Catalyst - a person or a thing that causes a change. This blog is meant as a collection of those people and things that inspire, stir up, create beauty and bring passion & spirit to this world.
I was very excited this morning when the postman delivered the large square package I had been expecting! My own original one-of-a-kind Lorna May Wadsworth had arrived safe and sound!
Lorna May Wadsworth is a very talented painter and drawer living here in London. She is best known for her portraits and has already had a series of high-profile subjects such as Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and her friend and model Lily Cole. The style of her portrait work is obviously completely her own, but it reminds me a bit of another painter I like i.e. Lucian Freud, with the exception that the Wadsworth's paintings are more flattering for her subjects than Lucian Freud's were.
What I really like is how she believes that owning a unique piece of art should be in reach for everyone. To that belief she set free a 100 pieces of her work at 100 pounds through her online 'gallery' : 100pictures100pounds - an art diffusion line by Lorna May Wadsworth.
Balleroy Noir by Lorna May Wadsworth
It was through this 'gallery' that I was able to snap up the 'Balleroy Noir'. This drawing really attracted me because I can see light in its darkness. Even though you might think of the sketch as dark, it is meticulous enough to envisage the room, and even the textures within it, as if there were light.
If you are interested in the artist and her work, go visit her website.
Autumn often means rain, especially in London. And although I don’t mind a light drizzle when running, I do not enjoy running completely drenched, hence it is off to the gym. There are few things I find more monotonous and boring than running on a treadmill, so now I just make it my regular date with Ted. And boy, have I had some good and interesting runs since then!
I’m sure you’re all somewhat familiar with TED. It is the non-profit that brings us the videos and conferences with speakers that have ‘Ideas worth Spreading’. It has actually already been around since 1984 as a conference for bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment and Design. So thanks to the TED application on my iPad I can download a bus full of speakers to keep me company during my runs.
Last week, I was very happy to have found the talk made by Alain de Botton in Oxford in 2009. De Botton has been one of my favourite writers since reading his ‘Essays in Love’ as a student. Having been to an all-girls boarding school, and being more interested in studying than boys, I was a bit of a late-bloomer only having had my first boyfriend when I was 19. Being of the very analytical sort, de Botton’s novel kind of made me help sense of it all. The story of the novel is very simple: the narrator falls in love with a girl, is in love with the girl, falls out of love with the girl and then tries to get over her. Nothing complicated, but what makes the book interesting is that he analyses the different steps, thought processes and looks for larger truths in them. Plus, the many allusions and references to great philosophers add to the richness of the book.
Ok, so now that you probably have figured out that I am somewhat of a geek, I hope you will still read on. But at least you now also know that I have analysed and researched whatever I am writing about ;)
Alain de Botton’s TED talk is titled: ‘A kinder, gentler philosophy of success’ and it deals with our ideas of success and failure – especially in the workforce. (see video below)
I am writing about this for two reasons. First, I see many people around me ending their MBA and hoping to find that one job that will bring them happiness, fulfilment and success. Second, I also see many of my friends in careers that would be considered highly successful from the outside (and surprisingly enough in the type of positions that many of the MBAs covet) but they feel a bit miserable and unfulfilled inside. So what gives?
One of the explanations de Botton gives is that we are surrounded by snobs. Snobbery is the phenomenon where people take a small part of you and use this to come to a complete vision of who you are, the dominant kind being job snobbery. In other words, at a first glance people value you by what you do, by your job title. Secondly, we are told from a young age that we can achieve anything as long as we use our talents and work hard enough. This idea of meritocracy is embedded in our modern society and it leads to people never having had such high expectations of their careers. But it is a knife that cuts both ways, if you are successful you deserve it but if you are not, well, then you must deserve that too. The problem with the idea of meritocracy is that it rests on the premise that everyone is equal and that there is no chance involved. In other words, it not only negates chance of birth but also those of accidents, illness or even the lottery for that matter.
