A little-known secret that shouldn’t be one: collaboration is the secret to creativity. It's not just about working with other people, it's about working with the *right* people. I look for collaborators outside my area of expertise, people who bring new kinds of expertise to the table. A designer, a developer, a retoucher—everyone contributes to the vision in a different way. This is how I stretch myself as an artist. The benefits of collaboration go... read more ›
76 reads
Mar
27
Jan
23
Let’s get something clear: all the “productivity” gibberish we read in our social feeds day in and day out is largely a waste of time. Productivity has become a self-help institution that deals with the symptoms rather than the cause of our problems. Instead of finding ways to cram more five-minute meetings into a day or accelerate the hamster wheel of emails flowing into your in-box, start thinking about how you can cultivate the state... read more ›
178 reads
Jan
09
In this week's episode, I delve into the importance of play and experimentation in a creative career. I discuss how personal work can lead to new opportunities and help you better understand your own interests and goals. I also offer some practical advice on how to balance commercial work with personal projects, and how to know when it's time to move on from a creative endeavor. This is a continuation of the Q&A show I... read more ›
107 reads
Jan
02
Are you someone with so many competing interests and ideas, you're not sure where to focus or how to build these passions into a single career? You're not alone. This week I'm diving into two questions from the community. The first question explores this very popular question. I deconstruct how some of the top performers have built unconventional paths to shape their passions into successful careers. The other is about how to transition from one... read more ›
279 reads
Nov
16
The world of business is notoriously serious and results-driven. But what if we looked at work through a different lens? What if we focused on the creative, abstract side of innovation? This is a question that Mauro Porcini, Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo, strives to answer. With over 1100 design and innovation awards under his belt, Mauro is no stranger to the value of creativity in business. In fact, he's made it his life's work... read more ›
342 reads
Nov
14
When you’re out to start a new career, you learn quickly that hope is not a strategy. Regardless if it’s the first job, a new job, or the shake-up from the economy, these are great inflection points to take steps toward the things that fulfill us in life. Meet Yiwen Wong, he’s a recent graduate from the Boston University School of Communication. He’s originally from Singapore and he and his family lived in New Zealand.... read more ›
322 reads
Nov
02
At the starting point of our creative journey, we make choices that will either drive us toward what we want or drive us away from it. At the time, we might not even realize what’s driving us. We think outside forces play a bigger role than internal determination and intuition, which in the end is the reason we arrive anywhere. Norton Zanini is a Florida-based photographer and creative entrepreneur who left his home in... read more ›
258 reads
Oct
31
Standing Out Isn't Easy It takes a lot of courage to embrace our own creativity. It's not easy. When we declare our pursuits to those closest to us, they're not carrying the same passion for it that we are. They're not bad people that want to see us miserable. They don't understand, our passion drives us. It's the people who love us the most that will react. It's very common for loved ones to want... read more ›
490 reads
Oct
24
The stubborn myth of the “starving artist,” the threadbare but exuberant poet who has to choose between ink and food, isn’t just false, it’s toxic. Notions like this drain your energy and either get you chasing dollars for all the wrong reasons or encourage others to take advantage of you by undervaluing your work. Textbooks and Hollywood biopics usually gloss over the everyday financial dealings of great artists. As a kid, you never hear about... read more ›
411 reads
Oct
17
Beginnings are tenuous times. Getting anything substantial off the ground means making countless tiny decisions first, any one of which might assume vast importance—if you’re successful down the road. Paralyzed by Fear & Decisions The danger is twofold. On the one hand, you can become paralyzed by all the decisions you need to make. They can steal the life from your project—whatever the medium and at whatever the scale—before you’ve even begun. “What if I... read more ›
272 reads