Another cool thing is a new program we’ve rolled out called our Bubbleship Program. As cute as it sounds, it’s a serious, dedicated partnership to non-profit organizations that sign on to a series of Thought Bubbles rather than just one. In this kind of arrangement, not only can we create several Thought Bubbles committed to the ongoing message of one organization (for a lower cost might I add), but we’ll also inherently give exposure to a lot more issues on our youtube channel, which is great news to our supportive bubbly audience. We love our youtube audience, and they always ask us to make more Thought Bubbles. Well this is one way we’re going to try to do that. If you’re interested in the Bubbleship Program for yourself or your organization, shoot us an email and we’ll tell you all about it. We have a neat little PDF package that explains it too.

As you may already know, we’re also partaking in the production of a feature documentary film called Sapience, and that’s been keeping us busy both on and off work hours, for almost 18 months. We’re so excited to launch a Kickstarter campaign for the film this coming week, which I promise you’ll hear about very soon.

And finally, there’s Crash Course. If you’re a long time Thought Bubble fan, you might recall one of our first Thought Bubbles for John Green, on the topic of healthcare reform. That was, and continues to be our most successful Thought Bubble in terms of view counts and reception. Well now we’ve teamed up with the Green brothers (Hank and John), on a new YouTube series they’ll be hosting called Crash Course. Smart Bubble’s the graphics team for John Green’s episodes on World History; contributing graphics to his weekly show with a 1 minute Thought Bubble, as well as supporting graphics outside of it. His brother Hank’s series is on Biology, and he’s got his very own graphic team who we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. Both shows are representative of Crash Course as a YouTube series that will educate audiences in a fun, engaging way. It’s no wonder we’re thrilled to be involved!

You can read a great article in the LA Times about John Green and Crash Course here, and be sure to check out the first episode of John Green’s World History on Crash Course which launched today! Hank’s first Biology episode will air on Monday. We won’t be posting these episodes on our channel, but you can subscribe to Crash Course’s channel and see our featured Thought Bubble in John’s show every Thursday.

So needless to say, we have big things in the works, and we couldn’t be more grateful and appreciative of the continued love and support from our audiences!

Until next time,

Bubble Out.

Finishing my one-year stint at Thought Bubble feels much like finishing high school. In fact, writing this blog post reminds me of that time over two years ago when I was writing my final yearbook message, thanking my friends and my teachers. The comparison is fitting in many ways, seeing as I’m “graduating” from my job here in order to pursue a university degree, but also because Jonathon, Suzanna, Peter and the rest of the TB team have really become both friends and teachers to me (yes, that includes Fable). When I first became an intern at the studio, I couldn’t have imagined all the projects and adventures that were in store for us, and, although we all had so much in common, I was so pleasantly surprised to develop such a close friendship with the crew.

So many moments come to mind when I think back at my time here this past year: celebrating my 19th birthday with Jon, Suz and Peter, trips to the park with Fable, seeing some of our favourite authors speak (and sometimes meeting them afterwards!), watching dozens of documentaries together, discussing the daily episode of Democracy Now! and sharing all of our ambitions and project ideas. I can’t thank them for the fun times we’ve had together without also mentioning all the help and support they granted me in my professional and personal endeavors. From learning basic skills on Photoshop and Illustrator, being taught how to shoot on a 5D, and so much more, I have the team here to thank for helping me nurture my talents, as well as prepare for (and get accepted into!) school.

As this phase of my life is coming to a close, I’ve been reflecting about everything I’d hoped to do during my year off. Although some of my goals are still left unchecked on my to-do list, so many events that took place this year were both unexpected and fulfilling and, looking back, nearly all of them involved Thought Bubble. This is most likely because of the faith and confidence Suz, Jon and Peter and put in me since day one, something I’m endlessly grateful for.

Although this is the end of my year at Thought Bubble, it certainly isn’t the end of our work together; there are many projects in the coming months that we are all very excited to share…Just wait and see!

Unicef Canada Gifts of Magic (Part 1: Girl)

Unicef Canada Gifts of Magic (Part 2: Boy)

What do spacemen, mythical creatures and a jungle have in common?

