creativity
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Creativity: Faith in process, faith in rest
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2 min read
Rest is integral to unlocking creativity. Your best ideas come when you’re not trying to grind it out, but when you’re not trying at all. Ideas hit you when your mind is at ease. Says composer and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda: A good idea doesn’t come when you’re doing a million things. The good idea comes in…
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Thinker types: Contrarian versus the individual
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1 min read
Shall one play the contrarian or the individual thinker? It’s not that interesting to be the rejectionist of the status quo just for the sake of it. What’s more interesting is forming one’s unique style or opinion and projecting that with confidence — minus the bombast, of course. What individuates individuals is their desire to…
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The vast but empty spaces of Andreas Gursky
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2 min read
German photographer Andreas Gursky’s photograph “99 Cent II Diptych” (see above) was once the world’s most expensive photo. In it, the Dusseldorf School photographer stitched together a two-part photograph (also called a ‘diptych’) of a vast but empty grocery store in Los Angeles. Taking another contemporary digitally manipulated view of everyday objects, Gursky’s “Rhein II” sold for $4.3m…
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Thoughts are seeds
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2 min read
Examining the world, collecting artifacts, awaiting that sudden flash. To believe that epiphanies are a result of short-term thinking is a canard. Good ideas emerge from gathering string over long stretches of time. Do you think Isaac Newton discovered insight into gravity only after the apple dropped on his head? No, he’d been chewing on the concept during…
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Creativity lies within
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1 min read
The quest of creativity is really the search for aliveness. It is no wonder that when we spend the time to make and ship our craft, we are happier human beings. To see and have any product resonate is icing on the cake. Few artists ever achieve wide acclaim for their work, even fewer prosper.…
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The road to becoming a mentality monster
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1 min read
She never imagined what her artwork could do to her. Her output fostered confidence in the images of the psyche. She brushed with aplomb, thinking without thinking — neither about the potential eyeballs nor sales numbers. What artist needs market research? Honest, disciplined, and in good taste. The creator never grew disillusioned when she got…
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It’s the indecision that’s risky
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1 min read
In the absence of ideas, we’re lost floating at sea. Weighed down in idea debt, a lack of action can have the same debilitating effect. Inertia is the purported enemy. Just write the truest sentence already. What works better is facing fear and proceeding right into it. We keep our eyes on the prize and…
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The Olivetti Valentine typewriter
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1 min read
An icon of 1960s pop-art design, the Olivetti Valentine typewriter was designed by Italian architect Ettore Sottsass and British designer Perry Ellis for the Italian company, Olivetti. Sottsass covered the typewriter in red “so as not to remind anyone of monotonous working hours.” Its iconic red color was a precursor to the iMac, a machine…
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Write to be misunderstood?
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1 min read
The write to be understood trope is itself, misunderstood. Don’t be too specific. Keep it vague enough to goad a broader curiosity. The details ruin everything, especially if they’re explained by a loudmouth. Revelations squash the guts of great imagination. The best approach therefore is one that’s provocative yet tactful. Stay determined to keep the…
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Why simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
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1 min read
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” wrote Leonardo Da Vinci. He would paint over work that didn’t meet up with his expectations. Not surprisingly, Steve Jobs adopted da Vinci’s maxim in designing Apple computers. Simplicity is the reduction of complexity. It unclutters the multiplicity of crayons and fence-sitting gray space in the middle and replaces objects…
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The trick to staying motivated
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2 min read
Money and fame often serve as motivation. So too does doing good for the world. You’d think it’s impossible to be motivated every day. But you don’t have to be 100% motivated to get stuff done. It only takes a little motivation to get started. Fortune favors the motivated Motivation is not a prerequisite to…
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“Creativity is like breathing”
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1 min read
A friend once told me that creativity is like breathing. When you make stuff, you’re exhaling. But you can’t exhale forever. Eventually, you have to breathe in. Or you’ll be dead. Matthew Inman, Cartoonist The more you make, the more you have to play with. But the creativity flame burns out too. Don’t be afraid…