Martin is a legend. How many people craft phrases that become part of everyday language like “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” “The Antidote For Civilization,” and “The Tightest Ship In The Shipping Business”? He comes from a different time in advertising and communication, as he describes in our conversation.

I met him nearly twenty years ago. He was considering investing in the company I cofounded, Submedia, based on the medium I invented. He didn’t invest, but he came to my first solo gallery show in Manhattan. We lost touch.

Then I saw him speak recently. I confess a slight disposition to expect corporate writers not to engage in depth, which I recognize as a flaw in myself. He spoke about creativity, what it can be, how much we’ve lost it today, and the consequences of losing it. He spoke with a love of an America in hibernation now, what caused it to sleep, and how to bring it back.

We talk about creativity, culture, passion, and more.

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