Hasta La Ideas

Our day two overview of the idea-making conference

We concluded last week at The 99% Conference, where the second day of speakers proffered even more sound advice on making ideas happen. Now in our third year in collaboration with Behance, the two-day conference always enlightens us with real stories from the field and bits of wisdom on how to move from idea generation to idea execution. While a slew of inspiring speakers rounded out the last day, below are four that really stood out.

Starlee Kine

Beginning with a riveting explanation of the “thought orphans” that live in her head, radio producer and writer Starlee Kine entertained the 99% audience with her descriptive analogy on abandoned ideas. A regular contributor to the applauded NPR show This American Life, Kine keeps her ideas alive until she finds a home for them in some shape or form. Encouraging the audience to “write your idea down,” Kine stressed the importance of getting your ideas out there and then getting on with it, stating “the hard part isn’t coming up with the idea; it’s getting out of your own way.”

Andrew Zuckerman

Photographer Andrew Zuckerman posited his main motivations for staying productive are curiosity and rigor. Explaining that in the end, it’s “mostly moving all the cases around,” Zuckerman showed a behind-the-scenes photo of the 12 massive cases and camera equipment he hauls around the world to set up shoots. When manual labor outweighs creativity, Zuckerman thinks about this advice he received from Michael Parkinson while shooting his “Wisdom” portrait project—”It’s the aptitude for hard work that separates the ones who reach a different level of stardom.” The prolific lensman also offered a few more beneficial soundbites, saying “Don’t get stuck. There’s always a way to make something great,” “Learn from the subject of your work,” and finally “The most important thing when dealing with people is to be honest.”

Aaron Dignan

Claiming “most people are bored,” author and digital strategist Aaron Dignan talked about this “epidemic” plaguing the nation in his speech about how games can help shape creative skills. Explaining “play is nature’s learning engine,” Dignan pulled from his book “Game Frame” to show how games induce a state of flow by increasing volition and faculty. Dignan summed up his merited take improving production through recreation with “Real life isn’t that satisfying, games are almost always satisfying.”

Dr. Michael B. Johnson

Leading the Moving Pictures Group at Pixar Animation Studios, Dr. Michael B. Johnson is a veteran designer and master at making ideas happen. Johnson jolted the audience saying “One-third of our movies have taken seven years to make,” as he led listeners through the extensive extensive process it takes to make just one animated feature film. Using digital tools that “make people breathe a little better and creative life easier,” Johnson explained how Pixar uses Pitch Doctor to create over 100,000 storyboards for each movie and leading him to quote former Pixar colleague Joe Ranft in saying “Story boarding is the art of story re-boarding.” Johnson suggests working hard to get it right, because after all “pain is temporary but suck is forever.”

Ten natural treats for your four-legged friend

Rewarding your dog with a delicious treat can often be more harmful than good as so many of today’s treats are packed with artificial flavorings, byproducts and fillers. We recently put CH mascots Otis and Logan to work testing an assortment of treats that skip over the bacon “flavor” in favor of a more natural experience, using beneficial grains like oats and quinoa instead of wheat flour. Also, because USDA food-processing rules help assure product consistency and safety, we kept domestically-made treats at the forefront. The ten snacks highlighted below have our dogs begging for more.

Made from scratch in Virginia using 100% organic human-grade ingredients Max and Ruffy’s delivers true vegan dog treats without the fuss of going to a bakery. We especially like their grain-free line—which includes flavors like The Kelp Highway, Powerhouse, Mother Quinoa’s Pumpkin Patch and Five-Star Blueberry—all packaged in compost-friendly boxes made entirely of recycled paperboard. The treats sell online from Max and Ruffy’s for about $10 an eight-ounce box.

Bravo Raw Diet all-natural treats give your pet a nutritious boost with the flavor of real food. Devoid of supplements or artificial ingredients, Bravo’s line typically includes a single protein ingredient either freeze dried or dry roasted. The brand’s new Buffalo and Venison Liver Bonus Bites are already staples in the treat stash at CH HQ. Bravo sells from Amazon for around $13 per four-ounce bag.

Catch of the Day takes dog treats in a different direction, from the pasture to the sea. Loaded with proteins and antioxidants, the treats are comprised of only two ingredients—wild Pacific Ocean salmon skin and sweet potatoes—formed into the shape of a bone. These doggy indulgences provide chewing stimulation as well as a nutritious treat. Check Amazon to catch a five-ounce bag for $9.

Baa! treats aren’t your ordinary dog snack. With a lineup that comes from free-range, grass-fed American lamb without any antibiotics and offering lamb parts like lung and trachea, Baa!’s treats have surprising health benefits. For example, the trachea is a great natural source of chondroitin, and chewing it helps remove both plaque and tartar. Baa! treats sell online, prices vary but start around $10 a bag.

Fresh is Best knows your pup loves a good meaty treat. Made from 100% USDA certified duck, the freeze-dried duck heart bites also double as the best natural pill pockets we’ve found. Buy directly through Fresh is Best or Amazon for $10 for a three-ounce bag.

Snook’s dog treats are made in Oregon with the finest organic ingredients. We’ve found that most of the sweet potato treats our dogs tried went out the way they came in, but Snook’s Sweet Potato Dog Chips are an exception to that. Containing only dried sweet potato, at $4 a bag they are organic and inexpensive, a rare find. Snook’s sells from their online shop.

“Live. Love. Wag.” Dognation‘s slogan says it all, and their ultra fresh refrigerated treats have our pups scarfing down their healthy blends. Adding vitamin B to help with doggie metabolisms, Dognation snacks are made with little more than chicken or beef and ground oats. You can snag an eight-ounce bag for $6 at PetSmart.

