This Flint-Based Eyewear Brand Does Good for People & the Planet

In the wake of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, emerging eyewear brand Genusee seeks to bring new hope and vision to the city. Employing a circular economy business model, the company will make democratically-designed eyewear from recycled plastic water bottles. Their mission? To do good for people and the planet by making social and environmental impact in Flint, Michigan.

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PlayLab Plants Giant Inflatable Flowers Along Sixth Avenue

"Grown Flowers" is a multi-site installation hosted by the Avenue of the Americas Association that imagines flowers inflated many times their normal size, giving visitors a new perspective on these iconic and playful representations of beauty. Through July 2018, visitors can stroll along Sixth Avenue and visit six different enormous inflatable flowers "sitting, lounging, floating, standing tall or even bending down to greet passersby."

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WNW + Firstborn Emerging Tech Panel

On April 19th, we invited the WNW community to swing by design and innovation company Firstborn for some home-brewed beer, lite bites and a discussion on the intersection of utility, creativity and emerging tech.

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Cinematographer Christian Haberkern's ​​​​​​​Latest Short Premieres at Tribeca

Meet Christian Haberkern, the cinematographer of short film I Heart NY, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film explores the life of Milton Glaser, the creator of the iconic I Heart NY symbol. We talk to Christian about finding a creative home in New York, how his experiences in Design, Motion Graphics, and Visual Effects on films like Captain America prepared him for a career in Cinematography, and what he's proudest of both personally and professionally with I Heart NY. 

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Overshare Podcast: Jon Contino

OVERSHARE PODCAST:Overshare Podcast: Jon Contino

 

Overshare is a new WNW event series and podcast that features honest conversations with our favorite creatives about the realities of being an independent creative. For the second installment, renowned designer Jon Contino helps Overshare earn its Parental Advisory sticker on iTunes in an honest and hilarious discussion about building his brand over twenty years and dealing with copycats. Jon comes clean to the audience about his competitive nature and inclination to always have something to prove: "I always, always, always feel like I have something to prove, mostly because what I do is ridiculous. The fact that I just draw stupid shit for big companies and they say 'Okay'. How long could that possibly last?" 

When hearing his imitators receive praise for being "visionaries," Jon tries to take it in stride: "Not that I am, but the fact that I know you’re stealing from me, if anyone should be getting those compliments it should be me. And I know I shouldn’t be getting those compliments 'cause I got it from somewhere else too." Jon finds assistance on big projects from one unlikely source in particular: "I’m not even joking. [My daughter] is three and I’m always just like, 'Which one do you like?' And she’s like, 'Umm, this one.' And I’m like 'Done. Here you go AT&T.'”

It's clear that Jon Contino operates at his best when he has a certain edge. On whether moving to the suburbs and having a kid has made him lose his edge, Jon had this to say: "It’s probably made it worse because I have a daughter. I’m just waiting to knife a 14-year old kid. The first boy she brings home, I can’t wait because I’m locking him in the basement and I’m just gonna call his parents to come pick him up because he’s not allowed upstairs."

Lastly, Jon offers some priceless advice of his own to remember when you inevitably hit a creative wall: "If [your creativity] didn’t come back, I think you would be some kind of science experiment. I feel like you are wired to be a creative person. If you hit a wall, that’s natural. If you hit a wall, and it never comes back, you should probably be studied. You don’t stop breathing unless you die. You’re always breathing, you’re always doing these things that it’s just like a bodily function that’s unique to you."

For those of you who couldn't join us, we have good news: you can listen to the entire conversation below on our new podcast. Subscribe to Overshare on iTunes, Soundcloud, or with any other podcasting app via our RSS feed.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us.

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Overshare Podcast: Leta Sobierajski + Wade Jeffree

Overshare Podcast: Leta Sobierajski + Wade Jeffree

 

Overshare is a new WNW event series and podcast that promotes honest conversations about the realities of being an independent creative. To kick things off, more than 50 people came together in a dive bar in New York City in February to hear creative couple Leta Sobierajski & Wade Jeffree open up about everything from getting paid to getting rejected to their ongoing collaborations. There were even some highbrow detours to discuss important topics like squatty potties and choice curse words.

Leta and Wade, both Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary designers, had been married for just three weeks at the time of their conversation with WNW co-founder and heavily bearded host Justin Gignac. When asked if it is tough to be in a relationship with someone in the same line of work, Leta explained, "It’s really relieving actually. When either of us come home we’re able to talk about every minute detail of our days and the projects that we’re doing, and we understand each other completely which is great. I don’t think that I could be in a relationship where our lives are so different and so separate that we don’t understand what the fuck we’re doing."

