Archive of ‘Espresso Shots‘

Catching up is one of my favourite things to do; it’s sad how little I do it – especially when it comes to people I look up to.

Roy Husada is the creative director at Rival Schools, a strategic content firm based here in Vancouver. Humble and soft-spoken, he’s not the type to brag, though he has every right to. The team at Rival Schools are experts at creating brilliant customer experiences; just ask VeriSign, Puma, McDonalds, TransLink, Kelloggs, and the rest of their high-profile clients. However, their work doesn’t stop at large corporations; they have big ambitions for Vancouver’s art scene as well. Meet Project Nightfire.

Last year, from September 10th to the 11th, the Vancouver Art Gallery was transformed into the stage of Nightfire – Vancouver’s first-ever 3D building manipulation. Collaborating with the Vancouver Opera, Rival Schools shared the story of a fallen angel for hundreds to enjoy. Roy, normally reserved, leaned forward, his eyes wide, and recollected, “For many people, this was a chance for them to experience the Vancouver Opera in a relevant way. They might not have had the chance to hear them before, but with Nightfire, they did, and they loved it. At the end of the first night, I saw a young girl begging her parents to come back; it was awesome.”

Were you there last year? Have ideas? Roy and the Rival Schools team are hoping to bring Nightfire back for 2011 and would love to hear what you think.

My memory – I broke it.

These past few years, I’ve had the chance to meet hundreds of wonderful people, but of late, my memory’s started to fizzle; it’s bursting at the seams, and I’m starting to find business cards I don’t recognize. Enter Brittany Markle.

Brittany is a Vancouver-based designer specializing in branding, print, and web design. Not remembering how we’d met, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but found her to be warm and curious, with a quirky sense of humour. Though she’s had experience with franchises like Cactus Club, her love lies with start-ups and helping them tell their stories. My favourite piece? Her school project, Superseed – a clever use of recycled materials and subtle visual cues to bring the product to life.

Looking for a visual storyteller? See more of Brittany’s work at Design Spectacle.

2010 was a momentous year, one with more triumphs than any other, but towards the end, I started to feel stifled – like I was running out of air. Really, I was running out of inspiration. Earlier this month, I read Visual Poetry and found this:

“Creativity doesn’t just happen. You have to go searching for it. If you want to become a more creative person, take time to stop, look, and listen for stories. ”

The advice was meant as a way to approach life, but I took it literally, and from it, created my latest photo project: “Espresso Shots” – a collection of photos of people I meet over coffee.

In November, I met a girl named Katie Jeanes at Beyond Pink 2010. In one of the sessions, attendees were asked to stand. Ken Sims, leading the conversation, proposed a question: “If you had one day to live, would you spend it doing what you do now at work? If so, sit down.” Of 40 attendees, two sat down, Katie being one of them.

Katie Jeanes ended up being the founder of A Little More Good, an organization dedicated to supporting benevolent initiatives. In six months, the group’s ballooned to over 40 volunteers, each working a few hours a week to promote good in and beyond their communities. With an upcoming media launch, an ever-growing team, and new opportunities overseas, Katie was nothing but smiles.

Want to do a little more good? Visit Katie and the team at www.alittlemoregood.com for more details.