Words to Grow By

The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions

2010-04-17T18:24:00.004-04:00

The image above is from a great website www.informationisbeautiful.net created by David McCandless. I highly recommend it for both stunning data visualizations and fun facts.

How To Work Better

2009-04-03T16:25:00.004-04:00

Created by Peter Fischli & David Weiss.

Courtesy of ronnestam.com.

What Is Often Forgotten by D. B. Scott

2009-03-09T11:51:00.002-04:00

Great blog post by D.B. Scott at Canadian Magazines. Here's an excerpt. Go here to read the entire entry.

"A question has to be not only how content creation gets paid for in money (an important, and so far unsolved issue), but also in time to do the work, the two being firmly linked. And the term 'content creation' takes in more than research and writing an article, but also designing and presenting it, which takes in illustration, photography and design, none of which can be done instantly or even much faster than they've ever been done. (For that matter, does it take any less time today than last year to set up a sales call, take a meeting and get a contract signed?)

What is often forgotten in a push-button society is that the human brain doesn't work much faster today than it did a few years ago; and that human conversation (a key component of an interview and research and sales transactions) proceeds at pretty much the same pace it always did."

An Open Note To Domestic Attempts

2009-02-02T13:57:00.025-05:00

Today, thanks to Queens Museum twitter feed, I was directed to a blog called Domestic Attempts. Reading this blog I came across a January 30 entry about losing your job. This struck a chord in me. I have been a freelancer for over 20 years. For a great many of those years I worked as a costume designer for film & tv gigs. As such I would work intensively on a particular production for a few weeks or months and then it would come to an end and I would return to being unemployed. I never got used to this. I think it was because so much of my self esteem stemmed from my earning capacity, I never felt good without money coming in.

Add to this being RLO (recently laid off) in the difficult circumstances like we are experiencing globally and the suck factor just goes up. Understandably.

Reading about Domestic Attempts attempts to feel good about this crappy situation prompted me to write this open letter. Firstly to validate DA's feelings. And to respond in kind and in part to her request of Top 10 Ways to Pass Time. The great thing about these 'time wasters' is that while they may appear to be only that on the surface, they actually become vehicles for deep learning and engagement. But I digress.

Here then are my personal favorite Top 6 Time Wasters (more later), the Toronto version (although many of these aren't specific to Toronto):

1) Twitter. Not only an excellent time sucker but once you get the hang of it, its totally entertaining and educational--if you follow people that share your interests. Its also a great way to develop a support system (global and local) around shared values.

2)Take the TTC. Thats the public transport here in the T-dot. Its a great time waster and a great way to people watch and gain perspective.

3)Take up Indian cooking. Its a cost effective way to stretch those precious dollars, great if someone in the household has gluten issues and if done mise en place steez, takes several hours to prepare a 3 sub-jees or side dishes and rice.

4)Read An Incomplete Manifesto For Growth by Bruce Mau. Contemplate. Read again.

5)Watch Today's Big Thing. Always great for a laugh.

6) Read Indexed by Jessica Hagy (image above is her February 2 entry).

Only a Few Days Left To Submit Your Application For Stimulus Canada Funds!

2009-01-13T20:24:00.007-05:00

Go here or click on the above document for a larger version.

50 Most Beautiful Icon Sets Of 2008

2008-12-19T15:29:00.004-05:00

Earlier today, I wrote on my other blog about discovering the 50 Most Beautiful Icon Sets Created In 2008. I wanted to share that info with you here too. Custom icons are fun, easy to use and they really revitalize work flow-especially for those of us who have the tendancy to spend alot of time behind the computer. This Merry Christmas set was voted #8. Did I mention that most of them are free?

If You Can't Be Topless...

2008-12-15T20:35:00.004-05:00

Its that time of the year folks. Yep. Time for the Year in Review.

Let's get the ball rolling with some fun stuff courtesy of Time Magazine and their The Top 10 Everything of 2008.

