Going Traditional in a Digital World

What's behind the resurgence of wooden toys in the screen age? First, they are sturdy enough to be passed on for generations. Second, they never go out of style. Most wooden playthings also enhance the creativity and imagination of kids and help them with numeracy, literacy, motor skills and problem solving. They are also biodegradable and some are made from sustainable timber. Last but not the least, there are lots of quality wooden toys on the market that won't leave a hole in your wallet—like this unique piece of artwork from Greek design studio Matolaki.

This beautifully-crafted push-pull toy is guaranteed plastic free, doesn't need batteries and run on pure imagination. In the box you'll find a nice hand-printed cotton pouch, tied to a plan-card of a few animal toy models. Recommended for children ages 3 and up. You can get them for about $63 on Etsy.

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Weirdly Charming

If you’re a fan of art that makes you do a double-take, you need to check out Richard Brener . Based in the UK, Richard is an internationally collected artist who works primarily with ink, fineliners, and gouache. When you first see his pieces, they actually look pretty playful. Then you realize the entire canvas is packed with thousands of tiny, ghost-like shapes he calls "champs." They’re all squeezed together like commuters on a rush-hour train, and the level of detail is honestly mind-blowing. Richard spends hundreds of hours drawing these little guys over and over. It’s obsessive, very intentional, and a little bit wild. The cool part is that the longer you stare, the more the vibe shifts. Check out more photos below:

Organ donor signature campaign by Y&R New York

In general, people don't like seeing ads, but sometimes, when companies and ad firms go out of their way to come up with creative, inspirational and clever ways to heighten awareness for their campaigns, ads can be pretty amazing. Take, for example, these posters Y&R developed for Long Live New York . They're simple, yet brilliant, and they appeal to their target audience's emotions. They're now in NYC subways to educate commuters about the noble act of organ donation. [h/t: The Inspiration Room ]

These master glassblowers make the difficult look easy

I've never seen Glas before and I'm absolutely delighted that Aeon Magazine uploaded the short doc on its Vimeo channel . Directed by Bert Haanstra, the 10-minute film about glass making won an Oscar for Best Short Documentary in 1959. "[ Glas ] contrasts the production of hand made crystal from the Royal Leerdam Glass Factory with automated bottle making machines in the Netherlands. An industrial film with a bebop heart, its lyrical use of light and sound still looks and sounds fabulous, nearly 60 years after it was made."

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