"I Love Todd. And I love what he does and how he thinks. He's a firecracker, or even better, a firestarter. When Todd walks into a room, into a project, or into an idea he sets it on fire. As a creative junkie, he pulls ideas in every direction, tosses minds into wondrous places, and then after you are high in a creative cloud, he pulls on the string to bring you back into reality, enlightened and ready to go for it. It's Todd who knows how to mix the poetry with the concrete. It's because he finds inspiration in all sorts of corners: from the periphery where you least expect it and those places right in front of you, just outside the doorstep. That's why we love what he does, because we always see ourselves somewhere in his creative output. An idea, exhibition, event, or product that Todd develops is never really far-fetched because it is always rooted in Us; in our experiences, materials, colours, and shapes. When they are given the "Todd Spin", they say Hello it's Todd, but also Hello Me, and Hello Us. Basically, Todd is our biggest fan and a big promoter of "Us". Hey, thanks Todd, we are kind of swell!"
Cynthia Hathaway - Amsterdam, The Netherlands (droog design)
The Proof
01 The Something Nice project.
This has been my favourite project since moving to Vancouver last year...I launched "Something Nice" at the IDS in Toronto but it didn't really take. Since putting them up here and getting the online side figured out, the project has really gotten going with hundreds of people printing out their own and getting them up all over the city (and the world).
02 Favourite creative.
I was at Doug Coupland's admiring his Twin Tower sculpture when this pic was snapped. Vancouver is producing some seriously killer art! The world is watching us and we should feel proud of the cultural life in the city (it is not all fleece, roller blades and rain). If you have a minute drift over to the convention centre and spend a few moments with the massive Rain Drop and Digital Orca, two pieces that confirm Vancouver as an outdoor sculpture star.
03 Work space
This is the small desk (in a repurposed closet) that I plug away at. My office is more den than office and this little outpost is where all the designer tools are stashed - or tucked away if I want to forget about work stuff. Objects include; Country Lumber poster (a grab from a local construction site and a gift for my friend PG, Follow Your Heart stencil, Wally Olin's classic The New Guide to Identity, a candle from Josee Lepage, my old workhorse of a laptop, and a stack of paperwork and bills.
04 The library.
Books are always a hassle to move, so the library has taken a serious hit over the years as I moved around. I am a sucker for print and these are the essential books that I have not been able to separate from. The Eames chaise is no easy chair and only has one sweet spot for lounging but it is such a great piece of furniture, more sculpture than sitting machine (the "Log Cutters " carving is by P. E. Caron).
05 Desk
This is where I do most of my work...with tons of natural light and fresh air, my Pantone daybook and laptop, a big green plant, an Eames Girard rocker, a little outdoor space with a hammock, and a shipping crate from the Cabin exhibition, a souvenir from the first big event I curated.
06 Desk top
I wonder...if you showed someone a desktop, if they could articulate what the owner's personality was like? My laptop is everything. It has become the only thing I would grab if my house was on fire. I am unclear what my desktop reveals about me, lots of sticky notes, a black with white grid wallpaper and folders of whatever I am currently working on. I would love to see the desktops of other Vancouver creatives...what do the desktops of Marian Bantjes, Ken Lum, Douglas Coupland, Natalie Purschwitz, and Ian Grais look like?
07 Transportation.
I have had a motorcycle since I was ten, but last year I got the fear and now I am seriously thinking of getting a car. Too many close calls and a stupidly unreliable Ducati are taking the fun out of it. I still love the feeling of ripping along an empty road with my old lady on the back with only the gear to last a weekend, but this is not happening enough to forget the times I have ended up with my bike on a tow truck heading to a dealership.
08 Bedside table.
Watermelon shaped kleenex box, Muji pen, India Express book, Social Media Report, CAG brochure/membership, Smile in the Mind book, Monte Christo magazine, all on a light cube side table with a Mac Powerbook plug beside it for the occasional podcast/bedtime story (usually Wiretap).
The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
Fairview Slopes, just south of False Creek and up on a steep hill, so we have a monster view of downtown with the mountains behind it...the unfolding weather and shifts from day to night have replaced the television in our household.
What do you do and where?
I am a design consultant, and recently launched a branding firm. I am co-founder of the Canadian Design Resource and write for Azure magazine.
What are you working on?
I am always promoting design from Canada with the CDR, experimenting with projects in branding and advertising with Motherbrand, working on a book deal with Taschen, an exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver and IDS in Toronto, and a project called Penny Smash with a handful of west coast designers/artists. Vancouver has a fantastic art/design/music scene, so there is no shortage of ideas, inspiration, collaborators, and things to do.
Where can we find your work?
Web: citizen brand, Motherbrand, and Penny Smash
Linkedin: Todd Falkowsky
Twitter: citizen_brand and the_CDR
