The new century and millenium have opened with a bang, and yet again, with war and terror in the name of religion. Clearly, the emerging global generation needs to articulate and define our shared and sometimes differing spiritual values if we are to succeed together.
A decade ago, a 25 year old in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, I remember driving over the Manhattan bridge, seeing the smoke coming from the first tower, and thinking what idiot crashed some small plane into the World Trade Center.
In the hours and days that followed, I remember feeling the amazing shared sadness across New York City. It was both the worst of times and best of times, when our individual experience became shared across worlds.
What if we had chosen peace?
No where was this sense more prominent than in Union Square, where a memorial emerged and there were intense conversations about what our response should be as a nation. For that first week, I remember thinking, "What would be possible if the United States chose to take a deep breath and choose a non-violent response to this act of terror?"
Eli Pariser had started an email list called 9/11 Peace that gathered hundreds of thousands of email addresses of those calling for restraint and peace. Imagine a 21st century defined by such a profound choice inspired by Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Henry David Thoreau, and one of the original crew - Jesus of Nazereth.
Radiohead Idioteque: This is Really Happening
Of course, the Bush administration chose the more expected and less inspired path, which led a team of us to create the video below, inspired by the prophetic Radiohead song Idioteque, which we completed in November of 2001.
Now a decade later, reflecting on my time away from ground zero, having lived internationally in France, Singapore, and London, and now based in San Francisco, I still feel deeply connected the New Yorkers and others who have felt the impact of war over these years.
We Have Always Been at War, Our Time to Rise
Because I grew up without experiencing any violence towards me, I know it's naive for me to tell those impacted by war to choose peace. But the recent movements across the world, particularly the true non-violence leadership in Egypt, give me hope in the face of the institutional breakdown and extreme weather. I offer the song below as a tribute to those continuing to build.
The first inspiration for the song below came the night of 9/11, on the promenade in Brooklyn Heights, where I experienced New Yorkers singing together outside for the first time. Over the years, as I continued to listen to both old and new voices of those impacted by war, this song has continued to evolve and grow. This morning, on the tenth anniversary of that day, I put the finishing touches on the lyrics and finally discovered the name of the song, "Our Time to Rise."
For all of those who felt and continue to feel the sadness and loss that comes from acts of war and terror, and all of those who are building towards the dream of a world that chooses non violence, thank you and keep building.
Posted by Colin | Permalink | Comments ()
It's Thursday night during a tough week in early December. The rainy winter has begun, but it's nowhere near as cold as it's been in Brooklyn or London. I haven't sat and written much since March, but it's been an amazing 2010.
Beginning the year with our time in India, and then moving our life to the Bay Area was a huge step. I have struggled with choosing the morning or doing improv Sunday Sessions as much as I committed to back in February, but the big victory in my life is that 2010 was the year that I actually chose a project.
Thanks to the ever lovely and powerful Christie George, a summer MBA intern and his amazing cousin, we finally moved LoudSauce from an idea that I talk about to an actual crowdfunded ad platform that funded a national TV ad and real posters on real bus shelters in San Francisco.
I've been told great advice for years about what it takes to actual create what you envision. But 2010 was the year that I finally chose to follow the advice of people like my friend Huned and the wise young startup leader Eric Ries: just build the closest thing to what you envision. Even fake parts of it if you have to. Go through the full cycle. Then listen, learn, adapt and repeat.
So as I look forward to the holidays, in a time where there is a lot of depression and transition in the air and in the weather, I feel privileged to be able to slow down with my parents, my brother and sister, and our broader family. I'm particularly looking forward to remembering the spirit of Christmas Eve and Jeko, and reconnecting with the 2009 Club to look forward into the always evolving next chapter.
Now off to sleep and back to work.
Posted by Colin | Permalink | Comments ()
Inspired by Jamais over at Open the Future's comment that as a blogger he is obligated to post a year in review, I realized that I probably should do one as well. So here goes....
Personally:
Looking back through my iPhoto collection over the last year, I was struck by two things.
