BY Joe Duffy
Fast Company

We are living in interesting times. Never before have we been so connected. Our ability to interact is nearly unlimited. Technology is a most formidable tool, the driver, a catalyst in the laboratory of life.

Designers thrive on the information available to us through this newly heightened era of connectivity. That said, information is not enough. We need inspiration to continue to stretch and truly reach our creative potential. I don’t believe that inspiration is sufficiently served up in even the most compelling office environments, nor among the most creative cultures. So we need to get out of the office. Design how you’re going to work. Dial it into the rest of your life and vice versa. Be purposeful about what you do, where you are, where you really need to be in order to be happy and productive.

What makes you happy? When do you feel most inspired? What is it that generates new ideas and fruitful energy in your life? Find those things. Nurture them. Respect them. Being someplace, like in the office, for appearances sake is futile.

Read the full story:

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/joe-duffy/duffy-point-view/plea-all-creatives-stop-going-work?partner=homepage_newsletter

By: Fast Company Staff | Design by: Mary-Louise Price

Designer, architect, and author Emily Pilloton is founder of the non-profit Project H Design, where chapters of designers around the world collaborate on products that improve the four H’s: habitats, humanity, health and happiness.

View the slideshow:

http://www.fastcompany.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/design-revolution.html?page=3

By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer

LARGO

The jail-issued flip-flops bear messages of violence, distress, anger and hope. They tell stories of young lives battered by abuse, torn by drugs and punctuated by crimes. • Each of the 15 pieces of artwork on display at the Pinellas County Jail was created by young inmates who have been charged or sentenced as adults, said Ramona Schaefer, program services supervisor for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. • The art installation, called Walking in our Juveniles’ Shoes, was created in honor of domestic violence awareness month, and in recognition that half of the juvenile inmates who come through the county jail have been exposed to domestic violence, Schaefer said. • The art project encourages the teenagers to consider the decisions and experiences that led to their incarceration. There are currently 46 boys and girls held at the jail. The youngest is 14; the oldest is 17. • Each pair of decorated flip-flops is accompanied by a poem or essay from the teenager. To protect their identities, the juveniles are not named. Here are some excerpts:

Read the full story:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/juvenile-inmates-at-pinellas-county-jail-express-themselves-with-art/1048395

By WALT BELCHER wbelcher

@tampatrib.com

TAMPA – Seeking an intimate experience for film buffs, Tampa’s 16th annual Independents’ Film Festival promises movies, thoughtful discussions and a party every night.

The festival, which runs Thursday through Nov. 14, showcases films produced by local, state and regional filmmakers as well as high school and college students.

The films range from documentaries, shorts, comedies and animations to the award-winning “Ghosts of Ybor: Charlie Wall,” about Florida’s first crime boss.

Events begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Nov. 11 and 13. The Nov. 12 event begins at 5 p.m., and the festival finale on Nov. 14 begins at 7 p.m.

All events will be at The Education Channel offices and studio, 703 N. Willow Ave. Seating is limited to 50 people.

Read the full article:

http://tboextra.com/content/2009/nov/01/na-tampas-16th-indie-film-festival-gets-intimate/tboextra/