Music
2000
Ok. "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot" and "Crystal Lake" are two of my favorite songs of all time. This album in general was a revelation to me. I was 14 and and I was beginning to learn guitar. The song structures, the synth sounds, and the stories told in the songs were so unique and fun. Another intimidation meets inspiration moment.
Video Games
1997
I mean... if you've ever played this game then you know why it is on this list.
The story, the scale of the world, the characters, the sound track. What an absolutely wonderful experience all around. I can't imagine how many hours I spent playing the mini-games at the Golden Saucer. I was 10 or 11 and I think about this game all the time.
Design
1990
This whole portrait series was so cool, but this was the only one I actually owned. Favorite card of my second favorite player (Kenny Lofton #1). My parents were cleaning out their house recently and I found this in a box labelled "junk". Close call.
Art
2024
Brian Blomerth creates such intricate worlds and characters. This is my favorite shirt by him. His website is a reminder that the internet can still be fun.
Music
1993
I don't know what the actual start date is for Elephant 6, all I know is that have I listened to so much music from these bands over the years.
Design
2002
Buy one. Keep it near you and plugged in at all times. Best button-to-sound-change ratio on a piece of music equipment. It is like a toy and the sounds you can get out of it are incredible. Endless fun and creative output. This is the only thing I ever bought on Craigslist. We met in a parking lot.
Art
2019
Another one for the living room wall. These portraits make me happy. Pure positivity.
Movies
2007
A perfect movie. So many jokes that get setup about 40 minutes before they are paid off. Another comfort movie for me. Great soundtrack.
Music
1999
My favorite band (have I already claimed that on this list?). My favorite song of theirs in on this album, Strawberryfire. I saw them perform that song at the Middle East basement in Cambridge. Magnificent, unforgettable show. Generationals opened.
Furniture
1961
You can keep your Eames lounge chair, I'll take this beauty.
Video Games
1997
My favorite rpg. The class system is so satisfying to progress through. The characters are the best, I use the name Worker 8 in a couple places. The music is awesome. Countless hours doing frog battles to level up. Very excited for the remaster coming out in September(?). Going to have to take a couple of "sick days".
Design
1897
I love this weird green color and the layout of this piece. It is surreal and lovely.
Art
2020
This site was almost just 100 images of the work of James Jean. Dude doesn't miss. The vibrant colors, and incredible detail and texture are hypnotic. This is also in our living room.
Books
1988
Moebius is an incredible illustrator, easily my favorite. His influence is everywhere (ex Robinhood). The story in the comic is trippy and sci fi gold. Fun to read, fun to just flip through.
Art
2013
This was the first piece of "real art" that I ever bought. I had to enter a lottery to even have the chance to buy it. It was kept hidden, rolled up in a closet in my apartment in Allston. I finally framed it when I moved out. There are something crazy like 18 layers of colors screen printed on here, as well as some hand drawn embellishments. And it's huge, 42 x 34 inches, which make it even better. It is on the wall in our living room today.
Books
1968
My favorite book about wizards and magic. Hard to not pull inspiration from this when playing DnD or naming a new character in an MMO.
Books
1969
Fascinating concept. One of the best sci-fi books I read during the my journey through classics.
Art
2018
A masterpiece. Aaron Horkey's work is 99% intimidation, 1% inspiration. The level of detail is astounding. All of his posters are the coolest. This is hanging up in the kitchen. I look at it everyday.
Books
1984
Recently, I went on a journey through sci-fi classics and this was my favorite. You can see the impact of this book all around our culture today.
Great opening line.
"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."
Design
1883
Another one from college that has stuck in my brain. I love the detail and the colors. I even love the name of the pattern.
Art
2012
This is hanging by the door our the house, because we are always late. Like most of the work by Stephen Powers, it is fun and playful and poetic.
Movies
2008
This documentary made me nostalgic for something I didn't actually experience. And it introduced me to some of my favorite artists.
