“Each work has its own space, which should neither be conceived as a sort of cage nor regarded as extending to infinity.” – Marino Marini, Born Feb. 27, 1901. Marino here was a sculptor. And like carving stone, copywriting is an art constrained by certain limitations. For the sculptor, there is an outer limit to […]
The Constrained Shape of Effective Persuasion Is… Read More »
“Circumstances are the rulers of the weak; they are but the instruments of the wise.” – Samuel Lover, Born Feb. 24, 1797. Now, I can flip this one or two ways. The obvious way is to make this inspiration for you, dear reader. Don’t let your circumstances become excuses that shackle you to the wall
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Can Do Better Than Lemonade Read More »
“People ask me all the time, ‘How can I become a successful entrepreneur?’ And I have to be honest: It’s one of my least favorite questions, because if you’re waiting for someone else’s advice to become an entrepreneur, chances are you’re not one.” – Michael Dell, Born Feb. 23, 1956. Now, many of my friends
Do You Really Want To Do This? If You Don’t Know, the Answer Is No By Default. Read More »
“The piano is a monster that screams when you touch its teeth.” – Andres Segovia, Born Feb. 21, 1893. What’s funny is that Andres was a guitarist. So he was describing why he hates he piano and doesn’t play it. But we are sick fuck writer masochists. And our keyboards are beasts that scream when
Want to Write Well? Feed the Beast Your Fingers First. Read More »
“Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.” – Edward H. Harriman, Born Feb. 20, 1848. You’re so close. Just finish the fucking thing. You know the thing. You brought it nearly to the end and stopped short of the finish line. Maybe some other shit came up. Maybe you had
Shut Up and Finish. Hit Publish. Start the Next One. Edit Later. Read More »
“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.” – Thomas J. Watson, Born Feb. 17, 1874. If you can’t get into your writing or building your business or whatever, it might be because you aren’t being excellent. If you’re being excellent, you automatically love
How to Quit Sucking Forever: Decide to Be Excellent Instead Read More »
“If you want to succeed in the world, you don’t have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier.” – Leo Szilard, Born Feb. 11, 1898. I’m not about to give you some “early bird gets the worm” BS. No rise and grind asshattery. No 10x crushing it.
The Super Ultimate Overnight “Baby Steps” Guru Transformation Technique (LOL) Read More »
“The darkest hour in any man’s life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it.” – Horace Greeley, Born Feb. 3, 1811. Darkest hour, Horace? Money is an unnatural man-made invention. What about it should make one need to EARN it? As though it must be deserved before being
You Don’t Need to “Earn” Money. It’s Just Paper and Imagination. Read More »
“Superhuman effort isn’t worth a damn unless it achieves results.” – Ernest Shackleton, Born Feb. 2, 1874. Hustle. Grind. Wake up early. Stay up late. Eat your dreams and shit success. Lots of overachievers say fuckery like that. The thing is, the best you’ve got to give won’t get you jack if you’re not doing
The Lazy Man’s Way to Productivity and Profit Read More »
“Any serious attempt to try to do something worthwhile is ritualistic.” – Derek Walcott, Born Jan. 23, 1930. Are you serious about what you’re doing or what you want to do? I once heard a talk by late copywriter Eugene Schwartz where he talked about how he keeps his desk and surroundings when he writes.
Coffee? Whiskey? Weed? Noise? Tea? Silence? What Do You Need to Sit Down and Write? Read More »
