The Accidental Creative with Todd Henry

Ten years ago, http://austinkleon.com (Austin Kleon) released his book https://amzn.to/3JgUZO6 (Steal Like An Artist). Over the past decade, it's become a must-read classic for anyone wishing to produce great creative work. In celebration of the release of the 10-year Anniversatry edition of the book, we invited Austin back on the show to discuss what he's learned since the release of the book, how creative pros should respond to culture, why we all need editors, and the hidden dangers of success. Please support the show by subscribing to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by http://zocdoc.com/accidentalcreative (ZocDoc). This episode is sponsored by http://novo.co/accidentalcreative (Novo).

We are at this very moment in a season of transition. Philosophers call this "liminal space", from the Latin word "limen" which means "threshold". It's a season in which something is ending, but the next thing has not yet begun. Many creative pros feel like this describes the season we are all experiencing. The pandemic is ending, but the transition back to office has not yet occurred. Demand is creeping upward, but supply can't yet keep pace. The job market is shifting, but hasn't yet settled. What do you do when you're in this "liminal space"? On this episode, I share four key things that all of us can do right now to remain effective: Care for your rhythms Develop a skill Ignore the noise but mind the patterns Protect your optimism and sense of agency This episode is sponsored by http://bambee.com/accidentalcreative (Bambee). This episode is sponsored by http://indeed.com/creative (Indeed).

"The Great Resignation". That's what they're calling the re-shuffling that's happening across many industries right now. Over the past few years, I've worked closely with a number of companies and have discovered that there are five key reasons why many creative people are choosing to leave their job right now, even when it's not in their own best interest to do so. On this episode, I share these five reasons, and offer some practical advice both for managers and creative pros about how to deal with them. Overly Controlling Manager No Clear Path of Advancement Organization Is Out Over Its Skis Toxic Culture They Are Not Seen/Known This episode is sponsored in part by http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare). This episode is sponsored in part by http://skillshare.com/tac (Storyblocks).

What do you do when you have a ton of important creative work to do, and are feeling stressed about your ability to get it done? My solution is to plan a "cave day", which is basically a block of time dedicated to doing deep work. On this episode, I share a few best practices for planning and executing a "cave day", then we interview Molly Sonteng, co-founder of http://caveday.org (CaveDay.org), about what she's learned from leading group work sessions. Why should you intentionally go "into the cave"? You have time dedicated to what matters most So much of our stress is not knowing when and how the work will get done You eliminate the possibility of the tyranny of the urgent You psychologically orient yourself toward your biggest priorities You perform better when your mind is able to connect dots Your creative intuition and your senses are honed when you are doing "deep work" You notice nuances that you overlook when you are distracted You channel your resources like a river How to go "into the cave": Literally make your space like a cave Low lighting Immersive sound Sensory deprivation Have a cave-entering ritual Light a candle or play some music Re-affirm your objectives Set a time limit Want to support the show? Please subscribe to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). You’ll receive ad-free and bonus episodes, daily episodes from The Daily Creative, and much more. Hire me to http://toddhenry.com/speaking (speak )or lead a http://toddhenry.com/speaking (workshop). This episode is sponsored by http://indeed.com/creative (Indeed).

She calls herself a "creator and destroyer of worlds". Lisa Soper is a production designer and animator, whose most recent work is with James Gunn on the new HBO Max series Peacemaker. In this conversation we discuss her career path, why her process always begins with pencil and paper, and how she manages to bring spaces to life while managing the ideas and expectations of other creative pros on the set. Want to support the show? Please subscribe to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). You'll receive ad-free and bonus episodes, daily episodes from The Daily Creative, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. This episode is sponsored by http://zocdoc.com/accidentalcreative (ZocDoc).

What does the word "wonder" mean to you? If you want to experience more creative breakthroughs in life and work, cultivating a sense of awe and possibility is an absolute necessity. But where does wonder come from, and how can we experience more of it each day? Today's guest is Jeffrey Davis. His new book Tracking Wonder is about how to pursue wonder each day. Support the show! Want ad-free and bonus episodes? Please subscribe to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by http://indeed.com/creative (Indeed). This episode is sponsored by http://bambee.com/accidentalcreative (Bambee).

In the past decade, I've been a guest on hundreds of radio shows and podcasts, and occasionally I have such a good time I want to invite the host onto The Accidental Creative for a chat about creativity. Jay Clouse is the host of the https://www.creativeelements.fm/todd-henry/ (Creative Elements podcast) where he interviews creative pros about how they do what they do. In this episode, we discuss the nature of creating under pressure and how to carve a unique career path that is gratifying and valuable to others. Get ad-free and bonus episodes and more with http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare). This episode is sponsored by http://truebill.com/accidentalcreative (Truebill).

Have you ever noticed the little voice inside your head? What does it say to you, especially when you are doing your work? Sometimes that internal voice can turn against us and stand in the way of effectiveness. On this episode, Dr. Ethan Kross teaches about the nature of chatter and what we can do about it. His new book is called Chatter. Get ad-free and bonus episodes with http://acpremium.me/ (AC Premium).  This episode is sponsored by http://wix.com/ (Wix). This episode is sponsored by http://shopify.com/accidentalcreative (Shopify).

Why do some people seem to have a deep well of confidence when entering challenging moments, and others seem to shrink away from opportunity? More importantly, how can you develop the mindset habits that lead to improved clarity and confidence in moments that matter most? Today's guest is Dr. Nate Zinsser. He is a professor at West Point an the author of the new book The Confident Mind. In this episode, we discuss how confidence affects everything from creativity to collaboration and career choices. Get ad-free and bonus episodes with http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by http://wix.com (Wix). This episode is sponsored by http://shopify.com/accidentalcreative (Shopify).

It’s bound to happen sooner or later. No matter how skilled you are and no matter how well you’ve prepared, you’re inevitably going to find yourself stuck on a tough problem without a clear path forward. It’s tempting in these circumstances to keep your nose down and continue cranking on the problem. The problem with this method is that you may be digging yourself deeper into an existing rut. Sometimes it’s valuable to have a set of questions at the ready to help you reframe, shift, or view the problem through a different window. Below is a set of questions that have been used in various situations to jog new creative thoughts about stubborn problems. The questions can be used on your own but are especially valuable in the context of a team. We have to be willing to immerse ourselves in the process to get to the deeply valuable ideas that reside just on the other side of stasis. Choose a project you’re stuck on, and ask these questions: Is an assumption in the way? What is the worst-case scenario? Could I do the opposite? How can I thrill the end user? What am I afraid of? Do I understand why? Where else has something similar been done? What is expected and why? Who has something to lose? Who is the enemy, and how do we foil them? Who could solve this problem with ease and how? How would my favorite superhero do it? How would my favorite movie character do it? Could I change the medium? Could I ask the question differently? How would a third grader approach this problem? What question do I need to answer first? Is there a resource I’m lacking? How would I describe the problem in three words? Are there subproblems to the main problem? What’s the world like once the problem’s solved? Who can I call for help? Can I create a metaphor for the problem? How would I start over? What’s the primary block and why? Refuse to remain stuck. Ask new questions to spark new insights. This episode is sponsored by https://www.truebill.com/Accidentalcreative?wpsnetn=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&wpcn=accidentalcreative&wpcid=accidentalcreative&utm_campaign=accidentalcreative (Truebill). Please support the show by subscribing to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). You'll get ad-free episodes, daily episodes from The Daily Creative, and more.

Do you ever feel like you don't really belong in the room? Like your ideas just aren't as good as everyone else's? Like everyone else seems to have it figured out and you don't? You're not alone. The number one struggle that many teams I work with have is a lack of creative confidence, whether in presenting ideas or taking risks. On this episode, I discuss three key causes of a lack of creative confidence and one valuable strategy for overcoming each. Please support the show by subscribing to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). You'll get ad-free episodes, daily episodes from The Daily Creative, and much more. This episode is sponsored by http://indeed.com/creative (Indeed).

When I ask "what is the one thing that stands in the way of your productivity?" the most common answer get is "I don't have enough time!" But...really? We each have the same amount of time - 168 hours a week. It's not so much about the quantity of time as it is about how we choose to leverage it. In this episode, I share three big time blocking strategies that you can implement to help you produce better creative work in 2022. This episode is sponsored by http://wix.com (Wix). This episode is sponsored by the My First Million podcast.

If I had to choose one gift to impart upon every person I meet - one master key that unlocks their potential - it would be bravery. We need radical bravery in our workplaces, our schools, our neighborhoods, and in our politics. If more people committed to making brave choices daily, we would see stronger, more effective teams, less corruption, less unhealthy conflict, and more progress on the societal issues that truly matter. Organizations need leaders committed to cultivating a culture of bravery, and who themselves are making brave choices in the face of uncertainty. The marketplace needs more business owners who are willing to step up and do the right thing for their employees and their communities, even at the risk of personal cost. And, society needs more people to cultivate brave, empathetic relationships with people who think differently from them. My ambition with this episode is to inspire an epidemic of everyday bravery both in and out of the workplace. Here's to creative bravery in 2022! This episode is sponsored by http://bambee.com/accidentalcreative (Bambee). This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get our FREE 12-part video course Everyday Brilliance at http://accidentalcreative.com (AccidentalCreative.com).

Needless complexity is often an enemy of the creative process. In this episode, we share three ways to seek simplicity in your life and work in 2022: Processes Expectations Assumptions Get a worksheet to help you apply this framework https://accidental-creative.ck.page/a433681911 (here). Get ad-free and bonus episodes, and daily episodes of The Daily Creative with http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by http://indeed.com/creative (Indeed). This episode is sponsored by http://wix.com (Wix).

It's that time of year when many people start thinking about their goals, where their life and work will go in the coming year, and changes they might want to make. There are four questions that I've been pondering lately, and on this episode I share them, explain them, and offer my thoughts about how to apply them to help you calibrate your focus and time in 2022. What is my "defining question"? What do I know, but am afraid to admit? How do I want to grow? What is being asked of me? To get the worksheet for this episode, visit AccidentalCreative.com/2022. Get ad-free episodes, daily episodes from The Daily Creative, and more with http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by http://bambee.com/accidentalcreative (Bambee). This episode is sponsored by http://schwab.com/plan (Schwab). This episode is sponsored by https://listen.hubspot.com/public/83/My-First-Million-0ae39496 (Hubspot).

You can create the most wonderful product or service in the world, but if no one knows about it then it will certainly fail to gain traction. You must be able to find your ideal customer, and figure out how to connect with them in a way that compels them to interact with your work. Today's guest is Pamela Slim. In her new book The Widest Net, she shares a simple framework for getting your work into the world and connecting with those who are likely to love it. Want ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and more? Check out http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponosred by http://bambee.com/accidentalcreative (Bambee). This episode is sponsored by http://thrivegig.com (Thrive).

Like many bright, creative professionals, you likely have a lot of ideas. Big ideas. You know where you want to go, but the first challenge is often the most duanting. Where do you even begin? Today’s guest has accomplished a lot of big things. He’s a Rhodes Scholar, successful consultant, author of the international best-selling book The Coaching Habit, and also the author of the new book How To Begin. In this episode, he shares a practical, step-by-step method for moving your big ideas forward. Want ad-free episodes and access to the full archives? Subscribe to http://acpremium.me/ (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by Indeed. This episode is sponsored by Headspace.

As a creative pro, you must be ready to deliver great results at a moment's notice, whenever and wherever you happen to be. That pressure can wear you down and cause burnout, frustration, and disconnectedness from your work. In order to thrive, you need to figure out how to structure life and work in such a way that you are poised to produce great work when the opportunity arises. Today's guest has spent years studying the nature of the mind. http://amishi.com/ (Dr. Amishi Jha) is a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Miami, and the author of a new book called Peak Mind. In this conversation, she shares how anyone can better hone their attention and train their mind to operate at its best consistently. Get ad-free episodes and access to hundreds of archive episodes at ACpremium.me. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. This episode is sponsored by Shopify.

How do you define a "rich life"? Have you ever even considered the question? Many creative pros spend their career chasing after something... undefined. What are you trying to achieve in life and work? Today's guest has spent decades helping others define what a "rich life" means. http://iwt.com (Ramit Sethi) is the author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich and the host of the podcast of the same name. In this episode we discuss how to make wise career choices, how our beliefs about money can unknowingly limit us, and how to talk with our stakeholders about important decisions. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. This episode is sponsored by Shopify.

[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text] When I ask creative pros what prevents them from sharing their idea, or putting work into the world, it's often that they fear the work isn't good enough. Or, that they aren't good enough. Or, that they just don't really belong in the room. On this episode, we discuss how fear can paralyze you and some specific strategies for limiting its grip. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text] Creative pros are by nature builders. We love to make things, play with ideas, and put new concepts into the world where they can be experienced by others. But, the process of building new things can be daunting, and selecting which ideas to build can be confusing. Today's guest is a certainly a builder. His most recent projects are http://breather.com (Breather) and Practice, for which he just raised a $10 million round of investment led by Andreessen Horowitz. On this episode we discuss the nature of building, how to choose the right ideas, and how to spot trends before they become mainstream. Please support the show by subscribing to AC Premium. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

We live in a short-term thinking world. Many people want immediate results, and as a result they fail to make the necessary investments to reap long-term rewards. However, those who are able to think long-term make investments today that are likely to provide a return for months or years to come. How do you break the short-term thinking cycle and shift toward a long-term mindset? Today's guest is http://dorieclark.com (Dorie Clark). She is the author of a new book called The Long Game and on this episode she helps us understand how to cultivate a mindset that focuses on achieving long-term results. Want to take your AC experience to a whole new level? Get ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and full access to the AC archives with http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). This episode is sponsored by Shopify.

The love of comfort is often the enemy of greatness. We can look successful to everyone around us, but deep down know that we're essentially "phoning it in" and have stopped growing, challenging ourself, and chasing aspirations. We've settled in. In Part four of our series on my book Die Empty, we discuss the various ways in which the pursuit of comfort can infiltrate our lives and prevent us from achieving our goals. Want every episode in this Die Empty series? Subscribe to http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). You'll get ad-free episodes, access to the full archives, and many bonuses and surprises. This episode is sponsored by Netsuite. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare.

Do you have a minute to think? It’s a good question, and it’s difficult to answer. I think most of us - especially right now - have days full of meetings and obligations. Now that meetings are essentially frictionless, more are added to our calendar. After all, the next group is just a click away. However, this means that as we’re squeezing more and more efficiency into our lives, we’re simultaneously eliminating the very thing we need in order to do great work - space for ideas to develop. So, do you have a minute to think? That’s the name of the new book - A Minute To Think - by today’s guest Juliet Funt. On this episode, she’s going to share why white space is so important and how to incorporate more of it into your calendar and life. Get ad-free episodes and bonus surprises with AC Premium. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. This episode is sponsored by Marpipe.

To gain attention for your work (or your message) you must stand apart from everyone else. There is no place for being another in a line of similar messages. How do you separate yourself from the pack? Today's guest is Mike Michalowicz, author of the new book Get Different. He shares specific strategies for standing out from the crowd. Get ad-free episodes and bonuses with AC Premium. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. This episode is sponsored by Novo.

How do you share your idea in a way that it will resonate with your intended audience? Whether you're a leader, a marketer, a designer, a writer, or a product developer, it's not your idea that matters it's whether others understand it and feel compelled to respond. Today's guest http://tamsenwebster.com (Tamsen Webster) has spent years helping some of the top thinkers in the world convey their ideas in a compelling way, and on this episode she shares how you can find the through-line that makes your idea resonate. Her new book is called Find Your Red Thread. Get ad-free episodes and bonus episodes with AC Premium. This episode is sponsored by Shopify.

Many creative pros love the work they do, but strongly dislike talking about or marketing that work. Today's guest John Jantsch has been teaching small business owners and freelancers how to market for decades, and on this episode he shares a simple framework for helping the world experience your work and growing your influence. His new book is called The Ultimate Marketing Engine. This episode is sponsored by Headspace. This episode is sponsored by Novo.

You've likely heard the old advice "you can't change other people." Today's guest would beg to differ. Through decades of coaching, he's developed a method to help you help other people change and achieve the results that they want. Peter Bregman is the author of the new book You Can Change Other People. Support the show and get ad-free and bonus episodes at ACpremium.me. Today's episode is sponsored by Indeed. Todday's episode is sponsored by Netsuite.

This is the second part of a nine part series on Todd Henry's book https://amzn.to/3A0Ofzj (Die Empty). In this episode, we look at the effect that aimlessness can have on your day to day work, and how to identify a portfolio of productive passion that drives you forward in life. Parts three and four of this series will be available only to AC Premium subscribers. To join, visit ACpremium.me. Get a workbook for this series at AccidentalCreative.com/subscribe. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. This episode is sponsored by Netsuite.

The average person lives about 4,000 weeks. How does that fact make you feel? More importantly, how might knowing that your time is so finite cause you to choose to live? There are so many tools at our disposal for time management, but often our efforts only make us feel more busy and overwhelmed. Today's guest is http://oliverburkeman.com (Oliver Burkeman). We discuss existential overwhelm, the efficiency trap, and how to reclaim just a little bit of sanity in a world obsessed with better, faster, more. His new book is the instant NY Times Best-seller https://amzn.to/3DAaKx4 (4,000 Weeks). Today's episode is sponsored by Headspace and http://bambee.com/accidentalcreative (Bambee).

This week we begin a new series covering Todd Henry's 2013 book Die Empty. For each of the next nine episodes, we will be discussing a core principle from the book and how it applies to life and work. Today we discuss the three modes of work, and why each is important if you want to build a body of work you can be proud of. If you would like to receive every one of the nine episodes in this series, subscribe to AC Premium at ACPremium.me. You will also receive every future episode of the show ad-free.

When we talk about the creative process, what we’re really talking about is the ability to connect dots and make intuitive leaps. Sometimes those dots are previous projects we worked on, or experiences we had, and sometimes they are from things that we’ve read or studied along the way. Today, we’re going to talk about the value of reading to our creative process. Our guest is Jeff Brown, author of the new book Read To Lead and host of the Read To Lead podcast. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a one-month free trial of Premium Membership.

On today's show, Todd Henry discusses the difference between bold creative work and brave creative work. This applies both to the work we do as professionals as well as how we lead others. Then, Todd turns to discussing the three core elements of brilliant work that he shared in his talk at Leadercast this week: Skills, Experience, and Motivation. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Go to Bambee.com/accidentalcreative right now to schedule your FREE HR audit. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Right now, Indeed is offering our listeners a free seventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post – which means more quality candidates will see it, fast. Learn more at Indeed.com/creative. Offer valid through September 30, terms and conditions apply.