The whole point of Overshare is to shine a spotlight on the struggles as much as the triumphs. Leta had this to say about the risks involved and impetus for clearing the slate and taking the leap into freelance: "I didn’t like the people I was working with. I didn’t like my boss. The company wasn’t doing so good, and so it just got to a point where I was like 'Fuck this. I know what I want to do. It’s time to start over.' I wiped my portfolio completely from all of the work that I had done for the past three years, and just started loading it up with personal projects. That was really scary."

It's clear that Leta & Wade can't imagine doing anything else. Wade opened up about the feeling of purpose that design affords him and why it drives him to continue to grow as a creative: "There is a power in graphic design and design in general to not only influence culture but empower people. And I think there’s something really beautiful in that."

For those of you who couldn't join us, we have good news: you can listen to the entire conversation below on our new podcast, sponsored by FreshBooks. Subscribe to Overshare on iTunes, Soundcloud, or with any other podcasting app via our RSS feed.

A heartfelt thanks to FreshBooks for sponsoring this episode of Overshare. FreshBooks is a ridiculously easy cloud accounting software for freelancers and small business owners. It makes your accounting tasks easy, fast and secure. You can start sending invoices, tracking time and capturing expenses in minutes.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us.

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Meet The Comedian Who Warms Up Oliver, Colbert, & Fallon: Part II

Meet The Comedian Who Warms Up Oliver, Colbert, & Fallon: Part II

MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR

Last week, we caught up with WNW Member #84 Craig Baldo to discuss his double-life as a stand-up comedian and freelance copywriter. Craig shared some of his experiences serving as the warm-up act for the likes of Oliver, Colbert, Fallon, and Stewart. Below, we continue the conversation, and Craig continues to surprise us: "Fun Fact: I DJ’d Peter Dinklage’s wedding." What?!

Craig also discusses New York and its influence, how he spends his time Not Working, and advice for his fellow creatives: "Exercise your creativity out of the office. Don’t always have it pinned to a brief. I don’t trust creatives without side projects. If your creative mission in life is to sell paper towels, that’s fucked up. No disrespect to paper towels. They come in handy with spills."

Read Part 1 here.

 

How does New York influence your copywriting and your stand-up?

To me, New York is the best place in the country to do stand-up. There’s boundless material – day traders and models and little old Chinese bag ladies on one block, drag queens, police horses, Moby on the next. Every block’s different. Long, oppressive winters get you good and depressed which is GREAT for your act, as long as you don’t close shop altogether. In LA, what’s to write about? “People are SO Hollywood here, and what’s up with traffic on the 405?” If I did it over, I’d do it in NYC again. Ditto for copywriting. 

“New York is the best place in the country to do stand-up. There’s boundless material – day traders and models and little old Chinese bag ladies on one block, drag queens, police horses, Moby on the next.”

What cultural and creative venues do you frequent in New York? 

I go to hip bars in Williamsburg and Shazam songs, curate playlists, then throw dinner parties with my 40-something friends, blowing them away with how cool and relevant my musical tastes have remained. Is that cultural?

Seriously though, I’m loving Spotify right now (not just cuz my wife works there) but because it’s like a custom record store at your fingertips. Obviously not as romantic as crate digging through vinyl, but I don’t have time for that anymore. However I still like to stay on top of emerging music and old funk stuff, so I appreciate what Spotify offers. I used to be a mediocre DJ. Fun Fact: I DJ’d Peter Dinklage’s wedding.

And I’ve always loved going to the movies. Any excuse to eat Twizzlers. I like BAM! in Brooklyn because they put up good films and I can walk there from my home. And I like telling my friends to meet me at BAM! Where? BAM! BAM!

The New York Hall of Science in Queens is a great place to visit, even if you don’t have kids. Unless you hate science and learning. Then you wouldn’t like it.

“I like BAM! in Brooklyn because they put up good films and I can walk there from my home. And I like telling my friends to meet me at BAM! Where? BAM! BAM!”

Do you thrive off of being part of a creative community or are you more in your element as a lone wolf?

In a way, anyone doing stand-up is a lone wolf. So in that regard, yes, being solo works for me. But I really love to collaborate, which is another reason I took to copywriting. I love people and working in a team. As far as an overall community, I probably assimilate more with the weirdos of stand-up comedy. I miss it. Not to say I haven’t become friends with some beautiful weirdos in advertising, I’m just more at home among the die-hard joke tellers.

