✧ This is our weekly inspiration roundup in which we share a few things that moved us or made us think this week. ✧
Here's what's been on our minds.
These cozy workspaces
This quote from Oscar Wilde
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
Highlight the text, quotation marks included, and right click to save this to your mind as a quote.
This interview with designer Justin Donnelly
“Once you have arrived at the canyon’s floor, an evening breeze makes a whooshing sound that is other-worldly. It is untouched by modern man. And it’s the only place I’ve been in America where I did not see another human being for the entire duration of my weeklong trip. No selfie sticks. No garbage.”
For all our fellow cinephiles, we're pleased to share:
˗ˏˋNew & improved movie cardsˎˊ˗
Save a movie or TV Series with a click from somewhere like IMDB, Letterboxd or Rotten Tomatoes, and it will magically show up in your mind with a lovely poster design.
Open the card to reveal more details about the movie, including the rating, runtime and reviews.
✦ Mastermind members will also see an AI summary of the movie right above the tags.
Search movies or films, or any keyword from the movie title, to find it later in your mind.
Save your favorite films, movies you want to watch and curated watchlists for your friends. The real film buffs can make Spaces for each genre.
Justin Donnelly is the co-founder and furniture designer behind Jumbo, an NYC-based design practice creating joyful, whimsical pieces you've likely stumbled upon online. With soft edges and thick forms, the furniture appeals to your inner child – you want to touch it, climb it, maybe even gnaw on it. We're big fans of Jumbo's approach to design, so we had to ask Donnelly what's been on his mind.
What’s the best compliment you received recently?
I’m a clothes horse, and I like it when people notice. In fact, I’m so particular about my clothes that I order most of them from Japan, via a third party shipping company called WorldShipping. There is no exchanging the clothes if they don’t fit, so it’s a commitment. In return for this leap of faith, I have some very unique cuts and materials, and the piecework/sewing is unmatched.
Click the + button in your browser to save a website to your mind.
What’s the last thing you read?
For my birthday this year, our studiomate Kickie gave me a book Die with Zero by billionaire energy trader, Bill Perkins. The book outlines a framework for maximizing net fulfillment over net worth.
In childhood, I framed my life around curation of vintage clothes and objects rather than buying new stuff. As a result, I learned to save what I earned. Over time, it became more and more difficult for me to spend money.
Die with Zero is essentially a philosophy to spend down what you have saved, and for me, it has been very beneficial. In addition to loosening up about my material purchases, I’ve begun to reframe my life around prioritizing experiences over achievements. This philosophy has helped me to turn down projects that aren’t emotionally rewarding, and take on projects that aren’t lucrative. I feel richer for the read.
What do you want to read next?
Every week, it’s the next issue of the New Yorker. I’m a bit of an obsessive, so I tend to dive deep into a specific topic or genre (I’m engrossed with what is happening with groundwater and water rights and so should you). The NYer helps to curb these obsessions by exposing me to a broad range of subject matter that I might not seek out on my own.
I subscribed to the magazine before I moved to New York, and the publication takes on another dimension when you live here – Goings On?Tables for Two? The NYer has so many great recommendations for what to see, do and eat in New York City. I try to read every issue cover-to-cover, which is ambitious, but I come close. And then I recycle them, so they don’t take up valuable space in my apartment.
To find articles you've saved later, search the publication or any keyword you remember.
It’s as true today as it was 400 years ago. Our fundamental appreciation of the natural world has not changed much in spite of all of our material and technological advances. Now that we have access to many centuries of art and design from different cultures and places, it has become more difficult to achieve an object that feels fresh or different. In our design practice, we use exaggerated proportions in an attempt to elicit surprise or delight.
Best gift you’ve ever given?
A trip to somewhere new. There is no better gift than planning a trip for someone you care about. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a long or expensive, it’s the thought that counts.
Where do you want to travel next?
