I Once Was Lost

In his latest book, co-authored by Doug Schaupp, Don Everts explores how people come to Jesus in today’s postmodern culture. I Once Was Lost is based on the stories of two thousand postmodern people and how they found their way in to a following of Jesus. Everts, whose books Jesus With Dirty Feet and The Smell of Sin are absolute must reads for any Christ-follower, will be speaking at Journey this weekend as part of our July at Journey series.

One, of many, learnings from the new book was this: Act more like Paul. We (Christians) need to begin “affirming kingdom impulses” that skeptics have, and then point them to Jesus. Everts and Schaupp write:

“We [Christians] struggle to emulate Paul in this. We fear affirming sin in our friends and so we say nothing, or we judge. Maybe we turn a blind eye and naively tell them, ‘It’s all good.’ We might be shocked if God showed us today how many non-Christian friend’s values are worth affirming: the gay activist’s commitment to equality, the Muslim coworker’s sacrificial weekend involvement in caring for the poor. Unfortunately, these often go unnoticed.” (p. 45)

How would our efforts to reach out be altered if we thought this way? How would we respond to our non-believing friends? How would we change by examining our friends inherent goodness (”God-ness” even)?

The Plenitude

During the last year of his life, Rich Gold wrote the text for what would become his book The Plenitude: Creativity, Innovation, and Making Stuff. Part of John Maeda’s Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life series (MIT Press), the book is a convergence of the mind of a artist/scientist/designer/engineer - and his thoughts on the ecology of created stuff (The Plenitude).

It’s a quick and enjoyable read (only 110 pages). A sort of hodge-podge of information from an innovative and brilliant thinker - the book serves as a sort of essay on what it’s like to be a creator of stuff - and how a creator should respond to the ever-growing pile of that stuff.

Gold begins by examining the four creative hats he has worn (artist/scientist/designer/engineer) - looking at their interrelationships (both their love for and hate of each other). For “creative types” it is a nice treatise on the creative mind - and how we exist within the four boxes, and both the contradictory and complimentary nature of the four types.

Gold continues by laying out seven patterns of innovation - valuable pieces of knowledge. But, it is the the Plenitude that consumes most of this book. Gold commits half of the book to a discussion on the “stuff.” To write a very coherent examination of this discussion would be futile. However, Gold’s thesis on the Plenitude is worth the reading.

More than an examination of the wealth of stuff, The Plenitude serves as lessons from the creative professions. It is equal parts memoir, exposition, and essay on moral philosophy - a must for any creator.

The Myth of a Christian Nation

In his book, The Myth of a Christian Nation, Gregory Boyd evaluates the effect of joining religion and politics and argues that, in a pursuit to merge the two, Evangelical Americans are destroying both institutions. The book was incredible and deserves the attention of anyone in the evangelical church. Boyd argues that we can never combine the “power-under” kingdom of God with any “power-over” kingdom of the world:

“We have lost the simplicity of the kingdom of God and have largely forsaken the difficult challenge of living out the kingdom. We have forgotten, if ever we were taught, the simple principle that the kingdom of God looks like Jesus and that our sole task as kingdom people is to mimic the love he revealed on Calvary.” (p. 64)

The book is a liberating [sic] experience for those of us in the church who do not necessarily always tow the “Christian Conservative” line. At the same time, it is a powerful, and biblical, argument as to why the church (American, European, whatever) should never become co-opted by governments or kingdoms of the world.