How do the best of the best do what they do? It's easy to watch and admire top performers, but we can actually do more than that. We can decode how they got there. Today's guest is Ron Friedman. He shares insights about how we can reverse engineer the greatness of those we admire with tips from his new book Decoding Greatness. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Go to Bambee.com/accidentalcreative right now to schedule your FREE HR audit.

When you have a number of ideas, how do you know which one to pursue? On this episode, we discuss creative process, practices, and how to know when an idea is right with A/J Jackson. A/J is an American filmmaker, musician, songwriter, record producer, and perhaps best known as the lead singer for the international platinum-selling band https://www.saintmotel.com (Saint Motel). He is also the founder of AVIEW, a new eyewear brand that offers shades in every hue of the rainbow. Want to support the show? Join http://acpremium.me (AC Premium) for ad-free and bonus episodes and more. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a one-month free trial of Premium Membership.

Does what you listen to affect your ability to generate ideas and be productive? According to today's guest, the soundtrack you choose can impact your creativity significantly. Will Henshall is the founding member of the band Londonbeat and the founder of http://focusatwill.com (FocusAtWill). In this conversation, we discuss how different personality types perform better when utilizing different sonic environments. This episode is sponsored by Headspace. Want to support the show? Become an AC Premium member. Join the weekly newsletter 3 Things. Just three simple things guaranteed to spark creative thought delivered to your inbox each Sunday.

Brilliant performers in any field often have rituals or practices that they fall back on to help them perform consistently at their peak. When you are charged with doing complex work every day, rituals can bring order to your world and help you focus more effectively. If you want to deliver a result consistently, you must systemize it, and that’s precisely what a ritual does. However, the danger of rituals is that they can remain in your schedule long after they have stopped serving their original purpose. Worse, they can begin to work against your ability to be effective. While I believe that high-performing people and teams must have strong rituals in their life to support their goals, I also know that these rituals must be examined on a regular basis to ensure that they aren’t becoming fossilized ruts. Here are a few suggestions for shaking up your rituals before they stall your progress. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Get started right now with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at http://indeed.com/creative (Indeed.com/creative). Support the show by joining http://acpremium.me (AC Premium). Get ad-free episodes and access to the full archives. The Accidental Creative is part of the Airwave Media Network.

It's been a long year, and many creative pros are experiencing some level of creative burnout. It's taken everything we have to deliver on expectations over the past year, and as we now return to a sense of "normal", the uncertainty and expectations are likely to rise even more. On this episode, I offer six tips for dealing with those moments when you feel overwhelmed and burned out. 1. Pause and organize 2. Clear the decks 3. Re-prioritize 4. Time block 5. Care physically 6. Re-root in your productive passion Have a question you'd like answered on the show? Visit AccidentalCreative.com/podcasts. Support the show! Get ad-free episodes and access to the full archives at http://acpremium.me (acpremium.me). This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a one-month free trial of Premium Membership. The Accidental Creative is an Airwave Media podcast.

No matter your job, you are probably in "the middle". Meaning, you have to manage both up and down. That can be a tricky balance to strike, especially when it feels like your own career and success is tied to the success of your manager or team. Today's guest is Scott Mautz. He has led multi-billion dollar divisions of companies and experienced leading at every level of organizations. He is here to help us navigate these pressures with tips from his new book Leading From The Middle. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Go to Bambee.com/accidentalcreative to schedule your FREE HR audit. Want to start reading my next book over a year before it releases? Visit TheDailyCreative.me.

As organizations around the world face health and social crises, as well as economic uncertainty, acknowledging and improving wellbeing in the workplace is more critical than ever. Increasingly, leaders and managers must support mental health and cultivate resilience in employees — not just increase engagement and performance. Today's guest is Gallup's Chief Workplace Scientist, Jim Harter. His new book Wellbeing at Work explores the five key elements of wellbeing — career, social, financial, physical and community — and how organizations can help employees and teams thrive in those elements. Join me and your fellow leaders for a weekly online meetup to discuss how to better lead creative people. Visit CreativeLeaderRoundtable.com to learn more. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in ACCIDENTAL for a special offer.

The pressure to generate big ideas can feel overwhelming. We know that bold innovations are critical in these disruptive and competitive times, but when it comes to breakthrough thinking, we often freeze up. According to today's guest http://joshlinkner.com (Josh Linkner), instead of shooting for a $10-billion payday or a Nobel Prize, the most prolific innovators focus on Big Little Breakthroughs—small creative acts that unlock massive rewards over time. By cultivating daily micro-innovations, individuals and organizations are better equipped to tackle tough challenges and seize transformational opportunities. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership. We love our supporters - thank you! Want to support the show? Get ad-free episodes and access to the full archives at http://acpremium.me (ACpremium.me). The Accidental Creative is part of the Airwave Media network.

Do you ever feel like you’re teetering right on the edge of burnout You’re running faster but not moving closer to your goals? Everything is so much harder than it used to be? As high achievers, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the path to success is paved with relentless work. We believe that if we aren’t perpetually exhausted, we’re not doing enough. On this episode, Greg McKeown is here to help us sort through how to make our work more effortless. His new book is called Effortless. This episodes is sponsored by Indeed. Get started get started right now with a free $75 job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/creative. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership.

Gravity affects every aspect of our physical being, but there’s a psychological force just as powerful―yet almost nobody has heard of it. It’s responsible for bringing groups of people together and pulling them apart, making certain goals attractive to some and not to others, and fueling cycles of anxiety and conflict. In his new book Wanting, Luke Burgis draws on the work of French polymath René Girard to bring this hidden force to light and reveals how it shapes our lives and societies. In this interview, we discuss the nature of mimetic desire, how it affects everything from creating to collaboration, and how we can discover what we truly want as creative pros. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Go to Bambee.com/accidentalcreative right now to schedule your free HR audit.

This year has brought a lot of "firsts" to our lives. One of the most prominent ones is that we had to learn how to work completely remotely for the first time. In the midst of all of these changes, anxiety has become an ever-present dynamic in the workday. On this episode, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton are back to share how we can better manage anxiety in the course of our life and work. Additionally, they share practical tips for managers about how to create space for conversations about anxiety with team members, and to lead with empathy. Their new book is called https://amzn.to/3bTLRA7 (Anxiety At Work). This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership.

As a 24-year-old line cook, Ellen Marie Bennett couldn’t stand the kitchen staff’s poorly designed, cheaply made aprons. So when her head chef announced he was ordering a new batch, she blurted out, “Chef, I have an apron company”—even though she had no company, no business plan—just a glimmer of a design idea and a business license. Through hustle and a willingness to leap into the unknown, she built that first order into the company Hedley & Bennett is today, making aprons and kitchen gear worn by many of the world’s best chefs and home cooks everywhere. In this interview, we discuss Ellen's new book Dream First, Details Later and principles that anyone with an idea can apply to bring it into the world for others to enjoy. Become a support of the podcast and get ad-free episodes and access to the full archives. Join http://acpremium.me/ (AC Premium) at http://acpremium.me. Today’s episode is sponsored by Headspace. Visit Headspace.com/accidentalcreative for a free one month trial with access to Headspace’s full library of meditations for every situation.

We all have things in our life that we'd like to change, but change can feel like a bit of a "black box". What is lacking for many of us, according to Katy Milkman, is strategy. We don't have an effective path forward to create the change that we want to see in our lives and work. On this episode, we discuss Katy's new book How To Change and some practical strategies for accomplishing your goals. This episode is sponnsored by Indeed. Get started right now with a free $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/creative. Offer valid through June 30, 2021.

When collaborating digitally, there are a different set of rules. Your peers may not catch the subtlety in your email in the same way they would in a face to face meeting. Your team meeting may lack the same punch as an in-person collaborative effort. Formality and informality can be easily confused. On this episode, http://ericadhawan.com/ (Erica Dhawan) shares some key principles for working effectively together as a remote team. Her new book is called Digital Body Language. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership.

How do you know an idea is the right one to take action on? How do you sift the really good ideas from the mediocre ones? Phil Libin has been a part of and led a number of companies that have created products that changed the way people work. (Evernote is one of my favorite tools of all time.) His most recent company https://www.all-turtles.com/ (All Turtles) is the mission-driven product development studio behind the video service Mmhmm. In this interview, Phil discusses his philosophy of product design, how to know when it’s time to act on an idea, and some of the best advice he ever received.

Imagine sitting in a cab in New Orleans as the driver pulls out a small device, hooks it up to his phone, and begins raving about how excited he is to be able to take credit cards for the first time. Now, imagine that you are the co-founder of the company that made it possible. http://jimmckelvey.com/ (Jim McKelvey) is the co-founder of Square, a company that has opened a door for small businesses to take credit cards simply and securely. He’s also the author of a new book called The Innovation Stack in which he shares the core principles by which effective companies develop products that resonate deeply in the marketplace. In this interview, we discuss the founding of Square, that an innovation stack is and why it’s important, and what he’s learned from companies such as Southwest Airlines and IKEA about gaining a footing in a crowded marketplace. http://acpremium.me/ (AC Premium) subscribers: stick around at the end, where I’ll share my personal takeaways from the interview.

Why do two people look at the exact same circumstances and form two completely different opinions about what’s going on? Not only that, but why are those people often willing to defend their perspective to the very end, often causing tremendous misunderstanding and conflict? This is important to understand if we want to have effective collaboration and be able to lead well. On this episode, Julia Galef shares how we can learn to see things more clearly by developing a “scout mindset”. Her new book is called The Scout Mindset. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Go to Bambee.com/accidentalcreative to schedule your FREE HR audit.

It often seems like in order to succeed in your career you have to compromise other areas of your life that are also important to you. That’s especially true right now, when many of us are only five steps away from work at any given moment because we are working out of our home. However, today’s guest thinks that mindset is wrong. http://michaelhyatt.com/ (Megan Hyatt Miller) is the CEO of Michael Hyatt & Co and the co-author of the new book Win At Work, Succeed At Life. In this interview, she shares some core principles for finding success in all areas of your life, not just a few. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. If you are hiring, you need Indeed. Get started right now with a free $75 sponsore job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/creative.

Why are some workplaces amazing and others loathed? What is it about some cultures that bring out the best in people and others that cause others to be in perpetual job-search mode? Clint Pulver has spent countless hours undercover inside some of the biggest companies in the world, and in this episode he shares what employees say about the places they work, and how managers can improve their workplace in simple and practical ways. His new book is called https://amzn.to/3wv51VS (I Love It Here). This episode is sponsored by Policygenius. You could save 50% or more by comparing life insurance quotes, and feel good knowing that if something happens, your loved ones will be taken care of. Go to Policygenius.com to get started.

Pointless hurdles. Legacy rules and regulations. Red tape. It seems like organizations are often rife with needless challenges and over-complexity. If we truly want to produce effective creative work, we must parse the unnecessary complexity and aim to approach the work in a common sense way. Today’s guest is international best-selling author and consultant Martin Lindstrom. His new book is called The Ministry Of Common Sense, and in this interview we discuss creativity, collaboration, and how to organize our lives and work so that we are eliminating pointless distraction and focusing our attention on what matters most. This episode is also sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership. This episode is sponsored by Back Country. Go to BackCountry.com/AC and enter promo code AC to get 15% off your first full-priced purchase. Some exlusions apply.

When many people hear the term “personal brand”, they think about entrepreneurs, authors, and celebrities. However, the reality is that every one of us has a personal brand. Your brand is how others think of you, or the space that you occupy in their mind. So, if you are an organizational leader, a civic leader, or a freelance designer, the way in which others perceive you defines your brand, regardless of what you say or do. On this episode, Rory Vaden – co-founder of Brand Builders Group – is here to help us think through the core elements of a personal brand, and why it matters to everyone regardless of your role in the marketplace. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Get your free HR compliance audi at Bambee.com/accidentalcreative. This episode is also sponsored by Indeed. Right now, our listeners get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/creative. Offer valid through March 31, 2021, terms and conditions apply.

When you hear the phrase “influencer marketing”, what comes to mind? If you’re like me, those words probably conjure up images of selfies and perfectly-lit location shots. However, marketing through those with influence is much more powerful than those surface understandings imply. If you want your message or product to resonate, identifying with those with influence can help you reach the audience you’re trying to serve. On this episode, Jason Falls explains to us the nuances of influencer marketing with tips from his new book Winfluence. We discuss how brands get it wrong, and some strategies for leveraging influence to connect with the people your product or service is designed to help. This episode is sponsored by Back Country. Go to BackCountry.com/AC and enter promo code AC to get 15% off your first full-priced purchase. Some exlusions apply. This episode is sponsored by Policy Genius. You could save 50% or more by comparing quotes, and feel good knowing that if something happens, your loved ones will be taken care of. Go to http://policygenius.com/ (PolicyGenius.com) to get started.

When you hear the word “management”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Red tape? Bureaucracy? Stasis? For many people, management is perceived as the enemy of progress. But in reality, effective managers are necessary for progress. We need leaders who can work within constraints, maximize resources, and clear the path for team members to do what they do best. Today’s guest is Scott Miller. He’s the author of Everyone Deserves A Great Manager, and on this episode he shares with us the six core principles of effective management. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Get your free HR compliance audit at Bambee.com/accidentalcreative. This episode is also sponsored by Skillshare. Get a free trial of Premium membership at Skillshare.com/AC.

Ever feel a little out of control of your inbox? If you’re like most people, you probably spend a significant part of your day responding to emails that are of relatively little significance to the work you actually need to do in order to be productive. There’s a dynamic I’ve often written about called the Ping, which is the perpetual pinprick in your gut that says “something out there might be more important than what’s in front of you”. It has us living with divided attention. How do we deal with the expectations of the inbox and still produce great work? Cal Newport has an answer for us. He is the author of the new book A World Without Email, in which he argues that there is a better way to work. On this episode we discuss his theory about why email is so destructive to workflow, and practical ways that we can improve our approach to creative work in a world that’s obsessed with immediate responses. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Right now, listeners get a free $75 credit to boost your job post at Indeed.com/creative. Offer valid through March 31, 2021. This episode is also sponsored by Stamps.com. Stop wasting time at the post office and go to Stamps.com instead. Use our promo code ACCIDENTAL to get one month free plus free postage and a digital scale.

For many people, days are starting to blend together. Our lives for the past year have consisted of the same places, people, and circumstances day after day, and this can result is a sense of “stuckness” or being in a creative rut. Ironically, one of the best ways out of that rut is by instilling daily practices to help you develop your mindset, hone your creative instincts, and spot opportunities and ideas. I call these the “Dailies”. Here are a few of mine: Study 60 minutes each day Write 500 words each day Review my “Big Things” and objectives Do one act of business development Create one piece of useful content I do these activities each day, regardless of circumstances, and regardless of how I feel. It keeps me focused and prepared for whatever comes my way. On this episode, I share insights from my book Louder Than Words about how to develop your own set of Dailies and implement them in your routine. Today’s episode is sponsored by Headspace. Visit Headspace.com/accidentalcreative for a free one month trial with access to Headspace’s full library of meditations for every situation.

At some point, every brand realizes that it’s time to do a “refresh”. However, there are any number of factors that can make a change difficult if not nearly impossible. You already have brand equity with your customers or clients, you have invested heavily in your brand design and assets, and rocking the boat can mean accountability if everyone ends up in the water. How do you know when it’s time to make a change of brand? On this episode, we’re fortunate to have Blake Howard. He is the co-founder and Creative Director at Matchstic in Atlanta, and also the host of the new podcast A Change Of Brand on which he interviews leaders from companies who have made a significant shift within their brand and asks about the challenges and opportunities they encountered along the way. On this episode, Blake shares some of the biggest lessons that he and his team have learned while working with companies who have made a significant change to their brand. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/creative. Offer valid through March 31, terms and conditions apply. This episode is also sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/ACand get a free trial of Premium Membership.

In the world of “on demand” work, television is certainly one of the most pressure-packed environments. The next show comes at a regular pace, and there’s no room for a “plan B” when the ideas just aren’t flowing. You must deliver, every day. http://twitter.com/gavinpurcell (Gavin Purcell) (showrunner and writer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, I Love You America with Sara Silverman) knows this world well. As a 13-time Emmy nominee (and multiple-time winner), and a key collaborator with TV’s biggest names, he has helped create some of the most beloved moments in recent TV history. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of systems, why we need to get rid of the “romantic” notion of creating for a living, how to adapt when things go off-plan, specific tools and methods that he uses to produce work every day, and resources he relies on to help him stay fresh and creative. This episode is sponsored by Bambee. Get your free HR compliance audit at Bambee.com/accidentalcreative. This episode is also sponsored by Policygenius. You could save 50% or more by comparing insurance quotes, and feel good knowing that your loved ones would be taken care of if anything were to happen. Go to Policygenius.com to get started.

As we’ve mentioned many times on this podcast, things are not necessarily going back to “normal” after Covid. In fact, there are a number of ways in which our world of work has shifted that are likely to remain the same long into the future. We’ve had to adapt to new technologies, and learn how to make them work in the absence of face to face communication, but those same technologies will be powerful complements to our workflow once we return to being around one another more consistently. On this episode of the AC podcast, Phil Simon shares what this new world of work might look like in the near-term. He’s the author of the new book Re-Imagining Collaboration, and on this episode we discuss what leaders and creative pros need to know about the post-Covid work world. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Visit Indeed.com/creative and get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post. Offer valid through March 31, 2021. This episode is also sponsored by Stamps.com. Visit Stamps.com, click on the microphone at the top of the page, and enter code Accidental for a free four-week trial.

Given the number of surprises and twists that 2020 brought us, it might seem like a foolish exercise to try to predict what will happen next. However, there are some people who have their finger on the pulse of the creative community and how work is happening and will likely continue to happen over the coming years. Scott Belsky is the Chief Product Officer at Adobe, where the team has been doing extensive research into how the creative community has adapted to remote work and is striving to create tools to facilitate where the world of creative work is headed. On this episode, we talk about some of the tactical ways in which creative pros have adapted to the circumstances we find ourselves in, why some things have changed forever and others are likely to revert to the way they’ve always been, and how creative pros can adapt their mindset to help them deal with what comes next. This episode is sponsored by Headspace. Headspace is meditation made simple. Get a free one month trial at Headspace.com/accidentalcreative. This episode is also sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership.

We all want to make 2021 a great year. We have plans, dreams, ambitions for the coming year, but the reality is that if we don’t develop new habits we won’t get new results, especially when so much seems out of our control. Steven Kotler has spent his career studying peak performers and analyzing how they are able to achieve such seemingly impossible things. In this conversation we discuss his new book The Art Of Impossible and the fundamental elements of peak performance, how to develop a mindset that allows for new possibilities, and how to point your focus, action, and habit in the same direction. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Listeners can get a free $75 credit to boost your job post at Indeed.com/creative. (Offer valid through March 31.) This episode is also sponsored by Bambee. Go to Bambee.com/accidentalcreative right now to schedule your free HR audit.

