Gleaning

Helga, by Andrew Wyeth

In our world of technology we are exposed to a massive amount of information. Sometimes a voice pierces the noise, a message, a statement. Two interviews did it for me this week.

“The difference between me and a lot of painters is that I have to have a personal contact with my models. I don’t mean a sexual love, I mean real love….I have to fall in love with [my models]—hell, I do much the same with a tree or a dog. I have to become enamored. Smitten. That’s what happened when I saw Helga walking up to the Kuerners’ lane. She was this amazing, crushing blond.”
Andrew Wyeth

This quote from an interview with Andrew Wyeth echoes the way I feel about my approach to work. I hadn't realized until I read it, but that's exactly how I function, I need to fall in love with the subject. Whether it's a student aspiring to open a non profit or a CEO excited about redefining the brand of his/her company, I tend to feel completely smitten, and strives for it to translate in the final product. That's my process, that's who I am.

An interview on NPR with Tina Brown also caught my attention.

http://n.pr/chwbf4

"I've never been one who kissed off the world of print"

In a marriage of old media and new media, Tina Brown announced last week that her online 'The Daily Beast' will merge with the printed magazine 'Newsweek.' Brown will take over editing duties of both publications, making her the first female editor of the magazine which was first published in 1933. The two entities will be combined to form the Newsweek Daily Beast Company.

This is a landmark event given the struggles of the magazine industry in recent years. Brown and the 'Beast' team look to incorporate their experience in online journalism into the magazine world, which she says allows for "a different kind of narrative rhythm. In a magazine you can be more reflective." says Brown."

As she has worked extensively in both media, really interesting to hear what she has to say about the future of print vs web.. Twenty years ago, it was predicted that paper would disappear from the office in a matter of years. While it's really starting to happen now, we haven't gotten quite rid of our filing cabinets at the office yet! Many businesses are wondering whether the actual world will be completely replaced by a virtual one. Will people stop buying their bottle of wine from the local store to order exclusively online? Will they watch 40 second content on their mobiles rather than sit in a theater for two hours ? Will they commute or telecommute? Will they visit their doctor's office or will the doctor examine them through web consultation tools? Tina Brown says: both. I tend to agree with her.

An article with a more technical approach about the merge: http://mashable.com/2010/11/15/newsweek-com-tumblr/