February 7, 2022
- Amber
- Mar 1, 2022
- 3 min read
Hello Everyone,
I was excited to select The Long Game by Dorie Clark to read this month. I am truly looking forward to hearing what everyone else thought about this book, and hearing if anyone took away anything that they thought was useful. For me the changes in the last two years have necessitated a shift in how I think about goals, what is possible, and what is possible in the moment. I found this book offered me a perspective I found particularly helpful at this time.
Something to think about
If you did not get a chance to read the book, I think this article by Steph Clarke gives a good overview of three lessons shared in the book.
This article by Karen Walker includes a short interview, and shares some of the strategies covered that talk about long term thinking for success.
Something to look at
I recently discovered the work of Amber Cowan, and I find it beautiful, strange, and hopeful all at the same time.
I appreciate the way that Cowan talks about her work and particularly enjoyed this portion of her Statement/Process section.
“When I began working with this type of glass it started out of a financial need for more inexpensive material. I was in graduate school and found a barrel of old pink glass behind the furnaces of the studio. This barrel was filled with a run of broken pink easter candy dishes with rabbits and chicken lids. The color was beautiful and technically it melted very similarly to the glass I was trained to work. This almost coincidental discovery transformed into a passion for history, industry and a new love affair with the material to which I was already in love. I began researching the rich history of the stories and formulations of the colors I was finding. These barrels of color are often the last of their run and my work will essentially give the formulas their final resting place and visually abundant celebration of life.”
Reading Goals
I recently started assisting with organizing RISD Reads. This alumni book club meetings 4 times a year and engages through an online platform between meetings. It is phased so that you read along, with dates to finish each chapter. It has been an interesting way to connect with fellow alumni who have similar interests. There are questions per chapter, as well as personal prompts. One of the recent prompts was to share your reading goals for the year. It has been fascinating to hear the goals everyone has, it has been my favorite question so far! My goal was to read a minimum of 24 books this year, although I hope to read more. I love hearing what others are reading, so in case you so as well, the below is the first books that I am thinking about. Please let me know if there is anything you are exciting to read this year, I love suggestions!
The Engineers Wife - Tracey Enderson Wood
The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure – Gerald Easter and Mara Vorhees
How to Become a Successful Artist - Magnus Resch
Artcurious -Jennifer Dasal
The Code Breaker- Walter Isaacson
The Barbizon - Paulina Bren
Caste - Isabel Wilkerson
Circe - Madeline Miller
The Eight Life- Nino Haratischvili
Antarctica - David Day
delirious new york- REM Koolhaas
The Speed of Trust- Stephen Covey
The Philosophy of Design - Ove Arup
The Design of Childhood - Alexandra Lang
The Age of Edison - Ernest Freeberg
Catherine the Great- Simon Dixon
The Wonder - Emma Donoghue
The Great Indoors - Emily Anthes
Healthy Buildings- Joseph Allen and John Macomber
Turning Pro- Steven Pressfield
The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
The Art of Noticing - Rob Walker
The Long Game – Dorie Clark
The Lean Start Up- Eric Ries
Thank you for reading, and I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Alexandra
Alexandra Gadawski AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP Associate I 617 844 2117
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