From the Most Creative Minds…
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Dear Ingenious Reader,
As my uncle used to say, all writing is about perspective. We’re bringing you the perspectives from the internet’s most creative minds. From the business behind English muffin rankings to the business behind music streaming, we got you covered. From the philosophy behind K-pop to the philosophy behind Thomas Babington Macaulay’s decision to stop writing for the Edinburgh Review, we got you covered. From the practicality behind of the media drinking its own blood to the practicality behind personalized marketing, we got you covered. These stories are straight fire. Enjoy.
ART
The Philosophy of BTS: K-Pop, Pop Art, and the Art of Capitalism by Philosophy PhD Heidi Samuelson. “If a K-pop group writing in a language I don’t know can get me to this point of contemplation/existential crisis, then maybe there’s something deeper here than what on the surface appears to be a shallow culture of celebrity — what a critical theorist might call an entertainment machine — that exploits the deep pockets of anyone with expendable income and gives impressionable young people unrealistic expectations for life, love, and beauty.”
Life Is The Sum Of What You Focus On. by Learner Philomon Sylvester. “When George Grote undertook the History of Greece, he had to give up his business. Macaulay, when he began the History of England, he had to drop writing articles for the Edinburgh Review. When all is said, the greatest art is to limit and isolate oneself to a single department and exclude everything fitted to distract.”
Why embarking on a year of black and white photos matters by Christine Denker. “The hectic schedule, the too many irons in the fire, and the inability to say no to another commitment are all too familiar battle cries for many of us. But my 51st year is going to be different, and it’s all because of black and white photos. As strange as that sounds. When I look at the color filtered out, I’m left with something rich, detailed, and eye-catching. It’s simple. I slow down. And I really look. I see it almost as if I’m viewing it for the first time. Fresh eyes. And it’s magnificent.”
PLUS
The Media Will Eat Itself Because Fiction is More Powerful Than Truth by Faris. “Seeing as how this is the Media page, the answer should be obvious: coverage has become news. The very existence of a page dedicated to itself is a clear indication of the new introspective role of the media. Events are no longer as important as how they are being reported. The media vampire can now drink its own blood” (originally published in 1998 about the Bill Clinton scandal).
Dear Bon Appetit’s English Muffin Tasters by Writer & Film Maker Nick Geisler. “For today is the day Bon Appetit released the coveted, time-honored Thomas Guide, a ranking of every English muffin flavor. The byzantine review process of the hallowed B.A. test kitchen is, of course, a trade secret guarded by Anthony Bourdain and an egg beater. Everyone knows that. What everyone doesn’t know is that the whole thing, this cherished ranking, is a well-oiled Dutch Oven of high-grade industry bullshit.”
How Streaming Is Changing Music by American Jebus. “We’ve moved away from major labels dominating music the way they did in the ’90s and early 2000s, but streaming services hold the potential to fill that role, particularly since it accounted for 51.4 percent of US music revenue in 2016, up from 34 percent in 2015 and 9 percent in 2011, per the Recording Industry Association of America. At the extremely cynical end, songwriting is now starting to contort to fit the aesthetic and audience of certain playlists; trying to second-guess what will go viral.”
MARKETING
150 average Americans draw 10 famous logos and the results are a hilarious lesson on logo design by Design & Marketing Professional Linda Caroll. “Okay, so most people aren’t artists. But (for the Apple logo)… — 31% added a stem. (there’s no stem) — 25% completely forgot the leaf — 22% drew the bite on the wrong side — 16% completely forgot the bite.”
10 ways to drive sales with personalization that will blow your mind by Justin Yek. “The most important principle when undertaking big data and personalization is that you should do less. Senior management or executives often want to implement the whole shebang at once. This approach often leads to disappointment and many years of marketing, engineering and data science work with non-consequential business impact.”
I Was Named A Top 25 Marketer By Forbes. Here’s Why I Don’t Like Calling Myself That by Nicolas Cole. “I just know first-hand (and 50 million views later) that “marketing” doesn’t work. If you have something you want to share with the world, a story, a message, a mission, then that’s not marketing. That’s art. That’s expression. That’s feeling, and emotion, tone and style. Charging per word? What a horrible way of measuring success. I judge my value based on each piece. Did it say what it needed to say? Did it capture what it needed to capture? Did it leave the reader feeling refreshed, educated, entertained, eager wanting more?”
Go out there, and do something creative for another.
Kind Regards,
P.S. Look good, feel good, do good — our sponsor, Bombas, donates a pair of socks to those in need for every pair purchased. Use promo ARTMARKETING for 20% off.
