My favorite people are those who defy easy categorization. The more surprises in their personality, the more I love getting to know them.
And lately I’m gravitating to experiences that defy easy categorization, too. It struck me all of a sudden that there is a lot of genre-busting going on.
A few recent examples:
When it comes to Vegas and sports, it’s historically been boxing to draw bigs crowds to Sin City. But on March 3, a one-of-a-kind exhibition tennis match debuted at MGM Resorts, featuring Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcarez.
As a huge tennis fan, I tuned in live and loved how it turned a match into something more. Both players are Spaniards and neither had visited Vegas before. Andre Agassi, a Vegas native, served as the welcome wagon, even recording segments from the back seat of a limo where he showed each player around the strip. It felt like “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” meets ESPN.
Not lost on the creative director in me was the amazing showcase this was for multiple brands: MGM Resorts, Michelob (whose ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort hosted the event), and Netflix who streamed the match.
Audiobook “Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey”:
A genre-buster on several levels. Thematically, it’s a personal story about heartbreak written when the author’s 25-year marriage imploded. But Florence Williams also happens to be a science reporter, so as a bonus we get a scientific exploration into the physiological fallout of heartbreak. It’s like listening to someone walk through their own grief with Kleenex and a microscope. Fascinating.
“She tests her blood for genetic markers of grief, undergoes electrical shocks while looking at pictures of her ex, and discovers that our immune cells listen to loneliness. Searching for insight as well as personal strategies to game her way back to health, she seeks out new relationships and ventures into the wilderness in search of an extraordinary antidote: awe.”
But the second hybriditization I loved about this book was that the audiobook version was something entirely new. Like an extended podcast where the author uses personal voice diary and journals, plus conversations with experts, family, and friends to dimensionalize the story. How many books could benefit from breaking free from the page and using audio to bring the story alive beyond mere narration?
St. Clair Brown Bottleless Wine Club
This last one is hyper-local. Less than a mile from my home is a woman-owned winery and brewery with a charming organic garden setting. The first time I discovered it I immediately imagined dropping by with my book mid-day to enjoy a glass of wine and some sunshine.
But, as a winery, they were in the business of selling wine tastings. So it was a pricey/educational experience they offered where I was in search of serendipity.
Guess they heard from enough of us locals because they recently launched a “bottleless” wine club. For $37 a month, I can drop by any time I want (they’re open Friday through Sunday) for a glass of wine or beer. Truthfully, I’ve let entire months go by without visiting, but I love the membership feel of it and being an early adopter of a new way to entice locals to visit.
What new genres and hybrids are you noticing? How could you bring a hybrid lens to creative projects you’re working on?
Until next time, remember that culture is the new creativity.
And this as of today: Liquid Death and E.l.f. Beauty.