“My critique is rather toward the American church. We expect nations to be driven by self-interest, but we shouldn’t expect kingdom people to applaud this fact, especially when the national self-interest involves taking lives! Isn’t our central calling as kingdom people to manifest the truth that this old, self-centered, tribalistic, violent way of living has been done away in Christ? Are we not to display the truth that in Christ a new humanity has been created, one in which there are no ethnic, nationalistic, gender, social, or economic distinctions? Aren’t we called to ‘live by the Spirit’ and thus put away all ‘works of the flesh’ - including aligning ourselves with various sides of ‘dissensions [and] factions’?” (p. 90)

While Boyd asserts that the kingdom of God shouldn’t be combined with any government, he doesn’t advocate an uninvolved or pacifist mentality. He says that our beliefs should inform the way we vote and our political views - but, we can never fully place our faith in our political systems. We must pursue a better world, through law and order - but as Christ-followers, we must always remember that the only kingdom we have total allegiance to is that of God. We must always keep in mind that our mission is to reflect the love exemplified through Calvary. In fact, in the example of Jesus, we find a person who wasn’t out to topple the worldly kingdom…but rather, he chose to change the world from the bottom up - by serving the poor and caring for the unwanted:

“Did Jesus spend any time and energy trying to improve, let alone dominate, the reigning government of his day? Did he ever work to pass laws against the sinners he hung out with and ministered to? Did he worry at all about ensuring that his rights and the religious rights of his followers were protected? Does any author in the New Testament remotely hint that engaging in this sort of activity has anything to do with the kingdom of God?” (p. 92)

Seriously…an amazing book.

How to Have Better Work

I picked up Michael Bierut’s Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design and have been perusing through it over the last week or so. It’s a good compendium of many of the essays Bierut has written over the years for DesignObserver.com, Communication Arts and other design editorials. Witty and thoughtful, Bierut’s musings on design and culture are good reading for anyone in any sort of creative field.

In the essay “Warning: May Contain Non-Design Content”, Bierut writes:

“Over the years, I came to realize that my best work has always involved subjects that interested me, or - even better - subjects about which I’ve become interested, even passionate about, through the very process of doing design work. I believe I am still passionate about graphic design. But the great thing about graphic design is that it is almost always about something else. Corporate law. Professional football. Art. Politics. Robert Wilson. And if I can’t get excited about whatever that something else is, I really have trouble doing good work as a designer. To me, the conclusion is inescapable: the more things you’re interested in, the better your work will be.”

I think it’s fine to assert that this thinking can, and should, be applied to any creative field. It is so important to constantly broaden your intellectual and creative horizons. Such thinking has caused me to search out new fields to read up on - astronomy, polar conservation, jazz, whatever. The more I know, the more creatively I can solve a problem. By being more knowledgeable, I can innovate better.

Learnings from Punk Marketing

Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons’ book Punk Marketing is one of those books that you keep on your desk for a long time. It isn’t boring. It isn’t too hard to grasp. It’s just one of those books that you can read a chapter and then set it down for a week, and try to apply what you learned.

Laermer and Simmon’s thinking is highly innovative. These two “punks” throw out some incredible idea. They challenge the status quo of marketing and inspire a new way to market (the subtitle of the book is Get Off Your Ass and Join the Revolution). Their “Punk Marketing Manifesto” is worth the price of the book.

Some major learnings:

1. RISK - Read previous post here.

2. “Trying to be all things to everyone inevitably results in meaning little to anybody.” (p. 02)

3. Stories sell. A narrative connects with people more than a flashy logo or ad. “Storytelling as a marketing technique has been around for decades in all kinds of forms. It’s all about a damn good anecdote, so your mission is to become the best raconteur you can be!” (p. 109)

4. Innovation is good. But don’t get caught up in trying to create the “latest and greatest” fad. Be thoughtful. Michaela Draganska, an associate professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, puts it: “It’s a widely held belief that unless you constantly introduce new products, you cannot stay in the game.” (p. 126) But it’s just not true - a great product is worth a million crappy ones.

5. A billboard in New York read: “Don’t feel stupid if you hate the things that people pretend to love.” (p. 132; This was the smallest sidebar in the book).

6. “Believe in trends more!” Find visionaries and listen to them. Keep your thumb on the pulse of life - look out for change. True trendspotters are “always evolving, learning and growing.” (p. 198 )

For more, visit punkmarketing.com.

