Remembering Carl Lindgren – The Weekend Edition's original dreamer

Remembering Carl Lindgren – The Weekend Edition’s original dreamer

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of The Weekend Edition’s inimitable founder, the ever-curious Carl Lindgren. As the sunlight emerged on the morning of May 14, 2022, Carl’s light dimmed, surrounded by his loving wife Kath, sons Jasper and Milo, and his family.

Carl’s life was destined to be a marvellous adventure from day one. In 1969, his parents Eric and Del (a zoologist and teacher respectively) decided to pack up their lives in Australia and their two young boys, Roland and Tim, and immerse themselves in the culture and wonder of Papua New Guinea. Mere months later, Carl was born. His early years were spent exploring the jungles that surrounded his home and discovering the beauty of nature, and learning about life and the mysteries of the world around him from his knowledgeable parents. 

As a teenager Carl moved to Australia, continuing his adventures at boarding school in Armadale where he made lifelong memories and friendships. In 1989 he moved to Melbourne, pursuing his dream of acting by studying at Victorian College of the Arts. The years that followed saw him land roles in various plays, commercials and TV shows, including Neighbours and Blue Heelers. Even though he was living his dream, his insatiable curiosity and passion for life drove him to seek other creative pursuits – he attended Award School, studied journalism and communications, and at one point even landed a contract with Sportsgirl creating a line of beaded jewellery. 

Of all of his creative pursuits, however, map magazine was the most significant. On July 6, 1999, the first issue of map magazine hit the streets of Brisbane, founded on Carl’s determination to infuse the negative media landscape with something optimistic and positive that not only encouraged people to dream big, but inspired them to chase those dreams with all their hearts. Following map magazine came his creative agency map creative and, of course, The Weekend Edition, a legacy I am honoured to be custodian of. Carl also co-founded TEDxBrisbane, held the role of guest artistic director of the Brisbane Writers Festival and sponsored the building of a charity: water well in Ethiopia, amongst many other extraordinary achievements. 

Carl had the energy of a man who’d had six coffees before midday – because often, he had! He lit up every room he walked into and left a sparkling impression upon all those he met. His passion, creativity and determination to seize the day were second to none, and his exuberant enjoyment of life was contagious. He celebrated the little wins and was never short of ideas – and he did everything he could to see each of those ideas through. 

I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be the woman or the editor I am today without Carl’s guidance, support and friendship. He played a significant role in the formative years of my career (and those of many others!) and for that I am forever grateful. Carl taught me so many incredible things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life – not just the tools I needed to be a good editor, but to be curious, to look for the good in people, to always choose kindness and to trust the universe. 

Carl adored his wife Kath and sons Jasper and Milo. They meant everything to him and inspired everything he did – one of his major reasons for starting map magazine was because he wanted his (then future) children to be surrounded by and have access to positive media, and to live in a world where they felt inspired to pursue their dreams free of judgement. He was immensely proud of Kath and his remarkable boys, and his legacy will live on through their curiosity and creativity. 

While Carl’s life was cut short, it was nothing short of extraordinary. He will be remembered as a change maker, an optimist, a nature lover, a curious traveller, a competitive amateur ping-pong player and an incredible husband, father, son, brother, friend and mentor.

The Lindgren family would like to thank all of those who have expressed their sympathy since Carl’s passing. To donate to brain cancer research in Carl’s honour, head to Jasper’s GoFundMe page.

In Carl’s famous words, remember to dream : )

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