Jay
“...and yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one subject to another like the flame of a blowlamp.”
“If we attain something, it was there from the beginning of time. If we lose something, it is hiding somewhere near us.” - Ryokan
Ancient wisdom for the next time you lose your car keys.
“It seems reasonable to infer that if consciousness can function independently of the body when we are alive, it could be able to do the same after death.”
“There would be no hope for the world if we all continued to carry in us hatred for the deeds committed by our ancestors.”
“Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of ‘facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely ‘brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving.”
aka
“The mind drinks less and less.”
aka
“This age thinks better of a gilded fool than of a threadbare saint in wisdom's school!”
aka
“With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word “intellectual” became the swear word it deserved to be.
aka
“There's more than one way to burn a book. and the world is full of people running about with lit matches.”
aka
“I'm so mad I could spit!”
I used this book to teach a design workshop for children (ages 6-9) as a jumping off point for them to design and prototype a way to protect a garden from being disrupted by squirrels. If you're leading any design-oriented classes for children in this age group I highly recommend this book.
S-P-O-I-L-E-R A-L-E-R-T!!!
The story has a nice twist—the squirrels, who were initially viewed as a nuisance, redeem themselves after designing their way into Mr. Fookwire's admiration. This happens through a series of design challenges where the squirrels have to figure how to out-smart Mr. Fookwire's way of preventing them from accessing the birdfeeders.
While the story itself is pretty unimaginative, the illustrations of the design challenges between Mr. Fookwire and the squirrels are a perfect way of introducing design methodology to children. The story also instills the significance of trial-and-error and experimentation in the creative process. It's a great setup for framing failure as a key to learning, growth, and accessing new ideas.
“While the hells of the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Egyptian and Pre-Columbian underworlds were places through which the deceased or initiate could pass during their spiritial journey, the Christian Hell was the final destination, from which there was no escape.”
A succinct store of timeless insight into living rightly.
“Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral.”
In conception this book sounds wonderful, but in execution the insights felt abbreviated. I wanted to learn more about each member's personal history—what brought them to The Design Office, what projects they were most proud of, what they struggled with, and what they've gone on to after leaving—but each entry is around 500 words or less. Just enough space for a platitude about collaboration. Oddly enough, I felt that the more insightful and personally revealing stories came from members who spent the least amount of time at the office.
The elegant layout design feels inline with the ethos of the space—a clean, simple structure that carries throughout the book. I also enjoyed the photography, which is interspersed in a way that provides illustration to some of the stories. At standard paperback size the book is very portable and feels like an intimate conversation. I just wish enough space was provided for that intimacy to carry through in the writing.
I've never read anything about ‘nomadic furniture' before this, so I have nothing to compare this to. The manuscript layout design and minimalist ethos reminded me of Be Here Now. I was expecting an expansive collection of DIY furniture designs, but was surprised to find that nearly half of the book serves as a catalog for where to purchase pieces, i.e. both the ‘Sound' and ‘Light' sections. I found the seating and storage designs most interesting and wish they were expanded.
Jung's philosophy of life: “Man becomes whole, integrated, calm, fertile, and happy when (and only when) the process of individuation is complete.”
A life's work:
“Hold on the center.”
“In dwelling, live close to the ground. in thinking, keep to the simple. in conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”
“Receptive as a valley.”
“He simply reminds people of who they have always been.”
“When they lose their sense of awe, people turn to religion.”
“Failure is an opportunity.”
“If you blame someone else, there is no end to blame.”
“My dream is to walk around the world. A smallish backpack, all essentials neatly in place. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. A nice pleated (green?) skirt for the occasional seaside hotel afternoon dance.”
I think this quote gets at the essence of The Principles of Uncertainty, a collection of insightful musings while traveling, each with their own signature eccentricities and transcendent delight.
“We see trees, what more do we need?” Perhaps Maira to paint them. <3
