Members With 9 to 5's // Lawyer Gregory Smith: Progressive Litigator Gets Innovative at 3rd Ward

As a profession, law is notorious for requiring absurdly long hours. As such, we don't have many lawyers in our midst at 3rd Ward--but Gregory Smith makes time for his creative pursuits, just one thing that sets him apart from the John Grisham-type.

"I'm not your typical lawyer, for sure," Smith says. "I despise corporate legal culture and how it's turned the litigation system into an ATM for lawyers and a nightmare for the average litigant." His practice works on a sliding scale to serve people who might not otherwise have access to high-quality litigation.

When he's not writing briefs, Smith is, well, penning other things. In addition to political op-eds and essays on alternative marriage and sexualities for legal journals, "I've written a big chunk of a guidebook to Central America," he says. "I'm also kicking around a couple of story ideas for TV/film--but who isn't?"

In that vein, Smith is looking forward to taking photography classes at 3rd Ward and then aiming to branch out into other areas. "I'm approaching 3rd Ward with a wide open mind and mostly want to use it to help me follow more creative pursuits in my free time and gain inspiration and ideas from people who, like me, are working out how to run a successful, innovative small business in this crazy economy," he says.

We've got a feeling he's on the right path.

--Layla Schlack

Guerilla Gardener // Steven Wheen's Pot Hole Gardens

All photos by Steven WheenGuerilla gardener Steven Wheen calls his Pot Hole Gardener Project "part art, part labor of love, part experiment, part mission to highlight how shit our roads are." As he currently lives in East London, we feel compelled to ask him: "Steven, have you ever been to Brooklyn?? We could really use you over here."

Wheen doesn't claim to be the first guerilla gardener around, but his pot hole miniatures are so charming that he's one of the first to catch our attention. (Note the image above, which, unless you have magical eyes, truly does appear life-size when photgraphed at the right angle.) Meanwhile, each mini-garden is planted in a pot hole, gigantic crack or gaping space between bricks, and each has its own theme; Wimbledon, William and Kate's wedding, a wine 'n' cheese picnic, usually accompanied by one of Wheen's recurring icons; a simple red telephone box.

While there's the underlying motive of pointing out how badly paved the streets in East London are, the real point of all of this is to bring some color to the gloom, and we love that. Walking around Brooklyn we're hardly starved for street art, but very rarely do we get the feeling an artist is trying to get us to literally stop and smell the roses--or in this case, the daisies, daffodils and kangaroo paw. 

Below are a couple more of Wheen's tableauxs--now please, let's get this man to Morgan Avenue.

 -- Perrin Drumm

Your Daily Insight // As Told By: Einstein

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius--and a lot of courage--to move in the opposite direction.

Hye Yeon Nam Presents Touching Anomaly // Photos Are Up!

Thanks to everyone who came out for Touching Anomaly, the interactive gallery opening presented by Hye Yeon Nam.  See below for a few of our favoirte pics of her interactive technological wonderland and check out the 3rd Ward Facebook page or Flickr for the full album. Thanks to Liz Clayman for the awesome photographs!

Plus, are you looking to show your work in the 3rd Ward Gallery?  Now is your chance!  Submit your best work to the 3rd Ward Open Call here for a chance at $5,000, a 1-year 3rd Ward Unlimited Membership, and much more!

Product Spotlight // Berlin's Soundmachines Futurize Your Next Party

All photos courtesy of The Project

DJ'ing has come a long way since the days of vinyl. Instead of carrying 100lb crates of records, DJ's are now more likely to come equipped without much more than a laptop. But for those looking for a little nostalgia with their new technology (combined with stunning design we can't peel our eyes off of), Berlin-based studio The Project has designed the turntable alternative: Soundmachines.

What exactly are you looking at up there, you ask? Here's how it all breaks down:

That glass encased tabletop holds three units modeled after traditional record players, but instead of records they play color-coded discs with three different concentric, visual patterns. The play-by-color approach assigns a beat or electronic melody to each color. The thicker the color strip, the longer the sound. The tracks are synced to a sequencer like Ableton Live and play like a neverending record, allowing the DJ to live-create sound patterns and mixes (sign us up, please.)

Soundmachines were actually sponsored by VW for an event promoting the 2012 Beetle. No, that doesn't mean VW is launching a line of cars with visual DJ technology; they essentially just used it to play music at the party. Still, we find it relatively cool that instead of hiring the standard iTunes-wielding "DJ," VW sponsored an offbeat music project from a local design studio.

At this stage in the game, Soundmachines only play electronic music--but anyone who's handy with a sequencer can probably figure out how to sync up some R&B and classic rock for a live mash-up party.

Meanwhile, hit the jump and feast your eyes on the finished product--along with a closer look at the mechanics of the whole thing.

-- Perrin Drumm

Epic Ideas // Illustrator James Gulliver Hancock Hopes To Draw Every Building In New York

All the Buildings in New York - Mott St, by James Gulliver Hancock.

Brooklyn-based Australian illustrator James Gulliver Hancock loves drawing. He also loves buildings. It makes sense then, that he's taken on an epic project bringing those two passions together. The project's name, All the Buildings in New York, says it all. His goal is to draw all of the Big Apple's buildings. While that ambition might be as far-fetched as Sufjan Steven's Fifty States Project, Hancock has done quite a few, and you can browse them by location via this nifty Google map. Hit the jump below to watch a video interview about the project.

