Eric Rothman
@ericmsandwich
Filmmaker, editor, animator, stationary bicycle rider, sandwich enthusiast. My work has won very few awards. I currently reside in Dayton, Ohio.
Eric Rothman
newhappystar.com
Something else happens in a world of superabundance, and an attention economy. Because you can’t find what you want, you start to dig yourself into very specific niches, and join sub-groups. Everyone atomizes into millions of groups connected by very specific interests. In more benign ways, it can be great – you find your fellow travelers, and I... See more
Ten (Big) Trends
Reminds me of Yuval Noah Harari’s, Sapiens, and his thesis about shared stories. Has the story of America been fractured into thousands of competing ones?
Also, I love the last sentence here, “…because you read this newsletter I’ve got your attention and we are a tiny polarized sub-group who know something others don’t, right?!” Phew, if that ain’t what makes a good newsletter!
In 1985, Nike held a 24-hour shoe design contest. Nike was struggling. Their stock dropped 50%. They had to lay off people. Adidas, Converse, and Reebok were all selling more shoes. So in a panicked attempt to find creative talent, Nike held a shoe design contest. The winner was a corporate architect named Tinker Hatfield. “Two days after the... See more
Why Veteran-Artists Don't Quit
youtube.comThings That Have Shaped Me and Documentary & Documentation
This video changed my life. I’d spent my 20’s and 30’s being confused and burned out, and the ideas in here made it all clear to me, in an instant, why. There is life as an artist before this video, and life as an artist after. Thank you Van and Tom.
Saul Bass: On Making Money vs Quality Work
youtube.com“It costs every designer money to make things beautiful.”
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car (Official Music Video)
youtube.comThis has gotta be one of the best songs ever. Just a tragic yearning for opportunity and a better life, and kindof knowing deep down that running away isn’t going to be the answer, but doing it anyway because it’s a source of hope. I love so much toward the end of the song, we are tragically seeing into the future at how things do, in fact, fall apart, but then landing back in this moment of decision to go–now or never, this or nothing. And then there’s something deeply American about it all too: the promise of self-reliance as the spoils of hard work, and the romance of hitting the road and the freedom of that.
The secret to being an artist and creator , which is, I think, to not give a fuck about what anyone thinks about you, or your work, but with integrity to your personal greatness. To create without inhibition, from a state of pure un-self-consciousness, without (dare I say) ego — which is the golden place where magical things happen. The place of... See more
the secret to freedom in art & business — kening zhu
I'm diagnosed schizophrenic, and the main barrier to re-entering the world after my first psychotic break was that I could no longer relate to the person I once was. My memories felt like memories of another person outside of myself, I didn't believe it was me. It was very traumatizing and I withdrew from everyone I knew and became catatonic for... See more
Link
There’s also a great anecdote from Nobel-winning physicist Richard Feynman, where he talks about how physics used to delight him when he used to play with it, but then it started to disgust him when he got burdened by this idea that he was obligated to advance the future of science. That he was supposed to be doing “important” work.
It’s quite... See more
It’s quite... See more