Artistic View of the Car That Runs on Social Media

"The car that runs on tweets and likes."

If you haven't heard of 'MindDrive' yet, I wouldn't hold it against you, as I only happened across it in a random Cracked article. I thought the project had an amazing concept underlying it, but unfortunately all the article writer saw was an 'ironic' idea to make fun of. Then again, it is a humour website, so maybe I shouldn't give them trouble.

What is the amazing concept behind MindDrive and how does it work? Well, I already hinted that it runs on social media: tweets, likes, video views, etc. The electric car is rigged up to an app that gives the car power in response to the social media attention that this campaign receives. A better explanation can be found in the video below:

"...these teenagers will fail miserably if the internet doesn't come together to give them the social media attention that they need."

Did you watch the video yet? If you didn't, I'll explain the concept quickly. MindDrive is actually a program that runs after school, to help at risk youth out. The kids in the video were put in charge of stripping down an old rust bucket of a car and fixing it up. They did the body and paint job, the transmission, converted it to electric, etc. The whole car tour is a way to try and bring attention to programs like this, which I'm guessing the US could use more of (probably Canada too).

The genius behind it is exactly the thing that the Cracked article writer hated - that the mission of these teenagers will fail miserably if the internet doesn't come together to give them the social media attention that they need. I really love whoever came up with this plan, because it throws the problem in our face that so many kids, and great ideas, struggle with: You could have the best idea in the world, but it's going to stutter and sputter and fail if no one pays attention to it.

MindDrive also helps kids build crazy things like this.

That's exactly what's going on here too, isn't it? Someone has started a program that's helping at risk students go from failing school and hating education, to being on the honour roll and considering highly educated futures as engineers - but it's going to eventually be smothered if it doesn't get some funding and well deserved attention.

It's beautiful because it's a very literal representation of an issue which, up until this point, I wouldn't have thought could have a real presence in this world. It's kind of obscure still though, to the point that I can't properly put my finger on what it is that I'm even talking about! It's the issue of how social media, and people in general, decide who thrives in this world. I know their 'We the People' campaign isn't doing too hot, but I hope their trip at least does.

This is the actual MindDrive Car they built: wheels not included.

Are you getting ready to click on to the next internet blog or over to Facebook? Stop right now, because you know it will only cost you a few seconds of your time to actually help these kids out, instead of just thinking 'how cool is that'. Your thoughts and prayers will do them no good, only your money or social media attention can help! Haha.

So, here you are, have at it!
MINDDRIVE

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How To Do What You Love by Paul Graham

It's been so busy with the end of the semester that I doubt I'll be able to post on time for the rest of April. Days just fly by, I feel like every night when I look at the clock it's midnight and I don't know where the past five hours went.

"You have to like what you do enough that the concept of "spare time" seems mistaken."

Today's post is a link to a great article about figuring out how to do what you love in a world where anything synonymous with 'work' is supposed to be grueling and horrific. It is a really long article that took me three days to read (because I kept trying to read it at one in the morning). I can't summarize the whole thing, but I can share my favourite paragraph:

"...you have to like your work more than any unproductive pleasure. You have to like what you do enough that the concept of "spare time" seems mistaken. Which is not to say you have to spend all your time working. You can only work so much before you get tired and start to screw up. Then you want to do something else—even something mindless. But you don't regard this time as the prize and the time you spend working as the pain you endure to earn it." 
 
This is kind of how I feel right now, though I am 100% sure I'm not the most dedicated crafter / artist / worker / entrepreneur out there. Just because I don't know how to be efficient though, does not mean I'm not trying my hardest.

How about you? Do you resonate with that favorite quote of mine from the article? Do you have your own favorite art-related quote?

( http://www.paulgraham.com/love.html )

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