Here's Hancock's explanation of how All the Buildings in New York got started, from an interview with CasaSugar:

I'd been doing this series of drawings where I capture a cliché of each city I'd visit; you can see the other ones on my website. So when I moved to New York, it was natural to do one here. However, moving to this great city, I was a little overwhelmed, so this became a special one.

It was interesting, because when I moved here it was like moving to a familiar place. Being originally from Australia, I'd seen so many pop culture images of New York that I almost didn't believe it was real. When I arrived, it had this kind of movie set-like mystique, so the blog was a conscious decision to try and tackle that, to make connections to my new home through drawing. And it's worked, through sitting down and taking in different places through the city, I've made new connections, planted markers of familiarity for myself within its structure and its reality, almost to the point that the buildings become little friends everywhere.

That sense of fascination and connection with his surroundings is what we love about Hancock's work. His project doesn't come across as a gimmick or contrivance, but a genuine glimpse of what it's like to discover the city. That's probably a familiar feeling for anyone who's moved to the New York, as is another moment that Hancock describes in that CasaSugar interview:

Sometimes in Summer, crossing one of the bridges, I've found myself with an uninterrupted view of the city, and I get heart palpitations, worrying that I may not be able to draw it all. I am a really focused person and it almost stresses me out the volume of buildings! But I hope to be here for a while, so we'll see!

Want to make sure Hancock gets to your building before he's old and gray? No problem: Commission the NYC building of your choice via his website.

And now for that video interview with Hancock, by Marisa Guzman-Aloia:

-- John Ruscher

Your Daily Insight // As Told By: David Ogilvy

First: Make yourself a reputation for being a creative genius. Second: Surround yourself with partners who are better than you are. Third: Leave them to go get on with it.

Call for Entries // Getty Images' Invites You To Remix Its Vast Video And Music Archive For Its Mishmash Competition

For creatives everywhere, Getty Images can be a crucial resource, but also a frustrating tease. It puts a giant treasure trove of high-quality images, video and music at your fingertips, but the price tags force you to take only what really need to get a project done, leaving behind a world of possibilities.

In Getty's annual Mishmash competition, though, you can explore this world and use its vast digital riches for free. On top of that, you'll have a chance for global recognition and some sweet cash!

Now in its third year, Mishmash invites anyone to take advantage of its archive of over 825,000 video clips and 140,000 music tracks—including material from the likes of Universal Studios and Warner Brothers Film—and create a video remix. An earthshaking music video, mind-blowing video art, moving short story, fascinating mini-doc, an amazing ad—the choice is yours.

Feeling like a kid in a candy shop who's been told you can take anything you want? If so, Mishmash is probably for you. Take a look at the competition you'll be up against and then register to get started.

The deadline for entering is February 29, but the sooner you submit your video, the more votes it can rack up for the Public Vote prize (a cool $1000). Your ultimate goal, of course, should be global domination ($5000 and international exposure), but being a regional winner ($2000) or country winner ($1000) wouldn't be too shabby either. All of those prizes will be selected by a jury of top creative professionals.

Now fire up Final Cut and show 'em what you got!

-- John Ruscher

Member Spotlight // Everything's Just PEACHii for iPhone-preneur James Peach

It's no secret the iPhone has spawned an entirely new industry of companies scrambling to create apps, cases, and skins. For 3rd Ward member James Peach--alongside his brothers Pat and Nick--the phone helped usher in their new business, PEACHii.

The iBooKas"My brother Pat had been repairing iDevices for some time when the iPhone 4 was launched," Peach says. "With this new glass design, many users of the new phone were dropping them, resulting in their rear glass battery-cover being shattered."

"Noticing only low-quality, foreign-made, aftermarket battery-covers available, he asked my brother Nick to design and manufacture a custom battery-cover out of bamboo" and thus, PEACHii was born.

The brothers do the manufacturing out of a shop in Pensacole ("at a place we call 'DreamLand,' a CNC machine shop built by our 94-year-old grandfather, the original inventor in the family.") Said grandfather--Louis Brown Sr.--invented Tee It, a pneumatic system for practicing one's golf swing.

The iBooKamSo far, the Brothers Peach's original "iBooKas" were listed as one of Mashable's Top 10 iPhone accessories--and we think the iBooKam, a custom lens kit, can't be far behind. Peach says an iPad case is in the works, as are more accessories for PEACHii products themselves.

And so, enter 3rd Ward. "I grew up with a knack for branding and sales," he says, "but over the past few years, a desire to develop more hands-on skills has emerged. Since the curriculum of 3rd Ward ranges from sewing to business planning and everywhere in between, I decided to join. Taking classes like branding and screen printing have proven advantageous for my current position of handling marketing at PEACHii, as well my other projects that include upcycling garments via screen printing and sewing." 

Peach is excited about the idea of collaborating with other 3rd Warders, so if you see a guy talking on a bamboo-clad phone, try and introduce yourself.  Meanwhile, we'll be casually nudging him for one of those gorgeously-crafted toys.

--Layla Schlack

Your Daily Insight // As Told By: Lewis Mumford

The chief function of the city is to convert power into form, energy into culture, dead matter into the living symbols of art, biological reproduction into social creativity.