http://www.storypixel.com/index.php en storypixel@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-04-25T06:39:04+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/jogging_your_creativity/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/jogging_your_creativity/#When:06:39:04Z Approached sensibly and with discipline, running is a benefit to your bodily health, but is it even better for your ideas? A creative exercise Over the last couple of years, I have grown to regard running as a cornerstone of my creative life. While my legs spin off in one direction, my mind wheels in another. The trajectory, often surprising in its dance, touches and connects concepts in delightful ways. A vetted habit Last week I had an opportunity to meet and to discuss in passing my belief with two nice creative gents, Will Gay and Stanley Hainsworth. Stanley is a veteran runner who, as Will explained, helped inspire him to make running a habit. Today, both Stanley and Will regard running as a space to conjure, ponder and refine ideas. I hated to run for years My own entrance into running was bumpier, in fact I dreaded or avoided running for years (event after Quint got me started). Then I began signing up for real races. At first 5k races then, much later, longer ones. After five years, I am running my first marathon in just one week. Neat. Challenge and schedule: keys The combination of signing up for races and sticking (religiously) to a schedule is key. Be aggressive but be sensible. My first 5k was much harder than any running challenge to date. It gets better and better. Tips for starting I hope this helps persuade you to try running even if you’ve tried it with unconvincing results. Identify and sign up for a nearby race Most important: get a schedule Get good shoes (I recommend a runner’s shoe shop) Remember pain is normal and will leave (for me took 3 months) During the initial “hell” phase, listen to music Why I run At first it was for the challenge, then for the health… now it’s mostly for the time to explore ideas. I can easily do it anywhere, even on vacation Regimented running yields discipline Miles of running dwarf work woes Baseline mood improves making you happier and more focused Because it is hard, running incentivizes you to get lost in thoughts You perform beyond best expectations, giving you confidence Running allows time to discern if an idea is good Conclusion It’s so important to have a habit that brings you away from the monitor and closer to your thoughts. Running has been that for me and, if it’s viable, I’d encourage you to (re)try it. Design, Experiences, General 2010-04-25T06:39:04+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/epic_small/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/epic_small/#When:13:10:31Z If God is in the details, then heaven must be in the small creative acts. Welcome to a point of view that I call Epic Small. The problem Always thinking “big” is a fast road to creative constipation. The solution Do something creative this week and share it. The idea isn’t important… the doing is important. Why Lots of reasons. Small creative acts spark bigger acts. It’s relaxing. Inspiration. Doing small ideas frequently helps you better navigate larger ideas to completion. And so on. Like Voltaire said The perfect is the enemy of the good. Best of all, the creative habit helps you avoid the pitfall of perfectionism. The inspiration for “Epic Small” ProgressLex (a local group founded by forward-thinking people like Ben Self) recently put on an unconference entitled Now What Lexington. When I arrived, I hadn’t planned to speak, just to listen. As people were announcing their sessions in the kickoff session, I noticed most every goal was monolith or very abstract. Nothing wrong with that, but balance was needed. I had an idea for a session. I gave that session (with help from Todd Willey) which I called “Epic Small” and it was unexpectedly very well-received. It now has a Facebook group Epic Small which I encourage you to join. What about you? Feel free to share your small idea here or link to where you announced it. Let’s do this! Experiences, General 2010-04-22T13:10:31+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/finish_your_site/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/finish_your_site/#When:16:37:38Z There are so many talented people whose lack of a site is stunting their opportunities. Exposure is underrated A lot of professionals, especially freelancers, feel like their opportunities will be on par with their talents. That’s not how it works. You must expose your work. Exposure increases your work’s value, dramatically. Finish your site now There are lots of reasons designers don’t finish their sites. I’ve been there and I procrastinated as much as the next person. Here were some excuses I told myself: Not enough work in portfolio yet Not good with HTML stuff Too busy with “real work” These reasons are terribly short-sighted, here is how to work around them. Play to your strengths If you don’t have enough work in your portfolio, then make a site that highlights your thoughts, ideas, and personality. People want to work with people they like. They don’t like you yet because they don’t know you. They don’t know you because your site isn’t finished! Trust that HTML is not hard Suck at HTML? That is okay, it is not as hard as you think. There are many options available to you. Wordpress and/or ExpressionEngine have a ton of great templates to begin with. You do not have to be a programmer to put together a site these days. Also: HTML is not a