I’ve been interviewed on several podcasts recently about creativity (based in part on principles I wrote about in The Art of Creative Rebellion) and a common theme has come up throughout most of the conversations – what can design do during and after this pandemic? If there ever was a design problem that needs to be addressed, this is the one. Here are some of my thoughts on the matter.
Read MoreI’m writing this essay while feeling off. I’m not sure what it is – I woke up bone tired. I slept seven hours but feel like I’ve been up all night. Along with so many others (“Why Am I Having Weird Dreams Lately?” – NY Times), I’ve been having intense, vivid dreams. Aside from not working out as I used to pre-COVID 19, I’m doing all the right things: meditating, creatively writing, drawing, painting, doing podcasts, eating healthy, and while focusing my worktime efforts on my day job, I take breaks to get outside and get some vitamin D.
Read MoreHumans like stability for obvious reasons. Routines are comforting and you can often accomplish much by systematizing your day: the morning ritual of breakfast, then the commute, then work, lunch, more work, maybe a workout and then home for dinner. But this is an overlay of a human system on a world that has its own rhythms and is, for the most part, indifferent to our timelines and needs. We are sometimes reminded of this when an earthquake strikes or fires threaten our homes or in the most current and pressing case, our lives are at risk because of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. In all of these cases, our routines are disrupted and what is truly important in our lives comes to the fore.
Read MoreWe are all going to be spending a lot more time at home for the coming weeks, if not months. Besides adjusting to perhaps working from a shared office and having to balance spending time with our mates, spouses, children and pets while juggling the Zoom video calls, emails and Slack channels, it’s a good time to allow for contemplation: the ability to center for a moment, without distractions, both digital and analog, for a period of time. As I’ve mentioned in past essays, I find it helpful to use an app like Headspace or Waking Up to stop the monkey mind from constantly whirling in a manic fugue of thoughts that often just lead to anxiety, rather than constructive action.
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