Subject line is all I’ll say on the super bowl.
Happy vol. 100!
A couple something specials after this largely pointless and somewhat indulgent introduction…
Unless you’re new here, you’ve probably noticed, there are not a ton of guidelines or rules as for what gets published or written. But there are a few influences on the chaos. They can be summed up by the following quotes;
"Go out in the world and fuck it up beautifully...
Horrify us with new ideas.
Outrage outdated critics.
Use technology for transgression, not lazy social living.
Make me nervous."
John Waters
~
"We are surrounded by worn-out, banal useless images, limping and dragging themselves behind the rest of our cultural evolution."
Werner Herzog
~
“If you want to be boring, go and fucking collect stamps.”
Dave Trott
Two things I’ve made using material from or inspired by the past 100 volumes:
T H I N G O N E:
77 slides from 100 newsletters.
3 things about this collection:
Making this was mostly for me. Because I like pairing text with imagery that is maybe related but in a very abstract way. If I’d listened to more punk as a teen I probably would have gone into graphic design (don’t ask why they are related, they just are).
It does not need to be read in order nor does it contain an arc or point. It is a retrospective presented via slides.
The selected material is focused less on the tangible or directly helpful. It is not a collection of frameworks or ways to do the work. It is largely made up of the type of things I needed to hear over the past year or so. As such, it is more relevant as a guide for reflection than a tool for action. I hope it still brings some value or warmth.
Here ya go:
T H I N G T W O:
100 Questions
“Questions are places in your mind where answers fit. If you haven’t asked the question, the answer has nowhere to go. It hits your mind and bounces right off. You have to ask the question – you have to want to know – in order to open up the space for the answer to fit.”
— Clayton Christensen quoted by Jason Fried
Similar to the slides, these questions are not meant to show you how to do the work. Many of them are essential to the process or to a successful outcome. Others are worth asking only for your own awareness. Some you’ve probably already asked yourself while staring blankly ahead during a late night at the office (remote or otherwise).
I think all of them are worth asking as long as you know when to ask them. And there is no easy answer to that.
Share this newsletter with someone smarter than you. Those are the relationships you should cultivate.
WEEKLY MONSTER
Remember – nothing we do at the office is that important.
Do something today for no reason.
Listen to the kids in your life. They are the only ones who have it figured out.
So grateful for Alex🙌🏾
It’s been nearly 2years since I’ve been a reader of Stratscraps…getting to 100 is indeed a milestone **wipes tears** Stratscraps have been to me like a special elixir that gets me going creatively, and that is always there when I need to be inspired and encouraged to keep thinking like a deviant because that’s where my magic comes from. The Pirate readings have helped me collect priceless literature that have shaped the creative thinker & designer that I’m becoming.
Thank you Alex Morris, you’re my hero.
Congrats on 100! Always love getting your newsletter.