“My profession is hostage negotiation with reality. Reality says “I’m gonna kill it!” and I say “no, you’re not. Listen, put down the gun, let’s talk.”

If you’re a creative and you’re in the thick of a long challenge, be encouraged that I feel the same way today.

Instead of trying to convince someone on your team to stay, what if you found someone who’s fully present with their work somewhere else? 

It’s rare for me to admit I’m quitting on a goal. Usually I’ll just let the goal slowly fade in the rearview mirror as I drive away, talking about something new.

“Unless the CEO is unusually unpretentious and personable, his or her appearance in an ad may look like a grab for the customer’s money.”

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

Two big blocks for people who want to start freelancing, but don’t, are health insurance and taxes. 

If you’re a reader of the blog, but haven’t gotten involved with the free stuff I offer, here are some links for you.

Part of the reason creative people jump from project to project might be because they haven’t found the thing they love yet. But a more likely explanation is that they have unrealistic expectations for their work.

We turn the wrong things into habits in our business—checking email, taking phone calls, setting meetings.

Are there any brands still paying upwards of  $150,000 for commercial shoots in 2025? The answer is yes, but there are three important things you need to do win their business.

In a world of spam emails, handwritten notes cut through. Why is that? It’s not because a handwritten note says more, is more ecologically friendly, or even easier to read.

As a younger creator, this would be all I could have daydreamed about. My favorite living author reshared my work. Now that I have more experience, I realize this is just another day.

“I don’t believe in draining the reservoir, do you see? I believe in getting up from the typewriter, away from it, while I still have things to say.”

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."

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

This is something I started telling myself when I realized I couldn’t be everything for everybody.

Creative people like us are very good at thinking about “brand.” But this can get in the way and block us creatively when we think about it too much for ourselves. 

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

So is guilt, shame, and debt. You should do whatever it takes to reduce the amount of dread you feel about doing your creative work.