Cusp Conference 2018: It’s Time

One of the things I cherish most about the annual Cusp Conference in Chicago is the seemingly random nature of it—up to twenty-five speakers from disparate industries, on stage, sharing the fuel behind their work. Motivational to learn what it is that truly drives people to actf on their life’s commitment—and the resulting patterns across different disciplines. It’s a glimpse into their long-term focus and its by-products of determination, passion and joy. In 2018, time and flow were the standout patterns of the Cusp talks.

Time

“…In time, it could have been so much more
The time is precious I know
In time, it could have been so much more
The time has nothing to show…”
—Culture Club’s song “Time (Clock of the Heart)” (1981)

Time and its perception were consistently addressed at Cusp 2018. Winter Olympics 1994 silver medalist, John Coyle, recalled the memory-fidelity of lasting summers. Master electrician, Janet Liriano, delivered a meditation on the four seasons. Time was a major ingredient in bioengineer Chris Maurer’s self-generating architecture and food entrepreneur Tyler Huggins’ eco-edibles where both of these inventions capitalize on the natural wonder of mycelium, the fungal vegetation whose accelerated growth and structure are being open-sourced for good. Physician, Ben Ku, and digital creative director, Breonna Rodriguez, ranted about the toxicity festering in their respective fields over time. Ku’s resolution was design, particularly taking advantage of the design method of prototyping in collaborating outside the medical bubble to iterate different and improved solutions for popular scenarios in healthcare, such as effectively comforting soon-to-be mothers before childbirth. Breonna Rodriguez addressed the sanctuary of family by embracing the formative years of her much younger sister as a meaningful force in dramatically adjusting her engagement of work/life balance.

The most transformative benefit of time was given by Chelina Odbert, the co-founder and executive director of the Kounkuey Design Initiative, “a non-profit design practice that partners with under-resourced communities to advance equity and activate the unrealized potential in neighborhoods and cities.” When she highlighted the before-and-after states of their community-design work in Kibera, a division of Nairobi, Kenya, there was an immediate reaction of awestruck from the audience.



The interdisciplinary efforts of Chelina and her collaborators, especially inputs from community experts, is an eminently grounded rally of the global ideal best-stated by anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901–1978): “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Like in previous Cusp gatherings, the presenters are doing their damndest to make use of their time in meeting their respective calling: chronoception (John Cycle), textile circuits (Janet Liriano), bioterial architecture (Chris Mauer), sustainable food (Tyler Huggins), healthcare via human-centered design (Bon Ku) and conscious living (Breonna Rodriguez). Their time on the Cusp stage was a privileged peek into their daily mission statement. Making time to steadily fulfill the ambitious arc of their craft. Appointing themselves to a portal of effort they discovered and decided to go through, forging their own creative license by picking themselves.

Flow

“I am rooted, but I flow.”
—Virginia Woolf, Novelist, Essayist, Critic

Paired to the fascination with time, “flow” happened to be another apparent theme among the Cusp 2018 presenters. A few of them highlighted this phenomenon—but it was author, Meta Wagner, who revealed finally its architect: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Chick-sent-me-high) wrote the landmark book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” (1991).

The “flow experience” is essentially achieved when purpose and joy are united. Illustrator/animator, Chris Sickels, acknowledged his primary source of flow: life. “Life experience feeds my illustration”—as he said while kickstarting the tour of his meticulous storyboarding-turned-world-making process that channels, to me, the animated work of Jiří Trnka (1912–1969). Writer Tara-Nicholle Nelson’s source of flow was inherent in her presentation’s opening affirmation: “I believe in the power of words.” Gamer and game designer Ashlynn Sparrow’s flow-origin was a role-playing game, released in 1997, that became one of the greatest games of all time—as she gleefully stated, “‘Final Fantasy VII’ changed my life.” Her revealing moment was reminiscent of the epiphany that inspired the pioneering game designer, Tetsuya Mizuguchi: 1988, Tokyo, in an arcade, he discovered “Tetris” (1984) and confessed, “I put many coins into that machine. It was such elegant perfection.”

Flow can be synonymous with simply the sensation of pleasure, even peace. A scalable experience, from the solitary act of writing (Tara-Nicholle Nelson) to the collaborative act of developing a game (Ashlynn Sparrow). Flow is also an equal-opportunity event when one blossoms and re-blossoms. The poet, Sharon Olds, declared frankly: “I was a late bloomer. But anyone who blooms at all, ever, is very lucky.”

In and on the cusp

With Sharon’s sentiment in mind, each Cusp presenter is acknowledging the element of luck in doing what they do. Each one feeling profound pride in what they’re contributing to their professional communities with the empowering perk of pollinating disciplines elsewhere. Each person defining and harnessing their flow. Again, this is the reason I cherish the Cusp Conference—it centralizes an eclectic group of people, sharing their projects, which ultimately compose their life’s work. The Cusp Conference advocates the human varietals of time and flow—amazing with each instance, to receive a snippet of the work that people drive and, in turn, drives them. Getting a glimpse of the progress of their decision—the flow of intent they dedicated themselves to answer and accomplish.

Changing things—and minds

Following the last presentation, when Dave Mason, one of the co-founders of the Cusp Conference, announced that 2018 is the last year for Cusp, it was unexpected. Looking back, it’s not surprising. “Cusp” is shorthand for transition. Since 2008, the Chicago-based strategic design firm, Multiple, has hosted the Cusp Conference for an 11 consecutive years. Up to 25 presenters annually; 11 one-of-a-kind opportunities to feel unanimously unexpected. A total chance to take in the sheer diversity of inspiration demonstrated across the humanities, sciences and business.

Over the years, noted role models have spoken at Cusp: TED founder, Richard Saul Wurman, who coined the term, “information architecture,” robotocist, Ayanna Howard, architect, Michelle Kaufmann, Frog Design’s founder, Hartmut Esslinger, designer, Yves Béhar, and more.

A couple of top-of-mind Cusp presenters whom I gladly recall were Bill Haley, coach of the Jackie Robinson West Little League team, founded by his father, and who won the United States Championship at the the Little League World Series 2014, plus Dr. Gary Slutkin who treats violence as a disease and continues to apply his attention, energies and expertise in reducing violence.

Innovative singer-songwriter, Björk (whom I could easily envision performing and presenting at a Cusp Conference) said, “If optimism ever was like an emergency, it’s now.” The annual Cusp Conference gave a highly varied and liberating serving of optimism through its eclectic composition of speakers—each one realizing an optimistic angle. An angle of professional practice that is both home and storm to each speaker. In total, converging into a prism of possibility and hope. Glowing evidence that there are people actually working hard to change things in order to make the world a better place, from their immediate surroundings to an overarching context.

Organizing an annual event, packed with presenters, spanning two days, is an intense effort. Lots of moving details. Whatever the future of the Cusp Conference is, its past tense–consisting of humans realizing good things at whatever level in whatever discipline—echoes in the present.

