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April Rudin: Reframing Yourself and Your Business: Take a Page from a Master Who Evolved into an App

“Constancy is the hobgoblin of little minds,” says Ralph Waldo Emerson. Sometimes we are in need of the “refresh” button. The ability to morph and change our ideas is essential for personal and business growth. For maximum personal growth, it is healthy to evolve and change. Like an unused muscle, we will soon atrophy without evolution. The goal is to keep some of our “old” ideas and integrate some of the “new technology.” We should be open-minded and looking for new ideas which can refresh existing business when it comes to keeping pace with today’s consumers. We must think of increasing revenue by extending our brands and even doing good in the community. It is a “feel-good” experience for our minds, souls and bank accounts.

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a man who is the epitomizes the sort to whom Emerson was referring. Let me begin by “framing” this man for you. He is an “old master” in the middle of New York City. He is the type of guy who really is a modern-day maverick but in a simple and quiet way. He is a true Renaissance man. For me, he has the vision to take his “old master” expertise and catapult it into the digital age and with a great non-profit spin to boot! He is someone in whom you should be quite interested. His name is Eli Wilner. What man can have one foot planted so firmly in each world so to speak? Read on…

Eli Wilner’s fascination with painting began at a very early age. By the time he was 9 years old, he gave his paintings and pastels to his great uncle, who was a prominent collector in New York City. His uncle would frame Eli’s work in antique 17th and 18th century Italian frames. He would then hang Eli’s paintings on his wall next to a collection of masters like Chagall, Modigliani, and Utrillo. When Eli saw his paintings installed in his uncle’s collection, he began dreaming of being a great artist. His “art” evolved into establishing himself as the premiere framer in the world.

Probably the most universally recognizable painting ever framed by Wilner is Emanuel Leutze’s iconic Washington Crossing the Delaware for The Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Museum’s request, Wilner reviewed it continually for many years, seeking a perfect new frame for this masterwork. The opportunity arose in the summer of 2006 when a photograph taken by Mathew Brady in 1864 was discovered in the archives of the New York Historical Society. This photo showed the painting in its original frame! The obvious answer was to copy the original frame. The money for this project was raised very quickly and the work proceeded for 2 years. The frame is now completed and resting safely at the Met. The grand opening is slated for January 2012. Although the exact price for this frame is unknown, Wilner says it would be fair to say that the price would be anywhere from $800,000 — $1,200,000.

Eli Wilner is fortunate to have been asked to frame two of the most expensive paintings ever sold at auction: Dora Maar au Chat for Sotheby’s (May 3, 2006), and Nude, Green Leaves and Bust for Christie’s (May 6, 2010).

What can we learn from Eli? How did this guy who studies the old master’s paintings, antiques and historical frames get interested in an iPhone app? The story of his iPhone app really began many years ago. According to Wilner, he had originally conceptualized a way in 1988 to “share the joy of his work” with the public. It began with the invention of a magnet frame, a photographic print of a frame from his collection adhered to a magnetized backing. It didn’t pan out.

Fast forward to the present, when Wilner read a cover article on “apps” in Business Week in November 2009 which triggered an immediate response. In that instant, he began to understand the value of the 1 billion images which are uploaded to Facebook each day, and the billions of images which are stored in Flickr, etc. He knew that his dream of sharing work with millions of individuals was attainable through this new technology. After much hard work, the app went live on June 19th.

Now, Eli Wilner frames are available in an iPhone and iPad app which allows the “masses” to frame their own “masterpieces” or photographs based on over 100 styles which are derived from Eli Wilner’s past and present inventory. This is just as he had dreamed as a little boy. In fact, there is a great enthusiastic boyishness about Eli and his vision for his new brand extension.

Outside of this blatant “commercial” for Eli and his frames, what are the business lessons that we can learn? How can we benefit from the brand extensions and forward thinking of Eli Wilner?

First, he was able to be focused on a dream and then he achieved it. He imagined and produced a world-class digital product from a world-class “bricks and mortar” product. He takes old antique and historical frames and makes them new again. He continually reinvents and moves easily between the old world and the new.

One of the most important lessons to be learned about this app (and Eli’s business model) is the “give back” to non-profit organizations which is essential for someone as passionate as Eli. Eli insisted on creating a way to use this product for viral fund raising by all kinds of groups. The non-profit component to this product is the “feel good” part of the “look good” frame. Successful businesses today must carefully consider their own social responsibility. At the bottom of this blog, there are links for free Wilner iPhone/iPad app products. Tell them April sent you.

