Welcome to the midweek edition. (#34)

Here is some creative inpiration to keep you going.

From an opera singing chimpanzee to a Tank Girl and more.

Take a scroll and see if anything takes your fancy.

As always you'll find the links at the end of the newsletter.

Rodd

ADVERTISING - TV

An operatic ape.

The Royal Ontario Museum has turned to an opera singing chimpanzee to show 3bn years of history on Earth - yes you heard me correctly.

You can watch the 3-minute spot in the links below.

ILLUSTRATION

Tank Girl is back.

Jamie Hewlett has reimagined his tank-driving muse in a new piece.

Creative Boom have done a story and interview about the new work and the history of Tank Girl.

Here's a snippet.

In 1988, comic artist Jamie Hewlett and writer Alan Martin created Tank Girl—a female character with a snarl, wit, and attitude who seemed to perfectly represent the vibe of a youth culture that was tired of batting back the same-old platitudes and prejudices faced by kids in the 1970s, 1960s, '50s, and so on.

"When I first drew the Tank Girl strips, there were a couple of months where all the style press was talking about this new character – 'Tank Girl by Jamie Hewlett, and it's really cool'," says Jamie. "I think I'm much better at drawing today than I was back then, so I thought, maybe I can right a few wrongs – things I wasn't happy with when I look back on those early comic strips. It was just nice to have an opportunity to spend time with her again, really."

You can read the full piece in the links below.

GOOD CAUSE - VIDEO

Stop motion and a thermal camera tell a story for WWF.

This week, It's Nice That published a story about a new animated video for WWF from the animation studio Nomint.

For the latest instalment of its ongoing collaboration with the preservation organisation, the team have released In Hot Water — an emotive stop-motion animation that spotlights catastrophic climate issues of rising ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves, and their threat to both marine and human life.

The film follows the journey of a young boy through the ocean as the ever-increasing water temperatures transform the sea’s ecosystem, set to the soundtrack of Radiohead’s No Surprises and a slow blend of masterful sound design that mirrors the character’s descent. In true Nomint style, this carefully crafted narrative is made all the more poignant by the studio’s boundary-pushing methods for making. To achieve the film’s unique visual language this year, the team worked with thermal imaging cameras to capture a layered colour palette for the film by controlling the heat of each element of the set.

You can read the full story and watch the video in the links below.

QUOTE

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” – Edwin Land

CD COACHING

Being a Creative Director isn't easy, but if you get it right it is fulfilling and rewarding.

If you'd like to know more about my CD Coaching, please get in touch.

[email protected]

ART vs BANANAS

Why would someone pay $6.2 million for a banana?

It's the question many are asking. I currently have some bananas in a bowl on my kitchen island, I wonder why they're not worth millions.

Maria Brito published her thoughts about it this week, it's a deep dive into some of the thinking in the art world.

Here's a snippet.

Last week, Comedian, the work of sculptor and conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, that consists of a perishable banana (replaceable by the owner at their own expense) which is then affixed on the wall with duct tape following a series of instructions provided by the artist, sold for $6.2 million (including buyer’s fees) at Sotheby’s. Comedian originally debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 at the booth of Galerie Perrotin, it’s an edition of three and each was priced $120,000. Editions one and two sold to art collectors, the third edition was donated to the Guggenheim Museum.

For the buyer of the second edition (the one sold last week) there was probably a 5-year non resale clause written on his invoice as well as on a separate contract, which is customary practice of Perrotin. That may explain why the seller waited until 2024 to cash out on his banana. Comedian generated a 4,900% return on a piece of art that the original owner didn’t have to insure, pay shipping for, or store. Just a certificate of authenticity and a set of instructions which may have lived inside a safe box or casually in a drawer. It’s like the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk on steroids adapted for the 21st century.

Read the full piece in the links below.

MUSIC IS LIFE

Without music, life would be pretty empty.

Sure, I am biased, but I feel many would agree with me.

If music is not a part of my day, my day feels like something is missing.

I always suggest that creative people explore new music on a regular occasion, it can open the mind to new thinking.

As I have written about before, Mongoalian Heavy Metal throat singing was something that once i discovered it I could never get enough of it.

UK record company Rough Trade has revealed its Albums Of The Year list for 2024.

A great Aussie band Amyl And The Sniffers made the list.

Here they all are.

1. Sophie – Sophie

2. English Teacher – This Could be Texas

3. Laura Marling – Patterns in Repeat

4. The Smile – Cutouts

5. The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy

6. Idles – Tangk

7. Amyl And The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness

8. Charli XCX – Brat

9. Sprints – Letter To Self

10. Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?