Time. Flow. Here’s to tending both in 2019 and hereafter.

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Past Cusp Conference talks can be (re)experienced at Multiple’s video archive.

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Big thanks: to Multiple, Inc., the volunteers and producers, such as AV Chicago, who made Cusp Conference happen in 2018; to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, for being the sole venue.

• • •

Explore my additional coverage of the Cusp Conference in my written series on Events centered on creativity.

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Countering the Dominant Narrative of Turbulence at the 10th Cusp Conference

A perennial perk of each annual Cusp Conference is the jetstream of sound bites. At the tenth anniversary of this gathering last September, there were plenty. The words that followed me consistently after two days enriched with presentations were from Kevin Coval, a poet—specifically a “BreakBeat Poet” stemming from his love of Hip-Hop—and activist. In his presentation about having an appetite for poetic language—working it to teach inclusivity and argue for it, Coval proclaimed, “Counter the dominant narrative.”

This year’s conference was the first held in a new political set of circumstances, exacerbated by events upon our pale (perceived paler) blue dot. Environmental happenings. Societal happenings. Cusp 2017 had a ripped-from-the-headlines aura. With the auditorium typically dimmed, the stage—for the tenth time—was conspicuously lit by Presenters selected for their Cusp-charged qualities in going against the grain in their line of work. Exceeding the mainstay of legacy systems. Refusing to stick with anemic thinking. Reimagining different scenarios that assure, uplift. All attempts to counter the narrative of generational challenges, accruing in dominance. This year’s Cusp Presenters amplified the residual uncertainty of the times.

From the Cusp 2017 presentations, these counter narratives curdled in recognition for me. Counter narratives helmed by individuals, not intimidated by the dominant context of convention in their respective disciplines.

Earth: Preserve, Restore, Improve
and Hold Dear

All the hype about traveling to Mars (a one-way trip) and migrating a million-or-so people there to establish a human outpost does capture the imagination. At the same time, its subtext could read: On it’s current path, the Earth is in peril—best to start the interstellar process of mass transit while the planet remains survivable. Sensitivity to the state of the planet—the only one known to harbor human life (illustrated lucidly by Real Time talk show host Bill Maher in his Earth-Mars comparison chart)—was elaborated again throughout the 10th Cusp.



Aquatic Biologist Alex Rose dived (pun intended) into the critical importance of our oceans, declaring one fact taken for granted: “The ocean produces half of the oxygen we breathe.” Her passionate zeroing in on the Earth’s oceans points to the essential part it plays in a medley of cosmic systems that make the planet habitable to humans. An astounding reality. Rose’s presentation was void of apparent alarmism, a typical indictment from climate-change deniers/skeptics to the consensus of evidence that climate change is caused by human-consuming, carbon-intensive activities. Instead, she showed appreciation for oceans through captivating photographs displaying the incredible range of underwater biodiversity, which human beings, above ground, descend from and are a micro-subset of. When one views the ocean, there is a sensation of feeling small. A poetic fact presented by Rose: Oceans and humans have a direct bond—with the latter depending absolutely on the other. Though toggling unfortunately between being subject to neglect and upkeep, Earth’s history is the basis for that of humans.

Before Rose’s celebration of the majority of the Earth’s surface and the plea to help curb its deterioration, the field of engineering took the Cusp stage. Dr. Nina French presented her company’s work on an in-pipe hydropower mechanism to convert vast chunks of infrastructure, intertwined with gravity-fed water pipelines around the world, into generators of clean, renewable energy. Felipe Gómez del Campo presented a tweak he designed for jet engines that conserves great amounts of fuel. This is especially nifty when used by planes in thick procession on runways, congested with long wait-times. French and Campo both use their work to press the “Edit” button. Through collaboration with their teams, inventive adjustments prove again the phenomenon of small edits yielding large results, compounding in benefits, testifying to there always being room for improvement.

Based on the representative moves by Dr. Nina French and Felipe Gómez del Campo on realizing environment-friendly machines, the parity persists between the tireless human reclaiming of nature’s integrity to the tireless human desire to tinker with the artificial toward minimizing hazards and waste.



Where the positive forces of science and engineering were demonstrated readily by Alex Rose, Dr. Nina French and Felipe Gómez del Campo, musician David Rothenberg offered an unexpected source of engagement to further acknowledge and respect earthly life—wildlife. Documentary footage of him traveling the world as a wildlife whisperer, communing with whales, birds, even cicadas, matches the fictional depiction of communicating with extraterrestrials in movies, notably the recent film Arrival (directed by Denis Villeneuve of Blade Runner 2049). Here, the protagonist is a linguist, Dr. Louise Banks, portrayed by Amy Adams. She spoke this telling line: “Language is the foundation of civilization. It is the glue that holds a people together.”

Words: Express, Listen and Disentangle

As the building blocks of language, the poet T. S. Eliot described the precise behavior of words as “slippery.” This reputation does not deter Hip-Hop linguists Kevin Coval and Michael Ford from taking full advantage of words—versatile in color, geometry and tone. Using them to clarify conditions, elevate their dimensions—to live, see and interpret such times. Hip-Hop is their way to bring on situational awareness.



Michael Ford revealed Hip-Hop’s formative roots in modern architecture, where its utilization of materials—glass, steel, concrete—materialized an ambitious era of structures that Ford critiqued. Because while modern architecture reflected a spirited awakening of technological progress, it played a role in public-housing projects that proved destructive. The progressive character of glass, steel and concrete became recast as corroborative materials in oppression. Yet, the architectural circumstances nurtured new and functional forms of creativity, notably Hip-Hop. The culmination of Ford’s research into the intersection of architecture and Hip-Hop motivated the forthcoming Universal Hip Hop Museum—to Ford, “the first representation of Hip-Hop architecture in the world.”

Aligned to Ford, poet Kevin Coval dubs himself as a “hyperliterate word nerd.” In words, Coval finds, as he put it, “power and sanctuary.” Where Ford found Hip-Hop in post-war architectural ideologies and styles, Coval found Hip-Hop in his Jewish upbringing, particularly the traditional chants and songs. The appeal of words struck him early on. He affirmed, “I knew I wanted to be a writer.” Fast forward to 2001 when he founded The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival. This event has become a honorable vehicle for ethnically diverse, working-class adolescents and teens to outface their struggles—and express their American experiences through the moving medium of words.

Ford and Coval reminded the audience about the relevance of words: its therapy, its adaptation, its reach. Both are contributing formidably to the ancestral responsibility of using words to create safe spaces—safe regarding personal well-being, but not stifling in personal expression. Words, tied to good intentions, are kernels of human possibility. In a trivial world, words are clay to build a storied architecture of sanity.

Humanity: Uphold

Sanity’s chief by-product is stability, sharply in need as 2017 rolled out. The Cusp Conference emphasized again the tremendous courage and will of individuals who demote hell by raising humanity.

