Liquid Treat

If you're a web junkie, you might already spend too much of your day perusing the irresistible links at Coudal.com. But a new video lets you listen to Jim Coudal talk about morphing his traditional design shop into, well, an experiment in serial entrepreneurship. He offers insight into why his firm's site looks like a blog and shines a light on the limits of work-for-hire scenarios. Learn how he's putting design and web skills to work for himself—instead of renting them out to clients.

by Michelle Taute

Cross-country bicycle rides always seems ambitious, but the Gift Cycle turns this athletic feat into a high-concept art project. Inspired by gift economies, two intrepid cyclists will pick up works of art in each city they visit and deliver them to participating artists at the next stop on their route. It's sort of a chain letter by bicycle, but this one logs zero emissions and no money changes hands. The ride kicked off last week in Providence, R.I., and ends August 30 in Seattle.

by Michelle Taute

Lots of creative types wax on about the art world, but Tim Biskup's new book, The Artist in You, doesn't mince words. By the artist's own admission, it's full of "messy emotions, fragmented theories and angry proclamations." Think of it as an unscripted look at Biskup's mixed feelings about the art world—interspersed with his amazing paintings. You can order a signed limited edition at flopdoodle.com or download the free PDF.

by Michelle Taute

B is for bantha. And if you're picturing that shaggy creature in your head right now, get ready to geek out over the Star Wars alphabet. Illustrator Michael Fleming has drawn a different character for every letter, and while there's no Luke or Leia here, the C- and D-list characters bring their own charms. Plus, Fleming's style gives these 'droids and monsters a storybook feel with just the right touch of sweetness.

by Michelle Taute

Newspapers may or may not be beyond their golden age, but there's clearly a staggering amount of talent in the photojournalism pool. To see the latest and greatest shots, check out The Big Picture blog from The Boston Globe. It highlights a timely—and stunning—image almost every day and gives more play to these photos than most print papers can muster. Recent posts include an erupting volcano in Chile and a policeman walking through a poppy field in Afghanistan. It's a miniature Life magazine for the digital age.

by Michelle Taute

Thanks to the instigators at Found magazine, you don't have to tap into your neighbor's phone line—and risk arrest—for a good laugh via eavesdropping. They've launched Found Sound to let you listen to oddball voicemails, band demos, answering machine tapes and homemade cassettes. Enjoy a child singing about his love for salami or spend more than 17 minutes taking in a phone conversation labeled “Why You Never Call Your Grandma.” (Teaser: This last recording includes details about the dentist, foot medication and cats.)

by Michelle Taute