After 2020, a lot of people are asking questions about life, work, and the choices they are making. Some are even beginning to consider whether it’s time to move on to a new kind of work. But where do you even start to consider a career change? How do you find the intersection of your skills, your interests, and the opportunities in the marketplace? Today’s guest, http://ashleystahl.com/ (Ashley Stahl), is a career expert and has developed a framework to help anyone discover the kind of career that they are best suited for. In the interview, we discuss everything from how to seek opportunities to how to identify the kind of work you are best suited for to how to interview well. Her new book is called https://amzn.to/3no63gz (Youturn). This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Get a four week trial plus free postage and a digital scale. Go to Stamps.com and enter promo code Accidental.

The pandemic hasn’t really changed the direction of the marketplace, it’s mostly just accelerated it. Many of the strategies companies are employing to deal with remote work are ones that were already inevitable a year or two ago, but have now become necessities because of the state of the world. The change that we’ve all been thrust into can be destabilizing if we aren’t able to adapt to the new reality. On today’s episode of the podcast, David Burkus shares key insights from his new book Leading From Anywhere. It’s important that managers learn to understand how these new complexities affect the mindset and workflow of the people they work with, and develop strategies for helping their teams thrive, especially since it’s unlikely the workplace will ever go back to “normal”. One of the key insights we discuss is the importance of developing empathy for the people on your team. The workplace is often the “great equalizer”, in that we all have access to the same enviroment, the same resources, the same tools, and the same people. However, when we work remotely, each person is in their own environment and some are most definitely better equipped than others to deal with the pressures of the day. While one person may live alone with plenty of space and ultra-fast WiFi, another might be living in a two-bedroom apartment with small children who are doing remote school at the kitchen table. We must learn and adapt to the unique needs of the people on our team if we want to help them succeed, which means we can’t simply layer the same expectations on everyone on the team. We must commit to a posture of continuous learning, then adjust as we go. Regardless of when the pandemic ends, we will all need to learn to “lead from anywhere”. Hopefully, this episode will help you along that journey. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Want qualities job candidates fast? You need Indeed. Right now, our listeners get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/creative. (Offer good through March 31, 2021.) This episode is also sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/AC and get a free trial of Premium Membership.

Have you ever felt anxious about your job, but you don’t know why? Everything is going well, or at least according to plan, and there is nothing obvious that should be causing anxiety. Yet, when bedtime rolls around, you struggle to get to sleep, and you have a perpetual sense that you’re falling behind. Falling behind? Behind what? That’s the question I was asking myself early last year. I was on the mark to have a record year. Things had been going great, and I was able to help more people and teams and see more impact from my work this year than I ever have. By all accounts, I should have been on cloud nine. Yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, I noticed anxiety creeping into my thoughts, my planning, and the writing I am doing for my next book. At the exact moment that I should have felt peace and space I was experiencing the opposite. That’s when I realized that I was keeping score. This is an old habit, and one that dies hard. I was paying attention to a lot of little markers that have nothing whatsoever to do with my core work, or my effectiveness, or the impact that I’m trying to have with my clients or the people who read my books and listen to my podcasts. Instead, I was paying attention to things outside of my lane, and allowing them to pull me off-course and rob me of the joy and satisfaction that I should have been experiencing. Here are a few of the unhealthy ways I tend to keep score. See if you can relate: How THEY Are Scoring When someone else gets something – a contract, an offer, an endorsement – that I wanted, it bothers me. It’s as if there is only so much of it to go around. As much as I encourage my clients to focus on their own lane, I have to admit that it’s easy for me to let my peripheral vision distract me. I’ve had to develop the discipline of reminding myself that they are not responsible for my body of work, and I am not responsible for theirs. Stay. In. Your. Lane. I’ve seen this play out in teams when someone gets a coveted promotion, or is celebrated for a project, or gets more than their share of esteem for the amount of contribution they truly made. It pulls the team apart, and people begin to withhold because they feel as if they aren’t being treated fairly. They aren’t. Business isn’t fair, just like life isn’t fair. There will be things that you get that you don’t deserve, and things you deserve that go to someone else. There’s probably someone else right now keeping score on what you’re getting that they’re not. The sooner you learn to embrace the inherent unfairness of the workplace, the sooner you can simply focus on bringing your best every day and letting the chips fall where they may. I love this quote from the Bhagavad Gita, which I first heard from Steven Pressfield: “You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work.” Are you paying too much attention to how they are scoring? Things I Can’t Control This is another one. I tend to track things I can’t control, and get anxious about things that I couldn’t change if I wanted to. It’s one of the curses of being a systemic thinker – I always worry about the governing dynamics, even when they are well beyond my ability to influence. Inside of organizations, I see this play out as a general fear about market trends, or about the new company leadership (seven or eight levels above), or about the person on the team who simply doesn’t like you. There is nothing that can be done about any of these things – aside from diligently doing the work in front of you – yet they rob many people of valuable creative cycles that could be spent actually creating something meaningful. Are you tracking the score of things you can’t control? Are there forces “out there” that are causing you to spin your wheels or worry about tomorrow? My Own Expectations This one is tough. There are certain expectations that I set for myself, and when I miss the mark on one of them, it bothers me. This is true even if I far exceed

There probably aren’t many people reading this who will be deeply saddened to see 2021 in the rear view mirror. This has been quite a year, for certain. Now, it’s time to set our sights on the future and to think about how we will prepare ourselves for whatever is ahead. It’s time to steel our resolve and establish the practices that will enable us to bring our best each day in the coming year. On today’s episode, http://optimize.me/ (Brian Johnson) is here to talk about how to optimize your life and pursue wisdom in 2021. If you want to accomplish anything in your life, you need to build the infrastructure to facilitate it. Nothing happens without the supporting mechanisms, disciplines, and practices to bolster your effort. As much as we love the romantic notion of “winging it” or “making it up as we go”, talent and instincts only get you so far. If you want to create deep impact, and to sustain that impact for a long season, you need to support your effort with practices. Your practices do a few things for you: Increase your capacity. When you do something over and over, your capacity to do that thing increases over time. So, if you want to get better at study, then study. If you want to be a better writer, you write. If you want better relationships, you set disciplines around how and how often you engage with others. Increase your agency. When you obtain a sense of mastery in one area, it tends to increase your sense of agency to change other areas of your life as well. If you want to up your confidence, start doing one or two small things very consistently and very well. Increase life satisfaction. A lot of research points to the reality that small, everyday wins create a sense of deep engagement and enjoyment. If you want to feel deeply engaged with your life in 2021, just choose a few small, healthy habits or practices to implement and do them well and often. You’ll notice an uptick in your mood and your sense of overall wellbeing. Here are the questions I challenge you to consider over the coming week: What 1-2 new practices will you implement in 2021 to help you achieve your goals? (Will you start studying? Develop better exercise habits? Start a small writing practice each day?) What will you stop doing in 2021 so that you have more space to do the things you want to integrate? You can’t just layer things into your life – you need to regularly prune. Let’s make 2021 a great year! This episode is sponsored by Literati. Go to http://literati.com/creative (Literati.com/creative) for 25% off you first two orders. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Create a steady, reliable income and the freedom to make what you love. Sign up today at http://patreon.com/ (Patreon.com).

Well, it’s been quite a year, huh? I don’t think many of us had any idea what 2020 had in store when we confidently welcomed the New Year. It’s been a non-stop string of unexpected twists. And truthfully, this is the year that’s felt more like five years. And, it’s often the moments of deepest stress and pain that can generate the most learning, growth, and emotional resilience. I know that for me and my family, this year has opened the door to new ways of embracing life and togetherness, and has helped us to hold less tightly to things that seemed indispensible before while simultaneously opening ourselves up to new ways of experiencing life. We’ve seen an explosion of driveway firepits, with neighbors spontaneously gathering outdoors (at a safe distance!) just to claim a few brief moments of community. We’ve learned to connect with others from afar using technology that seemed almost gratuitous before physical distancing became the norm. So, as I reflected on 2020, I realized that I had five big, key learnings for the year. That’s what I share on this episode. Diversify your portfolio (before you need it). It’s important to ensure that you aren’t putting all of your eggs in one basket. Even if you work for a company, you should be thinking about diversity of income stream in the event that something happens to your primary one. Don’t allow everything to hinge on one linchpin. Have a “break the glass” strategy. Many people were (all of us?) were surprised by the onset of the global pandemic. This should cause all of us to re-think our contingency plans in the event of another unexpected disaster. Embrace the flow of the river. Focus on things inside your circle of influence, and focus less on things in your circle of concern but beyond your influence. A stimulated mind = a stimulated life. The moments when I was most engaged this year were moments when I was studying or absorbing material that caused me to think in new ways. Don’t judge others by your measure for yourself. We need to extend grace to one another and recognize that we’re each carrying a unique burden. In this episode, I dive deeper into each of these five learnings and offer some next steps for application. This episode is sponsored by Headspace. Get a free one-month trial at Headspace.com/accidentalcreative. This episode is also sponsored by Patreon. Start creating on your own terms today at Patreon.com.

Freelance work offers tremendous opportunities, but also some unique challenges. It can be challenging to stay connected to others who can help you grow, find new prospects, and develop your skillset. On this episode, Amanda Malko (head of Mailchimp & Co and Mailchimp Academy) shares some practical tips for staying connected with others during this time, learning from the best practices of others, and finding new business opportunities during these uncertain times. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Visit Skillshare.com/accidental and get a free trial of Premium Membership. This episode is also sponsored by Literati. Go to Literati.com/accidentalcreative to find your perfect book club and sign up today.

Anyone else starting to experience a bit of “Zoom fatigue”? Many of us have been staring into cameras now for months on end, whether for meetings or pitches or even just casual interactions with friends, and it’s becoming a bit daunting. If your work requires you to capture and hold the attention of someone who is on the other end of a video call, you need to understand the principles of effective interpersonal communication, especially those that are non-verbal or non-intuitive. On this episode, behavioral investigator Vanessa Van Edwards is here to share the scientific principles of succeeding with people. Vanessa is the author of the best-selling book Captivate, and she also delivered the very popular (and perhaps unfortunately titled, given the current circumstances) TEDx Talk You Are Contagious. We discuss the verbal and non-verbal ways in which we connect with others, and some practical tips for being more effective whether in-person or on a video call. This episode is sponsored by Headspace. Go to Headspace.com/accidentalcreative for a free one-month trial with access to Headspace’s full library of meditations for every situation. This episode is also sponsored by Patreon. Find the creative freedom to do your best work, and the financial stability to make it possible. Visit Patreon.com to learn how.

It is often the case that the quality of our life is tied to the quality of our decisions. If we can learn to make better decisions, we can position ourselves to take advantage of opportunities and minimize the potential of unforced errors. On this episode, Annie Duke shares deep insight into how to make better decisions from her new book How To Decide. We discuss: Why good decisions might still result in bad outcomes, and vice versa. How to think about hindsight bias and how it affects our perception of decisions. Why decisions that seem bad to others might actually be good decisions for you. How the paradox of experience can lead to unforced errors and bad decisions. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Right now, Indeed is offering our listeners a free sventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post, which means more quality candidates will see it fast. Learn more at indeed.com/creative. (Offer valid through December 31.) This episode is also sponsored by LightStream. LightStream believes that people with good credit deserve a better loan experience. Learn more at http://lightstream.com/accidental (LightStream.com/accidental).

In times of uncertainty, we look for voices of clarity. Over several coming episodes, we’re going to be speaking with individuals who have the ability to speak a bit of clarity into the present uncertainty, and who can offer strategies for navigating through the next several months of instability. On today’s episode, http://dorieclark.com/ (Dorie Clark) shares what she is hearing at this moment from business leaders, and offers insights for diversifying your portfolio of revenue sources to create more marketplace stability. Dorie is the author of several books, including the best-seller Entrepreneurial You, and speaks and consults globally to some of the largest companies in the world. This episode is sponsored by Literati. Go to Literati.com/accidentalcreative to find your perfect book club and sign up today. This episode is also sponsored by Patreon. Start creating on your own terms. Sign up today at Patreon.com and find the steady, reliable income and the freedom to make what you love.

We have more tools available for time management than at any point in human history. However, managing our time is a fool’s errand if we’re not investing that time in ways that create future value. Things like creativity, insight, and even life satisfaction must be considered, not just efficiency. However, many people and organizations sacrifice effectiveness on the altar of short-term efficiency. David Kadavy has just released a book in which he argues that we must manage our ability to bring our full creative faculties to whatever work is in front of us rather than simply focusing on managing our time. His book is called Mind Management, Not Time Management, and covers the principles of maintaining focus, creativity, and viability each day. In our conversation we discuss: Why we inevitably hit a point of diminishing returns with our creative efforts, and how to prevent it. How Paul McCartney wrote Yesterday, and why it’s a perfect illustration of the four phases of creativity. Methods for capturing every idea as it appears so that it doesn’t slip away. How to structure your days to take advantage of your best creative hours rather than force-fitting your tasks into a pre-determined template. This episode is sponsored by Literati Kids. Go to Literati.com/creative for twenty-five percent off your first two orders and pick your kids book club today. This episode is also sponsored by Patreon. Find the creative freedom to do your best work, and the financial stability to make it possible. Sign up today at Patreon.com.

These are not, as they say, normal times. And, extra-ordinary times demand extra-ordinary tactics. As I’ve conducted a number of training sessions and speaking events over the past several weeks, I realized that much of the solution to the low-grade anxiety that many of us are feeling at the moment comes down to three things, all of which start with the letter “B”: Buffers: We need to establish some space “between” our commitments, including space at the beginning, middle, and end of our day, so that we can stay engaged and focused. Backburners: We need to have some way of engaging creatively beyond our on-demand work. This might look like developing a new skill, establishing a hobby, or finding some way of expressing ourselves and taking creative risks that are relatively actually low-risk because no one is judging our work. Breakwaters: We need to establish a bit of a sea wall against the onslaught of media and news that can easily overwhelm us and cause us to feel disengaged. This means putting some boundaries in place to help prevent overload. In this episode, we dive deeper into each of these three areas and offer some practical tips for implementing the three “B’s”. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/accidental and the first 1,000 people to use our link will get a free trial of Skilshare Premium Membership. This episode is sponsored by Hover. Visit Hover.com/accidentalcreative and get 10% off all new purchases.

We are surrounded by sounds that impact our mood, our attention, and our sense of place and being. Yet few of us actually stop to consider how those sounds are made, or the strategy behind them. On this episode, we talk with Dallas Taylor, host of the 20 Thousand Hertz podcast. He shares with us the importance of opening our ears to the world around us, and offers insights into how soundcraft can shape human experience. Dallas Taylor is the host of Twenty Thousand Hertz, a lovingly crafted podcast with TED that reveals the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds. He’s also the Creative Director of Defacto Sound, the sound design source for the world’s most thoughtful brands. Dallas is also a sound designer, consultant, writer, and TED mainstage speaker. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Creators — are you tired of being paid in clicks and likes? Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve. This episode is also sposored by Hover. Hover knows you will do something that will make a difference. Grab this domain name and many more at hover.com/AccidentalCreative for a 10% discount on all new purchases. Make a name for yourself with Hover.

Why does certain criticism sting so much? I’ve come to believe that it’s often not for the reason we suspect. When doing creative work, especially in public, you are essentially inviting feedback. I’ve said before that those who work in public are essentially painting a giant target on themselves, and thus must be willing to deal with the sting of the arrows. However, while I believe this to be true in principle, in practice it is often much more challenging. Which leads me to this question: have you ever considered why certain forms of criticism sting you more than others? Do you respond with more anger, defensiveness, or aggression with certain types of feedback than with others? If so, it could be that there is some form of limiting narrative or embedded belief/fear that is lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Here’s an experiment I’d like to propose: Pay attention to your response to critique and feedback over the coming week. If it suits you, perhaps even write each piece of feedback down. More importantly, see if you can identify why that feedback elicited such a strong response in you. Is it possible that there is some defining story that’s affecting your engagement? If you can spot some beliefs/narratives, consider how else they might be playing out in your life and work. Are they affecting the choices you make, the opportunities you seek, or your relationships? Is so, how? It’s often not the circumstances we learn from, but our response to them. Identifying limiting narratives or patterns of self-destruction can help us spot them when they crop up, then nip them before they cause us to implode or obsess needlessly over critique. Understanding why criticism stings can help us learn from it and apply insights to life and work. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Creators — are you tired of being paid in clicks and likes? Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve. This episode is also sponsored by Lightstream.

In my book Die Empty, I examined the common places where bright, sharp, talented people eventually get stuck in their life and career. The goal, of course, is to get your best work out of you every day and to not leave it inside or take it to your grave with you like so many people do. We all have a unique contribution to make to the world through our life and work, but unless we are purposeful about getting to it, others may never experience it. There are three kinds of work that we engage in as we go about our day. (I also addressed these in a recent podcast.) They are Mapping, Making, and Meshing. Mapping is planning your work. It is when you strategize, conceive, think, plan, and plot your course of action. It’s the “work before the work” that helps you stay aligned. Making is actually doing the work. It is when you are creating the actual value you are being paid for, or doing the tasks you devised while mapping. Meshing is the third kind of work, and it’s often overlooked in the hustle of daily activity. It is all of the “work between the work” that actually makes you more effective when you are working. It’s comprised of things like following your curiosity, study, developing your skills, and asking deeper questions about why you are doing your work. Depending on how diligent you are at engaging in these three kinds of work, you will occasionally fall into one of four “productivity profiles”. Mapping + Making – Meshing = Driver Drivers are “heads down”. They are ploughing through their work and getting things done, and they are extremely effective in short bursts and in the short-term. However, over time they become decreasingly effective because they aren’t doing the little things that prepare them for future challenges and obstacles. They are not developing themselves or their capacity for future effectiveness. Mapping + Meshing – Making = Dreamer The dreamer loves to talk about ideas, and loves to develop skills and follow curiosity where it leads, but is not disciplined about getting the work done. They tend to have big ideas, but no follow-through. Of course, this is not a path to making a valuable contribution. Meshing + Making – Mapping = Drifter This is my achilles heel. The drifter is someone who loves to develop skills and follow curiosity, and loves to engage in the act of making, but they lack the conviction of a long-term strategic plan. Thus, they tend to leave a series of half-finished projects in their wake. They bounce from shiny new project to shiny new project, and fall prey to what Scott Belsky calls the “project plateau”, which is when they hop to a new project when the old one stalls. Mapping + Making + Meshing = Developer This is the most desirable of the four profiles, because it allows you to take advantage of all three kinds of work and weave them together to take advantage of opportunities. Developers are best positioned to spot and leverage opportunities because they are planning, they are being diligent about doing the work, and they are developing themselves and their skills to position them for future activity. So which of the four profiles most reflects your tendencies? The good news is that if you see yourself in one of them, it’s easy to adjust and get back on the Developer path. Everyone has their tendencies and weak spots, but awareness of them is the first step toward more productive and contributive activity. Question: Which of these four profiles to you tend toward the most, and how does it affect your work? This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Try Indeed out with a free seventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post at Indeed.com/creative. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Creators — are you tired of being paid in clicks and likes? Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve.

