Author Archives: AJ Kessler

Know When To Paint, And When To Cut Off Your Ear

Posted on March 24, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Your parents probably fawned over your finger paintings, or craft projects, or clay pots, or whatever crappy thing you created when you were four.  There’s an audience for everything.  Sometimes that audience is enormous, and sometimes, like with crappy children’s … Continue reading →

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Real Artists Tell The Truth When They Lie

Posted on March 23, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Reality Never before has the public been more skeptical of what they see every day.  A massive section of the web has been dedicated to outing fakes, spotting goofs, and pointing out flaws in everything from political arguments to celebrities’ … Continue reading →

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If You’re Gonna Be Opaque, You Better Over-Deliver

Posted on March 22, 2011 by AJ Kessler

This article, a fantastic rant by auto writer Chris Harris, is a great example of how zealously trying to control your brand’s message can backfire.  Harris skewers Ferrari for things like heavily modifying journalists’ test cars to specific tracks so … Continue reading →

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Strip-Club-Bathroom Psychology

Posted on March 21, 2011 by AJ Kessler

You ever walk into the bathroom at a nice restaurant, or, so I’ve been told, at a strip club, and been startled when you’re greeted by an older gentleman in an ill-fitting tuxedo with a tray full of hair product, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food For Thought, Persuasion, Rationality, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Missing the Shot

Posted on March 20, 2011 by AJ Kessler

If you’re into photography on any level, you’ve missed the shot before.  That one, fleeting moment that slipped by before you could trip the shutter.  That perfect facial expression on your subject, or the ray of light that sneaks through … Continue reading →

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Kill Yourself

Posted on March 19, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I love being unproductive.  I could sit on the couch and watch football all day long.  I could play video games 12 hours a day.  I could surf and hang out at the beach for a week straight. Sometimes, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Self-Improvement | 3 Comments

You’re Probably Not Interesting

Posted on March 18, 2011 by AJ Kessler

But you could be. The most interesting people I know, in order: Those who create Those who discover Those who do Those who read about those who create, discover, and do Those who consume It’s easy for most people to … Continue reading →

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Don’t Try to be a Renaissance Man, Yet

Posted on March 17, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I wish I had heard this advice when I was 18, but it’s still just as applicable today. Derek Silver’s commencement speech Learn a skill.  Then master that skill.  Then exploit that skill to its fullest potential.  Then, become a … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Self-Improvement | 1 Comment

Doubt

Posted on March 16, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Roger Federer, perhaps the best tennis player of all time, had easily handled Andy Murray, the gifted shot-maker and #3 player in the world, 6-4, 6-4 in the first two sets of the Championship Match of the 2010 Australian Open. … Continue reading →

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Successful People Work For Free

Posted on March 15, 2011 by AJ Kessler

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”       ~ George Bernard Shaw I’ve worked for free for most of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Self-Improvement | Tagged | 1 Comment

Pay Enough or Don’t Pay At All

Posted on March 13, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Why might you get worse performance out of someone you’re paying than out of someone who’s doing the job for free?  If you put on your economist’s hat, you’d say this is plainly irrational.  If someone is willing to do … Continue reading →

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Confinement v. Fear

Posted on March 10, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Many people hate the process of going to their job, putting in their time, and coming home every day.  They think being self-employed would be the ultimate freedom.  “If I didn’t have a schedule, if I could work when I … Continue reading →

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How to Build a Habit

Posted on March 8, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I’ve taken vitamins every single night for years.  One day I just decided to start doing it, and I have rarely missed a day.  Contrast that with my time tracking endeavor: I found I was very consistent at doing it … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Productivity, Self-Improvement | Tagged | 3 Comments

99 Percent of the Work is Never Seen

Posted on March 8, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I was talking to a little kid the other day.  “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I asked.  “I want to be a singer!” she immediately exclaimed.  “Oh? Why is that?”  “I want to be on … Continue reading →

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smArtHistory

Posted on March 3, 2011 by AJ Kessler

One of the best things you can do to improve your photography is to deconstruct what makes a good photograph.  It’s a bit of a catch-22 when you’re starting out though.  Even if you’re able to spot a really great … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Photography | Leave a comment