Love & Work
A notebook about how we work, learn, love and live.
We are clearly living in a time of drastic change. The assault on democracy and liberalism by the extreme right worldwide is frightening.
But I find solace in noticing and celebrating the learners. I'll follow them.
Happy Friday.
How We Live
"Our perception of what is normal is a social and political process."
Ana Andjelic
“'Normal' is a habit. It’s the way that we - as societies, economies, and as individuals - are used to doing things. Our habits gave us staggering income inequality, inaccessible healthcare, and unsustainable growth. It also gave us the climate crisis and 'disaster capitalism.'
"Here are (at least) four things that we need to stop viewing as normal:
Growth...,
Individualism...,
Short-termism..., and
Specialization...."
"...Our perception of what is normal is a social and political process. How different this perception will be once the immediate health crisis is over depends on what we pay attention to, and what (and who) we choose to ignore." - Ana Andjelic
Article: Not Normal
Advertising, Posters, Social Messaging
Ukrainian artists are reinterpreting posters from the Second World War.
 
Philli. France, 1942. Anton Logov. Ukraine, 2022, via Never Again Gallery
"Every generation pats itself on the back, secure in knowing that it is way too savvy to be manipulated by propaganda, even smirking at the simplicity of those who fell for it the last time. Artists may have a better picture of that reality. Or not.
"The 'Never Again Gallery' project is an online effort by Ukrainian artists that examines the similarities between the visual campaigns that persuaded people about WWII events and the messaging we see daily today regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
"Perhaps likening the NATO states to the World War II Allies, the project returns to the “hundreds of emotional posters” in cities across Europe and the US advocating for support. With new interpretations of eerily similar sentiments, visitors are encouraged to download PDFs of new posters, which, like the old ones, offer 'calls-to-action, instructions, and motivation.'” - Brooklyn Street Art
Article: Persuasive Messaging: “Never Again” Brings Ukrainian Artists to Examine War in Poster Campaign
Creativity
Everything is a Remix.
Maria Popova reading at TED Salon: Border Stories
Kyle Kowalski has curated an overview of modern "combinatorial creators". In doing so he makes a great case that connecting ideas serves us well.
He starts by giving the mic to Maria Popova, founder of the popular blog Brain Pickings, now the Marginalian. And it gets better from there.
Article: Combinatorial Creativity: The Art of “New” Ideas & Why Everything is a Remix
Communication
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw
"Though speakers and listeners monitor communication success, they systematically overestimate it. We report an extreme illusion of understanding that exists even without shared language. Native Mandarin Chinese speakers overestimated how well native English-speaking Americans understood what they said in Chinese, even when they were informed that the listeners knew no Chinese. These listeners also believed they understood the intentions of the Chinese speakers much more than they actually did. This extreme illusion impacts theories of speech monitoring and may be consequential in real-life, where miscommunication is costly." - Lau et al., "The extreme illusion of understanding", Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2022
Abstract: Illusions of Understanding
Communication, Language
"Our language makes oppression sound natural."
"Stories about heroes and victims, White saviours, and ‘good people’ doing ‘good deeds’ to fix ‘unfortunate’ social problems are everywhere in the nonprofit sector.
"We have a ‘them and us’ problem.
"'A lot of charities are built on an "us versus them"’ idea' says anti-racism consultant and activist Jon Cornejo. 'They exist to ‘save’ people that are from another community. But we’re not part of that community. The separation between the two is key to how they operate.'
"It’s not just a separation, but a hierarchy.
"'Much of the charity sector is still positively Dickensian in its attitudes to the people it works with' says Penny Wilson, CEO of Getting on Board. 'Whatever the language - beneficiary, service user, client - the model of the privileged few deciding on the best way to support the less fortunate masses is alive and well.'
"When we think of injustice as ‘unfortunate’, we mystify structural oppression."Inequality is the product of design. It’s created by systems like colonialism, enslavement and extractive capitalism. It’s maintained through instruments, like our economy and legal system." - Ettie Bailey-King
Article: Nonprofits Have a Them and Us Problem
Marketing
CRM teams say e-mail marketing continues to deliver.
"Email is the channel that continues to deliver, with CRM teams proving its worth over the course of the pandemic. And though email now feels like a faithful friend to marketers, that doesn’t mean email marketing stands still.
"Keeping abreast of email trends is a must for marketers who want to ensure that their brand rises above the competition.
"Failing to adhere to new standards can damage brand trust and reputation and risk losing subscribers. While, at the same time, being able to harness ever more sophisticated email content can lead to more engagement – which also means better deliverability, more conversions, and a stronger community for your brand.
"To save you time, I have compiled a list of the key email trends for 2022." - April Mullen
Article: Email Marketing Trends in 2022: Examining Design, Privacy and Process
Visual Identity
Melding an historic venue with the visual identity of the art institution that now calls it home
"A column of metallic type scales the former Zenger Transformer Substation in Prague, melding the historic venue with the visual identity of the new art institution housed in its space. Conceived by the Czech Republic-based Studio Najbrt, the uniquely positioned logo wraps vertically around the corner of the Kunsthalle Praha building and is based on a typeface by German designer Jan Tschichold, who created it in the 1930s around the time the station was built. Construction involved modeling the hinged letters in paper and modifying the forms to account for the central bend, a lengthy process you can see more of Studio Najbrt’s Instagram." - Grace Ebert
Article: A Chunky Bronze Logo Wraps Around the Corner of a Prague Art Museum
One-liners
Article: Tokyo’s Manuscript Writing Cafe Only Allows Writers on a Deadline, and Won’t Let Them Leave Until Finished
Article: Sweden to Set World’s First Consumption-Based Emissions Target
Article: After a Decade of Research, Scientists Are Stunned to Find that Depression Opens the Door to Spiritual Awakening.
Article: How Indigenous Societies Fought to Preserve Their Blended Gender Identities in the Face of Colonialism
Playlist
Julian Lennon has performed a lot of his dad's songs before, but never this one, until now.
Video: Julian Lennon Performs 'IMAGINE' for Global Citizen's Stand Up For Ukraine w/Nuno Bettencourt
Image of the Week
"Hong Kong-based artist Johnson Tsang creates porcelain works of art with a twist—oftentimes, literally. He sculpts rubbery and realistic human faces that are distorted in mind-bending ways reminiscent of Surrealist paintings. Looking at each one feels like a view into Tsang's subconscious.
"In some of the busts, hands emerge from the head to manipulate the face, such as scraping through the facial features or stretching the skin beyond the skull to reveal empty space within. Others depict faces that have been completely scrambled by a whirlpool or melted into a puddle with the ears, nose, and eyes all misplaced." - Margherita Cole
Article: Artist Manipulates Reality in Mind-Bending Surrealist Sculptures
What's Love & Work?
Love & Work is the weekly newsletter by me, Mitch Anthony. I help people use their brand - their purpose, values, and stories - as a pedagogy and toolbox for transformation.
If you get value from Love & Work, please pass it on.
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