Making Time Matter—Inspired by Boyhood
If a good piece of art allows you to pause for a moment and think in a different way, then a piece that stays with you long after, as a focal point for thinking differently about life, is a masterpiece. There’s no lack of art forms in this world from which to derive meaning. Movies are the form that have generally spoken most profoundly to me—even though lately I’ve found some television to be superior. Every now and again, a movie comes along and confirms, or even restores, my faith in the medium. This past year, that movie was Boyhood. Filmed over twelve years, this narrative fiction tells the story of a boy, his sister, and his parents as they all grow up together. This long-term filming has never been done before for a fictional piece and the result is breathtaking. At the forefront, it captures and serves as a commentary on the passing of time. It struck like a lightning bolt of nostalgia when I first saw the film in in July. “Dear God, so many moments have passed so quickly already in my life,” I thought. And as I’ve reflected on that over the last several months, I’ve decided to focus more purposefully on time in this new year. I’m going to build a time machine. Just kidding. Though, maybe watching a movie is as close as we can come to entering a time machine right now. I apparently have a habit of using movies as focal points for my new year. This blog has been a place for me to think through where and how I derive meaning in life, and often that is inspired by art. As I think about how to “plan out” my 2015, I realized the standard list of things I’d like to accomplish just wasn’t cutting it. For example, I’d love to pursue more creative projects this year. But what will they be? Should I resolve to write blogs more frequently and consistently through the year? Should I resolve to produce a short film? Another music video? Should I take more photos? I’d love to do all of these things, frankly. I think, though, that what I love most is the process of creating. The meaning, for me, comes more from the process than the output. And while I find it difficult to control the output of any of these things—just how many and which type of blogs or videos I’ll produce—I can control the space I give to the creative half (quarter? tenth?) of my brain. I can allocate time simply for the process without an end in sight. And that’s...
Searching for home. Finding perspective.
Until I started house-hunting, I didn’t realize how stressful the process could be. Take the house that I recently came close to purchasing. For days, my wife and I imagined ourselves in this new, larger home; we planned how our furniture would fit in the various spaces, how great it’d be to cook in a new kitchen, how our future children would play outside. Alas, after excruciating consideration, we decided this house wasn’t quite the right place for us. It was an emotional roller-coaster, and by the end of it I began to feel hopeless. Would we ever find the right home? But the next morning, as I continued to mull things over, a thought struck sharp and deep: Right now, as I obsess over upgrading my living situation, there are millions of refugees who have fled Syria and are without any homes at all. Read the rest of this post on Oxfam’s First Person...
Living The Right Story: A Lesson From Samwise Gamgee
How’s your year going so far? Nearly three months in and I think I’m only just getting into my stride—hence this being the first blog of 2014. January, while super-productive and exciting, was also pretty hectic. I worked on two major projects: the brand new Oxfam America website, which launched at the end of the month, and a new music video for Paul Brown & The Killing Devils that I filmed in Los Angeles at the beginning of the month. The latter was a ton of fun and I’m now enjoying editing it together (I’ll be sure to keep you posted on when it comes out!). The former, now that it has launched and I can stop to think about it, is one of the most important projects I’ve ever worked on. It’s just a website, right? I could spend this whole post writing about what that means; how it is the face of our organization and a primary method of communication with our community across the US—people who give their time, money, and energy to help make the world a better place. But I’m not going to write a blog about that. Instead, I’m going to write a blog about The Lord of the Rings. Well, not a blog exactly about The Lord of the Rings, as much as it is about a particular scene from one of The Lord of the Rings movies. Yes, I think about scenes from fantasy movies in my spare time. The funny thing about this one is that it randomly came up twice in the matter of a couple of weeks and from completely different places—a sign that’s probably worth paying attention to. I was explaining to my friend John how I enjoyed the latest two The Hobbit movies, but that they just didn’t seem to have the same depth as The Lord of the Rings movies. I don’t care much about any of the characters aside from the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, and I don’t feel much emotional connection to the story either. But with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was different. Sure, there are several action-packed fantasy moments and dozens of quotes I still geek out over with friends, but there were also rich characters and beautiful moments that stuck with you. Hey, they stuck with me anyway. I’ll cut to the chase and point out the scene I talked to John about and, to my delighted surprise, the same scene that Dr. Paul Farmer references in a speech he gave at the University of Miami in 2004, which is featured in his book I’m now reading, To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation. It happens...
