Cryptic Musings

This blog is a 'scrapbook' where I collect and share lots of different aspects of creativity and imagination (design, craft, art and the undisciplined) and where I store resources for creative research work or examples for teaching design to others. It may express my work in progress on creative research in general, Design-led appoach to sustainability research more specifically, and supporting creative practices.

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Dactylis glomerata - Cat Grass

For all those cat lovers out there, I wanted to share a little cheat: Dactylis glomerata is Cat Grass, a pasture grass also known as Cock's-foot. I recently bought a tiny little packet of ‘cat grass’ seeds from the local nursery to grow for my indoor cats... they love it! So, I asked the rural supplier for Cock’s-foot and bought a much more cost effective 1kg bag of Dactylis glomerata seed. I’ve sown three pots to rotate inside for the cats and hoping to see if the dogs like it too.

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Multispecies Storytelling in Intermedial Practices

This transdisciplinary conference is hosted by the Centre for Intermedial and Multimodal Studies, at Linneaus University, Sweden. Welcome to Växjö January 23-25, 2019.

This transdisciplinary conference is hosted by the Centre for Intermedial and Multimodal Studies, at Linneaus University, Sweden. Welcome to Växjö January 23-25, 2019.

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Holobiont Urbanism is a research endeavor that sets out to study, map, and visualize the microbiome of New York City, inviting participants to reimagine the city they live in as more than a vast metropolis, but rather as a complex and adaptive biological superstructure. Quantitative and artistic methods are used to produce data visualizations that are the basis for a data art installation created by using thermal imaging to capture a live video stream of streets in New York, web-based 3D technologies to artistically render the video, and a design aesthetic crafted from a scientific framework. The project seeks to distort the participant’s perception of the known reality so as to see the city through the lens of the microbial world. Once aware of the companion species that live among us, on us, and in us, participants may begin to review what it means to be human and their relationship to their bodies and to their urban environments. 

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Lawn as ecological and cultural phenomenon: Search for sustainable lawns in Sweden | Externwebben

The Lawn project is researching the cultural and ecological phenomenon of lawns - the most common and popular feature of urban spaces around the world.

The Lawn project is researching the cultural and ecological phenomenon of lawns - the most common and popular feature of urban spaces around the world.

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We help birds be safe from cats

Birdsbesafe® cat collar covers protect birds from cats. They use bright colors to make your hunting cat easy for songbirds to see and fly away from. U.S.-made.

Birdsbesafe® cat collar covers protect birds from cats. They use bright colors to make your hunting cat easy for songbirds to see and fly away from. U.S.-made.

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Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife.

We are building a community of cat owners who can provide their cat with the longest and happiest lives possible, while protecting local wildlife. Join our community today for access to the latest advice, tips, and tools to keep your cat safe and happy.

We are building a community of cat owners who can provide their cat with the longest and happiest lives possible, while protecting local wildlife. Join our community today for access to the latest advice, tips, and tools to keep your cat safe and happy.

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Viveka wowing the crowd with colour and movement talking about cities as colliding unwelt #fennerurban “let nature in the cities shape the nature of the cities” conceptualising our urban coexistence with other species with Prof. Paul Osmond UNSW (post by Kathy Eyles)

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Old Finnish People With Things On Their Heads - Lara Sanchez

Almost a year ago I discovered this photo series at Kiasma – The Museum of Modern Art in Helsinki, Finland. Photographers, Karoline Hjorth and Riitta Ikonen came up with something truly peculiar and special, in their photo series Eyes As Big As Plates. Their subjects are old, super serious and Finnish, all while wearing ridiculous “organic” head pieces and attire…need I say more? Images via VisualNews and Riitta Ikonen.

Almost a year ago I discovered this photo series at Kiasma – The Museum of Modern Art in Helsinki, Finland. Photographers, Karoline Hjorth and Riitta Ikonen came up with something truly peculiar and special, in their photo series Eyes As Big As Plates. Their subjects are old, super serious and Finnish, all while wearing ridiculous “organic” head pieces and attire…need I say more? Images via VisualNews and Riitta Ikonen.

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Making the digital physical and comic book aesthetic problem book

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Untaming Aesthetics

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INU YOCHI Dog Pod, Hound Heaven

SCORE ONE for the designer and for MUJI if they ever intend to manufacture it. The Dog Pod takes the Japanese minimalist aesthetic and serves up

Example of a design for animal aesthetic agency - enabling the dog to write their own aesthetics of comfort in the Inu Yocki

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The Interspecies Internet - Conservation

Why restrict the Web to one species?

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Bug Art - Conservation

Steven Kutcher is an artist, an entomologist, a teacher—and a Hollywood bug wrangler. Kutcher got his start in bug art in the 1980s when he was asked to figure out how to make a fly walk through ink and leave footprints for a Steven Spielberg–directed TV project. From there he went on to work with