programming language. You are not a mechanic A lot of people will tell you the mechanic’s car is always broken. This is a harmful and outmoded metaphor. Doing your own site will lead to greater exposure, greater value, and to better higher-paying clients. And the latter makes life much easier and work more rewarding. How to start Get out some typing paper. Write down your 1 or 2 main goals (e.g. “showcase my work”, “create a soapbox for my ideas”). Take a tour of sites and make note of the ones you like the most. Don’t bite styles, rather look at their organization. You shouldn’t open Photoshop until you know exactly what content you are putting on your site. Remember: planning is at least half the work. How to finish Finishing a site is both fun and a test of your will. Tell a few friends of your intentions and timeline. Let them ask (even hound) you about it. You can challenge a friend to a “site race.” Also, put a piece of paper next to your desk and write on it “Finish site.” Tape it up in plain sight. Finally: remind yourself that client work makes other people money; your site makes you money. 2010-02-05T16:37:38+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/jealousy_a_friend/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/jealousy_a_friend/#When:14:28:31Z I will admit, I’m a very jealous person creatively. Great works both inspire me and goad me. I think that’s a good thing. The wow factor Through this digital window, the world’s most amazing creative works are in a relentless parade. How can one be impervious to jealousy? Befriending jealousy A passionate person cannot help but to feel jealous sometimes. However, many creatives seem to stop at resenting the creator. That is unwise because it’s useless. What’s wise is to view yourself as capable of doing anything. Richard Feynman’s captures this attitude: What one fool can do, so can another Passion is jealous Jealousy is one of the natural consequences of being passionate about something. If you cease being wowed or stop asking how, then your passion may need some exercise. Stay positive Again, jealousy that inspires action is healthy. Do not indulge in gossip with a jealous person. Instead goad them to express their jealousy as creative action. Then everyone wins. Mingle A lot of us get a healthy exposure to amazing work by browsing sites like Smashing Magazine, FWA, and AIGA. But don’t forget to go to conferences and to attend any industry mixers. These activities put a human face on those efforts you have admired. And once you meet the person behind the creations… you realize… hey… What one fool can do, so can another Professionally we will never evolve away from jealousy, we will evolve because of it. ActionScript, Design, Experiences, Flash 2010-01-21T14:28:31+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/what_i_know/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/what_i_know/#When:17:24:13Z Last year a young man from England wrote to ask me what advice I could offer him to grow his Web Design career. I didn’t want to say “do something else” so I wrote this. Obviously a list like this can continue indefinitely, but here’s the highlights from my own meandering experience. Work indirectly with the moneyThe objective of every project for a client is the same: make them more money. I find having a well-organized and impartial liaison between yourself and the stakeholder provides an important firewall during crunch time: when scope creeps and timelines are like a herd of cats. Don’t work with assholesSeriously. Also, so I’m clear on my definition, an asshole is someone who on first meeting “yikes, this person sure seems like an asshole… but I’ll give them a chance because I need the work.” No, unless you are starving, you should avoid assholes. They will shit on you. Be briefDon’t overload anyone (especially non-technical people) with details. It’s nerve-wracking, confusing, and a sign of weakness in their eyes. Appear magicalRelated to the above… but encourage the feeling in your clients’ minds that you have actual magic powers. Don’t be arrogant about that magic though. Appearing magical is how you’ll eventually start that cult *wink*. Be (genuinely) humbleBe aware of your worth but don’t aggrandize your importance. It’s about results not your ego. Know there is always someone out there a little more skilled or knowledgeable. Never be “If-Come Enterprises”Never engage in business with people who want you to do something cheaply on the promise of future work that will be better-paying. It practically never ever ever happens that way. Remain positiveWhen something goes wrong, deal with it but stay positive. Don’t forget that positivity makes you and your team more efficient. If you find that things are so bad you can’t stay positive, fire the client. Firing clients is a key survival mechanism for freelance. Experiences 2010-01-12T17:24:13+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/sketches_everyday/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/sketches_everyday/#When:15:12:07Z In 2010 I’ll be posting one sketch a day to Flickr. I hope you follow along and maybe even get inspired to share your sketches. Keeping a consistent sketchbook is something every creative thinks about doing. This was the year I decided to be more consistent with sketching. The tipping point for this long-ignored to-do list item was this article. Now I spend about 20 minutes a day doing something creative and posting it here: My daily Flickr sketches for 2010 If I’m really enjoying something I’ll put in a little more time, but as a rule