Introducing TEDEd

Ted is known to stir our curious mind, and now they want to take it a step further with TEDEducation. This is a collaboration between educators and animators to depict those topics which tantalize our creative juices and our curiosity. Everyday, the internet is providing us all with not only answers, but an incredible journey that tempts us with alternatives. There is no one right answer. If there was, then the world would indeed be a boring place and we would all be the same person. Fortunately, it isn’t and we’re not. So, start your educational journey by trying to figure out why there are questions that simply don’t have any answers…YET. Eventually, all questions get answered. And then create even more questions that will stump generations to come. That’s the learning process. And we’re all a part of it.

p.s. See some more TEDEd videos on their YouTube channel as well.

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Something Unexpected Comes To TED

So, today’s a TED day with the release of so many Ted2012 talks!

A speaker by the name of Colin Robertson was speaking on crowdsourcing solar to the TED audience, when his nightmare began: his MAC froze. His spinning beach ball of death then led to a psychedelic carnival of crazy proportions. Spinning umbrellas, rainbow-wigged party cannon wielders, dancing anonymous, and bouncing beach balls. But no presentation and one confused speaker. Though the crowd seemed to get into the unexpected revelry, even if it had little to do with solar (and a whole lot to do with crowdsourcing fun).

And all of this hilarity was courtesy of the much-beloved Improv Everywhere team who descended on TED (in collaboration) in a different response to our universal hatred for computer crashes. When you can take someone’s mind off of a computer crash, then you know that you’ve done some good. Even if it was staged. Or not, because even the Improv Everywhere volunteers had no clue of what was going to happen. It’s the TED/Improv Everywhere fun house version, Something Unexpected Comes To TED.

They succeed once again in making sure that we learn balance, even in serious endeavors.

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Presing’s Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you collect sketchbooks, then you probably know about Comix Buro, the French art publisher. They’ve got an amazing line of illustrators, including some of my favorites both here and abroad (like Vatine, Benjamin, and so many more). Well, Bill Presing just got back from Angoulême (well, he’s been back for a little while) where he was meeting a lot of fans and signing a lot of sketchbooks. You know Bill’s favorite subjects are adorable girls with a hint of sass and sexy, and a whole lot of charm. One of my favorite images of his is a heart shaped box of girl candy. And he was also part of that piece of gorgeous eye candy, the Tr!ckster book, that came out last year. Check out his blog to see what he’s up to. His playful art always makes me smile.

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The Dimensions of Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohata Shintaro makes his paintings come to life in the most unique way by combining 2D with 3D. My Modern Met caught up with his new exhibition, Polaris, at Yukari Art. The online exhibition is showing from March 8th to April 5th, and then the physical show will open at the Art Fair Tokyo from March 30th to April 1st. According to Yukari Art’s site, Ohara-san choose the name Polaris for this show because this is the star that  is absolute and firm, and this is how he wants to find a core like Polaris in his heart. How amazingly powerful is that sentiment?

I checked out the online show and this piece, Senkouhanabi (Sparklers), is among my favorites. His depiction of the innocence of childhood within our everyday world truly depicts what it’s like to grow up in Japan. It sure brings back sweet memories of my own childhood in Japan, where sparklers and fireflies were center to the enchanted world in which I thrived. It’s great to see that he’s getting his wish of becoming noticed around the world. It’s clear that he deserves all of this attention and more.

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A Fantasy of Lines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can compare an illustrator to some of the greatest classic children’s illustrators of the 19th century, then you know that the illustrator is talented. And My Modern Met has once again found an illustrator to fit the bill. Adam Oehlers is a UK illustrator who has done some beautiful illustrations with strong lines and tender colors for an international line of books of poetry and children’s stories. As if this wasn’t enough, he’s also brought some of his illustrations to life in fantasy sculptures.

To find out more about Adam, go the Paraxis’ site where they have an interview up that gives us an intimate view of a man whose life is full of wonder, and who has some amazing influences like Edward Gorey and Arthur Rackham (to name a few). He’s got books available in different countries, and every one of them look incredible. There’s something for adults and children, or adults who are captivated with the stories of our childhood. I know that I’ve got my eye on him and on his works.

Just how do you keep up with all of the amazing talent out there? But what inspiration they provide for us!

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We Need An International People’s Day

Seriously, we are so good at celebrating individual groups. And in many ways, it’s good to recognize the unique characteristics of groups as a show of respect for their ways, their cultures, and their contributions. But have we gone too far in these celebrations that always seems to offend someone who feels left out from all of the hoopla? “Why do they get a day? What’s so special about (fill in the blank)!” If we’re going to move past the petty arguments that some people can’t seem to get over (perhaps because they’re not the center of attention all of the time? – maybe, who knows?) , then we need to find a way to be all inclusive. Yeah, hard task, I know!

But we already do it in so many ways in our daily lives. Collaboration leads to some pretty amazing discoveries. Sometimes you discover that a certain person you didn’t know too well has some amazing hidden talent that just needs to be exposed. Or perhaps the idea that you thought stunk actually can be made better because a whole boatload of people saw that one thing you didn’t and unlocked the magic to spread. Or maybe you just simply found that you really enjoy sharing with others when everyone’s minds are wide open to unlimited possibilities.