Let me also link back to Lucy Kellaway’s article in the Financial Times of 12th of November. Sitting on the airplane coming back from Venice where I had just gotten engaged, I saw Kellaway’s title ‘Marriages and jobs need hard work and love’. Ecstatic with the engagement, but also with the always present dose of realism, I really wanted to read what kind of work she thought I was in for. (link to the article below)
Kellaway starts off with a fine comparison between jobs and marriage: ‘A job, it seems to me, is a lot like a marriage. In some ways it’s better, as you get paid; in others it’s worse, as there are more meetings. Otherwise, both involve a selection process for which you dress up smartly and try to look brighter or prettier than you really are.…For either arrangement to last, the same conditions apply. A decent choice must have been made in the first place, and then it is down to such underrated things such as compromise, mutual respect, effort and (possibly) a certain lack of imagination…..’
She then continues with giving her - quite clever and funny - commentary on a FastCompany article ‘8 Signs You’ve Found Your Life’s Work’. Some of the signs she agrees with, others not so much. In the end, she offers her own – and more realistic - system for knowing if a job is worth hanging on to:
·The people are nice
·The work is often interesting
·There is the right amount of it – plenty, not too much
·There is the chance to do different things
·People sometimes say thank you
Leaving us with the poignant but maybe unfashionable similarity between a job and a marriage: ‘the secret to success lies in reasonable expectations.’
Also, if you would like to read more on fulfilling work, I can advise you to read the book “How to Find Fulfilling Work” by Roman Krznaric published under ‘The School of Life’ series. The School of Life is located here in London and was founded by, yes you guessed it right, Alain de Botton. Even if you are not looking to change jobs, it is an interesting read on a common modern phenomenon of career confusion, wanting to have it all and realising that you often cannot ... at least often not all at once.
There are other important things to say for what drives you, or makes you happy in your job, but some important take-aways for me here are quite simple, yet that doesn’t mean they are easy to live by. Nothing worth having comes easy I suppose:
·Have realistic expectations of what you have to bring to the job and of what the job can bring you.
·Pursue your ambitions whichever those are, and don’t be too hard on yourself. You are more than just your official job title, or lack of it. So make the decisions that suit your situation and you are happy with, and don’t get lost in the job snobbery. Follow your dream and your passion.
If you have any thoughts you would like to add, please do not hesitate to send me a comment on this blog! (also if you like the post, don't hesitate to push the like button ;) )
I am still a bit star-struck from yesterday evening D&AD’s first White Pencil symposium having heard brilliant speakers David Jones, CEO of Havas and Co-Founder of One Young World, Jan Chichase - Executive Creative Director of Global Insights at frog (also dubbed the James Bond of design research by FastCompany), Kim Slicklein - President of OgilvyEarth Worldwide,Marc Mathieu - SVP of Marketing at Unilever and Jeremy Gilley, British filmmaker and founder of Peace One Day. True CATALYSTS convinced that creativity can change the world for the better!
What the Oscars are for the movie industry, D&AD’s Pencils are for the creative industry bringing together the crème de la crème of creative commercial talent.
Founded in 1962, D&AD, formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, has been awarding their coveted and widely recognized Pencils for the best and most innovative creative work in design, advertising and digital. Yellow Pencils are awarded to outstanding, rather than merely brilliant work. The best of the best and truly groundbreaking work is awarded the ultimate of awards; the Black Pencil.
This year, in its 50th year of existence, D&AD introduced a new pencil to the range. The White Pencil category was established to award the best design work and creative campaigns aiming to make a positive difference, aiming to solve real problems in the world, aiming for sustainability in the broadest sense - social, environmental and commercial.
For the brief of the first White Pencil, D&AD partnered with the non-profit organisation Peace One Day (POD).
POD was launched by British filmmaker Jeremy Gilley in 1999 to establish an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence with a fixed date. In 2001, the UN member states adopted 21st of September as Peace Day and since then the goal has been to grow awareness of and engagement on the day so that people can take action to end conflict in their own lives and in the lives of others.
The communications task was described as such in the brief: ‘The task is to grow grassroots awareness and active personal engagement with Peace Day, to make this day ubiquitous and as part of our social fabric as Valentines’ Day or Mother’s Day, in fact more so. To be truly effective Peace Day needs to be observed by a huge proportion of the earth’s population on an on-going yearly basis.’