Top 10 Buzzwords:

10. Topless meeting

9. Tweet

8. Puma

7. Rickrolled

6. Staycation

5. Nuke the fridge

4. Fist bump

3. Hockey Mom

2. Bailout

1. Change

Arianna Huffington on Workalholism

2008-12-05T14:07:00.011-05:00

I am always heartened when I come across compelling arguments for pushing back the common work ethic insofar as "the idea that to be a success you have to drive yourself into the ground, and that making work the be-all and end-all of your life is a good thing." Arianna Huffington wrote these words in an op-ed piece that appeared in The Huffington Post yesterday.

"The prevailing culture tells us that nothing succeeds like excess, that working 80 hours a week is better than working 70, that being plugged in 24/7 is expected, and that sleeping less and multi tasking more are an express elevator to the top."

She was referring to an off-the-record comment by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell on President Elect Barack Obama's appointment of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano being "a 'perfect choice' for Homeland Security Secretary because she has 'no life', 'no family' and 'can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day' to the job."

Huffington continues "Rendell's paean to workaholism epitomizes this wrong-headed approach to acheivement. Indeed, the truth is the exact opposite. It turns out people are not only happier--they are also much more productive if they are able to get away from work, and renew their passion and focus."

Read the article here and watch Huffington on The Early Show talk about the issue.

Heavy Lifting

2008-10-16T17:36:00.015-04:00

I don't want to be one of those friends that only calls when bad things happen to them. I know the regularity of posting since August has left much to be desired, but as I introduced in my other blog recently, there has been a reason for this: I've been birthing. Not a baby but a concept.

Sadly, this coincided with Larry's illness and the moving of home and business.

In a few short weeks everything is different.

This takes deep skills. To process. To manage and to filter.

Skills I might add that do not naturally run optimally at high speeds for me.

Writing just became too much. The therapeutic nature of the blogs and the reason I began them couldn't be exercised because I couldn't/can't process all the events happening at the same time.

I totally get 'micro-blogging' not that I didn't before. It has been the only means that I've been able to keep consistentlyish connected with my own inner dialogue and the mysterious healing process of putting words on a page or in this case a screen.

I was thinking about all of this stuff today in between bouts of profound despair about Larry and life without him when I happened across an article in the Science section of today's New York Times. It begins:

"James W. Pennebaker's interest in word counting began more than 20 years ago, when he did several studies suggesting that people who talked about traumatic experiences tended to be physically healthier than those who kept such experiences secret."

If this is true maybe everything will be okay.

Read for yourself here.

Twitter here.

My Hero: Larry Martin 2001-2008

2008-10-15T18:25:00.009-04:00

So much in our lives just kind of happens. Forces conspire to create events and opportunities that we unwittingly enter or are thrust upon us while we were paying attention to something else. Or so it seems. Some of the most signifigant events in my life have, it seems to me, happened like this.

One of the greatest such moments was when I happened upon a cat running between parked cars one rainy September evening in 2002. He was black and white and strikingly handsome- even though he had a chunk missing from his ear and his fur had been stained with blood and grease. There was something elegant about him despite his limp that captivated me and I realize now that it was love at first sight.

By snow fall this broken bodied, flea infested terminally ill cat and I began our years long love affair (indoors of course). Together we made a life out of what we were cast: each other and not much else. He doted on me and as anyone who knows me will attest to, I most certainly doted on him. Often the brunt of jokes (not to my face or his of course) most pet owners scoffed at our relationship. No matter. Larry has provided me with the sort of unconditional love that I had never known before, the kind that transcends most human or familial bonds. And for that, dear reader, I will be eternally grateful.

We'd dodged several attempts on his health before: FIV, leukemia, diabetes, toxoplasma, cancer. But today was the day of his last battle.

So dear friend, today I raise a bottomless glass to you and light an inextinguishable flame. You have made the world a better place and I thank you for your love, your companionship and your support.

Quote Of The Week: Randy Pausch

2008-07-31T19:32:00.004-04:00

"But remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people."

