For decades, a great many marketers have talked about storytelling as if it were a kind of mini-Hollywood production, a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, characters on a journey, tension that resolves into meaning. This made sense in a world where brands...
In my last post, I went on about the benefits of using ChatGPT when used, at least in my view, correctly. Now I want to talk about AI video. Before I go on, I should say I’m writing this one without assistance—or collaboration, or whatever you want to call it—with...
All over the internet we hear the same worry from knowledge workers and creatives: AI will replace us, or at least flood the world with bland, machine-made slop. I understand the concern. But the more I use AI in my own writing, the more I think differently. It isn’t...
I haven't posted in a while. Partly because I got busy with other projects. Partly because I had some technical issues to deal with on the site. But mostly because I'm not quite sure anyone still reads blogs. And, to be honest, I wasn't sure I really had anything to...
One of the most pernicious myths about creativity, one that seriously inhibits storytelling as much as any other creative activity, is the belief that one needs to “think outside the box.” As someone who has worked for decades a professional creative, nothing could be...
The importance of being an idiot. In my seminars and workshops on creativity, I spend a lot of time emphasizing the value of being an idiot. Because in the all-important opening phase of the creative process, which I call "making a mess," stupidity is your greatest...
Created by Canadian film students Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg, and recently debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, "Noah" captures the life of millenials---in fact, contemporary life for all of us--better than anything I've ever seen. Set totally on a teen's...
If your brand storytelling has already gone global, you know the scenario. For newbies, the story unfolds like this: You invest an enormous amount of time, capital and brainpower rallying your company around a global brand strategy. Consensus erodes, however, when it...
Over the last few years, I've noticed more and more people responding to “thank you” with “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome.” I’ve spotted it mostly in retail situations. After thanking the barista for preparing my latte, he’ll answer with a nonchalant “no...
If you’ve ever done corporate blogging you’ve probably engaged in what seems like an exercise in futility. Hardly anyone reads your posts. At least that's the anecdotal evidence from my own experience along with that of business people with whom I’ve discussed the...
.I’ve just come across another musical prodigy. His name is Geoffrey Gallante, and he plays the trumpet. Check him out. He’s just one of scores of musical prodigies that appear on my Facebook and Twitter feeds over the course of a year. Of course there’s Joey...