Strands of Genius: Culture vs Culture, About Calendarization, City to Citi to CitAI

Guest curated by Erica Martinez

Oct 27, 2022

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, ERICA MARTINEZ::

LOCATION: New York, NY

Hi, I'm Erica! I've been reading Genius Steals for a LONG time now, but I can't remember how I found it in the first place. Once upon a time, though, a famous futurist said to me, "When the student is ready, the teacher will come." Of course, that's kind of a stolen quote with various attributions. So maybe it's best to say that Genius Steals found me. So did strategy, to be honest. Over the course of my career, I've done copywriting, trend consulting, brand valuation, and assorted kinds of strategy. Community and collaboration are paramount to me when it comes to how we strategize. #neverstratalone

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): Erica is a long time Strands reader, and when she reached out to say hello, we knew we were intrigued to hear more about her and her thinking! We absolutely agree on her note about community and collaboration and are loving her links below! Thanks, Erica. Also, we’re told by Ashley that she has some amazing art around your place, so we might have to come check that out next time we’re in NY ; )

:: THE LINKS ::

CULTURE VS CULTURE

I love fermented foods and we've been making our own kefir for over a decade. Sandor Katz' original book on fermentation was a huge education for us, but this interview explores fermentation as metaphor (which was the topic of another book he wrote). We so often think about being in the culture or being part of the culture - that culture is external and we change by being in it. But when you add culture to yogurt or kefir, you are changing the medium by adding culture to it. Are you actively adding to culture, or is culture adding to you? And what are the impacts? (Emergence Magazine)

ABOUT CALENDARIZATION

Probably shared this with more people than I have shared anything with recently. Wonder why things aren't getting done? “Several attributes and practices valorized by a monochronic understanding of time — which we could also call Rapid-Growth Capitalism time, or Productivity Fetishist time, or White Bourgeois time — are objectively in service of efficiency. And yet, big surprise, they are often highly inefficient.” Fast is slow, slow is fast. And, when do we get to just think? This is part of why planning has become harder for planners. (Substack)

CITY TO CITI TO CITAI

When algorithms take over neighborhoods. A long and eye-opening read about how data can change the fabric of a city, and cause more disparity than inclusiveness. This is how you push culture out, rather than bring it in. (Failed Architecture)

Looking for more from Erica Martinez? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from her in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Casino. Classic card game. A perfect mix of strategy and luck-of-the-draw.

:: City :: New York, but really specifically the non-touristy, off-the-beaten-path parts where we really live and communities thrive.

:: Book :: Only one? Too hard. Let's say The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles or The Joy of Cooking.

:: Podcast :: I am still listening to Welcome to Night Vale...

:: Album :: Magical Mystery Tour / The Beatles.

::WINDOW TO THE SKY::

I took this photo on a hike recently and loved the way the trees were sort of making a window to the sky. It reminded me to be open to whatever the day might bring.

It's going to be ok.

Erica
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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

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