-Randy Pausch

Why $0.00 Is The Future Of Business

2008-07-31T19:06:00.008-04:00

These balmy summer days have been great for taking work outside-to a café, the park or the rooftop deck. Without big distractions, it's a good time to get caught up on correspondence, clean out the email inbox, organize bookmarks and the like. In so doing, I have become reacquainted and revitalized by some great articles from earlier in the year, like this one from Wired Magazine's March issue: Why $0.00 Is The Future Of Business. It's a must read.

Update: I promised to stop saying "its's a must read". But this one really is.

Work for Free Scam Busted...Spectacularly

2008-07-24T15:57:00.006-04:00

You respond to a job advert, prepare for the meeting/interview, then put hours in developing a proposal only to discover that the company:

A) wants you to develop the project a little more before they "decide", or

B) they won't give you a retainer to start work, or

B) pay you an up-front deposit or

C) want you to work "on spec" until the final product is delivered or service is complete?

If this has ever happened to you then you'll enjoy reading Carrie Cantwell's account of justice served.

Critical: What You Need to Know About Work-For-Hire

2008-07-24T14:45:00.015-04:00

This blog is dedicated to supporting design in all of its forms and sharing in the process of designing. There are many pitfalls out there-as there are opportunities for success-but today I want to bring to your attention a nasty bit of business: the work for hire clause.

Stopworkforhire.com is a website devoted to bringing awareness to what work-for-hire or work made for hire means and why its being used by many companies.

"According to the U.S. Copyright Act, work-for-hire is a provision that allows a very narrow exception to the basic rule that the contractor who creates the work inherently owns the copyright to the work created. Work-for-hire grants authorship and ownership of the work produced to the individual or company who commissioned the work. Work-for hire is a means for a company to treat a contractor as a full time employee without having to provide any of the benefits of employment to the contractor as 'compensation' for loss of copyright and any future income the company may generate from reuse of the work produced". With this clause and your signature, it "effectively strips any and all rights to any and all work the contractor created while working under such an agreement. 'All' work includes sketches, doodles, layer files, prep files, finished art. You can't even use the work that you created in your own portfolio."

Although the website cites the U.S. Copyright Act, its still an issue for those working in Canada, U.K and many other places around the world.

UPDATE: Professional Artists League, the organization behind the website has posted a defense of work-for-hire. Its a must read!

Perspectives: Keeping the Love For What You Do

2008-07-18T10:05:00.006-04:00

The ever fascinating Ben Stein wrote a thoughtful piece published in last week's New York Times Business section. Entitled Lessons in Love, By Way of Economics, Mr. Stein says "economics is the study of the allocation of scarce goods and services. What could be more scarcer or more precious than love? It is rare, hard to come by and often fragile...so here, in the form of a few new rules, is a little amalgam of the two fields: the economics of love." Now before you roll your eyes, consider this: if, as designers, knowledge workers and creative entrepreneurs, you broaden the meaning of the word 'love' as it appears in the article to encapsulate the passion or love for what you do, the lessons or rules remain true. Here's an example: "the returns in love situations are roughly proportional to the amount of time and devotion invested. The amount of love you get from an investment is correlated, if only roughly, to the amount of yourself you invest in the relationship."

Setbacks, Trip-Ups & Amnesia: How To Manage Life's Minor Tragedies

2008-07-17T15:21:00.004-04:00

"Not all setbacks are of epic proportion. Often, all it takes is a casual insult or silly faux pas to knock you off course. Those trip-ups can snowball-a barista snaps at you, leading you to be short with a coworker, which turns into a fight with your partner, and ...well, you get the idea." Sound familiar? If your life has been anything like mine this last month, you'll appreciate 11 Everyday Disasters And How To Fix Them as much as I did. The expert fast fixes and pro-active advice in this article originally from prevention.com features bounce-back advice for such crucial conundrums as flubbing an introduction, getting bullied, when someone else takes credit for your ideas and sending an errant emails.

