Sublime

“If you’re really good at certain things,” Lovelady told me, “you tend to repeat those things. You have to be careful with design because it’s too easy to settle for what you’ve done before. If you’re not careful, your designs risk becoming cliché. You’re not as curious. But then I think . . . I’ll go back to our mission to make the world a better

With these two general principles in mind – the principle that an idea is a new combination, and the principle that the ability to make new combinations is heightened by an ability to see relationships

One of the most important ways to be sure you always have more great ideas to write about than you’ll ever actually write is to have a simple way to capture the ideas when they cross your path. I’ve two favorite methods. I keep a small memo pad and pen with me at all times. As soon as I stumble upon something I can use for an article, I jot it down

At some point in every project I work on, I find myself recommending that the creator take the time to consult the book The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. The first seven laws of this classic marketing tome deal with the art of positioning and packaging. Not branding or style, but something deeper and also broader.

Brand is another word for image, which is another word for reputation. And that’s a lesson in how you build a brand. You take the truth and deliver it in a surprising, creative way.

Ogilvy called it “the Big Idea.” The concept was that every great promotion has, at its core, a single, powerful idea.

The first imperative is to be aware—aware of the market, of opportunities, of who you are. The second imperative is to be educated, so you can understand what’s around you. The third imperative is to be connected, so you can be trusted as you engage. The fourth imperative is to be consistent, so the system knows what to expect. The fifth imperative