From her Cusp presentation, PeaceGeeks’ Founder Renee Black is collaborating with various grassroots groups to mobilize awareness and action in tackling conflict and disaster-stricken communities worldwide. Attention particularly given to responsive compassion in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Apparent in Black’s work is using the latest iterations in mobile technology, from social-media platforms to drones, to help the impoverished, the malnourished, the sick, the displaced.



Provoked by the 2013 Savar building collapse, the deadliest garment-factory accident in history with 1,134 killed, self-proclaimed Fashion Revolutionary Orsola de Castro shared her drive to prevent catastrophes in the global fashion industry. She does this by advocating and exposing more accountability in the person-to-person, point-to-point workflow resulting in clothes, from factory to purchase. This holistic reduction of opacity in the mass production of garments is the essence of de Castro’s question—the key motivation of her humane mission: “Who makes your clothes?”

This reminded me of The Consume®econnection Project started by Scott Ballum, a graphic designer and sustainable business advocate. In 2009, he self-initiated a year-long experiment to meet the people who produced everything he bought, from coffee to liquor to T-shirts, focusing on traceability, local purchasing and conscious consumption. Ballum took on practicing de Castro’s rally of “Who made my clothes” and applied it to other objects enriching his life. Activating a keen observation expressed by the pioneering designer-couple Ray and Charles Eames: “Eventually everything connects—people, ideas, objects.” Throughout this moment-to-moment trifecta, the quality meditated: Humanity.

Coping with the dominant narrative of uncertainty—and countering it

This was the first time since the Cusp Conference’s debut that it wasn’t opened by Mike Ivers, a humanitarian who recently led the Yuma Community Food Bank in Arizona. Ivers died last October at 69 from pancreatic cancer. In his vibrant and vocal style, Ivers provided an inspiring message to kickstart each Cusp. In 2014, he offered a goal: “Move from turbulence to triumph. Give yourself the opportunity to be inspired to do something about the turbulence in your life.”

Iver’s overarching prompt of turbulence-to-triumph is ambitious. Yet, those—who shared their world views on the Cusp stage—keep the impossibility of achieving such a dynamic at bay through their energies—steady and persistent, expended to execute the shared strategy of trying to change a piece of the world for the better. This is the true definition of miraculous.

After the conference, amidst thanking again the principals of Multiple, who organized the 10th Cusp (their event’s lean and motivational meme), and walking from the conference’s flagship venue of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, where Frida Kahlo’s first U.S exhibition was held in 1978, while my head was buzzing and wafting with perspectives from twenty-three Presenters across two days, the intention to continue being less ignorant, less complacent, less selfish, was given several boosts.

• • •

Post-Cusp Conference To-Dos

In my write-up on Cusp 2014:

• From one’s armchair to elsewhere, be open to introspection about the nature of things—of ourselves.
• People are cabinets of creativity—Dream and do.
• Remove history’s malignant plaque of exclusivity by contributing to the collective grasp of diversity everywhere.
• Utilize vulnerability—sketch, state an opinion, ask questions—to help build trust and hope.

• • •

Cusp co-owner Andy Eltzroth compared experiencing the conference to that of “having dessert and then you give me more.” I’ll indulge in another multicultural, multidisciplinary trifle.

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Big thanks: to Multiple, Inc., and the volunteers who made Cusp Conference happen in 2017; to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, for hosting.

• • •

Explore my additional coverage of the Cusp Conference in my written series on Events centered on creativity.

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Cusp Conference Celebrates 10 Years

Whatever the scale, holding a yearly assembly, from a class to a summit, is an intense effort. The people behind its planning, organization, marketing and everything else are to be commended. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the annual Cusp Conference, hosted in Chicago by strategic design firm Multiple. I described my first attending Cusp as “an annual gathering of creative types with a penchant for the eclectic.” Each subsequent conference has wonderfully reinforced this strong first impression. Cusp is a multicultural and multidisciplinary confection—intellectual taste buds activated.

At my first Cusp experience, I encountered presentations by a pair of digital storytellers, a sword swallower, an arctic astrophysicist, an architect of space (that of low-Earth orbit) and a medical doctor behaving as a human-centered designer. This is a smidgen of the day-and-a-half strategically plotted with presentations, which cycles through the Venn of humanities, sciences and advocacy, all centered on current circumstances, collectively speaking.

Constituting a professional blend—from artists and designers, to business consultants and nonprofit leaders, to students and educators, the strong variation in presenters are reflected by the attendees. The latter go to experience the former, a line-up curated to be diverse in composition and effect. The benefit is twofold: the emotional sensation of receiving a holistic boost to one’s awareness and worldview, coinciding with the practical drive to nurture one’s creativity and sharpen one’s critical thinking over time.

For the past four years, I’ve had the privilege to offer Design Feast coverage on Multiple’s Cusp Conference. A continuity through my write-ups, from 2013 to 2014 to 2015 to last year, is the applied wonder by humans to discover a condition, existing or emerging, learn about it, study it and be inspired to face it, even engage it, for the sake of informing a curiosity and perhaps to realize change—for the better.

Wholehearted congratulations to the team at Multiple for 10 years of galvanizing Cusp gatherings. Here’s to the next decade of perspectives—delivered from the Cusp-charged platform.

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Read more of my coverage of events related to creativity and design.

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Relentlessly pursuing wonder: 9th gathering of the annual Cusp Conference, Chicago, 2016

At the opening of this year’s Cusp Conference, I was sad to learn that Mike Ivers, community leader, particularly as President and CEO of the Yuma Community Food Bank, is sick. Fuck you, Cancer. With a swagger and a smile, Ivers kicks off each annual conference with an important opening message. Although his physical presence was absent this year, he still lent the audience his voice, in recorded audio. His vitality was apparent. Ivers rallying cry was “To be in the wonderful world we live in.” He prescribed: “Be a wonder.” If Socrates were listening, he would have that look of alignment. As the ancient philosopher claimed: “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”



The wonder of exploration

Iver’s opening provided a smooth segue to Julius Givens, founder of The Explorer Program, made for high-school students living in marginalized communities. His program provides an outlet for young people to activate their sensibilities through art. Street photography, for example, being a welcoming method. Participants are equipped with digital cameras and encouraged to look and scout for moments, harnessing their eyes with feelings, feeding their emerging worldviews with wonder. I easily imagined the pioneering urban photographer Vivian Maier joining the exploration—an act that Givens urged, for the demonstration of togetherness in his program, through the lens and tools of art, reinforces its influence elsewhere. Givens’ model contributes to the “A” in the fields constituting STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.

The first objective of the The Lewis and Clark Expedition was to explore and map the western half of the U.S. That bravery, will and tenacity to venture into the great wide open is what Givens is passing along to his program’s young participants—forging their path.



