Weekly thoughts, 6th February 2023

1. Bragging

On the whole, bragging is not a thing to be proud of. However, this week I was introduced to the concept of the brag document. In short, a brag document is a quick recap of what you’ve been working on week by week.  While it can be a good communication tool to use with your manager for weekly reporting, it can also be an excellent substitute for long-term memory. This is highlighted by the scramble we all go through when we start looking for a new role. That point where we panic about creating case studies or a portfolio. Rather than scrabbling through fading memory and old files, wouldn’t it be much easier to be able to pull out what you need from a document that you keep updated weekly? Best-laid plans often disappear once you have a new role, but it might be worth pursuing this. Your future self will thank you.

2. The year of Magenta

At the end of each year, PANTONE predicts what they think will be the colour for the following year. For 2023, it’s the turn of Viva Magenta 18-1750. According to PANTONE, Viva Magenta is “a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying, and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement.”  Will this description help Viva Magenta find its way into your colour palette this year?

3. Exploring, outside

If you’ve read any of my previous week’s notes, you’ll know I like to spend time outside. I also encourage others to get outside too. Walking, cycling and running are all good for mental and physical health. While walking, I find so many mundane things interesting: bags in trees and odd items discarded in unusual places. These items often spark thoughts about the stories behind the objects. This may seem odd, but serendipity presented this lovely story and book review Creative Challenge: Be an explorer—which means I’m not alone in this type of wandering.

4. Data Mouse

I love Disney World. It’s my family’s happy place, and being there is enough. It truly is a magical experience, but at what cost? From booking and throughout your visit, you are being tracked and sharing your data–something I’ve never overthought, but the recent article Data Free Disney has shed new light on the amount of data collected during a visit.

5. Leftism

Last week marked the anniversary of @Leftfield releasing their incredible debut album Leftism, in 1995. This, for me, was the sound of ’95, along with Tricky and Massive Attack. Someone asked on Twitter, ‘what’s your favourite track from Leftism?’ I couldn’t pick one, as I think this album works as a whole and should be enjoyed. This got me thinking, in our streaming world of playlists have we lost the concept of the album? I don’t mean a collection of tracks, but as a whole experience, designed and created to be consumed as a single piece of aural adventure.