Our American Shelf Life

It’s official. I’m addicted to Tumblr.

Amanda Mooney — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:52:14 +0000

I can’t believe that the last words I’ve written on this blog in over a month were embedded in a silly hipster DIY graphic reading, “You make me want to practice my MySpace angles.” Ha! Brilliant.

I started ASL and blogging during my sophomore year of college. At the time, it felt incredibly simple and fast and I loved that I had a little platform to throw my random thoughts, regardless of how intelligible or respectable they were (prime example: “You make me want to practice my MySpace angles”).

Now, however, WordPress feels a little like homework. Tumblr is just sooo insanely easy and it’s part of a little community that I’ve become quite fond of.

On top of that, I’ve been so genuinely crazy at work and writing for other blogs like Edelman Digital’s, Ruby Pseudo and Paper’s Word Up, that it’s tough to find the time to write (these are times when I most appreciate the ability to reblog).

So, similar to what Rubel decided to do (although, at least I can say that I was #herebeforeoprahrubel in terms of shifting my focus to Tumblr as my main publishing platform), I’m going to use my Tumblr blog as my daily feed. ASL will remain a central spot to share my more thoughtful (hopefully) digests of my experiences starting out in the space and growing up as a digital kid.

Stick around for periodic posts from me and our whole ASL crew and find my daily feed on Tumblr here.

-Amanda

Amanda Mooney — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:07:14 +0000

My First Year Out

Amanda Mooney — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:34:30 +0000

Tonight, I got home from work and realized, I’ve officially been at Edelman for an entire year now. I’ve officially been graduated for a year… completely on my own for a year… It actually struck me pretty hard. When I think about everything that’s happened in that one year, it blows me away.

I started trying to write down all of the things that have happened this year… the accounts, the crazy new biz pitches, the life moves made in the course of a few days (or how I ended up in Chicago), the mornings (every morning really) when I walked to work and felt a huge sense of responsibility (can you ever know enough in this business? can you ever really describe what it’s like to work in an area that’s so completely new) and opportunity (can I really describe what it’s been like to have a job that takes me from New York to Brussels to Seattle…to the headquarters of giant global brands where my bosses encourage me to speak up and share my ideas), to teammates who have become incredible friends, to figuring out giant internal business processes on the client and agency side that social media suddenly disrupts (for better or worse)…

I can’t articulate what that year has been like and I realize that I’m rambling on here. But really, overall, what I mean to say is a giant thank you to everyone I work with and, to anyone who’s just starting out like I am, I can’t tell you enough that even now…and especially now, it has never been a better time to be starting out in this business.

I thought I’d re-share a post I wrote a year ago, right before I packed my bags, moved to NY and started on my first day. My first year more than surpassed the anticipation I felt as I wrote and posted this at 3 a.m. that night.

Reading “Half Way There” as I’m Just Getting Started

It’s 3am in Boston, two days after graduation and I’m still up digging through my reader, pretty feverishly checking out posts and videos on the Web. I’m media snacking and studying up on new concepts, thoughts, ideas and news in digital. I’ve graduated but I’m studying with the fervor of finals because in a few weeks, I’m headed to New York and I’m starting my dream job at Edelman Digital. I’ve been waiting for this for several months (since the unforgettable day when the recruiter called and officially offered the position I accepted without a second of hesitation).

Now, as I sit here, blogging away the last few weeks before my official start, the reality of what I’m about to jump into (working alongside the people I looked up to most during my studies in school) is pretty scary and exciting.

Anyway, as I was going through my reader just now, I came across a post Richard Edelman wrote for his 6 A.M. blog. He posts “Half Way There” on the 30th anniversary of the day he officially joined the Edelman team. He writes, “I was to start immediately… So much for the cushy job at a family business! My father had an offer in 1978 to be acquired by DDB Advertising but preferred to carry on as an independent on the premise that I would try the business for a year. So here I am at age 53, half way through my Edelman career– my dad is 87 and works every day– prepared to tell a few stories.” He goes on to recount some of his memorable clients, pitches and achievements.

So here I am at 22, fresh out of college, about to begin work with Richard and his team, and it’s pretty incredible to imagine what my experiences will be in the next 30 years. What’s even more incredible is having a platform available to me that allows me to connect with my boss and his experiences with the company weeks before I ever officially join the team. I know this wasn’t available to my parents and their peers when they were my age and starting their big post-graduation jobs. I feel pretty lucky to have a boss willing to post his thoughts and experiences and have access to the Web, which makes reading his posts and sharing and reacting to them possible. It definitely makes the whole college-to-”real life” transition a lot easier.

-Amanda Mooney

A Virtual Candy Store for Digital Kids

Amanda Mooney — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:49:05 +0000

I’m seriously addicted to the work these guys at Multitouch Barcelona are doing (also love PSFK for introducing me to them). Enjoyyyyyy!

-Amanda Mooney

Congrats to Sarah and Will!!!!

Amanda Mooney — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:47:14 +0000

ASL’s own @sarahhutton and @willwheeler graduated from Emerson today!! Join us in congratulating them!

