Hello, hello. Here are the things.
1 — After mentioning the Penrose Annual in last week’s Meanwhile, Alistair pointed me in the direction of Penrose 1964–73, a forthcoming book that collects the best bits from the years that Herbert Spencer was editor. Definitely one to keep an eye on, this could be stunning.
2 — Mind and eyeballs ever so slightly blown by Dune: Part Two – almost, so very almost, as good as the video game. One of these days I’m going to tackle the books, and when I do it’ll be the Folio Society’s gorgeous editions, illustrated Sam Weber by and Hilary Clarcq.
4 — “As templated tools, the proliferation of AI and the ubiquity of design tutorials make technical skills more accessible than ever, it’s simply not enough to be able to draw or design anymore. Now you need to have taste. Taste is what enables designers to navigate the vast sea of possibilities that technology and global connectivity afford, and to then select and combine these elements in ways that, ideally, result in interesting, unique work.” – Elizabeth Goodspeed on developing taste in the era of sharing, inspiration sites, and automation.
5 — Lovely video of Thomas Steinbeck on his father John’s daily stationery routine. He’d begin each morning by sharpening 24 pencils and arrange them, point up, in one box. He would write with each one until it dulled – after just three or four lines – then retire it into a second box and grab the next pencil.
6 — “A way of doing something original is by trying something so painstaking that nobody else has ever bothered with it” – Brian Eno, via Seb Emina’s Read Me newsletter.
7 — It’s happened. After years of churning out lumps of landfill pop culture, Funko have finally produced a thing that I want, I need.
This was originally posted on Meanwhile, a Substack dedicated to inspiration, fascination, and procrastination from the desk of designer Daniel Benneworth-Gray.
Banner photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.