The Gospel According to Matthew...Not that Matthew, but my friend
"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things." - Steve Jobs Matt had to downsize BIG TIME from a 2 bedroom apartment in BedStuy to a room in South Williamsburg. I was intrigued by the items he chose to keep while he hunted for a new place. At the time he wasn't sure how long he'd be there. Try to imagine the items you'd hold on to - to keep you sane during a time of uncertainty. I can't imagine suddenly having to decide what stays with me, and what goes into storage.
I don't imagine its an easy decision to for anyone to make, but especially for someone like Matt.
You see my friend Matt is a creative director, he comes up with mobile games and apps for companies like Facebook. He's quite the talented guy, he's even designed a mobile app for the popular Disney cartoon Doc McStuffins.
While at Matt's, having tea I took some pictures. Below are some of the items he took with him while he was house hunting. We'll start with his desk...
The 2 pieces below were made by Matt's roommate Tyler Howorth
Tyler uses mostly salvaged items to make whimsical, mechanical artwork.
View my videos of his movable hand that flips you the bird here and here for the peace sign.
Matt also collects comic books, being a gamer I'd imagine this is just part of the job.
The game below is called Carcassonne, here's a brief description from Wikipedia
"It is named after the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne in southern France, famed for its city walls. The game has spawned many expansions and spin-offs, and several PC, console and mobile versions."
This here is Merlin, Matt's cat. I have never met a cat quite like Merlin. He walks around like a lion ready to devour something, or someone. He even has thumbs. lol
Don't let this docile pose confuse you, this cat is a monster!
Matt is in the beginning stages of creating his own board game. The interesting thing is Matt didn't really care for what I've dubbed as his "transition" neighborhood, but while we were catching up we uncovered some blessings this neighborhood brought him like:
1. Bringing his board game idea to life; he'd been sitting on it for about 3 years.
2. The neighborhood had several stores where Matt was able to pick up other elements to use for creating the demo.
While at Matt's I was also formally introduced to jazz singer/pianist Blossom Dearie. Her voice is absolutely lovely. As we were listening to her music I kept thinking...damn she sounds familiar. Turns out she sang my FAVORITE song Figure 8 from the teaching series School House Rocks! What a treat to actually discover the mastermind behind one of my favorite childhood memories. Please check out my Pinterest page to view some of the fun videos Matt and I watched like I Wish You Love sang Live in France by Blossom.
I really love visiting my friends that work in creative industries. It's always a treat to see whats inspiring them or peaking their current interest. As a creative myself I know how fluidly it is to move from one interest onto another and weave everything together.
Stay Playful!
