Strands of Genius: Hundreds of Ways to Get S#!+ Done, Catalogue of Simple Pleasures, Coffee Trucks
Strands of Genius: Hundreds of Ways to Get S#!+ Done, Catalogue of Simple Pleasures, Coffee Trucks
Guest curated by Alex Morris
This year we’re aiming to highlight 50 creative thinkers that have inspired us, by giving them the opportunity to guest curate this newsletter, Strands of Genius. Alex is a Strategy Director at AnalogFolk. We were introduced to him by Mark Pollard.
:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, ALEX MORRIS ::
LOCATION: Seattle, WA
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: AnalogFolk
My name is Alex Morris and I have never met Rosie or Faris. But they were a big inspiration in my creation of the Strategy Scrapbook – a collection of stolen goods. I'm sure our paths will cross eventually.
Editor’s Note (Team Genius Steals): Alex, consider our paths crossed! Virtually for now, but we look forward to grabbing some sort of fancy coffee with you in Seattle one of these days. Thanks so much for being here, and for your thoughtful contributions below. The Catalog Of Simple Pleasures made our day!
:: THE LINKS ::
HUNDREDS OF WAYS TO GET S#!+ DONE - AND WE STILL DON’T
Media Prophet Marshall McLuhan explained that “our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s tools!” – I also think the opposite is true. We love inventing new tools for things we've always done. But we're kind of at the peak of what apps can solve. The next wave of tech solutions won't work across ecosystems. It's monopoly or open source. (Wired)
CATALOGUE OF SIMPLE PLEASURES
1. I think it is lovely to read. And how pleasant that reading out simple pleasures is itself so simply pleasurable.
2. I recently learned about "commonplace books." – In the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, only the very wealthy owned their own books. So when most folks read something they wanted to remember, as there was no notes app, they jotted it down in a book called a "commonplace book" – would grow throughout one's life as they read.
A commonplace book of simple pleasures seems like something we should all keep. (Are.na)
COFFEE TRUCKS
I've had this thought before too. Considered doing a dog park version when I was unemployed this past summer.
But stopping for coffee on your way to work was such a common practice, it seems like someone should start this. Plus I love the idea of adults running out of the house in their PJs as the Coffee Truck rolls down the street.
(What song would it play?) (World Spirit Sock Puppet)
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:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::
:: Game :: Carnival Games
:: City :: Currently accepting RFPs for a new favorite city.
:: Book :: The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy
:: Podcast :: Behind the Bastards
:: Album :: OK Computer
:: THE GREATEST TRICK THE DEVIL EVER PULLED ::
I don't know that I'm a genius, but I steal stuff and publish it weekly alongside half baked thoughts of my own. I don't tweet much, but usually that's where I share new Strategy things I've made.
Alex Morris
alex.morris206@gmail.com
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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 :)