a creative compound
This issue is sponsored by Serena & Lily's Riviera Collection. Beautiful woven texture & timeless design inspired by Joseph Gatti's original 1920's Parisian Cafe chairs.
I was back on the Veterans Parkway Trail in Manhattan Beach yesterday. Wood-chipped path through a valley, thoroughly planted and lush on each side, blocks from the beach, meandering through one of SoCal's most gorgeous neighborhoods. One of my favorite places to think.
I spend the vast majority of most days hunched over a computer or phone. There's something about being outside — no screen hijacking your attention, just sights, sounds, smells, the feel of the ground underfoot — that lets the subconscious bubble over.We've had so many short-term deadlines recently with brands, projects, and shoots that I've had almost no time to step back and ask the bigger question: what business am I actually in, and where does it need to go?Currently, it's 1/3 design studio, 1/3 media business, 1/3 real estate developer. The media business is by far the easiest part of that pie to grow. But the physical world is something I'm desperately craving more of.
So there I am, power walking down the trail, sweating and muttering scattered thoughts into a voice memo, certainly looking a little psycho to the passerby — and something kept coming up:I need to build a creative compound.Martha Stewart's Turkey Hill. Richard Christiansen's Flamingo Estate. Rick Rubin's Shangri-La. Athena Calderone's Manhattan apartment. The Plant Daddies stores in LA and OC. Apparatus Studio. Obsolete Gallery.The hybrid of a design studio and content shop, with a living space. Probably a huge garden somewhere. Somewhere to host, to collaborate, that's built for photography. Realistically, a scaled-down version of what we're building at Arrington Woods — which, if you haven't seen it, people are loving- check out this video I made about it here.
Arrington Woods
While you're at it, the long-anticipated HGTV tour of our home that we worked on for a while finally went live on YouTube.
There are a few more major projects to finish first, and a little more to do around our house, but once we're through with those, it will be time to find the place.
I really believe physical environments are so impactful on creative people. They sure are on me. If you relate to any of what I'm saying, two things that have really helped me are:
1) Create a perfect room in your house. Not your whole house, just one room where every element is dialed, and it's as beautiful as you can make it. You realize what's possible, and you get to experience a little slice of heaven every time you walk in. It's a gateway drug.
2) Go on walks as often as possible, and don't listen to anything on headphones. The gym is wonderful, but it's not the same. Something about light activity and lack of distraction is the best creative fuel.
something i saw this week that i liked
Perhaps my favorite building in the world is the Sagrada Familia, and I was very moved by the dedication ceremony two days ago, on the 100th anniversary of architect Antoni Gaudí's death.
I don't say this lightly, but it's an extremely rare example of the best possible thing that a human being can do. Truly as good as it gets. The intersection of heaven and earth.
