astute perceptions

There are consequences to Portfolio Night that are hard to fathom before they happen. One of them is forming close bonds with people who have a heart of gold. Recently in Miami during the craziness of the ADC festival, I realised that my German bank card wasn't working in the US. Thankfully everyone accepts credit cards in Miami - even cabs - so I wasn't left high and dry. But you can imagine my nervousness with very little cash in hand and only a credit card for the entire two weeks. (I immediately emailed my German bank, who funnily enough, replied in perfect English, 4 days later, asking me to resend the request in German, without which they couldn't possibly activate my card for the US. I believe they call this German humour.) On her last day, Laura Mendez​ came to me and handed me most of her remaining cash telling me that their trip had come to an end and that she'd like me to have the money, and that I could return it after I got back. She did this without...

Today is India's Independence Day. The day when we kicked the British ass out of India. Today was the day when Lord Mountbatten gave up the control to Nehru and Gandhi et al. Probably thinking how we won the war without firing a shot, while we were just as surprised that Mountbatten didn't notice that Nehru was fucking his wife. The funny part is that we still take some sort of outdated pride in commemorating this even 67 years later. Also every time we beat England in Cricket. Just wanted to say - good that we don't play international soccer, or we'd have our ass beat every time. 

The problem with the 'Big Idea' approach is that it is always a challenge to see how it will live or die. And more often that not, you end up getting the idea approved, and then struggling to make great ads etc. on that idea coz you didn't think of that before. On the other hand, why not think real integrated? Think of one solid execution with a spine. Then find the line for it - which becomes the big idea. Then we find other executions. Alternatively, if you think of a big idea, while the inspiration is fresh, figure out the one big execution with the spine. That will leave little less to be desired. Coz if you've cracked that big execution, you are sure of how the idea lives in the world. And that's when you'll be able to present it in a way that is irrefutable. If it's truly good, that is. 

Jealousy happens to everybody, there is no way around it. Creatives are more prone, in my opinion. Facebook ensures it. What matters most is how you handle it. Do you nip it in the bud? Do you start to deny it? Let it live within you and affect your peace? Or get the better of you and act in ways that are beneath you? In the words of Baz Luhrmann, the race is long. And in the end, it's only with yourself. 

So, As I walked out of the U-Bahn station at Konigsallee, I noticed this girl walking in front of me. She seemed well dressed from behind. Leather jacket. A hand bag and a tote. Denim shirt. Black jeans. And then I noticed it. Maybe she's coming back from a sleepover at her friend's house or her boyfriend's. Explains the tote. Her jeans were torn right at the butt-crack. She kept walking ahead of me. It was the same route so I followed trying not to look at that spot on the jeans. Okay I did sneak in a look or two. But only to be sure that it the jeans was torn. I wasn't looking, you know. She kept walking ahead and then it occurred to me. I wasn't sure, but I had a very strong feeling that what i was thinking was the case. She was walking ahead of me. She took the turn I expected her to take. And entered the building I expected her to enter. I caught up with her in the lift. Should I tell her? Nah, none of my business. She turned and said, ...

It was about five weeks before Portfolio Night that I head about it first. Where, I don't quite remember. I had just graduated from Miami Ad School Europe's Hamburg base-school and was in the middle of emailing recruiters and deciding upon my next possible career-destination. I was on vacation in Florence, Italy visiting a friend. The idea of vacation had come from the great Neil French, who believed that whenever things get slow, fast or rough, do what any sensible man (person?) would do - take a vacation ('Sorry for the Lobsters', read it before long). In my case it was the former - waiting for agencies and CDs to respond to job applications, wait for approvals to come in, and the regular delays (chiefly because advertising decision-makers are very often being super-busy dudes) - there was plenty of time to kill. And it's a great idea to replace the endless finger tapping by just visiting a new part of the world.  Let me briefly explain what Portfolio Night ...

Life gave us everything. It gave us mountains and seas. Rivers and cliffs. Volcanos and glaciers. Birds and bees. Animals and plants. Winter and summer. Spring and fall. Tastes. Smells. Textures. Curiosity. Vision. Exploration. Emotions. Relationships. Reactions. Bonding. Family. Friendships. Differences. Similarities. Communication. Beings. Behaviors. Science and hope. Reason and instinct. Vision and imagination. Magic and invention.  One can never starve from the views in the world in his lifetime. See all the beauty there is to see. Have smelled all the smells. Heard every imaginable sound. Touched all the textures. Tasted all the tastes. Explored all there is to explore.  Selflessly, it gave and it gave. Except when it fucked us up.  For it's own selfishness, it made procreation our purpose of being. Hardwired it in every walk of life.  And this undeniable, insatiable need for another in our lives sucked the fun out of ...