What we hope is a fun, awesome demo reel.

It’s to show the work of our studio in combination with our sister company (who we literally share a studio space with), called Trouble and Maker New Media. You might remember this company through some of our past collaborations: TEDx Vancouver, our Thought Bubble promo 2010, and City of Vancouver’s Greenest City project.. We’re separate entities, but when we fuse our talents together, we’re like a happy marriage. This reel represents our combined creative introduction to the masses. Since we assume you already know a lot about us, here’s a link to Trouble and Maker’s website if you’d like to learn more about our friend: http://troubleandmaker.com.

We’ll be putting a reel out a couple times a year to highlight our work, but until then, enjoy our Smart Bubble + Trouble&Maker 2010 edition!

Illustration source.

As a progressive vegan “fighting The Man”, it can only be expected that I often run into some challenging situations and debates. In fact, I might be better at giving tips on how not to argue, so I’d be glad to take my own advice.

Recently, I’ve heard over and over that when it comes to ideas on the left, there is no debating to be done. Climate change is fact, the global economy is a pyramid scheme, fossil fuels are bunk, and the like. Although it is easier to think this way, debating is a good place to start to create movements based on strong ties and understanding, and pushes us to educate ourselves. But sometimes I have to wonder if ‘debating’ is synonymous with ‘stalling’. Instead of debating whether grassroots movements are the answer, why don’t we engage in them? Instead of wondering whether organic, local food is better for us and the planet, why don’t we choose them and see how they make us feel? Instead of spending all our energy to figure out what the tipping point for climate change is, why don’t we push ourselves to live a life that eliminates our dependence on fossil fuels?

The answers seem so clear to some of us, especially when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals day after day (like here, at the Smart Bubble Society studio). But when it comes time to share your ideas with a new group, it’s often surprising to hear completely opposing opinions (especially views that one would expect to see on a network like Fox News).

So, if you run into your own personal Glenn Beck, or your mom who simply doesn’t think the planet is facing a crisis, or your friend who says they just don’t care, here are some tips:

Listen – The easiest way to fully engage is to sincerely listen.

Ask them for their source – Although this type of question is often demeaning (depending on the tone in which it’s asked), it is important to find out where your adversary is getting his or her facts. We know that nowadays, media is manipulated by only a few corporations. Whose interests are being looked after in the news stories we’re using as reference?

Don’t take it personally – This is probably the most difficult challenge in debating an idea to which you feel devoted. We most often argue with our friends and family, which is a whole other ballgame than debating with strangers, something I’m sure many consider a much easier feat.

Don’t lose hope – Debates and arguments tend to take on a whole new dimension as they progress; it turns into a winner-loser battle. And sometimes your “opponent” may just want to see you lose hope. It’s hard not to walk away with your chin down when someone tells you you can’t make a difference, but in the end I always keep in my mind one of my favourite quotes:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Illustration source.

I attribute a substantial part of who I am to documentaries. I often recount my experience of watching Joel Bakan’s The Corporation when I was in grade 11, and coming out of class an entirely new person. Or of watching the HBO special I am an Animal two years ago, and becoming vegetarian (now vegan). I am a documentary junkie.

A few weeks ago, I was excited to see an interview with the director of the The Cove on DemocracyNow. When asked how he had come to make the film, Louie Psyihoyos said,

“You know, documentaries are like brussels sprouts of cinema. You know it’s going to be good for you, but you’re not really looking forward to it. It’s not the main meal; it doesn’t seem like dessert.”

This idea was demoralizing to me; apparently I was unaware that people might not be as tempted to look for information that goes deeper than the nightly news, as I thought. And the reality that most of the public is apathetic to the serious issues we face, is more alarming to me than any headline or news story I’d read.

