Category Archives: Art

Possibilities

Posted on June 16, 2012 by AJ Kessler

We have more tools available than ever before to accomplish whatever it is we want to accomplish.  And technology changes so fast that you can expect to have access to tools you might not have even dreamed of every few years. Just … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Inspiration, Video | Tagged | Leave a comment

Sell Before You Build

Posted on June 14, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Derek Sivers describes a marketing genius’ approach to writing: Marketing guru Jay Abraham, in the pre-internet days, would run classified ads in newspapers and magazines. If he wanted to write a book about something, he’d run a classified ad, taking … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Marketing, Quotes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

There Is No Speed Limit

Posted on June 11, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Most of the world is designed for the lowest common denominator.  Schools are designed to impart a set amount of knowledge to a diverse group of kids each year.  It doesn’t much matter how smart you are, how interested you … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Choice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Psychology, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spin

Posted on June 10, 2012 by AJ Kessler

[Tom Sawyer] had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it – namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. – … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Inspiration, Marketing, Negotiation, Psychology, Quotes, Rationality | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Story Basics, According to Pixar

Posted on June 9, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Pixar story artist Emma Coats tweeted a series of “story basics” she had picked up during her tenure at Pixar.  These were generously compiled by The Pixar Touch: #1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Marketing, Persuasion, Psychology, Quotes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Filling In The White Spaces

Posted on June 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Advice from Peter Thiel’s final CS 183 lecture: There is something importantly singular about each new thing. There is a mini singularity whenever you start a company or make a key life decision. In a very real sense, the life … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Choice, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Leading, Quotes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Get Used To Hearing No

Posted on June 1, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Before you ever get into a field or a career, you’re probably going to hear someone say “no”.  No, that’s too hard.  No, you don’t have the credentials.  No, you don’t qualify.  No, it’s never going to work out.  No, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Neil Gaiman on Life

Posted on May 25, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Great speech:

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Choice, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Quotes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Forgeries on the Brain

Posted on May 18, 2012 by AJ Kessler

When it comes to high art, almost nobody can tell the difference between an original and a good copy.  Even so, we overwhelmingly prefer the original.  Oxford scientists hooked up 14 volunteers to a functional MRI, and then showed them … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Food For Thought, Marketing, Persuasion, Psychology, Rationality | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dieter Rams on Design: Understand People

Posted on May 11, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Dieter Rams has been successful because he deeply understands people, both physically, psychologically, and how they operate in the world.  He’s not some sort of mind reader: You cannot understand good design if you do not understand people; design is … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Aesthetics, Art, Business, Creativity, Inspiration, Psychology, Quotes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Creativity Is Not A Talent; It’s A Way Of Operating

Posted on May 9, 2012 by AJ Kessler

John Cleese manages to explain about 90 different topics I’ve written about in a 13 minute span.  Below is a really, really excellent speech on fostering creativity, becoming more effective, managing time, and much more.  The short version is excellent, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Productivity, Psychology, Quotes, Rationality, Self-Improvement, Time Tracking, Tips | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dieter Ram’s Ten Principals of Good Design

Posted on May 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Good design is innovative The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Quotes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Share

Posted on May 1, 2012 by AJ Kessler

For several hundred years now, most businesses have fought to keep things secret.  Ingredients, techniques, processes, suppliers, you name it.  Anything that might be a competitive advantage would attempt to be shielded from competitors and the public.  In fact, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Psychology, Rationality | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Disciplined Mindwandering, or The Benefits of Daydreaming

Posted on April 30, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Jonathan Schooler, the psychologist who helped pioneer the study of insight, has recently begun studying the benefits of daydreams.  His lab has demonstrated that people who consistently engage in more daydreaming score significantly higher on measures of creativity.  To evaluate … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Productivity, Psychology, Quotes, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Overvaluing What We Have

Posted on April 23, 2012 by AJ Kessler

One of the worst tricks we manage to play on ourselves is overvaluing what we already have and undervaluing what we don’t.  This is especially sad since most of us don’t have all that much anyway, and taking the chance … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Choice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Psychology, Quotes, Rationality | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment