Category: Spiritual

Why Apple?

AppleWhy will we use a picture of an apple on the cover of a book about baby-names (launch date 12 October 2016)?

It’s a question we are often asked and the response is always the same. We see creation of a name (child, pet, business, product or service) primarily as a matter of design. We are designers and artists at heart. Our aim is simple we wish to create, and show others how to create beautiful memorable names. It’s not an easy business. In business and personal life it’s an area people struggle with. Choosing the wrong name, can have profound, long-term effects (there are examples of this on the book). At a minimum, creating a plain, boring or awkward name can be demotivating and uninspiring.

The good news is that building a beautiful name has the opposite effect. We feel proud and happy every time we hear it. It reminds us of what we are capable of, creatively and artistically. Creating a beautiful name helps us define who we are and what we value and strive for. Building a beautiful name is worth it.

So when you see the Apple on the front of our book, we hope it inspires the artistic, name-designer you. Apple – think Steve Jobs. Think Beatles.

Think Theory of Names. Let’s start a movement of name artists. Let’s invent names for our children and for our imaginations. Let’s invent names for our businesses and for the products we dream of. Let’s call our pets exotic, beautiful names. Anyone can do it, young or old. It’s not hard. We want help.

Let’s begin. Let’s play. Let’s create.

Happy Birthday to U

12 October 2012 is a special day for Theory of Names – we are 1 year old today!

To mark the occasion, we have given some thought to our source code – our creative basis – our philosophical principles (if you like).

For the moment this philosophy is simply a list of preferences. It may eventually evolve into someting more stark; but more the moment, it’s our map.

From the beginning-

1. A dream is more important than resources.

2. Resources are more important than a job.

3. A sense of humour is more important than a sense of importance.

4. A sense of importance is more important than a sense of impotence.

5. Faith is more important than facts.

6. Facts are more important than folly.

7. Composing is more important than being entertained.

8. Being entertained is more important than being busy.

9. Work is more important than play.

10. Play is more important than work.

11. Theory is more important than practice.

12. Practice is more important than potential.

That’s a start.

Now tell us yours!

Happiness by Design

Is it possible to design anything? Buildings – yes. Names – we think so.

Life? Love? Happiness?

Well, Happiness Designer (and Album Cover/Graphic Designer extraordinaire), Stefan Sigmeister, thinks it’s possible to boil happiness down to 7 rules.

Here’s he is, giving the presentation at a recent TED talk-

So what are your rules for designing happiness?

Name Creation as Spiritual Practice

Our goal for Theory of Names was to replicate the intuitive process of creating beautiful, memorable names using a systematic, structured process.

We realise in doing so, we were trying to achieve the impossible – to understanding and replicate the mystical, the magical and the unknown. We intuitively recognise beautiful names but understand beauty is contextual and subjective. When somebody says “oh, that’s a beautiful name!”, we know they perceive art, harmony and music – what buddhists refer to as “nature of mind.”

Sogyal Rinpoche, in his ground-breaking book, “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” talks about inspiring the divine within ourselves when beginning mediation – the divine we see or hear in a beautiful piece of music, when admiring a breath-taking view of the ocean, when witnessing a child’s natural smile, when reading poetry or reflecting on a favourite line of scriptures.

We see poetry in names too and hope our ideas helps inspire you to create beautiful names for your children.

What inspire you to create in your life? Do you have a favourite inspiration that helps you on a consistent basis? Is there a place, a thing, or a memory that transcends the everyday?

Or a name?