Help wanted
A few weeks ago a close friend said something to me that I can’t stop thinking about. I was thanking them for a favor they did for me and they responded by saying that it felt so good for them to do it. Their exact words were “You so rarely need anything from other people that it was nice to have the opportunity to do something for you”. It’s got me reflecting on hyper-independence and asking for help simply because you want it, even if you don’t necessarily need it. This applies to both personal and professional contexts.
My reality of running a small studio is I get a lot of control over things, which is amazing most of the time but it definitely makes me a little too obsessive over certain minutiae. I’ve been trying an exercise of what’s the minimum I can do for another person to understand what I need from them. Does the Notion doc actually need to be perfectly formatted within an inch of its life? Does the brief I’ve written have to be completely figured out? What asks need to be extremely clear vs. what can be more open for interpretation?
I’m mid-through reading Bird by Bird, which is a book about writing but it applies to so much more. This quote leaped off the page for me: ”Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist’s true friend.“
I hate mess. I’m trying to hate it a bit less and ask for help in making it.
Have a great week,
Gabby
P.s. I’m in SF for Config so say hi if you’re there too!
Resource of the Week
Read.cv has launched a new offering that turns your profile into a personal website. This sort of thing is perfect for creative folks who aren’t designers or people who want something nicer than LinkedIn.
Lucky Dip Links
On Fostering Creative Culture
I was recently interviewed by Stills about co-founding Super Keen, collaboration styles, and my creative process.
Poupay Photo
Last week I went to Nicer Tuesdays in NYC and saw Jutharat 'Poupay' Pinyodoonyachet talk through her work. Great speaker and an even more impressive portfolio that will make you fall in love with New York if you’re not already.
The New Generation of Online Culture Curators
This link is behind a paywall but it’s an interesting read about the need for human guides to help us decide what’s worth paying attention to. It made me care about keeping this newsletter going even more.
Studio Kleiner
New website for the wonderful work of Studio Kleiner. I wish this was what my Instagram feed consisted of and nothing else.
Design Everywhere
I kinda forgot about this site but it’s had a refresh since I last visited. A curation of design projects from studios around the world.
The Dinner Ladies
Add to the “I wish I wrote that” folder, Cat Wall has done it again for this meal delivery service in collaboration with Universal Favourite.
Candid Classifieds
Jac And (Melbourne) are looking for a designer.
Kühl & Han (Copenhagen) have open positions.
Pentagram (New York) are looking for a senior PM to join Giorgia Lupi’s team.
Lauren Reddy is seeking participants for research about our everyday experiences with audio. Women who live by themselves and work in NYC can learn more here.
All resources and links are shared purely because I think they are cool, interesting, or helpful. No content is sponsored unless explicitly stated. I am open to submissions but can’t promise they’ll be featured.
To support this newsletter you can become a paid subscriber or buy something from the Super Keen shop 🙏
OMGLORD
Things that make G–Lord say OMG
Copyright © 2014–Now
All Rights Reserved