They’ll tell you, you need to be kind and forthright and aggressive and meditative and a free spirit and dependable and cautious and not be pushed around and live free or die and be helpful and put your own gas mask on first and be spiritual and religious and empirical and scientific and hate this and vault that and play to your talents and always

One of the most intelligent case studies in design is the Chinese tea cup. They’re made without handles simply because if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to drink.

Humans naturally want to add more. Add a cardboard sleeve, add a warning on the outside of the cup, add a handle. The result of all these things never cools down the actual contents.

When a craftsperson has a seed of an idea but is unsure where to start, they do not procrastinate by doing more research. They start by making something terrible. They amuse themselves with how bad the initial work is, because they know that their starting work is not a reflection of the finished work’s quality. It’s just a clearing of the mental p

Creativity is not a process. creativity is not scripted.

One of the most salient traits of creative visionaries like Walt Disney and Steve jobs is the absence of process.

Process is an organized way of doing things. But they didn’t have a process. They just did the work. No strict adherence to budget or timelines. Just figure things out on the fly.

“The world reveals itself to those who walk” — Werner Herzog

NON NEGOTIABLES

1. Of the place

2. Less is more

3. Vibrant collaboration

4. No repeat ingredients

5. Consolidation + speed

6. Confidence + competence

7. In + out service

8. Pursuit of excellence

9. Details matter

10. Know your shit!

11. FOCUS

12. Service

13. Time

14. Not about you

15. Perfect means perfect

16. No excuses

17. Respect tradition

18. Push boundaries

19. Clean as you go

20. Break down boxes

21. Shirts perfectly pressed

22. Personal hyg

The faster you’re moving the more you’re in fear. The more you’re in fear, the more you’re thinking about yourself. The more you’re thinking about yourself, the less compassion and kindness you have for others.

from this Reel.

I used to write about "creative productivity" - until, slowly, I realized that trying to be "productive" while making creative work is like trying to train a wild, mysterious jungle cat. it is not a dog. it will not obey you. the cat will do whatever it wants - when it wants. however, even wild animals have rhythms, routines, and safe spaces. inste

“You can’t talk butterfly language with caterpillar people.”

Trish Deseine

One's ability to articulate an idea always lags behind the understanding of the idea, and the understanding of an idea often lags behind the embodiment in which it is first given life. It can take a surprising amount of time to come to understand what a prototype is trying to "say", and longer still to say it oneself.

-Bret Victor