Paint + Pipette
A blog on the art & science of creative action.
Roast A Problem
Some problems can be hard to see from different perspectives. William Hardaway, a design leader in higher education recommends taking a light-hearted approach to exposing unexplored angles.
Build Your Idea Muscle
Spectacular entrepreneurs craft clever experiments. And a robust experimentation practice demands a rigorous ideation ritual. At Stanford, this is how folks build the muscle.
Number Your Ideas
World-class creators like Jon Acuff literally count their ideas. It’s one of the simplest ways to measure your creative capacity, and whether it’s growing.
Learn With Lunatics
The surprising secret to YouTube sensation Mr. Beast’s rise to prominence? Gathering likeminded learners to exponentially reduce the ramp of a new pursuit. Such folks are lunatics.
Appreciate Feeling Stuck
For all the ink that’s been spilled on overcoming creative blocks, we often neglect an important reality: getting stuck is essential to breaking through! Let’s stop to appreciate the feeling…
Design A Hypothesis
A good hypothesis is one of the most valuable assets in the scientific world. And they’re getting harder to come by. Luckily, this is where design thinking shines.
Request Criticism
Leaders at Stanford and Pixar have proven that one of the most powerful ways to accelerate the quality of our ideas is to actively seek and embrace critique.
Wield Your Weirdness Proudly
A common thread of breakthroughs is that they occur in “accidental” or unexpected ways. What if, instead of dismissing the accidental elements as irrelevant, we started deliberately deploying them?
Make Sacrifices
What do Kobe Bryant, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Phelps, and the digital artist Beeple have in common? They all made sacrifices to do something special.
Gather Conceptual Legos
Wildly inventive individuals have a habit of gathering conceptual pieces before they know exactly what they’re going to do with them. The more legos you collect, the more ideas you can make.
Tap Into Your Subconscious
David Ogilvy attributed difficulties with original thinking to what he dubbed “the tyranny of reason.” Here are a few superrational escape techniques...
Interrupt A Hero
How did I have the boldness to approach a living legend of innovation as a total stranger? I was inspired by one of my own students, and followed suit.
Question the Script
Bossy Cosmetics Founder and CEO Aishetu Dozie shares an insight with profound implications for finding purpose in work.
Call It What It Is
Take stock of the last time you had a good idea. How you talk about it, both to yourself and to others, matters. If you don’t chalk it up to “creativity,” then you’re unlikely call on creativity when you need it.
Wonder At What’s Inside
I’ll never forget the first time I caught a glimpse of my own dormant creative potential. It’s like a whole new world of possibility opened up to me. Ever since then, it’s a gift I’ve wanted to give others.
Look for Leverage
Leverage is one of the most fundamental mechanisms of value creation, yet folks look far enough beyond the balance sheet to reap its full rewards. Here’s how to bring leverage into daily life.
Set An Output Schedule
Lorne Michaels, the most-nominated person in Emmy history, has accomplished something that very entertainers do: sustained creative excellence. His mantra for creative success is quite surprising…
Observe Your Customers
To make empathetic engagement with customers as rich as possible, it’s essential to immerse in and observe them in the wild, and to do so regularly. Some tips from an outstanding innovation leader.
Grant Permission to Deviate
“Smarter is better.” It’s hard to imagine a more sound premise. And yet, that’s not what the data suggest, nor what the history of innovation teaches. What we really need is permission to deviate from the smart approach.