Every once in a while I randomly come across something that fascinates me. The latest rabbit hole I went down was Newcomb Pottery, which is a true gem of American art history. It represents not only the skill and creativity of its makers but also speaks to the values and social movements of its time. … Read more
I’m a pretty terrible writer, but I write a lot. Every single day. And I want to get better at it. Maybe you’re in the same boat, and if that’s the case—this is for you. You see, I read a lot about writing. You know, I read what writers who actually write good stuff write … Read more
When I was a young boy, I could lose myself for hours writing stories and painting pictures. I’d get together with a friend of mine, and we’d draw little silly cartoons together. They were really crappy cartoons, but they were our own, and we had a great time. I grew up, learned more about the … Read more
One thing I love about podcasts is that you can kind of carry them with you, almost like your thoughts, while you’re doing something else. I love listening to podcasts while I go for a walk or exercise, and there are plenty of podcasts on creativity that I’ve discovered this way, and that have enriched … Read more
We all hurt. We all feel pain. I sure know I do, and if you’re reading this and you think you’re not, then you’re kidding yourself. (Or you’re enlightened, but then why the heck would you be reading this?) That’s not to say that life can’t be beautiful. I love life. But the pain is … Read more
Every creative has heard, and maybe at some point spoken these words at some point: trust the process. I surely have. I still do. It’s beautiful, and it feels deeply true to me. But there’s also the flipside to that coin: is this the artist’s equivalent of believing in Santa Claus? Maybe it’s beautiful and … Read more
Many people associate creativity with something visual, and so I thought it would be an interesting exercise to see visual representations of creativity, and offer them as free images to use for any purpose whatsoever. You can use all of these images for your own creative projects, I’ve made them available under a Creative Commons … Read more
All artists experience creative blocks at some point. In fact, not having a creative block is more the exception than the rule—that certainly is the case for me. Getting into a creative flow state is a rather rare experience, and every time I do it feels like I got lucky and struck gold. But I … Read more
It was the year 2001, and System of a Down were working on Chop Suey—which would become one of their most iconic songs. Serj, the songwriter, didn’t have words for a certain section of the song. He was in the library of his producer at the time, Rick Rubin, and Rubin told him: ”Pick some … Read more
This is one of the hardest, but also most difficult, things in life: to embrace yourself. It’s difficult not just because it’s hard to embrace yourself, it’s difficult because you don’t really know who you are. With every unfolding moment of your life, you discover something new about yourself, and sometimes the older you get, … Read more