Fowls of a Feather by Wes Johnson

powerlinerflyers from wes johnson on Vimeo.

This beautiful and unique video of birds on power lines was shot by photographer Wes Johnson. The movement of the flocks is so lyrical and the way the birds fly along the wires for places to sit reminds me of animated musical notes. It interested me that there is more than one "flock" along the stretch of power lines in this video. For example, there is one group of birds on the far left that always fly together, and their flight does not affect and is not affected by birds next to them.

A good photographer knows where to be at the right time, what to look for when he sees it, and how to capture it to show his audience. Although this video depicts something commonplace, it is still captivating to those who can appreciate beauty in small mundane events.

More Creative Book Designs

Hugs by Thomas Keeley

No matter how much the digital age expands, we will never rescind our love for books. Books are an integral part of human history and they continue to play an important role in shaping our culture. Today, their usage shifts from an instrument of information storage to a much more versatile design medium. Earlier this week, I showed you the well-designed ABC3D and today I will share with you a few more contemporary creative projects that reinterpret the book's look and its uses.

Hugs by Thomas Keeley (via)

Thomas Keeley makes modifications to everyday objects and turns them into art. His statement here? Who knows—perhaps that books love each other as much as we love them.

Book Ring by Ana Cardim (via)

Books as jewelry? The book ring by Ana Cardim is interesting because most people do not intuitively (if at all) associate books as something that can be worn. I think that truly innovative design defies any preconceptions we may have with a pre-existing object and takes it in a whole new direction.

The Neiman Marcus Pop Up Book (via)

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

DIY Matchbook Notepads by D*S

I really like this creative notepad project from Design*Sponge. It's simple, useful, and a creative way to reuse scrap paper. It reminds me how much fun making a booklet can be. Why are they called matchbooks, when they only carry matches? To me, this easy DIY is a better use of the term "book."

"Validation"—a short film by Kurt Kuenne

Today, I was totally inspired by the short film Validation. Nowadays, it's not unusual to see some pretty good videos on the net, but this one really caught my attention because of the positive message the film gave and how well it was executed. The story begins by introducing us to the parking validater (you know, the guy who stamps your ticket), who in addition to giving people free parking, helps them feel validated by giving compliments and putting a smile on their face.

"Validation"

This 16-minute short is written and directed by Kurt Kuenne, and has won a handful of awards. The touching story flows and unfolds with much finesse and TJ Thyne is a wonderful actor whose character is incredibly sincere and genuinely compassionate. I encourage everyone who likes putting a smile on someone's face to watch it.

"Validation" was especially inspiring for me because the protagonist did things that helped others in so many unimaginable ways at practically no cost to himself. Unfortunately, as simple as this sounds, it doesn't always happen in real life. If everyone could do just one unconditionally good deed each day, the world would be so different.

This film inspires me to be kinder to people; it shows that a small positive gesture may result in an enormous positive impact, and this world is always in need of more positivity. You know that awkward silence between two strangers when they share the same space? I'm usually quite shy around people I don't know, but I will make more of an effort to acknowledge their presence, strike up conversation, and most importantly—smile. After all, meeting new friends is much more fun than awkward silence. How will you leave a positive impact?

Related links:

• IMDB