As you get better at and learn more about art, you come to a fork in the road. There are now three paths to traverse. They are: Criticism Stagnation Exploration Criticism Most “artists” choose this path. Instead of creating, they turn into the critics. They know enough art to consider themselves experts. So instead of…
I’m a people pleaser. I fight it like crazy. But I love it when people like me. It’s pitiful. I know. So I’m about to launch an online magazine. I have about 800 subscribers so far. But the other day, I saw two people unsubscribed. They unsubscribed! I hadn’t even posted anything yet and people…
How do you know what you can excel at? The other day I told you how important it is to pursue the right skills. You want to choose something that lets you escape “average”. Ask yourself these five questions to guide yourself to the right pursuits. 1. What “common sense” do you have that seems…
Yesterday we talked about the bell curve of skill. Once you’ve reached an area of excellence you must be vigilant. You’ll constantly get sucked back to “average” if you aren’t careful. This is why. Even though you’ve escaped the realm of average, the people who surround you haven’t. They still occupy average and below average.…
There are a lot of average people in the world. And “average” has a massive gravitational pull. If you aren’t careful you will easily be pulled back to “average”. Imagine every skill and talent has its own bell curve. It looks like a sloping mountain. The two extreme ends are very thinly populated. The center…
I ran sound for a women’s event last week. I was the only guy in the room. The pinnacle of awkwardness was during the pajama fashion show at the end. Even some of the ladies felt awkward. And their glances back at the booth tripled my already massive discomfort. But the night was all worth…
You aren’t being creative if you’re: …spending hours on Pinterest. …reading a book about creativity. …critiquing a work of art. …sitting under a majestic, starry night. …drinking mate at a hipster coffee shop. …keeping your version of Photoshop up to date.
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…
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.
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…