What passes for work these days

Some months ago, We here at WuW transitioned from traditional commercial design work to, shall we say, a more time-eccentric, evidence-based direct interaction sort of endeavor.

 That's an extremely obfuscating way to say -- Retired.
Retirement is its own reward but it comes with some costs. Daily interactions with extremely talented colleagues, for instance, are no more.  A steady supply of tasks, the measure of Progress, Success - those are handed off to capable young practitioners eager and ready to make their marks.

 Now there is time for coffee, time for contemplation of what, exactly, constitutes Work. 
Are we still working? 

With more time each day to choose exactly what one wants to do, the ability to slow down and Look at surroundings becomes important. The ability to See life as it actually is.

This has led quite naturally to the hand-eye coordination exercise of sketching.  It's a great way to slow down, to see the texture and detail of the city, to observe, free of commercial pressure to get it Right, do it Well.

We find that we're seeing parts of our world in new ways, picking up images and viewpoints that weren't readily available in the workaday world.

So far, we like what we're seeing.

Portable Power

 As we head into the winter season, the longer, darker days seem to set creative minds to thinking about alternatives to alternative (solar) power.

 The folks at frog design created a prototype personal wind turbine that earned them a Braun Prize for sustainability in 2012. This elegant device is light, portable and will allow you to power your workstation at any windy locale, no sunlight required.

Computer power, no sunlight required

Easy as 1, 2, 3.

While we're not sure that blogging from a blustery bench would be beneficial to our output, we are fascinated by the liberating possibilities of portable, personal wind power and we applaud this truly elegant and sensuous design.It beats the hell out of a Honda gas generator.

You can read all about it HERE

Working Outdoors

As summer winds down, Herman Miller Lifework posts a question and a roundup of  outdoor work spaces. An Aeron Chair in a zen garden looks pretty sexy in a photo; but could you actually do computer work there? Let's hope the sprinkler timer is off!

Get the full story HERE
 Here at Whereuwork we remain uneasy about knitting widely different work and leisure activities together. Is anything gained by 'working' on an ipad in a park? We suspect that both realms are diminished - one's appreciation of nature as well as one's ability to do meaningful work. Multitasking can be overrated.

Izzy's Funhouse

When the Circus came to Town.

We have heard stories about the wild and playful places where some people work - the Google and Pixar palaces with loads of kids toys for grownups. They sport foosball tables and basketball hoops to fool with while they wax creative. Forced fun for a captive audience, these corporate idea mills cannot hold a candle to Izzy's Funhouse.

He's a pinball wizard, that has to be a twist...

 Izzy is an artist and commercial photographer who collects iconic trappings of 20th century American life - such as Halloween masks, paint-by-number kits and pinball machines. It turns out that a photo studio and amusement arcade can coexist quite nicely. Mechanical Pinball and arcade machines reached a zenith of popularity in the 1960's, sucking kid's quarters like slot machines. These were sturdy workhorses, designed for punishing use. Many machines are still in existence, though they now could use some TLC, if not outright rebuilding. Izzy is a handy guy, and so a corner of the photo studio has become a dedicated renovation shop for vintage arcade games.

Pre-circuit board technology

The inside of a vintage pinball machine is a collection of coils, switches, solenoids, lights and levers. This is old-school analog technology at its best. Needlenose pliers, dust brush, tweezers and a soldering iron are the preferred tools here.

The studio is in a nondescript one-story business park, about as anonymous as can be. Izzy says he misses his old Midtown Sacramento studio with its friendly neighbors, restaurants and services in easy walking distance. But more space, better layout and lower rent just make good business sense. Between photo assignments he tinkers with an old wood-rail machine, preparing for the Pacific Pinball Expo in September. It is an enviable creative environment in which to work, with stress relief always right at hand. Eat your heart out, Pixar.

Izzy Schwartz is an artist, commercial photographer and arcade aficionado residing in Sacramento. His work can be found HERE