The key to producing a brilliant body of work is steady, regular, brave practice. You must engage every day with your work as a matter of discipline. No one embodies this ethic better than http://sethgodin.com/ (Seth Godin). Seth is the author of most of my favorite books, all of which have been best-sellers, and is a champion of those who make brave art each day. On this episode, we discuss his new book The Practice and how we can purposefully bring ourselves to our work every day. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve. This episode is also sponsored by Hover. Hover knows you will do something that will make a difference. Grab your domain name and many more at hover.com/accidentalcreative for a 10% discount on all new purchases. Make a name for yourself with Hover.

Since the early days of the Accidental Creative podcast we’ve closed off with the phrase “cover bands don’t change the world – you need to find your unique voice if you want to thrive.” A cover band is a band that plays other people’s music, and they often fill music venues and make money, but at the end of the night people go home singing the music. Cover bands are often quickly forgotten, but the music lives on. This doesn’t mean that emulation is always wrong. In fact, emulation is a key part of early growth and development. However, we cannot rely on imitation as a short-cut to success. If we do, our success will be hollow, and without a foundation. In order to add lasting, meaningful value, we must – eventually – find our own voice. But how do we do that? With the pressures and demands of daily work, it can often be overwhelming simply to deliver on expectations, let alone to try to find some unique way of engaging our day. But it’s often in the midst of our work that we will find the best clues for our deeper, resonant vocation. The sources of both “voice” and “vocation” are close to the Latin word vocare, which means “to call, or invoke”. Our voice is the thing that is being called out of us in the midst of our work. It is the underlying why of our passion, even if we’ve never considered it. We must actively search for our voice, and clear a path for it to emerge. It is uncovered, not manufactured. We may not even like what we discover at first, but by embracing it we will position ourselves to occupy the unique space for which we’re wired. Here are a few questions that may help uncover clues to your voice. Set aside some time with a notebook or journal to reflect on each: What angers you? Every super hero needs a bad guy. Without one, the super hero has nothing to fight against. Are there specific things that evoke a compassionate anger in you? (Key point of differentiation: this is not about road rage, poor service, or leaving the seat up. We’re talking about the systemic things that evoke a desire to intervene in a situation as an act of compassion or to rectify a great wrong.) What makes you cry? Think about the last several instances that caused you to cry. Movies are fair game too. I’ve noticed that I almost always tear up while watching stories of underdogs who overcome incredible odds. This is a clue to me that my greatest work may somehow involve fighting for those who are oppressed or unheard. (Hence…we call AC “freedom fighters for the creative class.”) What have you mastered? Are there tasks, skills, or opportunities that you have simply mastered and can do without thinking? These low-friction activities might give you a clue to ways you can continue pursuing your voice. We learn through action, observation, then correction. Start with what you do well, and work your way toward your goal. What gives you hope? What do you look forward to? What great vision do you have for your future and the future of others? Hope is a powerful motivator, and can give you a clue to the ways in which you may be able to compel others to act. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? We often forget the earliest clues to our voice as we are burdened with the expectations of peers, teachers, parents, and eventually the marketplace. But those early days of wonder – the vast expanses of horizon that hinted at limitless possibility – can give us insight into the deeper seeds of fascination that still reside within us. So…what did/do you want to be when you grow up? If you had all the time and money in the world, what would you do? It astounds me how few people have asked themselves this question, and it astounds me more how few people can arrive at an answer when they do. We believe that a lack of resources is the obstacle to our happiness and fulfillment, but for many of us the limitation has nothing to do with a lack of money or time. The limitation is our fear of falling short of our own...

In the face of uncertainty, teams need good, effective leadership. Not just bold, brash, decisive leadership, but empathetic, focused, generous leadership. Is it possible to accomplish a lot of great work while simultaneously growing a great culture? Yes, but it requires that leaders routinely model for their team what a great culture looks like. There are three words that every creative pro needs to hear from their manager: “I’m for you.” I want to see you thrive. I want to see you excel. I want to help you accomplish your goals. Here are three specific ways we can model this sentiment to our teams: I believe in your abilities. I won’t try to control your work, but will instead allow you to operate within clear principles and will give you the freedom you need to bring your best thought to the work. I won’t let you settle. I will hold you accountable to expectations and to a high standard of performance, not because of how it reflects on the team but because I believe you are capable of more than you think. We are in this together. We will get to the other side in lock step, and I will fight to protect the resources, time, focus, and energy you need to do what I’m asking of you. If teams begin to operate in this fashion, it unlocks trust and deep engagement. On this episode, I dive into each of these three principles and how to implement them. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Creators — are you tired of being paid in clicks and likes? Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve.

Some people think of design as the afterthought of a project. It’s about making things look good, tweaking the usability, or simply making a product or service more appealing. However, those who understand the value of design know that it must be baked into the very fabric of a product or service. Design is not an afterthought, it’s a starting point. On this episode, Scott Berkun shares principles from his new book https://amzn.to/2T4xcbC (How Design Makes The World), and offers some tactical insights for how we can be more intentional about approaching our everyday interactions and work through the lens of good design. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Creators — are you tired of being paid in clicks and likes? Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve.

If there was one word that I would use to describe those who succeed in the face of adversity, it would be resilience. Some professionals are able to withstand changing times, shifting expectations, and limited resources in a way that others aren’t. And, if there was one quality that is most needed right now, it certaintly is resilience. On this episode, we feature an interview with John Jantsch, author of https://amzn.to/3dryCGC (The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur). John discusses key principles for growing self-reliance in the midst of disconnected times, and how small business owners can continue to succeed even as the ground is constantly shifting beneath their feet. In part two of this episode, I share three key principles for developing creative resilience during these uncertain times: Train yourself to take risks in low-risk environments. Always be learning a new skill, to create layers of redundancy and a mindset of perseverance. Take time to synthesize and to think systemically and in layers, so that you can parse the noise and uncertainty. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Try Indeed out with a free seventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post at Indeed.com/creative. This episode is also sponsored by Hover. Hover knows you will do something that will make a difference. Grab your domain name and many more at hover.com/accidentalcreative for a 10% discount on all new purchases. Make a name for yourself with Hover.

Have we worn out the phrase “unprecedented times” yet? OK, let’s just say that we are continuing to wrestle with the uncertainty of our systems, our expectations, our relationships, our team dynamics, and even the edges of our workdays. In addition to the overwhelming loss of those who have succmbed to the virus, another major thing that has been taken from us is a sense of rhythm. We are wired for rhythm, and without it we are less focused, productive, and engaged. On this episode, we share three core principles for dealing with Covid overwhelm: Understand and use your natural motivaiton to overcome overwhelm. Discover your unique motivations and bring those to what you do every day instead of waiting for your circumstances to inspire you. Gave clear edges and set buffers. Define the beginning and end of your work day, and establish breaks in the midst of the day so that your obligations don’t stack up. Mind your dailies. Have routines and practices that keep you grounded. Feed your mind, work your body, and feed your soul every day. We are wired for rhythm and Covid has stolen it. On this episode, you’ll learn some strategies for taking it back. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. The first 1,000 people to use our link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium at Skillshare.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

We often hear about the importance of curiosity, or intuition, or exploration with regard to the creative process. But, one word we rarely hear is wonder. Wonder is a word that perfectly captures the state of awe ad inspiration when we are at the precipice of a breakthrough. It encapsulates the sense of possibility being greater than expected and more expansive than previously known. When we can operate with a sense of wonder, our world expands. On this episode of the podcast, Harris iii shares insights from his new book The Wonder Switch that will help us activate wonder in our daily lives and live with our eyes on possibility, not just pragmatism. This episode is sponsored by Patreon. Creators — are you tired of being paid in clicks and likes? Patreon lets you build real, sustainable income through the direct support of your fans. Sign up on http://patreon.com/ (patreon.com) now and start building the steady income stream you deserve.

In today’s workplace, there are multiple generations working side by side, meaning that in order to collaborate effectively and lead well it’s important to understand the unique qualities and characteristics of each generation, and also how they uniquely contribute to the fabric and mission of the team. On this episode, Jason Dorsey (expert in generational dynamics and co-author of Zconomy) shares insights into how to understand Gen Z, lead them, and unleash their best work. This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Get 20% off Grammarly Premium when you sign up at Grammarly.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

There are many misunderstandings about what it means to be “motivated”. Typically, we think that either someone is motivated or they aren’t, as if motivation is a switch to be flipped. The reality is that we are always motivated to do something, and once we begin to unlock the secrets to what drives us we can learn to bring our motivation to what we do each day instead of waiting for our work to motivate us. On this episode, I share a passage from the new book https://amzn.to/34mbzJb (The Motivation Code) in which my co-authors and I dispel some common misunderstandings about what drives us: Motivation is just about diligence or laziness. Motivation is about enjoying tasks. Motivation naturally comes with “the perfect job”.

Leadership isn’t about being on top, it’s about being in the middle. This means that you not only have to learn how to manage those on your team, but also that you must develop the ability to manage up in order to get what you and the team need to succeed. On this episode, we share a few key principles for entering into difficult conversations with your manager: Approach the conversation with respect and assume the best. Have your supporting facts in order and make your case clearly. Aim for small wins and build from there. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Right now, Indeed is offering our listeners a free seventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post – which means more quality candidates will see it, fast. Offer valid through September 30. Learn more at Indeed.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

At some point, we’ve all heard “Don’t worry about motivation. Just do it!” While that advice is well-meaning, it misses the mark, and here’s why: You’re motivated to do something whether you realize it or not. If you’re procrastinating, that action is motivated by something, even if you don’t know what it is. If you spend three evenings working late to refine a project that few people care about, it’s motivated by something, even if you can’t identify it. By better understanding what it is that truly drives us, we can unlock ways of approaching our work in a more meaningful way. That brings me to my point: you can’t wait for your tasks to motivate you, you need to bring motivation to your tasks. Searching for the perfect job is like chasing vapor. We all have to do work that we may not enjoy. However, once you begin to better understand the themes that drive deep engagement and fulfillment in your life, you can learn to structure your work so that you are bringing that motivational energy to your tasks more consistently. That’s when things really unlock for you. On this episode, I share a few key insights from the beginning of my new book http://themotivationcode.com/ (The Motivation Code)to help unlock why motivation is critical, and how to begin to leverage it daily. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. For a limited time, get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

The best way to ensure that your most important work gets done is to dedicate time to doing it. See if this scenario sounds familiar: you sit down to do your work with your coffee, and fire up your laptop. First, you check your e-mail, looking for any potential fires that have cropped up overnight, spend about ten minutes addressing those urgent matters, then set about actually doing the work you need to get done for the day. About five minutes later, someone pings you on email and asks for a few moments of your time to look at something over a video chat. You agree, and before you know it you have to run off to another video meeting with a colleague to talk about an important project. The same pattern repeats over and over throughout the day, and by the time you close down your laptop for the day, you realize that the big, important work you intended to tackle today has been pushed off until tomorrow, or worse, that you’ll have to do the work at home in order to meet your deadline. In truth, you didn’t really do anything wrong. You were responsive, responsible, and present in everything you did. The problem is that while you were busy responding to all of the urgent stimuli in your environment, you were neglecting the less urgent, but much more important work that will add true, long-term value. Whether you work in an office or on your own, it’s critical that you learn to build barriers around your time and dedicate focused efforts to your most important work. The best way I’ve discovered to do this is to establish chunks of time dedicated to specific tasks. What are time chunks? While I am a big fan of making lists for tasks (and am a big adherent to the GTD philosophy), I find that my calendar is often my friend when I’m trying to tackle large, complex projects. As such, whenever I have ongoing work that will require deep, focused effort I tend to block off time on my calendar to work on them. How do you set them? 1. Look at your current projects, and choose one that will take a lot of deep, focused effort over a period of a few weeks or months. 2. Look at your calendar for a few open slots this week, and choose one that will give you plenty of time to focus on the project. 3. Block off the time on the calendar, with the title of the event being the project name or problem you’ll be working on. This is important, because without something on your calendar your time will always be negotiable. 4. Stick with the plan. Don’t fall prey to temptation at the last minute, or compromise in order to squeeze in a meeting. Sure, there will be exceptions, but in general try to treat this time chunk just like you would a meeting with someone you respect. (It is, after all, a meeting with yourself.) 5. Spend the last five minutes of your time chunk determining where you’ll go next with the project. Make sure that you have a clear starting point the next time you pick up your work, as that will make it much easier to gain traction and use your time wisely. 6. At the end of every time chunk, set your next one. Look for an opening in your calendar when you can continue your progress, while you have some momentum. It may work best for you to have pre-established chunks of time on your calendar for specific tasks. (For example, I know that 6-7a each morning is my study time, that certain times are dedicated to developing content, and certain times are reserved for client calls. That prevents schedule whiplash from creeping into my weeks.) Many of us lack the kind of latitude over our schedule that we’d like to have, but all of us have some discretion about how we spend our time. The best way to prevent distractions and make steady progress on your most important work is to dedicate predictable time to it. This episode is sponsored by Caveday. Caveday leads group focus sessions for a worldwide community everyday on Zoom. Accidental Creative listeners can try a free, three hour cave with promo code...

Workloads and expectations are increasing. It’s not a cliché, it’s a fact. It’s the single biggest (confidential) complaint that I hear when spending time with companies. Before the COVID shutdown, I was speaking at a conference in Florida, and in the short Q&A at the end of my talk a man stood and said “We are doing more with less. We have fewer people than ever, but our project load continues to increase. However, the quality of our work is not allowed to suffer. What should I do?” Great question. Tough question. The first thing to realize is that if this is how you feel, you’re not alone. At all. In fact, you’re the norm. Many recent studies have explored the increasing workload and simultaneously decreasing engagement of employees, and the trend is frightening. Creative pros have never been more busy, and simultaneously less engaged with their work. One study found that 75% of creatives believe they are not living up to their full creative potential. Some say the fastest growing contingency in the workplace is a group being dubbed “malicious cooperatives”. They do what they need to in order to keep their job, but they secretly harbor hope that their company will fail. Huh? So what are some practical ways to deal with the increasing workload expectations and decreasing resources? Know when to celebrate. It’s hard to be thrilled at the completion of a project when the very next instant your manager unloads a new pile of expectations on you. When super busy, celebration is often the first thing to go because it seems so… unnecessary. But it’s not! It’s crucial to have milestones that you can point to both for your own sense of accomplishment and for the sake of your team’s sense of progress. It also helps keep your work and your days from blending together into one long, run-on sentence. Tip: Establish when you will celebrate the work that you’ve accomplished, and stick to your plan. Know where you’ll begin. When dealing with creative work – turning your thoughts into value – it’s sometimes difficult to find the edges. It’s hard to know exactly when something is good enough, because there’s always room for improvement. Similarly, it’s challenging to get started on your work, because you’re often making it up as you go along. Thus, I’d encourage you (and your team) to always end your work each day with a clear understanding of where you’ll pick it up the next. That way you have a natural point of traction to help you get started. Tip: Choose at the end of each work day where and how you’ll begin the work tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to talk about the pressure. No one likes to be seen as a whiner, so sometimes these unseen (but strongly felt) pressures can stay locked up inside because we don’t want to burden others. However, simply creating an environment of permission to talk about the pressure can help mitigate it. No, the work isn’t going to go away, but if everyone (including your manager) is looped in on the team dynamic then it can sometimes help provide context for how to overcome it. Tip: Have frequent conversations about how you feel about the work and the pressure, and be brutally honest. The workload isn’t going away. This isn’t just a temporary artifact of a struggling economy, it’s mass-scale experimentation with a new way to do business remotely in the connected economy. To thrive moving forward, you and I need to develop some tools to deal with the pressure. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Right now, Indeed is offering our listeners a free seventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post – which means more quality candidates will see it, fast. Learn more at Indeed.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Have you ever walked into a company’s headquarters and passed an enormous marble wall engraved with the company’s values? There it is, in all its permanence and glory, greeting employees each day and reminding them: “THIS IS WHO WE ARE!” Except, it’s not always. It’s who they were, once. Most people walk right past that wall without even paying it a moment of notice. They’re numb to it, and it doesn’t really hold any sway over their everyday behavior. Your culture isn’t defined by a set of tenets or a plaque on the wall. It’s defined by what you do. If you say that you value boldness but always make the most comfortable decision, then people will cease to be bold. If you say that you value customer service, but you are always snickering and telling stories about how annoying your customers are, then you will train your culture to devalue its customers. If you say that you value truth telling, but you get defensive every time someone attempts to offer a piece of constructive feedback, you will cultivate a reactive, closed-minded culture. This kind of hypocrisy is demoralizing. However, with clear ground rules and a stable culture around your team, people know they have the support they need to take risks. Your team’s experience of you is its experience of the company. Period. Full stop. When cultural expectations aren’t well defined, people tend to be very conservative out of a fear of getting it wrong. Dee Hock, founder and former CEO of Visa, once said, “Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior.” However, you cannot impose a culture on a team. Great cultures are grown from the ground up. A culture mandated from on high will fit like a suit that’s three sizes too large, never quite cut to size. Because cultures are grown, you must treat yours like a garden. Just like a good gardener, you aggressively fertilize the aspects of your team’s culture that you want in abundance and diligently prune the things you want to get rid of. This requires constant attention on your part, because if you allow a few errant behaviors to slide, you will eventually find your entire garden choked with weeds. Prune the “Ghost Rules” Ella was a successful manager at a very large company. I was challenging her to think in a new way about a tricky problem she was attempting to solve, but when I offered my thought, she quickly responded, “Nope—that won’t work here.” I paused, a little stunned at her abruptness, and asked, “Why not?” She looked at me as if collecting her thoughts, and after a few moments she replied, “Hmm. Good question.” After further dissection, we realized that Ella’s response had been hardwired into her by a previous manager, who often had strong, fear-based opinions about new ideas. “That won’t work here” was a common reaction to many of Ella’s fresh thoughts, and over time she began to adopt these opinions as hard fact. “Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior.” – Dee Hock What Ella had come up against are what I call ghost rules, or invisible limitations that people or teams place upon themselves for no good reason. Sometimes these rules become baked-in organizational assumptions about what is and isn’t possible, and the net result is that the team artificially limits the places it looks for ideas or value. In order for your team to feel freedom to do its best work, regularly prune ghost rules from your life and your team’s culture. Following are a few examples of ghost rules I frequently see. What Will and Won’t Work? A manager from a large company once told me that he was instructed not to pursue a particular idea because “someone tried that back in the 1980s, and it didn’t work.” Apart from the laws of physics, a lot of things have changed in the past thirty years. It’s...