The wonder of mortality

Where Givens instilled the wonder of exploration throughout the landscape and, in turn, life, Bill Thomas, a doctor in geriatric medicine, instilled wonder through examining the process of aging. Instead of using typical phrases, such as “a life’s work” or “legacy,” he used another typical, romantic figure of speech: Story. To Thomas, life is storied. Paired with his emphasis on “aliveness” and “presence”, his urgent homework for the audience was: “Start living your damn story.” This is an open story—open to possibility, open to interpretation. Life is a story open to everyone, though prejudices persist, across the human timeline of aging, particularly against the elderly. Thomas’ remedy for ageist attitudes: Look in the mirror. Like Givens’ cherished camera, Thomas’ emotive tool is the mirror, because it doesn’t lie. It doesn’t show the insides, but the surface is sharply visible and changing—all the time. As the Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter observed, “When we look into a mirror, we think the image that confronts us is accurate. But move a millimetre and the image changes. We are actually looking at a never-ending range of reflections.”

Thomas addressed the wonder of mortality. Being the creator of a national touring “non-fiction theater” roadshow called the “Age of Disruption,” I could imagine him collaborating with comedian C.K. Louis, whose views on life and living wreak of intuition. Such as his affirmation: “‘I’m bored’ is a useless thing to say…The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say ‘I’m bored.’” This provokes a jabbing note to self.

Through his audio message, Ivers delivered the same note regarding age—the resounding note of one’s mortality. Thomas straight-up said, “Immortality robs us of all of our lives.” Painfully obvious with that first part of his statement, at the same time, positively profound with the second part of his statement. People don’t live forever, but the story (to borrow Thomas’ noun) they tell with their lives lives on. Immortality can be viewed as short-term thinking and this comes with a short-term fuse in attitude, resulting in random acts of short-term temper, short-term patience, ultimately, short-term civility. Scary version, these realities are also intended. They make life that much more short-lived.

The wonder of human effort

“We die, but the energy we give off can’t be destroyed. It goes on forever.” New Jersey’s U.S. Senator Cory Booker points to a quality of effort that leaves one’s place in the world a little better. 2016’s Cusp presenters demonstrated yet again that wonder takes on all shapes and sizes. Wonder scales!



Regarding big business, Chris Kay, Chief Innovation Officer of Humana, finds value in having conversations made good with empathy. His essential conversation/equation is “Empathy = Oxygen.” The opening principles and methods of improv were promoted by Gary Hirsch, a facilitator of collaboration. To him, conversations are “magical collisions” marked by co-creation—to create in a non-silo manner, that is, to echo the previous speaker Givens emphasis: Together.



Treger Strasberg founded non-profit Humble Design to help families transitioning out of homeless shelters into homes, fully furnished and filled with love and dignity—Strasberg’s two driving reasons to become a symbol of enduring compassion.



Design historian and materials specialist Grace Jeffers enlightened the audience about considering the authenticity of materials. One hundred percent natural is the popular demand, but at what cost to our one hundred percent natural environment. The invention of substitute, a la “fake,” materials have a role in preserving our planet’s increasingly endangered forests and wildlife species.



Concerning prejudices everywhere, Runni Abergele co-founded the Human Library, a global initiative where anyone can borrow a book—a physical one! As he put it, “We publish people” such as victims of abuse, recovered addicts, homemakers, teachers, nudists and more representing the range of human experience. Self-awareness can begin with human-to-human interaction, taking positive advantage of the fact that humans are dialogic creatures.



Regarding the mass incarcerated, Max Kenner co-founded the Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison. This program empowers incarcerated men and women with a liberal college education toward a degree. Recalling Mariame Kaba’s impassioned plea at Cusp 2014 when she shared heavy stats that identify the U.S. as, in Kaba’s opinion, a “Prison Nation.”



Muralist and self-dubbed wall fetishist, Lauren Asta, took the blank-canvas engagement to task with murals across the U.S., one wall at a time. Recalling the pioneering wall art of Keith Haring who said, “I am becoming much more aware of movement. The importance of movement is intensified when a painting becomes a performance. The performance (the act of painting) becomes as important as the resulting painting.” Asta’s live drawings constitute a performance that begets performance, with people taking selfies in front of her work and sometimes, with Hirsch’s emphasis on co-creation in mind, where the public picks up a paint brush and adds color (in more ways than one) to the composition.



Regarding politics, Alex Niemczewski collaborated to launch U.S. voting information guide BallotReady to help turn citizenry into an informed one, especially during election time. Making data useful, actually turning it into potentially useful information, is human civilization’s constant goal.



Sandee Kastrul is the Co-Founder and President of i.c.stars, a rigorous development and leadership training program focused on empowering low-income adults. Her nonprofit organization helps steer and sharpen a technology-based workforce and, most of all, galvanizes community leadership. In her presentation, she asked the audience: “Are you a zero or a one?” This exceeds a binary relation and strikes at an essential task of human living. In an explicit way, Kastrul communed with the author Stephen King, whose novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (1982) has a provocative line that echoes the ultimate binary choice: “Either get busy living or get busy dying.” Having met Kastrul at my first Cusp Conference experience in 2013 and interviewed her for my series celebrating Makers, it was no surprise to see her on the Cusp stage.

“Satisfaction does not come with achievement, but with effort. Full effort is full victory.”
—Mahatma Gandhi (1890–1948), Civil Rights Activist

Since the Cusp Conference’s debut in 2008, awesome human beings have taken the stage to share their mission—their story, of which each is a hero. What was evident again at this year’s ninth gathering: The audience left, possessed with a wholehearted offering, two days brimming with inspiration from an ambitiously eclectic assortment of presenters. Each attendee left nourished.

Let the storytelling ensue.

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Big thanks: to Multiple, Inc., and the volunteers who made Cusp Conference happen in 2016; to the Museum of Contemporary Art, in Chicago, for hosting.

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More of my coverage of Cusp: go to my write-up and photos of the 8th Cusp Conference in 2015, write-up and photos of the 7th Cusp Conference in 2014, plus my write-up and photos of the 6th Cusp Conference in 2013.

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Anticipation for Cusp 2016

Launched in 2008 by design firm Multiple, the Cusp Conference is an annual gathering of the curious—people from many disciplines, with an appetite for creativity, imagination and divergent thinking. Cusp is dedicated to feeding these qualities in their attendees by inspiring success, resulting in better products, service, environments and especially relationships.

The creative, imaginative and divergent character of Cusp (for short) is evident foremost in its lineup of speakers, who represent the wide variety of careers (some never heard of) and, at the same time, the wide scope of issues (some totally wicked).

