Moneyball. The Oakland A’s need to turnaround a losing roster. The use a mathematical formula to revolutionize their team and, ultimately, the game.
Baseball had become about All Stars. All the scouts were looking for the magic formula that would win them games. There was a mystical air to the game. Baseball was about one thing and nobody could see anything different. There was no other way to do baseball.
But Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill (or their characters) changed the game. They thought differently. They actually broke the rules with formulas. Read more…
Myth #1. Creativity is something you’re born with. Creativity is something you develop. Creativity is about different thinking. Different thinking comes from taking risks. While some individuals are generally more willing to take risks, anyone can be creative. You just have to be willing to take risks. Read more…
Rap would be boring without the hype man. The hype man is the guy behind the rapper revving the crowd. They yell the words to the song occasionally to give the rapper a chance to breathe. They take the show beyond rhythmic talking to hyped up celebration. Artists are hype men.
If you work for a pastor (or any boss) your job is to hype up their work. You’re there to get the crowd going–to take the sights and sounds where the leader cannot. But you don’t get the credit. The leader gets the credit. A good hype man doesn’t say “look at me”.
Unfortunately, a lot of artists adopt a “look at me” approach to creativity. Read more…
I found myself blocked yesterday. I sat down to write. I had nothing. I always get inspired at my writing desk (dining room table). But today there was nothing. And deadlines prevented me from sitting down for another game of Mario Brothers on the Wii.
Creative blocks are sneaky. They come on slowly. You only notice them when it’s time to actually do something.
So what did I do? A drastic move like usual? No. Read more…
I was talking to a friend recently about my Conquering Laziness post. He has a dream but can’t seem to force himself to make it happen. It’s too easy to lounge around and watch tv or play video games. He’s a talented songwriter and musician who could do some amazing stuff. But he just isn’t doing it.
I suggested he create some consequences. Read more…
This is part 5 in a 5 part series called “Conquering Inaction”.
Perfectionism is toxic. It’s more devious than the other three causes of inaction. Perfectionism makes you feel like you’re doing something when you aren’t. You feel like you’re perfecting your art or dream. You feel like you’re making progress toward making it a reality. But perfectionism has you in its trap. You’re in quicksand. You’re struggling. But you’re falling further into the pit of inaction. Read more…
This is part 4 in a 5 part series called “Conquering Inaction”.
You know your dream takes action. But sometimes it’s hard to get off your butt and make your dreams come true. But creativity means movement. And you’re not being creative if you aren’t creating.
One of the main reasons we get lazy about our creativity is the sheer volume of hustle it takes to achieve our goals. You have a great idea. You’ve been mulling it over in your mind for a while. But now it takes real action to make that dream a reality. It’s no longer ok to fantasize and scheme. Your vision needs to be concrete. Read more…
This is part 3 in a 5 part series called “Conquering Inaction”.
Failure rarely ends in death or public disgrace. But that knowledge doesn’t make failure less frightening. “What if I follow my dreams and fail?” It’s a frightening question.
But you know what takes the fear out of that question? Answering it. Read more…
This is part 2 in a 5-part series called “Conquering Inaction”.
Insecurity is the voice in your head whispering, “You aren’t good enough.” It slowly chisels away at your dream until it’s down to nothing. Now you’re not acting.
Do you feel inadequate to make your big dream come true? Do you feel inexperienced? You probably are. Read more…