drawn to chaos

sketchy social commentary

[drawntochaos]

Overheard:

Seriously, I would love to hear the other side of this conversation. #drawntochaos #overheard

[drawntochaos]

Me: “Why do you work here, again?”

Her: “I’m naturally drawn to chaos.”

[drawntochaos]

The 1st sketch is an illustration for a talk my wife gave at #CreativeMornings_CHI on failing forward. In it, she talked about how men and women have different ways (typically) of resolving and processing failure. Women tend to internalize failure whereas men strive to detach fro any inkling of failure. Strategically speaking, all of us (but Generation Y & Z) have to be taught a new way of looking at failure. Rather than seeing it as a factor from which one’s overall value as a person is based, we need to teach them how to (as Seth Godin says) solve interesting problems and to lead. Failing forward, as we’re calling it, acts as the catalyst for overall improvement in self-evaluation and capabilities. And we’re going to need these folks who have failed and learned how to solve interesting problems and how to lead in the new economy.

The 2nd sketch is one I did for a recent chat on college recruitment, but it somehow also made its way into my wife’s failure presentation. I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

[drawntochaos]

Here’s a simple illustration I did for social change presentations discussing brand gap. Interesting to think of brand gap in the context of social change and for the groups and organizations trying to bring it around: what is the distance between what you think of your brand value and what your publics evaluation of it. The further apart those perceptions and the worse time you’re going to have in making a profitable change. This is especially true for social enterprises, who have to make sure that the people you’re trying to help even want your help/product/service/charity in the first place. The thing has no value unless it gets used. First way to get a sense of whether or not they’ll use it is to see just how much they think they can trust your brand. No trust, no change.

[drawntochaos]

High-diving into a sea full of crazy. Illustrated commentary on risk taking and being bold, two things my wife has down, y’all. Both necessary for social change. Interestingly, social change is completely reliant on these type of people who walk out to the edge of the diving board, knees shaking and pulse pounding, not knowing a thing about the currents in the water or what’s lurking under the surface. Only way to know for sure, and to get it done, is to jump in.

[drawntochaos]

High-diving into a sea full of crazy. Illustrated commentary on risk taking and being bold, two things my wife has down, y'all. Both necessary for social change. Interestingly, social change is completely reliant on these type of people who walk out to the edge of the diving board, knees shaking and pulse pounding, not knowing a thing about the currents in the water or what's lurking under the surface. Only way to know for sure, and to get it done, is to jump in.

[drawntochaos]

Here's a simple illustration I did for social change presentations discussing brand gap. Interesting to think of brand gap in the context of social change and for the groups and organizations trying to bring it around: what is the distance between what you think of your brand value and what your publics evaluation of it. The further apart those perceptions and the worse time you're going to have in making a profitable change. This is especially true for social enterprises, who have to make sure that the people you're trying to help even want your help/product/service/charity in the first place. The thing has no value unless it gets used. First way to get a sense of whether or not they'll use it is to see just how much they think they can trust your brand. No trust, no change.

[drawntochaos]

The 1st sketch is an illustration for a talk my wife gave at #CreativeMornings_CHI on failing forward. In it, she talked about how men and women have different ways (typically) of resolving and processing failure. Women tend to internalize failure whereas men strive to detach fro any inkling of failure. Strategically speaking, all of us (but Generation Y & Z) have to be taught a new way of looking at failure. Rather than seeing it as a factor from which one's overall value as a person is based, we need to teach them how to (as Seth Godin says) solve interesting problems and to lead. Failing forward, as we're calling it, acts as the catalyst for overall improvement in self-evaluation and capabilities. And we're going to need these folks who have failed and learned how to solve interesting problems and how to lead in the new economy.

The 2nd sketch is one I did for a recent chat on college recruitment, but it somehow also made its way into my wife's failure presentation. I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

[drawntochaos]

Me: "Why do you work here, again?"

Her: "I'm naturally drawn to chaos."