I thought I’d repost a video @lauranelson made last year for her, @amyyen, @pamelump @mariagarcia @melissaeddy and my graduation.

I seriously can’t believe it’s already been a year for us and I can’t wait to see what Will and Sarah do in their first year out!

-Amanda and all of us at ASL

Go to his YouTube page and click “play all”

Amanda Mooney — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:46:25 +0000

I’m interviewing this guy for PAPERMAG and I’ve found myself playing his songs on repeat. Check out his original track, Two-Step.

-Amanda

And After College… It Continues.

Amanda Mooney — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:09:51 +0000

“INABILITY TO FOCUS. HEY THERE 10 PAGE RESEARCH PAPER. I SEE YOU WAITING ON ME. HOLD ON A SEC, LET ME CHECK MY FACEBOOK A FEW TIMES. OKAY NOW I’M GOING TO TWITTER SOMETHING AND THEN CHECK FACEBOOK AGAIN. I SWEAR I’LL FINISH YOU SOON. BRB, EATING.”

-Amanda

Oh and I’m Already In Love With Away We Go

Amanda Mooney — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:31:26 +0000

A film written by Dave Eggers can be nothing less than epic amazingness. I haven’t even seen it yet and I already know it will be one of my favorite films of the year (hopefully. really hoping it lives up to that). Anyway, thought I’d post a little note to tell @focusfeatures that I have endless appreciation for making this little film possible but that I’m also really happy to see how you’ve engaged the community around its launch. A live Twitterview with Maya and John? Really, thanks for that. I only wish I hadn’t missed it and had to read the transcript on Facebook.

-Amanda

Recommended Reading: David Horvitz

Amanda Mooney — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:03:15 +0000

Via l*_*l

-Amanda

Facebook: Leave my friends alone!

sarahhutton — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:03:47 +0000

Okay, I’ve held my tongue on this for about a week, but I need to let it out. Facebook is at it again, and this change has greatly impacted my site usage in terms of navigation, how I use the site, what I use it for, and the length of time I used to spend on it.

The “Friends” tab has recently undergone a makeover where the “recently updated friends” option has been eliminated. This feature has long been a part of Facebook, and I believe it is one of the main reasons the site has been so widely successful. Point being, you go on Facebook to see who has updated, as in, who’s uploaded new pictures or video, who’s got a new job, a new boyfriend, etc. Now, with the new layout, this feature is completely gone and we must filter through our friends alphabetically.

To throw salt in the wound, Facebook now has a “friend list” column where you can group friends. This was based off the concept of long forgotten friend details, which as I look through mine, none of them are remotely accurate, with outdated high school jokes and “family” consisting of everyone but.

Honestly, the change has basically cut my Facebook usage in half. There is no reason to click on anyone’s profile if you don’t know that they’ve changed anything. The old interface allowed me to see friends that I had lost touch with and see what the were up to. Now, I’ll only be going to the pages of people I care about offline.

–Sarah

Reason #562 for Why I Love Vimeo

Amanda Mooney — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:36:44 +0000

#562: People post incredible stuff like…

This was #561. [Press play and see what happens].

-Amanda

WWWE COULD BE NEXT- My Interview with Yokoo and my new weekly posts on PAPERMAG.com

Amanda Mooney — Sun, 03 May 2009 22:01:26 +0000

I’m sooooooooo endlessly excited to be the latest blogger for PAPERMAG (Thanks David H. and Alexis for being so cool and inviting me to do this!!!). Each week I’m going to interview a young creative who’s sharing their work and building their audience on the Web. So I get to turn my obsession with Flickr, Lookbook, Etsy, MySpace Music, etc into something productive and meet and chat with cool people in the process. Seriously, I was actually giddy when Alexis, PAPERMAG’s managing editor, told me that my first post was up.

Here’s my first post with Yokoo, one of my favorite young designers I’ve been following on Flickr and Etsy for a while. I was pleased to find that she’s even more interesting, friendly and cool than I imaged she’d be after seeing her incredible work.

If you have recommendations of who I should interview next, drop me an email at mooney[dot]amanda@gmail or DM me on Twitter (@amandamooney).

Meet the newest member of our PAPERMAG blogging team, Amanda Mooney, a digital kid who spends far too much time in social networks and is addicted to finding fresh talent emerging somewhere between Flickr, Facebook, Tumblr, Lookbook and MySpace. In her weekly column, “Wwwe Could Be Next,” Mooney will chat with one of these young creatives, to share their work, perspective and advice.

A few months back, I started seeing Yokoo, a self-described “accidental knitting wunderkind,” show up everywhere on the web. Known for her charming and slightly subversive scarves and accessories, Yokoo has taken a fresh approach to establishing her brand and audience. As sheposts her new accessories, scarves and dresses for summer and announces her new collaboration with BleubirdVintage, I caught up with her to chat about her work and adventures as a promising young designer with a growing roster of devoted digital fanboys.

OK, so in 140 characters or less of course, describe your style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFLqX_cYuVc

How did you get into fashion?
I fell into fashion by accident…. I was always inventive. And I always somehow knew that there was something just beyond the horizon of what most people considered success. I started to see other young people that were my age doing amazing things with backgrounds that were similar to mine. It took a lot of time to put it all together- more time than I care to admit.

