Hi there!
Get comfortable, this is an extended edition. It’s also been a while(!) thanks to a few reasons:
Firstly, I’ve decided to switch this newsletter from weekly to monthly updates to keep up and improve the quality of content. I really want every read to be worth your time. I’ve thought a lot about how I can make this newsletter better by writing more on why I share what I share.
Secondly, Elon bought twitter and killed the newsletter service I was using. So I’ve switched to Substack and am loving it so far.
Thirdly, The Holidays. A time of year I take time to step back and think about, well, everything. Especially in climate change, the energy crisis, the rise of AI and what this all means for careers in the creative field.
As it’s the first week of January, I owe you a brief recap of my first year freelancing in this cross section of creativity & planet. If you are not interested and just want to see the good stuff. Keep scrolling!
✏️ 2022 Work
For most of the year I have been working with the lovely team at Holi on a huge new product and brand. Honestly, I cannot wait for this to be out in the world early in 2023.
Throughout the year I consulted as Brand & Design Director at the web3 start-up Phi Labs who aim to make the next internet a sustainable place for independent creators with sustainable protocols like Archway.
Inbetween these larger projects I’ve been working on a handful of brand identities for a few super interesting start ups. One favourite is Kico, a start-up building co-working kitchens for climate conscious food entrepreneurs & chefs to quickly launch and scale their business, while learning how to operate better for people & planet.
🧠 2022 Learning
Brushed up my 2D & 3D motion design. I can’t wait to integrate these even more this year. You can of course keep up to date with my latest work & experiments on Instagram and Twitter.
I met and learned from a bunch of people at the annual Creatives for Climate summit. Big recommendation for next year.
Until recently I believed all efforts to prevent climate change were worth doing. The problem however is the amount of time, effort and money spent is not always as effective as we would like. Essentially spreading our efforts thin. This year I want to work closer with areas of impact which will drive the most effective change. If you or know anyone in sectors doing this, I would love to try and help.
That’s enough for now. I’m still getting into the swing of this newsletter thing. Over to the links:
1. GoodNews ↗
If you’re tired of the daily grind of bad news, the content provided by GoodNews is a breath of fresh air and a resource worth your time. They also have an app which has a super simple experience. Over the past year I’ve been working with Good News’ API and look forward to getting more people using it. It’s worth mentioning most news outlets do not report progress being made against climate change, animals emerging from extinction and new technologies saving lives. There is real progress being made, hear about it there.
2 . Report of skills in charities ↗
The Charity Digital Skills Report is the annual barometer of charities’ digital skills, attitudes and behaviours. Stolen from a favourite newsletter Pass it On.
3. Creatives for Climate Summit ↗
As mentioned above, this was such an inspiring event for someone looking for ways to apply their creative skills for something good and those looking for creative minds to aid them in their mission. The summary and full recording is here to watch.
4. How Amsterdam is becoming a new city ↗
Facinating video about how 4 major cities of The Netherlands are infact merging into a network city seperated by greenspace.
5. Monster ↗
This ad for Backmarket is a delight to watch. Never has second hand felt so appealing. A perfect combination of story, craft and purpose.
Furiture Circularity Through Digital Assets ↗
Up to 80 percent of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase of a product. As always, Space10 set the standard for conceptual work. They ask how we can leverage technologies like the blockchain to enable more sustainable behaviours towards our furniture. Tracing material origins, repairs and recycling of all your household items. It’s is an interesting concept I’d love to try. However I don’t think adding another layer of information is for everyone.
That concludes the first edition of the year. It’s good to be back. As always, let me know your thoughts. Here’s to an impactful 2023 and even more inspiring work!
Happy new year,
Gareth