Increasingly, the public is being deceived by the nearly inescapable messages that surround us. Not enough of them are devoted to encouraging us to use our critical thought, and too many of them suggest we should spend all our time being distracted. According to Zenith Optimedia’s 2007 estimates, the global advertising budget for 2010 is about 530 billion dollars, and there’s no doubt that a figure like that is hard to compete with (the amount of relief funding requested by the UN for Pakistan is 2 billion). After spending a morning commuting downtown, I’ll have seen enough candy, phone providers, sugar water and American Express promotions to leave me exhausted by the time I get to work (and let’s not even delve into the matter of newspapers laden with celebrity gossip and rhinoplasty clinic advertisements.)

Thankfully, there is solace in alternative media. While some may find it to be the last thing to help them put their mind to rest, documentaries and news programming aimed at broadcasting the truth can offer great comfort and empowerment.

At Smart Bubble Society, every Monday is “doc day.” We collect a list of documentaries that any of us want to see – and for the purpose of educating and inspiring our work, and minds – we watch one each week.

A lot of us feel like we don’t have time to educate ourselves or to learn about the overwhelming assortment of issues our society faces. But a lot of them are actually connected, and brought on by the same root cause. Secondly, we seem to have lost touch with the notion of continuing our personal education past the structured institution of school. Barbara Strauch, deputy science editor at The New York Times and author of The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain, says that as our brain ages, in many ways we actually become better learners. So why stop educating yourself, ever?

Listed below are some great docs we’ve seen so far. Together, they represent a solid tool fit for this generation, a visual depiction of a growing concern that offers perspective and inspires its audience, all the while demonstrating how pressing an issue is and how to address it.

So join us in setting aside one day a week to focus on educating and inspiring yourself. Watch a good doc, or dip into a non-fiction book. Forget the TV, computer, cell phone, and spend time with your brain instead. We’ll tweet what doc we watch ahead of time (or after the fact), and if you need any suggestions for more, just ask!

The Corporation

Using the diagnostic criteria of a psychopath, this crucial documentary helps the audience understand the way the corporation has infiltrated every aspect of our lives and used its personhood status to take advantage of resources and people all over the world, with no remorse.

Collapse

An interview with Michael Ruppert regarding energy issues, and the importance of being prepared for a post peak-oil America.

Consuming Kids

An insight into the targeting of children by advertisers to create consumers from the ‘cradle to the grave.’

Food Matters

Based on Hippocrates’ famous quote “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food,” this film demonstrates how drastically we’ve shifted into a culture invaded by pharmaceuticals and band-aid solutions, and away from nutrition and food as medicine.

GasLand

The HBO documentary explaining the process of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas throughout the United States, as well as the hazards for homeowners caught in its destructive path.

Illustration by Mike Mitchell

Here at Smart Bubble Society, we firmly believe in the prospect of a greener future, so we were pretty excited (no, ecstatic actually) to partner with an organization like Greenpeace; a pioneer in the world of eco-activism. Collaborations like these give us a chance to meld our expertise in the field of communications with our desire to inspire change. Not just a generic sense of change, but in this case, a call to action to shift our perspective and dependence on oil.

In Canada, we’ve got a hefty problem on our hands because we’ve got the Tar Sands. Not only that, we’ve also got a slew of offshore drilling projects both in northern and eastern Canada (including Chevron’s new oil rig off Newfoundland, one of the deepest offshore oil wells to date). All those things are not synonymous with less carbon emissions (which might be why we didn’t commit to anything reasonable at Copenhagen last year), nor do they support any hope for a greener Canada (remember when Canada used to pride itself on being an environmentally-minded nation?).

Greenpeace’s Go Beyond Oil project is working to demonstrate how we are implanted in a system directly tied to the to the consumption of oil. In fact, the team shut down a Cairn Energy offshore drilling rig located in Greenland on Monday morning by climbing and fastening themselves to the rig.

Unfortunately, we’ve become pretty accustomed to hearing about oil spills, offshore drilling, human rights violations in oil-rich countries, and damage to wildlife and our planet in general. It’s another day of headlines. But with Greenpeace, we hoped to remind our audience that the measly fines these multinational corporations pay, often just to tidy surface damage and quiet people from making an uproar, can never truly repair the damage already done. Nearly twenty years after the Exxon Valdez spill, 26,000 gallons of oil remained in Prince William Sound’s sands and water. The effects of these disasters typically last much longer than they are expected to, which is important to highlight given the recent spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, oil that is spilled into bodies of water never truly disappears; it forms deposits near the bottom of the sea, evaporates as gas into the atmosphere, and in smaller particles, gets absorbed into various aquatic life. You’ve heard about the dispersing agents, right? All they really do – with their undisclosed, secret concoction – is speed up the process of breaking the oil down to those smaller particles. Bottom line, the oil doesn’t go away.