Free version for the iPhone

Free version for the iPad

Broke Americans Buy iPad: The New ‘Schizophrenic Consumers’

The new abnormal has given rise to a nation of schizophrenic consumers. They splurge on high-end discretionary items and cut back on brand-name toothpaste and shampoo. Companies such as Cupertino, California-based Apple, whose net income jumped 94 percent in its last quarter, and Starbucks Corp., which saw a 61 percent increase in operating income over the same time frame, are thriving.

Melanie Benjamin: To Judge a Nook By Its Cover

The other day I took the train into the city. I love to take the train, having grown up in car-crazy Indiana. Mass transit is still a novelty to me, even after fourteen years of living in the Chicago area. It’s like going on a mini vacation, every time.

And just like going on vacation, I board the train armed with supplies. A cup of coffee, a candy bar — and always, a good book.

The other day I settled into my seat, took out my book, and prepared to spend the next fifty minutes in uninterrupted literary bliss. But before I did, I paused to look around and see what my fellow passengers were reading. I always do this, and I’m never disappointed. Commuters are great readers.

Now, I know that reading is considered a solitary act, but I happen to think there’s a communal aspect to it, as well. Perhaps I’ll notice that the woman across the aisle is reading the latest Anne Tyler; our gazes might meet, we might smile and nod, and know something about each other. Just a little thing — that we share a taste for gem-like novels set in Baltimore, apparently — but it’s something. Or I might note that the gentleman two seats up is reading science fiction; not a genre I personally like, but one that my husband does. In fact, my husband is reading that particular book right now; I recognize the cover, as it’s been on his nightstand for a week.

(As an author, I always get a very special thrill when I catch someone reading my book. I must confess that, on occasion, I have assumed the pose in my author photo and looked coyly at the person reading. I must also confess that this has only ever resulted in people getting up and moving far away from me.)

However, it’s as a reader that I most enjoy this form of literary eavesdropping. Many times I have written down the title of a book that I have seen on a train, or a plane, or at the beach; many wonderful books have I read, then. Books I might never have discovered otherwise.

On the return trip home, I encountered a young woman standing up, waiting for her stop, engrossed in a book. So engrossed was she that she did not even look up when one man said something not very gentlemanly as he hit his shin on her purse; I was dying to know what book could so completely capture her attention. I craned my head to see, but to no avail. Because this woman was reading on a Kindle.

Now, I’m not opposed to e-Readers, be they Kindles, Nooks, iPads or Kobos. I can see the appeal of them, especially for commuters. But for the first time I realized, as a reader, a very big drawback to these devices, and that is — nobody can tell what you’re reading.

This made me sad. The community of reading seemed, at that moment, to disappear entirely. I know that’s an overreaction; I know that if I really wanted to, I could have asked the young woman the title of the book she was reading. But that seemed like an invasion of her privacy, and besides — it’s not practical or probably socially acceptable to run up to every person with a Nook and ask him what he’s reading. One might argue this will lead to even more community among readers; personally, I think it will lead to an increase in restraining orders.

It also occurred to me that if I did go up to that young woman, the conversation would inevitably turn to the device upon which she was reading, instead of the book itself. I’ve talked to e-Reader owners before, and this is always the way the conversation goes. We discuss the convenience factor, the size of the type, the price — we discuss everything, in fact, except the book that is being read on it. Presumably, as time goes on and more people incorporate e-Readers into their lives — and with Amazon’s announcement of a $139 Kindle, more people likely will — this kind of conversation won’t be necessary. And hopefully, we’ll get back to discussing the book itself, not the device.

But still, without book covers that expose our literary tastes, it seems to me we will all be lonely islands unto ourselves, clutching our anonymous plastic devices, absorbed in books whose titles are forever known only to us. Maybe someone will come up with a chip that will enable the e-Reader to flash the cover of the book being read, like an electronic billboard; it could change with every book that’s opened up on the device.

But until then, I confess, I will be a little depressed. I don’t want to think about all the great books I’m going to miss, simply because I can’t see what everyone around me is reading. I don’t want to envision the drab, colorless plastic future ahead of us.

Before I could muster the courage to sidle up to that young woman and read over her shoulder, like some creepy literary stalker, the train stopped. And, like in the denouement of many a great novel, we disembarked, each going a different way. We missed our connection; our happy ending was denied.

Because I never did find out the title of that book.