Robert Glazer is the author of the best-selling book https://amzn.to/3bb9xOW (Elevate) and the new book https://amzn.to/2YPDQpj (Friday Forward), and is also the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners. He believes that there are four fundamental capacities that everyone must develop in order to thrive in work and life: Spiritual Capacity: This is your connection to a core set of values, guiding principles, and deep sense of self. Without it, you are a rudderless ship drifting with the tide. Intellectual Capacity: This is your capacity to use your mind to solve problems, remain resilient, and spot opportunities. Physical Capacity: This is how you develop your body and care for your physical self so that you are able to perform at your peak at all times. Emotional Capacity: This is how you engage with the world around you, with your peers, and with those you care about. In this interview, Robert shares some practical tips for developing each of these four capacities, some watch points for when you are in danger of failing to mind them, and some practices to help you sustain performance. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity and two free months of Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

“I have a certain set of skills,” Liam Neeson’s character threatens over the phone in the action movie Taken. OK, though those particular skills are slightly different than the ones offered up in Josh Kaufman’s bestseller The Personal MBA, those who develop mastery of these business fundamentals can operate with the same level of confidence. Anyone who wants to succeed in the marketplace needs a grasp of the basics of doing business. Knowledge gaps can be costly, and even small business owners or solopreneurs who grasp the fundamentals will have a huge advantage over their competitors. In this interview, Josh shares insights he’s discovered in the ten years since the book’s publication, and how we can each deal with the uncertainty that this current environment offers. This episode is sponsored by Givewell. Get your first donation matched – up to $100 – when you select [Podcast] and [The Accidental Creative] at Givewell.org. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

My new book releases October 6th. Below, learn how to get the full MCODE assessment when you pre-order the book. There are things we experience our entire life, but never really have words to describe. For example, there are probably certain easy tasks that you simply can’t seem to get motivated to do, but others – that are much more difficult and less attractive – you are willing to tackle at a moment’s notice. Similarly, there are probably certain people in your life or on your team that you simply can’t seem to get along with, while other relationships just “click”. I’ve come to learn that many of these unseen, yet routinely experienced dynamics are due to how you and everyone around you are uniquely motivated. About four years ago, my friend Rod asked me to take a motivation assessment he’d been working on. I was not excited. I’ve seen plenty of assessments, and frankly, most of them were not very useful to me. However, Rod promised me this would be different. And, in short, he was right. I was blown away. The assessment that Rod and an entire ream of researchers had developed was founded upon over 50 years of research and over a million achievement stories. They had discovered that there are twenty-seven unique themes of motivation, and that depending on a person’s top handful of themes, certain work or relationships might bring them to life or make them wish they were dead. It was through this assessment that I discovered that my top motivaitonal themes are: Make An Impact Meet The Challenge Influence Behavior So, when I can’t see the impact of my work, or when I don’t have a discrete and pressing challenge to tackle, or when I can’t see the direct influence of my work on the thoughts and behavior of others, I disengage. However, when these three things are present, I completely come alive and do some of my best work. Because of this knowledge, I’ve been able to resolve recurring conflict in relationships, re-structure some of my tasks so they are more engaging, and change the way I think about outcomes so that they are more aligned with what naturally drives me. In short, it’s been life-changing. I want you to have the same experience I had, so I’ve arranged to allow anyone who pre-orders The Motivation Code (before October 6th) to have access to the full MCODE assessment! All you have to do is pre-order the book through your favorite retailer, then register your pre-order so that we can send you a code to take the full assessment. I believe understanding what uniquely drives you will unlock untold potential, engagement, and deep productivity in your life, your relationships, your family, and your community. I can’t wait to share the book with you. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Right now, Indeed is offering our listeners a free seventy-five dollar credit to boost your job post – which means more quality candidates will see it, fast. Learn more at Indeed.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

One key element of any healthy culture is that people understand how to give effective feedback to one another. Because creative work can feel a bit subjective, feedback can be a difficult thing to navigate, so many people default to being overly prescriptive or controlling. However, while specific, tactical feedback might achieve short-term results, it often creates bigger problems over the long-term. Instead, we need to learn how to offer feedback in a way that helps the team (or our clients) think in new and better ways about the work. On this episode, we share three core principles for offering better feedback: Honor the process The end result of a project is just the final piece of a very long process. When you offer suggestions without first understanding how someone arrived at that result, you are negating their entire process, and the decision-making that went into it. You have to allow them the opportunity to share not only the end result of their thinking, but their thought process itself. Ask better questions Instead of being prescriptive, ask questions that help the other person articulate why they made the decisions they did. Also, ask questions that help them think about other pathways they could have taken, and where those pathways may have led. “Why did you choose to…” or “How did you arrive at…” are wonderful conversation starters to get them talking about the why behind what you are seeing or experiencing. Invite them to re-direct Once you’ve had a thorough conversation about the process, begin asking them questions that nudge them in what you think might be a more helpful direction. For example, “what if instead of doing X, you chose Y? How might that change your process?” or “Can you think of a way that we could…?” These are open-ended questions that value the other person and also invite them into the process of re-directing the work in a meaningful way. Yes, we’re all pros and we need to be able to deal with difficult feedback. And, it doesn’t serve anyone when we are overly-prescriptive and lack empathy in how we interact with the work of others. Be a pro, and be intentional about giving feedback that helps them think not only about what to do, but why they should do it that way. This episode is sponsored by Freshly. Get $40 off your first two orders at Freshly.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

As a leader, your voice speaks much louder than your actual words. Your voice isn’t just what you say, it’s how your team hears you, and the collective tone your actions and communication take. Does your voice represent you and your message as well as it could? Over time, the best leaders are able to make their ideas and influence resonate far outside their own ambits. Here are six ways to get your voice to carry throughout your entire organization. BE AUTHENTICYes, it’s an overused word, but I think that’s because our idea of what’s “authentic” is too narrow. It’s not just about transparency or vulnerability, it’s also about letting the people you lead see what you truly care about. Resonant leaders are genuinely invested in their work, and it shows. It’s easy for team members to see that they truly have “skin in the game” and care not only about short-term results, but also about long-term impact. As Tim Schigel, cofounder of the social sharing platform ShareThis, told me, “Authenticity doesn’t have to amplify.” When you’re truly invested in your message, you don’t have to shout. It’s apparent to others, and it lends credibility to your leadership. To begin cultivating authenticity, ask yourself, “Can the people on my team see what I stand for, or do they have to guess?” BE UNIQUEAuthenticity alone isn’t sufficient. Resonant leaders have the courage to make clear decisions, even in the face of uncertainty. The word “decide” comes from the Latin word that means “to cut off.” You’re choosing to cut off other options and commit to one direction, even when you’re uncertain. However, many leaders prefer to keep their options open for as long as possible out of fear of getting it wrong and failing. But you have to be willing to commit to a path by following your intuition and making bold, unique decisions with the best information you have available. This isn’t a license to be foolish or rash, but a recognition that every needlessly delayed decision has a trickle-down effect on your team’s focus and productivity. You need to stand apart from those seeking safety over impact. To begin cultivating uniqueness, ask, “Where am I being ambiguous about a decision, and how might it be affecting my team?” BE PRECISEWhen faced with a difficult choice, some leaders go into “protect mode” rather than being precise with their language. In order to make your ideas resonate, you can’t leave room for misinterpretation about where you stand on an issue or what you expect from team members. Be like a laser, not a lighthouse. A lighthouse tells ships where not to go, but provides no navigational guidance beyond helping them avoid danger areas. A laser, on the other hand, is precise, cutting, and directional. Your team needs to know what you expect of them, even when they don’t like it. Precise leaders can be polarizing, but in the end they make everyone’s job easier to navigate. To begin cultivating precision, ask, “Where are my instructions vague, and where am I being defensive rather than forthright with my ideas?” BE CONSISTENTYour voice won’t resonate if it isn’t consistent. Again, this sounds obvious on the surface, but meeting day-to-day challenges can make it difficult. If your work lacks a strong through-line, it can become easy to treat projects as one-off events rather than as a part of a bigger strategy. If you regularly send dissonant messages, it might be difficult for team members to anticipate how you’ll respond in a given situation. And that in turn can lead to paralysis. There should be consistency in the choices you make and a consonance to the way you communicate them. To cultivate consonance, ask, “Where am I being inconsistent, and how can I give my decision-making and communication more uniformity?” BE EMPATHETICHow deeply do you connect with your team? Is your leadership coming from a position of empathy, or are you trying to control behavior? Jeremy Pryor, co-founder of Epipheo Studios, told me that the

Everyone loves to win. The accolades, attention, and rewards are addictive. However, if you’re trying to do the work you’re capable of doing, you’ll eventually fail. If you’re leading a team of capable, driven people who are stretching themselves creatively, you’re probably going to fail often to hit your mark. You will eventually fail. If you’re not failing every so often, you’re probably not trying hard enough. After a failed project, many teams simply move forward to the next one, without a postmortem. This is a huge mistake. It’s important that you seize those failures and mistakes and turn them into growth moments for your team. Otherwise, people are likely to commit the same mistakes again. Some of the biggest coaching opportunities you’ll have are in the moments when an individual or the team has failed. Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary head basketball coach for Duke University, said in an interview: “My defining moments have usually been something where I’ve lost or where I’ve been knocked back.” At the end of the 1983 season, Duke lost by 43 in the ACC tournament. The program was in disarray and many thought that Coach K’s career was over. At dinner that night, someone raised his glass and said, “Here’s to forgetting about tonight.” Coach K stopped him and ordered him to put his glass down. Then he raised his own glass and said, “Here’s to never forgetting about tonight.” The following season, when the team arrived on October 15 for the first practice, the scoreboard over the court read 109–66, the final score of the tournament loss to Virginia. Players recounted that Coach K wanted them to never forget how it felt to get beat so thoroughly and to use it as fuel to give their best every day. Since that day, Duke has emerged as a premier basketball program, and Coach K largely points to that defining moment as the turning point. If you’re not failing every so often, you’re probably not trying hard enough. Here are a few questions to ask shortly after experiencing a failure. It’s very important that you couch this conversation as a desire to learn from the experience and grow, not as a trial of competence: Why do you think you/we fell short of our objectives? Stop to consider what happened, and strive to ensure that the team is telling a consistent story about what actually happened. Often, team members will have different perspectives on what led to the failure. Make certain that there is a common understanding of what contributed to the failure to hit the mark. What did we learn from this experience? Try to capture whatever was learned from the shortcoming so that you are able to institutionalize that learning and prevent the same mistakes next time. Were there any assumptions that were limiting your thinking? Were there any faulty lines of logic that led to miscommunication? Whatever the problems, make certain that the team understand where things went off the rails. What will you do different next time? Failure is only a huge problem if (a) it takes you out of the game, or (b) it’s repeated in the same way more than once. Strive to never fail twice in the same way. Failure the first time is inevitable, failure twice in the same way is a function of poor leadership. Was the failure one of effort, decision making, or skill? How can you avoid it again? (By the way, failures of effort require special treatment, because it’s the one kind of failure that is completely avoidable.) If you were me, what would you do to prevent these mistakes in the future? Solicit input from your team members about how you can prevent the same mistakes next time. Don’t assume that they will share their advice with you unless given explicit permission to do so. After a failure, team members are often hesitant to speak up until they know the temperature of the room. Give them permission to speak truth to you, and to offer their advice for how to succeed in the future. Strive to never fail twice in the same way....

We live in uncertain times. My friend Andy posted a photo of a sign from 2015 today that asked “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Well, I seriously doubt that any of us would have answered “living through a global pandemic with an uncertain ending.” No matter what your role, it’s important that you learn to plan for uncertainty. You can’t predict what will happen, but you can prepare yourself to deal with unexpected events in a more productive way. On this episode, we share three core principles for planning for uncertainty: Ask better questions. Many people don’t ask questions because they don’t want to know the answer. However, it’s only when things go awry that you fully realize the quality of the questions you’ve been asking. In this episode, I share how to ask the “what’s the pin in the grenade?” question to help you prepare for unexpected negative events. Build your runway. You need to know that you have the resources needed to bridge from here to there. Many businesses will go under during this pandemic because they weren’t able to survive the downturn, but those who make it through will be far better positioned on the other side to take advantage of the rebound. Protect the main thing. Mission is king. You need to adjust and adapt in whatever way is necessary to protect your mission and abide by your values. Uncertainty is inevitable, but how we deal with it makes all the difference between a successful outcome and a disastrous one. This episode is sponsored by Givewell. Get your first donation matched – up to $100 – when you select [Podcast] and [The Accidental Creative] at Givewell.org. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

You need other people in your life to help you see yourself fully. You only see a certain perspective, but people around you can help you see opportunities for growth and advancement that are invisible to you. But right now, community isn’t naturally coming to you. You have to go to community. On this episode, we share three questions that you should be asking someone in your life you trust. If you are a manager, these three questions can help you unlock areas of growth for yourself and your team, and can illuminate places where you’re slipping into ruts or over-controlling the team. The three questions are: What am I doing right now that I should stop doing? What is something obvious that you don’t think I see? How can I be of help right now? This need for community is also why I’ve started Creative Leader Roundtable, a three-week workshop for leaders and teams. Now, more than at any point in recent history, we need others to help us navigate. Learn more about the workshop, or see how you can bring your entire team.

Over the past several months, conversations about race and justice have been thrust to the forefront of culture. However, these conversations can be fraught with challenges, especially in the workplace. How do we have meaningful conversations that build stronger relationships and stronger organizations? On this episode, founder of Undivided Chuck Mingo shares how leaders can be an ally in the workplace, how we can lead with greater empathy and understanding for those whose experiences are different from our own, and how we can elevate difficult conversations while cultivating trust and strong relationships. This episode is sponsored by Literati, the subscription book club that makes it easy to find unique and interesting books for your kids. For a limited time, go to Literati.com/creative for 25% off your first two orders.

We are all learning a new way of working. In truth, this transition has been coming for a while, but was dramatically accelerated by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of us are now working from home, or at least working in remote locations away from our co-workers, which means that we need to develop a new set of habits and rituals to help us thrive. Laura Vanderkam has just published a book called The New Corner Office in which she shares best practices gleaned from years of research into productivity habits. In our interview, she shared a few key insights that can help you be more focused, more productive, and more energetic throughout your day. Here are a few of my key takeaways from our conversation: Manage by task, not by time. When you are in the habit of going to an office every day, there are some external prompts for what constitutes a full day of work. (Is it 5:30PM yet?) However, when you work from home, your schedule might be different every day depending on what’s happening in your household. Laura suggests that, instead of focusing on time as the key metric for a full day of work, we focus on the accomplishment of tasks. Once we’ve checked those tasks off, we’ve completed our work for the day. Make sure your virtual meetings have a focus and a “why”. When everyone was first working from home, virtual meetings sprouted on the calendar like weeds. We were trying desperately to make sure we were all connected and “in the loop”. However, now that we are settling into a new rhythm, it’s time to start pruning some of those non-essential meetings from the calendar and curating the set of meetings that are truly helpful and meaningful. Do all of your meetings have an apparent “why?”, and is there a clear agenda? Work on transitions. When your desk is ten feet from your breakfast table, it can be a challenge to feel like there are any true “transitions” in your day. Laura says it’s critically important to develop some transitional rituals to signal to yourself that you are moving into a new mode of work. For example, maybe it’s having a coffee ritual that signals it’s time to start the workday, or maybe you need to change into different clothes to signal that the “professional” part of your day is beginning. Whatever your method, having transitions in place can be a strong signal to your brain that you are now in “focus mode”. These are just a few of the key insights I took from our conversation. Whatever your job, make sure that your systems and rituals are set up to ensure that you’re spending your most productive hours doing your most important work, and that you are marking your days so that you have a sense of rhythm about your work. This episode is sponsored by Freshly. Join almost one and a half million satisfied customers and skip the shopping, prepping, cooking, and clean up. Get forty dollars off your first two orders at Freshly.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

In American football, the red zone is the area on each end of the field inside the twenty yard line. What happens in this area is a key determining factor in a team’s success or failure. Teams that easily advance the ball down the field but can’t score in the red zone will lose games. Teams that play great open-field defense but can’t prevent scores in the red zone will lose. Performance in this very small sliver of the field often determines the overall success or failure of the team. As you examine your life, and especially your creative work, it’s important to be able to identify the re-zone activities that will really make a difference and generate forward momentum during the particular season you’re in. Some qualities that mark re-zone activities are the following: Activities that you can uniquely do or add value to because of your position or expertise.While there are a lot of ways you could be spending your time, there are a certain number of activities that you are probably the best person for. Which of these activities should you engage in every day? Activities that increase your personal capacity to generate ideas, such as study, purposeful ideation, or intelligence gathering. These are typically the first to go during a busy or stressful season. Are you taking the time to sharpen your mind and your creative intuition? Activities that provide cohesion or creative traction for your team and increase future capacity. For leaders, these include activities such as clarifying objectives and encouraging your team members. Are you taking time every single day to do the small things that make a big difference? Activities that feed your energy, such as adequate sleep, exercise, or spiritual practice. These are most often neglected during busy or stressful times. You must take care of yourself. Which activities do you need to focus on during this season to ensure that you are prepared for the uncertainty and challenges you will face? Your “red zone” activities are likely to be made up of some combination of these qualities. Take some time this week to consider what activities you are uniquely positioned to engage in, and that – if done daily – will generate significant momentum in your life and work. The most accomplished people aren’t always the smartest or the most talented. Rather, they are the ones who do small, important things every single day for long periods of time. They succeed in the red zone. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity and two free months of Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Focus is the most valuable tool you have as a creative professional. How you define problems, and allocate attention to them, will often determine your success or failure. However, many organizations allow significant “attentional drains” to infiltrate their culture and rob team members of much needed mental bandwidth. On this episode, we share three valuable strategies from Herding Tigers for building attentional buffers to protect the bandwidth of the team, and ways to talk to your manager about protecting your own attentional bandwidth. This episode is sponsored by Literati, the subscription book club that makes it easy to find unique and interesting books for your kids. For a limited time, go to Literati.com/creative for 24% off your first two orders.