The entries were judged on I)a highly original and inspiring idea II) well executed and III)relevant to its context
with the work also having to demonstrate:
The power to effect real and positive change in the world through creative thinking and the potential to make a real difference, not just in perceptions, but first and foremost in human behaviours
Global potential. Your resources may only allow you to implement your ideas in a limited way - within your own region or locality for example, but judges will be looking for ideas that demonstrate the ability, or show the potential to be executed anywhere in the world
Media neutrality. The idea should be strong enough to be executed in different media and cultural contexts
And the winner of the first White Pencil is Leo Burnett Chicago, for their project Recipeace, a social movement designed to bring people together over a shared meal.
A winning idea in its simplicity and brilliant execution! The campaign had all the winning ingredients: the ‘Big Idea’, savvy copywriting with a catchy play on words, brilliant art direction with visuals that attract and ignite serious thought as well as make you smile while calling for positive engagement.
Most importantly I find, it is an idea that can be implemented by so many so easily reaching a very large audience. Not only can restaurants participate as done so in the campaign, how about schools, company cafeteria, and even just at home with family and friends!
Ready to change the world for the better? Is your glass half full or half empty???
For more information onsubjects from this article, go to the following links: Peace One Day, D&AD, Recipeace
Initially, Tom Dixon never wanted to become a designer. His dream was to be a musician, but an accident put an end those prospects. Not ready to give up on his musical ambition, he worked as a nightclub promoter and warehouse party organiser. And when his bike broke down somewhere in 1983, he learned how to weld which led him to welding objects and furniture as a hobby. Those creations ended up in his nightclub where it got approval from its public, and he even ended up selling a piece to Janet Jackson.
In the beginning he worked without sketches, just with a mental picture. And he never got any formal designer education. (He had started a foundation course at the Chelsea School of Art in 1979, but he dropped out after only six months.) He always considered it an advantage not to have studied design as it allowed him to experiment with no constraints and make his own mistakes.
S-chair
His first big break came when his work was noticed by Giulio Cappellini, founder of the Italian brand Cappellini. In 1989, the brand started manufacturing his S-chair made from recycled rubber. It is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern art in New York. Of the S-chair project Dixon said: ‘It provided a step out of the self-production ghetto’
In 1994, Dixon co-founded the company Eurolounge to produce plastic products. The company’s first project, The Jack Light, a lamp made from pigmented polyethylene, brought Dixon international fame. For the designer it also proved to be a convincing attempt at mass-production.
In 1998 he joined Habitat as Head of Design in the UK and in 2001 he became Habitat’s Creative Director. He ended up working at Habitat for a decade. Of his decision to join he said: ‘Habitat was a conscious decision to get a proper grounding in the business. By that time I had gotten involved in design, craft, factory management, design consultancy, marketing, sales and retail all with no training or funding. Frankly it was unsustainable, and it was time to grow up.’
In 2004, Dixon partnered with the Swedish investment company Proventus. The partnership operates under the name Design research, which is the umbrella for the Finnish Artek and Dixon's studio in London, including a design consultancy and the Tom Dixon line.
Since 2004, Dixon has been the Creative Director at Artek, which has been one of Proventus’ investments since 1992. The Finnish design company was founded by the visionary modern architect Alvar Aalto in 1935 and Proventus became involved when a representative of Aalto's heritors contacted them and asked to help save Artek and its cultural heritage. In bringing together Artek, with its remarkable history as a flagship for modernism, and Tom Dixon, Proventus is trying both to build a new furniture and interiors business, and at the same time to create a new kind of design partnership to help manufacturers, retailers and investors manage change.
The interior design arm of the Design Research Group was launched in 2007 and has already worked on many high profile projects. If you are in London, you should go admire the interior design of the Royal Academy of Arts Restaurant, Circus in London’s West End and Inn the Park in St. James Park, and of course Dock Kitchen!
For me, dining is as much sight as it is taste and smell. Yesterday I had the chance to pleasure all those senses with a lovely dinner at The Dock Kitchen in West London.
The Dock Kitchen & Tom Dixon Shop
Not only were Stevie Parle’s dishes inspired and perfectly spiced, the interior design of the restaurant and especially Tom Dixon’s lighting seemed only to amplify the dishes’ wonderful flavours.
