Sometimes what we all need is to step away from the classes and coursework and take in a big dose of the outside world. By getting out and seeing what is going on in this fantastic city of ours, we are only bound to become inspired and excited. I think inspiration is a key factor in being successful in design thinking, because it gives you reference points to pull ideas from, when working on developing innovative solutions.
This week I got a whole whack of inspiration, followed by boundless excitement, after getting to attend all these great events:
TUESDAY: Douglas Coupland, Hour One of the 2010 Massey Lecture, Chan Center
Holy Cow. Well I’ll start off by saying that Douglas Coupland is not only my favorite author, but I tend to get a little too excited by any project he gets involved with. His ability to observe blows me away. He understands society so well and can communicate his thoughts through print, sculpture, painting and new media in a way that compares to very few others.
This week I got to finally meet him(!) as he launched his first hour of the Massey Lecture PlayerOne – What Is to Become of Us. Check it out when it plays on CBC’s Ideas during November, or pick up the book which is the written version ASAP – it is an amazing read!
FRIDAY: WE DAY 2010 Vancouver, Rogers Arena (I’m still calling it GM Place. Oops.)
Ever heard 18000 young people yelling “freedom!” at the top of their lungs. Well now I have an let me tell you, it is something I will never forget.
This magical one day event brought together the best speakers (for example Al Gore, seeing him was definitely a dream come true!), artists (Colbie Callait, Barenaked Lades) and 18000 students and educators from across BC. The goal: start an action movement that will last until next WE Day, to raise funds and awareness for Free The Children, a non-profit started by the AMAZING Craig and Marc Kielburger. I would love to write an essay on the incredible story and work of this organization, but it will probably be better for you to check out their website!
PS Like WE Day them on Facebook and contribute to the fundraising of a million dollars for Free The Children!
SATURDAY: Interior Design Show West, Vancouver Convention Centre
For as long as I can remember, every fall my grandmother and I have attended the Vancouver Home Show. The home show was usually held at BC Place, had an overwhelming amount of booths, and suffered from a few too many concepts being worked in at once. However, we attended every year as passionate followers of everything interior design. Well let me tell you, there is a new show in town and this one is sleek, cool and fed my appetite for learning about great design.
It is on until tomorrow, but if you miss out this year, make sure to attend next. In addition to the great booths and displays, we also got to attend a lecture by Sarah Richardson of HGTV. I have watched Sarah’s various shows for years, and love her mix of comfortable living and great design. As she shared updates on her current projects, I couldn’t help but be overcome with the desire to redo any room I can get my hands on.
I have to say, this has been a fantastic week, where taking a little time away from homework has paid off ten fold! While I now bury my nose in my textbooks to catch-up, I will remember to reference some of the great lessons I learned this week in future projects.