Moving Daze

2008-07-02T14:18:00.002-04:00

I apologize for the lack of postings. Patchy internet connection and moving has made work almost impossible. I'll be back shortly!

55 Office-Speak Phrases That You Love To Hate

2008-06-18T13:39:00.007-04:00

Let's face the music, go forward together with 360 degree thinking and give it 110%. Go here to read the article. Fun times.

How To Cope With Hard Times

2008-06-16T16:20:00.002-04:00

Paul B. Brown writes in the Small Business section of the New York Times: "For small businesses that are trying to ride out an uncertain economy, all solid suggestions about cutting costs, reducing the amount of time it takes to collect a receivable, or finding forgotten tax breaks are much needed. Here are a handful of ideas that may help.

The Women's Tech Knowledge Connection: Webgrrls

2008-06-10T15:23:00.002-04:00

Every day is a discovery. Today I discovered Webgrrls International, the Professional Women's Network. Their website details all sorts of support that this online and off line all female networking organization has to offer. Their blog has some great tips, tricks and wisdom. Interestingly enough, although Calgary, Vancouver and Nova Scotia have their own 'chapters' of Webgrrls, Toronto does not according to their website.

Making Creative Matter

2008-06-09T17:21:00.005-04:00

"Life is crazy. How do you balance life, joy and great work?" This is one of the questions that I am seeking the answer to. Designer Sobriety is an amazingly resourceful blog for answering it. Here's some examples:

#3 'You need to commit to both of your lives: personal and work. Don't let work interfere with your personal life, and live a personal life that inspires your work.'

#9 'Work where it makes you happy.'

Part 1: 25 Key Forms of Human Behaviour According to Charlie Munger

2008-06-07T10:34:00.008-04:00

Over on (co-founder of Netscape) Marc Andreessen's blog.pmarca.com there's a great post called 'The Psychology of Entrepreneurial Misjudgement' based on the wit and wisdom of Warren Buffet's longtime business partner and Vice President of Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger. Mr. Munger's insights are legendary and a compilation book of his business insights "Poor Charlie's Almanack" reveals some useful stuff whether you are a venture capitalist or sole proprietor.

"Mr. Munger's magnum opus speech, included in the book, is The Psychology of Human Misjudgement--an exposition of 25 key forms of human behaviour that lead to misjudgement and error, derived from Mr Munger's 60 years of business experience. Think of it as a practitioner's summary of human psychology and behavioural economics as observed in the real world."

In this first post, Andreessen goes through biases 1 to 6. Stay tuned for the other installments.

Hacking Means Taking Things That Suck and Making Them Better

2008-05-30T17:55:00.009-04:00

Remember this name-Umair Haque. Umair is the guy behind Bubblegeneration, a strategic advisory boutique and the man who coined the phrase 'edgeconomy'. This guy embodies punk. He also blogs for Harvard Business Review. His post yesterday "How to Hack the Industrial Economy" is inspirational. Part rallying cry to idealism (read: anti corpocracies) and radical innovation via downright subversion, this post is a great way to get a fresh perspective on any obstructions and stalemates that you might find yourself in.

"Everything can be hacked. One of the most enduring aspects of hacking was that it was anti-authoritarian. It wasn't about software: rather, it was about rejecting an industrial era worldview of narrow, limited possibility-anything could be hacked, and often, with tremendous simplicity."

Whiteboards: Lo Fi Solutions to Organization

2008-05-29T17:47:00.005-04:00

For those of us that work at home, a whiteboard or cork board (as I use) is a handy place to post, manage information and keep important documents (like bills and to-do lists) at a glance. If you share your space with others it can serve as a hub for information like phone messages too. Webworker Daily had a great post this week "8 Ways To Use A Whiteboard In Your Home Office". And check out BNET and here for how to make a wall size whiteboard for about $30.

Wearable Post It Notes

2008-05-24T18:14:00.003-04:00

Multi-tasker? Never forget with these temporary tattoos.

Click here for more.

