“We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.” Leo Tolstoy A couple of years ago I was in the middle of Mumbai in a place called Dharavi. It is what the West would call a slum. It is where Slum Dog Millionaire was filmed. It taughtContinue reading “Starting again. Sometimes nothing is the gift.”
Tag Archives: inspiration
Why does emotion matter?
“If everything on Earth were rational, nothing would happen.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky The 2020 Olympics started on Friday 23 July 2021. As you can tell by that non-sensical sentence the world is dealing with some weird shit. I think we can agree most people thought having a major global sporting event in a city full ofContinue reading “Why does emotion matter?”
Creativity. The goal that was too interesting.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” Pablo Picasso Some things stay with you don’t they? You ever find that? A piece of film, a painting or some words that you think about over and over. Every couple of days it just pops into your head. Ok, maybeContinue reading “Creativity. The goal that was too interesting.”
The soft, silence of Tokyo.
“Living right in the heart of Tokyo itself is quite like living in the mountains – in the midst of so many people, one hardly sees anyone.” Yūko Tsushima Imagine you are in a city of close to 15 million people. You are walking down a large street. It is a lot like 5th AvenueContinue reading “The soft, silence of Tokyo.”
Advertising. There’s a reason they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
“Meow means woof in cat.” George Carlin Years ago, I was asked by a client to write some ads. There was a catch. He wanted me to write ads about nothing. He had no facts to communicate that would persuade anybody to use his company. His competitors had far more advanced platforms and it wouldContinue reading “Advertising. There’s a reason they say a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Advertising. What do you want creativity to do?
“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” Erich Fromm What can creativity do? Last week, I was asked this simple question. I have been asked this four word puzzle a few times in my career. It is a strange question. You intuitively know the answer but find it hard to be particularly articulate.Continue reading “Advertising. What do you want creativity to do?”
Advertising. The love story of an engine and a compass.
“A flower is basically a weed with an advertising budget.” Rory Sutherland Years ago, I was lucky enough to work with two giants in the advertising industry. Out of respect, I am not going to name them because they would want it that way. One was a suit, the other a creative. They were bothContinue reading “Advertising. The love story of an engine and a compass.”
Stranger Things. The Cannes Edition.
“Life is like Sanskrit read to a pony.” Lou Reed I had been looking for a sign for a couple of days. And there it was. I was walking down a little back street in Cannes. I reached one of those fashion outlets that always make me think they are a front for something else.Continue reading “Stranger Things. The Cannes Edition.”
Advertising. The illusion of control.
Kintsugi. The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold. “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” Carl Jung Recently, I was in Sydney at an award show conveniently called AWARD. A young creative started chatting to me before the show about good and bad agencies. He askedContinue reading “Advertising. The illusion of control.”
What if you could change the world?
You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’ George Bernard Shaw I will get to the picture above a bit later. First, let me give you a scenario. Imagine there is a job you have dreamed of your whole life. It is all you haveContinue reading “What if you could change the world?”
Damon's Brain 