Here at Tchotchke & Tchotchke, nothing channels our energy and focuses attention better than a new project in the early stages of formulation. There’s a moment somewhere after the first inkling of an idea — say, curating our own version of an alphabet book — when a governing structure starts to emerge. That moment just feels awesome.

In this period our process is largely amorphous. It’s a rambling conversation with ourselves and other sources we’ve encountered (e.g. real alphabet books, a book we’re reading, a movie we saw some time ago) where we try ideas on, try structures on, and generally just feel around in the dark to see if there might be a there there.

Honestly, the ineffability of this process is why we have mad respect for those who do this kind of work for a living. And it’s why we really love working under auspices of an imaginary organization! At Tchotchke & Tchotchke, self-imposed deadlines feel like a hug; paralytic panic just doesn’t exist.

The Alphabet According to Tchotchke & Tchotchke is in this stage now. Look for it in 2023.