The Dock Kitchen resides in a converted Victorian Wharf building overlooking the Grand Union Canal in Ladbroke Grove. It shares this location with the Tom Dixon Shop containing a permanent display of the full Tom Dixon collection.
Stevie Parle: Spice
Arriving at The Dock Kitchen, I could already smell deliciousness being cooked up as the fumes from the open kitchen welcomed us. Warm naan bread covered in spices and delicious olive oil teased our stomachs for what was to come and kept us satisfied during the difficult task of choosing from all the exciting dishes on the menu.
Stevie Parle’s philosophy to cooking is experimental, adapting his menu and trying new things depending on what is in season, what far flung place he or another of the chefs have visited, or what new ingredient they have come across abroad or at home. In the evenings the restaurant runs a fixed, shared meal alongside a regular a la carte offering. The focus for this meal might be a specific place, a particular ingredient or just an idea that inspired them.
The fixed, shared meal of the evening was centred around white truffle in a range of classic Piedmontese recipes and new ideas.The a la carte offering was worldly with visible influences from Italy, India, Mexico and of course Britain. In the end, although many of the dishes were seducing, my eye fell on the Palourde clams with crispbread, chili, sweet herbs and tahine as a starter and the papillotte of wild bass, hake, red mullet and clams in a broth of white wine, dill and cream accompanied by fresh sautéed spinach as a main. Both dishes were excellent, but the starter was superb as it was an exquisite mix of flavours and texture!
TV-Channel More4 is currently running the show ‘Spice Trip’ covering the travels of Stevie Parle and professional spice blender Emma Grazette. The culinary pair travel to some very exotic countries to meet the experts that grow spices and use them every day. They look for Chili’s in Mexico, Cumin in Turkey, Cinnamon in India…Watch their adventures on Sunday at 8pm on More4. Tune in tomorrow for part II about designer Tom Dixon!
Holidays are coming! Family, friends and food. Lots of food. Delicious, yet often not so healthy. So let me give you a recipe for a healthier version to the traditional cheesecake. I call it my Naughty but Nice Cheesecake, as it tastes just as Naughty as the real thing but doesn't leave you with the bad aftermath
Naughty but Nice Cheesecake with Summer Berries
As the cheesecake needs to chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours it is often easiest to make it the night before serving.
Serves 8-10 Preparation time: 50-60 min Requires a 20 cm springform tin
Ingredients: For the base:
+- 100 g walnuts
+- 100 g - 150g oatmeal
+- 50 g ground flaxseeds
2 - 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
note: the measurements for the base really depend on how thick you like your base to be
For the filling:
400 g Greek yoghurt (0%)
400 g ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Sugar replacement e.g. Stevia. Depending on the brand you use this might differ. You would need to replace 140g of sugar.
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping:
Any seasonal fruits
Method:
Step 1:
Start by making the base. Ground together the walnuts, oatmeal and flaxseeds. Melt (if not already liquid) the 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil and stir it under the base mix until you get a paste-like but still crunchy structure. Put the mix on the bottom of the springform tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for around 10 min.
Step 2:
Make the filling by mixing the Greek yoghurt with the ricotta cheese, the eggs, sugar replacement and vanilla extract. Mix until it is smooth.
Step 3:
Remove the springform with the base from the oven and let it cool for 15 min.
Step 4:
Pour the filling mixture over the base and place in the oven at 190C for 20-25 min. Then remove from the oven, let it cool and once cool, chill the cheesecake further in the refrigerator for 8 hours
Step 5:
Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Dress it up with seasonal fruits or make a coulis with fresh fruits e.g. with blueberries or raspberries.
It seems Hollywood is discovering what we have known for quite some time in Belgium, Matthias Schoenaerts has got talent.
The hottest new kid on the Hollywood block also received Anna Wintour’s seal of approval. Schoenaerts pairs up with top model Carolyn Murphy in a Mario Testino shot editorial for Vogue’s December issue.
The first movie I remember him from is the 2003 cult movie ‘Any Way the Wind Blows’, the director debut of Tom Barman, frontman of the rock band dEUS. Following the lives of several characters on one hot June day in Antwerp, the movie takes you along an almost random string of events and atmospheric shots. An ode to the everyday made strong by its exceptionally good sound track.
