Angelica Asadi:
One of my favorite quotes is by the beautiful and talented comedian, Sarah Silverman, in her HBO special _We Are Miracles_. She says: “Stop telling girls they can be anything they want when they grow up. I think it’s a mistake, not because they can’t, but because it would’ve never occurred to them they couldn’t.”
Exactly.
What a wonderful essay. It somehow got lost in my Instapaper queue a few days ago, but I’m so glad I revisited it.
After 200 issues—yes, _two hundred_—Kevin Cornell is retiring from his post as _A List Apart_’s staff illustrator. Tomorrow’s issue will be the last one featuring new illustrations from him. Sob.
Sob indeed.
Via Rands, who adds:
I was fortunate enough to have him illustrate the very first (out of print) [Rands t-shirt](http://randsinrepose.com/archives/a-pleasant-elsewhere/). Can’t wait to see what he tackles next.
I have it, and it’s always been my favorite of all the Rands t-shirts.
Like Michael, I can’t wait to see what Kevin does next.
The 33-year-old Swiss is the most successful player to compete at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, compiling a 44-11 record and claiming a record six titles in 2003-04, 2006-07 and 2010-11. He breaks the record of consecutive years qualifying for the championship, a mark he previously shared with Ivan Lendl (1980-91).
Just another reason why this is a player for the ages.
Speaking of Relay FM, Analog(ue) is one of their new shows, hosted by Casey Liss and Myke Hurley:
So many podcasts are about our digital devices. Analog(ue) is a show about how these devices make us feel and how they change our lives for the better, but also for the worse.
For obvious reasons, I’m pretty excited about this show.
From the about page:
Relay FM is an independent podcast network for people who are creative, curious and maybe even a little obsessive — just like its hosts.
Sounds fantastic. All shows are debuting today, so you have great material to fill up your podcast-listening queue.
Kjetil Andre Dalheim:
First of all analog is not instant. In today’s society that is almost unheard of, but one of the things I really enjoy. You take the picture, but no LCD to chimp, you wait for the film to be developed, picking the best negatives to go through the scanning process, process in LR/PS and print. All of this really gives you the feeling of creating something. Sitting down and looking at the final print on fine art paper is just lovely. On the other side, seizing a moment and sharing it online instantly with friends and family is something I appreciate to be able to do, so for me both worlds offer something.
As great as digital photography has gotten in the past decade, there’s a romantic side to film photography that many people still miss.
I used to write a productivity blog, and a photography blog too. Those are still topics I know and love, but they aren’t what has captivated _most_ of my attention. As with everyone I get bored. I get bored with reading the same shit on fifteen different websites each day (and I know I always say this), but then I quickly go back to posting that same shit like everyone else. _Because it is easy_.
I think it’s great that Ben is changing things around, trying to recover his passion and energy. I’ve noticed the recent change in focus and style on The Brooks Review, and it’s been clearly for the better. I’ve been guilty of the same mistakes here in the past, but lately I’ve also been making a conscious effort to devote the majority of my time to the things that are truly important to me.
It’s not easy, because sometimes it means parting with the original vision you had of your work. It may require you to broaden your scope and allow yourself to explore new ideas, or it may mean narrowing it down mercilessly and focusing on a given topic with surgical precision. That can be a difficult process, but it’s also extremely natural. Our interests evolve over time, and our work is inevitably a reflection of ourselves. Still, breaking free of the bad habits takes effort, because every day there are a million new things out there demanding your immediate attention. Things that feel urgent, even though they’re really not. It’s hard to keep reminding yourself that most of that stuff is actually noise and that the signal you’re after is often buried deeper, much deeper. It takes time to uncover it. It takes focus.
It’s difficult, but when you manage to focus on what truly matters, it makes the work so much more rewarding. And I’ve found that loving the work is an absolute necessity if you don’t want to end up getting burned-out. That may sound like a platitude, but it’s completely true.
Like Ben, I’m in the middle of a personal quest for focus. I’m determined to find the signal among all the noise, and stick to it. I think I’m on the right path, but there’s still such a long way to go. I really have no idea where I’ll end up.
Which, in a way, is the best thing.
Looks like an interesting camera:
The Micro Four Thirds system has certainly reached its maturity in the last two years. The new Panasonic Lumix GH4 is the latest example of how advanced the system has become. I feel that this camera in particular is more important than any other MFT camera because it represents a great step not only in terms of stills but also video recording.
I’m not much of a video shooter, but 4K video at 30 fps is quite impressive.
The evolution of the women’s swimsuit is one place where there has been a visible shift away from modesty. In the current world of swimwear, small is often beautiful and less is considered more desirable. But designer and actress Jessica Rey asks, “Who says it has to be itsy bitsy?” Rey argues that within the construct of modesty, there is a freedom—that modesty isnt about covering up whats bad, but about revealing dignity.
I found this to be an excellent, thought-provoking talk.