In a 30-second commercial, you have time for a script of about 80 words. But you shouldn’t use them all.

 “How much should you charge your client for a video that looks like this?”

Many people use context as a way to hide their insecurity.

“If I can dissuade you from doing it, you wouldn’t have been successful anyway.”

“In the first place, the nameless, faceless audience will scare you to death, and in the second place, unlike the theater, it doesn’t exist.”

This is something I’ve been thinking about as I prepare to write the first draft of my second book in a few weeks. I know it sounds obvious.

Here are four things I’ve learned about creativity since I started my blog in January 2018. 

I bought a book about the publishing industry. One line, about 90 pages in, might just change everything for the next phase of my career. 

“Sentimental art attempts to force preexistent emotions upon us”

“Reading is supposed to be an educational tool, and most people use it like sleeping pills.”

Your mind will only allow you to create bad work for so long. Either it will force you to quit, or it will force you to make the work better. 

Publishing this book has been a gratifying experience. Seeing people post pictures of it highlighted, bent up, or stained with coffee has brought me so much joy.

Recently, I’ve been having trouble generating new ideas for my daily blog. 

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”

Occasionally, I’d hit a “hot streak” and write four or five blogs I was really excited about on back-to-back days. I also discovered dry periods—days when I had no good ideas, no inspiration, and not much desire to write. 

“Don’t try to write a book; try to become somebody who enjoys writing everyday.”

When I send an email blast, one of five things will happen. Four out of five of them are good.

The first challenge of writing is this: can you trim the weeds around the flowers?

The amazing thing about writing is this: anyone can do it. It’s all the other stuff that gets in the way. 

In my years producing commercials, I’ve been involved in countless creative builds. This required me to digest the brand, understand the product, learn the audience, and create something that speaks to all of that. Now, I do something way easier.