Landed: Dumbo Feather
It's the little things. A couple of months ago I was in Sydney for the first time. Funny how certain things leave an impression on me. Of course I have my photos of the Opera House and the busy streets between there an my hotel. But two months later my memories are more of a collection of senses. Aromas, temperatures, and attitudes. Andy introduced me to this independent magazine called Dumbo Feather. He had an extra copy that he gave me. The morning of my flight home I awoke early to visit a cafe for my last flat white. With some time to kill I reached into my bag to find something to read.
Dumbo Feather is beautifully printed on 100% recycled paper with inks made from soy beans. It's a quarterly printed magazine that's referred to as a "mook" (half magazine, half book). Open the magazine and it's beautifully designed. The typesetting is balanced, elegant and modern, with touches of authentic Dumbo Feather style. The pages seem dense with content but the leading makes reading very easy for my eyes...something I can appreciate as I get older!
But it's what's inside Dumbo Feather that's really amazing. I'm grappling lately with the fact that everyone now-a-days claims to be a "story teller." It's the new buzzword on every Linkedin profile. We see it everywhere. So, where are all the stories? Dumbo Feather nails it. This is story telling, from a magazine that inspires me. Here's Dumbo Feather on Dumbo Feather:
Behind extraordinary ideas, there are extraordinary people. Dumbo Feather is a magazine about these people. In each issue, we scour the globe for those with the drive to make a difference. We seek out those who inspire us, those who excite us, and those who thrill us with possibility. Whether they’ve touched millions or just those nearby, what unites them is their passion.
Our readers are people who want to be told a different story than the one they hear every day. Each quarterly issue features five extended (20 page) profiles of people worth knowing, across enterprise, education, science, sport, politics, fashion and the arts.
Like an idiot, I misplaced my magazine in the airport. I'd like to think that I was not so irresponsible and that someone saw it and decided they had to have it more than me. On landing in Dallas, one of the first thing I did was order as many copies from the back catalog that I could get my hands on. Just yesterday I walked into my studio to finally see the package sitting on my desk waiting for me. I did not even open it until tonight because I'm waiting for some quiet time to do some reading over the weekend. Dumbo Feather is deserving of some uninterrupted reading. To me, these are stories about creativity, bravery, and hope. Keep up the great work in Melbourne!
