WALTER AMERIKA BLOGS

Leibovitz and Art Capital reach consensus (for now)

Annie Leibovitz and the company that lent her $24 million, Art Capital Group, announced Friday afternoon they have reached an agreement to restructure the photographer’s finances and settle a lawsuit between them. But she could still be in peril of losing her homes and the rights to her photographs.The loan was due Sept. 8, and after days of negotiations, the parties released a joint statement about a settlement that, for now, spared Leibovitz from foreclosure. But the photographs and the homes remain pledged as collateral for the loan, and another deadline to pay back the loan could arrive in the next few months, legal experts said. The statement did not specify when the new deadline is. (source New York Times)

Dutch Creativity comes to New York (400 years later)

Anyone interested in what the Dutch Creative Industry is doing in New York, check out this article in Fast Company. There's obviously more to say about, but it will give you an idea of what's going on during the Husdon 400 celebrations

 

Annie's loan

Annie Leibovitz is a world famous photographer. Worked for Vanity Fair, Vogue and Rolling Stone. Made amazing pictures of the rich, famous and powerful. And needed money to buy the house of her complaining neighbour. Lots of money. So she went to The Art Capital Group and besides some houses she put up all hercopyrights, photographic negatives, contarct rights (existing or to be created in the future) as collateral.At an interest rate of something between 6 and 16 percent. And tomorrow is payback time.

The gentlemen of the Art Capital Group made a deal and they're sticking to it. Annie is an artist and had no idea what she gave away to these cultural sharks, is the reasoning you often read. But Annie must have know that she had an 'artist' lifestyle. Nevertheless, I hope they can work out some sort of settlement. Because it would be a shame if Leibovitz would decide to put her camera aside

New York Pics

Been to NY in July, always inspiring, always good for some nice material...

Socio-economic creativity?

Say what? Socio-economic creativity...maybe it needs some explaining. Socioeconomics or socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. The field is often considered multidisciplinary using theories and methods from sociology, economics, history, psychology, and many others. It has emerged as a separate field of study in the late twentieth century. In many cases, however, socioeconomists focus on the social impact of some sort of economic change. Such changes might include a closing factory, market manipulation, the signing of international trade treaties, new natural gas regulation, etc. Such social effects can be wide-ranging in size, anywhere from local effects on a small community to changes to an entire society. (As says Wikipedia)

Creativity normally is linked to the world of culture and arts. Most people see creativity as something on the side, something associated with free time, something extra. While in fact, creativity is becoming more and more an omni-present force in our society. Like sustainability, no company and no organisation can't escape to think about it and to integrate it in a structural way. Only how and with what objective is not always clear. Which is understandable if you think that creativity is not being teached properly in our Dutch (and probably noet anywhere). Worse, we try to ignore our creative capabilities from kindergarten on. Listen to Ken Robinson.

I've been involved in numerous projects, which go beyond communication, marketing and design. Normally the reason people contact me in the first place. Most of the time, the issue how do we learn to co-create with our stakeholders, where do we find the networks and talent that we need, how do we create value?

I predict that creativity will become the next sustainability (maybe allready is).

The future of food

Anyone interested in evolutionary thinking and design (not in the religious way), should go and check out the Sources and Senses seminar the Design Academy Eindhoven is organizing on September 8 and 9. Can we still learn from mother nature or should we focus on biotechnology? The seminar is a first proof of a new interest in challenges faced by designers in our modern an d changing world. I'll be chairing a part on Wedsnesday afternoon, focusing on the future of food. Dennis Avery (former Hudson Institute fellow) will take us into a cultivated future. Forget Slow Food! Ouch! 

Wired Magazine had a really interesting article on it some time ago. 

Back on the blogging track

Found myself working on projects for the last few months and then of course it was holiday season. A very dry holiday season, me and my fellow villagers found out last Friday when a huge part of the dunes next to us got on fire. Scary stuff. Luckily, winds didn't turn our way, so we weren't in the direct dangerzone for 'flyfire' as it is called. So what you see is NOT my backyard. 

Anyway, that's all over. It's time to share some insights on the world of socio-economic creativity again.