The 2008 thriller ‘Loft’ by Erik van Looy, took the Belgian cinemas by storm. Schoenaerts plays Filip, one of the five men to invest in the secret ‘Loft’ used for their extramarital affairs until a girl is found dead in the bed. A Hollywood production of the movie is to be released in April 2013. Schoenaerts is the only Belgian actor taking on a role in this remake.
In 2011, Michael R. Roskam’s 'Bullhead', or Rundskop in its original Flemish, really put Schoenaerts even more on the international radar. Not only was the movie featured in several international film festivals, it also received the Oscar nomination in 2012 in the category ‘Best Foreign Language Film of the Year’.
Currently, you can see Schoenaerts’ performance in Jacques Audiard’s 'Rust and Bone' where he plays next to Marion Cotillard. This out-of-the-ordinary love story lingers on and shakes you after having seen it. Both actors deliver strong performances of their complex characters. But even though Schoenaerts manages to bring full depth to his character and is able to reveal his layers one by one like when you peal an onion and gradually get more teary eyed the more you go to the centre, it is Cotillard’s performance that will blow you away.
Look out for Schoenaerts in the 2013 releases:
'Blood Ties' with Mila Kunis, Marion Cotillard, Zoe Saldana and Clive Owen 'The Loft' with Isabel Lucas, Wentworth Miller and James Marsden
Unlike Gilbert reflecting through prayer, art was my catalyst to reflection. Especially at the "Voice of Images" Palazzo Grassi Exhibition curated by Caroline Bourgeois.
With "Voice of Images", Palazzo Grassi hosts its first exhibition entirely devoted to video as a medium of expression. The 30 works, by 27 artists from the François Pinault collection were selected because according to Martin Bethenod, Director of Palazzo Grassi – Punta della Dogana François Pinault Foundation, they have "a shared method of questioning the present. If all confront social and economic issues at work in today’s world, none of them do so in a literal or unequivocal manner."
Caroline Bourgeois' aim with this exhibition is "to offer visitors a sensory journey that oscillates, through the gaze of the artists, between solemnity, angst, humor, and levity, ... The works presented aren’t merely descriptive: they invite the viewer to share in an artistic experience that goes beyond merely looking and speaking"
Of the works presented I would like to highlight the one that impressed me most."Maybe the sky is really green and we're just colorblind. A Wetube-o-theque" (2012) by the Belgian Johan Grimonprez conveyed how conditioned we are by the endless consumption of images. (Mis)information through editing and repetition of images determines our view of the world and our opinions.
I was literally clustered to the screen for about an hour, watching his humorous and sometimes absurd compilation of videos.
Included here is a selection of videos from his compilation:
It has been a trend for a few years now that anyone who seems to be someone publishes a cookbook. I am not talking about the phenomenon of celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson, rather I am referring to all those actors, singers, models and socialites sharing their love of food with a wider audience. There is no arguing that this is a smart business move for both publishers and celebrities alike.Within the book selling business cookbooks seem to be the only type of book still increasing in sales and star dust assures free publicity and a premium pricing. Many of these books, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Notes from my Kitchen Table’, Mary McCartney’s ‘Food’ or Sophie Dahl’s ‘Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights’, are positioned as not only healthy but also delicious and indulgent, filling a gap between the juicy celebrity chefs’ calorie exploding dishes and the often dry diet books where the recipes leave your stomach imploding.
I love cooking especially healthy and delicious food often featured in the above mentioned cookbooks, but what I often miss in these books is glamour! I am therefore extremely excited about Cesar Casier’s cookbook ‘Model Kitchen’. The 24-year old Belgian Model not only compiles his own favourite healthy recipes, but also includes those of model friends like Karlie Kloss and Lily Donaldson. This book is absolute food porn with its seductively styled food and fashion pictures. In addition, the book lists his favourite restaurants in all major fashion cities for when you don’t feel like cooking or for when you are traveling. Finger-licking good!
