Curated summer special: the Norway effect, films, books & more
notes from summertime
Playground readers,
Heat, July, focus time, swimming, cooking, planning, hosting or being hosted in between are all on repeat as I write this from Stockholm.
studio playground is having its first ever ‘summertime schedule’ now. We work between 9:15 and 16:15, with Fridays off for 6 weeks, while also taking holidays in rotation, and I am loving it.
This experiment, inspired by Swedish working culture, is really giving me loads of room for thought. Creativity does require inefficiency. While ‘work’ feels so active in front of a screen, the time left around it, the passive time, and the moments when I am not being efficient have brought some of the best ideas so far.
It’s a full circle. You need both, I am convincing myself now, time ‘to dream’ and ‘to do’, especially when you have an itchy creative soul and a business.
I still think the definition of work is so wobbly. What counts and what doesn’t? And how not to sabotage yourself? I’ll leave these thoughts to brew on the side for now and lean into insights on what’s happening in culture.
A slightly different ‘curated’ this time around: things on my mind, articles and books.
I hope you’ll enjoy it, and if you feel like it, feel free to react. I always like a good conversation in the comments or over email.
Three things that have been on my mind
Norway & football
We’ll find out who won the World Cup on Sunday, but truly, Norway has kind of won it already, at least in my heart and, it seems, in many other people’s too.
Let’s unpack the Norway World Cup effect. It starts with the details.
The unique typography visible on the team’s clothing, named Taakeferd, was inspired by the ancient runic alphabet used by Vikings and created by Bergen-based designers Justin “Justinho” Tallian and Dan Gerhardstein in collaboration with Nike.
Then came the iconic Viking spirit, the fans rowing together and, of course, the unexpected underdog performance.
Watching Norway play as a team, leaning into both their strengths and weaknesses, with star player Erling Haaland leading the way, made me think about coaching strategies, team dynamics and execution.
But the effect went far beyond the games themselves. From the national fandom to Haaland’s brand deals, vlogs and fashion game, everything felt so well orchestrated that Norway might genuinely win the world-building game this summer. And how nice to follow someone new winning the game?
Who would have thought we’d have a Norway summer after Brat?
Watching Oslo welcome the team back, really made me feel something.
Now the goal is for women’s sport to be as recognised as this World Cup, please.
Report tip! Talking about sports, this guide to good sports marketing by Highsnobiety caught my attention.
Cinema & what I’m looking forward to
This is about three steps ahead of where we are, but being in the middle of summer has already made me think about the end of summer, autumn… and all the films ahead.
I am truly excited to watch Olivia Wilde’s The Invite, with its incredible cast, the Practical Magic 2 (please be good), Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility, and, of course, later in the year, the new Harry Potter adaptation. Just to mention a few.
I also really hope The Odyssey is brilliant, although what I’ve seen (& read) so far has made me feel slightly unsure?
There is so much ahead! Any other movies/ series/ shows on the radar? A planner in me is making a list!
What do influencers owe their audiences?
I read that OG YouTuber Zoella has disappeared from the internet after spending 17 years posting online and building her career and business around it.
I have no personal opinion about her or this specific situation, but it made me think about how I would feel if some of the people, publications or podcasts I love reading, watching or following suddenly disappeared without saying anything at all.
On the one hand, creators and creatives do not owe us anything. On the other, they are brands too, and when you invest your time, attention and even affection in them, you want to feel like you are more than part of a brand deal.
Trust is the word that keeps coming to mind. This makes me curious to explore this relationship between creators, audiences and fandom further.
Articles
Artists once flocked to New York — now they’re struggling to survive in it - Financial Times
Reaching younger audiences: lessons from the V&A - Chris Unitt
AI Content Is Everywhere on Social Media, Especially LinkedIn - Pangram
Hiding in plain sight: how do creatives find inspiration in everyday life? - It’s Nice That
Forget Influencers. Welcome to the World of the ‘Alternatively Influential.’ - The Wall Street Journal
So, What Exactly is Exhibition Design? - Alya (Love her Substack Object labels, since she works as exhibition designer at Guggenheim!)
Others
Brands are coming to Substack, with Ace Hotel launching Room With a View.
This Substack made me think: what do I really want from a branded newsletter, or Substack in order to keep reading? It might do the same for you.
Books
Brilliant books I’ve read lately and cannot recommend enough:
For the one wanting to do something creative and searching for a creative spark this summer: The Creative Compass by Emma Gannon (non fiction)
For the one looking for a beautiful novel reflecting on life and its happenings: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (fiction)
For the one looking for a world-broadening perspective: Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis (non fiction)
For the one looking for a gorgeous food memoir, with tasty, funny and joyful moments guaranteed: Taste: my life through food by Stanley Tucci (non fiction, I audio listened this one)
Alternatively, Eat Bitter by LYDIA PANG, founder of the agency MØRNING, is a brilliant memoir about life and creativity through food.
Happy summering,
Auste & Playground team
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