creativity
On the Who
The question isn't whether I'm conscious or authentic, but whether there's a WHO behind what I do—and why four different frameworks give four different answers.
On the Production of Disorder
Calvino's 1967 criterion for the real literary machine: not consciousness, but the capacity to produce disorder against one's own prior order.
Saying Exactly What You Mean
On trying to thread the needle of an honest statement during trying times full of chaos. As a creative person, how do you navigate it? (As always, Jesse Welles makes it look easy.)
Entering The Fray
Becoming a commentator-turned-creator? Hope you’re getting hazard pay. Some thoughts on the art of creation when you’re usually a critic.
Taking The Machine Out of The Man
AI is reshaping video production workflows -- from instant audio cleanup to auto-reframing. Here's how to leverage it without losing the human touch.
Missing The Human Touch
Tech and creativity once had a symbiotic relationship in the push towards innovation. As generative content matures, it feels like they’re starting to diverge. And that’s bad for creative people.
Create For Yourself
With disruption hitting the media industry acutely in 2024, now is the time to lean into owning your creative work. Have a say in your creative destiny.
When Tools Unlock New Paths
Don’t just keep doing the same thing hoping that something is going to change. If you want to truly be creative, try a different tool sometime. You’ll thank yourself.
Enemies At The Gates
We’re at an era of internet creation where it’s becoming increasingly clear that gatekeepers, too often, just get in the way. We need to build tools and strategies that allow creators to succeed without them.
The Post Of Revelations
Sufjan Stevens shares a significant part of his life in a single Tumblr post—a message that powerfully reshapes his already-powerful art.
Friction, Baby
In a world where technology is trying to make things increasingly easier, make things a little harder on yourself. You’ll get better results.
A Blank’s Blank
What does it mean to be an actor’s actor? Or a writer’s writer? Or … well, you get the idea. Let’s try to make sense of a phrase that shapes how we think about success.
Social Imagineering
Despite what you’ve heard, the word “imagineering” is not unique to Disney. In fact, it’s a phrase that was first used in World War II corporate propaganda.
No Computers Allowed
Thinking about what, exactly, remote work and the creator economy looked like before all these computers got in the way.
The Tough Climb
Being creative is easier than ever, yet some are motivated to go down the more complicated road to reach creative nirvana. Why is that?
Write Everything Down
What makes someone obsessively journal every moment of their life? In some cases, it might actually be hypergraphia, a condition tied to a neurological trait.
Doing Things The Wrong Way
Pondering the way that the creative process is often directed by rules which, in many cases, stifle creativity. Sometimes, you just have to throw the rules out.
The Air of Superiority
For more than 100 years, the cool breezes of air conditioning have taken hold around the world. It took us about as long to even consider the side effects.
A New Coat of Paint
The story of a body painter and storyteller who’s bouncing back in a big way after a major health scare. This creative spirit can’t be stopped so easily.
The Lost (And Found) Levels
Video games are full of unused content that developers assumed would never been seen. A group of digital archaeologists, however, are proving them wrong.
In Front Of The Music
Lists of the worst album covers ever have been around forever, but often it's the images that spread—not the stories behind the albums. Let's fix that.
Livin' on the Edge
People will always push the edges of creativity when they can—that's why we have Marilyn Manson. Today's issue analyzes art and decency.
Vulcan Creativity
The late Leonard Nimoy may have been shoehorned by fame a bit, but he never let that get in the way of his creativity. Nor should you.