Browsing the presenters for Cusp Conference 2016, you’ll find a librarian, a physician, a dancer, an architectural restorer, a cancer fighter, a doctor of neural science and psychology…as evident, eclecticism. Cusp offers two full days of it. I recognized two speakers: Sandee Kastrul and Matthew Hoffmann. Sandee transforms low-income adults into skilled technology workers through her intensive workforce development and leadership training program. She participated in my Makers series of interviews. Matthew transforms spaces into moments of goodwill through his public art, particularly his grassroots-generated “You Are Beautiful” campaign. Read my write-up about his talk at the 28th monthly gathering of the Chicago chapter of CreativeMornings. Sandy and Matthew will share the stage with a portfolio of speakers, like-minded in their drive to make ideas happen.

Cusp’s audience comes to be motivated, challenged in their thinking, have their curiosity fed and, perhaps, extended to apply to the next creative effort, whatever the scale, whether in the workplace or elsewhere.

For the past three years, I’ve proudly covered Cusp with write-ups (2015, 2014, 2013) and photos (2015, 2014, 2013). This September, I’ve been offered the great opportunity to provide again coverage on a unique event—presenting extraordinary human beings sharing their enthusiasm for a livelihood they’ve carved with distinction. A positively different range of perspectives await at the ninth Cusp Conference.

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Read more of my coverage of events related to design
and passionate pursuits.

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Boldly weathering storms: 8th gathering of the annual Cusp Conference in Chicago, 2015

The 8th Cusp Conference was held on October 7th and 8th in Chicago. Its lens is wide, on purpose. The contrast between speakers—their culture, their passion, their discipline, their point in life, is high in order to broaden one’s exposure to practitioners and their chosen focus. Though each presentation is a short-lived slice into a topic, most probably never known before, let alone investigated, the effect is curiosity stimulated. And curiosity is a human quality in need of nourishing.

Storms faced and embraced

“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.”
—Willa Cather, Novelist

Mike Ivers, President and CEO of the Yuma Community Food Bank, and a staple Cusp Conference lead speaker, set the annual gathering’s tone by invoking a long-term challenge: “Embrace the storms.” A bold invitation to bear witness to the unexpected, the inevitable, and to take advantage of this act as a tool to produce something great.



This charge was echoed by each presenter of Cusp Conference 2015. Each chose a storm of instability and claimed it as their personal duty by taking on the storm—with a storm of their own.

Aesthetic intervention

Ivers was followed by Mary Cummings, one of the U.S. Navy’s first female fighter pilots, who is witnessing robotics encroaching on the human skill set. As the director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, she and her team study the evolving interaction between humans and machines. Their focus is on the social and ethical repercussions of this dynamic.



I imagined the pioneering science-fiction author, Isaac Asimov, who was also a biochemist, sitting among the audience and scrutinizing Cummings’ every utterance. He wrote the “Robot” series, consisting of 38 short stories and 5 novels. Their main characters were “positronic robots,” artificial beings imbued with a “positronic brain” that gives them a form of consciousness. Asimov posited “Three Laws of Robotics.” The first of which dictated: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”

On one of her slides showed the header: “The rise of the robots?” An open question. My reaction: No longer a question, it’s a fact. In adjusting Cummings’ question from an Asimov angle, per his first rule of robotics: Will the rise of robots be benevolent?

An attendee I met at last year’s Cusp Conference discussed with me how automation is affecting his job as a software developer. I believe that the world of code, even when virtual robots are used for diagnostics and repair, constitutes an art. It’s this aesthetics of appreciation and application that humans possess in idiosyncratic spades (for now).



The aesthetics of transcending boundaries (e.g. geography, politics) was upheld by Howard Belk, Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the global branding agency Siegel+Gale. He announced a new project called “Border Crossing” organized at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. This multidisciplinary program, influenced by the timeless unifying current of the Bauhaus, was conceived as an active anchor of culture in “The City of Brotherly Love.” The envisioned participation in this initiative connects with one kindred example I heard about recently on National Public Radio: the new cultural center, Centro Cultural Kirchner, in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, whose Culture Minister Teresa Parodi proclaimed, “Culture is an investment for this government, not an expense.” In the drive to further cultivate Philadelphia as a remarkable epicenter of ingenuity through their “Border Crossing” ambition, Belk speaks to the positive energy that cities, with their evolving infrastructure, could harness and circulate.



Multicultural collaboration

The collaborative spirit continued with glass artist Joel Berman’s studio, where his team reflects a tapestry of cross-cultural imagination in pushing the pliability of glass (above). It was impressive to hear Berman’s ethnic diversity in his business, which fulfills social entrepreneur and other Cusp Conference speaker Eve Blossom’s description of a company as a “container for collaboration.” From Berman’s mentions of spirited discussions and enjoyment of different cuisines, his business can be portrayed as a neighborhood block party of collaboration.



Existential exercise

Social innovator Samantha White delivered a strong and seamless monologue. Her amulet from childhood into the present day was a collection of plays by Shakespeare. She turned her sanctuary in the Bard of Avon’s stories into a mobile theater for the people in Detroit—aptly named Shakespeare in Detroit. On the Cusp Conference stage, she relied on timeless Shakespearean methods of expression: thoughts, voice and eye contact. Standing still, beaming tall like a poetic siren. A compelling reminder that words—written, spoken—carry in value and unfold in meaning. The vibrations of words can prove lasting. The volume of words matters.



The virtuous—but flawed—characters expressed in Shakesperean plays nestled into Tim Leberecht’s promotion of romanticism in business. Leberecht is the chief marketing officer of NBBJ, a global design and architecture firm. He coined himself as a “business romantic,” which was also the title of his new book “The Business Romantic.”



Romanticism: mystery, spontaneity, wonder. A sense of awe to complement the number-crunching, results-driven personality of business. Romanticism is a tonic to keep the cold, hard math of business warm to the touch. It was refreshing not only to hear Leberecht’s emphasis on the shades of emotive communication, aligned to romanticism, but to also hear the need for both worldviews: entrepreneurialism and romanticism. Though the two can certainly eclipse one another, their benefits are best reaped when both are joined, as opposed to an either/or model.

Historical insights

History is a glorious recorder and a residual teacher. Archbishop Desmond Tutu distilled history to a vicious lesson: “We learn from history that we don’t learn from history!” Jessica Metcalfe tries to correct instances of this by being a champion of her own history as a Native American. Metcalfe is Turtle Mountain Chippewa. In addition to writing her doctoral dissertation on Native designers of high fashion at Dartmouth College and the University of Arizona, Metcalfe created Web-based destination “Beyond Bucksin,” focused on bringing and spreading awareness to Native American-made clothing and accessories.



Metcalfe’s advocacy of her cultural heritage isn’t rote preservation, it’s sensitive vigilance. To help keep the legacy of her culture intact, Metcalfe makes sure her background is in the foreground, with precise respect, through diligent historical examination and curation of Native American craftspeople. A refrain was the critical integrity of cultural authenticity. She reminded us to be sensitive to a group’s language and narrative when adopted and simulated.

I sensed tension during Metcalfe’s presentation, between the stewards of a culture and those who, with and without intent, overlook a culture’s deep heritage. I wondered if there is a threshold to mine and govern cultural details, particularly in the midst of phenomenal practices like collage, remixing and sampling.