This week’s episode is about the impotance of rituals. You make your rituals, then your rituals make you. What is the first thing you do in the morning? The last thing you do at night? Your first action when taking on a new project? Your impulse when receiving good (or bad) news? If you asked those questions to many highly productive people, they’ll have immediate answers. Not because they are micro-obsessive about their schedules, but because over time they’ve developed predictable rituals around key areas of their life and work. Over time, they’ve learned that the messiness of creative work requires a supportive structure, lest everything devolve into chaos. According to Orson Welles, “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” Rituals provide necessary limitation on your focus, time, and energy so that you can delve deeply into the disorder of creative problem solving. Rituals are important for several reasons. First, they provide solid ground when facing the uncertainty of your daily work. A ritual is like a bucket you can fill over and over again rather than trying to decide which bucket you should use. A good, solid set of rituals provide context for your work so that you can spend the majority of your energy focusing on the problems you’re trying to solve. Second, rituals help you forge healthy habits. When you return to the same ritual over and over, you are reinforcing the kinds of behavior you want to see manifested in your life and work, which creates a kind of infrastructure or supporting scaffolding for your creative process. Be mindless about the non-essentials so you can be mindful about the essentials. Finally, ritual helps you achieve flow in your work. Just like your body adapts to a regular bedtime and a predictable sleep ritual, your mind will also learn to settle into regular rhythms and rituals related to your work. If you always focus on specific activities at certain times of the day, or if you dedicate blocks of time and energy for your ritual, you are far more likely to settle into a state of immersion in your work. You make your rituals, then your rituals make you. Here are a few rituals that have served me well over time: – The first thing I do when I wake in the morning is prep my coffee and breakfast – the same thing every day, by the way – and spend an hour reading, thinking, and writing. It’s become such a ritual that it’s now a habit. Most of my best ideas for my work come out of this time. I couldn’t function without it. So, how do you begin your day? Maybe your ritual includes immediately putting on your running shoes and getting in a workout. Maybe it’s sitting in your favorite chair and meditating with a cup of coffee. Maybe it’s hitting the floor and doing ten pushups before you leave your bedroom. Having some structure to the start of your day immediately sends a signal to your mind that it’s time to get moving. It helps demarcate your time, especially when so many of us are living and working in the same space. – I listen to the same music over and over when I’m writing. In fact, I’ve written all of my books while listening to Ambient Music Therapy’s Deep Meditation Experience. When that album kicks on, my brain knows it’s time to start writing. I also light a candle when I write and only when I write. Again, it’s a small ritual that signals that this is deep, important work and that this moment is important. What small things can you ritualize to infuse meaning into the mundane tasks you engage in every day? It could be sitting in a certain chair when you do a specific kind of work, or using a certain pen only when you are brainstorming. It’s up to you. The value of a ritual is the meaning that it creates in your life and workflow, and it doesn’t matter if anyone else thinks you’re crazy for it. – When I’ve signed all of my book deals (including the most recent one, which releases in October) I eat a packet of Ramen noodles for lunch. Why? Because I...

This is part four of a series on everyday bravery. If there is one place where bravery is most needed (and often most lacking) it’s in the workplace. Brave people create brave workplaces, and brave workplaces ultimately change the world around them. However, in order for a culture to operate by principles of bravery, individuals must be willing to engage in brave actions every day. Here are a few principles for engaging bravely in your workplace: Own your words and actions. ​Be an individual with a backbone. If you say or do something, accept the consequences, whether good or bad, for your choices. Never throw a teammate under the bus. Taking accountability for your actions does a few things. First, it signals to others that they can trust you to shoulder responsibility, and to do the right thing. This is no small matter. If others sense that you’re playing games and that your primary interest is in protecting yourself and your reputation above actually performing, they will tolerate you but will never trust you. Second, it removes the stigma of falling short. If we are doing difficult things, we are going to fail occasionally. A workplace culture in which nothing difficult is attempted requires no bravery. Only teams on a mission to do difficult things need to be brave. Taking accountability for poor results, and attempting to fix them, is a signal of authenticity and courage, and it pushes others to do the same. This is the essence of good leadership. We can never tolerate blame shifting. Is there something you need to take accountability for today? Encourage​.This literally means to “put courage into” others. Brave people embolden the people around them, speak words of affirmation to them, and cheer them on to be their best. They are not threatened by the successes of others. Cowards hold back encouragement because they believe that life is a zero-sum game, and that if someone else gets attention for something it will only tarnish their own standing with the group. However, brave people willingly and truthfully put courage into others, recognizing that we need one another in order to succeed. Brave people are outward focused. Cowards are obsessed with themselves and their own needs and feelings. Who can you encourage today? Be proactive about putting courage into others. Embrace personal growth, even when you look foolish.​Some people fear trying new things, learning new skills, or tackling new kinds of projects because they fear that if they fail they will be “found out”. Brave people know that occasional failure is simply a part of doing hard things. To grow, you have to stretch yourself to the point of failure. Now, you have to balance this with wisdom, meaning that you shouldn’t attempt things that are obviously well beyond your present ability. (Just because I’ve climbed rocks in an indoor, controlled facility doesn’t mean I’m ready to free climb half-dome.) Intentionally stretch yourself, have uncomfortable but necessary conversations, and push yourself to learn new skills even when you will appear foolish to those around you for a while. What do you need to do in order to grow yourself? Share your ideas, even when they aren’t received.​You cannot control whether someone else likes your ideas, but you can control whether or not you share them. The regret over inaction is too high a price to pay. If you are in a meeting and you have an intuition that something might work, share it. Share your insights with a peer who is struggling with a difficult problem. So many brilliant breakthroughs are lost because someone was too afraid to share what they were seeing with the rest of the group. Yes, you might be rejected. Yes, it might actually be a bad idea. But, your small insight might be the key to unlocking a bigger insight within the group. What idea have you been holding onto that you need to bravely share with your team? Refuse to compromise your values, even when it costs you...

As I mentioned a few episodes ago, if I had to choose one gift to impart upon every person I meet – one master key that unlocks their potential – it would be bravery. We need radical bravery in our workplaces, our schools, our neighborhoods, and – God help us – in our politics. If more people committed to making brave choices daily, we would see stronger, more effective teams, less corruption, less unhealthy conflict, and more progress on the societal issues that truly matter. Organizations need leaders committed to cultivating a culture of bravery, and who themselves are making brave choices in the face of uncertainty. The marketplace needs more business owners who are willing to step up and do the right thing for their employees and their communities, even at the risk of personal cost. And, society needs more people to cultivate brave, empathetic relationships with people who think differently from them. More than almost any other place, our workplaces need brave leaders. We need people who are committed to standing in the gap, protecting their people, and fighting for the mission of the organization even at personal expense. Here are a few principles that brave leaders abide by: Brave leaders assume accountability for their actions. Many leaders revel in the glory that comes with success, but brave leaders are also willing to put themselves on the line and be accountable when their actions fail. Many are familiar with Dwight Eisenhower’s letter to the Allied troops on the eve of the D-Day invasion in June 1944. It begins, “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.” Inspiring leadership, for sure. However, fewer people are aware that Eisenhower wrote a second letter, only to be delivered in the event of an unsuccessful landing. “Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.” Brave leaders are willing to accept responsibility for their actions, including their failures. Are you avoiding accountability for your actions, or pointing fingers at others when you fall short? Brave leaders have the uncomfortable conversation.​ It’s far easier to avoid difficult chats with direct reports, but brave leaders recognize that it’s more important to be effective than to be liked. It’s never comfortable to discuss performance issues, to deliver uncomfortable news, or to challenge someone’s attitude, but these are the kinds of conversations that brave leaders (cautiously and wisely) step into because they know that their position demands it. Is there an uncomfortable conversation you need to have, but have been avoiding? Brave leader speak truth to power. ​As a leader, you must be willing to defend important principles when you perceive they are being “ground up” in the organizational gears. Cowards “go with the flow”, especially when speaking up might mean losing their organizational standing, but brave leaders are willing to abide by their principles even at personal cost. As my friend riCardo Crespo often says, “you can’t lie to the person in the mirror.” Brave leaders can look themselves in the face every day knowing that they are living out their principles and standing up for what they believe to be proper and just. What principles are you willing to defend, even if it affects your reputation or position? Brave leaders put their resources where their mouth is. ​Cowards say bold things, but are always hedging their bets. Brave leaders are willing to put themselves on the line by resourcing the initiatives they believe to be best for the organization and the people it serves. If you aren’t putting resources behind what...

This is the second episode of a series on the importance of bravery. Just to re-cap, in the last episode I gave this definition of bravery: Bravery exists whenever someone a person engages in right action at the potential expense of their own comfort.​ Cowardice, on the other hand, exists when someone chooses self-protection at the expense of right action. It is possible to appear brave to others while actually behaving in a cowardly way, or to appear a coward to others while doing the brave thing. In order for something to be considered an act of bravery, it must be sourced in the desire to do what’s right even at the risk of personal cost. Which begs the question: how do you decide what’s ​right?​ On this episode, I want to share a few distinctions between everyday bravery and cowardice, then on upcoming episodes I’m going to share the specifics of what this means, especially in a work context. Understand that every single person at times exhibits remarkable bravery, and also cowardice. This isn’t something we all get right a hundred percent of the time. However, we all have the ability to choose our response to our circumstances, and simply stopping to consider what “right action in the face of discomfort” means can help parse brave action from cowardice. So, here are a few qualities of brave people versus cowards, and how they play out in work and life: Brave people are protective, cowards exploit.​ If your actions are to protect someone or something vulnerable, whether a person or ideal, then there’s a good chance it’s right action. However, if your intent is to take advantage of someone or to deprive them of something they might otherwise enjoy, it’s certainly not. Now, please understand that I’m not talking about marketplace competition. When we compete in the marketplace, we agree to certain rules, one of which is that someone will likely lose the competition. I’m talking about leveraging advantages to exploit those who don’t even know they are being exploited. That’s the definition of cowardice, because it’s hidden action that if revealed would look really bad. Are you exploiting others? Brave people reveal truth at the right time, cowards conceal it.​ Brave people know that the truth is never really a threat, but even if it costs them their livelihood or relationship, the cost of inaction is simply too vast to take the easy way out. This gets to the issue of character. A willingness to face the truth is critical if we want to exhibit everyday bravery. Is there any place where you are hiding from or concealing the truth? Brave people consider context and scale, cowards think right now. ​The brave choice is the one that takes into account nuance and context, is empathetic, and scales in a positive way. Cowardly action is only concerned with immediate consequences. My actions today have resonant consequences tomorrow, and next month, and next year. Brave people think about those consequences, not just getting what they can while they can. Are you thinking about the downstream consequences of your actions? Brave people are principle-driven, cowards go with their gut.​ Brave people have a framework for making decisions that is so ingrained that their actions in the face of adversity are almost automatic. Cowards just “wing it” and do whatever feels best in the moment. Do you have a framework for making decisions, or a set of principles that guides your behavior? In Herding Tigers, I offered a framework for developing one as a leader, which is essential so that your team knows where you stand and can follow you with confidence. What are your guiding principles? Brave people face consequences, cowards blame others.​ Brave people are willing to be known by their choices, and are willing to face the consequences of their actions, whether good or bad. On the eve of the D-Day invasion, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower wrote two letters. The first praised the brave men who stormed the beaches

Is the grass truly greener on the other side of the fence? Many creative pros spend their career wondering if there is a better path for them, or whether they’re missing out on something that everyone else knows about. This can result in hopping from job to job, or never really fully embracing the opportunities in front of you because you’re always “hedging your bets” and looking for a better option. Patrick McGinnis coined the phrase Fear Of Missing Out in a college paper several years ago, and he’s just released a book by the same title to help us work through our anxiety about forgoing opportunities. Here are a few key ideas to help us avoid FOMO: Move Toward, Not Away From I’ve had many conversations with people who never seem to be satisfied with their job. They hop from company to company thinking that there has to be some place that will better mesh with what they’re looking for. The problem is that these people are often chasing vapor. They are perpetually moving away from something they dislike, not something they aspire toward. People who thrive learn to move toward their ambitions and goals, not just away from discomfort. Is there any area of your life or career where you are simply moving away from discomfort rather than toward your goals? Be Decisive Another hallmark of thriving professionals is that they are willing to be decisive in the face of uncertainty. That doesn’t mean that they make foolish or rash decisions, however they don’t wait for absolute certainty before moving forward. Instead, they make decisions with the best information they have knowing that if they make a mistake they can typically navigate back on course. Is there an area where you are paralyzed because you are being indecisive? What decision do you need to make? Don’t Compare, Except To Improve There are two kinds of comparison, and one is harmful and one is beneficial. The beneficial kind of comparison is when we look at someone else’s performance in order to gain insights into how we can improve our own skills. By studying those who are great at their craft, we can see where we are deficient and establish a course of action to help us improve. The harmful kind of comparison is when we become envious about what someone else has, or fear that we are being “robbed” of opportunity because another person possesses something that we want. This can lead to bitterness, self-destruction, and eventual hopelessness. Compare yourself to others in order to improve, not to stew about what you’re missing out on. Don’t worry about what’s “out there”. Be present this week and tackle the opportunities in front of you. This episode is brought to you by Hoefler&Co, online at http://typography.com/accidental (typography.com). Right now, as an Accidental Creative listener, you can save 15% on your next font order by using the code “accidental” at checkout, when you visit typography.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

If I had to choose one gift to impart upon every person I meet – one master key that unlocks their potential – it would be bravery. We need radical bravery in our workplaces, our schools, our neighborhoods, and – God help us – in our politics. If more people committed to making brave choices daily, we would see stronger, more effective teams, less corruption, less unhealthy conflict, and more progress on the societal issues that truly matter. Organizations need leaders committed to cultivating a culture of bravery, and who themselves are making brave choices in the face of uncertainty. The marketplace needs more business owners who are willing to step up and do the right thing for their employees and their communities, even at the risk of personal cost. And, society needs more people to cultivate brave, empathetic relationships with people who think differently from them. My ambition with this manifesto is to inspire an epidemic of everyday bravery both in and out of the workplace. Bravery Is Not What You Think To begin, we need a good definition of what bravery actually ​is​. Most of our cultural reference points for bravery involve heroic actions like storming a beach, risking everything on an unlikely business deal, or casting caution to the wind on a massive career change. Yes, those actions ​can​ be brave, but the call to bravery is not just about mustering courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Bravery exists whenever someone a person engages in right action at the potential expense of their own comfort.​ Cowardice, on the other hand, exists when someone chooses self-protection at the expense of right action. It is possible to appear brave to others while actually behaving in a cowardly way, or to appear a coward to others while doing the brave thing. Others may not always know your internal considerations, and may filter your actions through their own biases. Bravery exists in an environment of high agency, and high optimism.​ When there is a lack of either agency (belief that individual actions can make a difference) or optimism (there’s a possible better future), the environment is ripe for potential cowardice. Leaders can help cultivate a culture of brave action by focusing on increasing both the level of perceived individual agency (by giving permission to speak and act), and the sense that a better future is possible for employees and for the organization as a whole (by tying decisions and actions back to core operating principles.) What bravery is: Bravery is doing the right thing, as best you know it, even when it’s the uncomfortable thing.​ It’s needed now more than ever in the marketplace, in the political realm, and in our schools and neighborhoods. Most bravery in the world is exhibited in small, everyday actions, not big efforts. Bravery is a choice, not a trait.​ People who choose to do the right thing in the face of personal cost are choosing to sacrifice their life and comfort for a better future. They are not superhuman. They are perhaps the most ​fully​ human. Bravery is always empathetic.​ It’s about the other, not about yourself. The other might be a person or a core principle, but the brave person is always looking outward when deciding. The coward looks inward and to his own interests. Bravery is action in spite of fear.​ People who act bravely feel fear and insecurity as much as everyone else. It’s just that they choose cause over comfort. Bravery is willingness to fail in the pursuit of what matters. T​ hose who choose bravery recognize the risks, and proceed because they are driven by deeper principles. What bravery is not: Bravery is not stupid risk.​ A brave person counts the cost, and decides to act because the cost of inaction is simply too vast to bear. Bravery is not bravado. M​ any people (especially some politicians) love to put bluster ahead of action. However, brave people do not feel the need to posture. Instead, they allow their actions to speak...

The biggest challenge that we’re facing right now as creative pros is not necessarily economic or physical, it’s psychological. I believe that those who come through this season not only having survived, but ready to thrive, will be those who are able to adopt a mindset that is realistic yet focused on possibilities and not limitations. Yes, current circumstances are hitting everyone in different ways and are much more challenging for some than others. And, I want us to focus today on a few beliefs that I find creeping into the mindset of many people I’m chatting with these days, and hopefully identify them and learn to counter them before they rob us of our focus, our goals, and our sense of curiosity and possibility. I’m tired of not being tired. That sounds like a strange thing, no? But really, it’s very normal and natural. As humans, we are wired for rhythm, which means that we thrive in cycles of tension and release. One of the dynamics that’s been causing grief among many friends and peers that I’ve been chatting with is that all of our days seem to run together. Every day is very similar to the last. There is no rhythm, no tension and release, no ups and downs. As a result, I want to challenge all of us to consider a few “lies” that I’ve been believing – or allowing to limit my thought process and approach to this season – and see if perhaps they might be affecting you as well. Everything is subtraction. This is a phrase I used with a friend who asked how things were going. What I meant was that, unlike in normal times, in the midst of this pandemic there is little opportunity for adding anything new and good to life. Instead, it’s mostly just subtraction. Good things are being taken away without the opportunity to add new things to the mix. This is a lie, but not obviously so. In fact, this is very much what it feels like. For example, in the core part of my business, which is traveling and working with clients and speaking to groups, I’ve only experienced the removal of opportunity, but not the possibility of new ones. In normal times, even when things were dry there was always the possibility of something good just around the corner. Now, it’s just subtraction. However, if I step back and look more holistically at life, it’s easy to see why this is a lie. So many wonderful things have been added to my life in the midst of this time that I didn’t even realize I was missing. We’ve been having very long family dinners each day where we get to re-connect with our kids without the rush of “I need to get to my homework.” My wife and I have been taking long walks in the evening. We’ve been able to connect with friends via virtual happy hours in a way that we just didn’t when everyone had so much going on. So, when I say “everything is subtraction”, I really mean that only in a business sense. If I were to look at life as a whole, there have been many opportunities and gifts during this season. Yes, it’s hard, and I hope it ends as quickly as possible, and it’s certainly taking more of a toll on some than others, but it’s important that we be able to step back and consider the entire set of our experiences, and not just the painful ones. Where have you seen some semblance of good in the midst of this time? Spend a bit of time reflecting on it, even writing a few paragraphs about it, and see if you can find something to be grateful for even in these difficult times. This is the new normal We hear this all the time in the media, so much so that I’ve largely stopped paying attention to what they’re saying. There is no such thing as “the new normal”. Throughout history, humans have had to endure seasons of hardship and adaptation. Our great grandparents had to walk through a global depression, both world wars, multiple economic collapses, political revolutions, and much more. Each time, they didn’t say “well, I guess this is the new normal… we’ll be at war forever.” Yes, those events shaped them...

