Blog
Steal Scott’s Ideas, Episode 111: Vomit Or Nap? || Matt, Sol, Eli
What if we publicly shamed inconsiderate parkers? What if your face could convince coworkers that you’re actually healthy? What if we fried fresh fruit for breakfast? What if you took a supplement that brings out your dinosaur tendencies? What if rich people shoveled cow shit as a meditation? In this episode of Steal Scott’s Ideas, Brittany, Jennifer and Katie gather in Brooklyn for some execution in public. **Sponsored by…
Are you trying to predict the future or invent it?
We can’t retrofit intuition. It certainly makes for a romantic and compelling story, telling people that we knew it all along and had no doubt from day one that our business, project or relationship was something that we just felt in our gut and followed and everything worked out. But the reality is, in the bewildering chaos of human experience, most of us are shitty predictors of pretty much…
Grand creative visions translate into small daily increments
Microexecution is the incremental ability to create meaningful work in a limited time frame. Let’s unpack that definition one chunk at a time. First, incremental. Which means leveraging the gloriously underrated power of compound interest. Doing your work one chunk at a time. Moving the mountain by taking small bites out of it. Chipping away at the mass in front of you. Second, ability. Because execution truly a skill….
The worst stuff you’re ever going to make
Sorkin, the award winning stage and film writer, recently taught a master class on the art of the screenplay. One of his students asked if it was worth the time and money to invest to art school. To which the instructor said: The only advantage of going to college is, you give yourself a chance to write the worst stuff you’re ever going to write. It’s an interesting insight…
The kind of selves we become today
Is the glass half empty or half full? That’s the existential litmus test to determine somebody’s worldview. We ask this question to determine how people perceive events and objects, either optimistically or pessimistically. But the answer isn’t quite as straightforward as it sounds. Whether we see the glass as half empty or half full has nothing to do with the water and everything to do with our expectations. There’s a…
Never going back to black and white
Marriage wasn’t built for intimacy, it was built for real estate. Ancient societies needed a secure environment and a system of rules to handle the granting of property rights and the perpetuation of bloodlines. And so, couples tied the knot out of social and economic stability, not necessarily love and desire. It’s so romantic. Of course, that was hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Modern couples now have…
Some divine structure has just whipped through here
Schomburg, the famous writer and historian, described his creative moment of conception in the most beautiful way. A novel had announced itself. It was coming to town. Posters were plastered on every wall in my cerebellum, a vacant lot in that vicinity had been reserved. That moment is the most intoxicating part about making things. When you know in your heart that something wants to be born, and you…
Salvaging a career teetering on the brink of ruin
Shackleton’s famous advertisement ran in the newspaper to try to recruit men for his polar expedition. Here’s what the message said, nearly one hundred years ago. Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in event of success. Does that sound antiquated, bizarre and over dramatic? It’s actually not. Shackleton practically described the entire career path of…
Preventative medicine of the spirit
Each of us needs a sanctuary where we can forget who we are. A quiet retreat that can help us do the private healing we need. A personal island of renewal that we can turn to for serenity and strength. Without making space for these nourishing moments in each day or week or month, we can easily become overshadowed by the demands of survival. I was lucky enough to…
Meaty bundles of frenetic ideas
We are artists. And here’s what that means. We are always working on something, even if it isn’t ready yet. We are driven by an ecstatic urgency to give rise to that which is new. We feel a deep yearning inside to make our vision happen. We want to make things forever, but not the exact same way forever. We have ideas floating around like some weather system inside…