That’s what we all need to start celebrating together. We are all a bunch of really amazing people. Individually, who knows what insanity will come to life if we just let it? Together, well, that insanity suddenly takes on a whole spectrum of fun that has everyone’s creative juices flowing. The mind is awhirl, the soul is overflowing, and you just can’t stop smiling (even when someone gets annoyed at your sunshine). And you’ve become a romper room of creativity (come on, we all remember how great this room was).

Simply, spread the wealth. The kind of wealth that can’t be touched because it’s resembles the delicacy of a spiderweb but has the strength of the most powerful thing in the universe. We need to look at people at their most basic levels and find the similarities that somehow manage to create the most amazing individual because we allow everyone of us to be free.

We need an “International People’s Day”! It’s a day that celebrates humanity as a group of really amazing creative people whose contributions fill our world with wonder. It will also be a day where the bar is set so that anyone can be inspired to do something bigger, grander, and more brilliant because we inspire one another. And finally it will be a day where we say that we will put aside our differences, so that we can find a way to make collaboration a natural part of how we interact with one another. Continue reading

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Reggie Watts – Candy for the Mind and Soul

I found this video through a share by @ProgrammingMate, and seriously thought that I’d hit the mother load. And you know that the star of the video, Reggie Watts, is the real thing when he’s invited to present at Ted2012. But his talent goes beyond the experience, because it’s really his personality that makes the magic happen. Humor, sarcasm, cutting wit, endearing whimsy, and a huge bundle of energy, which all total up to one amazing experience. This is what Alice in Wonderland would be like if it magically came to life in front of our very eyes. Pure candy for the mind and soul.

Honestly, my mind fell open with inspiration for listening to this video. It’s going to be a go-to when I’m walking around in circles, trying to figure out what to create. There are bright stars that make you look up in wonder. But there are also bright stars that make you feel wonder. Reggie is one such star.

And here’s some more (are your mudflaps flapping in the wind now?):

– thanks so much, Federico! The Mendez team strikes again in the most amazing of ways. : )

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Remembrance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a year ago today that Japan suffered the most horrific of natural disasters, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake followed by a tsunami that devastated so much of the Tōhoku region and stopped the entire nation. It’s been a year of grief, searching, cleaning, sharing, reuniting, and moving forward. For those of us outside of the country, we don’t know what that year has been like. But here’s the story as told through the eye of the Japanese children who were directly affected. Needless to say, I cried all over again. It’s still tough to watch.

http://youtu.be/D_AxnoNrr_8

And here’s what the devastated areas look like today, a year later as told in a photographic journal at Boston.com. May the Japanese people continue to recover and regain some sense of normalcy and happiness. Gambatte kudasai! You’re my other home and family.

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Code For America, and Then The World

I saw the Ted Talk by Jennifer Pahlka and was intrigued by this idea, so I went to that repository of everything video, Youtube, to search for more on Code For America. There were a few more talks by Jennifer that raises a valid idea about how to bring government into the 21st century, and to perhaps help alleviate the mistrust little by little. Once again, she proves that we have so much to learn from one another as we collaborate to find solutions to some incredibly enormous local problems that can impact our global actions. You’ve heard me harp that working together with a single global vision will, imho, take down the walls that we erected that detrimentally work against the global collective as a whole.

But this talk by Tim O’Reilly and Jennifer Pahlka sharing at Hi Capacity in Hawaii is much more eye-opening, because we get to hear from those who live in the tech start-up world that see the types of activities that individuals do to fix problem – in some cases “hacks” that status quo outside of the tech world doesn’t always understand or appreciate. So many live with the cold war mentality still, as though it’s an us-vs-them situation in everything that touches our lives. But it doesn’t have to be. The Internet is showing a way to collaborate not only for fun, but also for opportunity for a better world than the one we currently have. Sure, some of the methods may not be “acceptable” to those who live by the code of “law”. But I think we’ve reached a point in society where we actually have to look carefully at the laws that we’ve created to see if they aren’t more harmful then good, mainly because they continue to perpetuate the myth of “us-vs-them”.

Collaboration has always been around, and it’s not going away, nor is it meant to create anarchy. Collaboration is taking from all minds, and massaging the intent to create something innovative.

And for many, it’s not all about money. It’s about a new way of thinking, or maybe it’s about returning to our roots for community. In this case, a global community.

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RIP Moebius

The Long Tomorrow – Moebius with Dan O’Bannon (video courtesy of shivabel)

http://youtu.be/8QozLSpjQc0

I hadn’t logged into my computer until just now, only to hear the extremely sad news of the loss of a major figure in the comics industry, Jean “Moebius” Giraud. His style is like no other, and his books drew us into a world of absolute amazement. His type of inspiration is unique. His presence will be missed the world over, because he was a giant among men.  And he will continue to inspire us.

RIP and condolences to your family, friends, and all of those who love you.

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