This week’s Accidental Creative podcast features Michael Bungay Stanier discussing his book The Advice Trap. Have you ever been in a situation where someone offered unsolicited advice? “Let me tell you what you need to do…” How did it feel? If you’re like me, you were probably grateful that they wanted to help, but it put you in the awkward position of either refusing their advice or, if they were your manager, acting on it just to avoid offending them in spite of your better instincts. It’s tempting to fall into the “advice trap”, which is when we lead with advice-giving instead of pausing to listen to the other person, to consider what they really need, and to ask questions that help them arrive at the answer on their own. Not only is this a better way to ensure that we are truly helping the other person, but it’s also the best way to help them learn to solve problems on their own. Here are a few things I took away from my chat with Michael: Lead With Curiosity Ask a lot of questions. You should lead with your curiosity, not your advice. By asking a lot of questions, you will not only better understand what’s truly going on, but you will also help the other person learn to think through their problems in a more guided way. This is how a great manager (or peer) can build into team members in a lasting manner. Ask questions first, and let the other person sort through the problem in conversation with you. Release The Control One of the biggest temptations of a manager is to clamp down and attempt to control the output of the team. Brilliant, driven creative pros need freedom to think for themselves and to try new methods for accomplishing their work. When you control your team, the work shrinks until it’s only as big as your personal sphere of attention can bear. Instead, you should aim to allow your team freedom to operate within clear principles and boundaries that guide their decisions. Lead with influence, not control. Give Empathetic Advice The worst advice is always the “if I were you, this is what I’d do” type. Why? Because you are filtering your advice through your own lens, not the world of the other person. Instead, when you do give advice first put yourself in the other person’s position and try to imagine how it would feel to be in their shoes. How might their feelings and concerns differ from what you’d be experiencing if you were in their situation? Before giving advice, imagine that you’re in the other person’s situtation. Once you learn to temper the “advice monster”, you’ll become the manager (or the peer) that everyone wants to work with. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity and two free months of Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Albert Einstein once wrote “The world we have created today as a result of our thinking thus far has problems which cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created them.” In order to go to new places in life and work, we need to expand our thinking beyond the confines of our assumptions. But how do we do that? This week’s podcast episode features Ozan Varol, who has just released a book called Think Like A Rocket Scientist. In it, he articulates several strategies for breaking through assumptive ruts and taking your work to a new level. Here are a few of my takeaways from the conversation: You Must Question Your Assumptions In the past, I’ve frustrated many managers and peers for my annoying tendency to ask lots of “why?” questions. I’ve never been able to simply accept the way things are, and that can be very inconvenient when you’re trying to make quick progress on a project. However, this tendency has also served me well, because it’s frequently allowed me to circumvent norms that are preventing others from seeing possibilities. As you think about your current situation, your work, your life goals, what you are pursuing, are there assumptions that need to be challenged? They are often guidelines that have been in place for a number of years, or industry norms that others assume are hard and fast rules. Spend a bit of time this week challenging an assumption or two, and see where your thoughts lead you. Ask “What if…?” Return To First Principles Over time, it’s easy to get distracted with tactics and to forget what you’re actually trying to do. In the interview, Ozan shared the story of Steve Martin, who challenged the very conventions of what it means to be a comedian. In traditional comedy, the comedian will create tension and then relieve it by delivering a punchline, hopefully generating a laugh. Martin, however, wasn’t distracted by the tactics, and instead realized that the first principle was simply to make people laugh. He would create tension, but not relieve it with a punchline. At first, critics were apalled by his strategy, but audiences warmed up to it, and he became one of the most popular acts in the world, selling out arenas wherever he performed. What are the first principles of your work? What are you really trying to do, and how can you return to them and develop new tactics for accomplishing your goals? Have A Moonshot Right now, many people are simply focused on survival. I understand this necessity. However, I also think this is the perfect time to begin working on your personal “moonshot”, or the idea so big that no one else would dare try to compete with you. Physicist Max Planck once said, “At the initial stages of idea formation, the pure rationalist has no place.” Many of the world’s greatest accomplishments were met with skepticism and scorn at their inception, only to be accepted later. What is your personal moonshot? What could you aim for that seems scarily big to you, but that would completely change the trajectory of your life and work? To make progress on the other side of the pandemic, we will need to think in new ways. I hope this interview and Ozan’s book will expand your perspective and grant you a renewed enthusiasm for what’s possible. This episode is sponsored by Lightstream. Apply today to get a special interest rate at LightStream.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When most of us tell the story of our career journey, it’s often a very linear tale. “And then, I left that job and took this one. Then, I decided to step away for a bit and start something new. Then, I took a role with a marketing firm.” However, the reality is much more complex. Most of our lives and our career journeys are much more circuitous in nature. My friend Mitch Joel calls it “the squiggly path”, meaning that it veers left and right and doesn’t seem to have a rhyme or reason looking forward, but looking back it all begins to make sense. My career path was definitely “squiggly”. As I discuss with David duChemin in this week’s episode about his book and podcast A Beautiful Anarchy, twenty years ago I could never have imagined the career I’m in now. However, looking back, the clues were there all along. (There weren’t many early-twenty-something musicians dragging personal development books along to gigs or tracking creative productivity in notebooks…) Careers Usually Only Make Sense Looking Backward There are two dynamics present early in your career: (1) there are clues all around you as to what you might be great at and enjoy, and (2) you lack the wisdom, self-knowledge, and foresight to be able to put those clues together. So as you move forward, you do your best to navigate according to what you know. Many people eventually figure out the pieces some time in their early to mid thirties, and are able to begin assembling a life and career that brings more meaning and opportunity to contribute. However, by that point many people are often more encumbered by things like mortgages and family responsibilities, making shifting a career more of a challenge. If you find yourself in a place where you might be ready for a change, I challenge you to take a hard look at the clues in your past successes and try to identify any patterns that stand out to you. Where were you (a) fully competent, (b) deeply driven, and (c) well-received by others? That’s the very definition of a “sweet spot”. You Need To Bring Stakeholders Along In any career or life move, you must ensure that your stakeholders are fully considered. The general rule of thumb for family decisions is that the least risk averse person gets to determine the threshold for action. In other words, if one person is ready to leap, but the other says “we need six months of savings in the bank first”, the more risk-averse person gets to call the shots. That way, everyone feels good about the move. Are there any stakeholders you need to include in your planning? Are they aware of your present thinking? Be Responsive, Not Reactive Many people are reacting to the present circumstances without fully absorbing the implications of their actions. In any stressful moment, I find it best to take a pause, consider everything that’s happening, consider the all of the possible consequences of my actions (first, second, and potential third order consequences), consider my values, and then act in a meaningful way. I find that by taking this approach, I am much less likely to jump into something I’ll regret later. Be responsive, not reactive. As you consider all of the effects of our present situation on your life and work, where are you tempted to react instead of meaningfully responding? Take some time to pause, to reflect on the consequences, to consider your values, then to craft a strategic plan of action that moves you forward. Embrace the beautiful anarchy that is a life well-lived and work well-crafted. Use this time we all have to respond to your circumstances, to strategize, and to embrace the possibility of what awaits on the other side. This episode is sponsored by Freshbooks . See how Freshbooks can save you time and boost your creativity at Freshbooks.com/Accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Dave Noll and his business partner are the creators of the hit TV series Chopped, as well as a number of other popular television programs. Every day they bounce ideas off of one another, combining themes and smashing old concepts together to form new possible programs. In our conversation, Dave and I engaged in a little “idea bouncing” as well. Here are a few of the practical tips that emerged in our chat: Keep A Queue Of Old Ideas When you engage in a project, you probably end up with a lot of discarded ideas that didn’t quite work out. What happens to those ideas? Many people simply discard them on the trash heap and start fresh with the next project. However, it’s wise to keep a queue of these old, but not quite right ideas. Keep them in a notebook, or on index cards, or someplace where you can browse them later. Often, an idea that’s not right now is the perfect idea for a later project, but you would never have remembered it unless you had a system to help you do so. At the completion of each project, transfer the ideas or hunches that didn’t work out to a queue, and review it regularly so that you keep those ideas top of mind. Don’t Think Big. Think Bigger. In the interview, Dave told the story of pitching a “dream scenario” show to Barry Diller, the iconic TV executive, only to have him toss it back in his face as being too small. Dave said he learned that no matter how big you think, there is always someone who will think bigger. You’d might as well aim as high as you can with your career and decisions, because if you don’t, one of your competitors certainly will. Will Smith didn’t want to be a movie star, he wanted to be the biggest movie star in the world. As you think about your life and your career, where are you playing too small? Where are you settling for what you can get instead of dreaming about possibility? Consider New Media, New Formats Given the economic shakeup caused by the pandemic, it’s time for many of us to reconsider how we are delivering our ideas to market. Dave and his business partner, having only made TV shows in the past, have just launched their first ever podcast called Factorious. While they certainly could simply focus on making TV shows, they decided to explore a new medium that would offer a different kind of challenge as well as the ability to reach a new audience with their work. As you think about the work you do, how could you re-package or re-position it to reach a new audience? Is there a way to add a new form of media to the mix? A different distribution channel? I found this conversation with Dave to be both inspiring and a lot of fun. It sparked some great ideas for how to take my business to a new place. As we deal with the current health and economic crisis, this is a great time to begin dreaming again about what might be possible for you on the other side. This episode is sponsored by Literati. For a limited time, go to http://literati.com/creative (Literati.com/creative) and get 25% off your first two orders. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

On this week’s episode, Jen Gotch shares insights from her new book The Upside of Being Down. To state the obvious, we are all learning to adjust to a new way of living. Humans are not wired to live in long, sustained periods of isolation or social distancing, and we are having to adapt to new ways of working together, being creative, and living our lives. With all of these new dynamics, it’s importat to be open about mental health and the struggles that accompany long periods of uncertainty. Jen Gotch is the perfect person to help us think through how to navigate these difficult times. Her new book, a memoir, is called The Upside Of Being Down, and shares her personal journey in life and business while dealing with the impact of anxiety and depression. There are three big insights that I took from the conversation that are shaping how I’m thinking about the coming weeks and months. Progress Over Perfection It is very important to break big ambitions into smaller, measurable wins, especially when we don’t have access to all of the resources we normally lean on. In her book The Progress Principle, Teresa Amibile wrote “Our research inside companies revealed that the best way to motivate people, day in and day out, is by facilitating progress—even small wins.” Psychologically, small wins are a huge boost to overall motivation and a sense of purpose and direction in life and work. As Jen said in our interview, “ How will you measure progress this week? What small wins will you choose to mark success? Unnecessary Creating Is Deep Therapy In The Accidental Creative, I shared a practice that I call unnecessary creating. It means to engage routinely in making things that no one is paying you for, and that are not a part of your job. It can range from launching a podcast (which is how my business began!) to learning a new skill to painting to writing music. It’s a way to allow yourself the freedom to take risks, to develop skills, and to find creative expression in a very low-risk environment because the work is just for you, not for others. Right now I’m working on an unnecessary creating project in my spare time, and it’s very life-giving to have something I’m doing that’s not directly tied to my on-demand work. What unnecessary creating will you do this week? Choose a project such as writing a short story, making a piece of art, or exprimenting with a new skill. Release The Pressure Valve One ray of light over the past weeks has been getting to see normally polished, produced people learning to do what they do in a more accessible and authentic way. Whether it’s Jimmy Fallon doing The Tonight Show from his home (with his kids crawling all over him!) or news anchors doing their segments from their living room, we are discovering the beauty and power of authenticity. We all need to release the pressure valve a bit, and realize that there is a new kind of more genuine expression possible because of what we’re all experiencing together. Also, we do need to reconsider the expectations that we have of ourselves. This is no time to be in constant sprint mode, holding yourself to the same kind of accountability that you did before all of this began. Be wise in how you set your weekly expectations, and focus more on desired outcomes than quantity-based measures of productivity. Our biggest source of stress is often found in missed expectations, especially those we have for ourselves. Is there any way in which you need to adjust your personal expectations? Release the pressure valve. Take care of yourselves this week, friends. Be especially mindful of your mental health. Be prolific, brilliant, and healthy. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Explore your creativity and two free months of Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Many people have started "side hustles" as a way to supplement their income or to pursue side passions. On this episode, Chris Guillebeau shares insights about how to find the right idea and how to start your own side hustle with tips from his book The Money Tree. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Due to recent events, many of us have suddenly found that we have more time on our hands. On this episode, we share a few principles for using time to invest in yourself and to plant seeds that will produce a harvest later. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

How do you make your message stand out in a crowded marketplace? On this episode, Jason Van Orden shares principles for getting your ideas into the world more effectively. Today’s episode is sponsored by True Botanicals. Get 15% off your first purchase at TrueBotanicals.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

The answers to our problems lie all around us, but they are often invisible. We must train ourselves to look at the world differently in order to find them. Today's guest is Stephen Shapiro, author of the new book Invisible Solutions. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

If you want to disrupt the status quo, you need to think differently. On this episode, Trendhunter CEO Jeremy Gutsche shares some practical advice for innovating in uncertain times. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When you think of a great manager, what words come to mind? Competence? Focus? Drivenness? How about... gratitude? That's probably not near the top of your list. On this episode, Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick are here to make the case for why gratitude is the killer app for building effective cultures. Their new book is called Leading With Gratitude. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When you step into a managerial role for the first time, your entire world changes. You are now no longer responsible just for your own work, but have to help other unleash their best work as well. On this episode, Ryan Hawn of The Learning Leader shares insights into how to be a good manager with tips from his book https://amzn.to/38a66oN (Welcome To Management). Today's episode is sponsored by True Botanicals. Get 15% off your first purchase at TrueBotanicals.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Ideas are of no value until they are shared with others. However, many creative pros are less than confident about their presentation abilities, or uncertain about how to establish their credibility when sharing their concepts. On this episode, Grant Baldwin shares how to become a more confident presenter with tips from his new book The Successful Speaker. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

As a leader, the words you choose can determine success or failure, alignment or mutiny, a thriving culture vs. a destructive one. On this episode, https://www.davidmarquet.com/ (L. David Marquet) shares insights into how to use the power of language to unleash your team's best work. David's new book is called https://amzn.to/2OM42fO (Leadership Is Language). This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

How do you uniquely contribute to the world? On this episode, Tom Rath helps us begin to answer the question of why you are here on this planet, and to identify the unique contribution that you have to make. Tom's new book is called Life's Great Question. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What do you do when you disagree with your manager? How do you deliver the news in a way that they are most likely to receive it? On this episode, we share three key principles for speaking truth to power. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Indeed gives you the smart tools to make hiring decisions quickly, and to be confident that you’re making the right hire for your team. Post your job today at Indeed.com/CREATIVE and find out why more than 3 million companies use Indeed for hiring. Indeed. The world’s #1 job site. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

How do you tell if your manager, your client, or your peer are telling you the truth? How do you know if you can really trust someone? On this episode, the former head of the FBI's behavioral analysis program - Robin Dreeke - shares insights from his new book https://amzn.to/36sZ39x (Sizing People Up). Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Even if you are bringing your best every day, you are still at the mercy of your organization. An unhealthy climate can affect your ability to do your best work. On this episode, we share some tips for dealing with an unhealthy organization. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

How do the best brands create loyal advocates for their work? On this episode, David Meerman Scott shares how to create a "fanocracy" around your work with tips from his new book Fanocracy. This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Indeed gives you the smart tools to make hiring decisions quickly, and to be confident that you’re making the right hire for your team. Post your job today at Indeed.com/CREATIVE and find out why more than 3 million companies use Indeed for hiring. Indeed. The world’s #1 job site. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Most of the work you do has to be accomplished with others. On this episode, we share three principles for dealing with difficult co-workers and clients. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Where do good ideas come from? Often, they are forged in the most unlikely places. On this episode, I share a simple and practical method for exploring and playing with new ideas. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Creative work is largely qualitative in nature. That can make it difficult to choose the best idea without creating conflict on the team. On this episode, we share a simple framework for choosing the best idea: EPIC. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Your ability to thrive as a creative pro is largely determined by the little things you do every day. Talent will get you so far, but without daily practices to develop your intuition, feed your mind, and sharpen your skills, you will eventually stall out. On this episode, we share three daily practices that will set you up for long-term success. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

One practice that is prescribed in The Accidental Creative is a checkpoint every three months to get ahead of commitments and ambitions for the upcoming quarter. On this episode, we walk through a Quarterly Checkpoint and offer some questions and prompts to help you plan for brilliance in the coming months. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

It's the time of year when many people are thinking about what the next twelve months have in store. On this episode, I share four questions to help you think about 2020 and set goals for life and work. Download the worksheet here. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

It's tempting to think that motivation is largely driven by the tasks that you do every day, but it's more accurate to say that you bring your motivation to those tasks. On this episode, we discuss three core motivational archetypes and how they affect everyday engagement. Are you a builder, a fixer, or an optimizer? This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Most notes are simply facts, to-do's, and records that will never be reviewed later. However, there is a better way to leverage your notes to help you generate brilliant ideas and spot patterns in your environment. On this episode, we share some best practices for taking and processing notes more effectively. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

If you want to produce a body of work you can be proud of, you must be resilient. But, how do you learn to persist in the face of failure, resistance, and uncertainty? On this episode, Neil Pasricha share insights into how to become more resilient with tips from his book https://amzn.to/2pPkx18 (You Are Awesome). Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Professionals spend a lot of time worrying about things that are outside of their control. On this episode, we discuss how to deal with organizational decisions, cultural forces, and other things that live outside of our ability to influence. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Your sweet spot is discovered through active contemplation, not passive reflection. The broader your base of experience, the more patterns you will be able to discern. On this episode, we share three key principles for discovering what you're wired for, and navigating to a place of effectiveness in life and work This episode is sponsored by Quip. Brush better with Quip. Go to getquip.com/accidentalcreative to get your first refill FREE.

As a creative professional, it's easy to get pulled into work that needs to be done at the expense of work that you'd like to do. You don't have the luxury of working only on things that excite you. This is why it's important to have some area of your life where you are taking risks, trying new things, and developing your creative intuition in a way that your on-demand work doesn't allow. On this episode, we share how to get started with Unnecessary Creating. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

There are three types of bravery that you might need to engage in as a creative professional. On this episode, we discuss each of them and how to be brave in the face of uncertainty. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

The first few minutes of your pitch can make all the difference between a successful and failed outcome. On this episode, former TV exec and expert pitchman Brant Pinvidic shares how to pitch better with tips from his book https://amzn.to/2PtqWJM (The 3-Minute Rule). This episode is sponsored by Quip. Brush better with Quip. Go to quip.com/accidentalcreative to get your first refill FREE.

