But don’t get me wrong; though I feel the title How to Find Fulfilling Work overreaches, The School of Life has some great material in their books and videos that can help us keep it real. Here are a few of my faves.
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Category: artistic experiences
Tortoise and Hare Rematched by BJ Novak
Via PRI & WNYC’s Selected Shorts program, BJ Novak brings us Part 2 of the tortoise and hare saga, and it is excellent. Not only hilarious, but also witty; the moral at the end nice wraps up the story with apt perspective.
So many fantastic podcast episodes recently!
Love, Art and Bicycles, Again
I suspect that this is an anime archetype, but my sample size is limited to my picky selection of introspective anime. I also suspect that it must be a guy who is doing the pedaling.
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Oh, dang: Invisibilia episode 5
Wow. From kittens & puppies to categories to gender to culture to death. Invisibilia is once again quite a journey, interweaving personal perspectives with scientific research through compelling storytelling. This show still totally tops my charts and lists.
But my heart breaks just a little bit when I hear Lulu or Alix upspeak unnecessarily (Alix never seemed to do that in her news reporting!). Fortunately, there isn’t much of that in this episode.
Dang, I love you, NPR. TED Radio Hour, Invisibilia, Fresh Air, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Radio Lab… you’re just nailing it.
A Fun Week Wraps Up Constructively: The Conclusion of Bored and Brilliant
6. Dream House: tasked to build an ideal abode with the contents of my wallet as the last Bored and Brilliant Challenge (this one coming from artist Nina Katchadourian), here’s what I came up with: Verdant Hills, Lakeshore Solarium (situated somewhere in Western Massachusetts or Oregon, maybe Northern California or Shikoku if it came to that…)
As you can see, I don’t keep much in my wallet, keeping it slimmed down and comfortably pocketable. No receipts, no rewards cards, no coins—I deplore metallic currency; as soon as I’ve accumulated enough change to meet the $5 minimum for getting a no-fee gift card from Coinstar, I’m at one of their machines, dumping those coins.
What a fun week! Thanks, New Tech City! Loved all the insights from research and wonderful interviews you shared with us, along with all the great prompts to tame some of our tech behaviors! I wish this were a month of challenges, but maybe now it’s time to continue building the challenges into habits. Looking forward to upcoming episodes and hearing about how other listeners experienced Bored and Brilliant…
Some of the best things in life are free?
Charlotte Sometimes: another girl who leapt through time
As a child, did I somehow miss all the mentions of this well-regarded book or has it become that obscure here in the US? Whatever the case, Charlotte Sometimes still felt magical to me as I read it years after my childhood. That has to do in part with the fantastical premise of two girls switching places in time, but more so is due to Penelope Farmer’s novel being a fascinating exploration of identity, friendship, sibling love and more.
The main plot device at work is a combination of time traveling and identity swapping. The main character Charlotte is transported back to 1918 into Clare’s life, and Clare takes Charlotte’s place. This swap is unknown to those around Charlotte and Clare, until Clare’s sister Emily suspects that something strange is going on. It’s a little reminiscent of the recent young adult novel Every Day by David Levithan.
The closest analogy in real life might be like you temping in or full-on taking over someone’s job; your situation is shaped by the previous employee’s responsibilities and legacy, but Continue reading
More than just coffee: fun messages at Philz Coffee
What would otherwise have been a blank bit of wall at Philz Coffee becomes a delightful jaunt into the realm of magical realism with mini-missives from human qualities and abstractions. Awesome.
Faves from the British Arrows: advertising excellence
Whenever I can catch a screening of the British Arrows, it’s always a real treat, reminding me that the medium of the TV commercial, at its best, can be astoundingly effective at capturing or at least touching on fundamental facets of humanity.
Below are some of my favorites. You can still catch the full collection of award-winning UK television ads on the big screen at ICA Boston.
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Wanderers by Erik Wernquist—this is who we can become
Fantastic. Epic, gorgeous counterpoint to the Sagan Series.
A Contemplative Compilation 