It’s been nearly a week, but my fingers still shiver at the prospect of folding over sheet metal. Not that I come across opportunities to do so very often. The last time, though, was on October 3rd (which was a Monday), for Tom Dixon‘s Flash Factory in Manila.

Held at MO_Space, the Flash Factory involves the assembly of Tom Dixon’s Etch series onsite. Visitors can observe the production of these pieces, which can be bought as soon as they are finished being assembled. In some countries though, the pieces are also available disassembled, so people can be part of the production of the goods that they buy.

Meggie

Messy table!

Goofing around with Sarie, who took some of these pictures.

It’s a pretty encouraging statement, actually. The Flash Factory introduces an approach to design and production where a person can act out all the roles needed for output to see the light of day.

In theory, strictly speaking, anyone can take care of all the steps—from the vision (design), to the production (sourcing the materials, putting everything together), to the selling and marketing. I mean, if a cretin like me can put together a pretty expensive lamp, I’m sure you can, too. Of course, not everyone is born a Tom Dixon, but I don’t think this process promises success. I think it highlights possibility. It’s proof that it can be done, and that’s good enough for me.

(He is working on a candle holder. This is a smile of lies.)

(Also a smile of lies.)

It was a humbling experience. Our work conditions were far from actual labor environments here in the Philippines. The table we were working on costs more than the total of what I made when I used to work for Lomography. Still—imagine feeling defeated because of a puny candle holder! Those were hellacious to fold. The Etch Lights were fun to make, because construction was pretty easy. We all made roughly around 4 to 5 candle holders and the numbness didn’t go away from my hands until maybe three days after. As with most difficulties, though, comes reward!

YAY! :D I bought one for myself. A little more than what I would normally pay for, for anything, but it’s the fruit! Of my labor! Plus, it’s technically designer furniture. Also, it is really, really pretty. On the upside, each purchase of Tom Dixon’s Etch range benefits autism in the Philippines.

Sarie has been taking a series of exhibit videos, and this is the first one she got around to editing. Check out the process below, and as always, there are more photographs under the cut!

Tom Dixon’s latest collection and micro movies are going to be on display in MO_Space until October 16.

MO_Space
MOS_Design Building
B2 Bonifacio High Street,
Bonifacio Global City

Open daily: 11am-8pm

(If you’re lost, this is the place that’s often misattributed as the Bo Concept Store. I think they carry Bo Concept, but they also have tons of other stuff. It’s right across Nike, and right beside Krispy Kreme, if that helps.)

Click me for more photos. More detailed view of the process, plus general mucking around.

I’ve got too much on my plate.

At least, theoretically. I think I actually have a pretty manageable workload. I’m just being bogged down by the things I want to do. These things include special projects, personal work, and okay, T.V. viewage. Maybe squeeze in a little bit of lessons for watercolor.

I think I’m at a place where it’s hard for me to accept that there is a time for everything. I’ve been having trouble accepting that Life isn’t one giant weekend with Little hiccups (aka, work) scattered in intervals.

(I also think that my “time perception” is slightly problematic, in that I tend to always feel like I am running out of it, but that’s another story.)

What is the solution? Well, obviously, I don’t really know, because otherwise, I wouldn’t be in this pickle. I think I just really need to suck it up and stop thinking of work as something that sucks the fun out of everything. Because, truthfully, I kind of really love what I do. And I love that I have some semblance of control over my time, which is honestly something pretty difficult to achieve when you are done with school and are expected to join the workforce.

But anyway. I’m dealing with it. I’m glad that I actually have work, and people ask me to do stuff for them. I’m just scared that I am spreading myself too thinly that I won’t be able to give the best work that I can.

Maybe it just means a little bit of sacrificing on my part when it comes to movie watching or dinners with friends. Maybe it means that I have to put off trying to learn how to cast resin or reading a book. And maybe I need to put vacations on hold after the three that I have lined up for the next few weeks.

What I do know is that what it probably really takes is me making the most out of my time, and determining if something is a Need to Do or a Want to Do. And then I should figure out how to turn the Need to Dos into Want to Dos, too. Or I can try to look for anything that already falls in that wonderful category and call it a day.

Copper Shade

Yesterday, I went to an orientation for Tom Dixon’s Flash Factory, which will happen tomorrow. Tom Dixon is a designer from the UK, and we are going to be assembling pieces from his Etch series onsite! From 11am-6pm, at mo_ in Bonifacio High Street, we’ll be making lamps. In jumpsuits!

Here is a photo of the Flash Factory in Milan:

We’ll be making these, as well as the smaller candle holders.

The crew was still setting up when we finished with the orientation.

Glass Knob

I love the strong branding identity—even their packing boxes were clearly marked.

A peak into the future! Say hello to fat me with the Mirror Ball

Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!

Dinner was swell. Mushroom soup and half a slab of the Faking Duck from Chuck’s Deli.

Anyway, if you are so inclined, drop by the Flash Factory tomorrow, Monday. Tom Dixon will be having a small talk the same day from 3:00-5:30pm at the Intercon, for which you have to register. You can do so at TomDixonInMakati.com.

For more details, head on over to the same link as well.