(Video link HERE.) At the end of every year, the New York Times publishes The Lives They Lived, a special issue of the Magazine that features remarkable people who passed away that year. It is well worth checking out for the sheer scope of human originality it spans,  from  Nelson Mandela’s complex, flawed greatness to Cheryl Denella Righter’s very remarkable transplant donation. We especially loved the profile of electrician/inventor Andre Cassagnes, creator of the Etch-A-Sketch, by the great Cristoph Niemann.  (in the video above — we recommend turning the sound OFF —, and a blog post here).

The “subversively domestic” artist Ruth Asawa, who we’ve written here, is also featured. We love her quote: Sculpture is like farming. If you just keep at it, you can get quite a lot done.

We also love the words of Red Burns, creator of an the Interactive Telecommunications Program we never knew about: In any creative endeavor, you will be discomfited, and that is part of learning.

It’s a good weekend’s worth of inspiring reading, which you can find here.