Art

Art / Creativity / Entrepreneurship / Events / Leadership

See “The Business of Movies with Director Corydon Wagner, winner Golden Lion Cannes 2012” February 27, 6-8pm

I will be presenting Golden Lion Cannes Award-winning Director Corydon Wagner February 27, 6-8pm. As a successful entrepreneur who leads projects with billions of dollars at play, he will present what business leaders can learn from directing and producing film. Sign up here. Below is the announcement text with a link to Wagner's page. Business today forces leaders to form and lead teams under difficult conditions, even where few team members have worked together before, yet all have to create world-class quality on which billion-dollar campaigns hinge. The film industry has worked in those conditions since its start and business leaders can learn from it. Corydon Wagner, Cannes Golden Lion award-winning Director and co-founder of his production company, will describe the big picture and details of such…

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February 5, 2014

Art / Creativity / Entrepreneurship / Leadership

People who succeeded despite adversity, part 3: Superbowl Edition

[This post is part of a series on people who succeed despite adversity. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Continuing my series on people who succeeded adversity, I'll start with deaf football player in today's Superbowl, as shown in these two videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW51d5Om614 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQvB7FMkIWg Person Achievement Adversity Derrick Coleman First offensive deaf football player in the NFL, who said ""They told me it couldn't be done, that I was a lost cause. I was picked on and picked last. Coaches didn't know how to talk to me. They gave up on me. Told me I should just quit. They didn't call my name.…

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February 2, 2014

Art / Awareness / Nature

Different perspectives

Fable The mountain and the squirrel Had a quarrel; And the former called the latter "Little Prig." Bun replied, "You are doubtless very big; But all sorts of things and weather Must be taken in together, To make up a year And a sphere. And I think it no disgrace To occupy my place. If I'm not as large as you, You are not so small as I, And not half so spry. I'll not deny you make A very pretty squirrel track; Talents differ; all is well and wisely put; If I cannot carry forests on my back, Neither can you crack a nut." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

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January 23, 2014

Art / Blog / Creativity / Freedom

The complete simplicity of T. S. Eliot

Martha Graham's words on discipline, conformity, and freedom influenced me enough that I quoted her in several posts. She quotes T. S. Eliot describing "complete simplicity (costing not less than everything)." Two of my posts on her are "A master speaks on creative expression" and "A model on the foundation of personal freedom." I had to look up the T. S. Eliot reference, so, in case you would too, I'll copy his poem below, followed by a few words of context and another "poem" to contrast it with. Actually, this is just the closing part of the longer Four Quartets. We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for…

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December 22, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity / Tips

8 harmful consequences of confusing your beliefs with reality

Many people make the mistake of thinking that some things they think are beliefs and others are not beliefs but facts. Or that they are just right. For example, if you ask them who they think might be the next President, they might say it could be Hillary Clinton. They'd say that was a belief because they can't prAove who will become the next President. They just have to wait until it happens. If you ask them what one plus one is they'll say two. If you ask them if that's a belief, they'll say no, they don't believe one plus one is two, it's a fact they know. What you believe isn't reality, it's your belief about reality Even if something is objectively true,…

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November 25, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity / Leadership / Tips

The route to quality is through quantity

I read a story with a lesson for anyone who creates anything too helpful not to copy. As much as I didn't want to copy something you can find elsewhere, I couldn't stop myself. I hadn't read it before so I hope it's new to you. It's from a book called Art and Fear on creating art, but you'll find it useful for creating anything -- products, beliefs, rules to live by, ways to motivate yourself and others, or whatever. Enjoy: The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely…

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November 8, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity

How many Mozarts, Galileos, or Aristotles are there today?

