“Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely therapy or ego satisfaction” â┚¬â€ÂErnest A. Jones (Tweeted by Urban ReThink)
Last week I gathered with colleagues from Orlando Ballet for training on our soon to be re-launched website. I suggested we meet at Urban ReThink. To be honest, I had one other encounter with Urban ReThink and I left with not necessarily a negative feeling, but not feeling like it was the creativity-enducing, out-of-the-box thinking place that it's advertised to be. I suggested Urban ReThink in part because my awesome new co-worker Anna McCambridge is involved with the trendy think tank spot.
I'm glad we met there because I got a whole new perspective on the place. Urban ReThink was a hive buzzing with quiet activity. From where we sat, we could see a meeting happening using Inforgraphics from Good magazine. The next table over, two pierced, tattooed, bearded guys shared information about who knows what on their Macs.
Could it be that Orlando is turning into a do-gooder's mecca? My internal Magic 8 ball says: Outlook Good!
Here's what I think I learned about a place like Urban ReThink: if you're not using the space to be productive, then you're going to be on the outside of the collective good vibe. The first time I went, Brendan I were simply having lunch at the satellite version of Virgin Olive Market located in Urban ReThink. As creative and inspiring as our conversations can be, we weren't there for an active purpose and the experience felt empty. I'm not sure what this means, really, I'm just sharing.
If you're an Orlandoan, I highly recommend taking advantage of the alternative workplace phenomenon that is happening across the City Beautiful. It's easy to forget the world that you're company is trying to be an active part of, unless you get out into more often. In fact, I think not doing so could be counterproductive.
For the OB team, seeing our new website for the first time outside of our headquarters, we greeted it with minds that were more open than normal. Well, at least that's how it seemed to me.
Here we are on Monday, and of course I have some links to share with you. I hope you click and find inspiration or you click and it triggers some other thought for you. Enjoy, my little do-gooders.
Green Greens
Mirimichi
Golf courses have rightly been given a bad rap as of late. As we more and more begin to take a look at the world with our green goggles on, we've realized these courses take an unusual amount of resources, not to mention the earth toll taken by their use of fertilizers and insecticides. Enter Tennessee's Mirimichi course with its environmentally friendly duffer's approach. It'll probably come as no surprise that Justin Timberlake is involved. I haven't golfed in years, but knowing JT is out there doing it has me thinking of picking up the sticks again. Is there anything he can't make sexy?
Put Your Pants on for Water
Levi's Drive for Water.org via Facebook
I love making a difference in the world just by clicking things. It's weird how an act that doesn't cost you anything, winds up staying with you. The New York Times piece is about the Levi's cause marketing campaign to help Water.org to help people get clean water, something you and I can't help but take for granted. This is my favorite part of the article: â┚¬Å”It's a campaign born from the insight that young people today want to make a positive change in the world.â┚¬Â Go, young people!
Lazarus Bags
Instinctive
While it may be a healthy slice of the consumerism pie, I miss going back to school because Mom always made sure we had brand new clothes and supplies. Nothing said education more to me than putting on a stiff, months from faded pair of Levi's and a squeaky pair of fresh Nikes. As you head out the door to class, you also need a bag for your stuff, and these bags from Instinctive using recycled materials are just the trick. Three percent of their money goes to The Wild Foundation, an international acclaimed conservation organization. On top of all that, the damn things are nifty looking and ergonomically orgasmic.
Follow, Follow, Followâ┚¬Â¦
A colleague recently convinced me to get over my trepidation about Twitter and join the virtual cool kids club and I have to admit I'm a bit addicted to it. If someone had told me I could get a daily smile from some wisecrack Steve Martin makes or get to witness Alec Baldwin bitching about politics and answering fan questions in real time, I would have become a Twit a long time ago. Follow me here @CampScottie to delve more into the world I'm saving. You can also like me on Facebook by click here.
