Accidental Creative

Spark

In the effort to continually keep great (and often under-the-radar) resources top-of-mind for the community, I wanted to share a book that has helped crystalize answers to a few fuzzy areas for me regarding creative leadership.

I recently had the chance to lead a few sessions at Design Revival, a conference sponsored by the AIGA. One of the other presenters was John Winsor, VP/Executive Director, Strategy and Product Innovation at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky and author of one of my favorite books on co-creation SPARK. (Yes…I got the chance to play “fanboy”, but I didn’t embarrass myself…I don’t think.)

One of the best ways to learn “how to” in any area is to ask people who are already doing it. SPARK gives insight into how leaders in creative organizations have shaped their cultures (or allowed the culture to define itself) and how we can all better deal with this tension of process and product within our teams. Interviews cover a diverse set of topics and companies (Nike, Oakley, Mother, Miller Brewing, etc.)

Who is it for? Anyone in the create-on-demand world, specifically those who are already (or think that they might eventually be) leading others.

John and I talked about doing an interview for the AC podcast, so more to follow, but in the meantime pick up a copy of Spark and let me know what you think.

Reading + Listening List

One of the ways we can grow as a community is by sharing some of the thinking and work that is inspiring us. In an effort to be more consistent about this, I’m building a “Bookshelf” section into the next iteration of the AC site so that it can be a resource to those among us looking for things to inspire them.

Until then, here’s what I’m reading and listening to this week:

READING:

The Artist’s Reality: Philosophies of Art

Mark Rothko is arguably one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. This manuscript was believed to have been written around 1940-41, but remained hidden away in a warehouse until just a few years ago. I am not yet finished with the book, but I believe that it’s a great read for anyone wishing to delve into the interplay between artist and work or artist and society and at the very least it challenges the reader to think about the significance of the created work.

HBR: Pixar and Collective Creativity

Ed Catmull discusses how Pixar manages to stay fresh and “on-top” of its industry. Some key learnings include building culture instead of systems, taking risks and responding to variance rather than controlling for it, and the incredible number of individual ideas that go into creating a product (which emphasizes the importance of valuing process + product.)

LISTENING TO:

HBR: Pixar and Collective Creativity

If you’d rather listen than read, Ed Catmull gives a great interview summarizing his article in HBR.

Time Business Podcast: Can Yahoo Fix The Buzz Problem?

Speaking of Faith: Fishing With Mystery

So…let’s share the love. what are you reading/listening to this week?

Paper vs. Electronic Planning

And now we get to the real crux of the matter, no? I’ve been thinking of late about ditching my old methods of planning in favor of some new ones. As much as I’ve often said that there is no such thing as the perfect system, the important thing is simply to choose a system and keep with it, I am in a place where I find that I’ve jumped the rails. I am a GTD ‘er and have been for a long time, (and will continue to be), but until recently I couldn’t put my finger on why the system isn’t working in my favor any longer. I’m pretty convinced that it’s for two reasons. (1) GTD doesn’t account for priority and calendaring as well as I need it to (let’s face it, buying wasp spray and deploying a strategic partnership are not on the same level of priority) and (2) I am simply bored with my planning and organizational tools and need a shake-up.

Because of organizational constraints, I’ve been using a Treo equipped with LifeBalance software to manage most of my GTD tasks and projects. This has worked well (other than the fact that I have to use a Treo.) But lately I find myself being drawn back to using paper as my primary planning tool. I like the tactile nature of it, and I like the ability to make quick changes “on the fly” without navigating my Treo menu system (which, quite frankly, is not unlikely traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific in a rowboat via North Dakota.) But I’ve not been able to find the “right” fit in terms of a paper-based planning system. And I’m also a bit hesitant to become one of “those people” who walk into a meeting with the monarch-sized leather case containing their schedule, tasks, birth certificate, college transcript, map of Portugal, etc.

I’ve been eyeing OmniFocus as a possible solution (and they have a really great iPod Touch/iPhone app in the queue for release) but again it doesn’t offer me the flexibility and tactile-nature of a paper-based system. It also doesn’t account for calendaring, it is simply a task-management system.

I have used Levenger’s 3×5 Notecard system to hack together a Hipster PDA, and while this worked well for tasks, it doesn’t have the calendaring capability that I need.

I’ve also been checking out the paper planners from Quo Vadis, especially this one. I will need to carry an extra notebook with me to capture meeting notes and plans, but the design and appeal of these planners is tempting, though there is limited room for task management and idea collection.

So… I guess I am looking for a new “holy grail of planning systems.” I’m looking for something that can help shake-up my methodology a bit and keep everything in the same place. I’ll report back if I have an organizational epiphany.

The Bookshelf

Wow…I am on a roll. I’ve uncovered a few unexpected gems this week…

Here’s the scoop on what I’m reading this week (click the cover to see them at Amazon):

BIG THINK STRATEGY by Bernd H. Schmitt
I must immediately say that I thought this would be a fluff piece on “realizing your true potential” or “re-discovering your inner-child’s child” or something similar. Boy was I wrong. I was quite impressed by the meat and practicality of this book. Schmidt offers several strategies for how to generate and execute “big-think” ideas, meaning ideas that shift the thinking of an individual or organization in significant ways.

Who should read it? Anyone who is wanting to advance new ideas within their organization or who is looking to find a new way of engaging the world.