Plato‘s Farmers Market treats are grain- and filler-free, and really pack in the veggies with ingredients like carrot, celery, beet, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach, green pea, sweet potato, tomato, parsley. They are also slow roasted to seal in the flavor, a small detail that your dog will really appreciate. Plato’s sell from Amazon for around $15 for a 12-ounce bag.

A recent addition to their line of healthy treats, Dr. Becker’s Veggie Bites are made from fresh vegetables and high quality liver. Since highlighting Dr. Becker’s Bites in 2006, the brand has remained a staple in the treat drawer. The Veggie Bites contain 2/3 veggies, a balance we like while keeping the same form and crunch. You can get your pup some of these tasty treats through Dr. Becker’s online shop for about $16. We’d love to see these in a more crush-resistant package, however.

Unlike most others Smart Pup‘s dog treat smoothie comes in a little snack-pack container. Flavored with peanut butter and banana, this corn-, wheat- and dairy-free mix is exclusively designed with liquid glucosamine and chondroitin to strengthen your pup’s hips and joints. Also available in Digestive Health and Skin and Coat formulas, a four-pack goes for $5 at Amazon.

NYC’s supper clubs offer an impromptu dining cart serving up a six course meal in the subway

In a theatrical culinary feat, passengers aboard NYC’s L train were recently treated to a six-course lunch as they rolled across Manhattan, under the East River and into Williamsburg, each stop adding to the food frenzy. Cooked up by the crafty chefs behind A Razor, A Shiny Knife, the luncheon included an elegant array of dishes, including foie gras and filet mignon, as well as a pyramid of chocolate panna cotta, dusted with gold leaf. Guests—who paid $100 for a reservation—were given no information apart from “the promise of a clandestine dining experience.”

Michael J. Cirino and Daniel Castaño began A Razor, A Shiny Knife several years ago with an interest in experimental cooking, determined to create new ways for “people to interact with food and each other.” Hosting the luncheon on the L train is just one example of how the team challenges themselves with gastronomic adventures, with timing and execution at the crux of the daunting task. The challenge that put the duo the map though was their 20-course recreation of the $1,500 dinners Grant Achatz and Thomas Keller were serving at their restaurants, which they executed for $300 a meal with the help of A Razor, A Shiny Knife “PHD/Cook” Andrew Rosenberg and “Self-Appointed Master Sommelier” Jonny Cigar.

The ingenious event was also aided by Studiofeast‘s Mike Lee, who brought the entree on board at the Morgan Avenue stop. With more than 50 people involved, the group effort really demonstrated the power of a well-planned idea.

via The New York Times, pictures by Yana Paskova for The New York Times

People assume that because I’m the editor of Unclutterer.com that my home is perfectly organized and clutter free. I’ll admit that my home is usually in better shape than the standard American dwelling, but currently it isn’t that way. In fact, since we moved, imperfect or chaotic would be the best words to describe our status. (A good portion of our furniture is still in the old house for staging, especially many of our large storage pieces.)

I’ve been referring to our cardboard box-riddled home as “living in transition.” It’s hard not to feel like a temporary resident in your own home when boxes line the walls of many rooms. The few friends who have seen our place since we moved think it’s “fun,” “quaint,” and “human” to see our house in disarray. Honestly, I’m glad someone is amused by the disorder because the novelty of living out of boxes (if there ever was any novelty for me) has certainly worn thin.

I understand the expectations others have for my home to be well organized, and I have these same expectations for myself. I believe it would be insincere if I didn’t practice what I preach. However, I’m surprised by societal standards for every American home to meet these same benchmarks.

Wait, I need to rephrase. I’m surprised by societal standards for every American home where a woman lives to meet these same benchmarks.

I think there is a standard for all homes to be filth free and environmentally safe. But, there is a greater assumption that all homes with a woman present will also be orderly, free of clutter, and ready to host a dinner party on a moment’s notice. I’m not claiming it’s bad or good or that I agree with it, I’m just stating that our society has a double standard for housekeeping (and office-keeping, to some extent).

Back when I was single and a pack rat, extended family members would often say things to me like: “You’ll never get a man if you don’t learn to keep house.” This statement is offensive on many levels, but I think it speaks to the heart of the double standard. Society expects a woman’s home to be pristine, while it’s okay for a man’s home to be cluttered and disorganized.

Consider the phrases most associated with male housekeeping: “His home lacks a woman’s touch,” “Boys will be boys,” and “Bachelor pad.” None of these phrases implies magazine-cover standards of order. If a man’s home is messy, Americans tend to give him a free pass. If a woman’s home is messy, there is a much greater likelihood that people will gossip about it or make a snide comment to her like people often did with me during my clutter days.

Again, I’m not advocating either of these standards. I’ve simply noticed that American society applies different pressures on genders when it comes to keeping house.

Personally, unless a home is filthy or is a danger to the person who lives there or a burden to others, I don’t care about the clutter. I just hope the person is happy and the clutter doesn’t interfere with her ability to pursue the life she desires or anyone else’s. Not only do I think gender is irrelevant to this topic, I believe we need to stop cluttering up our thoughts and time by concerning ourselves with how other people have chosen to live. If someone chooses to be an unclutterer, I think that is an amazing decision. However, I don’t think everyone should or needs to be an unclutterer to pursue a remarkable life.

Do you believe there is a double standard in American society about keeping house? What do you think of it? I’m interested to read the discussion in the comments.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.