Habits Are Cultivated With Daily Practice

2008-05-20T16:12:00.017-04:00

Today I came across a great site and niche idea called SunPop Studios which specializes in 3 minute streaming promotional online videos for clients to use on their websites. "Where the internet has created a digital divide between real human beings, we're building bridges and reconnecting people with candor, trust and authenticity." (Check out their Clarity Document as it is an example of a well crafted Terms of Engagement document.) I dug a little deeper on the site and found SunPopBlog: Growing Organic Relationships in a Digital World by Rex Williams-the guy behing SunPop. Both personal and personable, it was here that I discovered the website ZenHabits dedicated to setting and achieving goals and good habits. So in the spirit of practice, motivation and focus I recommend the article The Zen of Tech: 12 Powerful Ways to Keep Your Online life Simple and Peaceful.

Gen Xers: A Career Faceoff?

2008-05-15T17:38:00.003-04:00

Here's a fascinating article about Generation X (of which I am a part) entitled "10 Reasons Gen Xers are Unhappy at Work". Up until now, I've never been able to point at a business article and say without reservation "Yep-that's me!" Props to the author Tammy Erickson and Harvard Publishing.

The Ethics of Saying No

2008-05-15T17:28:00.002-04:00

"In business, where all of your relationships matter, you don’t want to run around being the ethics police. But you should also never compromise yourself. You’re going to have to say no when it comes your way. So say it wisely." writes William Baker today on BNET. Click here to read the article.

Celebrated Chef Susur Lee on his Leadership Strategy

2008-04-21T10:29:00.006-04:00

The Globe & Mail Business Incubator today features an video interview with Hong Kong born internationally-renowned chef and restaurant owner Susur Lee. In just under 4.5 minutes Lee talks about keeping the excitement, why attention to detail is so crucial and how important learning to adjust is.

The Power Of Positive Thinking. And a Day Job.

2008-04-17T21:31:00.004-04:00

Louise France and The Observer bring us this heart warming story of one woman out to change the world with a pair of tights with the feet cut off. Sara Blakely did it with zero business knowledge, zero experience, zero help. This is the story of how Spanx came to be a multi million dollar business. Fun Fact: "Fishnet economy=in times of crisis and recession sales of red lipstick and hosiery go up".

For Entrepreneurs, It's All About Time

2008-04-03T09:19:00.014-04:00

Understanding time management and putting it into practice is critical to your professional viability and work/life balance-whether you work for yourself, by yourself or with others. Managing time isn't just about being punctual or is it really about multi-tasking per se. Nor does it relate only to business. I think its a lifestyle choice. Its about organization and flow, being effective, setting goals and getting things done. Read Paul B. Brown's article in the New York Times that inspired this post for some excellent tips. And visit Mind Tools for a great pep talk.

This Could Be Revolutionary: Online Scheduling Services

2008-03-31T20:33:00.005-04:00

Like the idea of promoting your company, booking clients and maximizing your time? How about all at the same time? Its possible with the likes of three new online scheduling companies: HourTown, Booking Angel and Genbook. These companies host and post your personal and business itineraries and offer the viewing public the available time slots or appointments. No more phone or email tag with clients wanting to know your availability. Potential or repeat customers can immediately see when you are available and book on the spot from the host's website. The really exciting part, as Bob Tedeschi writes in today's New York Times E-Commerce Report is they " will also transmit scheduling information for their businesses to search engines and online Yellow Pages directories". This works best for appointment based service industries like hairdressers, massage therapists, restaurants, healthcare providers and the like. But from a cost management perspective this is worth investigating especially since some of the services are free.

File this under: Morning Rituals

2008-03-25T17:13:00.006-04:00

This is just good fun and a great way to start the day: Indexed by Jessica Hagy.

Innovation and Inspiration Through New Ways of Thinking

2008-03-21T11:34:00.007-04:00

What do cancer research + a professional gambler and cleft palate surgery + an advertising executive have in common? Brand new ways of thinking about charitable business models. Read here for more "Bottom-Line Philanthropy".

