to check out all the incredible videos that he created with his team in the lead up to the attempt
Unfortunately for us all, Saunders was unable to complete his solo attempt at the North Pole — the weather was working against him and made it impossible to attempt.
I subsequently became utterly fascinated with the new faces and stories of the modern-day adventurer, as before coming across Saunder’s work — has assumed this sort of life was a thing of the past. (I also assumed incorrectly that the kind of brilliant travel writing that came back from said explorations was no longer occurring — but I think we all know there are some insanely wonderful memoirs out there).
Other than Saunders, there is Alastair Humphries (who in 2011 encouraged us all to take some microadventures in our close-to-home environs) and who is also as you read, rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. (See blog here)
Saunders, Humphries as well as Martin Hartley (photographer) and Andy Ward will be attempting a South Pole expedition in 2012, see the expedition website to read up on it.
For me, the beauty in the adventures that these men are embarking on is the ability to continue to see Earth as an incredibly unexplored, unknown planet (much like the Planet Earth series etc with David Attenborough do). That there are STILL places within our reach that can test the limits of what we understand and how we interact with it.
I am missing some fabulous female adventurers though — and am going to track them down because I am sure they exist….
just ordered this fantastic 2012 calendar from the recently launched online store, our paper shop.
cannot WAIT for it to arrive and grace my walls with its beauty.
highly recommend checking out their premier collection of paper goods. i, for one, am saving up my pennies to ask them to design some custom stationary for me someday.
Art, culture, fashion, and other things worth loving.