Breaking Bad: How TV Got So Damn Good
Five years ago, in response to his cancer diagnosis, Walter White connected with his former student Jesse Pinkman and started a business producing crystal meth. There were ups and there were downs in the five years that followed. Mostly there were downs. Breaking Bad took viewers to dark, anxiety-filled depths, but even while it wouldn’t be called an enjoyable experience, it was a profoundly addictive one. After finally catching up with the finale of Breaking Bad, I got to thinking about how many crazy good TV shows there are these days – Mad Men, Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, to name a few. They all have incredible production value, especially compared to older TV productions. Of course there have been countless good TV shows in the past, but it feels as though TV has only recently matched the quality of movies. The relationship between TV and movies has long been akin to siblings competing for attention. First there was the big screen, in all it’s glory: A train rushed forward, seemingly through the screen, sending an audience running in panic and claiming a dominant space for movies forever more. Then, television sets entered living-rooms in the nineteen forties and fifties. You could watch moving pictures in your own home! I can only imagine how incredible that must have been (sorry, born in 1985). Would this be the end of movie theaters? Hardly. Color came to movies first, making them all the more lifelike. Of course it was only a matter of time before TV sets would master the technology as well. Theaters had increasingly great sound and image quality – and eventually the 16:9 wide screens. But it’s younger brother was gaining fast. Alas, the home theater, with Dolby surround sound and high-definition 1080p, flat-panel widescreen televisions put a stake right through the big screen’s heart. 3D may be the movie industry’s last gasp for air. TV sucked it right up. Word is still out on whether 3D, which has far improved since its last attempts in the 1950s and 1980s-90s, will make much difference. Okay, so the race for the best technology continues. But the fact is, TV technology is far enough along that it can beautifully present high-quality productions like Breaking Bad. It’s no longer a second-tier outlet for directors, writers, actors and the rest of the entertainment industry. And so much of the storytelling and production quality has drastically improved. At least that’s my take on it, which, by the way, I’m sure is in no way a novel one and misses many important details! And of course I’m leaving out another sibling. The Internet is younger...
Trying to Wrap My Head Around Philippines Typhoon
This has been a tough week for me personally, but far more importantly for millions of people in the Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan has left a path of destruction so devastating that I think it may be impossible to totally comprehend from afar. Amidst the overwhelming sounds, images and reports, I think it’s important that we give ourselves some time and space to feel and respond to this disaster. As my work at Oxfam America this past week has been almost entirely focused on communicating about the impact of this storm, it has been important for me to give myself that time and space. Read more of my thoughts on this subject on Oxfam America’s First Person...
What Millennials Want – 7 Things That Set Their Generation Apart
Because there is unquestionably a lack of resources on the web concerning Millennial (aka Generation Y) interests and behavior, and as a person of Millennial DNA – born between (roughly) 1980 and 2000 – I feel the need to share my findings based on over 27 years of ethnographic research, in-depth observation and qualitative experience. This is the comprehensive, official, no-holds-barred, GIF-infused list of what makes Millennials tick. As you’ll see these 7 things distinguish the mysterious Millennial from Homo sapiens of any other generation. 1. Food Survey after survey, administered by and to the author, has shown that Millennials love ice cream. From double-fudge-moose-track-mint-cookie-dough to simple vanilla, ice cream has the power to attract and sell a millennial on almost anything, especially on a summer day (see item #6). 2. Happiness Millennials tend to desire improvements or ‘upgrades’ to their life and the world. They want things to be better, and their generation is known to pursue people, experiences, and material objects that will improve happiness, joy and fun. 3. Technology Technology that improves quality of life, gives greater access to information and allows humans to connect more deeply, weighs favorably in the life of a Millennial. They generally prefer newer technology over older technology. Example #1: A cell phone is preferable to a portable phone. Example #2: A smart phone is preferable to a flip phone. 4. Stories Millennials much prefer the structured medium of a story rather than the haphazard stringing together of information. A good story is a sure-fire way to convey your point, sell your product, or generally please a Millennial. 5. Music The Millennial enjoys rhythmic beats. Music reaches deep into the limbic system within the brain of a Millennial, responsible for emotions, and will likely generate a significant response. In particular they are endeared by music released after the year 1980 (see item #7). 6. Sunlight It turns out, Millennials require vitamin D, sometimes referred to as sunnyDlite, which improves their health and happiness when it’s sunny outside. Note: there are upper limits to this rule; Millennials will overheat if left in hot sun for long periods of time. Add water and ice cream (see item #1) for best results. 7. Good things As a general rule, Millennials have a special interest in things that are good and that were invented or released during their lifetime, after 1980. Certainly there are exceptions, but this rule of thumb will aid your efforts to give the Millennial in your life the optimal gift or experience. Bonus Millennials love being referred to as Millennials. When talked about, they much prefer being grouped together as a...
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