Furniture
1968
I have this on my desk. Found it in at Orange Trading Co. out in Orange, MA. It still works, how great is that?
Art
2020
This is hanging in the kitchen. A collision of a couple things I like. Obey x John Van Hamersveld x Blotter Paper. I bought a couple pieces from the blotter paper series that I believe was put out by 1xrun, and this one is my favorite.
Books
1954
In 2015, my wife and I quit our jobs and travelled across Costa Rica and Nicaragua for 3 months. This is one of the books that I read during that time. It changed my view on something that up until that point I had thought of as recreation and not much more.
"The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend."
You know, stuff like that.
Movies
2014
My favorite Wes Anderson movie. I think it is so funny and everything in it is so wonderfully designed. Also is there a better description of being a designer than this?
"What is a lobby boy? A lobby boy is completely invisible, yet always in sight. A lobby boy remembers what people hate. A lobby boy anticipates the client's needs before the needs are needed. A lobby boy is, above all, discreet to a fault. Our guests know that their deepest secrets, some of which are frankly rather unseemly, will go with us to our graves."
Art
2010
Jeff Soto was my first favorite artist. The watercolor wash backgrounds with solid elements and characters on top was something that I copied a lot. When I look at Mercury's current site, this is what I see.
Movies
2010
This is my comfort movie. I love the visuals, I love the music, I love the jokes, and I want to be friends with Young Neil.
Books
2020
Great collection of hilarious short stories. Bonus points for cool book cover.
Books
1952
The most recent Kurt Vonnegut book that I have read. His first book. Perfect read for the AI age that is upon us.
Books
1973
The first Kurt Vonnegut book that I read. Given to me by a friend who now gives me a different Vonnegut book whenever we get to see each other. I'm hooked. Kilgore Trout is the greatest character of all time.
Video Games
2021
I don't want to play Valheim, I want to live Valheim. This might be my favorite video game of all time. The first time playing I found myself just smiling. The music is so good. The graphics are perfect (for me). I could spend hours building in this game. Never gets old. Incredible to see what a small, dedicated group of people can build. Excited for the Deep North release.
Books
2007
If you're a creative person, you need to read this book. Super funny, obviously. A look at the process and life story of one of the greats.
Art
2016
I really should have separate posts for both halves of Landland, Jessica Seamans and Dan Black. Their posters are always full of texture and fantastic color choices. I certainly notice myself drawing in this style a lot.
Books
1962
This book is a great reminder to keep your vices under control.
Books
1925
My favorite collection of short stories. Not exactly uplifting, but it feels very "New England" to me, which is where I grew up. Least positive thing on this list. Still good.
Art
1923
One of my favorite assignments in college was to recreate paintings and I was assigned this piece. It was my introduction to Kandinsky. Digging into his process and learning about the relationship between his painting and music was exciting. I still have my poorly copied version of this hanging up.
Art
1998
These collage pieces do something to my brain that I don't quite understand. I feel better when I see them, I want to be a better person when I see them. Self contained worlds. Randomness balanced with perfect attention to detail. Look at that tiny bird.
Art
2000
My favorite artist. I was introduced to her work by watching Beautiful Losers. She created such an interesting world with all her characters. Her typography kills me. The colors are perfect. Installations like this one fascinate me. It is fun to get lost in the layering of everything and the stories that come through.
Books
2015
Buy this book. Looking through it feels like you're traveling. All of the typography is wonderful and worth studying. Instantly unlocks you if you're ever in a creative slump.
Books
2012
I love this book. Endless inspiration. A great view into the design process.
Design
1958
This poster. Saul Bass. Is there anything better? I loved learning about Saul Bass in college. I even stayed a few nights in the The Hotel Bristol Palace in Genoa where Alfred Hitchcock was supposedly inspired the spiraling staircase to create the spiral theme of the movie.