Pick any great historical figure. We often regard them as unparalleled geniuses the likes of which we may never see again. On the other hand, they were human beings like us. They performed in some areas well beyond average. What if their abilities or traits weren't once ever but once in a generation? It's interesting to see what you conclude, as I'll show. Then we'd expect to see others of comparable abilities or skills. We could pick any figure, but let's talk about Mozart for concreteness. In his time the earth's population was about 700 million or so, roughly a tenth of today. Could that mean we should expect ten people of Mozart's ability today? In Mozart's times a smaller fraction of the population had…

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October 28, 2013

Art / Blog / Education / Leadership

Method acting, leadership, and improving your life, from James Lipton

I've written before about the television show Inside the Actors Studio and how much the young field of leadership training could stand to learn from the longstanding field of acting training. Below is an interview of the host of Inside the Actors Studio, James Lipton, describing the transformation acting training went through with Constantine Stanislavsky. Leadership training stands to benefit from similar changes, and that field inspires me to help those changes. As he described it, about a century ago acting replaced impressing others with expressing yourself, the goal of perfection with authenticity, self-reference and self-reverence with a system of exercises, focus on the external with focus on the internal, making yourself up with seeking truth, well-rehearsed lines with believing what you're saying. Everybody on…

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October 25, 2013

Art / Blog

Some things come naturally, some don’t.

My mom grew up on a farm in South Dakota -- the kind where she and her siblings had to walk through snow up to here miles to a one-room schoolhouse. I can't imagine growing up on a farm like that. Her little sister, my Aunt Ellen, visited recently. I don't remember the details of Ellen's learning music growing up, but here's my understanding. She got a hold of a cheap guitar from somewhere, got a record player, and figured out how to play the guitar playing along with records until her fingers bled. I'm pretty sure my grandmother made them all learn music since my mom plays the piano, but I'm pretty sure Aunt Ellen taught herself guitar alone. I don't remember the details…

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October 6, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity / Entrepreneurship / Leadership

Another awesome success — Museum Hack and Nick Gray

An awesome side benefit of writing daily is that awesome people find you. Recently a guy wrote to tell me he liked my writing and invited me to participate in what seemed like a crazy project, but turned out to be one of the most awesome things I've done in New York City in a long time. And I've done a lot of awesome things in New York City. It's an amazing entrepreneurial story too -- the kind we love, which is why I, who endorse entrepreneurship and believe opportunities are everywhere, am sharing it with you. He started doing something that he enjoyed, for fun and personal challenge, and shared what he loved and got good at (another example of how "Sharing what you…

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August 27, 2013

Art / Blog

The Grand Illusion — why it’s one of my favorite movies

I re-watched The Grand Illusion last night for the first time in a long time. My main measure for movie quality is do I like watching it more each time I watch it or less. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind I like more each time. Most romantic comedies I like less each time. (Curiously, I find I like Star Wars both more and less each time.) The Grand Illusion probably wins for how much more I like it each time I watch. Made in 1937, black-and-white, and mostly in French, it isn't the most popular movie these days. Knowing the Nazis named it their number one most banned movie might make it a bit more exciting. Why do I like it so much? Some…

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August 17, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity / Entrepreneurship / Tips

“That’s not art. I could do it.” — A new interpretation that activates art and yourself

We've all heard someone say "That's not art. I could do it." Maybe you said it yourself. The comment can lead to interesting discussion on what makes art, but rarely. It can lead you to realizing that the value of art doesn't depend on how hard it was to create. The usual response is "Well, you didn't. And they did it first." I suggest a new response. If the person who says it, perhaps yourself, sees beauty or truth in the work of art, suggest that they re-create it. Seriously suggest they do what they say they can do. They could have a museum-quality work of art on their wall if they do, for only the cost of materials. When you look at art with…

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July 27, 2013

Art / Exercises / Humor / Models / Tips

A model for what makes a great story

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Storytelling seems so common to all cultures it's probably in our genes to like a good story. We love hearing messages in the format of a story. If any has given you advice on how to give a presentation, someone probably told you to make it like a story. Storytelling skills are a universally useful and attractive social skill. So what makes a great story? Why do we like to listen to some but not others? I don't claim to be…

