Zahra's blog
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We know you’ve heard enough, but we’re giving it one last push.
Suited up with 35 pounds of gear on my back, waterproof and quick dry materials in different shades of earth tones, and of course, bandana hanging off the back of my larger than life pack, I set off last week on an 80 kilometer, 8 day backcountry hiking trip into the Canadian wild of the La Cloche Mountains. Upon embarking on this venture, the proud British Columbian in me declared that upon completion – if I finished this adventure (of which I have never done anything of the sort) I would proudly hold dual province-ship to Ontario, a place where I have now lived
As the clock strikes 9 pm tonight, the archiTEXT team will be officially on the road to Huntsville, ON, to our first annual archiTEXT staff retreat.
A creative process sketched out today in between the Monday emails, writing, design briefs, writing, killing fruit flies in the studio, writing.
What's yours? (draw/write/send it)
(go grab your sketchbook, now!)
-ZE
This post is inspired by one of our newer (and super awesome) members of the staff, Jaclyn, who sat down with us recently to talk about her role (and future) at archiTEXT. The great thing was, she came equipped. Not only had she thought out rad projects and initiatives she could take on, but she had assembled some items that might helpus understand her better. And in its simplicity, it was so inspiring. Amongst the other things she handed us, were three lists:
1. Things I like.
2. Things I don't like.
Today I’m thinking about things that stifle creativity. There’s no rule book for how to becreative (stay tuned to the archiTEXT camp for more on that) - but there are things (especially for creatives) that can bring the creative process to a halt.
I guess the reason I’m thinking about this, is because in our restructuring right now, we’re doing a lot of work around our “strategy” and our…dare I say it…”business plan”. The two words no creative ever wants to hear.
I, like almost everyone else in Toronto this humid Monday afternoon is still trying to unpack the events of the last 72 hours in our sticky city. The G8/G20 brought with it burning police cruisers, Torontonians consumed with fearmongering, little to no talk of climate change, and of course, a $2 million "fake Muskoka" at the Direct Energy Center.
There's something about bright, vivid color that I find absolutely transfixing. In an architectural world stained with palettes of neutrals - of greys, beiges, and blues - there's something to the use of color (blame the post-modernist in me) that invokes in me a sense of excitement.
The theme for this week for me has been writing. Working on getting out the next few chapters of the book, attacking the first manuscript of the other, working on some visioning projects, working on some articles, working on some structured reflection on our work.
For more information on this post, visit: http://architext.tumblr.com
