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On the go
Discipline, routine, and stability are critical to creative work. The philosophical opposite—the ability to work quickly, on the go, and with whatever is in front of you—is just as valuable. Hugh MacLeod illustrates on small business cards for this reason; he can carry them anywhere, quickly whip them out when he gets an idea, and…
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Instinct
Instinct is an incredible tool for entrepreneurs and artists. If you’re in the early stages of doing something that’s heading in the direction you intended, you’ll feel the momentum. Maybe you tell your friends about it, and they approach you with an opportunity to do business together. Or you’re tapping into a new source of…
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“Will it work?”
There’s really no certainty that anything you actually want to do is going to work. The only way to really find out—to get a real answer that matters—is to do it. Whatever you’re trying out, treat it like a pilot project. You’re just investigating to see if it’ll work. I like to move fast on…
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Teaching yourself
The ability (and confidence) to teach yourself something is a wonderful thing. Depending on the subject, though, it’s often a very time-intense process. Once you can afford to, walk both paths; take the class, and teach yourself. Two teachers are better than one.
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When the Mexican fisherman parable breaks
I’ve seen this parable everywhere for years, most recently in Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks (great book!), and I’ve usually appreciated it: A vacationing New York businessman who gets talking to a Mexican fisherman, who tells him that he works only a few hours per day and spends most of his time drinking wine in…
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What’s your signature?
I recently came across Virgil Abloh’s lecture at Harvard once again. In particular, I liked his examination of his own personal design language; he says, “Your brain will tell you when something’s finished. And then post-rationalize. Make up something afterwards, or whatever.” That’s pretty much how he developed his design language: Readymade – new idea…
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72 seasons
An ancient Japanese calendar marked time in 72 seasons, ushering in a new season approximately every 5 days. That probably sounds strange to me and you, because we’re so used to thinking of seasons in 3 month increments. (Actually in Toronto it’s more like two seasons and 6 month increments…you get the idea.) Time is…
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Each work is a gamble
From the point of view of one who creates, everything is a gamble, a leap into the unknown. Kusama, Yayoi. Infinity Net: The Autobiography of Yayoi Kusama (p. 37). Tate Enterprises Ltd. Kindle Edition. See printing lottery tickets, the social media lottery.
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Side projects open doors
When I was a student, I had no idea how I was going to get a job. In order to get a job, I needed to have experience; in order to get experience, I needed to have a job. Any internship worth getting also seemed to require working experience. Or so I thought. One of…
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Departure eyes
One of the best—and most bittersweet—aspects of travel is not just arriving in a new place, but departing a familiar one. Oftentimes, departing a place you call home. It’s an occasion that brings out the flavor of home. You appreciate buildings you walked past without a second glance. The most mundane details grow more loveable,…