Subscribe Via RSS:
This blog is updated Daily.
Category Archives: Style
The Element of Surprise
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. Â A couple things to note: first, Teller is a celebrity, … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Marketing, Photography, Psychology, Quotes, Style
Tagged Drama, Element, Help, Magic, Penn & Teller, Reach Out, Story, Storytelling, Surprise
Leave a comment
The Joy of Swearing
It’s not necessary. As if that should stop one from doing it. It’s not necessary to have colored socks. Things not being necessary is what makes life interesting. Little extras in life. Stephen Fry Great thoughts from Stephen Fry on … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Quotes, Style
Tagged Expression, Language, Speech, Stephen Fry, Swearing
2 Comments
How To Tell A Story People Can’t Turn Away From
Great video from Ira Glass about how to turn even the most mundane story into something compelling:
Posted in Food For Thought, Inspiration, Quotes, Style
Tagged Communication, Compelling, Ira Glass, Speech, Story Telling, Writing
Leave a comment
The Problem With Beginning
The problem with starting any new creative endeavor is that you’re going to suck at it. Even when you become a professional, depending on your field, most of your work is still going to suck. There’s a terrible irony at … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Inspiration, Quotes, Self-Improvement, Style
Tagged Finishing, Ira Glass, Produce, Quitting, Taste, Work
Leave a comment
Reclaim Your Mornings With An Automated Wardrobe
It can take my girlfriend 20 minutes to decide what she’s going to wear on a given morning. Â That’s 20 minutes not spent enjoying breakfast, or the news, or sportcenter, or working out, or extra working time, or whatever it … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Productivity, Style, Tips
Tagged Clothes, Clothing, Forethought, Morning, Planning, Routine, Wardrobe
Leave a comment
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
Posted in Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Quotes, Style
Tagged Art, Ending, Gimmick, M. Night Shyamalan, Movies, Sixth Sense, Twist
Leave a comment
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
Posted in Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Persuasion, Quotes, Style
Tagged Batman, Fascinate, Hollywood, Mystery, Mystique, Psychology, Reveal, The Dark Knight
2 Comments
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
Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Style
Tagged Design, Living, Pleasure, Tiny Home, Utility
Leave a comment
Transparency
Polished Sausage “Transparency” has been one of the hottest buzzwords in business for a few years now. Pundits and actual businessmen alike tout the advantages of full disclosure, and maybe more importantly, the ramifications of not being forthright. But, as … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Self-Improvement, Style
Tagged Mystique, Presentation, Show, Style, Trigger
Leave a comment
Art Is Just A Story
People make a big fucking deal about art. They talk about provenance and historical relevance and cultural significance. Those things can certainly make a piece of art more interesting, but why does that make someone want to own something? There’s … Continue reading
Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Style
Tagged Deborah Butterfield, Horses, Sculpture, Storytelling
3 Comments
Deadlines Force Creativity
Inspiration and work ethic, they ride right next to each other. When I was an upholsterer, sometimes you’re not inspired to reupholster and old chair. Sometimes it’s just work and you just do it because you’re supposed to. And maybe … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Productivity, Quotes, Self-Improvement, Style, Tips
Tagged Creativity, Deadline, Jack White, Pain, Restriction, White Stripes, Work
12 Comments
Start at the Bottom
I’ve always said that talent is overrated. Â Most people can become really good at most things given enough deliberate practice. Â These photos by Stanley Kubrick, just a lowly photojournalist for Look magazine in 1949, began to show the sort of … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Aesthetics, Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Photography, Self-Improvement, Style
Tagged 1949, Advice, Chicago, Cinema, mastery, Photograph, Stanley Kubrick, Story Telling
Leave a comment
Clarity
I just read this article this New York Times opinion piece that really struck a chord with me. It’s not particularly interesting or insightful. In fact, it’s really not that good. But the author sure does use some fancy words, … Continue reading
Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Photography, Style, Tips
1 Comment
Why I Hate HDR
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Dynamic Range, for our purposes, is the amount of information a sensor can record between the points where the sensor renders input as white and where the sensor renders input as black in any … Continue reading
Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Photography, Style
3 Comments
Changing Your Spots
This is a pretty insightful little piece by landscape photographer Alain Briot that addresses a situation that nearly exactly mirrors my own. I too was drawn to the panoramic format, though my love for it actually started before I ever … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Food For Thought, Photography, Style
Leave a comment
.