Category Archives: Creativity

The World’s Most Valuable Skill

It’s not the ability to pick stocks or spot market trends.  It’s not the ability to sniff out which wells will produce oil or which methods will cure cancer.  It’s not the ability to mange people or leverage their talents … Continue reading

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Passion Does Not Cause Success

Nearly everyone I went to law school with was there because they hadn’t figured out what they wanted to do with their lives.  It wasn’t that they were passionate about law, or putting bad guys away, or freeing the innocently … Continue reading

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How To Make Good Decisions

There are a lot of people who seem to have miserable luck and tough lives.  They end up with significant others that cheat on them or leave them.  They make bad investments or get caught up in scams.  They have … Continue reading

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When Precision Is Detrimental

Precision is generally good.  It generally feels good.  I’ve used camera lenses that have been precisely machined and mated to particular camera bodies.  They’re about as perfect as can be and they were a joy to use. Peter Drucker famously … Continue reading

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Entrepreneurs: Learn From Artists; Artists From Entrepreneurs

A lot of artists have problems shipping work, myself included.  It’s scary.  An artist’s work is the most intimate reflection of his own taste, views, and values.  Putting work out into the world leaves an artist vulnerable to critique, criticism, … Continue reading

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They Can Control Your Mind

Sort of a follow up on the Advertising Works On You post.  Turns out, advertising even works on advertisers.  Two pretty unbelievable clips: (embedding has been disabled, but definitely worth clicking through to see some amazing persuasion techniques in action: … Continue reading

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Why Atheists Need Church

I went to church today.  Many churches, in fact.  Walking around Vienna’s tiny Old City, it’s hard not to run into a church.  My feet got tired, so I sat down in one of the few available seats, which happened … Continue reading

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Entrepreneurs are Artists

How did Michaelangelo sculpt the Pieta?  How did a deaf Beethoven compose his famous 9th Symphony?  How did Van Gogh paint Starry Night?  Where did these things come from?  According to Steve Blank: They’re visions.  And founders do the exact … Continue reading

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Real Art Doesn’t Use Crutches

The other day I talked about how Christopher Nolan masterfully used the “mystique” trigger to propel The Dark Knight to rake in over $1 Billion at the box office, worldwide.  In that post, I asked: So, since the archetype of … Continue reading

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How To Make $1 Billion In One Summer And Get Whatever You Want

The lights dim, just a little bit, in that cavernous, air-conditioned hall.  This is my favorite part.  There’s so much promise and intrigue.  It’s impossible to feel let down.  That familiar lime-green image flickers to life, letting the audience know … Continue reading

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Your Midsize Ego Will Ruin You

Ego can be a very good thing.  But we’ve all seen, or been, the guy with no ego who seems to constantly get stuck in the friend-zone.  We’ve also witnessed the the downfall of many a politician, done in by … Continue reading

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Design Is Just Asking “How Do I Maximize Pleasure?”

For a long time, the electronics and computer industry asked “How do I make this work?”  This is understandable.  In any nascent industry, getting something that works out the door is priority number one.  But, even after the functionality hurdle … Continue reading

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Did Boredom Make Species Survival Possible?

Boredom may not be unique to humans, as it seems polar bears and other animals experience some kind of boredom, but did it help our species survive? Boredom is a fascinating thing.  It’s so familiar to people that the dictionary … Continue reading

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There Is Always An Excuse

“I had a bad day, I deserve this.” “I had a great day, I deserve this.” “Well, I’ve already done X.  Y won’t hurt.” “Well, I haven’t done X yet, so I can do Y.” Your mind is disturbingly capable … Continue reading

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You’re Always Gonna Be Scared

We’re all scared.  The difference is whether you’re gonna keep moving. An inspiring talk about fear by Merlin Mann: (starts slow, but it’s worth pushing through)   What are you scared of?

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