“The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working.” – Ernest Newman, Born Nov. 30, 1868. If you keep meaning to write, but you don’t, because you can’t think of what to write… Stop being lame, you pickle. The muse isn’t going to bother dropping… Read More →
Perfection Is The Opponent of Productivity, Publication, and Profit
“Nothing is invented and perfected at the same time.” – John Ray, Born Nov. 29, 1627. Are you a perfectionist? Or maybe you’re a fiddler, just constantly tweaking and improving, but never publishing or launching? I feel you. Been there. Used to be that way myself. Oddly, it’s a holdover from having been to art… Read More →
The Secret For Transmuting Worthless Information Into Valuable Knowledge You Can Sell
“The true method of knowledge is experiment.” – William Blake, Born Nov. 28, 1757. Knowledge is power. Information, on the other hand, is worthless. Anyone can find information. Information is some shit you read, or heard, or saw. Some shit some guy told you, that he is repeating from some shit some guy told him…. Read More →
How Painting Your Bottom Red Can Make You Stand Apart
“My shoes are special shoes for discerning feet.” – Manolo Blahnik, Born Nov. 27, 1942. You want your customers to have a special relationship to your products, your offers, and you personally. That’s called branding – that relationship that exists beyond and outside the immediate benefits of the product. And the secret of doing this… Read More →
Most Writing Is Lame Because The Writer Forgot To Make It Cool
“All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what’s cool.” – Steven Brust, Born Nov. 23, 1955. This quote is either more authentic or more stupid, depending on whether you think that stupid hat Steven Brust wears… Read More →
Creation and Innovation Are Not the Only Way to Provide Value
“The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.” – Voltaire, Born Nov. 21, 1694. You don’t have to be an originator of ideas if you can be an effective communicator of ideas. Today… Read More →
Publish Your Draft Now, Revise When You Re-Publish Again In The Future
“Everything you’ve ever read of mine is first-draft. This is one of the peculiarities of the comics field. By the time you’re working on chapter three of your masterwork, chapter one is already in print. You can’t go back and suddenly decide to make this character a woman, or have this one fall out of… Read More →
Creativity Will Keep You Broke Unless You Strap On The YOKE
“To me there’s no creativity without boundaries. If you’re gonna write a sonnet, it’s 14 lines, so it’s solving the problem within the container.” – Lorne Michaels, Born Nov. 17, 1944. There is something incredibly empowering about using creative limitations. And it’s not just about placing arbitrary deadlines. It’s about limiting your materials, your scope…. Read More →
A Daily ____ Is The Bait That Brings Them Back Tomorrow
“Comedy is the most palliative way to make a point. People are more willing to listen if they can laugh.” – Judy Gold, Born Nov. 15, 1962. This is one most people will dismiss, but they shouldn’t. Think of that kind of marketer/guru/whatever that people think is trashy or phony or arrogant, who is still… Read More →
People Want “New” – Which Is Just “Old” With Fresh Paint
“There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.” – Marie Antoinette, Born Nov. 2, 1755. And just think, she said this like 220 years ago. Even earlier, someone else said “there is nothing new under the sun.” It was true then, and it’s true now. AND IT’S GOOD! Especially if you sell things. See,… Read More →
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