“The greatest tragedy of the family is the unlived lives of the parents.” ― Carl Jung

Swag is the face you wear for the rest of the world. It's a defense mechanism - self preservation. It works well in bars, when you want to create that enviable aura around you. But when people start to know you, it'll wear off. In fact, coming close requires you to take off your swag. Your swagger doesn't doesn't mean you don't give a fuck. In fact, the bigger the swag, the more you care about what people think of you.

Everyone needs one thing in life that's going good. If your good thing is work, I feel sorry for you. If your good thing is partying with friends, you'll see a lot of partying. But that's about all you'll ever do. If your good thing is loving that special someone, it'll give you immense fulfillment for a long time. Except when it doesn't, and you'll be down in the dumps. If your good thing is something that gives you personal joy - painting, writing, photography, anthropology, philanthropy, reading, making plane models, pottery, or just plain ol' fixing things around the house. It's the only time you have that will guarantee you a good night's sleep every time you do it. Do something alone. Everyday if you can. It's the time you deserve to yourself and your happiness. Fight for this time. Be selfish for it. It's this time that'll keep you young at heart even when your body is 65.

Got my first flash of inspiration. Wrote a few lines. Gathered some applause. Felt invincible. Unstoppable. The next time, did something good too. Fueled more by excitement than by inspiration. Stuck the the recipe. Enhanced the good. Presented, confident. But applause was conspicuous by absence. Brought me back to the ground. But dejected not. Just in the know, I create best when I'm a no body.

"The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. He depends on his power to make other people powerful." http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html?source=facebook#.T2JcIUdD9fN.facebook 

The more you have, the more you worry. The less you have, the less you have to lose in life.

Do everything you hate because it will be healthy Say "fuck off" a lot Get fired at least twice Travel light and travel without a plan Believe in your personal projects (sometimes... many times... fuck the client) Drink beer and sake in the morning! Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.

Wishful thinking: Let's genetically modify travel. Let's take away the genes for fatigue, motion-sickness and homesickness. Let's add genes for time-stretchness (when you just don't want the travel to end) and resource-non-endness (so you never run out of money). Also a radar-gene for meeting only interesting people who have real stories to tell, not people who think they do. There will be additional genes for equipment - clothes that never soil or get wet, fuel that never runs out, stomach that never runs or gets fat despite a lot of gastronomical abuse, levers that handle any amount of alcohol, an ear-and-mouthpiece that communicate in every language/accent/dialect in the world.

Most rappers sing about how miserable they are despite their riches. Most people like them for the misery, as well as their own aspirations for the riches.

Life is a fruit. Your loved ones, your friends, are seeds. Practical details - living, work, love - are the pulp. Juice is the essence of the fruit, the experience. The lessons in life. The truth. What remains, the make-believe - books, films, ads - is pulp fiction.

Behavior Manipulation. That's today's advertising. It's not all bad. But most of it is. Bad ideas emerge from bad intentions. Or greed. Bad communication emerges from bad vision. Bad ads emerge from the lack of something better to say. Good advertising is about love. About liking a product and saying something good about it. About suggestions, rather than persuasion. About the power of thought rather than influence of media. About informing and participating, rather than beating competition. Good communication is about good nature. And good people. About a world of good. That only exists within a few. A few good men.

10. To sun-bathe - to get a tan 9. To concept 8. Because it's so nice :) 7. Because indoors is exciting only in the night 6. Because it makes them feel active ( bloody reptiles ! ) 5. Because it gives them a chance to wear summer-dresses, shorts and slippers - reason to look sexy 4. Because it takes away headaches 3.They feel good, sun makes them happy 2. Because it's science - sunlight in your eyes makes the happiness hormones come out 1. You can kick off your shoes.

Here are a few quotes from the famous book 'How to win friends and influence people' by Dale Carnegie. “Benjamin Franklin, tactless in his youth, became so diplomatic, so adroit at handling people, that he was made American Ambassador to France. The secret of his success? ‘I will speak ill of no man,’ he said, ‘…and speak all the good I know of everybody.’” “Criticisms are like homing pigeons. They always return home.” “Abe Lincoln once remarked that ‘most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.’” “‘Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbour’s roof,’ said Confucius, ‘when your own doorstep is unclean.’” “‘A great man shows his greatness,’ said Carlyle, ‘by the way he treats little men.’” “Lincoln once began a letter saying: ‘Everybody likes a compliment.’ William James said: ‘The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.’” “If some people are so hungry for a feeling of importance that they actually go insane t...