Category Archives: Creativity

Failure Gives Perspective

Posted on March 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

That was the lowest moment I had yet encountered in my life. The phones in my office were even quiet, which had never happened before. In fact, I suddenly had a lot of quiet time to think, and I reviewed … Continue reading →

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The Only Motivation Tip You’ll Ever Need

Posted on March 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

San Franciscans and New Yorkers spent years fighting to get nutrition information like calorie counts listed on menus.  After all, if people only knew what kind of crap they were shoveling into their maws they’d surely change their behavior, right? … Continue reading →

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No Adjectives

Posted on February 29, 2012 by AJ Kessler

A tip to improve your writing: Use adverbs instead of adjectives. Abstractly, this is simple.  Difficult in practice.  Instead of describing something’s attributes, you’re forced to either craft each sentence around a verb, or go the Bob Dylan route and … Continue reading →

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Productivity Tips, From 1932

Posted on February 27, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Despite, or in fact because of, the 80 years of technological advancement, these tips are even more relevant today.  Courtesy of Henry Miller: COMMANDMENTS Work on one thing at a time until finished. Start no more new books, add no … Continue reading →

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Make The Secret A Lot More Trouble Than The Trick Seems Worth

Posted on February 25, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Good advice for magic, and life: Make the secret a lot more trouble than the trick seems worth. You will be fooled by a trick if it involves more time, money and practice than you (or any other sane onlooker) would … Continue reading →

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Level of Difficulty Matters

Posted on February 22, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Doing the same easy thing over and over again doesn’t usually lead to success.  Of course, neither does taking on impossible tasks that never get off the ground. The better way is to constantly take on those things that seem … Continue reading →

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The Element of Surprise

Posted on February 15, 2012 by AJ Kessler

A really insightful email from Teller, of Penn & Teller fame, where he responds to a struggling magician’s request for advice on how to develop his stage presence and style.  A couple things to note: first, Teller is a celebrity, … Continue reading →

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Selfish Expression

Posted on February 12, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Certain words or phrases, or demeanors, or attitudes convey certain things.  Your every action makes an expression, either bolstering or betraying you.  Stand up straight, look people in the eye, speak clearly and without hesitation, and people are inclined to … Continue reading →

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Cultivate Failure

Posted on February 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill Failure is part of all entrepreneurial processes.  Even if you’re wildly successful right out of the gate, even if you’re Facebook, … Continue reading →

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How Do I Improve?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Someone wrote to me today asking how to improve their photography.  I wrote back a short reply, and realized it is in no way limited to photography: Hi S., Thanks very much! My advice to you would be to look … Continue reading →

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The Hacker Way

Posted on February 1, 2012 by AJ Kessler

As part of Facebook’s S-1 filing today, Mark Zuckerberg wrote a letter to shareholders.  In it, he outlines the culture and process that helped make Facebook’s phenomenal success possible.  If you notice your way of doing business, or creating art, … Continue reading →

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The First Thing You Do When You Sit Down At The Computer

Posted on January 27, 2012 by AJ Kessler

What’s the first thing you do?  Check your email?  See who needs you?  Whose problems need solving?  Maybe you “warm your brain up” by checking news, or gossip, or sports, or playing a game. (hint: you’re really warming your brain … Continue reading →

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It’s Never Easy, Even For The Great Ones

Posted on January 24, 2012 by AJ Kessler

David Ogilvy was the “Father of Advertising”.  In 1962,  Time magazine called him “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry”.  He, and his eponymous advertising firm, were responsible for some of the world’s most iconic advertising campaigns, like “Don’t leave … Continue reading →

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The Trouble With Expertise In Complex Fields

Posted on January 21, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Fresh out of law school, it’s easy to forget that, compared to the general population, you are already something of an expert.  You have the tools to search for, read, and understand just what the hell that legalese actually means.  … Continue reading →

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Racing To Not Fall Behind

Posted on January 18, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries, and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries. – Blaise Pascal, 17th Century We have now, as a society, reached a point of near constant and total … Continue reading →

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