OMFG I Wrote a Book!
Design for Hackers: Reverse-Engineering Beauty (Wiley & Sons, September 2011) will help you see like a designer does.
Sign up for updates now »UPDATE: Adelle’s site, Fuel Your Creativity, is the winner. Quite appropriately named, and full of great resources and inspiration. Check it out!
Thanks so much to all who chimed in on the creativity convertition! When I decided to solicit these ideas, I really wasn’t sure if I should expect to hear much of anything outside of my general understanding of creativity, but I really found some useful tips out of it all. Here are the 10 tips (in no significant order) that were 1) my favorite tips, in combination with 2) submitted by someone who invited – or at least attempted to invite, other people to participate.
Vote (NOW!) for your favorite tip by leaving a comment with the number of the entry that is your favorite, to determine who wins a copy of The Guerilla Art Kit. I’ll close voting at midnight PST Tuesday, February 11th.
Finalists
- jelling recommends a set of playing cards by Brian Eno that give random suggestions, such as “honor the hidden intention of your error.”
- Mary suggests assembling a “committee of whimsical people” to drink beer and brainstorm at a particular Tuscon, Arizona bar – and trying not to barf.
- Adelle recommends Fuel Your Creativity, a blog soley created to provide inspiration.
- sj suggests that you read magazines from industries NOT related to your own to get ideas from a different perspective.
- Roger (who submitted via e-mail) has written a great blog post telling you to embrace failure: “errors serve a useful purpose: they tell us when to change direction.”
- Stephen Davis suggests a blog post by Seth Godin, about how the market conditions of a recession can fuel creativity.
- Gordon says that something as simple as some household chores can keep him thinking creatively.
- Ryan suggest, amongst other things, that when listening to music “listen to whole albums, don’t use random,” presumably to keep yourself in one particular frame of mind.
- Mark discovered in his improv class don’t try to be original.
- Patty finds that by helping others, she gains a new perspective.
I’d like to add that 1) it was exceptionally difficult to narrow this down to the maximum of 10 that I promised, and 2) there are a couple of slightly late entries in this list that were so strong I decided to include them.
Remember, Vote (NOW!) for your favorite tip by leaving a comment with the number of the entry that is your favorite. Also, please feel free to continue the conversation about creativity, on the original post.
——–
image via wolfpix


Stuart Thursby said,
February 5, 2009 @ 10:17 am
Has to be #3, Fuel Your Creativity!
Edgar said,
February 5, 2009 @ 10:19 am
Definitely #7… its a way to detox!
Aaron Irizarry said,
February 5, 2009 @ 10:23 am
#3 for me all the way! Content is always fresh, useful, and not to mention a great source of inspiration
Mark Schweitzer said,
February 5, 2009 @ 10:27 am
FYC gets my vote. Always lots of good content & ideas. A fun site.
Gordon said,
February 5, 2009 @ 11:19 am
# 7 is the smartest guy in the world. I vote for me, er, him.
vetmomof2 said,
February 6, 2009 @ 10:14 am
#7 I second that he is the smartest guy in the world! I vote for him too.
Mike Smith said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
I vote for Fuel Your Creativity
Ben said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
I’ll stick a vote in for FYC aswell then
WOOOOOOO!
JohnONolan said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:08 pm
Another #3 for Fuel Your Creativity!
Patrick said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:12 pm
#7 I’m with Gordon. Nothing helps me get my poop in a group like scrubbing some dishes.
Michelle said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
#3 Fuel Your Creativity…I am totally addicted!
Kris C. said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:21 pm
Hate to sound like a broken record, but I am a Fuel addict also. #3. With them adding more sites for various other creative aspects (like interfaces) I just see them becoming even more of a resource for me in the future. Great list!!
mdrisser said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
Definitely #3
Graham Smith said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:31 pm
I offer this with free spirit and clear mind :
#3
Thank you.
Rajesh Pancholi said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:41 pm
No. 3 is what’s it’s all about!!!
Marina Krutchinsky said,
February 6, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
Another vote for #3. Great resource and a great person behind it!
Joshua said,
February 6, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
Has got to be #3, Fuel Your Creativity! Love me some FYC!!!!
Lani said,
February 6, 2009 @ 3:20 pm
Definitely #3!!!!!
Pliggs said,
February 6, 2009 @ 5:41 pm
#3 for me too.
Amy said,
February 10, 2009 @ 12:51 pm
#7 what an great way to stay creative!
Anne Bevan said,
February 11, 2009 @ 5:37 am
Hello David, first time visitor here. re deadline to resond – did you mean Tues. Feb 10? or Wed. Feb 11? It doesn’t matter – your blog and all these responses are fun and juicy inspiration.
Best wishes, I’ll be back
Annie
kadavy said,
February 11, 2009 @ 2:11 pm
Hey Anne,
Good catch! I did mean Tuesday night.
Buzzlair Voufincci said,
February 15, 2009 @ 5:12 am
#4. helps a lot. so much fun too. u should put together, watching TV series can also provide u with creative ideas in a different perspective.
Nathan Ketsdever said,
February 18, 2009 @ 8:51 am
I like re-mix or create a matrix (sometimes I do this in my head, but I’m sure its better to draw it out as a general rule.)
I also happen to like discovering the daily activities and work flows of creative people. Lateral Action has a facinating feature on daily routines of creatives.
Great post and great ideas.
kadavy said,
February 18, 2009 @ 10:32 am
Nathan, I love visualization of concepts. Dave Gray seems to be the modern-day master: http://www.davegrayinfo.com
Do you have a link for that Lateral Action feature? I found a couple things there, but I want to be sure I don’t miss it.