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May 21, 2013

Art / Awareness / Exercises / Freedom / Leadership / Models / Tips

A model to find the best in someone, including yourself

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Today's belief helps overcome a challenge in helping someone's growth. It also helps you shine as a leader or mentor. When you lead or mentor someone or work to improve yourself, it helps to track progress, but you often can't. You can for external things, like how fast they run 100 meters, how they scored on a test, how much they increased revenues, etc. When you develop someone as a person, you can't always see the development externally. Especially with important…

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April 23, 2013

Art / Exercises / Freedom / Models

A model on the foundation of personal freedom

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Today I'm just copying what someone else said about mastering a complex skill or mode of creative expression, connecting Freedom Spontaneity Simplicity with, perhaps ironically to some, but without question to those who get it Conformity Discipline from within Dedication As odd as it may seem for conformity and discipline to lead to personal freedom, I agree with the quotes below from Martha Graham, the best description on the foundation of personal freedom I know. By personal freedom, I mean being…

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April 20, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity / Education / Tips

How to become more creative — proven! … Wednesday April 24, 6pm-9pm, Manhattan

Next Wednesday, 6pm-9pm I'm giving my first seminar through Skillshare, a company that organizes classes. If you're near Manhattan and you want to become more creative, you should come. The class is called Systematic Creativity. When I say it teaches proven ways to increase your creativity, I mean it. It comes from one of the best courses I took at Columbia Business School by one of the top creativity researchers, who also started a successful consulting company on becoming more creative that works with many Fortune 500 companies. Several classmates called it the best class they took there. Wednesday will cover the highlights of the class -- especially exercises to become more creative demolishing creativity myths that hold people back It will be very interactive…

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April 17, 2013

Art / Blog / Tips

The Barnes Foundation!

If you haven't heard of the Barnes Foundation and you like art, find out about it. If you're anywhere near Philadelphia, go there. Albert Barnes was a successful entrepreneur who lived in and near Philadelphia (and went to my High School) from 1842 to 1951. According to Wikipedia, "in his 30s Barnes began to study and collect art. He acquired his first 20 pieces by commissioning his friend, the artist William Glackens, to buy modern work for him in Paris. After selling his business, he devoted himself to the study and collecting of art." His collection is now worth about $25 billion and a few months ago they opened a new building in Center City, Philadelphia to show it. I visited the other day and…

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March 11, 2013

Art / NorthKorea

North Korean tour guide singing

One of the more touching moments of our trip was our guide, Ms Han, singing Arirang for us on our last night after nearly two weeks. According to Wikipedia, the song "is sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea." Since the government requires tourists be accompanied by two guides plus a driver at all times and the guides communicate only the party line about North Korea's history, politics, etc, people who haven't visited tend to presume the guides are drone-like agents of the state or overseers. On the contrary, they're regular people with lives, stories, family, etc. We created great relationships with ours. I'm sure all of us would keep in touch but for the North Korean government controlling communication. I defy you not…

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March 7, 2013

Art / Blog

Stephen King on motivation

An early piece of advice many starting writers hear is to read Stephen King's On Writing. He is best known for his horror and fantasy writing, selling more than 350 million books (putting me only about 350 million books behind him), but writers know this short book of his as one of the most helpful books on writing. Ironically, In 2008, Entertainment Weekly listed On Writing 21st on their list of The New Classics: Books — The 100 best reads from 1983 to 2008, making it King's only entry, according to Wikipedia. I wanted to comment on what he wrote on his motivation to write. Quoting him One more matter needs to be discussed, a matter that bears directly on that life-changer and one that…

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March 4, 2013

Art / Creativity / NorthKorea

Video: North Korea’s incredibly talented and rehearsed children performers — and comparison with some Americans

