Category: Creativity
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“Why not?”
Sometimes you don’t need a good reason to do something. You need a good reason to not do it. Also, “Why not me?” Is there a good reason that you don’t deserve something good to happen to you? Is there a good reason that something positive shouldn’t happen to you? (The same question can be…
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Stick to the whim
In the early 2010s, after watching the film Pariah, fashion designer and lawyer Busayo Olupona felt an inner call to connect with actor Adepero Oduye and introduce her eponymous emerging fashion line, Busayo. Perhaps, Olupona thought, there might be an opportunity to style Oduye for a future work. The two of them connected on Facebook,…
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Good editing is cutting
If your personality is inclined to optimism, one of the most difficult aspects of the editorial skillset is learning to say no. There’s certainly an opportunity to liken this to the classic business strategy phrase, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. Without trade-offs, there would be no need for choice and…
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Uphill thinking
My team recently posted this piece by John Maeda to Shortcut. When Carly sent the team an initial draft she and John had worked on, I was mind blown—it was the best thing I’d read all week. Here’s an excerpt: Humans are innately driven to take the adventurous, longer route. Our distinct traits of creativity,…
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Creativity, just because
People went from running as transportation to running for all sorts of other reasons. There’s physical and mental health, personal development, and community, amongst so many other reasons. In other words, we don’t need to run to get someplace; we found new ways to need running. It’s worth considering this when you think about artificial…
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Lean into trying
While the saying, “Do or do not, there is no try,” is incredibly popular and compelling, it has never resonated with me. To me, the human condition is almost entirely about trying. It’s about putting yourself out there, making an attempt, and living with the outcome. Two quotes that come to mind: Stravinsky, a composer…
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“Put the paint on the canvas!”
For 99.99% of people who want to make things, making something good is the second most significant challenge. Making anything at all is the most significant challenge. There are so many psychological factors that get in the way of the creative process, which prevent a person from making anything. Some statements include: “I don’t have…
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Last mile pressure
Sometimes, for whatever reason, the experience of finishing the final task (or putting the final touches on a project, or solving the final problem, etc.) feels absolutely impossible. This post is one such example. There are a lot of possible reasons why, as well as a lot of solutions. My favorite one is to scope…
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Boredom feeds creativity
Sit in any waiting room. A doctor, dentist, or car inspection garage where you have absolutely nothing to do for about an hour. Or take a flight with no Wi-fi, and no leg room. Get stuck in traffic. Make sketches on a very small lined pad (even a napkin will do) with a good pen.…