Favorite Finds — May 2021
Why greatness can't be planned, commencement address from Jony Ive, and an Asian design history Twitter
Welcome to Morning Pages, a newsletter sharing inspirations to help you cultivate creativity and fulfillment.
Hey friends,
Hope you’re well. I’m so grateful that the warm weather has arrived in Maine. The birds are chirping and the lilacs are blooming. The town is also getting more visitors finally after a long winter. It’s time to go outside.
For every last issue of the month, I’ll share my favorite finds of the month and studio updates. Here are my May favorites.
1. Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned
How does an AI experiment lead to a lesson about creativity and success?
In this talk, Kenneth O.Stanley, a computer science professor at UCF, made the case that innovation is not driven by obsessing with the ultimate goal. To reach greater outcomes, we should embrace serendipitous discovery and playful creativity.
As a coach, I spend lots of time supporting my clients to define goals and come up with strategies to reach their potential. The lesson from this talk reminded me that when pursuing a goal, be open to new experiences along the way. Sometimes on the surface, we appear to be heading in an opposite direction. In reality, you just might find the stepping stones to the thing you have always wanted.
2. Sir Jony Ive’s CCA Commencement Address
Two weeks ago, Sir Jony Ive gave a commencement speech for the graduating class of 2021 at California College of the Arts.
During the speech, Ive shared a variety of pieces of motivation for the graduates.
Opinions are not ideas, opinions are not as important as ideas, opinions are just opinions.
Being curious fuels our appetite to learn. Wanting to learn is far more important than being right.
It feels quite surreal watching a design icon speak at the college that you are a part of. I loved that he also specifically addressed the challenge of lacking in-person collaboration due to the pandemic. It’d have been quite special to watch him deliver a speech live with hundreds of graduates and faculty members. Hope that day will return sometime soon.
3. Uncovering Asian Design Histories
In honor of the AAPI heritage month, I have been quietly tweeting to highlight some Asian Amercian artists and designers.
I’ll be curating tidbits of Asian design histories that are missing from the Euro-centric design education curriculum. It’ll begin with East Asia, featuring one topic each month. It’ll cover topics such as design in ancient China, colonial and post-colonial design in Asia, and the globalization of design in Asia.
Though I have a range of ideas for this project, for now, it’ll be a Twitter feed to go with my research and readings. If you’re interested in supporting, I’d love for you to follow the account @asiahistoria. Thank you in advance! :)
Thank you for reading this volume of Morning Pages. All views in this newsletter are my own. If you’re enjoying this newsletter and want to express your appreciation, spread the word and support the studio for the price of a cup of ☕️.
Yuan Studio offers a series of coaching offerings to support creative professionals to play bigger in their careers and lives. Want to get in touch? You’re welcome to comment here or reach out on Twitter and LinkedIn.