Scribbles

I came across this nifty article “How to be Creative,” that captures many interesting points and theories that are applicable beyond the realm of creativity and art, to considering one's personal and career goals.  Most of the ideas resonate strongly with my personal beliefs, such as worthwhile things in life demand hard work, don't be a sheep, don't kill your inner child, attempting to achieve your dreams, taking care of yourself so you can run the extra mile, and much more.  The author, Hugh Macleod, humorously articulates his thoughts in the context of his own creative work, cartoons on the back of business cards (which also happen to be scattered throughout the article.)  One of his quotes, “So now we have millions upon millions of human tapeworms thriving in the Western World, making love to their Powerpoint presentations, feasting on the creativity of others” bowled over me and left me cringing as I reflected on that statement in the context of my job and my not so veiled disgust of the evil medium made ubiquitous by Micro$oft.  I am now officially adding the “tapeworm test” to my list of where-am-I-in-my-life litmus tests, one that I am loathsomely failing on my current project. 

As I began reading the article, I couldn't stop until finishing, even in flagrant display with colleagues walking around wondering what the hell was on my computer screen – it really was that engaging and inspirational.  Please check it out and think of your own goals and actions.  I dare you to feel like you wasted your time.  When you're done, tell me if you feel like a tapeworm, a sheep, or the person who dared to climb your childhood Everest.  Huge credit to Guy Kawasaki for the reference.