Daft Punk - “Random Access Memories” | The Collaborators: Todd Edwards
Innovation. Pure and simple. This is how it’s done.
Age of Imagination
Every period in history has had some nomenclature that defines an aspect of the era: Iron Age, Industrial Age, etc. I advance that this is the Age of Imagination. Never before has so much been possible. We are progressing so quickly that the very real limits of what we are able to achieve are those of our ability to imagine such a thing. Space travel, globalization, genetics, communication- all made possible within the last 100 years, if not less. We are actively developing climate-changing technologies and 3D printing. Even the greatest luminaries and fiction writers of previous generations would be hard-pressed to conceive many of the advancements of this century so far- only 12 years into it! Nearly anything we can imagine, we are able to accomplish. Flying cars and jet-packs have been created and dismissed as largely impractical, yet entirely within our capabilities. If practicality is the limit of invention in this time, I am astounded by the sheer capacity of the next generation.
Marina Abramovic meets Ulay
“Marina Abramovic and Ulay started an intense love story in the 70s, performing art out of the van they lived in. When they felt the relationship had run its course, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting for one last big hug in the middle and never seeing each other again. at her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing it and this is what happened.”
I never said I am an Author, an Artist, a Performer, or anything else. I am simply a person who writes, creates, performs, and more.
Walking Etiquette
8 million daily commuters utilize New York City’s public transportation system. By my own (frustrated) estimate, only about 3 million follow common rules of decency in carrying themselves on foot. Below are my own personal Do’s and Don’t’s for proper carriage:
Do:
Walk in straight lines as much as possible.
Walk with purpose or mission.
Know where you’re going (or at least pretend to).
Be aware of your fellow travelers. We’re all in this together.
Don’t:
Meander. It kills the people who are trying to give you fair passage.
Stop. Please. Just don’t.
Push. Mostly, it’s just rude.
While I do not advocate any punitive measures for any violations of the above, effort is appreciated. Mostly by me when I’m the one behind you. Thanks.
Aspire
When you set a goal in life, make it fucking difficult. Set your sights so high that the light from that star blinds you are you stare into it. Create this impossible dream that is so incredible you can scarcely imagine that such an marvelous thing could possibly dare to exist, even in imagination. Defy all rational, reasonable, normal, logical bases for a lifetime of accomplishment.
Then, spend your whole life fighting tooth and nail like a demon for that thing until you get it.
The Case for Spectacular Failure
I see many efforts aimed at fixing the world right now. Financial institutions, governments, and social structures are all supposedly remediable. The difficulty created is we all spend this time trying to fix the mistakes of the past instead of moving forward. We, as a people, are consumed with making something work that likely will not ever function perfectly.
Technology changed the way we view the world, sowhy do we act as though it is the same?I believe a great opportunity for disastrous failure is present. Failure has been dismissed as the worst possible outcome for a given scenario. I see it as our best hope to progress and learn. Thomas Edison famously said (paraphrasing) that each mistake was an opportunity to learn what to not do. This lesson is lost on generations of people all trying to “make it”.
I do not ascribe to the idea of New Years resolutions; however, my goal for this year is to fail. My hope is to fail so spectacularly that it changes me as a person- forces me to re-examine myself and adjust my mindset to reflect a truer understanding of my person and my relationship to the world around me. Who knows? I might just succeed…
