Why do you do what you do? Is it for the perks, the attention or the paycheck? Probably at least somewhat. But what about the process itself? If you knew that you were going to spend the rest of your life doing your work and there would be no recognition, no public...
Don't leave brilliance on the table by confusing efficiency with effectiveness.
I gave my Possibility Thinking talk at a conference yesterday. It's always fun meeting new people, especially in industries I don't frequent or have much opportunity to engage with, and hearing the challenges and opportunities they're facing. Surprisingly (or...
You're creative, right? You've got great ideas. You're doing great work and gaining traction. Then suddenly, it seems like you can't get moving on your work. Ideas aren't flowing like they once were, and there is little movement on your projects. Have you just...
Over the years, we’ve had more than a few questions about the name Accidental Creative. Usually the responses go one of two ways: "What do you mean accidental? I’m very purposeful about what I do. I’m insulted and I shun anything else you have to say"…or "Hmm....
I have lately encountered many people who feel - for lack of a better term - frustrated and like they're under-performing. But the thing is, in many of these cases the cause - the root - of the issue isn't some workplace dynamic, lack of resources or lack of...
There is a point at which staring at a problem and simply cranking away yields diminishing returns. The solution isn't to continue to knuckle-down and hope to dig out of the hole using the same methods that created it. It's to establish traction, and hopefully...
Do you remember the old episodes of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote? When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to tear out of bed on Saturday morning, pour a giant bowl of cereal and watch in anticipation of the coyote actually catching him. Then it happened. One...
Jonathan Robert Willis, a photographer friend of mine, sent a link to a personal exploration project he recently released called Wind. While I love (LOVE!) the finished product, what I enjoyed most was hearing his rationale for the highly-directed approach he took...
The third episode of Creative Leader Roundtable features part two of our conversation with Scott Belsky (CEO of Behance and author of Making Ideas Happen) and riCardo Crespo (SVP & Global Creative Lead at 20th Century Fox). We discuss the role of generosity in...
The single biggest "push back" I get from people when I share about how building practices into their life can unleash new ideas and help them be more productive goes something like this: "Yeah, that's great, but I really just don't have the time." After collecting...
A few weeks ago I was privileged to hop a plane to St. Louis to spend some time with a great group of creatives wrestling through organizational growth and how to establish new systems to deal with it. After a morning session with the large group, I had the chance...
Here's a "5 pack" of brilliant books for creatives that will help you do brilliant work. Each deals with a different aspect of creative and organizational life, but is relevant and immediately applicable to anyone trying to thrive in the create-on-demand world.
In the inaugural episode of Creative Leader Roundtable, Scott Belsky (CEO of Behance and author of Making Ideas Happen) and riCardo Crespo (SVP & Global Creative Lead at 20th Century Fox) share their insights into what makes a creative team effective and how to...
Over the past several years we've released some of the best practices we've learned at Accidental Creative as podcasts, and we've also interviewed some of the people we most respect about the creative process and how to do great work on a consistent basis. What...
When everyone is responsible for something, no one is. Creative teams need to make sure that there are specific goals, metrics and accountability for creative work. Don't fall prey to the "fly in the middle of the room" mindset.
There's something that's been eating at me lately and I'm trying to work my way to the bottom of it. There's a lot of buzz within organizations that perceive themselves as creative-friendly about fostering a "safe environment" for ideas to flourish. I agree, and...
Here's a clip from the upcoming AC podcast interview with David Allen, author of Getting Things Done. I had a GREAT time chatting with David, and the interview is full of advice for creatives about how to be more effective in life and work. The full audio recording...
Are you moving forward while looking backward?
A few years ago my friend Kevin decided to get a few guy-friends from undergrad and B-school together for a weekend getaway on a farm in Lexington, KY. The idea was to get some younger, bright business people together with some more experienced mentors for...