The Maze in Canyonlands National Park is one of the most beautiful places in America and it is one of the most remote. I used to not talk about it, for fear that it would be overrun by adventure-seekers. But now that the Colorado River is experiencing historic lows due to drought and overuse, I'm not particularly concerned about the secret getting out.
Today, you have to really want it to visit. The best way to get there is by chartered fan-boat up the river, followed by a ¼ mile vertical ascent up the face of a cliff, and a ¼ mile vertical descent into the basin of a many-fingered slot-canyon. Once you have arrived at the canyon’s floor, an evening breeze makes a whooshing sound that is otherworldly. It is untouched by modern man. And it’s the only place I’ve been in America where I did not see another human being for the entire duration of my weeklong trip. No selfie sticks. No garbage. It is a place that was sacred to native peoples, for reasons that I won’t get into, and I still get chills thinking about my last trip there.
What would you buy, if money weren’t an issue?
I think that private property is a crime. But yeah. I’d buy a nice piece of land and build a house with a pool and collaborate with a landscape architect to make it look like the house has existed for a century or more.
What hobby would you take up, if you had the time?
Tennis. I would learn to play tennis. I just love everything about it. My design partner Monling calls all ball sports “sports-ball.” But even she can’t deny the aesthetic allure of tennis. We have even themed some furniture design projects around the sport. And for me as a New Yorker, attending the US Open each fall is a must. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is like a microcosm of the City, which often acts like an exclusive nightclub; there is a grim approach to the complex where you are hemmed-in by thousands of other attendees queueing on a rickety pedestrian bridge over what looks like a graveyard for MTA subway cars. Or you can approach from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, away from the sweating crowd, with the shadow of Gilmore Clarke’s Unisphere at your back, knowing that you are a New Yorker in the know.
What’s an image or piece of art you can’t get out of your head?
A few years ago, I corresponded briefly with the English painter Issy Wood. I discovered her via Real Review magazine, and thought she had the funniest and most charming essay. Her early works feature tightly cropped coats and jackets made from nylon and leather. And I love the way she lays down paint. For me, it is a perfect combination of subject matter and technique. We discussed exchanging a Neotenic Chair for a small painting, but the conversation ended prematurely, and now I’m not sure we could afford her work today (hiiii Issy!).
Right click an image to save it to your mind, or long press and share it to the mymind app on mobile.
A product of any kind you’ve been appreciating lately?
This is almost an impossible question for a furniture designer. There are so very many products that I appreciate. Curveball—I’ll start with a trash can. I love the lidded bin by Perigot for Rossignol, the ski manufacturer—it’s precise engineering and fun colors, and it has a luxe mechanical operation. It’s unfortunately no longer made, so good luck hunting them down. Every day, I eat from what I consider rather-neutral tableware by the Bouroullecs for Alessi. Silverware is one of the few things in the house I don’t want to be overdesigned. This particular design, Ovale, has slightly nicer proportions than Jasper Morrison’s KnifeForkSpoon. But if I was in the market for a new set, I would go with Naoto Fukasawa Itsumo Flatware, because it is a little bit softer and rounder. It’s a bit cuter. And I love anything designed by Aldo Bakker.
To find a product later in your mind, search "products" or any keyword you remember.
The funniest thing you’ve seen or heard lately?
I followed @shittynewyorkercartooncaptions on IG for over a year before I discovered that one-half of the submissions are penned by an old friend. It’s male. It’s juvenile. It’s ridiculous. I think they might have discontinued the feed earlier this summer? If you are reading Matt, I’m hoping you just took a holiday for the summer.
With the mymind browser extension installed, enable Instagram integration. Then hover over an Instagram post and click the +Save button.
If you could build an extension of your own mind, what would it look like? How would it work?
My mind? An internet browser with too many damn tabs open. ⚘
✧ This is our Sunday inspiration roundup, in which we share a few things that moved us or made us think this week. ✧
Here's what's been on our minds.
