Don’t fight trolls; ignore them

Trolls by Seth Godin

Lots of things about work are hard. Dealing with trolls is one of them. Trolls are critics who gain perverse pleasure in relentlessly tearing you and your ideas down. Here’s the thing(s):

1. Trolls will always be trolling
2. Critics rarely create
3. They live in a tiny echo chamber, ignored by everyone except the trolled and the other trolls
4. Professionals (that’s you) get paid to ignore them. It’s part of your job.

“Can’t please everyone,” isn’t just an aphorism, it’s the secret of being remarkable.

More from Seth Godin

Steal your inspiration…

*Jim Jarmusch is a self made independant film director.

Entourage: Boys will be boys

My latest obsession is the HBO series Entourage. My friends have been trying to get me to watch it for years and I finally got around to giving it a try. In its 6th season, Entourage is about a 4 friends from Queens, NY living the Hollywood life in LA thanks to the superstardom of one the characters. It’s basically the male version of Sex in the City. The lifestyle of a superstar is completely indulgent and so narcissistic that very few of us can relate. Being a cable show, it’s pretty rough and not intended for younger audiences- boys will be boys afterall.

Amidst the decadent and self obsessive lifestyle, I found something deeper that really touched me and kept me hooked. There is something that runs deeper than money, possession, or status; it’s loyalty. Each character is flawed, immature, and impulsive, however they are committed to each other’s success over anything else. Sure it’s often times not the healthiest circumstances (sometimes destructive!) but their genuine sense of family keeps them going. None of their individual successes would mean anything without the support and celebration of their inner circle. They even slowdown or sacrifice if it meant leaving a comrade behind. It reminded me of a great quote:

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

At the end of the day, all you have is your relationships. Your highest valued commodity in life is trust. Without trust, you have nothing. As a creative leader, your circumstances will often change from seasons of wealth to seasons of famine. The one thing that will carry you through is your relationships. Take a moment to consider the depth of your relationships. Are you committed to the success and progress of your friends? Do you genuinely consider the needs of your friends more important than your own? Do you try to change your peers more than be changed yourself? And most importantly, do you create a ’safe’ environment for your inner circle?

Very few of us will ever be rich enough to buy million dollar homes or drive around Maseratis. However, if you can develope a trusted inner circle of friendships, it will bring you real wealth that will last a lifetime.

Not For Sale

This is a painting I did over the weekend to help raise money and awareness for the anti-human trafficking cause in Mexico. Slavery still exists in most areas of the world, it’s just more subtle and silent. The painting was auctioned as a part of an event held in Santa Ana, CA. My dream is that all artists would commit a portion of their time, skill, and passion to help fight the injustices of today.

To learn more about the anti-human tracking cause, click here.

The painting measures 20″ x 30″.
Medium: Gouache and spray paint. 

Diversity has never been so beautiful

Coming from a design background, I have worked many years with ’stock photography’ supply companies and websites. What ’stock’ is defined as is an interesting idea to me. Stock implies what is in abundance, what is on the shelf, and what is in demand. Well in typical stock photography, it seems beautiful caucasian people is what is in overwhelming demand and in massive abundance. Now with websites like Blend Images, there can be an equal representation of the beauty offered by diversity. This is from one of their ads:

“Blend Images is the industry leader in multicultural stock photography, offering a fresh perspective on our global community. … Blend Images, making it easier than ever to lend creativity and diversity.” 

It is refreshing to see creativity and diversity valued in the same sentence. No doubt, Blend Images is mainly out to make a buck, but it is still significant progress in the marketing and advertising world. If you are a designer and caucasian, you might not have ever thought about this. If you are a creative minority then you most likely have. What is beautiful needs to be redefined in ALL arenas. When we can embrace the cultural complexity of our world, we can begin to experience a new level of creativity.

Check out their stock photography at BlendImages.com

Attitude reflects leadership

While I love sports films, I try to be careful to use them as illustrations. They are often so testosterone and intensity filled that they become a little too unrealistic for real life. However, this clip from Remember the Titans focuses more on conflict, compromise, and empathy. More than knowledge, experience, skill, or title, nothing reflects more on leadership than your attitude:

 

Father/son reflections

This past weekend, my wife and daughter went out of town to visit some family. This left me son and I home for a father/son weekend. He is 4 1/2 and the younger of my two children. This would be the first time we would have an uninterupted ‘male bonding’ experience since he has been able to walk and talk.

I was a little distracted going into the weekend because of being in a rushed frenzy trying to wrap up work and get my family off to the airport. On Friday I was even hit with a crippling migraine which made matters worst. But once the dust settled from the mayhem, Hayden and I were able to spend quality time together over a various activities. We crammed in all sorts of play that only boys (even grown up one!) would appreciate. I even introduced him to his first Playstation game, which he is now an offcial addict. There were some comical ‘dad ‘moments like forgetting to give him a bath by day 3, forgetting his shoes while we were out, and forgetting his ball for soccer practice. I have a new found appreciation for my wife’s multi-tasking skills.

There were also tender moments when he would sneak into my bed at the crack of dawn and I would tell him stories as he was falling a sleep at bedtime. During the days we talked about superheroes, his friends, the Dallas Cowboys, and how God could be everywhere at once. It was a sweet time.

