Eugene and Charis discuss the recent rebranding the CIA launched to attract more diverse employees. They also talk about the 2021 Public Domain Day and what it means for works to enter the public domain.

00:04:25 CIA rebrand

00:19:42 Public Domain Day

CIA rebrands to encourage diversity but identity of logo designer remains top secret by Cajsa Carlson

Start of 2020 Ushers Thousands of Once-Copyrighted Works Into the Public Domain by Katherine J. Wu

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Charis and Eugene answer a couple of questions about this past year. They talk about how they’re feeling, what a “new year” means, and what they’ve learned about work and themselves.

00:07:00 How are you feeling emotionally?

00:13:39 Is it really a “new year”?

00:18:55 What are you excited about?

00:25:41 What did you learn about work in 2020?

00:33:13 What did you learn about yourself in 2020?

00:36:34 What got you excited about creativity this year?

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Eugene and Charis discuss a new collection of artwork released by the artist Beeple that is in the form of NFT. They also talk about Async Art, a new kind of art movement built on the blockchain. Their second subject of the week is the state of the web in the year 2000 compared to what it is now, based on an article written by Postlight CEO Paul Ford.

00:03:23 NFT art

00:25:17 Evolution of the web

The Proof of NFTs — $3.5M Beeple Drop by Loop

Web Conversation From the Other Side by Paul Ford

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Charis and Eugene talk about Canadian NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez playing Among Us on Twitch with other streamers. They also discuss small businesses forced to adopt start-up mentalities and what resilience looks like.

00:02:48 Politicians streaming

00:24:46 Small business resilience

Can a Start-Up Mentality Save Small Businesses? by Eilene Zimmerman

AOC’s Among Us livestream hints at Twitch’s political power by Tanya Basu

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Eugene and Charis discuss how data is both dangerous and useful, how it has impacted growth of all kinds and changed the way we think about algorithms. They also talk about Instagram going all-in on shopping and what we personally turn to Instagram for now.

00:01:58 Data is fire

00:27:15 Instagram shopping

Data is Fire by Yancey Strickler 

We’re All Trapped in Instagram’s Digital Mall Now by Hazel Cills

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Charis and Eugene talk about Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying Wrexham AFC, a Welsh football club, and making content about the process. They also discuss two different articles about friendship, shallow ones and deeply intimate ones, and what it means to value friendship.

00:03:10 Football content

00:25:21 Friendship

Hollywood's New Multi-Million-Dollar Sports Investment Vehicle by Joseph Pompliano

What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life? by Rhaina Cohen

You Are Supposed to Outgrow Some Friendships by Brianna Wiest

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Eugene and Charis talk about the digital toolkit created by Airbnb Design that aims to help freelance illustrators with their client and business management so they can focus more on creating. They also discuss an interview with Stephen Satterfield, co-founder of Whetstone Media, published in Currant about empathy, origins, and fluency with food.

00:02:35 Illustrator toolkit Tyrus

00:15:49 Empathy through origins

Tyrus: A free digital toolkit from Airbnb Design that helps freelance illustrators optimize their business, so they have more time to focus on what they love

At Whetstone Media, Stephen Satterfield Builds Empathy Through Origins by Sarah Cooke

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Charis and Eugene talk about the new color choices people have made during quarantine for their interior spaces and whether that’s potentially soothing. They also discuss the importance of looking outside your area of expertise and industry to find new creative solutions.

00:02:21 Quarantine colors

00:17:40 Steal ideas

The Surprising Power of Color to Ease Quarantine Anxiety by Kyle Chayka

Great Ideas Are Yours to Steal by Bob Roitblat

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Eugene and Charis discuss the problem of harmful microplastics when using and washing synthetic materials. They also talk about Ricky Desktop, a viral Tiktok beatmaker, and the science behind crafting the perfect thing to beat the algorithm.

00:02:06 Microplastics

00:19:49 Algorithm mastery

Should synthetic clothing be sold with a warning? by Bella Webb

Meet Ricky Desktop, the most viral beatmaker on TikTok by Jacob Kastrenakes

Adapting to the algorithm by Kyle Chayka

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Charis and Eugene talks about the collaborative sneaker project being run by Afew and ASICS for the 30th anniversary of the GEL-Lyte 3 that includes major community input. They also discuss an article that considers the effects of less continual documentation and publication of our personal lives on social media during the pandemic.

00:02:52 Afew x ASICS

00:21:21 Content vacuum

The Wild Silence by Drew Austin of The Kneeling Bus

Afew x ASICS Take Community Engagement to the Next Level by Fabian Gorsler

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