2007, Harper Collins.

Learnings from The Laws of Simplicity

I’ve just completed John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity. Deftly written, Maeda is a master at the art of simplicity - it’s reflected in his graphic work, and it is obvious that he is trying to wrestle with what it means to apply the idea to his life.

As written in a previous post, following my reading of the preface and the first law (REDUCE), I was immediately inspired. In fact, so much so, that in making decisions about the decor and feel of my new office (a minor headache at the moment), I opted for a simple and clean look. (I am still questioning what else I can SHRINK, HIDE or EMBODY within my office).

I have a feeling that I will re-read this book many times over the next few months, years, decades, hoping to gain more and more understanding about how to best embrace simplicity in my work, my design, my art and my life.

Here’s a brief compendium of what I got from my first reading. For a further understanding, read the book or Maeda’s blog - he says it much better than I can.

1. REDUCE - The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. (This is the first law). Not only is a thoughtfully reduced product (or lifestyle) more appealing, it actually helps to enhance the overall experience. Imagine getting rid of the fluff and extra things that we don’t need. Deleting these distractions provide for a much more memorable interaction. You have to juggle these two questions: “How simple can I make it?” and “How complex does it have to be?” (p. 01).

2. Gestalt is Good. Organizing and streamlining has a huge effect on how people perceive your product. Maeda’s example is the evolution of the iPod - think of the various controls that have graced the different generations. The current controls (in which the buttons and scroll wheel are seamlessly integrated) are a perfect example of how Apple moved from simple, to complex, to as simple as possible. (p. 19-21)

3. Learn, learn, LEARN. The more you learn, the more simple things appear. Maeda harks on this topic throughout - it’s obvious that he reads a lot, and continues to find points of inspiration - whether they be objects, mentors or nature. (Chapter 4 - LEARN)

4. Complexity is necessary. That way, we understand when we see simplicity. (Law 5 - DIFFERENCES)

5. “I was once advised by my teacher Nicholas Negroponte to become a light bulb instead of a laser beam, at an age and time in my career when I was all focus. His point was that you can either brighten a single point with laser precision, or else use the same light to illuminate everything around you.” (p. 53)

6. EMOTIONs are not the enemies of simplicity. Emotional responses are highly valuable - you need them. Design must elicit them; without them, it’s just a hunk of metal (or paper, or wood, or paint, or…well, you get it).

7. Law 9: FAILURE - Some things can never be made simple. And that’s okay. “There are certain things that I would never want to become simple - that includes my close relationships and my collection of art.” (p. 84)

8. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.” (p. 89, Law 10: THE ONE)

2006, MIT Press.

Hidden and Unfamiliar

For a month or so before Christmas, I had been admiring an inconspicuous book at my local Borders. The dark grey and black book had no images on the cover. The title was announced in small and simple text - An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar.

On Christmas, my girlfriend, aware of my secret lust of the book, gave it to me.

Inside, is a book of great wonder. Artist Taryn Simon set out to photograph things we don’t ever see - the “Hidden and Unfamiliar.” The book is filled with incredible images - images of a cryopreservation chamber (above), nuclear waste, a braille issue of Playboy, a death row inmate, live HIV, CIA Headquarters. The index takes a look at subjects that have remained inaccessible or unknown to the public. Vast and innovative in its scope, Ms. Simon’s art is something to be looked at often, but with a grave sense of awe.

The author Salmon Rushdie, who wrote the forward for the collection, had this to say:

“I am always immensely grateful to people who do impossible things on my behalf and bring back the picture. It means I don’t have to do it, but at least I know what it looks like. So one’s first feeling on looking at many of these extraordinary images is gratitude, (followed quickly by a momentary pang of envy: the sedentary writer’s salute to the woman of action).”

