Official blog of The Great Discontent.
@greatdiscontent
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Want to know what initiative looks like? Read this interview with James White. He grew up in a small town where the schools didn’t offer art programs. Even so, James loved drawing from a very young age and explored his interest in art with encouragement from family. At 18, his high school guidance counselor gave him a brochure for a graphic design course and his life trajectory was forever changed. He studied graphic design and then moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to work at an agency—but that’s only the beginning of the story. James’ prolific body of self-initiated work has led high-profile clients to knock on his door and, as a result, Singnalnoise Studio was born. James continues to push the boundaries of his work and challenges all of us to chase after what we love to do—because no one is going to do it for us.
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The story of 37signals is widely known among those who use and love the company’s web-based apps, but what about the story of Jason Fried, President and co-founder of 37signals? We had the pleasure of talking with Jason, a fellow Midwesterner, who recalled his path prior to 37signals. Although he originally pursued a finance degree, an interest in developing software led him to working on the web and the rest is history. In addition, his early job experiences taught him about the kind of company he wanted—and didn’t want—to build as well as the kind of culture he wanted to create. And he set out to do just that. Read on to learn about Jason’s personal path and to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophies that have shaped the way he does business and why he’s most interested in making something that stands the test of time.
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It’s an honor to finally have Matthew Smith on TGD! We have followed Matthew’s work online for some time and finally had the chance to meet him in person last October at Brooklyn Beta. This guy is the real deal! He is super talented and has a heart of gold. After a long journey from hopeful fine artist to designer and entrepreneur, Matthew’s path has taken shape to reveal a man who truly cares about the work he does, but it goes beyond that. His desire to make a meaningful mark on those around him is evident in all he has accomplished in the last few years and we know this is just the beginning. Read on to learn about Matthew’s journey, be encouraged by his story, and be challenged by his bravery to ask the tough questions about the work we do and what really matters.
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Simply put, we love Sara’s illustration work! Wanting to know more about the person behind the art, we reached out to Sara, who invited us to do an interview at her studio. There, we conversed about her path from growing up in Virginia to living and working in New York City, how she came to find such a distinct style of illustrating, the people who have impacted her the most along the way, and how she balances freelance work with a day job. In short, she works her ass off, which is her advice to all of us—we couldn’t agree more! Talent is an essential foundation, but the willingness to work hard and break a sweat is crucial to success. Thanks for reminding us of that, Sara!
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Louise Fili is a force to be reckoned with; a trailblazer who has relentlessly pursued her interests to create a stunning, uncompromising body of work over the course of the last several decades. Interviewing someone as widely recognized and celebrated as Louise Fili is such an incredible, yet daunting, honor. Graciously, Louise extended an invitation to meet at her studio, where we conversed about her all-time favorite things: type, food, and Italy. We also talked about her path spanning from childhood years to present-day, which revealed her as a woman who is not only prolific in her art, but also rich with wisdom. Thank you, Louise, for inspiring me—and all of us—with your passion for what you do!
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We’ve followed Bobby’s blog for a long time and have downloaded our fair share of wallpapers from The Fox Is Black’s Desktop Wallpaper Project, which is why we were excited to finally have a chance to talk with the man behind it all. It wasn’t a surprise to learn that Bobby works really hard—he runs TFIB and has a full-time job at Disney!—but we loved that even though he’s super busy, he has a really positive attitude about life, challenges included. It was fun learning about his early years, hearing what he’s up to now, and getting a glimpse into his future plans. Best of luck, Bobby, and thanks for sharing your story with all of us!
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Have you ever met someone who is so excited about what they do that it’s contagious? Okay, now imagine two people who are so passionate about their work that they live and breathe it—that’s Scott and Vik, the dynamic couple behind charity: water. We met Scott and Vik at the charity: water space in Lower Manhattan, where they engaged us with stories about their lives leading up to charity: water, which is when their paths converged into one. From humble beginnings, they sacrificed, risked, and never gave up. Because of their determination and willingness to dream big, charity: water has grown to change the way people think about nonprofits and has brought clean, safe drinking water to people all over the world.
Make no mistake—this interview will encourage you, inspire you, challenge you, and then, it will call you to action. There are millions of people who need clean water and we can help. We’ve started a TGD charity: water campaign and will be raising $5,000 for clean water. Donate to the campaign and join us in changing lives with water!
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This guy is a prolific letterer and between his freelance work and personal projects for Friends of Type—a site he cofounded with friend Aaron Carámbula—there’s no doubt that Erik has skills. While he initially studied design, Erik briefly thought he would take over his dad’s masonry business—thankfully, he didn’t. After a gallery internship, Erik was inspired to pursue what he truly wanted to do. Read on for the rest of his story, including how Friends of Type came to be, what he’s working on now, what lies ahead, and why Erik’s open to reinvention at any stage of the game.
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Debbie Millman has interviewed over 200 people for her podcast, Design Matters, and the opportunity to ask her the questions was exciting, albeit slightly intimidating. With 30 years of professional experience and a multitude of personal projects under her belt, Debbie shows no intention of slowing down—this woman is a force in the world of design. But there’s more to her story than her current successes. In fact, Debbie was generous in sharing about the years of rejection and despair that she experienced before finding her niché. Her stories and insights will challenge you, encourage you, and confirm that you’re not alone in your struggles—but in Debbie’s words, sometimes “the worst moments of our life can turn out to the best.” So go on, get up, hold your head high, and move forward in your pursuits. Be brave, bold, and above all, keep trying.
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Chris Shiflett and Cameron Koczon are two of the most stand-up guys we’ve ever met and we’re super lucky to call them friends. Not wanting to be in the spotlight, they were initially reluctant to do this interview, but we got them to say yes. Get ready, folks! Our conversation covers a lot of ground—design, business, Brooklyn Beta, cowboy movies, risk, legacy vs. impact, 83(b)s, mentors, advice, pizza, and life lessons—but whatever parts resonate with you, we know you’ll be challenged and inspired by the wisdom, wit, and candor of these two. Thanks, Chris and Cameron, for kicking off 2013 with us—we couldn’t think of better company!
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