It reminded me of last weekend at PhotoCamp, where a lot of people listened to a few of us ramble on about DSLR filmmaking and photography. I find it astonishing that so many people have a psychological barrier to beginning creative pursuits.

If you want to be a filmmaker, make a film. If you want to be a photographer, make photographs. If you want to make video games, make video games. If you want to write a novel, write. The key is to identify what you need to reach your goal, and do it. Things like training, tools, software, hardware, materials, time. You do NOT need permission.

And if you still don't believe me, fine. I hereby grant you permission to make and do anything you want. Problem solved.

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One of the things that has most inspired me about working in creative industries is the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas. Simply bringing an idea out of your head and into a group environment seems to improve it immeasurably. This is why I decided to get a membership to the Unlab.

With the inception of Unlondon and the Unlab, I can't help but think that this is an environment that has so much potential to grow beyond it's humble tech origins and evolve into a cross-disciplinary collaborative space. I want to foster an environment that allows individuals to flourish, to become part of a collective, and to build a creative community that can rival anything done by anyone, anywhere. I see a future where a photographer can use the space for a experimental art shoot, collaborate with another Unlab member (Unlab rat?) to turn this into an innovative live show with video and music, hand it off to another member who builds a custom iPhone app with the whole interactive experience. This is just a simple example, but if we can concentrate talent and skill under one roof, who knows what kind of things can happen?

I plan on speaking at SMarts London to introduce the concept of the Unlab to the artistic community, and to discuss ideas on how to build this Creative Community Co-Operative, including an hackathon-like event with a creative focus.

If anyone is interested in this effort, please contact me: andy@berdan.ca or via @twitch on twitter.

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Over time, I've perfected this quiche recipe. It is an easy recipe to make, but NOT a quick meal. Don't expect to eat it until at least 6 hours after starting. This is because the shell is scratch-made, and most of the ingredients are slow-roasted.

However, with the exception of the final quiche step, everything can be made a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated. One warning, however... slow roasted plum tomatoes are FANTASTIC. You may want to make extra.

Ingredients

Shell

• 1/2 package chevré (herbed or plain) [usually found as a sausage-shaped log]
• 1c. basmati rice
• 2c. water
• butter

Filling

• 2 bulbs garlic
• 5 plum tomatoes
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 package chevré (herbed or plain) [usually found as a sausage-shaped log]
• 1/4c. 18% cream
• 1/4c. grated parmesan

Directions
Shell

1. Cook rice normally in water. Do not add anything.
2. Once rice is fully cooked (and drained), mix in half the package of chevré and stir until well combined. This works better if the rice is still warm.
3. Preheat oven to 350F
4. Grease a pie plate with butter, and form rice-chevré mixture into a shell with even thickness. Bake at 350F until firm and browned (1-2 hours)

Roasted Fillings

1. Preheat oven to 250F
2. Place tomatoes, halved lengthwise, on aluminium-foil-covered cookie sheet
3. Cut tops off of garlic bulbs, and place on cookie sheet
4. Roast tomatoes and garlic for 4 hours at 250F.

Quiche

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Use a small spoon to remove garlic cloves from roasted bulb.
3. Arrange tomatoes and garlic in pie shell
4. Beat eggs and cream together, and pour into pie shell
5. Season with salt & pepper
6. Cook until egg mixture is set (fork inserted into center comes out dry), about 1.5 hours
7. Top quiche with parmesan cheese, and broil on high until cheese is golden (about 10 minutes)

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There's nothing like the last minute. I have decided that my life isn't quite insanely busy enough, so I'm going to try for an entry in the London Short Film Showcase.

Here's the current elevator pitch:

  The Perfect Cup - one man's fanatical search for the perfect cup of coffee.

There's room for fellow conspirators. If the concept sounds interesting, drop me a line... email, twitter, facebook, pigeon, whatever.

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I have discovered something that may seem obvious to those who have experienced long-distance cycling. There’s a duality of time compression and expansion that occurs when on a long ride.

At once, a cyclist feels the andrenaline-amplified sensation of high speed while barrelling down a hill, yet enjoys the stately progression of being out on the roads for several hours. It it simultaneously both physically exhilirating and mentally relaxing - a fantastic break for the full mind of a knowledge worker.

I’m hooked.

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Hi everyone - I’ve recently put a print gallery online, where visitors to my website can order prints, cards and postcards of some of my photos. Have a look at the gallery here. I’m considering splitting it up by category, but for now, let’s try out one simple gallery.

Oh, and just to celebrate the initial launch, the first 10 people to use the code “C898D6” on an order will get 20% off.

Andy.

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At my office, we have developed a technique for making coffee with surgical precision. This technique has seen us through some rough times — late nights, big crunches, and office-party hangovers.

The Gear:

1. Water Filtration unit, plumbed in, and providing hot water.
2. Aeropress
3. Blade Coffee Grinder (we haven’t invested in a burr grinder yet)
4. Whole Bean Coffee
5. Kettle
6. Metal Pitcher (the same kind used for steaming milk)

The Rules:

1. First person that wants coffee makes it. If multiple people want it at the same time, they can pair up. More than two chefs get in the way.
2. Whoever is making the coffee is required to ask all coffee-drinking individuals in the office if they want coffee (and optionally other occasional drinkers). If people are wearing headphones, it is appropriate at this time to interrupt their listening experience.
3. Individuals drinking coffee are expected to produce their mugs. They will not be washed, unless said individual has done so themselves.
4. Coffee is produced in the following manner:
   1. Fill kettle with filtered, hot-but-not-boiling water, and plug it in.
   2. Fill grinder with 1 scoop of whole beans per coffee-drinking individual, and grind to appropriate level.
   3. Make coffee with freshly boiled water, through aeropress, over top of the metal pitcher.
   4. All accoutréments are either put away, or cleaned immediately and put onto a drying rack.
5. Metal pitcher filled with delicious coffee concentrate is used to evenly distribute coffee to mugs from step #3. If mugs have not been produced, fair distribution is not guaranteed.
6. Remainder of kettle water may used to make americano-style coffee from the concentrate, as per normal aeropress procedure. If kettle water is exhausted, water filtration unit may be used to make a not-quite-so-hot cup of coffee. Individuals desiring such may also add cinnamon, vanilla, or other additives.

Interestingly enough, we never really discussed any of this. It’s just what evolved over time and works for us. This works very well for up to 4 coffee drinkers. Beyond that, a second aeropress pressing has to be done, and things break down a bit.

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I went out to shoot some of the local kids at a skate park. The usual bout of questions came up: “Why are you taking pictures?” “Are you a photographer?” “Do you work for a newspaper?” “Is this going on the internet?”*

This time, things were a bit different. There was one smaller boy — it’s always the younger ones that are more bold with their questions — who asked me as I ripped a sequence shot, “Is that fun?”

But, it got me thinking about that question. It’s so simple, yet it cuts deep. Are you truly enjoying yourself when you do what you do? I’ve definitely worked places where I dreaded waking up in the morning… and now, I’ve got two jobs where I love what I do. By day, I’m a mild-mannered video game developer. By night, I’m rocking a cam as The Caffeinated Shooter.

Having experienced the excitement of fulfilling work, there’s no way I can ever go back to the world I used to live in, and I try my damnedest to make this experience a similar reality for the people in my life, including the other members of my team.

My question to all of you is, “If you’re not having any fun, why the hell are you doing it?”

* The answers, respectively, are: “It’s what I do.”, “Yes.”, “Nope, freelance”, and “If they’re good, sure.”

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