The 70 color plates sneak us into classified territory - we’re given a behind-the-scenes look at things we’ve always wondered about, and several of which we didn’t even know existed. As Mr. Rushdie concludes his forward, “When a photographer comes up with an image as potently expressive as that, even a dedicated word-person such as myself is bound to concede that such a picture is worth at least a thousand words.”

2007, Steidl Publishers.

Keep it Simple, Stupid.

I just started John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity.

I’ve only read the preface and the first chapter (or law). But, seriously - it’s so good.

I’m already inspired.

Learnings from The Myths of Innovation

I recently finished Scott Berkun’s The Myths of Innovation. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read - but also incredibly insightful . Berkun’s book is a must for anyone who tracks in the area of ideas (pretty much anyone who is trying to be creative - in whatever field). Here are several of the learnings I walked away with after finishing. (This is the very short version of a list that could stretch for quite a while).

1. Take time to be still - don’t rush into solving the problem right away. (Read a previous post about this here, which received a comment from the author himself - what a nice guy!)

2. “The secret tragedy of innovators is that their desire to improve the world is rarely matched by support from the people they hope to help.” (p. 55) Don’t just assume that everyone will love or adopt your idea - no matter how incredible.

3. Never stop being an innovator. Just because you have succeeded, don’t hold too tightly to the idea. Continue to pursue new ideas…don’t stop!

4. Read and study subjects you have no association with. In reading about astrophysics or painting, I can find a new way of tackling innovation in my field. Innovative ideas are not limited to their specific field - don’t apply a filter too early. Berkun says that true innovators “turn their filters off for long stretches of time, trying to go where other’s haven’t been.” (p. 90)

5. Innovation among a group isn’t a characteristic, it’s a culture. “Teams with healthy idea life cycles are easy to spot: ideas flow between people easily and in large volumes. Conversations are vibrant with questions and suggestions, prototypes and demos happen regularly, and people commit to finding and fighting for good ideas.” (p. 101)

6. Define the problem before you try to solve it. (Einstein: “If I had 20 days to solve a problem, I would take 19 days to define it.”)

7. Both change and tradition are good. New doesn’t always mean better. Old doesn’t always mean perfection.

For more learnings from Berkun, read the book and his blog.

2007, O’Reilly.

A Blackout and the Myth of Epiphany

Tonight, from about 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM, the power in my neighborhood went out. At first, I was frustrated, because I had really wanted to sit and watch some mindless television to unwind after the busy day. I had also wanted to catch up on some emails, Bloglines subscriptions, news feeds and maybe even do some online Christmas shopping.

But, alas, I had to sit in the dark…trying to figure out what to do with myself. So, I, begrudgingly, decided to catch up on some reading. I’ve been reading Scott Berkun’s The Myths of Innovation. It’s been a great read. So, amidst my frustration over wanting to work and get stuff done…I was forced to pause and read.

And I read this:

“Stand still and watch the patterns, which by pure chance have been generated: Stains on the wall, or the ashes in a fireplace, or the clouds in the sky, or the gravel on the beach or other things. If you look at them carefully you might discover miraculous inventions.”

- Leonardo da Vinci (Ironically, I watched some of The DaVinci Code once the power was restored.)

Berkun goes on to talk about the “Myth of Epiphany” - the notion that epiphany, as we know it, is a glorified creation of our minds. He writes that innovation doesn’t just come in a single moment - but after hours (or days or years or decades…) of research and thought. Essentially, ideas don’t hit like lightning bolts - Newton didn’t just come up with the theory of gravity because of the apple and Archimedes didn’t just figure out how to test the density of gold by hopping in the bath tub - they both had a ton of research and thought poured in to their discoveries. Berkun asserts that: “To focus on the magic moments is to miss the point. The goal isn’t the magic moment: it’s the end result of a useful innovation.” (The Myths of Innovation, pg. 34)

So, how fitting that I, frustrated in my inability to work during the blackout, had to stop and read. I was forced to relax. I was forced to think. I was forced to allow the creative juices of innovation to flow; and I think I got something out of it.