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.

7 Reasons to Love Jim Henson

With the release of The Muppets movie, I’m misty-eyed over Jim Henson and all he brought us. Even now, you’ve probably got songs, scenes, and silly images running through your mind just at the mention of the Henson name.

Christian Zamora (Creative Commons)

Creative legacy. A few things his work inspired…

1. Explore fearlessly.  Pigs in prime time. Pigs in love with frogs. 

2. Say ‘what if’ and see what happens. At the time The Dark Crystal was made, it was hailed as the only live action film in which a human actor makes no appearance. 

3. Go against the grain. He had a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics. 

Continue reading “7 Reasons to Love Jim Henson”

Biggest Loser Lessons for Creatives: The ‘I’ll Try’

As I sit here, watching NBC’s The Biggest Loser, I felt compelled to do a rewrite of a recent post… kill that loser enemy.

***

“I’ll try.” They’re demon words.

Just say “I won’t and I can’t.”

‘I’ll try’ is a disease…

Continue reading “Biggest Loser Lessons for Creatives: The ‘I’ll Try’”

Advertising for a Dr’s Appointment: Caption Please

My wife got this in the mail to remind her to schedule a visit to the Doctor’s office…

Marketing/advertizing/out-of-the-box-creative-thinker people, help me out here… what’s the intent?

 

 

Feel free to write a caption for the frog in the comments…

 

Christmas Decorating for the Holidays: Creative Expression Do’s and Don’ts

As creatives, we appreciate design, order (sometimes disorder) and, at times, abstract thinking to express our creativity.

Enter holiday decor. A few do’s and don’ts for a successful decorating season…

Do Decorate. When it comes to decor, I love it, but don’t love doing it. Our first Christmas tree was a tropical style tree we got at Lowe’s, glittered and all. Pic below, in all its Charlie Brown Christmas Tree splendor.

Continue reading “Christmas Decorating for the Holidays: Creative Expression Do’s and Don’ts”

Macy’s Thanksgiving Lip Syncing Day Parade Highlights

 

They’re not even trying to fake it anymore. Brazen lip syncing. A few highlights from the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade…

Lip Syncing Tom Foolery (Picasa Creative Commons)

+Cee Lo Green chewed gum while ‘singing.’ That doesn’t work.

+The casts of most of the Broadway shows (Newsies, Spider Man, etc.) didn’t even wear or hold microphones. That’s basically saying ‘we’re just here to lip sync, thanks for watching.’

+The microphone windscreen foam cover is getting larger. Some producer must’ve said “make it large enough to cover at least half of the singer’s face.”

Continue reading “Macy’s Thanksgiving Lip Syncing Day Parade Highlights”

10 Things People Hate About Thanksgiving

 

I love Thanksgiving to pieces. To absolute pieces.

Abundance

“Who wouldn’t love Thanksgiving?” I pondered. Apparently, there are a few out there.

A quick Googling (not ogling) revealed the haters. Here’s a quick compilation of some their complaints.

  1. Carving Birds. Don’t take the hate out on the bird. It gave its life so you could have a nice nap later in the afternoon. Take tips from the amazing Alton Brown, Turkey Carving 101.
  2. Working Out. According to Livestrong, the average American consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. That’s more than double the average daily amount. Working out will come later. One day isn’t going to kill the waistline–the other 364 days will. Continue reading “10 Things People Hate About Thanksgiving”

5 Steps to Creating a Memorable and Effective Company Video

Corporate video.

Those two words might as well be substituted by other equally exciting pairings such as root canal, boring lecture, or chalkboard nails.

Most companies just need a creative, like yourself, to take some initiative. I currently hold the title of ‘corporate sales trainer’ at my organization, yet part of my job description now includes making monthly video productions for trainings, meetings, and even company parties. It’s a great way to express my creativity, get paid to do it, and create a corporate culture of honor, respect, and professionalism.

Continue reading “5 Steps to Creating a Memorable and Effective Company Video”

Comfort Zone Creativity: Possible or Impossible?

Comfort zone. Creative zone. Are there magic recipes to create masterpieces?

I saw this simple drawing here and was given permission to repost it. [Update: the original post is here along with a ton of other gems! Check it out!]

Man I love this concept… and hate it.

Can we create in a comfort zone? Aren’t there ways we MUST be comfortable to create?

What’s been your experience you writers, actors, teachers, moms, pastors, trainers, and other miracle makers?

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