This 2-part video has been around for a while, but a recent conversation reminded me of how great it is. In these two videos, This American Life’s Ira Glass breaks down the ingredients to creating a great story. Among them: the balance of movement, curiosity, meaning. Dig it:
Also worth revisiting, but for entirely different reasons: the grape lady video.
This inspired speech from Charlie Chaplin was delivered sometime during WWII. Over fifty years later, it’s still as poignant and relevant as ever.
“We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.”
“Machinery that gives abundance leaves us in want.”
“We think too much but feel too little.”
“More than machinery, we need humanity.”
“More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.”
One commenter responded, “If only people would listen and do, instead of listen and forget.” That’s really the trick, isn’t it?
No matter how many…
…fancy productivity tools I try, nothing keeps me on task like a sticky note and a pen.
…rapid prototyping tools I try, nothing moves as quickly paper, tape, and markers.
…keyboards, effects pedals, and recording software options I possess, nothing writes songs like my notebook and guitar.
…social media accounts I have, nothing connects like eye contact.
…points of inspiration I look to, nothing stirs up ideas like quiet.
I wish I’d written this. I know I’ll use it:
The Cult of Done Manifesto, by Bre Pettis and Kio Stark
1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage.
4. Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.
7. Once you’re done you can throw it away.
8. Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done.
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done.
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.
13. Done is the engine of more.
(via Behance Team Blog :: Respect for “The Cult of Done Manifesto”)
Deltree had an idea: “Go to a place. Ask fifty people the same question. Film their responses.”
What results is a beautiful patchwork of humanity:
People are awesome. Watch them all at fiftypeopleonequestion.com.
”We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
“To be creative is to make something from nothing.
To make something small and harmless into something great and feared.
To be creative is to be brave.”- Jessica Hagy, “Creative = Brave,” Age of Conversation 2
Hi. I’m working on a series of posts on ideas, and I have three questions for you:
What inspires you? What wakes you up and puts you in your most creative place? Do you have a conversation, doodle, space out, write everything down, go jogging or take a shower?
When ideas happen, how do you grab and retain them? Do you carry a notebook, write on your hand, write on a friend’s hand, leave yourself a voicemail, or use some online tool? What does your knapsack of inspiration look like?
This might be the hardest part. An idea is only a colorful vapor until you do something with it. How do you take your ideas from haze to reality?
You can either respond in the comments, or email me at hi [at] itsjustbrent [dot] com.
I can’t wait to hear from you.
I’m sorry but this is just mind-blowing.
Something I’ve come to realize, but have a hard time wrapping my actions around, is the hardest part about doing a thing of significance is the mental pendulum leading up to that decision. The back and forth, second guessing, and “what-ifs.”
Making the decision - doing it - is easy. You make the call and you operate.
I wouldn’t mind carrying a midget around that constantly reminded: “It’s simpler than you think.”
If you’re in Dallas bring yourself to one of these shindigs, all happening in the next several days:
When? August 15th (tomorrow), 8:30am - 10:30am
Where? Buzzbrews, 4154 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75204
Why? Because a morning of good coffee, good conversation, creativity, inspiration, and ideas makes the rest of your Friday taste better.
Elsewhere? If you’re not in Dallas, check the Likemind site to see if there’s a meetup near you.
When? August 15th (tomorrow too), 9:00am - 3:00pm
Where? Mokah Coffee Bar, 2803 Taylor St. Dallas, TX 75226
Why? Come for a laid-back coworking environment where you can work and hobnob with other local creatives. It’ll give you work-from-home-types a reason to put on pants and use your larynx.
Elsewhere? Like Likemind, Jelly happens all over the U.S. And if there’s not one near you, why not start one?
+ 
When? Monday, August 18th, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Where? IMC2, 12404 Park Central, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75251
Why? HFI’s Andrew Schall will show you how to improve the usability of your designs with eye-tracking. Also, there’s a free meal, which doesn’t hurt. This is a reservation-only event, so grab a spot here.
Come hang. It’ll be a good one.
Next,
This design is an adaptation of the very snappy Grid Focus by Derek Punsalan 5thirtyone.com.