Today’s my last day in the office til January 6th. Taking two weeks off to travel, rest and recharge. In the meantime, I’ve put together a few wrap-up posts to finish off the year. The best and the brightest, so to speak – in the categories of branding, pattern, textiles, architecture, inspiration and whimsical wit. Enjoy and here’s hoping for a brighter year ahead! Happy Holidays.
– Shayna
Every time January rolls around we get contemplative. We set goals. We attempt to reconfigure what’s right, what’s wrong, what needs an overhaul. Having just returned from an adventure of a lifetime (to the end of the world…quite literally), with a brief family-related-life-hiatus beginning today, a 32nd birthday around the corner and aggressive to-do lists carrying over from last year, I’m trying to prioritize life’s juggle.
We all are, aren’t we? My oldest brother’s probably grinning to himself saying, just wait til you fit kids into the mix. As I reconfigure, agency and client work will take a bit of a back seat this month (and maybe next) to Role Modolls – a new business I’m launching this year. I’m also looking to expand Pattern Pulp to include a boutique…and while I’m at it, it’s probably not a bad idea to update my portfolio…it’s 2yrs and counting. Yikes.
With that, I’ll leave you with 3 lessons to live by, written by Ariel Kaminer to David Rakoff before he died of cancer earlier this year. It’s a touching reminder of what matters in life.
Dear Friends,
I hope this note finds you well on New Years Eve Day!
I apologize for my sudden disappearing act this week. As many of you know, New York was socked by a blizzard of epic proportions. As I was due to fly to Asia on Monday, I made a last minute switch and caught a flight to Hong Kong before the storm hit. The change left me without any time to wish you all well.
I’ve been visiting loved ones in Singapore for the week and am leaving for a scouting trip to Sydney and Melbourne tonight, back in New York in mid January.
But fear not! Beginning Monday, January 3rd I’ll be rolling out Pattern Pulp’s 2011 Designers to Watch. We’ll have a mix of emerging and established creatives who have been most inspiring to us over the past year.
In the meantime, have a wonderful New Years and I look forward to touching base soon!
Best,
Shayna
It feels good to be back. The past two weeks have been filled with round ups, predictions and general anxiousness for the decade ahead. While it’s easy to rev up for the big picture, it’s important not to forget the basic qualities of life that transcend all demographics. Everyone has sentimental moments and it’s nice to see advertising and product teams shift their focus from gimmicky animation to simplistic messaging. Both American Express and Flor have chosen to step forward and focus on the emotive quality of everyday life. The above stills are part of a captivating TV spot that nearly stopped me in my tracks while running at the gym last week, a difficult feat for a non-TV watcher.
Partnering up with François Robert, Flor’s July release of rugs showcasing graphic imagery from his book, Find a Face are dauntingly similar to Am Ex’s Take Charge Campaign. While this concept certainly isn’t a new one, it’s interesting to see the cross pollination of an idea spread over a few month period.