"These pages are all about the jump-start: the realization and revelation of the good, bad, hilarious and ugly realities of our post-graduate lives -- and of the inspiration for new ones that will ultimately emerge between the cracks." The Lattice Group is determined to tackle issues of work/life balance without propagating any single idealized solution beyond communication. This, to my mind, is a critical point; and one which, as the fledgling notions behind this Journal began to take on a tangible shape, came to constitute an editorial philosophy. Unbridled, subjective, interactive authenticity: what better antithesis could there possibly be to the imposed limitations of the status quo? What better venue for voicing that authenticity than an internationally accessible forum wherein each creative process, as much as its product, is of primary value? Within the confines of an alienating workplace (or, for that matter, of a standardized job application or rigid phd program), it’s easy to feel like something of a drone – and to wallow, resigned, pouring stale complaints into tired ears over each week’s happy hour brew. The ubiquitous “I-hate-my-job” bitch session: hardly a creative, dynamic, or communicative impetus to find the root of our discontent.
Now take note, dear readers: I’ve never been one to proselytize. At all. And I’d make a polite apology here if I wasn’t convinced that LATTICE, the Lattice Group journal, will uniquely provide exactly that. But I am. The evidence to support my refreshingly earnest and un-cynical enthusiasm for this project can be found in each and every piece you’ll find in our inaugural issue; a fitting beginning, I’d say, and an auspicious one at that. These pages are all about the jump-start: the realization and revelation of the good, bad, hilarious and ugly realities of our post-graduate lives -- and of the inspiration for new ones that will ultimately emerge between the cracks. So this is just the beginning. And I have no idea where we’ll wind up. But here’s the nifty thing: if nothing else, we’ve enabled a rare camaraderie amongst 9-5ers and students and starving artists alike who, simply by virtue of "being" here and exchanging stories, have created a community for the re-imagining of our working world. And it’s awesome, and inclusive, and surprisingly enlightening. So I encourage you to dive in (and, by all means, to BYOB if you’re not quite ready to replace happy hour). Empathize. Be amused, incensed, affronted. And then respond. Become a part of the lattice. -Lauren Westerfield, Editor-in-Chief Note: all illustrations by Gustaf von Arbin |
