Happy Friday! ☀️
Coucou from the last dew days in the idyllic Dordogne region in France. I feel recharged and reset before heading back to work on Monday. Lots of exciting projects ahead with a new wave of clients, many of which in the impact space.
What I’m reading 📖
Every now and then you pick up a novel which grabs you from start to finish. For me, that happened with ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin. The story is delightful and absorbing. Sadie and Sam meet as young kids, become friends, share a passion for video games, and start creating their own game(s). This is a story about friendship that spans over three decades, that involves Japanese-themed gaming, loss, heartbreak but mostly love between friends. More about the book.
What I’m listening to 🎧
A few years ago a friend invited me to a dinner with Nada Surf on their off night at an Italian restaurant in Berlin. Nada Surf were hugely popular in the 90ies with their song ‘Popular’ and then went on to record some of my favorite studio albums in the early 2000s like ‘The Proximity Effect’ and ‘Let Go’ which I played on repeat for a long time. I just happened on this podcast episode in which singer and songwriter Matthew Caws shares the story of how this album was made. This propelled me back into that time and I re-listened to their songs.
What I’m watching 📺
Now that ‘Succession’ came to completion I can write about it. To me, it’s one of the best series of the past decades and in particular the final season is a masterpiece in terms of acting performance, production value, and script writing. The season was ever more special to me because I watched it alongside two commentary podcasts by The Watch and the Prestige TV podcasts which helped me appreciate the excellence of this show even more. Both podcasts discuss in depth the psychological profiles of the characters, the performance by the actors, and the writing (all these one-liners!). Watch the trailer for season 4.
What I’m thinking about 🧠
“Writing a song about something puts handles on it. It installs handles on it so you can lift it, stack it, put it out of the way.” - Matthew Caws (Nada Surf)
What else?! 💯
Visual frameworks are patterns to help you think creatively, reframe challenging situations, and imagine possible strategies and solutions. Here is a nifty collection of visual frameworks whenever you need one.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!
David
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