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.

Make Lists

Lists are powerful.

  • Lists remind us of what’s important.
  • Lists help us focus on the task at hand.
  • Lists help us celebrate accomplishments.
 Journal Entry

Recently, I combed through a journal I wrote in October of 1997 and stumbled across a list of eighty people and things I was thankful for.

Reading this list early in the morning–before my workday began–was such a great way to start the day! I loved reading this list so much that I’m thinking of making this a frequent practice.

Here’s my 15-year-old list of thankfulness. (After you read my list, start your own thankful list in the comments below!) Continue reading “Make Lists”

The Company You Keep

[box options]Today’s post is a guest post by Haiku Kwon. Haiku is a traveler, foodie, writer, and wanna-do-everythinger. You can follow her journey of starting all over again on her blog, Life’s a risk… and I’m all in. She would love to make a new friend on Facebook.[/box]

Take a look at your friends. No, really–not just a cursory review, but an in-depth assessment of their character, integrity, passion, and motivation. Do you feel inspired and energized after spending time with them, or do you feel drained and frustrated? Continue reading “The Company You Keep”

What Gives You Goosebumps?

We act out of duty or out of passion.

Sometimes we act out of duty and passion.

But passion always wins.

Always.

For creatives, we have to feed ourselves some daily goodness to replenish our levels of passion and creativity. I have a list of go-to things that always fills me up with passion, inspire me to action and ignite me to create. Continue reading “What Gives You Goosebumps?”

Not My Proudest Creative Moments

If you want to make an omelette, you’ve got to break some eggs.

And I broke a few eggs this weekend. Come to think of it, I’ve broken a lot of eggs. As I look at my blog over the past year I realize I’ve had some great successes and some pretty awesome failures.

But that’s the thing about failures: without them, we never have successes.

We have to fall down to learn.

My Failed Newsletter

I count it a success that I finally finished sent out my first once-or-twice-a-month newsletter. Learning MailChimp for a non-designer like myself was akin to speaking a foreign language. After stumbling around and finding my way in the dark, I finally sent it out.

But I made a few mistakes… Continue reading “Not My Proudest Creative Moments”

When You Don’t Feel Creative

Confession: I haven’t felt creative this week.

+Perhaps it’s because I was on an awesome vacation last week and am back at my (very good, but not always inspiring) day job this week.

+Perhaps it’s because I’ve got a cold.

+Perhaps it’s because I haven’t exercised enough.

+Perhaps it’s because       fill in the blank with your reason here      .

I don’t know why I haven’t felt creative this week, but in many ways it doesn’t even matter. I know that if I focus on not feeling creative, I’ll do nothing. I won’t create.

I still pumped out two commercial scripts, finished editing a video and put the finishing touches on my soon-to-be released e-book 10 Commandments for Creatives (get more info on it HERE). Continue reading “When You Don’t Feel Creative”

Precision Walking

People are amazing aren’t they?

The Japanese video below is like marching band without the instruments, weird outfits and Americans.

When I see something like this it makes me wonder how many other ideas are out there that no one ever thought to develop.

I hope this gets your creative juices going too!

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Redefine the Muse: Who’s Responsible for Your Creativity?

[box options]Your creativity flourishes when you stop blaming others for not creating.[/box]

Simply put…

It’s you who created.

or

It’s you who did not create.

Not a muse. Not a spirit. It’s you.

The Muse

I believe in a muse (of sorts). I really do.

I believe you need to position yourself for your creativity, and I believe that you need to create a safe environment for your creativity to flourish.

But when happens when it doesn’t flourish?

Do you stop creating?

Did your ‘muse’ fail you?

Should you just wait for the muse to strike again (or not)?

The problem with believing whole-heartedly in the muse is this: it’s an easy out. 

As artists, we can quite easily be ruled by our feelings. If our feelings say “we have no inspiration, no muse, no hope,” we can easily give up. Continue reading “Redefine the Muse: Who’s Responsible for Your Creativity?”

Spread a Little Love

I love creating.

I seeing something come from nothing.

I love colorful candy. I also love eating it.

I love sharing. Sometimes. But not when it’s candy.

I love laughter; it’s probably my favorite sound of all.

I love the smell of bread baking. It just smells like life.

I love the feeling after conquering something I thought was impossible. Continue reading “Spread a Little Love”

Don’t Give Up

Don’t give up.

Don’t you dare quit.

We need you.

We need what’s in you and what you have to give. No one else can communicate it like you can.

No one else forms ideas like you do.

No one else creates what you create.

No one else.

No one.

So you better not quit.

When you quit, you’re not just quitting on you, you’re quitting on us. You’re quitting on what we need from you. Continue reading “Don’t Give Up”