And now, I’ve been able to quit my lousy retail job and dedicate every waking hour to turning my high school hobby into the launching pad for a handmade empire…. With backorders piling up, I’m adding new pieces to my line. That’s kind of nuts since I do it all by myself.

And how did you start sharing you work on the Web?
It all started with my desire to start a street fashion blog. I wanted to start a street fashion blog since being introduced to Cutie Magazine out of Japan. They would carry Cutie Magazine at the now defunct Toward Records. No one knew about them. And the stuff that American kids are doing now, they were doing ten years ago. So around 2004, I decided to start a street fashion magazine website. But the technology was not readily available the way it is today to make it reasonably efficient.

Then RSS feeds were introduced around 2006. That’s when I started to build what I thought was the ﬁrst street fashion blog on the Internet. But then when I came across a Flickr group called Wardrobe Remix and it collapsed all of my dreams and ambitions because it was ten times better than my website. So I just started contributing my photographs to that group and working on other projects altogether.

What’s the biggest advantage or frustration of being a young designer today?
I would deﬁnitely say the challenge of the information age is both frustrating and thrilling to many of today’s designers. But I ﬁnd this problem allows for the more creative designers to eclipse their competition. Many of the designers that I talk to everyday feel worn out and threatened by the speed at which the Internet has allowed personal expression to be replicated, commodiﬁed and quickly perpetrated, but I ﬁnd that those with a keen eye for style can tell the difference, and those who don’t aren’t supposed to.

Before, you had so many close minded individuals who would never in a million years accept the work that I am putting out, who now ﬁnd it daring and on the peripheral of what they might start wearing next season. This, to me, allows me to get out a lot of my ideas, and then move on to the next thing.

There is a new movement towards avant-garde street fashion that’s allowing a voice for young designers to be as expressive as your traditional runway designers, but still accepted as clothes the one can wear in the streets of bigger cities like New York, or London.

How have Flickr and Etsy specifically helped you build your brand?
I don’t think it was that easy. Branding is very difficult and something that takes more thought than I care to mention. Etsy and Flickr have allowed me to express my brand at a particular level. It allows me to enter at a particular market in speciﬁc kind of way. But at the same time it has also prohibited me from reaching beyond to other markets in a more traditional way. It’s upon the artist to decipher the riddle that’s involved in rebranding himself to a different audience. But it’s very much like a puzzle, and I enjoy it that way.

And on all of these sites, you’re the actual face for your brand. What’s that like?
I ﬁnd when people sincerely let down there guard and open themselves up, they can be absolutely fascinating.Well, that’s all I am trying to do with my brand. I am trying to tell my little story in my little corner of the world. I know it sounds trite, but that’s what it is.

Leave us with some links… Who are your favorite people on Lookbook and what sites are you devoted to on the web?

Lookbook: PASCAL, MARTHA, IDA and CEDRIC JEAN PIERRE.
General sites: Garance Doré, Dwell, Boracat, The Sartorialist and NY Times.

Images from Yokoo on Flickr.

-Amanda M.

My Brother (@beastern) Says This Reminds Him of My Parents

Amanda Mooney — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:47:50 +0000

I was talking with my brother this weekend and the subject of Oprah on Twitter came up. He said her first tweet all in caps reminded him of our dad. Ha. My dad uses caps as a shortcut and we’ve come to love that only we can tell that HE’S ACTUALLY NOT YELLING AT US AT ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. :) Oh and I actually love celebs on Twitter. Aside from random challenges to get a trillion followers for no intelligent reason, celebs like Shaq are fun to see in my feed. But yeah, I too was #herebeforeoprah and pretty proud of that.

Image via one of my favorite Tumblr blogs.

-Amanda Mooney

I’m not cool enough to be there in person but…

Amanda Mooney — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:41:02 +0000

I’m watching Coachella live via AT&T here.

I love when brands sponsor this kind of stuff. AT&T has me sitting on its site for at least a few hours now. Better than any standard ad could ever do.

-Amanda

Dear American Apparel, Here’s What It Really Means To Be A ’90’s Kid Beyond a Penchant for Leggings, Neon and Slightly Scandalous Animated Gifs

Amanda Mooney — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:58:41 +0000

I was trading links with @lizlee a week or so ago of random Facebook groups like this one that remind us how amazingly privileged we are to be ’90’s kids/digital hipsters.

Rebecca, whoever you are, you’re amazing for putting this up on Facebook.

Oh and I also think the good, upstanding people responsible for putting the following up on the Web completely deserve our undying appreciation:

MASH Game. BTW don’t you wish you could update your Facebook relationship status by playing this?

This…

Super secret note squares

This…

This…

You know you’re a 90’s kid and getting old if…

You’ve ever ended a sentence with the word “PSYCHE!”

You can sing the rap to “The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air”

You know that “WOAH” comes from Joey from “Blossom” and that “How Rude!” comes from Stephanie from “Full House.”

You remember when it was actually worth getting up early
on a Saturday to watch cartoons

You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

You remember reading “Goosebumps.”

-Amanda