What's the Point of Creativity?

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The unspoken assumption is that our goal is to gain competitive advantage, to crush the competition, to win. But I believe that the best creativity comes from a much deeper place than the desire to win. It comes from a desire to contribute to the lives of others, either by introducing something new that improves the quality of their lives or by showing people that something thought to be impossible is in fact possible. When you change people’s perceptions about what can be accomplished or achieved, you contribute to their humanity in the richest possible way. You give them hope for the future — a sense that life is not the demoralizing, unchanging drudgery day after day that the world so often teaches us that it is. When you change the way people think about possibility, it is an existential experience. It makes them feel understood. More than that, it makes them feel loved.
 
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I write a lot about philanthropy. Philanthropy means, literally, love of humanity. You don’t have to give a million dollars to charity to be a philanthropist. You simply have to actively demonstrate your love of humanity. Your empathy. If the purpose of our creativity is philanthropy — if it is love for our fellow man, an appreciation that people struggle in their lives, and a desire to somehow lessen that struggle and increase their joy, with a little more leg room or with an iPad — it will change the world. And that is the greatest competitive advantage of all.

 

 
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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

The magic of a clear specification

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Writing a spec is a kind of mind reading, which is why it’s so difficult. One half of the partnership has to take the time to not only specifically and precisely write down what’s expected and what the measurements and boundaries are, but then must do the challenging and risky work of engaging with the other half of the team to agree on that spec. Disagreements here are cheap, disagreements later cost a fortune.

The fear, of course, is that the spec will end the project, that without a lot of sunk costs on the table, a spec alone is too easy to renege on. In my experience, the most successful freelancers are also the most successful spec writers. Yes, there's some risk in clearly and vividly making your promises while the client/partner/boss still has time to back out. But professionals take that risk every day.

 

 
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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

The Week's Links: September 13, 2013

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All the links posted on social networks this week: 

  • Metropolis Restored: Watch a New Version of Fritz Lang’s Masterpiece ➞
  • Performing Shakespeare’s plays with their original English accent ➞
  • The Learning Dead: AMC's Zombie Show Spins Off Online Survival Course ➞
  • How Video Games Can Stop Cognitive Decline ➞
  • Wait, What's That? The Science Behind Why Your Mind Keeps Wandering ➞
  • Penguin Gives New Looks To Books That Influenced J.R.R. Tolkien ➞
  • Will Shortz, NYT's Crosswords Editor, on How a Crossword is Made ◉
  • Recommended: The Creative Process Illustrated: How Advertising's Big Ideas Are Born ◉
  • Psychology Today: New research suggests that American schoolchildren are becoming less creative. ➞
  • Creativity Top 5: Week of September 9, 2013 ◉
  • A History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in 100 Riffs ➞
  • Can The "GitHub For Science" Convince Researchers To Open-Source Their Data? ➞
  • To Preserve Digital Design, The Smithsonian Begins Collecting Apps ➞
  • Useful: Just Delete Me | A directory of direct links to delete your account from web services. ➞
  • Your Brain by the Numbers ◉
  • Hear the Isolated Vocal Tracks for The Beatles’ Climactic 16-Minute Medley on Abbey Road ➞
  • Recommended: Where the Suckers Moon: The Life and Death of an Advertising Campaign ◉
  • Worthwhile Stories ◉
  • The 10 Greatest Films of All Time According to 846 Film Critics ➞
  • Why Do Our Best Ideas Come to Us in the Shower? ➞
  • Videogame May Help Rejuvenate Elderly Brains ➞
  • Design Fail: Why Isn't There A Standard Way To Swipe A Credit Card? ➞
  • How Do You Raise a Prodigy? ◉
  • Disney Brainstorming Method: Dreamer, Realist, and Spoiler ➞
  • Recommended: Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Advertising ◉
  • Worthwhile Stories ◉
  • Creative Destruction ◉
  • Taking Control of Contracts: What Every Creative Should Know ➞
  • Why is the 'new' Van Gogh painting significant? ➞
  • The Evolutionary Case for Great Fiction ➞
  • Watch The Amazing 1912 Animation of Stop-Motion Pioneer Ladislas Starevich, Starring Dead Bugs ➞
  • The Perfect Nap: Sleeping Is a Mix of Art and Science ➞
  • The Icon in the Costume Shop: Valentino at NYC Ballet ◉
  • Recommended: Confessions of an Advertising Man ◉
  • Google had an M&M problem. This is how they dealt with it. ➞
  • In praise of laziness ◉
  • Five Incredible—and Real—Mind Control Applications ➞
  • MACH - A computer that teaches people how to be social. ➞
  • In historic vote, New Zealand bans software patents ➞
  • How news spread - BREAKING: American Colonies Declare Independence ➞
  • Chemical weapons and the scientists who make them ➞
  • Van Gogh’s own words after cutting his ear recorded in Paris newspaper ➞
  • Study: Artists Report Higher Than Usual Job Satisfaction ➞
  • Brian De Palma's use of dance in film. ➞
  • Classical Music Leadership for the 21st Century: Marin Alsop's speech at the Last Night of the Proms *APPLAUSE* ➞
  • Fantastic: New Old Stock - VINTAGE PHOTOS FROM THE PUBLIC ARCHIVES FREE OF KNOWN COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS. ➞
  • Useful resource: jsPDF - A HTML5 client-side solution for generating PDFs. ➞
  • Mobile in museums: tips and advice from the experts ➞
  • The CRM Of The Future Will Recommend New Customers To You Automatically ➞
  • The More Things Change, the More Our Objections to Change Stay the Same - Bill Taylor ➞
  • Could Google Be an Economic Magic 8-Ball? ➞
  • Why We Lose Our Days To Unproductive Tasks ➞
  • 10 Fascinating Facts About The Hidden Industry That Touches 90% Of What You Own ➞
  • An Oral History Of Apple Design: 2001 ➞
  • Art of the Title: Designer Saul Bass collaborates with Director Otto Preminger. ➞
  • Tips for Applicants to the NEA’s Research: Art Works Program ➞
  • How Much Sleep Do You Need? Sleep Cycles & Stages, Lack of Sleep, and How to Get the Hours You Need ➞
  • 18 (Free) Books Ernest Hemingway Wished He Could Read Again for the First Time ➞
  • The Internet Explained By Prisoners Who Have Never Seen It ➞
  • 7 Storytelling Reasons Why Innovation Fails ➞
  • Netflix for books: Oyster - A Gorgeous New App Offering Unlimited Books for $9.95 a Month ➞
  • A couple of these surprised me: 10 Famous Books With Lesser-Known Subtitles ➞
  • Get To Know NYC Ballet ◉
  • Should We Teach Literature Students How To Analyze Texts Algorithmically? ➞
  • Australian archive says 1996 pop art-inspired version of Shakespeare was first movie created for the internet ➞
  • Recommended: Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries ◉
  • The New York Times (quietly) drops the F-bomb ➞

 

 
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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

Creativity Top 5: Week of September 9, 2013

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As I mentioned on Facebook, the video The Fox went from discovery to amusement to overexposure to tired-of-it in the span of six hours. 

 
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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

Worthwhile Stories

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Stories are attempts to share our values and beliefs. Story telling is only worthwhile when it tells what we stand for, not what we do.

 

 
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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.