For many of us, Bond is the blueprint of a spy. Intelligent, resourceful, strong, driven, charming and loyal. As an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, more commonly known as MI6, he jets across the globe to save us from the peril of exotic villains with his wit, arsenal of futuristic gadgets and cruelly good looks. Who wouldn’t want to be James Bond?
Exactly what the creative team behind Coke Zero’s new brilliant ad must have thought! Set in the train station of Antwerp in Belgium, travellers are enticed to win tickets for the new Bond movie Skyfall. They are required to enter their name and then get the mission to unlock their inner 007 by running to platform 6 in 70 seconds. Of course, it would not be fun if it were too easy, so obstacles are put on their path to test their resilience. I will not give any more away, you’ll just have to watch this brilliant video and discover yourself!
And for those of you who REALLY want to unlock their inner 007, MI6 is recruiting! I saw their ad in this week’s Grazia (UK women’s magazine). Apparently they need more Jane Bonds! You can find out more at sis.gov.uk/intelligenceofficer.
The days are getting shorter.... darker.... colder.... and putting on my gloves again really makes it official, winter is here.Nothing to be excited about...
....Except that it also means the onset of ..... Christmas merriness!
Christmas lights and decorations just make me giddy and happy. It is as if their light and sparkle infuse me with an instant shot of endorphins and I get on a special natural Christmas high saying goodbye to first signs of winter blues.
This year, Selfridges and Anya Hindmarch were the first to ignite my Christmas giggle with their festive concepts.
Selfridges' in-store pop-up Christmas concept this year is named 'Not your Usual'. Surely, in its colourful, quirky and diverse collection of items you could find the perfect gift for someone who already seems to have everything (no place better than London to launch this concept!). No doubt that this shop will excite and enthrall even the most jaded of shoppers! It certainly made my eyes twinkle with delight, like a kid in a candy store. If DIY gingerbread cookies are not exciting enough for you, you can go for the DIY (Decorate it Yourself) real Fendi handbags (you can choose to either go for painting or embroidering yours!). And how about some Marmite with gold flakes for Christmas brunch?
The pop-up also exhibits the 2012 Designer Pudsey Collection curated by Love magazine editor Katie Grand. Last year, the concept was launched with 14 designers giving the iconic BBC Children in Need mascotte a luxurious make-over and raising £50,000 for the charity. This year, over 30 luxury labels have designed their unique giant Pudsey Bears, and the collection is fabulously and fashionably cuddly!
So if you want to get ahead of the Christmas shopping frenzy and get a special kind of one-off Tom Ford, Prada, Gucci....for your kids while also helping hundreds of other kids in the process, you should go to Christie's on the 15th of November where the bears will be auctioned and all proceeds will be donated to the charity.
Anya Hindmarch's Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection truly is all I've ever wanted! It would be very hard to choose between the sparkling candy shaped change purses, the fun Morano Dancer clutches lighting up and making music and the beautiful Tiny Tim Mini Dancer evening bags. I especially love her warning! : You may revert to childhood as a result of seeing this collection. Too late.....
Tim Walker is a brilliant fashion photographer as he understands that it is not only about selling a product, it is also about selling a dream, something that is best sold with a narrative, by letting a story unfold. The magical and mysterious in his pictures attract and then capture the imagination of the beholder. He not only brings his characteristic storytelling to his editorial work for the fashion magazines, but also to brand campaigns of which Mulberry is an excellent example. Again his pictures here are magical, echanting and always with a hint of Britishness referring to the origin of the brand. Although Tim Walker has a pivotal role, these pictures are not only to his merit. A whole team of very talented fashion stylists, set builders, prop builders and models are required to achieve the magic Walker can capture through his lens. For the Mulberry campaigns, Walker has cooperated many times with set designer Shona Heath and Stylist Edward Enninful.
If you have the chance, go see the exhibition Tim Walker Storyteller at Somerset House. It lasts until the 25th of January 2013.
Last week when launching CATALYST , I created a background using a picture of an art piece I was really attracted to at the Frieze Art Fair here in London. This art piece is by Jason Martin who is represented by the Lisson Gallery in London.
What attracted me to this piece was its fluid, reflective and jewel-like character. As if it were still evolving, it seems to transform into different shapes by reflecting changing light, a beautiful reminder that nothing is constant.
