Favorite Finds — July 2021
A handmade home, worldwide immigration stories, Tokyo 1964 Olympics design history
Welcome to Morning Pages, a newsletter sharing inspirations to help you cultivate creativity and fulfillment.
Hello friends,
Hope you’re doing well.
We had several thunderstorms here in Maine last week. When it’s not raining, I love walking along the sidewalks after dinner and watching the ocean waves crashing against the shore at high tide. I even tried screaming at the ocean a few times, it was a nice stress relief at the end of a long day.
For a few evenings, the full moon was lighting up the clear sky and shinning over the Atlantic ocean. The scenery reminded me of this well-known Chinese poem: 海上生明月，天涯共此时。
From out of the sea the moon appears,
from the ends of the earth,
all share this moment.
For every last issue of the month, I’ll share my favorite finds of the month. Here are my July favorites.
1. Rajiv’s handmade home tour
Rajiv Surendra (@rajivsurendra) creates unique chalk art and hand-lettered calligraphy. His New York apartment is filled with vintage and handmade items from all over the world. I’ve watched many home tour videos, but this one is uniquely inspiring. He has such a beautiful soul. He's not touring his apartment but sharing his deep appreciation of craftsmanship.
2. Ocean Vuong’s book recommendations
What does it mean to live between cultures, languages, and genders? Immigrants are often portraited as victims who are trying to get by. But according to the award-winning poet Ocean Vuong, immigrants are also active agents in their own life. In an NPR interview, Ocean recommended some books that highlight the immigrant experience in America and worldwide.
One of the recommendations was The Lover, by Marguerite Duras.
One of my goals was to kind of de-center America as the site of immigration — and we realize that immigration is a species-wide legacy. Everyone who has been human from time immemorial has had to make the decision about how to move and escape and make new routes. Duras' The Lover is a perennial classic for me in this theme and others because this is a very unique situation of a failed colonial project.
See the rest of the book recommendations by Ocean Vuong.
3. Tokyo 1964 Design Tomorrow Exhibition
Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow explores the pioneering design strategy and lasting legacy of the historic Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games, the first to be held in Asia, which are often seen as a turning point for Japan.
This London exhibition will showcase how a group of young Japanese designers and architects harnessed the opportunity presented by the 1964 Olympic Games to reframe the country’s profile and tell a fresh story to the world. Their ground-breaking designs are important as they have informed the design principles of all subsequent major international sporting events.
Studio Update
Nine weeks of training with the On Deck Course Creator Program. Six weeks of training with Maven’s cofounders. I’ve been quietly working on this for the past few months.
My second cohort of Design Career Jumpstart is launched on Maven! And you’re the first group to get this update. I look forward to announcing it more broadly in August.
Although we’re still over a month away before the kick-off, designers from big tech companies to venture-backed startups have already enrolled. After the initial round of waitlist enrollment and 1:1 conversations, this upcoming cohort is already coming together nicely.
I’m excited to support a new group of designers to advance in their careers this fall. If you know someone who could benefit from this program, feel free to spread the word. If you or your company is interested in sponsoring a couple of scholarships for Black & Indigenous & Pacific Islander designers, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Lots of hard work has gone into elevating this second cohort to greater success. Putting myself out there can feel scary. It’s easy to form judgments based on external reactions. But whenever I think about the mission behind my work and the people I get to support, I feel less anxious and become a little bit more courageous.
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.