We all know that Quirky is la crème de la crème of start-up creamy goodness, but there are plenty of other people out there who’ve nailed the start up. The beloved BBC is currently showing a very interesting set of interviews with successful entrepreneurs, exploring what makes these people tick, how they did it and how you can do it too! Check it out here.
Every so often, one of our ridiculously talented interns will share what inspires them to create. Today it’s Jane, a design student at Pratt.
What Inspires Me
My industrial design professor, Jong S. Lim
The happiness of my family
The beauty in nature
Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
Watching Hayao Miyazaki’s films
Everything I encounter, even the most random things
A good cup of coffee
Being around people who appreciate art & design
My jewelry/metals instructor, Eun Yeong Jeong
Abstract architecture
It’s hard not to be creatively invigorated in an ever-evolving world. And perhaps no New York museum exhibit encompasses that more than MoMa’s upcoming Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen, which opens in September.
The exhibit will showcase a complete 1920′s “Frankfurt Kitchen,” among other design goodies, and promises to reveal more than just futuristic aesthetic appeal. MoMa notes:
“Kitchens have continued to articulate, and at times actively challenge, our relationship to the food we eat, popular attitudes toward the domestic role of women, family life, consumerism, and even political ideology…”
L magazine then collected five additional items with the same transforming qualities. Trust me, you ain’t never seen tea and coffee sets like this one.
Like with all design innovation (or any other kind for that matter), there’s always something new to discover and explore. Our designers let themselves be influenced by the past while creating for the future. There’s no such thing as inspiration overload here at Quirky!
If I had to think of one icon to represent you guys out there in the Quirkisphere, it would have to be the light bulb. I can practically see blazes of light popping up all over the interweb as you guys come up with your next great idea submissions!
So in celebration of the humble bulb, here are some links to new bulb trends!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/hot-trend-old-fashioned-incandescent-lightbulbs.php
http://www.klipsch.com/LightSpeaker/Products/ProductPage.aspx
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/07/24/led-bud-lighting-up/
http://www.notcot.com/archives/2010/05/light-bulbs-of-gramercy-park-h.php
From penicillin to Silly Putty, many of today’s best known products were discovered by accident. Don’t fret! Even if you don’t think you were born lucky, there are ways to increase the odds in your favor. The main article in this month’s Psychology Today delves into the mystery of serendipity and how to harness its power for yourself. For the full read, you’ll have to hit the newsstands, but here are some salient points that might increase your Quirkability:
1. Believe in good luck. By simply believing that opportunities abound in the world around you, you will notice more opportunities.
2. Be open-minded. Try not to prejudge people and experiences. By keeping an open mind, you may spot opportunities that others overlook. It’s ok to have a goal so that you know in which direction to move forward. But you don’t have to plan every detail in advance. Leave room for improvisation. You never know what the world may throw your way so you want to leave room for nice surprises. In product idea terms, you may want to invent the next great toy, but don’t confine yourself to a narrow interpretation of what that toy must do or be for now. Just look to the world around you once you have a category narrowed down.
3. Be fearless. New experiences are scary and many people say no to the exciting chances that come their way. Obviously, you need to weigh the promise of an opportunity against the risk it presents, but try not to say no right away. You might be surprised at what happens when you choose to say yes.
4. Do not be scared to fail. Every fork in the road is a choice. And even lucky people wonder what might have been if they’d followed that other path. Nobody is perfect. Nobody makes the right choice 100% of the time. The trick is to always learn and then to move forward. The point is that even when old opportunities slip away or don’t work out, there are always new ones around the corner. And it’s never too late to take full advantage of those opportunities.
Good luck, Quirks! (not that I need to say it!)
Dear Quirks,
This past Saturday, I participated in the Hudson River Pageant to raise awareness of the special ecology of the river and its surrounding areas. The procession began in the marina behind the World Financial Center in downtown Manhattan and meandered northward along the water.
The performers were all dressed in intricate costumes that a team of volunteers had crafted during the year leading up to the parade. In addition to the beautiful clothing, everyone marching was painstakingly hand-painted to match his/her costume. I was dressed as a rainbow, and it took 90 minutes for an artist to paint and beglitter me. Around me, people dressed as aquatic creatures, elements of nature, and plant life rushed around the staging area to get ready.
Once the parade started, we marched to the sounds of a live band, waving and chatting with interested spectators. Along certain points of our route, we stopped for performances which celebrated nature. There was an aria by an opera singer seated on a high cliff wall wearing a two-story long woven dress which hung down a la Rapunzel, a boat dance, and a harmonic chant concert, to name just a few.
As one of the participants, my day started at 8am and ended at 7pm. Rather than feeling tired at the end, I was invigorated! A cast and crew of almost 500 people had come together to make this event happen. It made me think about the power of a community to reach seemingly impossible goals and how fortunate I was to have been involved.
As one of the newest additions to the Quirky team, I feel that same happiness every day I come to the office. This is such a unique online community of people excited to work together to make amazing things happen!
Thank you for inviting me into your world. And please, feel free to share what inspires YOU!
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