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

on October 28, 2013 in Art, Blog, Creativity

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[…] Keep reading →

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

on October 25, 2013 in Art, Blog, Education, Leadership

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[…] Keep reading →

Some things come naturally, some don’t.

on October 6, 2013 in Art, Blog

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[…] Keep reading →

Another awesome success — Museum Hack and Nick Gray

on August 27, 2013 in Art, Blog, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Leadership

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[…] Keep reading →

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

on July 27, 2013 in Art, Blog, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Tips

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[…] Keep reading →

A model for what makes a great story

on May 21, 2013 in Art, Exercises, Humor, Models, Tips

[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[…] Keep reading →

A model to find the best in someone, including yourself

on April 23, 2013 in Art, Awareness, Exercises, Freedom, Leadership, Models, Tips

[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[…] Keep reading →

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