“I’m pretty good with kids and think I could really inspire them at that age. Does this all read as creepy and “pedophile”? I hope not. I just think I could make a difference as a high school teacher. I’d teach pre-algebra or French kissing. I’M KIDDING.”

If you weren’t a copywriter and comic, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

Maybe I’d be a high school teacher. I’ve always been nostalgic for high school. I feel like most people weren’t into it. My hormones were relatively balanced so I had a blast. It’s an exciting age because kids aren’t fully cynical but they’re still very sharp. I’m pretty good with kids and think I could really inspire them at that age. Does this all read as creepy and “pedophile”? I hope not. I just think I could make a difference as a high school teacher. I’d teach pre-algebra or French kissing. I’M KIDDING.

What do you do when Not Working?

Take trips. Make playlists. Hang out with the fam. Play piano. Play cribbage. Be outside. Slow-cook pork. I also look for work. I’m not right in the head when I’m not earning. It’s funny, you tell yourself freelancing is the ideal situation – I’ll work a bunch, make bank, then take off a couple months and finish writing my screenplay or building my Burning Man float or whatever. Then, DAY ONE of being jobless, you’re like, “Um. Shit.” 

From time to time, I collaborate with Harry Bliss, writing captions to his cartoons (because I can’t draw). Some of our toons have been published in The New Yorker.

“I don’t trust creatives without side projects. If your creative mission in life is to sell paper towels, that’s fucked up. No disrespect to paper towels. They come in handy with spills.”

What are some things you would tell your high school or early twenties self?

I’d probably tell myself that stand-up comedy is a viable career path and to start doing it ASAP. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I discovered regular people like me were pursuing stand-up, not just people born into TV or rogue highwaymen without families. But I really don’t regret a minute of my life, except maybe the one in Allentown, and even that made for a funny story, so it’s a win. I’ve lived every moment the way I’ve wanted. That’s also part of my problem. My long-term goals have suffered because of my in-the-moment mentality. I’m still working on that. I also might tell my early twenties self to warn people about 9/11.

 

What are some tips or advice you can offer to fellow creatives?

Exercise your creativity out of the office. Don’t always have it pinned to a brief. I don’t trust creatives without side projects. If your creative mission in life is to sell paper towels, that’s fucked up. No disrespect to paper towels. They come in handy with spills. 

Who are some of your biggest creative idols and influences, comedic or otherwise?

Growing up, my idols were mostly comedic and musical: George Carlin, Eddie Murphy (his comedy), John Ritter, Rik Mayall, Paul Reubens, Michael Jackson, Rush, the list goes on, sadly a lot of white men. Louie CK became my North Star in ’98. I remember seeing him and being like, “I want to do what that guy does.” His ideas were so weird, but still grounded in his sharp trademark insights. Louie would have killed it in advertising. 

Today, I’m inspired by even more white men: Stone/Parker, Mike Judge, Ricky Gervais, the people who say fuck you to the establishment a lot in their work. Non-white men I admire are Esperanza Spalding, tUnE yArDs, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tig Notaro, Tariq Trotter, Samantha Bee and José Parlá.

 

Any album, film, television or book recommendations for your fellow WNW members?

Love Silicon Valley, Veep and Better Call Saul. Nathan For You is genius. And of course John Oliver. 

Watch the film, What We Do in the Shadows. So good.

I’ve been reading some pretty boring stuff lately, like Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, which helped me deal with some recent death stuff. Also reading The Sound of the City by Charlie Gillett, a tremendous book about the history of rock music.

I always have music recs. From my current rotation, I’d recommend Rodrigo Amarante, Jacques Dutronc and Amen Dunes. I make ongoing music and film recs on an app called Rex (created by Chris Smith, a director I worked with years ago on some Wendy’s spots). Find me there for more good stuff. 

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?

Jeff Church is a great creative and good friend who’s helped me a lot. Really creative guy. He organized what I’d call a motley-professional stickball league. He might categorize it another way, like an outdoor gentleman’s club with homemade bats. 

There’s a guy, Justin Gignac, who has done some fun stuff. I’d love to meet him someday.

Dan Rollman is nothing but awesome.

Kim Schoen is a wildly talented experimental artist who never stops putting stuff out there. 

I just love people who take risks and do their thing. Ya know? They just do it. That would be a good tag line. Maybe? Nah.

 

Anything else you’d like to add?

Really, after all that? How about a funny GIF. Please add one here for me. Thanks.

Bonus Content

Craig's tweets are on point. [Click below to zoom.]

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!