No Posers Part 2

Looking for a relitively quick (49 pages) but super cool and uplifting inspirational read?

Well then, meet Hugh MacLeod, an advertising executive and popular blogger with a flair for the creative, as he gives his 26 tried-and-true tips for being truly creative. Each point illustrated by a cartoon drawn by the author himself.

If you've ever felt the draw to do something creative but just haven't been able to pull it together, you'll love this manifesto.

Here's a little sample of Hugh's How to Be Creative which can be found in the handy PDF format from the smart folks over at one of my favorite blogs, Change This.


Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships, that's why good ideas are always initially resisted.

With business colleagues, it’s even worse. They’re used to dealing with you in a certain way. They’re used to having a certain level of control over the relationship. And they want whatever makes them more prosperous. Sure, they might prefer it if you prosper as well, but that’s not their top priority.

If your idea is so good that it changes your dynamic enough to where you need them less or, God forbid, THE MARKET needs them less, then they’re going to resist your idea every chance they can.

Again, that’s human nature. Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships, that is why good ideas are always initially resisted.

Good ideas come with a heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it.

Nice.

That's Right,

HMK

Hugh MacLeod is a brand consultant, copywriter and cartoonist. Born in America but educated in the UK, he has spent most of his life shuttling between the two countries. He started out in straight TV advertising writing in the early 90s but with the advent of new media it evolved into new brand thinking and cultural transformation. Check out his website, Gaping Void.

Don't Be A Poser!

Although I still believe in the mantra "Nothing succeeds like the appearance of succeess", Dan Ritzenthaler reminds us that it’s incredibly easy to get caught up thinking that the bigger we are and the cooler we look, the better off we’ll be as a business.

The idea of looking “official” will get us more attention and credibility and a fancy office will legitimize everything we say…

You may or may not agree with that last rant, but hopefully you noticed nowhere in it was there anything about making the client’s life better or the world a nicer place. Neither of those goals may be the purpose of you or your company, but acting like it at any level other than what you really mean is the business version of a poser.

In the long run, posers lose.

Faking, pretending, and playing with people’s emotions can get you far… But not for very long… Don’t let yourself fall for tomorrow’s win when when you need to succeed next year.

Don’t be a poser - read more: Forty Media

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Dan Ritzenthaler for the keen insight. Dan's one of the big monkeys over at Forty Media, a high-end web design, web development, and branding agency based in Phoenix, Arizona.