fuel for the creative soul

In SoCal for a couple of days. Whenever I am here, I love to go on walks; I can't really get enough. I'm pretty convinced that gardening is on easy mode in this part of the world.

You do need to water; it's dry, but because of the plethora of sunshine and the fact that it doesn't get scorching hot, most things you plant just grow and grow well.

There are so many crazy gardens that would blow minds back home that are just normal here. The density, variety of colors, shapes, and height is something else.

I feel viscerally assaulted with beauty here while walking. Overwhelmed, thankful, and rejuvenated. Something about the sun, the dry heat, and the sheer volume of life spilling over onto the sidewalk.

One of my favorite trails is Veteran's Parkway through Manhattan Beach. First of all, it's mulched, which feels great underfoot. Second, the trail runs through a kind of valley in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the world, and one of the stops is a few blocks up Manhattan Beach Blvd, which runs right down to the pier.

Doesn't do it justice, but trust me

I am convinced that walking in new environments is like pure fuel to the creative soul. And it could literally mean a few blocks over from your normal route, or walking down the alley instead of the sidewalk. That's what I try to do at home. You see new things, and you have new thoughts.

The nature of my work requires an enormous amount of time sitting in front of a computer and a phone, and doing the opposite is healing.

I am not a big travel-to-solve-your-problems guy. In fact, I find that travel usually causes me problems because it defers real life.

But one of the best reasons to travel is that you can bring what is normal in your vacation spot back home.

That's the plan for my backyard, anyway.

things I saw this week that I liked

The warm retro futurism of the new Gumroad / Antiwork offices in NY. I got to chat with founder Sahil Lavingia a while back, and he's a very inspiring guy, and I love his book. What I like most about this project is the use of paint as wainscoting to create visual weight. The lower third of the walls is painted a darker color to coordinate with the furniture, while the upper portion is painted lighter to create a light, airy feel.

It's a single move that does so much heavy lifting for the space. And of course, phenomenal photography and a very strict color scheme don't hurt.

this triangular opening is perfect

This project by Jorge Khawam. I've always loved large-scale, realistic sculpture; this is a very strong contender for Hans's retirement plan. Unfortunately, it has not been a thing in interiors since the late 90s, and possibly earlier. But it should be a thing today; it's just intimidating and expensive.

We've been so beaten over the head with "form follows function" that there is no place left for this kind of thing in modern buildings.

There's absolutely nothing functional about those statues; they are just incredible for their own decorative sake.

Jorge is showing us how to make our way back. I'm ready.