Design
1896
Another kinda cliche one but I do love Alphonse Mucha's work. I can't help it. I love the big typography, I love the colors, I love the pattern. It makes me want to draw. I see the influence that works like this have had on some of my favorite illustrators and designers, and it makes me happy that they are all pulling from similar sources of inspiration but making wildly different work of their own.
Video Games
2016
Wow. What a redemption arc. I remember the hype of this game pre-launch and the absolute disappointment of everyone who played it when it came out. Hello Games proceeded to not give up on their vision and it has turned into such a wonderful game to play. The studio themselves are an example of dedication and vision and perseverance. Playing the game is like therapy to me. Exploring planets and galaxies, collecting ships and gear. I find it to be so immersive and relaxing.
Music
1969
A classic. One of my guitar teachers showed me this album and it was my first true introduction to modal music. I listen to this when I am trying to relax. I was on a project years ago where for about 3 months our team would fly to Louisville, KY on Monday morning and fly home Thursday night. I listened to this album on every take off and landing.
Music
1976
I found Stuff and this album through listening to an interview with Jack Stratton of Vulfpek. This has become some of my favorite instrumental music. Cornell Dupree is a wizard. You can find old videos of him teaching guitar on youtube and they're absolute gold.
Music
2000
I found this gem much later in life than I should have. All of Tommy Guerrero's music is great but this album is one I constantly go back to for inspiration. Incredible songs with simple, beautiful melodies. Bonus points for the album art by Margaret Kilgallen.
Art
1982
I think this is my favorite character of Keith Haring's. In the book, which is somewhere on this list, he says that it was a mistake. He had painted the first eye, stepped away, and realized that it was way too far to left. Then it occurred to him to add a 3rd eye in the middle to balance the space. Mistakes are the best.
Art
1988
Primary colors, thick lines, pure energy. What a piece. I have a little cup with this dancing guy etched into it that sits on my desk at home.
Design
1978
Another piece of music equipment that I do not own but am inspired by. From the wood panels to the kid's toy looking buttons. Wonderful inspiration for interfaces.
Design
2019
Another amazing product from Teenage Engineering. I wish I had bought one. You have to assemble it when it arrives. It looks simple and beautiful and like a powerful tool for endless experimental creativity.
Design
2024
I do not own this. I have never even used it. I just think it is stunning. I even watch demo videos on youtube about this thing just to see it in use. All of Teenage Engineering's products are that way. They are beautiful, they look like fun.
Books
2020
Obviously, Dieter Rams has had a gigantic impact on design. But I think this book in particular is so well curated and a joy to look through. I used to have it on the table in our living room, now it is on the bookshelf where my kids cannot reach it.
Video Games
1996
The first rpg that I ever really played. It changed my brain chemistry. I use character names from this game a lot when I need placeholder text or titles for projects. I still listen to the soundtrack today (youtube). This game set me on a path for the type of music, stories, and movies that I love.
Video Games
1999
My first MMO and essentially my introduction to life on the internet. I was 13 years old, I did not know what to expect and I did not know what I was doing. It was great. The storyline was cool, collecting items and exploring the world was fun. My friend and I would pass notes in class about the loot we had found the night before and I have no idea what teachers thought we were talking about when they inevitably intercepted those notes. Years later, I used the character creation screen as inspiration for a screen on the Bank of America app where users would distribute money to multiple accounts.
Video Games
2001
My favorite MMO. I loved how unique each of the classes were. The realm vs realm frontier concept always made playing incredibly fun. I felt like I was exploring a world with a purpose and high stakes. Countless hours spent playing this with my brothers and friends. Shoutout to Phoenix for bringing this game back a fews ago and letting us relive the experience.
Art
2015
All of Killian's work is amazing but I think this is my favorite piece of his. This is the type of poster that intimidates and inspires me at the same time. I love the colors, I love the textures and the detail. I feel like I can sense how much fun he had making this. Extra points for Sun Ra.