Metcalfe’s reverence for history was echoed in the presentation by Brandon Oldenburg, who co-founded Moonbot Studios specializing in animated filmmaking. A wholehearted appreciation of history captivated Oldenburg when he learned about the Century of Progress International Exposition held in Chicago in 1933. This grand event’s theme was technological innovation. A noted celebrant was Radio Flyer (above), known for its popular red toy wagon. Oldenburg seized this as a symbol. It was cast as a major character in his studio’s latest animated film “Taking Flight.”



Inventiveness

There are general observations accumulate with ease. Most disappear. Some remain present long after having been observed. They become specific in their nature. Specificity feeding clarity. These are the observations that somehow gel with possibility. They turn into a project, even reaching the status of a quest.

From observing her grandfather with Parkinson’s, Lily Born (above), who was 8-years old at the time, took note of his difficulty in drinking liquids. He often tipped his cup. Born turned her observation into a challenge taking the form of the anti-spill Kangaroo Cup. Now 12-years old, Born is pursuing her other ideas in helping to improve people’s lives.



Matching the situational awareness of Born, Dominic Wilcox observes common objects and their afforded context—turning both into material flights of fancy. Ordinary objects imbued with extraordinary contexts. While being charmed by his inventions, such as the first GPS-equipped shoes to the dual cereal crane and milk lubricant (broadcast on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”), I was dubbing Wilcox as the da Vinci of delight, unexpected and welcomed.

Sonic therapy

Composer Victoria Deiorio creates soundscapes for the theater and the big screen to help audiences experience music in original ways. Whether it’s a play or a movie, sound gives ambient weight to the flow of stories. She imbued the auditorium with samples of her work. No visuals, only the effect of sound. Slices of her musical scores were matched with a scene she narrated.

After the conference, I happened upon the new album “Tape Loops” by Chris Walla of the band Death Cab for Cutie. Its analog arrangements and instrumentation, using piano and electronic keyboard, sparked a meditative quality. It was a fitting discovery aligned to Deiorio’s presentation. I shared it on social with Deiorio who tweeted back: “This is why I love what I do… making people think about what they don’t normally think about.” I dwelled on the phrase “normally don’t think about.” Because there is the typical sight of Apple’s iconic white earphones. Beats’ colorful headsets are also a popular sight. The Web is a massive sonic gallery, which includes curatorial destinations like DesignersMX where you can “Create finely-curated mixes with music that moves and cover art that’s beautifully designed.” The state of engineering has enabled a world of sound. This is particularly apparent in efforts to record and study the creative, social, political, historical dimensions of sound, such as Aporee, “an online audio archive where people upload field recordings” from all over the globe, the series “Close Listening” by National Public Radio dedicated to identifying sounds in nature, and the Library of Congress’ plan to preserve the “Sounds of America.” Speaking to a packed audience at the 41st monthly meet-up of the Chicago chapter of CreativeMornings, sculptor and luthier Ian Schneller showcased his making of one-of-a-kind horn speakers, which could be inserted into stories of the steampunk genre. There is also the relentless wave of sonic selfies. A glowing example of which is the non-profit StoryCorps, whose recording booths have documented the many experiences composing the oral history of America. This audio tapestry has been advanced with the launch of a mobile app. Furthermore, there is the sound of the Big Bang. More than these amazing feats of audio access, there is the affectionate reverie uniquely possessed in the sound of a loved one’s voice. This is equivalent to kissing a photograph, holding hands, a salute, or feeling for temperature. My belief is that the human awareness and invoking of sound, in life, in art, is a normal mode.



Musician Robin Sukroso shared with the audience how he expanded the range of a single instrument. In his case, the guitar is his maker’s studio. Leveraging the latest availability of electronic components, he invented the ACPAD, the world’s first wireless MIDI controller, attachable-with-ease for the acoustic guitar. This seamless device equips him with a variety of effects, in percussion and textures, marrying music done by hand and music done electronically. A one-person band. Sukroso’s ingenuity with musical instruments recalls musical duo Buke and Gase, whose distinct sound is due to their handcrafted instruments (that inspired their name). Producing the sounds in their heads through musical instruments of their design.



Will power

Amidst the merciless storms of consequences worsening our planet, environmentalist Suzanne Hunt shared some “bright spots” of human intervention to cope, even counter, the terminal effects of pollution. The source of these noble attempts is “Will,” as Hunt revealed. The execution of nobility boils down to this factor, ever-elusive, at the same time, ever-accessible.



Exercise of will is both the proposition and pride of I Am Adaptive™, a non-profit co-founded by crossfit trainers Marilyn and Ellyse Zosia, who took the Cusp Conference stage to share their plights in overcoming personal struggles. Their saving method: physical fitness. They champion a crossfit community, guided and nurtured to help overcome disabilities: emotional, mental and physical.

As an athlete, singer-songwriter and actor, Sami Grisafe is a captain of will. She closed the Cusp Conference with her story of pursuing goals others could not intuit readily, such as being the first female to play the quarterback position in a varsity Division I football game in the state of California, the first female to throw a touchdown pass in a world championship tournament, and the first girl in her community of Redlands, California, to join a boy’s baseball All-Star team.



Currently, she is recording her new album supporting both the LGBTQ community and the right of marriage for all. These events testify to an epic tale of will, if used, can contribute to a different, ultimately positive circumstances through which to excel and seed the next experience. Grisafe’s telling of her origin story led me to my conclusion, that she pushed herself out of her mother’s womb—fighting alienation since the moment of birth (recalling biological anthropologist Julienne Rutherford’s Cusp Conference 2014 talk about the placenta as the defining force of human life).

Bright spots

Hunt’s phrase “bright spots” remained with me as an essential summary of the 8th Cusp Conference. Each presentation related trials of varying magnitude. Most too big in scale for human comprehension, too big for human engagement, too big for human imagination. Echoing previous gatherings, the 8th annual iteration of Cusp Conference in 2015 delivered proof of defiance to the residual perception of any problem, whatever its composition, being too complex for human effort to put a dent in. From the never-ending assembly of wicked problems, each presenter picked a place to invest their energies and stuck with it. This stickiness goes under various names: persistence, courage, perseverance, including the much propagandized label of empathy.

Storm on

The 8th Cusp Conference offered another big morsel of human demonstration. Each presenter: part storm chaser, all parts storm facer. Each left a unique impression. Together, they left an imprint for any attendee to inherit: Make your storm of interests your strength—in the process, granting a piece of the world a second life.

• • •

Big thanks: to Multiple, Inc., and the volunteers who made Cusp Conference happen in 2015; to the Museum of Contemporary Art, in Chicago, for hosting.

• • •

See more of my photos, including anticipation, of the 8th Cusp Conference. Furthermore: my write-up and photos of the 7th Cusp Conference in 2014, plus my write-up and photos of the 6th Cusp Conference in 2013.