Our world is full of distractions, both good and bad. How do you choose what to allocate your finite focus to each day? On this episode, Nir Eyal shares how to become indistractable with tips from his new book. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Being an entrepreneur requires not only technical sense and business savvy, but also the right mindset. On this episode, John Jantsch shares mindset principles for entrepreneurs from his book https://amzn.to/2Bw7fJi (The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur). Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What makes a great brand? As the marketplace changes, how do you ensure that what you stand for and how your customers view you align? On this episode, Blake Howard of Matchstic shares insights for developing a brand that resonates. Join us on November 8 at Matchstic in Atlanta for the Herding Tigers Workshop. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Brilliant creative work must be founded upon compelling data that illustrates a truth, and reveals an opportunity for the intended audience. How do you share that data in a way that is compelling, and that helps your audience receive it and act upon it? Today's guest, http://duarte.com/ (Nancy Duarte), has spent years teaching leaders and organizations how to share their story well, and on this episode she teaches us insights from her new book DataStory. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

If you want to be effective as a creative pro, as a marketer, or as a leader, alignment between what you say and do is critical. However, many organizations allow a gap to emerge over time between beliefs and actions, and the result is a lack of authenticity and work that doesn't resonate. On this episode, Ron Tite shares insights from his book Think Do Sayabout how to bring better alignment between our words and our actions. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What does it really take to build something that's noteworthy and successful, whether it's a business, a non-proft, or just a side hustle? There's a lot of advice out there, and a lot of it is full of platitudes and half-truths that do more harm than good. Liz Forkin Bohannon is the co-founder and CEO of Sseko Designs, and the author of the new book https://amzn.to/2oCw2YR (Beginner's Pluck). In this episode she shares some brilliant counter-cultural advice for anyone wanting to build a career, life, and business of purpose. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What does it take to create a culture in which creative people thrive? On this episode, we chat with Matt Cooper (CEO) and Sabrina Kieffer (COO) of Skillshare about what it takes to attract and retain talent, their personal leadership philosophies, and how they manage their busy work and personal lives as leaders of a fast-growing company. This episode is sponsored by Native. Get 20% off your first purchase by going to nativedeodorant.comand entering promo code AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

If you want to have great ideas when it matters most, you must have practices in your life to help you do so. On this episode, http://creativecalling.com (Chase Jarvis) gives insight into how to establish a creative practice that will help you bring your best work each day, identify your "sweet spot", and build a body of work you can be proud of. Chase's new book is Creative Calling. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to thousands of classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When you create under pressure, it's tempting to gravitate toward the first idea just to relieve the tension of not knowing where the project is headed. However, this can often mean compromising the work if that idea doesn't deliver the kind of value you really want to be known for. You're simply trading a little discomfort now for a lot of discomfort later. On this episode, I share three principles from my interview with Adam Steltzner about how to get to the best creative idea and produce work you're proud of. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Regardless of your role, you have to be creative every day. You have to solve problems under pressure, make connections, see patterns, and convince others. On this episode, Kathryn Haydon is here to share some insights into being more creative with tips from her book The Non-Obvious Guide To Being More Creative. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Your mind is brilliant at surfacing potential insights, and connecting dots that help you solve problems. However, many people rely on their mind as the key repository for all of their hunches and ideas, which is not a great system. Too many things slip through the cracks. On this episode, David Allen shares the five key steps for turning hunches into breakthroughs, and why he's just released a https://amzn.to/2LeoXXq (workbook companion) to his bestselling book https://amzn.to/2Lixc4S (Getting Things Done). Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

A creative project is a bit like a long hallway with multiple chambers. As you navigate down the hallway, you reach checkpoints where critical decisions must be made, and a door closes behind you. There are three questions you should ask at those checkpoints: 1. Who else needs to know about this? 2. What do I need right now? 3. What am I not considering? On this episode, I elaborate on these three questions and offer some tips for crafting a process that's sane and helpful to your work. This episode is sponsored by Native. Get 20% off your first purchase by going to nativedeodorant.com and entering promo code AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

To do your best work, you must commit to doing the right thing even when it's not the most popular thing. However, many creative pros and leaders fall into the "likeability trap", meaning they'd rather be liked than effective. On this episode, we share three principles for ditching the approval addiction and being a dream collaborator. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What does it mean to be brave? We often think of those people who muster one huge, courageous act of the will to overcome an obstacle. However, bravery can also mean a steady, daily push to take small risks in the face of uncertainty. On this episode, I share my talk from a Creative Mornings gathering about why bravery is so critical to creative pros. Today's episode is sponsored by Mighty Networks. Start your online community now with three months free at MightyNetworks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When you think about design, you probably think about things like packaging, graphic design, UX, and the like. But, what if we could apply design thinking to some of the bigger environmental and social issues facing the planet? Today's guest is Katie Patrick. She's an environmental engineer who has initiated the "Fitbit for the planet" movement to help quantify the effects of our everyday actions. She's here to share insights from her book https://amzn.to/31TmirH (How To Save The World). This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Have you ever said something in a meeting that you didn't expect to? It happened to me last week, except it wasn't a meeting, it was in a speech given at the Global Leadership Summit to over 400,000 leaders and indluencers across the world. The particular line was, "Brilliance is forged in the cauldron of creative conflict." Fortunately, I believe this to be true to the core of my being. You have to fight for brilliant work. And when you collaborate, that means having healthy conflict with others too. On this episode, I share a few ideas for how to engage in healthy creative conflict with your team. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

My book Louder Than Words begins with the line “attention for your work is not a birthright.” I believe this to the core of my being. Some people think that simply making something great entitles them to the attention of people around them, but it’s simply not true. If you want their attention, you must earn it. This is equally true in leadership, sales, or any other arena where you must cultivate awareness and attention for your ideas in order to succeed. The best way to capture attention is through the power of story. Story binds us. It reminds us of what we have in common. It builds empathy and trust. And, it allows you to leverage common ground to inspire people to move toward your vision. Think about the last time you were inspired by someone. I guarantee it was because they were sharing a story that resonated to the core of your being. We are defined by the stories we believe. On this episode, we’re going to be talking about the power of story, and how leaders can use it to help those on their team do better work, stay aligned, and produce great work each day. Our guest is author Paul Smith, whose new book is called The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

We are wired for two conflicting things: comfort, and conquest. To achieve goals, we need to disrupt the comfort instinct long enough to experience our first successes on the path to the goal. On this episode, I share three core principles for doing the hard work necessary to get moving on your goals. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

It's become the accepted norm that stress, increasing expectations, and over-filled schedules are a fact of work-life. Today's guest, Jason Fried, believes that it doesn't have to be that way. He's the co-founder of Basecamp, and the co-author of several books including Rework, Remote, and It Doesn't Have To Be Crazy At Work. In this conversation, we talk about how Jason built the company that he wanted to work for, the importance of treating your company like a product in itself, his own personal creative process, where ideas come from, and what he wishes more people knew about creating a culture where creative people thrive. Book Recommendation: The Manual ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

We tend to think of creative work as a solo sport. It's something that, in large part, has to be accomplished alone. However, the extent to which we stay connected to others can play a large role in our personal creative process, and in helping us tackle our goals. On this episode, we share three core strategies for developing relationships that will help you thrive personally, and in business. Today's episode is sponsored by Mighty Networks. Start your online community now with three months free at MightyNetworks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When you do any kind of difficult, problem-solving, creative work, tension is inevitably present. How you deal with that tension will determine whether it makes you stronger and more focused, or whether it sucks the wind out of your sails. On this episode, we share three tensions that every creative pro encounters daily, and how to deal with them while recognizing that they're not going away. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Discipline is sometimes perceived as a “dirty word” because it’s interpreted as pushing through the muck, doing the unenjoyable activities first, and forgoing the chocolate cake for the steamed broccoli. However, I think this is a gross misunderstanding of the word. Discipline simply means making an agreement with yourself, and keeping it. That’s all. Nothing more complicated than that. The problem with discipline begins when we don’t understand which commitments are worth our effort, when we make too many commitments, when our commitments conflict, or when we are subject to the unclear commitments of others. On this episode, we address how to deal with moments when you feel undisciplined. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. To get two months of Skillshare absolutely free, just visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. The remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

With the increase of information crossing your attention span each day, it’s easy to forget even the most impactful experiences. Make every effort to capture these, and to ensure that they become a valuable part of your creative process. On this episode, we share four key principles for keeping sparks and seeds of inspiration at the ready for those moments when you need a brilliant idea. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

At some point in your career, you willfeel stuck. Not stuck because you can't come up with an idea for a project, but stuck in the sense that you feel like you don't know how to go to the next level. How do you continue to grow, to develop your voice, and create more impact? On this episode, we share the two common places where creative pros get stuck, and how to continue moving up the curve into rare air where you can do work worth noticing. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. To get two months of Skillshare absolutely free, just visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. The remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

One force that’s ever-present in any form of creative work is uncertainty. The reality is that you will never know – really know – what’s right. Is this good enough? Is it finished? Is it the right strategy? How should I spend my time/focus/energy today? Which idea should I run with? How can I sell this to my manager? Uncertainty is an uncooperative dance partner. You have to move with it – in concert, drawing from it, following its lead at times, but always with an eye on your next move – in order to do your best work. The worst thing you can do is allow uncertainty to paralyze you into inaction. On today's show, we share three strategies for dealing with uncertainty. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Several years ago, toymaker Neal Hoffmanhad an idea for a new toy that would make his family's life much more fun. The problem was, he had another job at the time, and this "side project" was likely to take up much more time and resources than he could spare. On this episode, we discuss Neil's journey from idea, to an appearance on Shark Tank, to creating an internationally successful toy product that has changed the lives of families across the globe. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

I am frequently asked for career advice, and I very, veryrarely offer it. Why? First, because I only intimately know my own path and those of a few others. Second, because all advice is local. What works for one person will be misery for another. Finally, when people ask for career advice, what they’re often asking is that you validate something they’ve already decided to do. However, in the past few days I’ve been struck by stories of friends and colleagues who are feeling the effects of a shifting creative marketplace, and a decreasingly stable job market. Just like when the stock market takes a downturn and everyone gets very conservative, I see many creatives jumping at the first opportunity to come along rather than thinking about their career as an investment portfolio to be build over time. With that in mind, here are three career investments that I think every single creative should be making now, and should continue to make consistently. These are the three aspirations that you should be chasing in order to ensure that you are positioning yourself to do increasingly meaningful and valuable work. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. To get two months of Skillshare absolutely free, just visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. The remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

A few years ago we featured the story of Andrea Summer and her struggle to make a passion project album called Wanderlust. After years of work, the album is finally finished and releases today. On this episode, we re-visit that conversation with Andrea from 2017, and share insights into the making of a passion project. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Your life is composed of days, and how you spend those days is how you spend your life. On this episode, I share a simple five-part daily planning process that will help you stay on-course, engaged, and focused on the things that matter most. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

It's tempting to gloss over small areas of misalignment or misunderstanding because they seem like no big deal in the moment. However, those small areas of misalignment can become big problems later. On this episode, we share a few ways this happens to leaders and teams and a handful of questions to help you stay ahead of them. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Many people dream of making a leap into their ideal career, but have no clue what their first steps should be. On this episode, Ken Coleman (host of the Ken Coleman Show and author of The Proximity Principle) shares some simple, practical tips for identifying and stepping into your dream job. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Stress. We all deal with it, and it affects our work in significant, and often unseen ways. There are actually two types of stress that we encounter in doing creative work, and on this episode we share what they are and how to deal with them so that they don't rob us of our ability to produce brilliant work. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Accidental Creative. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/ac. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What exactly does a great leader do? There are three key things that an effective leader of creative people provides for the team consistently and well. On this episode, I share the importance of focus, function, and fire to the creative process. Insights from today's episode are from the book Herding Tigers: Be The Leader That Creative People Need. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Those who ask the best questions ultimately win. There are some questions that are obvious. These are the ones that directly affect our work and its outcomes. Then, there are questions that hover just beneath the surface of our work, and rarely get asked. On this episode, we share three questions that you're probably not asking, but definitely should be. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

The story you believe becomes your experience of reality, because it’s your filter for all of your experiences. If you filter your life through the lens of anxiety, everything will feel like a threat. If you filter your life through the lens of hopelessness, then when things are going well you won’t be able to enjoy it because you’ll always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. If you filter your life through the lens of envy, then you’ll always feel like others are getting a better deal than you, even when you’re doing better than you could have ever imagined. These inner narratives/filters are very stealthy and difficult to spot. I’ve developed what I call “color filter theory” to help identify areas where I’m slipping into unhealthy thought patterns or narratives. On this episode, I share those filters and how they affect us. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Distractions are a baked-in part of the modern workplace. Wouldn't it be great if we could eliminate them and just focus on our important work? Well... on this episode we share six strategies for dealing with distractions in your world, and how to focus on being fully present and effective. Thanks to Molekule for supporting the show. Get $75 off your first order at molekule.comcode ac. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

The two most precious resources you have as a creative pro are your time and attention. They are under a constant onslaught from organizational needs, client demands, and personal anxieties. As a manager, you must commit to protecting these finite resources at all costs. On this episode, we share three principles for doing so from Todd Henry's book Herding Tigers. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Accidental Creative. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/ac. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

I have a confession to make: I’m a natural-born over-packer. When I go on a trip, it’s very likely that I’ll come home with a lot of unworn clothes and unnecessary weight in my travel bag. This is a tendency I recognized early in my business travel days, and that over the past few years I’ve tried to mitigate just a bit by packing only the essentials. You see, the problem is that my definition of “essentials” is a little… broad. On this episode, I share a few pieces of "extra baggage" that we carry with us as creative pros, and how to shed them so that we are lighter, more nimble, and better able to attach our work. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Yesterday I spent time with students at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and I shared with them what I believe to the the "killer app" that will help them achieve their goals faster and more successfully than they can imagine. On this episode, I share what it is and how you can use it to improve your work, your creativity, and your career prospects. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

So much stress and misalignment happens in organizations because conversations are left incomplete. There is misunderstanding, dissonance, and a general level of anxiety about expectations and next steps. On this episode, we share a few simple strategies for completing conversations and ensuring that you are aligned with your peers, your team, and your leadership. The core ideas in this episode are from the book Herding Tigers. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

You proably have goals you'd like to pursue or dreams you'd like to chase. It's also likely that there are limits that you encounter as you pursue them. However, some of those limits are self-imposed. On this episode, Laura Gassner Otting is here to teach us how to bust through those artificial limits with insights from her new book https://amzn.to/2uMMkhI (Limitless). Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

At some point, you're going to encounter difficult times as a creative pro. It could be something that happens to you, or a situation you created yourself. How do you persist in your work in the face of adversity and challenges? On this episode, Austin Kleon is back to share his perspective on how to develop creative resilience in hard times. His new book is called Keep Going. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What drives your creative work? Some fuels that drive our work burn "clean", and some burn "dirty", meaning they leave a residue that makes it difficult to continue producing great work over time. On this episode, I share the difference between clean and dirty fuels, and how to find motivation that lasts. Thanks to Away for supporting The Accidental Creative podcast. Go to awaytravel.com/acand use the promo code ac to get $20 off a suitcase! The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

How do you define legacy? Or more importantly, what will be the legacy of your business or brand? Or, for you personally? On this episode, Lucas Conley shares insights from his reseach about how people and brands are building legacies that resonate and last. His book is called https://amzn.to/2Y8jExb (Legacy In The Making). Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Some ideas are so crazy that "moonshot" doesn't even do them credit. "Loonshot" seems more appropriate. On this episode, physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bachall is here to teach us how to nurture the crazy ideas that win wars, cure diseases, and transform industries with insights from his new book Loonshots. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

When you first step into your role as a manager, your entire work world changes. You are no longer simply responsible for your own work. Now, you are responsible for the work, the culture, the process, and anything else that happens on your team. It can feel overwhelming. On this episode, Julie Zhou (VP of Product Design at Facebook) shares insights for managers from her new book The Making of a Manager. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

There are a number of ways in which we build "escape hatches" to relieve the stress and fear that we might under-perform. On this episode, I talk about three of those common "secondary ways of escape", and how to begin to counter them. === Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

What you surround yourself with can inspire new ideas and motivate you to keep pressing on when things get difficult. On this episode, I share the three categories of "mementos" that you can keep in your workspace to help you push through challenges and root your work in meaning. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to http://skillshare.com/ac (Skillshare.com/AC). The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

I sent a tweet (@toddhenry) the other day that addressed a pattern I'm seeing with people I've been interacting with. It seems that many people are losing the narrative. They expect results without adventure. Celebration with the risk of rejection. Pride without doubts. This doesn't happen. On this episode, I share a few areas where you need to be brave this week. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

You have a finite amount of attention to spend on behalf of the creative problems you're solving. How you allocate that attention will often determine your success or failure. On this episode, I share three simple strategies for gaining creative focus and generating traction in your work. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Work would be so easy if it weren't for all the people, right? However, all of us have to deal (from time to time) with difficult co-workers and people who seem intent on making our lives miserable. On this episode, I share a few principles for dealing with those difficult co-workers. === Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Writing every day has tremendous benefits to your creativity, your emotional state, and your career. On this episode, I share some tactical tips for establishing a daily writing practice, including how to commit the resources, choose your tools, and find the right format to help you turn information into wisdom. Today’s episode is brought to you by Skillshare. To get 2 months of free access, visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Meetings are the bane of many creative pros' existence. The amount of wasted time in meetings in incalculable. On this episode, I share eight key principles for helping you have better meetings, and how to honor the time of your team, your collaborators, and your clients. This episode is sponsored by Gusto. Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country — they were even named best online payroll by PCMag. And as a listener, you’ll get three months free when you run your first payroll. Sign up and give it a try at Gusto.com/creative. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Do you have a matrix for important decisions in your life? How do you decide which path is correct when you're being pulled in multiple directions? On the first part of this episode, I share some insights from Herding Tigers to help you establish your core decision-making matrix. Then, Aaron Dignan joins us to talk about his new book Brave New Work. He lays out a framework for re-imagining how organizations function in the accelerating and ever-changing marketplace. Thanks to Molekule for supporting the podcast. Get $75 off your first order at http://www.molekule.comcode ac. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Accidental Creative. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/ac.

If you want to produce a body of work you're proud of, you must have a creative point of view. However, it is risky to commit yourself to ideas and ideals that cause you to be vulnerable and open you up to critique from others. On this episode, I share just a few principles for developing creative confidence and pushing yourself to the next level. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

Many creative pros charge through their work over days and weeks without ever stopping to assess whether they're on the right course. In this episode, I share a simple method for instilling a checkpoint into your life to help you ask critical questions about the work you're doing and the life you're living. This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Get 20% off your Grammarly Premium account at Grammarly.com/ac. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).

I believe that the love of comfort is often the enemy of greatness. You cannot pursue comfort and great work simultaneously. However, comfort is seductive and can lull us into creative complacency. On this episode, I share three kinds of goals you can implement in your life to help you push outside of your comfort zone, and accomplish those big objectives. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidentaland enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by http://djztrip.com/ (DJ Z-Trip).