Secret Society induction party: live art, cocktails and Mike Cina interview

Trade in a secret for a Sherry cocktail. That was the basis for a San Francisco cocktail-party-turned-live-art-event where hundreds of culinary, entertainment, music, design and fashion personalities were inducted into the Secret Sherry Society.

Attendees confessed a secret, got their drink and then watched as their secret was transformed into printed pieces of original art. The art was put on display (about 50 or so pieces) for all the guests to take with them and will be part of an online gallery built this winter. There’s even some rumors of a limited edition collectors book.

Seattle-based Heaters DJ’d the perfect vibe for the night where literally hundreds of secrets were turned in (free delicious Sherry cocktails helped people find their muse). The crowd loved the entire experience and passionately debated the merit of various secrets. Some guests even left with a dozen or more pieces of the artwork.

To create the live art, Creature's own Steve Cullen partnered with Mike Cina, founder of the legendary design firm You Work For Them. After the event the two caught up for a quick chat.

SC: We kinda had some sweaty palms the day beforehand.

MC: For me it was the day before when we "practiced" a bit. Since the live element was not there and we had never done it before, it was hard to know what to expect. I like being prepared and there really was no way to know what to expect. But after getting the first secret, I realized that this was going to be like riding a bike. As soon as I read the first card, I felt more relaxed and ready to have some fun. The rest of the night was very enjoyable.

SC: Ever done anything like this?

MC: I have done some live work before but it is normally controlled and planned out. This was amazing on many different levels and I got a lot of inspiration and insight by designing in the moment. I definitely think we pulled it off. When you consider the amount of time spent on each work (about 5 minutes) and the nature of it all, I think it turned out amazing. People were very thankful to have their secret done visually and I am sure they talked about it a lot to other people. I feel like we really touched people through the work.

SC: What secrets stood out to you?

MC: "The account is empty" was by far the most striking of them all. I mean, how epic is that? There were a lot of love-themed secrets that I had expected to see. Love triangles, etc. There were a couple of other dark ones that I can't really repeat.

SC: A lot of dick jokes too, right? So weird. Anyway. You've been dubbed by design blogs as “the man that never sleeps.” What's the secret to your productivity?

MC: Work smart. I see designers not focusing on "what is at hand" and what the job needs. That is where experience comes in. If you can attack a job with a vision, normally things start to work out at a rapid pace. There are always 20 side projects that I have going on at any given point.

SC: You're starting a new company, a solo adventure, in the middle of the worst economy in 80 years. Seriously?

MC: I have done it before in the last bad economy. Its time again!

SC: What secret do you think design and advertising creatives never seem to learn?

MC: Keep it simple.

SC: What, in graphic design, are you secretly sick of seeing?

MC: Repetitive styles without consideration for the project.

SC: What do you hope to see more of?

MC: Brains and hearts being used.

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(Just a few of the secrets of the evening...)