• • •

Read more of my coverage of events related to design and creativity.

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Anticipation for Cusp Conference 2015

If there is a sensation—an urgency—that humans crave, it’s creativity. It’s a heart-thumping, mind-bending variable. Creativity is, to borrow a phrase from neurologist and author Oliver Sacks, a person’s “real inmost story.” The state and nature of this story are aspects I enjoy noticing and learning through my series of interviews, as part of my Web-based project Design Feast. I especially enjoy the story of creativity unfold at the annual Cusp Conference.

For the third consecutive year, I have been invited to experience and write about the 8th incarnation of what is simply recognized as “Cusp.” In 2013, a duo of graphic novelists, a sword swallower, an astrophysicist, an architect of habitats in space (outer space), a medical doctor (turned medical designer) and more, presented on this conference’s stage. Last year, a biological anthropologist, a behavioral scientist, a social justice activist, a cyberbullying preventionist, a sex toys innovator and more, shared their distinct focus. This year, Cusp’s cast of speakers persists the sheer diversity of human application, like 12-years-old Lily Born who invented the Kangaroo Cup for people with Parkinson’s disease, Riana Lynn who created supply chain management platform FoodTrace, Samantha White who founded Shakespeare in Detroit, and other risk-takers.

There are many ways to cultivate creativity, particularly in the workplace. The Cusp Conference is a yearly offering of perspectives and projects—deliberately different to help stimulate scenarios of possibility. It motivates the pursuit of making intellectual connections, creative connections, unexpected connections that can influence one’s imagination over time and give shape to, borrowing another apt phrase from Dr. Sacks, “a continuous inner narrative.”

• • •

See my write-up and photos of the 7th Cusp Conference in 2014.
Plus: my write-up and photos of the 6th Cusp Conference in 2013.

• • •

Read more of my coverage of events related to design
and passionate pursuits.

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Please consider supporting Design Feast
If you liked this lovingly-made write-up, show your appreciation by helping to support my labor of love—Design Feast, which proudly includes this blog. Learn more.

Cusp Conference 2014: Turbulence tamed

October 22 and 23, 2014: Mike Ivers, of the Yuma Community Food Bank, opened the seventh Cusp Conference at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art with this charge: “Turn turbulence into triumph.” It inspires resilience in the face of current events. Its meaning, from one relative state into another, coheres with these themes that I found to flow among the event’s speakers.

Origins

The evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins said, “There’s real poetry in the real world. Science is the poetry of reality.” This came to mind as I experienced biological anthropologist Julienne Rutherford’s presentation about the innate connections between our bodies and the fetus. She duly noted the body as “a distinct part of our existence.” Whether or not it is truly good or bad design, the human body is a fascinating reality, and poetically speaking—a work of art. She also noted the “aquatic world of the fetus.” This brought to mind the aquatic composition of both our bodies and our planet. The human body is mostly water—approximately 60% as an adult. The surface area of the earth is 70.8% water. Water takes the shape of us and we strive to reciprocate.



Rutherford posed a deep question: “What is a placenta?” It is the organ, which connects the developing fetus to the wall of the uterus, to support pregnancy and birth of a new human being. To exceed the flatland of this definition, the placenta is portrayed, by Rutherford, as the original shaper of our lives. It is a highly influential medium, between mother and child—“From womb to womb” as Rutherford (above) elegantly put it.

In the conclusion of his book “Interface Culture” (1999), Steven Johnson stated, “The interface came into the world under the cloak of efficiency, and it is now emerging—chrysalis-style—as a genuine art form.” If the fetus is a floating world of signals and information, the placenta is its anchor, the ultimate interface of the imagination, whose potential scope Rutherford does not underestimate.

Accessibility

When openness is achieved, access is gained, whether it is to dialog, information, services, technology, and more. Behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley shared experiments, which he led, that investigated philosopher Aristotle’s claim that humans, are, “by nature, a social animal.” Particular emphasis was given to people’s expectations about social interaction. The findings revealed the mistaken projections by people regarding face-to-face conversation. Participating in the studies, people—who jumped to conclusions that personal interaction would be shallow, on account of themselves or the stranger to which each was prompted to draw into conversation—wound up being wrong. Whether the setting was a train car or a taxi cab, people experienced a positive, even uplifting, effect after talking to someone, even when the interaction was short-lived. My habit of greeting people, within the close quarters of an elevator, felt justified.



In her talk, Mariame Kaba addressed a bleak reality that defies the social engagement prescribed by Epley. She revealed the deep-cut alienation of the incarcerated, especially the youth, in prisons throughout the U.S. (above). To Kaba, prisons excel at achieving a “Hell on earth.” In his epic poem “Paradise Lost,” John Milton expressed:

“The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.”

Her vision of “A world without prisons” speaks to systems made to promote humanity, rather than be systemic in their disinterest of the human condition.



To be within reach of sensibility—a sanity check—is what Trisha Prabhu is advancing, with her long-term solution to cyberbullying. Called Rethink, adolescents are prompted with a prime directive to reconsider their harmful words, and prevent the harm that would have been done to the message’s recipient and to the adolescent messager her/himself. Play is pressed on as a stimulant. Pausing, for self-examination, is equally, if not more, significant. Access to timely intervention is defensive serendipity.



Kel Smith spoke about accessibility from a user-experience standpoint. He testified to the excessive tidings of empathy. Innovation is also excessively prophesized. But Smith’s goal of “innovation” is direct: “To extend human capability.” The results of this dictate do (adding to the excess of another used term) “scale.” They can be grounded, appear deceptively moot, but are effective, as in the example that Smith highlighted: curb-cuts (below). Subtle in presentation, but to a visually-impaired person, a critical landmark of orientation.

Ingenuity

Regarding the process of making products, engineer Kim Blair recommended, “Taking time for divergence.” This withstands the consulting-culture’s entrenched insistence to “accelerate.” Blair’s reference to patience in doing right, with due diligence, was refreshing to hear, in comparison to a business climate bloated with the rote command to “Hurry up!”



When founding her non-profit initiative The Future Project, Sallomé Hralima crafted a manifesto that included this call: “Schools help students create action plans for their dreams.” Calling herself a Dream Director, Hralima illuminates the here-and-now of students, who are captains of their respective lives, which Hralima wholeheartedly advocates and is driven to help steer. Dreaming and living intersect. She is in tune with the author Fyodor Dostoevsky who wrote, “A dream! What is a dream? And is not our life a dream?”



Designer and inventor Tom Lawton (above) declared that there is a fertile source of ideas: “Everywhere.” Lawton’s imagination is fed as a parent, as a resident in Malmesbury (in the county of Wiltshire, England), as a photographer, and as a traveler. These roles enchant Lawton, for they enable him with possibilities to gather keen observations in order to arrive at creative possibilities, as Lawton simply put it: “I live life true to myself.” Much is advertised about galvanizing the quality of authenticity in making things. The living that Lawton cherishes—at home, his town, abroad—produces a multi-faceted source, in tune with his preferences, which compels him to stir ideas, authentically.

