September 2021: Experiments, Authenticity, and...Fungi
To our readers,
As we head into a new season, a season associated with revving back up, I wanted to rev up as well and try something new. With the steady rhythm of conversations I have daily as EIC and founder of Madame Architect, I am asked often about common themes and what I’m learning. So, I am launching a monthly letter where I’ll be sharing exactly that!
From what’s next in creative output, workplace dynamics, and career recalibrations, I’ll be writing about all of it - after all, we talk about it all in our interviews. The multifaceted nature of both our professional ecosystem and of our inner lives makes for such a productive and varied breadth of topics.
Here is what I’ve learned in the past month that I’m taking with me into September:
Still from Lost in Translation, starring Scarlett Johansson.
What I’m Seeing - ie. What’s Current
The Work “Quarantine Pods” - Remember reading about quarantine houses, where young creators would cohabitate and produce digital content? I am seeing parallels in the design industry, where sole practitioners with emerging practices join forces. Flexible collaboratives like WIP Collaborative, and sl Collective are also bringing further awareness to the growing understanding that no one does anything alone, as written about by Yasaman Esmaili and Lauren Gallow in our most recent Expert essay. I’m curious to see how the ecosystem of our industry evolves in this vein, where we all maintain our individuality, and yet are perhaps more connected and collaborative than ever before.
The Appeal of le dump - Along with Reels, Instagram photo “dumps” are the modus operandi for those on the platform right now. In exploring their nascence and appeal, Sofia Coppola’s films come to mind. Her focus on the overlooked details in the seemingly mundane aspects of life parallel our search for elements of interest within our lock-down micro-environments; the eye has to travel after all, when we ourselves can’t. I’ve taken great delight in scrolling through them and taking note of color combinations, form, and subject matter...as long as I don’t go over my 30 minute Instagram daily limit.
Fungi? For Fall? Groundbreaking - From Kesha’s current tour’s stage design and Glossier Seattle’s new flagship, to All-Inclusive Retreats and this month’s cover of Food & Wine, mushrooms are top of mind. Fungi have pervaded the design conversation in the 2010s (think Olson Kundig’s Mushroom Farm in 2012, The Living’s Hy-Fi for MoMA PS1 in 2014, and Mae-Ling Lokko’s body of work), and today, they clearly represent something we continue to yearn for. Is it their symbol of rapid growth, rebirth, and longevity? Or the healing and psychedelic connotations as we look for further ways to suspend reality? Either way, people and brands are clearly ready for a new beginning - take a note of how many have posted about mushrooms recently :)
Glossier Seattle, courtesy of Glossier.
WIP Collaborative (unfortunately missing Sonya Gimon) at the opening of Restorative Ground. Photo courtesy of WIP.
What I’m Hearing - ie. What’s Coming
Career Experiments: I know I’m not the only one noticing the current upswing in work-related transitions - firms are hiring, and folks are moving. Things do shift in two year cycles (as Jenny and Anda French discuss in their interview) and we are nearing two years of the pandemic. There is something different about this wave however; people aren’t looking for their dream job, or the perfect fit -- they just want something next and something new after a long standstill. Perhaps now is the time for that experiment you’ve always wanted to do - we are all still plunging into the unknown, so you might as well plunge away on your own terms.
ROWE Model of Work: Remote-work and flexibility have all been widely discussed this past year and a half, but they’ve been top of mind for me more recently as I read about the ROWE --- Results-Only Work Environment --- model of work which was originated by two women working for Best Buy. The ROWE model maintains that it doesn’t matter how long you work or where, as long as you are meeting your outlined performance criteria. Is this the next stage in the ongoing evolution of how we work? Time will tell. I haven’t seen a company in our industry try this officially and publicly yet, but I am very curious when one will.
Our Most Admired Person Is…: In August alone, three out of our interviewees named Michelle Obama as the person they most admire in the world right now. This was fascinating for me -- the former First Lady is not in the current zeitgeist, yet she is still clearly very top of mind. How does Michelle Obama remain such a force? Holly Deichmann Chacon, who we interviewed along with Zoë Star Small last month, may have articulated it best: “I...have newfound admiration for Michelle Obama, who came from humble beginnings but retained grace and humility and authenticity even as a prominent public figure.” After so much change and turmoil, I think we're looking to those who are grounded and real, and exude grace and authenticity in everything they do...those like Michelle Obama.
First Lady Michelle Obama, painting by Amy Sherald.
What I’m Reading:
Interestingly enough, the topics I’ve gravitated to lately have been in line with what we’re hearing from our interviewees. Here is what’s I’ve been thinking and reading about:
Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family by Anne-Marie Slaughter - Anne-Marie Slaughter outlines the cultural shifts necessary to honor our priorities, and to give caregiving it’s due...no matter who the primary caregiver is. For Slaughter, it’s not women or workers that need to change - but our organizations.
Womenomics: Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better by Claire Shipman of Good Morning America and Katty Kay of BBC News - Although I think the title is a little outdated -- the advice given in this book applies to all working professionals, not just women (perhaps I’d call this “Workeconomics”) -- Shipman and Kay spell out both wonderful big-picture approaches and every day tactics for how to satisfactorily and effectively integrate all that you need and want into your life, and maintain your standards for professional results.
Let’s Talk About Hard Things by Anna Sale - Anna Sale, the host of the Death, Sex & Money podcast - confronts the plethora of the hard things we’ve all been facing together, laying everything on the table with gentleness and grace. In a season of change and tough conversations, this book could not have been more timely.
Farmmm friends, image courtesy of Sasha Topolnytska
Final Recommendation - Fallin’ for Farmmm - Farmmm is a playful collection of soft sculptures and toys designed to create a positive emotional experience and inspire creative play, by Ukranian-born and Brooklyn-based designer Sasha Topolnytska. Born in the pandemic, these comforting objects are the friendly companions we had all been yearning for.
And with that, I'd love to hear what you've been thinking and talking about lately, and your recommendations for what to keep my eye on next! Reach out on Instagram or email hello@madamearchitect.org.
Yours,
Julia Gamolina