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Words + Knitting: Ash Casper
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Ash Takes Over
Hello, hello. I’m Ash, a designer, maker, and lover of all things silly and sometimes even a little earnest. I think we need more of that in the world today. I spend most of my time making in one way, shape, or form, whether it’s moving pixels around on screens, knitting oversized scarves for my loved ones, or making my furniture dreams a reality. I’m also notorious for not wanting the fun to end at the end of the night, which is why Jo Sunday’s, “Abolish Everything” hits home.
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A tool or framework worth implementing.
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SLOW IT DOWN.
We’re all moving at warp speed, and it’s at odds with the desire to make meaningful work. I’ve been inspired by artists who are embracing slowness in their practices, pushing off this phenomenon of speed for efficiency's sake, and embracing a path that celebrates what you learn in the creative process, as much as the final output.
I believe in slowness so much, I've decided to center my whole Takeover on what is possible when we put slowness into practice.
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SLOWNESS IS PATIENCE.
Slowness builds endurance to reach that longer-term goal.
After striking for 41 days, the longest nurse strike in NY history, NYC nurses won fair staffing ratios and, importantly, for the first time, guaranteed protections against AI in hospitals. Change takes time, intention, and sacrifice. If we can learn anything from this, it’s that nothing good will come easy, but that doesn't mean it’s not worth doing.
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SLOWNESS IS QUALITY.
As our world continues to be plagued by AI slop, quality takes on important meaning. People want texture, imperfection, and beautiful accidents.
Studios like Pencil TV are doing this well. They’re an LA-based studio specializing in hand-made animation. Their work ranges from mixed-media animation for Google’s Gemini (a bold choice for an AI-centric brand) to art for the music video “Rush Hour” by artist Mac Miller, as part of the 10th anniversary of the album GO:OD AM.
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SLOWNESS IS PERSPECTIVE.
Take a minute. Use your hands. Put pen to paper. Learn a new skill. Let your mind wander. Doodle. You’ll gain a clearer head on the other side.
An artist who has embodied this for decades is Sheila Hicks, known for her experimental weavings and textile art. She uses her art practice as a way to connect and process the world: “You lose a lot of time thinking, you might as well be making or producing something while you’re thinking.” If you want to hear more wise words from her, I highly recommend this. There’s so much to learn from people with more life experience than us, especially women. (Psst, if you agree give “Wiser Than Me,” a listen.)
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SLOWNESS IS MOMENTUM.
It sounds counterintuitive, but slowness forces us to pause, make informed decisions, and act with purpose. Those decisions compound over time.
No one knows this more than Sebastião Salgado and Lélia Wanick Salgado. Their ambitious vision for improving biodiversity in Brazil started small: reforesting a cattle ranch near their home. Nearly 30 years later, they’ve planted over 2.5 million native trees and welcomed ocelots, purple-breasted parrots, and Atlantic titis back into the ecosystem. They also expanded their efforts beyond this property, founding Instituto Terra, an organization dedicated to turning barren land into thriving, biodiverse forest.
Make a thing.
Things take time.
Take that time.
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Progress Report is a bi-weekly newsletter of business considerations, cultural conversations, and fun recommendations from around the world and web.
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