Category: Creativity
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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.…
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Creative Doing, at Figma
During Config, I visited the Figma office in San Francisco. My book was on the book wall! Please give me a shout if you want a few copies for your office.
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Quantity and the long tail
A small amount of what you do is like to deliver most of the returns. When visualized in a graph, this phenomenon is known as the power law or the long tail. The problem is, you don’t know which amount it is; it’s impossible to predict, because the world is so complicated. Instead, the better…
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A quick spine prompt
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how you can stay focused on a creative project with a spine. 50 Cent writes a good example in his book, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter: Whenever I’m about to hit the studio, I try to think about all the great musical moments I’ve experienced from different artists. I…
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On writing a newsletter about books
Every month, I recommend 3 books to nearly 2,000 people. This has been an extremely rewarding experience. I’ve met some really great people through this newsletter. Some of these friends even kindly tell me to pick a new topic. I’m aware that books are not the most catchy hook, and that I could probably grow…