Bob Clark Beyond: Inspiration

latest inspiration posts

Life 3.0 explores the exhilarating future of AI and humanity

I recently read the exhilarating (and terrifying) book Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (2017) by the Swedish American Max Tegmark, a professor of physics at MIT and president of the Future of Life Institute. The book explores the impact of artificial intelligence on our future, and questions whether AI is the best or worst thing that is happening to humanity and life itself. WARNING: it can be depressing.

July's Architect of the Month: SHoP

SHoP Architects was founded in New York City in 1996 by five partners — Gregg Pasquarelli, Christopher Sharples, Coren Sharples, William Sharples, and Kimberly Holden. The firm is renowned for its innovative designs and use of advanced technologies. SHoP’s partners had different career backgrounds before turning to architecture, giving them a unique perspective on the profession. I have always admired their work on high-profile projects around the world, including residential, commercial, cultural, and institutional structures.

My Friend & Mentor: The Exceptional Maxine Clark

Our society is filled with compassionate people who work daily to bridge the gap communities face with accessing wealth, resources, and opportunities. While the movement toward equality continues to gain momentum, leaders and advocates must unite and do the groundwork necessary to implement sustainable change. One of these exceptional people, who is also my June Inspiration of the Month, is my good friend Maxine Clark. Maxine is the Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer at Build-A-Bear Workshop, and her long-standing career demonstrates record successes in retail innovation and building stakeholder value. She recently received the Entrepreneurial Leadership Award from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in recognition of her successful mission to continuously practice the “Golden Rule” and inspire children's imaginations everywhere. Her honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Washington University in St. Louis is another representation of the dedication she pours into everything she does to enhance society. Maxine is a pivotal member of the St. Louis community and teaches the youth that if your bank account is full, but your heart is empty, you will not live life to the fullest. She suggests that one of the ways to live the most fulfilling life is to convert passions into actionable plans and turn ideas into modern business realities.

Final Push to bring Expo 2027 to Minnesota

It’s our last chance to prove why it’s Minnesota’s time to shine and host the 2027 World’s Fair! I have been honored to serve as co-chair of the Minnesota USA Expo bid committee, which has done a great job advocating for Bloomington to host the “Healthy People, Healthy Planet” specialized exposition. Minnesota bid committee members, civic leaders, the U.S. State Department, and allies were recently in Paris for the last meeting of candidate countries before the Bureau International des Expositions delegates' final vote.

Rashid Johnson’s Exploration of Black Escapism

Rashid Johnson is a New-York based conceptual artist who was born in 1977 in Chicago, Illinois. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Columbia College in Chicago and his Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Rashid has had numerous solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. He is known for his mixed-media works, which incorporate a wide range of materials including shea butter, black soap, ceramic tile, and plants. He explores themes of race, identity, and memory through his art, often using cultural symbols and imagery from African American history.

May’s Inspiration of the Month: Remembering Tina Turner

Tina Turner was a trailblazing icon in more ways than one. Born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, she was later known as the "Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll". Turner came from humble beginnings. She started singing in her small town’s church choir as a little girl and was later known to frequent nightclubs in my hometown of St. Louis as a young adult. It was at the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis where she first met Ike Turner after seeing him perform with his band, the Kings of Rhythm. She rose to mainstream fame and persevered through a turbulent marriage and career with Ike, eventually breaking free and receiving even more recognition as a solo artist.

Inspiration

I have always had an insatiable curiosity

What causes me to get out of bed every morning is driven by inspiration. Ever since I was a little boy, I was inspired by my insatiable curiosity, which caused me to be a reader, a thinker, and a dreamer.

I can remember being inspired by seeing Bobby Kennedy on TV and watching videotapes of Martin Luther King Jr., and being deeply saddened by their assassination even though I was only 10 years old when I experienced all of this.

As a little boy, rocket flight was a big thing. I remember being fascinated by the moon and the stars and the astronauts exploring them.As humans we are achieving remarkable things that only a handful of years before were just in the imagination.