Managing Stress

2008-03-14T18:19:00.034-04:00

Burning the candle at both ends tends to be par for the course for most entrepreneurs. If its not the workaholic in you, it may be the pressure from deadlines that the responsibility of having your own business brings. Its also hard to say no to a client. For most, balancing work and life is a constant challenge. It takes active participation and a solid support system. And access to good (read: relevant) information. I can definately recommend this article from How Design called "Shedding Stress" by Pat Matson Knapp as being all the above.

I have frequently turned to How Design since I discovered it (thanks Steve!) to help me with all sorts of things like dealing with difficult clients, pricing services and self promotion among other things. If you're not a designer, don't worry. This magazine is still full of relevant information.

Quote of the Week-March 12, 2008

2008-03-12T15:43:00.003-04:00

"Figure out who you are and then do it on purpose."

-Dolly Parton

Business Pre-Nup or Post-Nup?

2008-03-12T11:04:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I had rescinded my services from a client under uncomfortable circumstances. Today I came across a great article "Making the Breakup Much Easier" in the New York Times. It outlines the importance of deciding ownerships in joint business ventures and co-development initiatives and how to go about them.

Social Entrepreneurs: Mainstreaming of the Mavericks

2008-03-11T16:52:00.004-04:00

Charles Leadbeater's article about social entrepreneurs is nothing new (published March 07) but I found it so heartening that when I read again, I wanted to share it.

Thinking About Things I Really Don't Want To But Probably Should

2008-03-11T12:42:00.000-04:00

Recently I parted ways with a longtime client, one with a fairly high profile. The truth is, I fired him. For harassment.

Yeah. Gross.

How did I get here? How did this happen? I work for myself, choose my clients and provide my services based on carefully considered terms. How did the checks and balances that I thought I had put into place to protect me from this sort of thing, fail me?

I thought that I was using forward thinking when considering possible uncomfortable situations that a woman offering the services that I do might experience ‘in the field’. Heaven knows my experience as a costume designer exposed me to the sort of overtures that might be made. But here I am, in this situation, embarrassed and shaken trying to figure out how to never ever put myself in this situation again. And so my brain starts to spin….
If I had made mention of Harassment in my Terms of Engagement contract, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
If I hadn’t been so hungry for the business, maybe I would have been in a better place to see clearly how I may have allowed this unwanted behavior to gain root.
If I hadn’t invested so much of myself in the project, maybe I might have been able to maintain a detached perspective.
If I hadn’t been so excited about the work I was creating on his behalf maybe I would have noticed sooner his manipulation and misrepresentation.
If I wasn’t already so busy with work from other clients then maybe I could have seen this coming.
If I were more professional maybe this situation would have been avoided.

While these may be worthy concepts to consider, it is foolish to think that anything that I did was to blame for his (choice of) inappropriate behavior or that I was deserving of what happened. Sometimes shit just happens and no amount of forward thinking could have avoided it.

While in my heart I know this, it doesn't change the ‘What the f*ck?” kind of repulsion I feel as I scramble to shore up the hit this fiasco has triggered to my revenue and my self esteem.

Then I pick up a book on my bookshelf called “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. I open it randomly to page 89 and here’s what it says:

“The professional endures adversity. He lets the birdshit splash down on his slicker, remembering that it comes clean with a heavy-duty hosing. He himself, his creative center, cannot be buried, even beneath a mountain of guano. His core is bulletproof. Nothing can touch it unless he lets it.”
It continues:
“The professional keeps his eye on the doughnut and not on the hole. He reminds himself it’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.”

So I guess my focus needs to be on what to do now, after the fact, because this is NOT going to get the better of me.

What can I do to make myself feel empowered? How can I move on and let it go?

And so this blog is born.

For information about Sexual Harassment click here.

Suffering Is Optional

2008-03-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

The March 2008 issue of Ode magazine has a great commentary by Byron Katie about the nature of suffering and how we get in our own way. Click here to read it.