The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice

253 Pages·2011·1.1 MB·English

by  Todd Henry

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Introduction

PART 1 - THE DYNAMICS

Chapter 1. - THE DYNAMICS OF CREATIVE WORK
Chapter 2. - THE DYNAMICS OF TEAM WORK
Chapter 3. - THE SIDE EFFECTS: DEALING WITH THE ASSASSINS OF
CREATIVITY

PART 2 - CREATIVE RHYTHM

Chapter 4. - FOCUS: ZEROING IN ON WHAT’S CRITICAL
Chapter 5. - RELATIONSHIPS: BEING BRILLIANT TOGETHER
Chapter 6. - ENERGY: YOUR INVISIBLE ALLY
Chapter 7. - STIMULI: WHAT GOES IN MUST COME OUT
Chapter 8. - HOURS: THEY’RE THE CURRENCY OF PRODUCTIVITY
Chapter 9 - PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: THE CHECKPOINTS .
Chapter 10. - COVER BANDS DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD

Acknowledgements
APPENDIX
INDEX
PORTFOLIO / PENGUIN
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First published in 2011 by Portfolio / Penguin,
a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Copyright © Todd Henry, 2011 All rights reserved

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA

Henry, Todd.
The accidental creative : how to be brilliant at a moment’s notice / Todd Henry.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN : 978-1-101-51697-3
1. Creative ability in business. 2. Critical thinking. 3. Teams in the workplace. 4. Success in business. I.
Title.
HD53.H46 2011
650.1—dc22
2011002127

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To Ethan, Owen, and Ava, who regularly show me what creativity is all about,
and to Rachel for the freedom.

I love you all.
INTRODUCTION

THE ACCIDENTAL CREATIVE

In some circles, the word “creative” has recently morphed from adjective to
noun. If you are one of the millions among us who make a living with your
mind, you could be tagged a “creative.” Every day, you solve problems,
innovate, develop systems, design things, write, think, and strategize. You are
responsible for moving big conceptual rocks, crafting systems that form the
foundations for future growth—creating value that didn’t exist before you
arrived on the scene.
Maybe you didn’t set out to be a creative. In fact, perhaps you even cringe
when you hear the word applied to you. Understandably, the tag “creative”
sometimes conjures up images of SoHo advertising gurus flitting about in five-
hundred-dollar designer jeans. You may prefer the term “strategist” or
“manager,” or something else that feels more concrete. Call yourself anything
you want, but if you’re responsible for solving problems, developing strategies,
or otherwise straining your brain for new ideas, I’m going to call you a creative
—even if you ended up being one accidentally.
Some people deliberately choose a career that allows them to exercise their
creativity on a daily basis. They make their livings designing, writing,
developing ad campaigns, or doing some other kind of conceptual work. They
get to do something they love, and someone gives them money for it. Speaking
as one of the last group, I think it’s a pretty great deal. On our best days it seems
almost unfair that we get paid to do what we do, but on our worst days our jobs
feel pretty much like any other. Though creative fields may sound exotic to
strangers at cocktail parties, our day-to-day work can often feel a lot like
following recipes, taking familiar ingredients and mixing them together in
slightly different ways.
Whichever type you are, creative or “accidental creative,” this book will help
you create faster and more effectively than you ever imagined possible.
For the traditional creatives, such as designers, writers, visual artists,
musicians, and performers, this book will help you establish enough structure in
your life to get the most out of your creative process. It will also teach you how
to stay engaged and prolific over the long term, which is often a problem for
artists who must produce continually on demand.