Wow! Another year gone. And a special one it has been. 2011 was the year I launched my long awaited dream UNDSCVRD. And what a launch it was. Good times, bad times. 2 sides of the same medal. But the first year was an amazing experience and definitely got me hooked.
What made it such an amazing experience is not just the business success of it. What I love most is the independence of running your own business, creating your own universe (however small it may be) and all the amazing people you get to meet.
We are raised in school with the idea that we need to find a job, settle down, get a kid, get a mortgage and work hard for when you retire. Don’t get me wrong here, there’s nothing wrong with that if that makes you happy. This didn’t make me happy though. And now I know why.
So think about what will make you really happy. Jump out of bed in the morning. Work till early mornings with a smile on your face. Is your current job really doing that?
What I want to say here is that life is way too short to waste it doing something you don’t love. This love is what makes people do great things. So find out what you love, and find a way to make a living out of it. There are plenty of opportunities. You just need to seize them.
I did it last year. And if I can do it, so can you.
I posted about this documentary a while back, and I finally had the chance to see it. And I loved it. A really moving portrait of an artists. A must see! Perfect for the holidays. Here’s the trailer again!
The good thing about flying and owning an iPad is that you get to watch all movies you wanted to see for so long. This time watched Hoop Dreams. A classic documentary about two young basketball players from the ghettos of Chicago trying to make it to the NBA. William Gates and Arthur Agee are followed from when they are 14 untill they are in their 20′s. You see them go through all sorts of struggles, both on and off the pitch.
The documentary lasts about 3 hours, but I wasn’t bored for a second. A very moving story. Check it out.
My friends over at THEY have created a really cool mobile app for the holidays: Avoid The Crowds.
We all know those days when you’re shoulder to shoulder in the main shopping streets and stores. This app aggregates all social checkins for these main areas and tells you whether or not you should avoid a certain area. At the moment its for Amsterdam only, but expect it to go to other cities and moments (e.g. Avoid The Beach)
Love the simplicity and the creative use of social data. Big compliments guys!
Although I consider myself a digital native, somehow I still like to make physical to do lists. I guess the digital ones are easier to ignore. Thats why I love these Desk-It Weekly Calendar notes from Poketo. I simply stick them on my screen and that way I am reminded of what I actually need to do all the time.
Ever since Steve jobs announced he had ‘cracked’ the future of TV it has become somewhat of a hot topic. All of a sudden there are concepts popping up everywhere. Like GOAB, in the clip above by SyZyGy. I must say this looks pretty awesome. Have a look.
All data available on all devices looks pretty awesome. Unfortunately I believe that this will not happen anytime soon because all major media corporations will start defending their channels. I hope they’ll realize that collaboration can make this truly great, but I expect them to all start inventing their own ‘wheel’.
Check out this great Tumblr called Awesome People Hanging Out Together. A collection of awesome people hanging out. I particularly like the older ones. Like the one of Yves St. Laurent and His Fashion Highness Karl Lagerfeld.
Or the one below of Debby Harry and Andy Warhol.
And this beautiful shot of Hubert de Givenchy with Audrey Hepburn in Paris.