The coziness and timelessness of wooden interiors
Right click an image or long press on mobile to add or share it to your mind.
This quote from Seneca
“A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.”
Highlight the text, quotation marks included, and right click to save this to your mind as a quote.
This meme
To find this later in your mind, search “present” or “reactions” or "clown."
This interview with designer Kendall Latham
Kendall Latham describes his work as designed anthropology: informed by place and inspired by people. The experiences he's designed for brands like Glossier, Calvin Klein, Dior and Raf Simons are indeed transportive yet grounded in community and location. After admiring his designs and appreciating a few of them in person, we were curious about the mind behind the work.
Kendall Latham describes his work as designed anthropology: informed by place and inspired by people. The experiences he's designed for brands like Glossier, Calvin Klein, Dior and Raf Simons are indeed transportive yet grounded in community and location. After admiring his designs and appreciating a few of them in person, we were curious about the mind behind the work.
What’s the best compliment you received recently?
A friend texted me and thanked me for being a really great friend, and I think that’s one of the best compliments you can get (and give)!
What’s the last thing you read?
I read an extremely sad book called "The End of Eddy" by Edouard Louis. It’s an autobiographical novel centered around growing up gay in working-class France.
What do you want to read next?
After the last book, I need something funny and/or dark — probably something by David Sedaris (last one I read was "Calypso", which is hysterical). I tend to read more than one book at once because I have a short attention span and need to jump between genres.
A quote that’s meaningful to you?
“Say it, forget it. Write it, regret it.” -Dorinda Medley
Right click GIFs to save them to your mind.
Best gift you’ve ever given?
Once I went to a birthday party for someone I didn’t know that well at the time, and brought one of these cool birthday cake candles from John Derian Company. When I gave it to him, he told me no one had brought a cake, so we lit the candle and everyone sang Happy Birthday, which was cute.
Click the + button in your browser to save the link to your mind as a product.
Where do you want to travel to next?
I know everyone says this but I really want to go to Japan. Everyone has been except me!
What would you buy, if money weren’t an issue?
Boring answer but I would buy a house by the water — somewhere accessible by train, so I can go there whenever I want.
What hobby would you take up, if you had the time?
Fencing! It’s exciting to me because I’m not one to take physical risks, but I’m also extremely competitive. Plenty of safety equipment and the sabres aren’t real!
What’s an image or piece of art you can’t get out of your head?
Search "TV Series" or "Catherine" to find this later in your mind.
If you could build an extension of your own mind, what would it look like? How would it work?
It would probably take the form of some weird Rube Goldberg machine. Something that approaches seemingly straightforward and mundane tasks with creativity, kookiness. ⚘
To find this later in your mind, search “connected” or "Tom Ford."
This interview with tech enthusiast Will Bowers
Good taste and tech don't always go together, which makes Will Bowers an exception. His tech reviews are refreshingly clean, keen and useful. So it was a compliment when we learned he uses mymind. We asked Bowers to share what he's been thinking on lately.
mymind is now even better at saving, organizing and finding images for you.
Here's what's new.
✦ Smarter AI tags ✦
The automatic tags for images are now more accurate and specific, making it easier to find them later in a search.
✦ Image summaries ✦
Images now include a TLDR section, giving you a paragraph summary of the image contents. It's surprisingly smart about understanding and noting the details! This section is indexed too, meaning you have more to work with while searching.
✦ Images are now auto-titled! ✦
Your mind will title the image for you based on its understanding of the content. No more weird file names or unnamed cards. And of course, these titles are also indexed.
Good taste and tech don't always go together, which makes Will Bowers an exception. His tech reviews are refreshingly clean, keen and useful. So it was a compliment when we learned he uses mymind. We asked Bowers to share what he's been thinking on lately.
What’s the best compliment you received recently?
Not long ago, somebody who I consider to be a bit of a “digital mentor” told me they took inspiration from some of my recent work.
