The Idea Box Journal

Happy Mother’s Day! Give a listen to how this day of appreciation came to be. Brought to you by the wonderful Memory Palace podcast.

My incredibly motivated and always inspiring friends Rick and Laura Brown, founders of Hands House have spent the past 10 years reconstructing, along with a devoted team of volunteers, the actual incredibly detailed roof of an 18th century traditional Polish synagogue. All of which have been wiped off the face of the earth. The documentary is currently touring the world. I was fortunate to be able to see it at the Museum of Fine Arts. You can learn more about their journey to bring lost history back to life here.

Do check out the documentary, expertly crafted by Yari and his National Geographic photographer father Cary Wolinsky. Learn more about their past and upcoming projects on their site. You’ll see why I can’t help but rave about these people who follow their curiosity to bring the past back to life. In the process cultivating community, creativity, dedication, and a genuine larger than life sense of awe.

Today is Earth Day, the only day where we as an entire species honor our shared home. Ideally it’d be a true holiday and we’d all be out planting seeds this morning.

Please take a second to recognize the corporations that are harming our planet through deforestation. The need for palm oil is not so severe that it’s worth the immense carbon emissions nor the wiping out of orangutans. We can shame those who participate in it and support those who don’t.

Once I’ve thought an idea through and it’s time to paint, there’s a bunch of good radio shows/podcasts out there that I enjoy listening to. If you have a curious mind and a penchant for good storytelling, you might like to try these out for yourself:

Radiolab

Myoclonic Jerk

Mysterious Universe

Invisibilia

Harmontown

The Memory Palace

This American Life

Originz

Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Treatment

Unfictional

Real Time with Bill Maher

Studio 360

Slate – The Culture Gabfest

Song Exploder

The Classic Tales Podcast

Freakonomics

Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Stuff You Should Know

The Thrilling Adventure Hour

99% Invisible

The New York Times Book Review

Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know

Snap Judgement

Mysteries Abound

Serial

New Tech City

The New Yorker: Out Loud

Stuff to Blow Your Mind

Check out the warm and woolen handiwork of the folks at Skybox Human Creations. I recently did their logo and they sent me a matching wool hat & a colossally regal scarf. It’s like a blanket for your neck. I recommend treating yourself to a cozy bomb this winter before the next blizzard rolls through town.

Grabbing a late night snack and flipping through the local Hong Kong paper, it was a sight for sore eyes to discover the genius comic of Bill Waterson that made such an impression upon me growing up here in a city around the world. I still and will always be in awe of his work. Here’s to Calving & Hobbes continuing to reach folks around the world and brightening up their day.

Terrific TED Talk by MET director on art, the museum, and the real experience.

While it’s remained just outside of popular culture, Ender’s Game makes many lists as the greatest science fiction novel of all time. It is, to be sure, one of the most beloved. It most definitely is for me.

If you’re a fan of Orson Scott Card, or an aspiring writer who appreciates good advice, I highly recommend his interview on The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. He knows what he’s talking about. Furthermore, he knows why he knows what he’s talking about. Listen to this show. I’ll be listening to it again. And in the next few years, be reading Ender’s Game for sixth time.

Filmmaker turned lawyer Greg Kanaan has a new terrifically informative blog called The {Legal} Artist. In it he discusses wide-ranging topics exploring the relationship between art & the law. Well worth regular reads and sharing with folks in creative industries.

Submerged and spellbound by The Shadow of the Wind, a gorgeous Carlos Ruiz Zafón novel. Wondering what I might do for the cover, turned it over to discover the handywork of the relentless Paul Buckley. More bibliophilia here.