Mark Wanczak » Inspiration

The Key to Being in a Creative State Is To Avoid Interruptions

Mark Wanczak — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:01:47 +0000

This and more in John Cleese’s excellent speech on creativity.

Share/Save

Hump Day Inspiration: The Beard Speaks

Mark Wanczak — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:52:55 +0000

Share/Save

Audi Creates The World’s First Car Calendar Without Cars

Mark Wanczak — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:45:14 +0000

Augmented reality was all the rage earlier this year, but only a few brands found creative ways to the make the technology useful, rather than just eye candy. Since then, the hype has seemed to die down a bit, but companies are still coming up with ways to take advantage of AR. One of my favorite recent examples is the Olympus Pen Demo. And I just caught this one from Audi today.

Though not as feature-heavy, I like the original idea behind the use of AR. Isn’t that Ferris Bueller’s music?

Share/Save

Why I Write in the Mornings

Mark Wanczak — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:15:33 +0000

George Tannenbaum over at Ad Aged has a eloquent post that’s reminded me of the beauty that is early morning creativity. There’s something special about waking up a little bit before the rest of the world (or your time zone), driving to work a little bit before rush hour and sitting down at your desk a little bit before phones start ringing. Every once in a while, an uninterrupted sun will wake you up early on a Sunday morning and you’ll head to the coffee shop on the corner to make pen meet paper.

The following is the unedited product of one such Sunday morning:

A few minutes after the cafe’s radio switches from G&R’s “Live and Let Die” to Orleans’ “Still the One” the man in the corner is still whistling the first eight notes from Slash’s rift. Perched on a stool next to a counter jetting from the wall opposite the cash register, the man is focused. His left arm is bent and wedged between his overweight form and the stool’s backrest. His right arm floats unsupported, heavily hanging from his body and doing all the work. An outstretched index finger taps the video game machine supported from the ground by a single black steel pole. Neither of his generic white sneakers reach the ground and are instead tucked behind the stools bottom cross support, toes pointing at the ground.

Another man, similar in age to video poker guy (VPG), peers through the cafe’s front door, hands on the glass and cupped around his eyes to block out the sun behind him. He yanks open the door and walks in with a gusto no one could have seen coming from a short, aging man sporting a worn flannel work shirt, faded (unintentionally) jeans and brown, beat up steel toes. The hipster girl behind the cash register reorganizing the color-coded cardboard boxes of teas almost purposefully ignores his entrance. Before the door closes behind him, Flannel Man has entered into conversation with VPG, who never diverts his attention from the screen maneuvered to face him.

A few short, unrelated exchanges later, Flannel Man says to VPG, in sudden volume, “Shit, I owe you $10,” and exits with the same urgency with which he came.

By this time the cafe’s radio has again switched songs, but VPG, whose mind, tucked away behind those awful, over-sized, auto-shading glasses common to the elderly, is a million miles away and hasn’t seemed to notice because he continues to whistle the same eight notes over and over.

VPG’s size surely has to be testing the limits of that stool, which couldn’t possibly have been designed to support such a load, at least not for an extended period of time, and certainly not to facilitate video poker addictions, which this must be given it’s 9 am on a Sunday morning in an overwhelmingly Italian neighborhood and there are at least three churches within walking distance, not counting the one across the street whose steeple is casting a shadow on to the cafe’s original hardwood floor and ending directly beneath VPG’s toes.

Without warning the radio begins to emit a bothersome collection of noises, soon recognized to be Haddaway’s “What is Love,” AKA the Night at the Roxbury song. This immediately irritates VPG and he stands mid-game, grabs his cane and portable oxygen bottle, and limps out the front door.

Share/Save

Hump Day Inspiration: Defiance Edition

Mark Wanczak — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:00:39 +0000

Share/Save

The Modern Workplace is All About Interruptions

Mark Wanczak — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:18:01 +0000

Amen, Jason Fried. Can’t wait to read Rework.

Share/Save

Hump Day Inspiration: Happy Birthday Steve McQueen

Mark Wanczak — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:58:28 +0000

Mr. McQueen would be 80 years-old today. He’s perhaps more responsible for my interest in Mustangs than anyone else. Someday I’ll have a ’68 fastback in Highland Green.

McQueen is also responsible for what many consider the greatest car chase in movie history. He was a man’s man.

Share/Save

Hump Day Inspiration: The Pursuit of Creativity

Mark Wanczak — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:00:29 +0000

Share/Save

German University Students Create Another Ridiculous Thing I’d Like to Have.

Mark Wanczak — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:14:58 +0000

Last week it was MIT, this week it’s somewhere in Germany. Can’t get enough.

Experiencing Abstract Information from Stefan Kuzaj on Vimeo.

Share/Save

Hump Day Inspiration: The Cessation of Ambition

Mark Wanczak — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:00:48 +0000

Every once in a while something happens and your work isn’t what it should be. The worst thing you can do is accept that.

- George Tannenbaum, Ad Aged

Share/Save