The People Factor: It’s All About Energy
Surrounding yourself with the right people can help you do your best creative work.
The People Factor: It’s All About Energy
Articles about Articles
You Are Not A Machine
You Are Not A Machine
How to avoid the trap of becoming a creativity-cranking, efficiency obsessed machine.
4 Ways To Trigger Creative Ideas
4 Ways To Trigger Creative Ideas
Need an insight now, but the juices aren't flowing? Here are a few ways to trigger creative accidents when needed.
Are You Limited By False Assumptions?
Are You Limited By False Assumptions?
False assumptions can squash your creative mojo as you attempt to do great work.
It Can Be Anything You Want
It Can Be Anything You Want
Derek Sivers has written a gem of a book on how to survive as a creative entrepreneur.
Everything I Need To Know About Productivity I Learned On Dagobah
Everything I Need To Know About Productivity I Learned On Dagobah
Master Yoda offers up some wise words for those who want to do great work.
Aaron Goldfarb on How To Fail
Aaron Goldfarb on How To Fail
I connected with Aaron Goldfarb over e-mail a few months back and was immediately hooked by the ingenious promotional strategy he used to get the word out about his novel How To Fail: A Self-Hurt Guide. I caught up with Aaron to ask how he took his idea from an...
How To Eliminate 90% of the Tension Between Creatives and Managers
How To Eliminate 90% of the Tension Between Creatives and Managers
Diffusing the struggle between possibilities and pragmatics.
How To Change The World (In About 10 Minutes)
How To Change The World (In About 10 Minutes)
There's much discussion these days about changing the world. But why, and how?
Doing What You Love & Loving What You Do
Doing What You Love & Loving What You Do
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...
Why We Need To Develop An Effectiveness Obsession
Why We Need To Develop An Effectiveness Obsession
Don't leave brilliance on the table by confusing efficiency with effectiveness.
The Art of Possibility Thinking
The Art of Possibility Thinking
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...
The Weight of What’s Undone
The Weight of What’s Undone
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...
Being “Accidentally” Creative
Being “Accidentally” Creative
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....
“Them” and The Tyranny of Chasing Cool
“Them” and The Tyranny of Chasing Cool
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...
Friction, Traction and Vectors
Friction, Traction and Vectors
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...
Chasing “The Thing”
Chasing “The Thing”
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...
Rules, Limits & Creative Brilliance
Rules, Limits & Creative Brilliance
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...
Do You Really Need More Time?
Do You Really Need More Time?
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...
“Be a Laser Not a Lighthouse” & Other Creative Leadership Essentials
“Be a Laser Not a Lighthouse” & Other Creative Leadership Essentials
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...