My Rating: SKIP SKIM STUDY SAVOR

THE RIDDLE by Andrew Razeghi
OK…another quick disclaimer. I’m not big on “how to be more creative” books. It’s my general assertion that most of what can be said on this subject is already out there and waiting to be found by enterprising and curious readers. That being said, I found this book by Andrew Razeghi to be bright, concise and immediately practical. In fact, I would almost say that this is one of the most comprehensive books on applied creativity that I’ve read (and I’ve read a bunch of them.)

Who should read it? Anyone who wants to better grasp the conditions that lead to creative breakthroughs.

My Rating: SKIP SKIM STUDY SAVOR

In the queue (for next week):
The Billionaire Who Wasn’t
Inside Steve’s Brain

So…the age-old question. What are you reading? What should be in my queue?

Music, Desktops and More

Ahh… the miscellany. Here are a few items of AC interest that I thought might be helpful:

THE MUSIC:
So…what is that music featured at the beginning and end of AC podcasts? Well… I’m glad you asked. And…it depends on which episode you happen to listening to.

The most “iconic” AC music (that we’ve been using since episode 20) is called “My City in Healing” and it’s by a friend (and fellow Cincinnatian) Joshua Seurkamp. Josh is one of the more brilliant and prolific artists I know and his music has been used and featured in more places than you can shake a stick at. (Even a really big stick.) Check out both of his recent albums on iTunes. They’re great environmental music for relaxing and creating.

Recently we’ve begun using some custom-crafted music by another friend (and also a fellow Cincinnatian) Neil Smith. Neil is also an amazing and prolific artist working primarily in the field of motion graphics and post production, but rooted in graphic design. His work can be heard (and seen) on the intros to AC Whiteboard Sessions and the intros to the Improv series. Check out Neil at his personal website.

THE ART:
Want a little AC on your desktop? Here are a few desktops based on our recent series:

On My Kindle…

For anyone keeping track, (may I suggest you find a hobby?) here’s a short list of what I’m reading this week:

How Would You Move Mount Fuji? by William Poundstone
An interesting look at Microsoft’s “cult of the puzzle” and how it has shaped their hiring practices and operational strategy.

The Maytrees by Annie Dillard:
Soul food. Nothing but soul food.

Accidental Automation

You’re busy, no? Here are a few ways you can get regular doses of AC delivered in convenient bite-sized chunks:

Forget to check the site for a while? No prob. Get our blog posts delivered by e-mail as they’re posted.

Like the podcasts? Thanks. Get them in iTunes or just the feed. (We also greatly appreciate iTunes reviews…you know…just sayin’…)

Do you insatiably want more? Try AC Premium. It’s not for everyone, but our subscribers seem to like it a lot. (That makes us feel good.)

Got an idea or suggestion? We’re all ears. Drop us an e-mail and let us know.

Thanks so much for being a part of AC-world, all. It’s great to be creating with you!

Westward Bound

So… I’m in Seattle for a few days. Highlights of the trip so far:

- On the flight, I finished Steve Martin’s UNBELIEVABLE autobiography Born Standing Up . All artists or anyone wishing to build something meaningful must read this book. Really.

- I finished the plans for AC Groups. They’re coming soon to a city near (or surrounding) you.

- I managed to go through the entire landing with my seat not in upright and locked position. (Symbolically slapping myself on the wrist.)

- Today we’re visiting the Experience Music Project.

- I’m currently in the University District staring through a coffee shop window at my favorite all-time movie theatre sign. The Neptune advertises Scorsese’s “Shine A Light” and beneath it says, “Let’s Spend $9.25 Together.” Beautiful.

Note Zen - Evernote Wows Me

I am an organizational geek. And a note-taking geek. I collect thoughts, ideas, sketches, to-do’s, etc., throughout the day and try to keep them in some sort of self-organized system. This has become more and more of a problem as my notebooks become bigger, and my various media-types become increasingly difficult to sort.

A few weeks ago I listened to Leo Laporte rave about his experience with the Evernote beta. “Yeah…yeah…” I thought. I’ve seen these types of ubiquitous note-capture apps and sites come and go, and none have ever been able to fully do what a good desktop app can (like DevonThink.) It can’t be that great.

I was wrong. Evernote is as close to the note capture tool as I’ve ever seen. It can hold most any type of media, and - the killer app for me - it can read text from images for later searching. For example, here is an image I captured from a whiteboard during a meeting, e-mailed to my Evernote account, and later searched for under “Blog.” It recognized the word “Blog” written in the image, and searched my notes to bring up this image. It also worked when I searched “podcasts” and “journeys.” Unbelievable. (At a bookstore and want to remember the title of a book? Snap a shot and e-mail it to Evernote. Want to capture your whiteboard note after a meeting in searchable format? Snap a picture and e-mail it to Evernote.) It’s not perfect - I’ve hit a few glitches - but it’s pretty close to what I’ve always wanted.

Evernote is still in beta, but you can get in on it via their site. It might take a week or so for them to get back to you, but it’s worth it. Check it out.

Read more…

The Bookshelf

Sorry I haven’t done this in a while. I won’t get through all of them, but here’s what’s in my queue this week:

	(Listening to the audio version.) iWoz This is the autobiographical account of Wozniak’s life and times. Quirky? Yes. Endearing? You bet your mousepad.
	(on my Kindle) Then We Came to the End This is an interesting look at the ad-world of the late 1990’s. The end? Sounds somewhat familiar…
	(on my Kindle) The Maytrees I LOVE Annie Dillard’s richly simple descriptions. They remind me of what I already know.

 Finishing up: Violin Dreams (on recommendation from Peter Block.) Grabbed this one from the library. It’s about one man’s quest for violin perfection.

Want to see more recommendations? Visit the AC Bookshelf .