Journal Four

BRUCE MAU

Mau was born in Sudbury, Ontario. He studied at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto, but left prior to graduation in order to join the Fifty Fingers design group in 1980. He stayed there for two years, before crossing the ocean for a brief sojourn at Pentagram in the UK. Returning to Toronto a year later, he became part of the founding triumvirate of Public Good Design and Communications.

Bruce Mau is a visionary and world-leading innovator. As Chief Creative Officer of Bruce Mau Design, he proves that the power of design is boundless, and has the capacity to bring positive change on a global scale. Mau founded his studio in 1985, and his first project was the celebrated Zone Books series. He founded the Institute without Boundaries.

These are all part of his Mantra he wrote in 1998...

5. Go deep.

The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value

7. Study.

A studio is a place of study. Use the necessity of production as an excuse to study. Everyone will benefit.

8. Drift.

Allow yourself to wander aimlessly. Explore adjacencies. Lack judgment. Postpone criticism.

10. Everyone is a leader.

Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead.

13. Slow down.

Desynchronize from standard time frames and surprising opportunities may present themselves

20. Be careful to take risks.

Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future

29. Think with your mind.

Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent

39. Coffee breaks, cab rides, green rooms.

Real growth often happens outside of where we intend it to, in the interstitial spaces – what Dr. Seuss calls "the waiting place." Hans Ulrich Obrist once organized a science and art conference with all of the infrastructure of a conference – the parties, chats, lunches, airport arrivals – but with no actual conference. Apparently it was hugely successful and spawned many ongoing collaborations.

41. Laugh.

People visiting the studio often comment on how much we laugh. Since I've become aware of this, I use it as a barometer of how comfortably we are expressing ourselves.

I am a big fan of every point he made. These especially. I think my mantra for the week will be to SLOW DOWN. I am always a go go go and keep going person. When I slow down, and calm down many times I have better ideas with more potential.

My Mantra for the Semester is to "Drift" and "Go Deep" I feel that sometime I go to the first couple ideas I have and forget to keep going into unexpected solutions.