Notebook
A public collection of ideas I'm still thinking through and trying to make sense of. Be gentle - I'm writing out loud.
Do You Use Creative Guardrails?
The word Creativity has baggage. Creativity will have wildly different definitions depending on who you ask. To a civil engineer, it might mean finding a unique way to drain water from a ditch. To an agency designer, it might mean finding a new way to offer services to their clients.
There's No Such Thing As Being Too Specific
Be specific – as specific as possible. Be specific about everything: Who you're creating forWhat others will learn from youWhat topics within larger topics you coverEverything. Traditional knowledge would have us think that appealing to the largest audience possible would be the best move. But the opposite is actually true. The
I've Got A Story For Sale
I've got a story for sale. And so do you. It's nearly impossible to be differentiated without having a unique story to tell. Two identical products can be sold for wildly different prices simply because of the story they're selling. While it's the purchase of the product that captures the
Document Like A Museum
Museums are interesting because they each have their own unique way of sharing the story of our pasts. There's no single right way to tell the history of our world. Some museums do it by covering a massive timeline — displaying everything from dinosaur bones to space suits. Others focus on
Pick Your Audience, Pick Your Future
The group of people that you serve is going to dictate a lot. Both about your future opportunities and the type of work you'll be doing. Because growing an audience is not an overnight task (and if it did happen overnight, then don't be surprised if it disappears just as
The Best Way To Avoid First-Hand Fatigue
First-hand fatigue occurs when you least expect it. This is the natural cycle for anyone learning a new skill. At first you suck. Then you get the basics. Then you get complacent. You develop first-hand fatigue somewhere between being pretty good and being a master. In order to get to
What Subscribing Really Means
Subscribing to someone's content is a big deal. Rather, it should be a big deal. Because what you watch, read, and scroll is who you become. When you subscribe to an online creator, you're allowing not only their ideas influence you, but you're also signalling to an algorithm that this
The Formula for Making Work That Stands Out
Insightful, relevant, actionable — the three adjectives to remember that will help your work to stand out. Insightful - information they can only get from youInsightful doesn't mean novel. It also doesn't mean exhaustive. But what it does mean is your reader will have some type of lightbulb moment. I recommend
One New Idea Every Day
A big reason I love having a daily writing practice is that it forces me to have one new idea everyday. There are thousands of ideas begging for your attention every hour of the day. You can't open your computer or phone without a notification. But those ideas aren't yours.
The Gap Between Execution and Taste
"When you first get started making creative work, there's a gap between your taste and what you're actually able to make." Ira Glass - American public radio personality One problem I had when I moved from being a consumer to being a producer was that I'd expect my work to
Commodity + Brand = Novelty
How strong is your brand? It's a hard thing to measure. A quick way to find out is by asking your audience: "Will you buy a t-shirt from me?" To see the power of a brand, start by looking at merchandise. Presuming your main business is not selling t-shirts, asking
How To Serve Your Audience
“What’s in it for me?” Every reader, listener, or viewer of your content is going to ask themselves this question. It might come off as selfish, and that’s because it is. Nothing is more valuable than our time, so we should be as selfish about it as possible.