Ideas to Ponder – June 2026 Edition

Obsessing about humor in marketing has inspired us to think more intentionally about the kinds of things we share as a team—not just work that informs, but work that creates a little lightness along the way. With that in mind, we wanted to shake up our usual formula and share some of the things that inspire us, make us laugh, and remind us that taking a breath now and then genuinely makes our work better.

Visual stimulation designed to do some good in the world? Yes, please. Andy Okay is a website devoted to selling short run, interesting and original artwork prints from amazing artists. The interesting part is that the prices are kept very, very low. Low enough that you’ll be able to add on a donation to charity. Causes from preventing violence to animal care are represented. If you get a chance, register for Andy’s newsletter, it comes sporadically and features only good news and amazing photography.

There’s been a lot of heavy stuff in the air lately. So, for my addition I wanted to share something lighter: a few glimmers.

Glimmers are small moments that spark joy, calm, wonder, or a little internal exhale. They don’t erase the hard things, but they do remind us that beauty is still here, often quietly waiting for us to look up.

For me, those moments usually happen in nature: sunlight through trees, a sky doing something dramatic, a trail, flower, or a creature with excellent timing.

I’ve been collecting a few of these in photos over the last couple of months, and I’m sharing them here as a tiny invitation: notice what steadies you. Notice what delights you. Notice what makes the world feel a little less sharp around the edges.

Tiny joy still counts.

As someone who has always felt behind on the latest music—even though music itself has had a hugely positive impact on both my education and creative work—The Needle Drop’s New Music Friday streams is my share. With the copyright/monetization situation of internet streaming the only option is catching it live, Fridays 1PM CST. Which is actually pretty cool. Check it out.

Design trends come and go, especially for color palette. On a deeper level, color trends often reflect cultural shifts in how we collectively feel or think about the state of our world. Interior design color trends can inspire us to make changes in our own personal spaces or look at something in a new light.

It’s exciting to see that color is back in a big way and going strong for 2026. Goodbye to soulless grays and stark color palettes and hello to colors that evoke warmth and emotion.

If you’ve ever fallen down the addictive rabbit hole of HGTV, you’ll like this video on 2026 color design trends.