11. Father John Misty – Mahashmashana

12. Big Special – Postindustrial Hometown Blues

13. Fontaines DC – Romance

14. Ezra Collective – Dance, Like No One’s Watching

15. St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

16. Clairo – Charm

17. Katy J Pearson – Someday, Now

18. Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk

19. Bill Ryder-Jones – Iechyd Da

20. Fabiana Palladino – Fabiana Palladino

Maybe check out some of the bands above and see if something tickles your eardrums.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Street and portrait photography.

I stumbled across an article recently that featured Italian photographer Vanessa Pallotta. I really love her work.

Here is an exerpt from the article.

Vanessa Pallotta, an acclaimed Italian photographer, has carved a unique niche in the world of street and portrait photography. Born in Umbria in 1980 and later moving to the vibrant city of Rome, Vanessa’s journey from rural simplicity to urban dynamism shaped her keen observational skills and artistic sensibilities.

Her passion for capturing authentic moments blossomed during her travels to countries like Cambodia, Brazil, and Morocco, where she honed her craft by blending cultural narratives with striking compositions. Today, her work, celebrated in prominent publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair, showcases her ability to transform everyday scenes into powerful visual stories, redefining the art of photography with her vibrant use of color, framing, and emotion.

You can see more of her work in the links below.

Ten things I miss about NYC.

I called NYC home for almost 12 years and I do miss it.

It's a creatively inspiring city from street art to art galleries, photogenic streets that are ideal for street photography, book shops, the best magazine shops, and visual stimuli everywhere.

So, when I was on a coaching call this week and asked what I missed most about NYC, these were my answers.

1. La Esquina

• Cool place, great tacos...and a great people-watching spot. Plus, a very photogenic exterior.

2. Printed Matter

• Books, art, zines...a great spot for those who are happy that print is not dead.

3. McNally Jackson

• Great bookshop.

4. Spring Lounge

• My favourite dive bar in the city.

5. Galleries

• So many to choose from in Chelsea and elsewhere. In fact, one day while gallery hopping I discovered an Australian artist, Brad Robson , if you don't know his art I suggest you check it out. I have added one of his pieces below.

6. Champion Pizza in Soho

• For a great slice.

7. Magazine shops

• Especially Iconic Magazines on Mulberry & Kenmare.

8. Art gallery walks in Chelsea followed by tapas and wine.

• A favourite weekend pastime was strolling around galleries and then going to somewhere like Tia Pol on 10th and W22nd for some small plates of goodness and a glass of red wine.

9. Wandering around doing street photography.

• So many photographic spaces, places, and faces.

10. K&M Camera.

• The place for all things photography.

So if you're planning to visit NYC maybe add some of the above to your list of places to go for a little inspiration, and a good slice of pizza or a great taco.

WANT TO SPEND ONE YEAR WITH ME?

Something new for 2025.

I'm introducing a 12-month coaching program.

For those who want a coach and copilot for the year ahead.

This is for

• People who want to grow and develop their creative careers.
• Current and aspiring Creative Directors/Leaders.
• Creative agency/studio founders.

This includes

• A monthly video call session.
• Emails between calls.
• WhatsApp for urgent advice.

Get in touch if you want to know more. Limited spaces available.

[email protected]

PRINT'S NOT DEAD - PHOTOGRAPHY ZINE

Moments captured and preserved.

I found another great photography zine of Japan Camera Hunter's site/blog.

This one is from Tadeas Plachy, a European based photographer. Shooting exclusively in black and white, he is a member of the documentary photography collective Verum Photo who shoot strictly in black and white as well.

See more of the zine and read more about Tadeas and his work in the links below.

2-HOUR GROUP CALLS

Get aligned for 2025

Limited to 10 people per group.

Engaging in discussions on topics important to creative professionals.

All participants can also submit a topic to be discussed.

Q&A time.

The last ones I did of this were popular so I am bringing them back.

These will be in December.

Dates - Dec 5, 9, 11. 7pm EST.

Get in touch for more information and to secure a spot.

[email protected]

And that's it.

Happy midweek.

I'll be seeing you here on Saturday for a weekend edition.

Rodd

• Watch the Royal Ontario Museum's opera singing chimpanzee video, here.
• Read the full interview with Jamie Hewlett in Creative Boom, here.
• See the WWF video and story, here.
• Art - why do people buy bananas for millions, read about it here.
• Read more about Vanessa Pallotta's photography here.
• Vanessa Pallotta's Instagram is here.
• See artist Brad Robson's art, here.
• Print's not dead, another great photography zine can be found, here.
• See Tadeas Plachy's Instagram, here.

#inspiration #creativity #advertising #ideas #design