Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. I won’t eulogize him or praise him. Every blogger who’s touched an iPod has already done that. But Mr. Apple’s passing got me thinking. The hour the news broke, my Twitter stream was filled with Apple logos and appreciation for Steve. It continued for hours. Everyone was showing their gratitude…
Brilliant artists ask questions. More importantly, they ask, “why?” Why am I writing this song? Why am I designing this graphic? Why am I dancing? Art without purpose may be fun to look at it. But it doesn’t make a lasting impact. Purpose is the fuel that transports creativity from “pretty” to “life changing”.
Everyone knows what the troubled writer’s waste basket looks like. It’s overflowing with the writer’s crumpled up visions. Each page could have been the beginning of something amazing. But those pages will never see the light of day. Crumpled paper comes from perfectionism.
Creatives are notorious for taking themselves too seriously. I admit. I do. But sometimes I get bored with taking myself seriously. It takes a lot of effort–coming up with ideas that you’re willing to defend with blood, sweat and handguns.
Put your cell phone on a table. Call it from another number. Watch your phone vibrate. That’s how I feel when I have that perfect, brilliant idea. I’m so excited that there’s a buzz rippling through my whole body. I relate to your cell phone. Do you?
I’m convinced that my best ideas come when I’m helping other people with their projects. It’s something about the emotional disconnection that keeps my fear from tainting the great ideas. I experienced this recently.
A company wants to make the public aware of a new product. It’s a good idea to spend money on an advertising campaign. Clever slogan, fun visuals and a strong brand are all good ideas. But a great idea would be to invest in their current customers. Give incentives to the customers for spreading the news.…
Life is unfair. Sometimes the most qualified job applicant doesn’t get the job. The best artists aren’t necessarily the ones who make it big. Why is that? Artists can be jerks. And people don’t like to work with jerks.
I was approached by a guy wanting to start a blog just like this one. Was I threatened? No way. I Skyped with him and tried to help him make his blog as good as it can be. Competition isn’t a threat.
My favorite color is gray. Gray is perfectly neutral. It’s not defined. It can go anywhere I want it to. It’s not right, it’s not wrong. It’s not good, it’s not bad. It just is.