I have to keep it short else it’s too much work. Why not join me? After all every day is full of possibilities just like January 1st. Design, Experiences, News 2010-01-06T15:12:07+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/perfectionism_the_enemy/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/perfectionism_the_enemy/#When:15:57:38Z Much like spice to food, perfectionism can either differentiate or ruin your project. Know how and when to turn it on and off. If I can’t create a genius work like the Mona Lisa, why even open my sketchbook today? If my soufflé will suck in comparison to Rocco Dispirito’s, I’ll just serve potted meat. I wouldn’t know where to get started with PHP, I can’t make my own site. Recognizing the perils of being a perfectionist is tricky since it’s not totally a bad thing. When we were young, perfectionism was the habit we learned that led to those gold stars, spelling bee trophies, and being accused of being “so talented.” But in the professional world, perfectionism can be the enemy of creativity and happiness. It can keep us from starting important side projects. It can make us hate ourselves for being caught between the urge of doing something and the fear of it failing. It can cause us to hate our colleagues when they are recognized for work that we consider “not perfect.” Perfectionism is your spice rack, use it occasionally; but don’t forget the main course of any project is several imperfect, messy steps. What’s important is that you start taking the steps, else you risk starving your creativity. Update: this post was translated into Spanish. Thanks Manuel Iglesias Brocos. Experiences 2009-11-02T15:57:38+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/collaborative_thinking/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/collaborative_thinking/#When:17:23:55Z Using my latest collaboration as an example, I cover some basic strategy for pursuing collaborations wisely. After working recently with Jetpack Dance-Off to launch a word game Phrays, I better understand that we (even as independents) can do the impossible through the simple act of sharing. Everyone has ideas to offer, but few execute because taking the first step often feels like climbing a mountain. But one person’s mountain is another’s pebble in the path. In this way a complementary team lifts one another to places not reachable individually. So with the right people, you can walk anywhere. That’s collaborative thinking and freelancers need to do more of it. Tips for effective collaboration Be ready: write down every idea. Right now, open a document or take out a piece of paper and list every idea. Title each entry and summarize them with only one sentence. If the idea can’t be described easily with one sentence, then consider simplifying the concept. Make creative but supportive friends. Seek out kindred creative minds in person or online. Be mad scientists together. Sit down (or type) over coffee or tea, wildly speculate about how horse auctions will be conducted fifty years from now. Discuss great ideas and terrible ideas with equal enthusiasm. Have humor and don’t force anything. Only pursue the ideas that really intrigue all collaborating parties. Have a collaboration-friendly life. Make time to collaborate. If you work fifty hours a week and have three children, then collaboration will be really challenging (but still very doable). Be honest with yourself and your collaborators regarding your availability. Carefully choose collaborative opportunities. All participants in the project should be necessary i.e. offer something that the collaboration really needs. Similarly, all collaborators should have a stake in the end product. A person that wants you to do all of the work without offering anything valuable (and not just a whip-cracker) isn’t a collaborator, he or she is a parasite. Just do it already. This is most important. Plan generously but when the time is ripe get started and keep momentum strong on collaborative projects. Know that momentum exists only when visible progress is being made every week. But careful Not every idea calls for collaboration. Sometimes you can do something yourself. Sometimes an idea that sounds so awesome isn’t smelling as fresh a few weeks later. But if your idea is strong yet circumstances aren’t ripe for working together, consider outsourcing or pulling the concept off solo. What is important ultimately is that one acts on their ideas and keeps writing new ones down. Design, News 2009-09-04T17:23:55+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/thanks_logogala/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/thanks_logogala/#When:12:04:23Z Occasionally I enjoy some logo work. It’s nice when others enjoy that work too. Pretty thrilled to learn that a logo I designed for Rubidine (a Web application house) was featured on an awesome logo inspiration site. If you like, check out the interview over at LogoGala! Design, News 2009-07-30T12:04:23+00:00 http://www.storypixel.com/post/blushing/ http://www.storypixel.com/post/blushing/#When:15:55:21Z I have never placed much stock in awards but back-pats for any design work are undeniably nice to receive. I noticed a bump in traffic, and did some googling. Apparently I’m on some CSS gallery sites. Here are some much-appreciated mentions. http://cssmania.com/galleries/2009/07/16/story-pixel.php http://www.csselite.com/showcase/designer/story-pixel.html http://www.bestcssvault.com/story-pixel/ http://www.welovecss.net/?p=613 http://www.1024media.com/tools/gallery/ Design, News 2009-07-20T15:55:21+00:00