Creativity, ideation and innovation from the inside out. . . Hollywood style.
Do you love getting an idea? What barriers do you have to push through to make the idea a reality?
Author: Andrew Zahn
I'm a son, husband, dad, business owner, actor and good sleeper/eater.
On this blog, I pave a highway for creative growth by providing food, water, and shelter for those wishing to live, work, and play with creative zest.
Christmas Airport Travel Scripted
Airport security.
Holiday travel.
Pat downs and other awkwardness.
The true story of a holiday travel encounter with airport security: scripted Hollywood style.
Merry Christmas!
Making Space for Movement
In order to avoid that terribly rude checked baggage fee, you’ve got to free up the extra space in that backpack/suitcase/mammoth-purse you’ve used for the past six to twelve months.
In my making-space-session a few items of note…
+Two cans of V8.
+Terribly stale gum.
+A key.
+Underwear.
Creativity and Comfort Zone
Your contribution to this site energizes and inspires.
Recently, your fellow creatives wrote several fantastic post-worthy comments in response to a post about creativity and comfort zones (original post and comments here).
Here are a few notables…
***
From Scrollwork:
You asked two questions: Can we create in a comfort zone? Aren’t there ways we MUST be comfortable to create?
For me, as a writer and indie clothing designer, the creation happens twice, first in my head, then in real life. I get images or phrases in my head as I awaken or shower—definitely comfortable states. I am still in non-judgmental mode.
You and Spike Lee are Weird
“Spike Lee was weird.”
A few days ago a business acquaintance of mine relayed this information about Lee; they’d lived in the same dorm while attending Clark Atlanta University.
He described Lee as a lanky, geekish type. Apparently Spike’s name was the only cool thing about him.
It got me thinking.
What is ‘weird?’
Who determines what is or is not ‘weird?’
What formula causes people to get out the ‘you’re weird’ stamp of mild disapproval?
If Your Real Christmas Tree Could Talk
This isn’t quite what I’d expected, but I’m glad you picked me.
I guess I was thinking it would end sooner than this. Ya know, that I’d be in the fireplace by now or whittled into something.
Anything but this.
How did this all start? With you guys bringing teenaged trees inside your homes and putting this junk on us?
So odd.
Three Simple Tips for Creative Propulsion
[box color=gray, center]”What are the core lessons you learned along the way that it would have been helpful to have known before you got started?”[/box]
Seymour Jacklin posed this question at the end of this amazing post. It really got me thinking about the three things I currently find helpful in my creative process.
+Never stop discovering and learning. Be a toddler. Their quest for knowledge is insatiable.
+Embrace foolishness. Give yourself the freedom to be foolish, make mistakes, and stop censoring your creative-self. You just might increase that 2% of work that is amazing and top quality to 4%. That doubles my chances of creating something truly awesome.
+Enjoy discipline. It’s tremendously freeing to get up early and create every day. Even if it’s just for 15-20 minutes. It feeds that part of you that needs the fuel. If you don’t feed it, your day is bland and tasteless. If you do feed your ‘creative,’ he makes appearances in the would-be mundane of everyday activities.
***
What about you? What are your tips for creative propulsion?
Hugo in 3D: Cinematographic Eye Candy?
My wife and I have a little creative project called A Couple Comments (here’s our Facebook Page). It’s a he said/she said take on what’s new out there.
And it’s a lot of fun and silliness.
Recently we took a gander at Martin Scorsese’s film Hugo and made a brief video review. If you’ve seen the film, leave a comment below. We’d love to know what you thought of Hugo.
Hair, Age, and Three Toupees
Most of us don’t want to feel old. Even fewer of us want to look old. Yet extreme measures to cover up our age aren’t always successful. For instance, let’s just say that the following story is true.
Because it is.
A guy in his mid-thirties starts to lose his hair. He has a few options.
- Shave it all off.
- Go bald gradually.
- Fake it with a rug.
The guy in our story decides that option 3 is his best route to take. So he buys a toupee. Which bids another question: how does one purchase a toupee?
Waiting to be Creative: Get a New Mantra
“I just don’t feel inspired right now.”
“Not really feeling creative.”
“I can’t work under a deadline. My creativity doesn’t happen like that.”
Bull@#$*. For real. I don’t like to use strong language, yet sometimes you gotta call it what it is.
Especially if it’s ruining your artist and your life.