Permission To Suck

A Scarcity of Surprises is the Result of Abundance

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

In general, the scarcity shift is away from artifacts and toward process. Can you establish the culture that creates, the moment worth photographing, the performance that affects, or the product that markets itself?

Creativity is Analog; Digital is Facsimile

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

0 Comments

My point is that the richness you and I perceive as quality, just like my experience in China, can be like old and new competing for road space. Creativity is analog. There is no such thing as digital creativity, it's only a simulation.

Taking with Creative Director – Adam Cohen

Monday, March 15, 2010

0 Comments

Meet Adam. He's determined to unite talent - his own. A first-class writer and a first-rate illustrator equals a great cartoonist. A great cartoonist makes an exceptional ad man, screen writer and film director. Listen to his insightful thoughts about creativity.

These Tools Are Insane

Monday, December 14, 2009

2 Comments

In the late 80’s the Apple Mac II taught us to set typography. Immediately anyone could set type. We didn’t hardly notice when the stat camera darkroom was reclaimed for storage, or when you’re local type house became a Mailbox Etc. or a Postal Instant Press (similar to Kinko’s). Creative destruction is no longer a concept but a lifestyle.

“We Are Strip Mining Our Childrens’ Minds”

Thursday, November 19, 2009

0 Comments

Ask creative folks how their talent was revealed and you’ll probably hear a story of happenstance: my uncle gave me a camera, I got crayons for Christmas, my preschool teacher was a dancer or a likewise charming story of discovery. It seems as though the opportunity found them. The fit was good; Aptitude harmonizing with occasion led to passion. If only our Education System was interested in discovering talent.

Talking with Guitarist Songwriter – Will McFarlane Part II

Thursday, November 12, 2009

0 Comments

While interviewing Will McFarlane for this video, I was reminded how critically important it is to avoid getting caught up in the nuance of our creative fields. "Music can be math without feel or tone" is one of my take away quotes in part II. Extending that, any field can be dry when devoid of feel or tone".

You Gotta Admire Them Skills

Monday, November 9, 2009

0 Comments

Skill is math already proven. Not only are skills easy for culture to appreciate, our education from pre-K is about skill development and learning the rules. We have standards, objectives and tests. Skill is linear, owning them isn’t unique except to say one has more than another or that their skills are good. This post includes a segment of a Charlie Rose interview with painter Chuck Close.

The Permission to Suck Manifesto

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

10 Comments

Somewhere in your personal history a decision was made to forgo a “real job”; one your parents would understand. Artist, creative director, writer, musician, photographer, actor, fine artist or pick one – you got attention for a talent or liked doing it so much that there was just no room to commit significant time to a profession less flattering gratifying. You became one of them sensitive types whose ego is vulnerably bonded to their work. True objective distance is pointless but it’s best to have a survival strategy.

Creatives & The Hope Economy: What Do We Do Now?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

6 Comments

Ideas are cheap and plentiful and offered like opinions at a political rally. Talent is everywhere, making us indignant that those with it aren’t better off. Yet companies aren’t looking for talent so much as marketable talent nor ideas so much as marketable solutions. Marketable mediocrity is preferred over unmarketable brilliance or talent with low ROI. So should we be appalled when creativity is harvested like feed corn as soon as the network bandwidth (see “The Long Tail”) is wide enough to sift it as though panning for gold?

“Do It Because You Like It” – Dan Pink

Monday, September 14, 2009

0 Comments

Our default is to be risk reluctant and to think things through to a logical end with no deviation from task. We narrow our purpose and use our craftiness to get to the finish line as fast and as free from criticism as possible – we go with what we know when under pressure. Perform with all eyes on you and you’ll do what it takes not to fail, together with relying on a tested formula for success. ----> In his TED video presentation, Dan Pink gives an outstanding presentation – argument if you will – for what science asserts truly motivates us. Dan explains that there is a mismatch between what science shows and what business does. Business wants innovation, yet motivates us to be formulaic with a narrow view of problem solving.