Equity

When Genevieve Thiers proclaimed, “I am a woman in tech,” pride ensued, alongside a restless struggle. Thiers amplified the glaring absence of women in technological fields. This gap is noticed on many levels. For one instance, the cover design of Walter Isaacson’s new book “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” (after his biography of Steve Jobs) does display Ada Lovelace, the first female programmer, among male figures sharing the publishing spotlight. It ups her singular status as a popular choice representing women in the timeline of technology, but also validates the greater vacuum of female technologists in both the news media and documented history, where women are mainly viewed as prolific members of entertainment, compared to other fields.



Thiers gave to-dos for immediate adoption:

• Politicians, “make coding mandatory in schools from kindergarten up!”
• Media specialists, “make shows about imperfect girl hackers/techies and give her role models!”
• Investors, “do not invest in a VC fund unless it has a real commitment to including women in its ranks and consulting them regularly so as not to miss out on big opportunities in industries traditionally run by women.”

The fight for gender respect is also embraced by Anne Gibbon, an officer in the U.S. Navy, and who is also a fighter—literally. During her senior year in the U.S. Naval Academy, she became the first woman to box on the side of Navy, earning a TKO in her first fight. Her primary boxing lesson: “If you don’t pay attention to the present moment, you’re going to get hit in the face.” The present tense is tactical awareness. Gibbon’s transition from a military leader, in the U.S. Navy, to lead designer, at BMNT Partners, with an allegiance to the discipline of boxing, is high in contrast. Gibbon takes her advice “to be uncomfortable and to be in the moment” and keeps proving it. Not to just assert herself in the present tense, she walks the talk.

Teamwork

Solo work offers a primary entrance. Feats are done by the individual, but the mind can be lonely. Independent accomplishment is deeply felt. When the accomplishment is stretched among other minds, accomplishment satisfies the depth and breadth of effort. This is the sustained completion of a moving goal, worked on, most of all, shared.



3D animator Kate Ertmann pointed to the fidelity of success, as a range of opportunities to help shape positive circumstances—as she put, “Success is the level of impact you have on people.”

Charna Halpern, co-founder of The iO (formerly known as ImprovOlympic), reinforced that work must not be a dry exercise of mind over matter. To help lighten work’s mechanics is humor, which, from an improvisational-comedy angle, fosters both kinship and collaboration. Halpern pioneered improv as a “theater of the heart.” In this type of work environment, no gatekeeping of ideas, instead, ideas are freely extended and bloomed into play without prejudice.



The talk of Roger Jackson, creative director at Teague, was a proactive ode to teamwork. He shared Teague’s participation in “The Bike Design Project” of non-profit Oregon Manifest. Their submission was voted the winner. Based on the demo-videos, Teague’s version of, from the competition’s description, “the ultimate urban utility bike,” was the apparent choice, particularly the functional (as you’ll see) versatility of its handle-bar concept. Teague’s design-and-prototyping team consisted of five individuals who realized this idea together. Minimal team. Maximum magic.



Founded by his father, Joseph, in 1971, Bill Haley has nurtured and guided the Jackie Robinson West Little League in Chicago as player, coach and, recently, director. In August, 2014, his team of 11 and 12-year-old boys won the United States Championship at the Little League World Series. Their victory more than captured the imagination of the city of Chicago. The team captivated its heart.

Music

The philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” Pianist Nicole Lee gave interludes, mostly from the classical repertoire. The conductor, Benjamin Zander, believes that “No one is tone-deaf.” Lee celebrated this fact.





Singer-songwriter Elle Casazza, and her band, gave a live performance of lounge-tinged pop to triumphantly close this year’s Cusp Conference.

Cues for living and working

Taking a cue from Julienne Rutherford, probing our origins, in whatever capacity, from one’s armchair to one’s office, is openness to introspection about the nature of things—of ourselves.

Taking cues from Kim Blair, Saliome Hralima, Tom Lawton, people are cabinets of creativity. By dreaming and doing, humans can prove to be capable of making magic.

Taking cues from Genevieve Thiers and Anne Gibbon, removing history’s malignant plaque of exclusivity—the respect of gender being one of many dominant issues—contributes to the collective grasp of diversity everywhere.

Taking cues from Kate Ertmann, Charna Halpern, Roger Jackson, Bill Haley, utilizing vulnerability—to sketch, to state an opinion, to ask questions—builds trust, the absolute requirement to gel as a group. Essential here is the determinant of hope. From his Little-League team’s winning of the U.S. Championship, Haley thought about why this team’s story, this time, brought together a city. His conclusion: “The team symbolized hope.”



A memorable meeting at the conference was the Mocks family—parents Bill and Tracy with their daughter Samantha. Bill shared that they, together with his and Tracy’s son, Will, are regular attendees of the Cusp Conference. It’s their family tradition. This impressed me! Bill also shared that they’re not the only family who attends. One of the ultimate gifts is perspective. The Mocks are giving their kids a portfolio of worldviews to settle and ripen over time. It corroborates the likelihood that their children will persist the practice by providing such a platform of life-affirming wonder to their counterparts, kindred, “womb to womb,” and beyond.

Speaking of the beyond…

Deborah tweeted, “I am edified, exhilarated and exhausted. And I can’t wait to do it all again next year!” 2013 speaker Joy Lee cites the Cusp Conference as a motivating reminder “to realize how many amazing people there are in this world.” Ruth Mason describes it as “a life-altering, mind-altering, perspective-altering event.” Mason furthermore posits, “Two days of being challenged about who you are. Are you man enough?”

These impressions are from attendees who were positively affected. Their standpoints adjusted in dimension. Mine percolated. During, and more so afterwards, my striving, to connect bits of wonder in order to make something wonderful, gained more in volume as a sensibility.

Building on its predecessors, since 2008, the seventh Cusp Conference gave more stimulating passage to concepts and realities for consideration. The beauty is the mystery of how these cultural offerings—delivered by twenty-five presenters over two days—will unfold in influence and play a part in one’s work, one’s life. This is a relevant comfort that can help hone one’s attention to the things one finds brilliant. It can also nourish coping with turbulence, mitigate its grip, and replenish triumph.

• • •

Big thanks: to Multiple, Inc., and the volunteers who made Cusp Conference happen in 2014; to the Museum of Contemporary Art, in Chicago, for hosting.

• • •

See my photos of the 7th Cusp Conference. Plus: my write-up and photos of the 6th Cusp Conference in 2013.

• • •

Read more of my coverage of events related to design and creativity.

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Please consider supporting Design Feast
If you liked this lovingly-made write-up, show your appreciation by helping to support my labor of love—Design Feast, which proudly includes this blog. Learn more.