This was a person who I learned a LOT from over the past few years, so getting that type of recognition from them was a lovely feeling that has stuck with me for months.
What’s the last thing you read?
“The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin. Not only does this book look great on a coffee table or shelf, I believe the contents of it are essential for anyone who wants to be more in touch with their creativity.
It's currently my go-to recommendation for any of my friends who suffer from writer's block, and I find myself re-reading sections of the book whenever I need a bit of a reset.
What do you want to read next?
A book that was recently recommended to me called “The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek. I do a lot of business/non-fiction reading so when I heard this is similar to some of the stuff I enjoyed in the past, I had to pick it up.
Beyond that, one of my favorite relaxation books I find myself revisiting often is “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living” by Meik Wiking. This one is great to flip through before bedtime, and was a big part in my desire to create “cozy” living spaces in my home.
A quote that’s meaningful to you?
“Stay hungry, stay foolish.” - Steve Jobs
Highlight the text, quotation marks included, and right click to save this to your mind as a quote. Right click the image to save it.
I personally think a healthy dose of delusion is necessary when chasing one's dreams, so this quote has always been a reminder to push myself forward while ignoring the self doubt that only serves to hold me back.
Best gift you’ve ever given?
My favorite gift to give to anyone tends to be exposure to new foods and experiences. I take deep pride in being able to introduce people to new things they have never tried, and I'm always looking for personalized ways to do this for my family and friends. A delicious meal or a well thought out day trip will go a long way in my books.
Where do you want to travel to next?
I seem to have been bitten by the New York City bug in a big way as I am planning my second visit in as many years this Fall. I’m quite a big fan of the non-stop beautiful chaos that exists in the city, and after being raised in a small town in Arizona I love surrounding myself in that environment.
Australia, Spain and Japan are also high on my list of destinations I hope to visit in the not so distant future.
What would you buy, if money weren’t an issue?
I would buy a plot of land somewhere in the Vancouver area with a view of nature and enough space for all of my family and friends to visit comfortably whenever they wanted. I’d love to build myself a studio space in the home that allows me to make videos with zero friction, and an art studio for my wife.
Big picture, however, I’m realizing as I get older that I’m less motivated by physical possessions. I want to use my resources to benefit causes to preserve the planet or provide relief to marginalized communities.
What hobby would you take up, if you had the time?
I recently discovered that I am very inspired by interior design! I’ve started carving out dedicated time to learn more about this and the deeper I go, the more I realize I enjoy design as a whole.
I also have a background in the streaming/gaming space that I wish I could spend more time doing, since it was such a big part of my life when I was figuring out this whole content creation thing. Maybe it's time to revisit some of that soon.
What’s an image or piece of art you can’t get out of your head?
This shot of Charles Leclerc after finally securing his first Monaco F1 win in front of his home crowd. His big win came after years of bad luck and having it slip through his fingers countless times. The headfirst dive into the marina while still in full race clothing shows the pure elation of the moment.
A product of any kind you’ve been appreciating lately?
Lately I’ve been testing out using an iPad as a replacement for my laptop when I travel. The Apple Pencilspecifically has made me feel MUCH more creatively inspired when using this compared to a standard laptop.
The funniest thing you’ve seen lately?
I feel it is only fair to give credit for this one to the greatest cinematic masterpiece of my time: Shrek 2.
If you could build an extension of your own mind, what would it look like? How would it work?
I imagine it would be similar to the waves in the ocean. My mind is constantly cycling between periods of calm and intense periods of productivity and motion, similar to the changing tides of the sea. My focus is far from linear, but the common thread is that I know the next big “wave” is often right around the corner. ⚘
mymind is a private place to collect your thoughts without pressure to curate or censor for others. A reservoir of pure ideas, inspiration and reference to draw from.
There's a time and place to collaborate and share your ideas with others.
Spend time alone with your mind, and those ideas will be even better.
These cozy workspaces
Watch the video to see how it works