1. First, the sheer quantity of places I had traveled in the last year: from the snow in upstate NY, a ski trip to the Alps near Geneva, a Brit/Turkish wedding in Istanbul, a week in Berlin (my new favorite European city), a summer in London, an adventure to Tanzania including a seemingly near death moment on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a musical wedding and look forward in San Francisco, not to mention numerous trips to Helsinki and NY.
2. I was struck by how disconnected I felt to the places and people in my life, especially some of the people I care most deeply about. Not only have I not shared many of the photos via Flickr or Facebook (why isn't there a better Flickr app for Facebook?), but also, in a year of typing on laptops and sharing via mobile phone,my shoulders felt the aches of a hunched back, my eyes and brain experienced the pains of screen fatigue, and my relationships felt as scattered as the 300+ 'friends' on facebook.
I seriously am starting to question the value of our evolution towards quickness of information, and wonder if I have actually appropriately digested this year. (Now after a week in a lake house with ongoing conversation, as well as slideshow of images, about the year with my close family, and without access to mobile or internet access, I have definitely digested a bit more).
Professionally:
The year of 2008 was my first full year behind the for-profit firewall, and I think it has taken it's toll. As those of you who know me beyond my time at R/GA, I am a full time sharer who believes in and practices the value of open thought and collaborative process. While my current employer also theoretically believes in the same, the reality of signing Non-Disclosure Agreements with global brands nervous about trade secrets and yet to be announced products creates an awkward situation that I don't think I've managed very well personally.
I want to be able to share the collaborative story both inside and outside the firewalls of my office and the offices of my clients, to connect people, resources, and inspiration to leverage our collective attention and culture to change the world for the better. I want to be more specific about what I intend to do, without leaving my job and my clients. I go into the holidays unsure of how that will play out in 2009.
Worldly:
Being based out of London in 2008, I generally felt a little disconnected to the events in the United States. However, while I mostly 'watched' the events of the presidential and congressional election, I was proud to have close friends with shared political history who worked on the ground to bring about the election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States.
Beyond that campaign, 2008 witnessed additional breakthroughs in awareness and interest in sustainable living, with nearly every major publication online and off dedicating at least one 'green' issue to the cause. Despite the growth in awareness and interest, and a general shy away from gas guzzlers due to the increase in oil prices, life continued pretty much as it has for the last century, with the quantity of plastic waste flowing nicely every time I bought pretty much anything. In the UK, some noted improvements were moves away from plastic bags and Pret-A-Manger's innovative inspiration for waste disposal in store.
Looking forward to 2009 and 2010
I predict that 2009 and 2010 will be the years that the leading cultures in the United States, Europe, and possibly in India, China, and Brasil, will struggle to realize the tangible shift in behavior required to make the necessary transformation of manufacturing and waste cycles. Despite the large scale events like Katrina, the fact is that most of us haven't yet felt the impact of our personal choices. Therefore, I personally will be contributing to the evolution by using digital media and data visualization to put powerful mirrors up to our choices (including my own) in order to cause the breakthroughs in behavior.
I also predict that from the ashes of the Economic breakdown, we will see the rise of one or two major new brands by the end of 2009 or mid 2010, in the like of the early days of Microsoft or Google, that will leverage the economic and ecological cost effectiveness of the Cradle to Cradle manufacturing model. Hopefully, that company's innovations will be able to be applied to revitalized transport industry and energy sector that will seriously challenge and inspire the likes of General Motors, Toyota, British Petroleum and Shell.
Posted by Colin | Permalink | Comments ()
I like this. They say we're dreamers, but we're not the only ones.
Posted by Colin | Permalink | Comments ()
Read the recent comments from Youtube below.
brendabn87 (2 hours ago)
He is the first 21st century politician. It feels like fate has sent us this man to balance out the folly of the last 8 years -- and sound the death knell of the neo-conservative hoax.
DEEPSERIW
This man is Great, like him or hate him, he's man of conviction. This speech isn't from a man that just wants to be President, but a man that wants a America for Mankind, and a better future for all.
labohemianartist (2 hours ago)
did he write this? beautiful
Boomdog14 (2 hours ago)
This speech will be added to high school curricula for generations to come.
sgilman (2 hours ago)
He penned the entire speech.
Posted by Colin | Permalink | Comments ()
