From the category archives:

Writing

How I Use My Knockoff Moleskine

December 3, 2009
Fisherman in India

Since I bought my knockoff Korean moleskine, I’ve grown dependent on it like a ninja depends on guile and explosive powder, changing it from a simple book into a really useful journal of miscellany. Read more…

Click to read on…

How to Improve Your Reading Recall

November 21, 2009
faded picture

Want to make the most of the books you read? Are you tired of forgetting most of what you read? If so, it’s time to learn some active reading strategies. Click the title to peel away the mystery…

Click to read on…

How to Make Creative Inertia Work for You

November 16, 2009
burlaks

Creative inertia works against you until you make it work for you. Getting your creative project in motion is like pulling a ship along a canal, only you’re probably better looking than the poor bastards in the picture. Click the title for more shameless audience flattery…

Click to read on…

11 Tips for Better Internet Research

November 5, 2009
420460107_0c05e6e5cb_o

The internet is a fascinating beast, but for curious people, it will eat hours of your life. Sometimes it’s fun to fill your head with ‘useless’ information, but other times it’s a pain in the ass. How can you make the most of your research time? Check out this article to find out more.

Click to read on…

Who Is Your Audience and How Do They Affect Your Work?

November 2, 2009
613445810_2249c2d193_b

Do you know who you’re creating for? How well do you know your audience? The people you have in mind as your working on your project will probably affect your final product.

Click to read on…

In Defense of Handwriting (plus tips!)

October 23, 2009
Fountain pen and moleskine

Seth is sick and tired of having handwriting that looks like roadkill and decides to do something about it. He asks why we should bother to have good handwriting and offers some tips to improve it. Free bonus: Gratuitous before and after photos!

Click to read on…

Who Else Wants a Double Duty, Double Dipping Job?

October 16, 2009
349374486_e49c8c269c

Want to get paid to create? If you start double dipping, you can do just that. What is double dipping?

Click to read on…

Temporary Insanity: 10 Lessons Learned from NanoWriMo

October 13, 2009
3313207583_7851820a13

In less than three weeks, over 200,000 people will allow themselves to go a little crazy for a month. They will gnash their teeth, smash their heads, and possibly destroy their livers. What can we learn from them?

Click to read on…

The Power of Naming Things

September 27, 2009
2072966785_ab9ff4c1d1

When you start a project, what do you call it? Imagine you’re just getting started with a new creative work. If it’s a book, do you say “this story I’m doing about guilt, fear, and cakes,’ or is it “The Ministry of Fear?” If a painting, do you say ‘this thing  with a bearded guy [...]

Click to read on…

16 Ways to Increase Creativity and Generate Clever Ideas

September 15, 2009
292128373_ea73b3198a

Do you ever feel like someone replaced your brain with a cinder block? Has your river of brainy brilliance turned to a sluice of stumped stupidity? No matter what kind of work you do, sometimes you run into a wall; the ideas dry up and you feel anything but creative. It happens to everyone. Don’t [...]

Click to read on…