Look out, look up, look in
PRINCIPLES OF ABOVENESS THE STATE OF WOWNESS* IN THE NATURE OF SEEING, THERE ARE DIRECTIONS – THE VECTORING OF PLACE AND SITE, SIGHT SEEN AND UNSEEN. BUT IT DOES COME DOWN TO THE LOOKING – AND THE LISTENING IN THE LOOK. AS ONE STUDIES ANYTHING, THERE IS THE REACH BACK...
The Sign and the Symbol, the Signal of the Sigil — Rudolf Koch’s Book of Signs
Strategic Magic, Designed Mysticism, Metamagical Thematics. It’s been said that illustration, the real meaning of the word is a shining — to illustrate is “making bright.” But also — to purify. The image above, a sigil of the Heptameron Arbatel, Peter de Abano, 1575....
Wowness | The Condition of Wow
What is wow? Girvin image above: a streetside wow, cast iron, Queen Anne Hill, Seattle. I was writing a proposal and overview for a client. And I used the opening: Wow! That was the first word. I contemplated that, an opening — wow! What is that? I was thinking about...
Captivating experience: to enchant, to engage, to embrace customers; the journey of layered brand messaging, visualization and experience design
What do you know, anyway? Enchantment, engagement and embracement in the layering of brand messaging, visualization and experience design. The quest to know? The mystery of mind, message and meaning. What about that question, I was contemplating it — someone asked me:...
Soul Finding
BEARING YOUR SOUL DIGGING IN FOR THE SOUL OF BRANDS I was writing a piece, earlier today, on the concept of baring — that idea of revealing, versus the other similarly sounding expression of bearing — which is more like “carrying” something. To bare, to lay open,...
Scribbling Dreams and Inspirations | Journals as Palettes of Magic
The Scribble Book | The Journal as Magic Markings I have some books, journals that I’ve made, that only contain scribbles. Scratching. Scarring. Scripting. What I think is: that the scratching and scribble of antiquity, the ancient sound of drawing, the scripting of...
Night is drawing nigh, drawing at night
Working at Night — Night is Drawing Nigh Working at night, working at candlelight. Seeing by fire. Some nights back, as I was on the farther shore, waiting for the night boat to come crossing, I was drawing in the dark, with light. Dawn was shooting these images, with...
The Whorl Stone — the Rock That Turns
THE STONE THAT TURNS AND TURNS AGAIN. When a map becomes clear, there’s a path that could be drawn. It might not be for all to see. Others might see it, take those fragile steps into the unknown — and some: never again venture into the risk of the unseen, the...
The Turning Path
WHICH WAY, GO YOU? THE TURNING PATH THE PATH THAT TURNS, AND TURNS AGAIN. EVERY TIME, BACK TO A PLACE. SNOW IS FALLING. A DEEPER COLD EMERGES. And, in the blinding snow, the sun is so bright that the trees are lit from beneath, it’s a brilliant day. Light filled. Out...
The Light Finder
THE BIRTH OF LIGHT THE QUEST AND THE LEGENDS OF THE LIGHT FINDER I was holding light, an illumination that reminded me of a salamander of the luminous, curling like an embryo — light lizard. This, on a full-mooned night, the radiance spilling down and lighting the...