I was super excited for this event. I’d heard about it in the summer. Somehow between moving to the desert, being in the sports & design worlds and also Canadian, the ASU Museum outreach was 100% on brand for me!

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First at Gammage, the Kaizen.

It’s not everyday you get to see an NHL veteran - Jacob Trouba, talk like a rookie. He’s on a different kind of stage, like a newbie. He’s crossing over into a new industry, revealing to the world: “I am also an artist”, right in front of me.

Even more impressive: he’s a man, a jock, opening up about a non-linear career trajectory. In an industry at risk of labels like “done”, way too early. He’s on that lather, rinse, repeat. It’s clear, he is an elite athlete, even as an artist. The thrill of firsts, the relentless commitment to amelioration, the life-encompassing obsessions in the pursuit of excellence. I get it: it’s like you take the drill, you put it on a new skill!

Bill was a hoot too: a beacon of radical self-expression. William Wegman, you know him. There isn’t a bookstore in America without his name in it. They vulnerably displayed a dance across generations, unquestionable respect for each other’s craft and radical, make it physical, collaboration.

I sat in the audience and I saw: repetitions, practice, mark. Revealing the messiness. Show me yes! Improvisation as a need for craft building: tell them over and over again, that’s how pros make it look easy. That word “interesting” sooo many times again - and in an entirely desirable meaning. All of it. And a lot of name dropping.

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I was looking around, for the stylishly dressed and the other jocks, obvi.

Thinking - maybe the AD, Rossini, when he is done at the Club, I might see?

And that’s when it happened - wait, could it be?!

There is only one name for me to drop tonight. Also on brand: Sparky.

ASU: Sparky, Finally

Market: Micro-Signals