About

Ephemerratic.com exists for many reasons...

To encourage creativity in others and in ourselves. To meet strangers and strange people. To be a traveler and not a tourist. To eat wildy and locally. To tell you stories and show you artwork that inspires you to get off your duff.

About The Art

As we explore the world, we will be working on a very large, ambitious collaborative art project. If you're curious about "The Art Project" (and we hope you are) please sign up for our RSS feed or email announcements, and we'll let you know more details as they're available.

And, of course, Todd's art won't stop; he'll illustrate many of Ephemerratic.com's dispatches. Lauren will also take lots of electric, colorful photos that we'll share as often as global internet connection speeds allow.

Together, Who are Todd and Lauren?

From our high school yearbook

Some couples finish each other's sentences, we finish each other's art. Long-time friends and partners in life, we've discovered that we are often our most creative when we build ideas together.

We worked on our first collaborative travel experiments during trips to India in 2002 and to Greece in 2005, creating illustrated travel journals of sorts: Todd made small-format drawings on the front of a blank postcard, and Lauren filled the reverse size with descriptive travel writing. We mailed each postcard to friends and family, a further experiment in letting go.

Hitchin' Collaborative Art Project by Todd Berman & Lauren Girardin

Our largest collaborative project to date was part of our Hitchin' Party in 2007. Everyone invited to the celebratory weekend got a personal RSVP card and was asked to GET YOUR ART ON. The cryptic directions: create a thing on the blank side of the RSVP card that can be in or on a tree. Rules were sparse - get crafy, anything goes, and talent not required. Contributions ranged from the silly to sentimental and real to imaginary. We combined all the cards together into one piece of art that was a representation of all the creativity and imagination in our community. See more photos of the Hitchin' art project.

We also have spent way too much time making custom gifts for friends. The results are always fun, personal and a little bizarre. Check out works from the Chez Ghetto Custom Gifts collection.

Who is Todd Berman?

Todd is an artist who travels the world and his local community, sketchbook in hand. His art shows the colorful eccentricity bound within moments and individuals, depicting scenes of people coming together to improve the world. Todd encourages people to create small, personalized drawings which he collages into larger collaborative art works.

When he's not circumnavigating the globe, you'll find Todd working as a public school substitute teacher or living in San Francisco’s eclectic Mission District neighborhood, painting scenes that capture a chaotic sense of community and collaboration in bright, expressionistic drawing, painting and collage. Named San Francisco County 2006 Bike Commuter of the Year, Todd also uses his two wheels to bring his art to events, parks, schools, watering holes and protests - wherever communities already exist or are just starting to emerge.

Todd was born in the hills of West Virginia, grew up on Long Island, NY, and moved to San Francisco in 1998 with Lauren. He has a BA in Public Policy from Brown University and continues his arts education through programs at U.C. Berkeley Extension and the San Francisco Art Institute. His art often hangs on the walls of local community spaces, offices and homes. Todd's virtual gallery is always open at TheArtDontStop.org.

Who is Lauren Girardin?

Originally trained in environmental organic chemistry, these days Lauren only uses her scientific skills in the kitchen. Since abandoning the lab, she has become an expert in marketing and communications, online technology, leadership and nonprofit management. She's a city girl that schmoozes for good causes.

Before traveling the world, Lauren was Director of Marketing and Outreach at Full Circle Fund, where she built the operations of the organization from the ground up, launching a new website, CRM and newsletter; establishing brand and marketing; developing member recruitment and retention strategies; and building event capacity, eventually planning events with speakers Al Gore, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Paul Hawken, Van Jones, Ron Conway and Larry Brilliant. She started her nonprofit career at Business for Social Responsibility, where from 1999-2004 she immersed herself in corporate ethics issues, recruited Fortune 500 companies, and played key roles in the annual conference, marketing and design, and the relaunch of the website.

From 2006-2008, Lauren served on the Advisory Board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) San Francisco Bay Area chapter. She is also a member of BoardSource, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and a bike commuter. In her spare time, she manages the web design of TheArtDontStop.org.

Don't let these professional chops fool you, Lauren can wield a pen or mouse to create art. She's a published writer, digital designer, custom picture framer, Burner, and willing collaborative partner.

Lauren grew up in Long Island, NY, lived in Manhattan for 4 years, and has been happily living in San Francisco for 10 years with Todd. In 1998, she graduated from New York University cum laude with a BA in Organic Chemistry and minors in East Asian Studies and Asian Art. She has extensive training in management, technology planning, board governance, and leadership.