En Route

I took the bus to work today. Usually I sit by the window and gaze at people going by. I wonder where people could be traveling to, if they are late, if they had a chance to eat breakfast and if they are cold. I can usually answer all of the above with a glance but sometimes I listen for "stomach talk" and chattering teeth. I've been making an effort to consciously engage all of my senses. Sometimes I fear that if I lose my sight in old age that this loss might define me. Close your eyes. There are Four other fantastic ways to engage in the world.

Like I said, I took the bus to work today- surprisingly on schedule, had a smoothie for breakfast and was mildly overheated on the bus. If one was observing me they might see a bead of sweat meander on my stubble. Sometimes I wonder if people have the same questions as I do... Not because I think they are brilliant questions or anything but rather because I realize that there are billions of people in world and it is probable that one might share my curiosities. 

I took the bus to work today and the window seats were taken. I don't blame anyone for taking my seat but I do think I have the right to be silently annoyed. Sometimes I feel an overwhelming sense of ownership over public spaces. At times it helps to maintain the beauty in the shared spaces of my city and at other times I find it hard to co-exist. I'm in my 20s and I'm still learning how to share. I think this is something we should all admit to ourselves at least once in a lifetime.

I took the bus to work today and I sat opposite a young boy wearing a stunning shirt. It was elaborately encrypted with a secret code that a realist might call pattern. I am a dreamer and I often see things upside down. It is this type of thinking that is often shunned but ironically enough leads to innovation. I wondered where he was going, if he was late, if he was enjoying his banana and most importantly if he was greasy or sweating. As I went through my list of questions I became transfixed by the design of his shirt. 

I took the bus to work today and traveled a new route. I worked through the maze on his shirt weaving in and out of fibers and dyes in hopes of reaching an exotic destination. Instead, I found an infinity of loops and swirls creating a cycle that could only be repeated. I was in awe. The bus came to a startling halt and I spiraled out of my adventure unharmed.

I took the bus to work today and was reminded of the simple pleasures of good design and passive interaction.

Moving Forward

I got this lovely e-mail from my professor a few days ago and I'm still smiling about it. It's rare to find people that change the way you perceive the world and I feel so fortunate to have been influenced by quite a few admirable minds in the past four years. So this is me moving forward in hopes that I will turn out to be a more exciting 20 something year old with a little help from friends, family and mentors.

" Dear Independent Studio,

During the last few weeks of class I came across these words, by Michael Ondaatje in ‘The Cat’s Table’, that made me think about you moving on from RSID -

‘There is a story, always ahead of you. Barely existing. Only gradually do you attach yourself to it and feed it. You discover the carapace that will contain and test your character. You find in this way the path of your life….’

I wish you well with what comes next and hope you keep in-touch.

It has been an inspiration and pleasure getting to know the way you look at the world.

-CD "

K

Koffee + Krispy Kremes = Kontentment

My Sunday just got a whole lot brighter. I took a morning stroll to Starbucks to do some reading. I'm currently traveling back in time between the world of Marie Antoinette and the spirit of the metropolis in the 1930s for an Office I'm designing. While gazing out of the storefront window a familiar box caught my attention and I decided it was time to reunite with an old friend who will inevitably only give me heart trouble (literally). The clouds parted to reveal a glimpse of the heavens and there were Krispy Kremes for the entire city. ha!

I also finally got around to getting a Jean Jacket for the fall season. It's pretty retro but I love the fit.

20s

" The Roaring twenties. I hear it's a Golden Era...."

KNOCK KNOCK

I don't know what it is about the door.
There's something about the way it opens and closes always in onomatopoeia.
It’s not like it’s over animated in anyway and if so, only in scale. It’s a moment of transition- a threshold from one chapter to the next.

I remember the exact moment when I read DO NOT ENTER on your door. It was typed in bold letters (probably in Helvetica.) I had mistaken it for art before I understood its meaning by definition. I tried the knob but It was locked to further enforce its stance. I panicked. Suddenly the door that always proposed a window of opportunity or a transition to new and better experiences became a dead end, a bump in the road and a pain in my heart.
So I’m jiggling the knob- coaxing it to unlock. I shake it like an Etch-a-sketch praying that the door will dissolve in front of me. I need a key or secret password and since I don’t have either of those I realize I’m royally screwed. It’s one of those moments when it starts to rain indoors and before you realize the absurdity of the situation, you close your eyes and hope that your imagination is simply soaring ahead of you.
I go over my options once again and I remember that the only gentleman-like thing to do in a moment like this is to knock.

So now I’m here, at your door in contemplation and in metaphor.