But don’t walk away slumping yet, we’re happy to report that we did find a glimmer of hope, in a little publicized piece of legislature called The Climate Change Accountability Act or, Bill C-311. This bill could very well be the government’s chance to put Canada on par with the rest of the world, and make up for its shameful standing at last year’s Copenhagen Climate Conference. It’s important that our country picks up the pace, and breaks up with its longtime, climate trashing boyfriend the US.

No matter how redundant the news seems to get, we ask you to do one thing; and that’s to stay on top, stay informed, and don’t lose hope. Read about C-311, about Greenpeace UK’s actions to help us Go Beyond Oil, and think about ways that you, yourself, can start to get there. It could be as simple as walking to work tomorrow, boycotting petroleum-derived products (plastic bags), or buying your first, electric car (make that second, if you’re one of those people from Who Killed the Electric Car).

To check out the Thought Bubble we created for Greenpeace’s Go Beyond Oil campaign, click here.

I think we would have put it all off another several months if it wasn’t for the book that slapped me in the face like a good friend, Rework. If you don’t know it, get to! It was an awesome read that made us realize we didn’t need to plan out every last detail before unleashing this important new step onto the virtual world. Pacwebco further instilled that philosophy when they thoroughly embraced what we did have, and wonderfully guided what we were still missing (and scared of). We wouldn’t have even figured out those last few pages if it wasn’t for their helpful expertise.

So, I present to you the first iteration of Thought Bubble (or shall I say Smart Bubble Society) 2.0. Think of Smart Bubble Society as our corporate (but non-profit) umbrella, and Thought Bubble as our service. One day we hope to see a community grow, in which infographics that educate or inspire an audience are casually referred to as Thought Bubbles. And yes, you can start that wave for us now! Step 2.0 – way back when our blog was born – referred to the step in our world-domination plan where we would begin to foster a community around our work. It’s not about it being a social network in today’s terms of Facebook (which I personally just deleted, eep! Our Facebook Page still lives, however) but in terms of a community of people that embrace what we do, because they believe in our message. We’re already seeing that starting to happen, and it makes us even more determined.

Now stop reading, explore! We’ve got this blog, which shall continue to live on the homepage, some pretty pictures and new members to boast on the about us page, all of our existing Thought Bubbles organized by topic within our our work page, all about Thought Bubbles, including our different service models on the Thought Bubble page, ways to show us your love and support on the donate page, our evolving shop page (which will soon kick start with Thought Bubble mugs!), and last but not least, different ways to get in touch with us in our new location in Toronto.

We hope you love it as much as we do.

“We are a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators, and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age. Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century.”

Their magazine opened up my mind to the possibility of ‘junk thought’ (as Micah White describes it); the pollution that advertising was creating in my mind. Like Jon, I always felt that as visual communicators we could, and should aspire to more philosophical and educational pursuits. We have a blog post that Jon’s written about this very topic if you haven’t had the chance to read it.

As you all know by now, Smart Bubble Society embraced this alternative mission and strives to prove to the world (and those naysayers) that it is possible to be a conscious design studio.

I first came across Micah White through his incredibly eye-opening article, Screen Addiction, and after that, his challenging call to Facebookers in Commit Facebook Suicide. Once I read his more recent article entitled Death By Advertising, I knew I had to reach out to him and cover one of his inspiring ideas. It was that article which first introduced, to me anyway, the concept of Junk Thought, and gave way to Micah White’s Thought Bubble. Here it is, and if you feel inspired by the end of it, please visit junkthought.org for information on how you can challenge the mental pollution in our world, and in your mind.

The link again, Micah White’s Thought Bubble: Junk Thought.