Short Stories: "iStories" Originals For The iPad And iPhone By Sherman Alexie, Kay Eldredge, And Alan Ziegler

Narrative Magazine: To celebrate our new iPhone and iPad application, which brings our entire literary library to readers’ fingertips for free, we’ve created a genre of our own: the iStory, a short dramatic narrative perfect for reading on-screen. Here are three examples from literary greats able to capture entire worlds in 150 words or less.

Idolatry
by Sherman Alexie

Marie waited for hours. That was okay. She was Indian, and everything Indian–powwows, funerals, and weddings–required patience. This audition wasn’t Indian, but she was ready when they called her name.

“What are you going to sing?” the British man asked.

“‘Every Reservation Girl Loves Patsy Cline,’” she said.

“Let’s hear it.”

She sang only the first verse before he stopped her.

“You are a terrible singer,” he said. “Never sing again.”

She knew this moment would be broadcast on national television. She’d already agreed to accept any humiliation.

“But my friends, my voice coaches, my mother, they all say I’m great.”

“They lied.”

How many songs had Marie sung in her life? How many lies had she been told? On camera, Marie did the cruel math, rushed into the green room, and wept in her mother’s arms.

In this world, we must love the liars. Or live alone.

Resolution
by Kay Eldredge

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? he asked her.

Have I ever, since we’ve been together? No one keeps them.

Well–I have one for you.

Make your own.

I have: to say what’s on my mind.

And you think I need improving . . .

Just . . . your walk.

What’s wrong with my walk?

It’s okay, but . . .

You know, someone’s walk is pretty much who they are. I mean, you have your walk from the beginning.

Yours is a little–I don’t know–stiff. You could try swinging your arms more. Or leading with your pelvis, like models do.

Runway models? You ever seen them in life, without makeup, walking in, like, a grocery store?

Listen, if you’re satisfied with yourself . . .

Alright, alright. You mean something like this?

Yeah, that’s it!

Like it from the back?

Fantastic. Really sexy and . . . Wait, where are you going?

I’ve just made a resolution: I’m walking.

Friendship and Art
By Alan Ziegler

The buzzer rings near midnight. It is Robert, distraught. He has had a fight with his girlfriend and walked out. Can he stay with me?

Sure, I say, and put on some tea. We talk for a while. He leaves, and when I next see him, he says everything is all right. I feel good about helping to save a relationship.

Two years later I run into him on the subway. He tells me he is writing poems. He asks if I want to see one. As I read I realize it is about that night. I am portrayed as a cold person who barely tolerates the intrusion and says good-sounding things only to get rid of him.

“What do you think?” Robert asks, as if the poem were about roses in winter.

“It’s nice,” I reply, the words you use when you want to break a poet’s spirit.

To read more, visit NarrativeMagazine.com. Bringing great literature to the world. Online. Free.

Today’s Front Pages: July 29

News you can use.

Apple SUED: Overheating iPads ‘Do Not Live Up To Expectations,’ Suit Claims

A trio of Northern Californians is suing everybody’s favorite technology company — that is, Apple — because their iPads reportedly overheat too quickly in the sun.

iPad Users Are ‘Selfish Elites,’ Study Says

Wired has posted the results of an unscientific, but provocative, report from MyType on the personalities of iPad haves and have-nots–that is, those that own the device, and those that don’t (and/or dislike it).

MyType’s survey of 20,000 people, conducted between March and May 2010, concluded that iPad owners were likely to be “selfish elites,” while critics of the iPad, 96% of whom did not own the tablet, tended to fall in the “independent geeks” category. (See MyType’s chart on Wired)

Wired explains the psychology of these iPad-owning “selfish elites”:

The firm’s conclusion was that iPad owners tend to be wealthy, sophisticated, highly educated and disproportionately interested in business and finance, while they scored terribly in the areas of altruism and kindness.[...] They are six times more likely to be “wealthy, well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic 30-50 year olds,” MyType’s Tim Koelkebeck told Wired.com.

MyType described “independent geeks” as “self-directed young people who look down on conformity and are interested in videogames, computers, electronics, science and the internet.” For them, says MyType, “bashing” the iPad is an “identity statement.”

Yahoo collected some data on iPad early adopters, and although they didn’t investigate the personalities of the consumers, their number crunching offers an additional look at who’s using their device and how. They found that male iPad owners outnumbered their female counterparts two to one. Perhaps adding credence to MyType’s conclusion that iPad users are “disproportionately interested in business and finance,” Yahoo also reported that “Flickr, Finance, Sports and News were all among the Yahoo! properties most frequently visited by the Yahoo! user [using the iPad].”

What do you think of the MyType research results? Believable or BS? Weigh in below.