A Chat with Frank Chimero ⇾
The latest episode of Creatiplicity is available.
Now that a day has passed, the dust has started to settle regarding a post from Andy Rutledge. In his post, Andy shares some thoughts on economics and how Frank Chimero’s The Shape of Design project on Kickstarter is a bad idea for everyone.
I have no intention of rehashing Andy’s entire argument. I’ll focus on his statement following his explanation on the two forms of capatilism as he understands it:
Despite these clear facts and all of human history to support them, many people are seemingly compelled to corrupt and destroy the morality and natural order of this fundamental human relationship. When this happens, the mutual profit it produces is also corrupted and destroyed.
Looking at things from a purely economic sense can be the right thing to do. Sometimes. But certainly not always. Why not? Because, when it comes to my money, like everything else, I am not a robot. Neither are you. And economic decisions are not based solely on facts.
I’ve learned a lot from being involved in web communities in the past few years. One of the most important to me is that I choose to use my ability as a consumer to support things I believe in. That’s why I buy computers from Apple. It’s also why I buy milk and eggs from a farm outside of town and bread from a bakery on the other side of town. It costs me more money, but I get so much more value.
I know that I purchased local. I know that I bought a product that consists of ingredients that are as unrefined as possible. I know that time and energy were poured into the design of a product or service. All reasons that are worth my money.
I can apply the same logic to where I put my money online. It’s why I would purchase a membership for a website, even though I can get the content for free. And like Frank’s book, the membership doesn’t guarantee me content. I’m putting my faith in the writer that the content will continue to be produced. All the writers and creatives that I enjoy have earned my trust. Even though Frank has not written the book in question, his body of work and the manner in which he carries himself have earned him my trust.
And, in extension, my money.
Jonathan Christopher also posted his reaction to this debate. He makes some excellent points, and so do his readers. Randy Murray sums up the situation in a comment on Jonathan’s site:
From the way I see things, this project in particular and Kickstarter in general is a return to an ancient and honorable form: patronage.
Shawn Blanc put it another way:
In a way I pre-paid for @fchimero’s book. But really, I invested in the belief that those with a dream should be supported by their peers.
This is what gets me excited about the Internet. I don’t have to pay the cable company $60 a month to feed me what they want. I can use my spending power to choose what I want. And I get to support the people I admire and respect.
And although Andy Rutledge thinks everyone loses in this model, it seems to me that everyone wins.
Advice from Frank Chimero ⇾
From another new favorite writer of mine, Frank gives advice supposedly targeted at a design student. But the contents are applicable across all occupations and walks of life. Example? Gems such as:
Quiet is always an option, even if everyone is yelling. Libraries are a good place. The books are free there, and it smells great.
and:
Keep two books on your nightstand at all times: one fiction, one non-fiction.
are just the start. Read it in its entirety, in one sitting.
Frank Chimero: Whiteboard Accounting ⇾
The idea is this: the whiteboard acts as a quick visual dashboard to see your financial situation in regards to income. We always say freelancing is feast or famine (and it typically is), but the purpose of the whiteboard is to make you go less insane in both instances: to feel okay that things are slow if your costs are covered from the overflow of the busy months, and to give yourself permission to say no to stuff you don’t want to do (or are too busy to do) when you’re feasting. …
Frank shares some details on how he plans his time and how much work he needs to take on in the course of a year. It’s not applicable to all self-employed individuals, but it’s an interesting concept nonetheless and a good reminder that any business owner needs to frequently take a high level look at their finances.
“The site is different now. It used to have to hold pictures. Now, it has to hold ideas, and that, decidedly, must look different. I’m still trying to grok what that means, but with each change I feel like I’m getting a little closer. You know how clothes start to feel better as you grow into them? That.”
