Energy Sources #02 – Feb.22
Energy Sources | Issue 02 | February 2022
Phew, we're already two months into 2022. Let get this thing going! ✨
This month I continue my new format "ENERGY SOURCES". Normally I drop my energy sources at the end of the interviews, but I want to establish this listicle format as its own newsletter. This helps me to fill the gaps between interviews and seasons. So, here we go again!
I share with you some things I found on the Internet or in streets, that infused me with good vibes.
These are my new energy sources from last month:
With the help of my dearest friend boju (big thx!) I had the chance and pleasure to visit his college friend Briac in Paris. He is deputy store manager of the Louis Vuitton Flagship on Champs-Élysée and took me around for a stunning tour. While strolling through exceptional pieces and the magical space, one thing intrigued me most: the customisation and personalisation of LV trunks and bags. There are many very playful ways to make it your suitcase or make it your sculpture to just place inside your living room. Briac showed me one imaginable priceless piece exclusively manufactured for a billionaire: the tea ceremony trunk you see above on the left. So many handcrafted details and so much love to the craftsmanship that went into the making of it – it blew my mind. Another beautiful alternative to stickers and patches on your bags is to have them drawn on it by hand. LV currently employs three official paint masters. One of them is Tae-In Song – check out her instagram channel. It's so inspiring! When we talk about personalise products, this is the Champions League. And this insane piece from Virgil for Shaun White popped up in my feed on the way home. Amazing.
PaperBoy Paris: one of my favorite's!
This has to be one of your favorites, too! I first discovered Paperboy when visiting ComplexCon in Chicago 2019. Imagine traveling to Chicago to stumple upon a Parisian Café. There, they not only served the greatest Pastrami Sandwich ever with purple fries on the side, they also sold crazy good Soph.Net Shorts and specially made ComplexCon merch. The shorts were part of a bigger collab with Beams, SophNet and Suicoke – Japan-bound. And for the merch they had a custom version of their paperboy logo too. I really enjoy how they "dress" their logo each time. During my Paris trip it was finally time to pay them a visit. And to say the least: they had amazing breakfast and yet another collab going on. This time for the highly coveted ALL GONE book and another one for New Balance. Paperboy is everything it seems. A project made by friends, creative enthusiasts and pros in their niche. They've created a great café, hangout, event location and perfect collaborator on very selected and perfectly curated streetwear and fashion. Love it! Make sure to leave them a follow. And I left them a little tobi.energy version of their logo haha.
Creative Paths: "How to build a creative studio with PLAYLAB INC's co-founder, Archie Lee Coates IV"
Remember that back in the December/LA issue I had the honor to visit PLAYLAB INC. in their Arts District studio space in form of founder Jeff Franklin. This month I highly recommend listening to this podcast, where the other half of the Playlab founding fathers is talking, Archie Lee Coates IV. He talks on how the studio came to life during their college years and how they keep producing best-in-class creative work for over a decade now. What inspired me most is, that the mindset of Virgil Abloh, one of their biggest collaborators as they have created the LV fashion shows, is significantly the same for Archie and Jeff. It's hands on and it's "don't let anyone stop you in your vision". I really feel that! Give it a listen on Spotify.
Andrew Gallaghan has to be one of my favorite YouTubers. Starting with 'All Gas No Brakes' and now his 'Channel 5 News', he captures the weird side of culture in many different artistic ways and has the talent of finding even weirder characters. Even reoccurring ones you'll keep seeing popping up when strolling through his videos. And now he and his team paid the ComplexCon in Long Beach a visit. That's just hilarious to see the absurdities of this hype festival from another perspective and through the lense of super weirdos. One that stands out however is the very chill artist Asspizza, who Andrew interviews while he's getting a haircut. He is so sane and reflected on the thing we call 'the culture'. Definitely worth checking out for a good laugh! Goddamnbah.
BBC Ideas: "Our universe is SO big, it's mindblowing!🤯"
While working on ideas and projects or consuming those by others it is good to from time to time be self-reflective and be aware of how small things really are compared to the bigger whole. Especially how small we humans are on our little blue ball in this sheer endless universe. This YouTube gem above by the BBC is so well-made and easy to understand, yet still blows your mind completely. It starts with the famous 'Powers of Ten' video by Eames, that Tom Sachs also referenced in his meditation sequence. And it takes it from there asking question so big that you will find yourself scratching your head. But keep all this in mind, the next time you forget to love someone and argue over a trivial thing.
We're taking Uber as a service very much for granted. When we visit a city these days we easily move around calling Ubers via our smartphone through its convenient calling and paying system. Yet, we only think about the Uber drivers when the price is way to high – like it happened in LA – or when we have a weird experience with them. This well-made browser game by the Financial Times puts you in the seat of an Uber driver and you can test yourself if you would make it with this tough job that it is. Experience it for yourself and change your perception from time to time to keep your empathy growing.
I love to see the rise of ArtTok. It can be an amazing platform to discover arts, sculptures and paintings from famous museum and have someone explain the true meaning behind it or present their own interpretation. One of the ArtTokers I love to see pop up on my feed is tatyanaaboutart. She explains paintings and artworks in an easy to understand and galant way. You will surely find yourself strolling through her feed and dive deep into the world of arts. It's not all dancing competitions over there on TikTok. I highly recommend checking out her channel! If you still don't want to download the app I have another insider tip from YouTube for you: Great Art Explained.
Virtual Exhibition: Banana Craze
Let us stay in the vast field of arts for a bit and take a look at 'Banana Craze': “Banana Craze is the first major study of how a natural resource such as the banana has shaped the past and the present of a continent, and how this phenomena finds expression through culture. Banana Craze brings together almost 100 pieces of contemporary Latin American artists in which the banana is the main feature.” - What else can I add? It's bananas! And definitely worth your time.
Tough Luck UK: Platform for the Youth
When doing research on Culture and Innovation it is essential to keep an eye on the youth. I love to do so in form of directly getting in contact with people from scenes and subcultures or via photography platforms that capture the energy of the next generation. One of these platforms is coming from the UK and captures the latest generation of rave cultures and style. These photos have so much energy and story to them and gives you a good idea on what influences the youth.
TOBI.ENERGY PRINTS
If you're interested in some of my personal photographic work from my recent journey to LA click here to have a look at the prints that are available for purchase.
The photo below was taken in Venice and is a composition that I was very lucky with that sunny morning.
I hope you feel inspired or energized in any way by this newsletter and make the most of it!
Get out there, but protect your energy.✨
The next interview issues will start on April 1st. First guest will be from Japan and the second from New Zealand. I keep you posted!
I will keep doing the Energy Sources within the normal Energy Transmission and in between issues to fill the void.
Maybe. We'll see.
See you. 🫂