Our guides took us to see the children's performance palace (I forget its official title), where they put on display groups of children whose performances were incredible. I wrote and posted images of them before. Who knows what training they've had or what motivates them to get to this level. I think the usual first guess of people who are critical of North Korea is that the government coerces them -- that if they don't perform well someone will harm their parents or something like that. Someone also told me that these children hold very high status, so maybe they have internal motivation. I'll never know if they are pushed, pulled, motivated on their own, something else, some combination, or what. All I can say…

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March 1, 2013

Art / Blog

More on leadership and success from Inside the Actors Studio: what anyone overcame, you can too

Following up yesterday's post on how so many great actors, at least among those I saw interviewed on Inside the Actors Studio, faced so many challenges before their careers took off (and many after, as well, given the challenges of celebrity), I looked up one in more detail. I also covered how acting and leadership both require self-awareness, emotional-intelligence, and ability to manage your and others' emotions. I think the field of training leaders can learn from the more mature field of training actors. People who have attended my leadership seminar know I use Johnny Depp as an example there, but I could have picked any number of other great living actors. As one measure of his success, movies with him in them have grossed…

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February 23, 2013

Art / Blog / Leadership

Observations on leadership and success from Inside the Actors Studio

I've watched a lot of episodes of Inside the Actors Studio. I've referred to it before and I'll keep referring to it as a resource for leadership because actors and leaders share this common element to their craft: part of our jobs is to recognize and manage emotions in ourselves to communicate them and create and inspire emotions in others. Actors tend to inspire laughter, tears, and catharsis whereas leaders tend to inspire motivation, dedication, and action, but those are just different ranges of emotions. Both crafts inspire emotions in others through identifying and creating emotions in ourselves. That common part of our crafts means the training of both crafts requires developing emotional intelligence and self-awareness. The field of acting makes that requirement obvious to…

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February 22, 2013

Art / Blog / Creativity

You know, ordinary life is pretty complex stuff

I came across a great quote in a Sundance Grand Jury Prize movie called American Splendor about  comic book writer Harvey Pekar. If you don't know about Harvey Pekar or his comic book series, American Splendor (they named the movie after it), he was a mostly regular guy with a regular job as a file clerk in a hospital in Cleveland. He saw comic books with super-heroes in tights as formulaic and divorced from regular life. He saw that a super-hero saving the planet with super-powers from aliens was less dramatic than an ordinary person having to solve ordinary problems in day-to-day life. The super-hero drama existed only in fiction. Since we don't have super-powers, what can we learn from them? They only entertain us.…

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December 18, 2012

Art / Blog / Nature

A poem: In the sea of Iwami by Kakinomoto Hitomaro

I recently came across a poem I remember reading in college and liking enough to copy into my computer. I've tried to find a way to connect it to this page's usual themes of leadership and personal development. I can't, but I like the poem enough to post it anyway. I hope you like it enough to indulge my digression / indulgence. It's by Kakinomoto Hitomaro (c. 662 — 710). According to Wikipedia he "was a Japanese poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period. He was the most prominent of the poets included in the Man'yōshÅ«, and was particularly represented in volumes 1 and 2. In Japan, he is considered one of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals." In the sea of Iwami By the cape…

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December 16, 2012

Art / Blog / Creativity / Entrepreneurship / Freedom

Scandal about that refreshing voice on copyright from a hard-core conservative

Do you like music, art, literature, innovation, invention, creativity, entrepreneurship, and things like that? Then you probably liked the document I mentioned a few weeks ago about problems with copyright and how to fix them. I considered it well thought-out and felt it proposed ideas that would improve the country. I was surprised to see it coming from the type of hard-core conservative that supports corporate welfare. Until the group that originally distributed the document disowned it and took it down from their site. (here's the original document) I don't know if you follow copyright or patent policy, but as a writer, inventor, writer and holder of a half-dozen patents, and one who enjoys culture, I find the topic incredibly important. I find the direction…

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December 7, 2012