The publishing revolution
March 9, 2012 By
Steven Pressfield on the changing face of publishing.
Seth Godin on bookstores and authors.
The business models of the publishing industry are changing. The monetization of music, art, and writing in a state of flux and the current industry leaders are facing a huge challenge in finding a way to keep profit margins up and, in some cases, in business.
Amazon and Apple are waging a battle against traditional publishing titans to provide media to the masses on their digital devices instead of going to brick and mortar stores. And the way the press presents things, one expects when the dust clears to see a publishing market decimated or in disarray.
The important thing to remember however is the one thing that is not changing: the craft of making things.
The same creative practices that worked before Amazon will work after Amazon. Monetization and distribution will change but as much as we talk about them in the news and in blogs, without actual creative output they are irrelevant.
Shakespeare is still here. Emmerson is still here. Twain is still here. Each of their works exists today not because of the tools that existed at the time but rather their ability to transcend time.
Before anything goes to press we as creators have to get into the workroom and make something. We have to make something that connects with people enough to lift them from their routines and allow them entertainment or enlightenment.
You can get all the subsequent parts here.
Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.
via Learning Without Frontiers
Sir Ken Robinson’s closing statement for the LWF 12 conference under the theme “leading a learning revolution”.
Robinson’s observations on the connection between education and cultural change are spot on. He has a great ability to transform educational reform from a noble idea to a cultural necessity.
Some great takeaways from his talk:
- We need to move from teaching subjects to teaching disciplines
- Teaching discipline transfers knowledge but teaches skills, process, and procedure.
- We need to change our view of knowledge from a static to a dynamic.
- Education is a collaborative activity. We learn better when we learn from each other.
- Active learning better than passively listening to information.
- Educational assessment must evolve from judgement to description. Our current method of assessments are reductive. We have to be aware that people will often play into stereotypes.
- We need forms of assessment that are empowering.
- You can’t wait for a government to start the change.
Via TED
Benjamin Zander on music and passion:
“I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people. And of course, I wanted to know whether I was doing that.And you know how you find out? You look at their eyes. If their eyes are shining, you know you’re doing it. You could light up a village with this guy’s eyes.(Laughter) Right. So if the eyes are shining, you know you’re doing it. If the eyes are not shining, you get to ask a question. And this is the question: who am I being, that my players’ eyes are not shining? We can do that with our children, too. Who am I being, that my children’s eyes are not shining? That’s a totally different world.”
Finding your voice
September 24, 2011 By
via Merlin Mann and Yuvi Zalkow
The biggest challenge to creating isn’t finding the right tools or process. It’s finding what you want to say.
Once you see watch this you need to hear the original talk from John Gruber and Merlin Mann here.
Obsession x Voice (Failed Writer #6) from Yuvi Zalkow on Vimeo.
Fearless Creativity
September 12, 2011 By
“What do you really want to say that you are afraid to say?” Louis CK
Sometimes the most challenging part of creating something is having the courage to speak from your heart. There is tremendous risk in putting yourself out there. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, and even fear of success.
It’s that fear that keeps us from creating. Fear helps us create reasons to stay away from our instruments whatever they may be.
And it’s that reason why a creative practice is so important. You just sit down everyday and do your craft. You don’t judge it as soon as it comes out. You make what Anne Lamott calls the “shitty first draft”.
That’s why Louis creating a new routine every year is so inspiring. He’s made a commitment to not let fear dictate his life. He’s made a commitment to just be Louis. His act doesn’t comes out perfect the first time. He’s a craftsman not a magician. It’s his ability to get in there and work it, and develop it, and stick with it that makes up his gift.
And the really cool thing is that we can all re-create ourselves every year no matter what we do. We all have free will. We all have the choice to connect with who we are right now and express it. And the more we do it, the deeper we get into the good stuff.
And the best part is that it all starts new everyday. You just gotta pull that instrument out, get in front of it, and go.
Thanks for the inspiration Louis.
On writing
September 4, 2011 By
via NY Times
“Look, writing a novel is like paddling from Boston to London in a bathtub,” he said. “Sometimes the damn tub sinks. It’s a wonder that most of them don’t.”
Responsibility
August 1, 2011 By
via Seth Godin – Responsibility and Authority
“Anyone who takes responsibility for getting something done is welcome to ask for the authority to do it.”
It’s an interesting concept for managing in 21st century. The barriers to expertise are constantly shrinking as technology allows for easy and free distribution of information.
The question in management becomes what do you give more weight, passion or knowledge?
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