I was strongly reminded of the importance of time with those that you love. For this past weekend, I was blessed with the undivided attention and complete admiration from another person. Not everyone has this chance (or ever will) and I didn’t want to take it for granted. I know that my investment in this little life will impact him for hopefully many years to come. As creative leaders, we have the chance to impact in the lives of those around us. It may be family but it also might be the tribe of people you live your life in. You have been blessed with the opportunity to invest and inspire a circle of artist, leaders, and servants, that can make a difference in this world. The key is quality time.

I was grateful for my weekend with my son and I hope that my reflections and lessons will encourage you to seek quality time with those placed in your life.

Lying and creativity

I am reviewing The Invention of Lying and then relating it to Creative Leadership.

**no spoilers**
The Invention of Lying is a simple movie about an alternate reality where no one is capable of not telling the truth. As a result, a culture based on pure honesty has resulted in a part eutopian society. It’s a mix between Gattica, Pleasantville, and Liar Liar. Everything looks normal on the outside but human interaction is shockingly direct, honest, and painful at times. There are multiple awkward conversations about appearances, prospects of sex, and opinions about people’s potential. The main character, played by Ricky Gervais (From the British Office), discovers the ability to lie. He soon realizes that this ability allows him to manipulate circumstances beyond what is humanly possible. I won’t go too far into it but you can imagine the ramifications. As humorous as this is, fortunately it evolves into something more and unexpected.

A key element that is not revealed in the trailer is that with the absence of lying, there is also the absence of storytelling. There is absolutely no fiction in this reality of any sort. No TV shows, no movies (at least in the traditional sense), no music, no art, and no religion,  As a result there is no imagination or the ability to envision a new future for yourself. Because there is no ‘lying’ there is NO CREATIVITY! Wow, what a concept. There is only the response to facts and physical data. A key point in the movie is the potential realization of creativity, God and religion to an otherwise truly atheistic society. I don’t want to spoil the discovery but it is definitely interesting concept to explore. The movie takes an existential twist that is unexpected and fascinating. It doesn’t remain there too long nor gets too heavy-handed but it does get you thinking- which what stuck with me much longer than momentary humor.

 

Overall this movie suffers from a lack of director prowess. It lacked what the reality of characters also lacked; the ability to craft a creative story. However, 30 minutes of meandering into topics of imagination, Heaven, God, purpose, and existence actually made this enjoyable to me. They could have pushed it much farther rather making it a side storyline but I was glad to see it nevertheless. It redeemed it for me. I would still recommend it but encouraging the lowering of expectations. If you like Gervais than you will most likely enjoy this film.

It’s an interesting idea, how ‘lying’ is needed to be creative. This concept is also supported in Seth Godin’s book ‘All Marketers Are Liars’. The idea is that in order to be an effect storyteller, you have to craft a story that the audience connects with but is still true. So while it’s not real lying, it’s focusing on an aspect that helps the buyer make a decision. This book helped me delineate what is really a lie and what is a story. It was an extremely helpful book and it made me a more effective storyteller. Check it out.

If you would like to read my other reviews, check out BabbleOn 5

Creativity in the desert

“The Mind is a Hawk,” by Walter McDonald, from Night Landing

The Mind is a Hawk

The mind is like a hawk, trying to survive
on hardscrabble. Hunting, you wheel
sometimes for hours on thermals

rising from sand so dry
no trees
grow native. Some days, you circle
only bones and snakeskin, the same old

cactus and mesquite. The secret
is not to give up on shadows, but glide
until nothing expects it, staring

to make a desert give up dead-still
ideas like rabbits with round eyes
and rapidly beating hearts.

Size really does matter…

My creative leadership comments to follow… 

We are so small.
These visuals are a great example how our perspective can be so limited and microscopic. After recently spending some time with local and international leaders, I was reminded of how small my problems really are in the grand scheme of things. In the midst of stress and confusion, it’s so easy to be overwhelmed and sacrifice the big picture. It’s not too long before the micro overtakes the macro. I heard a great quote one time:

“When in the trenches for a long time, the edge of the hole can be mistaken as the horizon” 

Even visionary leaders are not exempt from becoming myopic at times. A few things I have done to help me gain perspective during times of near-sightedness:

•  Walk away and allow for cooler heads to prevail. If you can afford it, let the situation sit for 24 hours. Time brings perspective.
• Seek trusted councel. Ask those that have experience to help remind you of  the big picture.
• Express! Take time to write, paint, dance, sing, or play. Allowing your mind to explore accesses your right brain providing you with new problem solving abilitieis.
• Silence, solitutde, prayer and meditation. This isn’t easy for many of us but you will be surprised what will emerge by just being quiet. 
• Truth is in stories. By learning about the journey of other, you can glean wisdom of generation of leaders by reading their stories. Take advantage

We live in an extrodinary time with the opportunty to touch lives anywhere in the world. Creative leadership is in the highest demand more than ever in the business and non-profit sectors. Don’t allow yourself to lose sight of the fact that you can make a difference in this world by keeping a big picture perspective.