Creative Careers

We have been spoon-fed the notion that creativity is the province of genius - of those favored, brilliant few whose moments of insight arrive in unpredictable flashes of divine inspiration. And if we are not geniuses, we might as well pack it in and give up. Either we have that gift, or we don’t. But Allen Gannett shows that simply isn’t true. Recent research has shown that there is a predictable science behind achieving commercial success in any creative endeavor, from writing a popular novel to starting up a successful company to creating an effective marketing campaign.

Figuring out how to make a living from your creative work poses unique challenges and obstacles. From choosing the right business model to building a brand, from managing your time to scaling up your production—starting your own creative business often means doing it all yourself. Enter The Creative Business Handbook by Alicia Puig and Ekaterina Popova, the dynamic duo behind Create! Magazine. With its conversational tone and accessible advice, this handbook lays an essential foundation for anyone wanting to earn a living with their art—no fancy business degree required!

Discover the ultimate guide to mastering life's challenges with "The Art of Problem Solving: Master Proven Strategies for Effective Decision Making, Critical Thinking, and Creative Solutions." Whether you're tackling complex problems in the boardroom, classroom, or at home, this book is your secret weapon. Perfect for both adults and kids, it transforms daunting problems into opportunities for growth and success.

Your Greatest Asset contains some of Nightingale’s most inspiring broadcasts on the subjects of brainstorming, problem-solving, decision-making, goal achievement, and interpersonal communication. Its simple yet incisive messages will teach you techniques and attitudes, which, if practiced regularly, will result in your living an even more creative, rewarding life.

It can be difficult to live according to our values in a complicated world. At a time when capitalism seems most unforgiving but the need for paying work remains high, it is important to learn how we can be more mindful and intentional about our impact - personal, social, economic, and environmental. As designer and creative director Kelly Small had to do to navigate a crisis of ethics and burnout in their career in advertising, we can admit our complicity in problematic systems and take on the responsibility of letting our own conscience guide our decisions.

In this revised and expanded edition of his groundbreaking Thinkertoys, creativity expert Michael Michalko reveals life-changing tools that will help you think like a genius. From the linear to the intuitive, this comprehensive handbook details ingenious creative-thinking techniques for approaching problems in unconventional ways. Through fun and thought-provoking exercises, you'll learn how to create original ideas that will improve your personal life and your business life.

In this authoritative and fascinating new audiobook, Keith Sawyer, a psychologist at Washington University, tears down some of the most popular myths about creativity and erects new principles in their place. He reveals that creativity is always collaborative: even when you're alone. Sawyer's audiobook is filled with compelling stories about the inventions that changed our world.

Work with Me Not for Me is your all-inclusive guide to developing your leadership and team-building skills. You will learn how to facilitate your personal success by creating an exceptional, disciplined organizational team built on truth, accountability, support, trust, and empowerment. You will learn how to build a culture where team members want to be more, do more, and earn more.

Are you an entrepreneur in a creative industry? Does your business struggle with consistent profitability and cash flow? Do you feel it is a never-ending struggle to choose between doing the work you are passionate about and staying in business? Christian Brim is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant with over twenty-five years of working with small business owners to grow profitably. Heavily influenced by a family riches-to-rags experience in his formative years, Christian has dedicated his life’s work to helping entrepreneurs have businesses that work for them.

Written by the former Executive Creative Director of Creations at Cirque du Soleil, this audiobook shows you how to step up your game, flex your creativity, and make big things happen. Whether you work independently or as part of a team, whether you're self-employed or part of an organization, and even if you think creativity isn't a part of the work that you do - this book gives you the perspective, courage, and kick-start you need to think differently about the things you do every day.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows, first on premium cable channels like HBO and then basic cable networks like FX and AMC, dramatically stretched television’s narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and artistic ambition. Just as the Big Novel had in the 1960s and the subversive films of New Hollywood had in 1970s, television shows became the place to go to see stories of the triumph and betrayals of the American Dream.

The fastest, easiest, and most profitable way to have a successful business is to work with your ideal customers. They value your offering and pay you what it's worth and they are a joy to serve. But how can you rise above the noise in a crowded marketplace to attract these customers? You learn to speak their lingo. In LINGO, serial entrepreneur, brand consultant, and host of Creative Warriors podcast Jeffrey Shaw reveals how to make your business irresistible to your ideal customers by showing them that you get them.

The Soul of the Deal effortlessly teaches unconventional transactional strategies that are radically changing the approach of business buyers and sellers, investors, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. Their origin? Selling encyclopedias door-to-door, following the Grateful Dead for a lifetime, and closing 400+ successful deals.

If you're a creative writer interested in a freelance income stream, want to work from home, and need help selling your skills to small business, this inspiring book will get you launched with confidence. Ideal for creative writers, journalists, students and bloggers with great writing skills. Get these gold tips and strategies, and hit the ground running!

Nancy Lyons started her career not fitting in anywhere. She was a loudmouth, shared her ideas too much, and brought big energy. But there wasn't room for that in a traditional office. Nowhere did she ever feel empowered as an employee and valued for what she brought to work. So when she became a CEO and business owner herself, she set out to cultivate a work culture unlike anything she'd experienced before, starting with her mindset. In Work Like a Boss, she teaches everyone boss or not how to do it, too.

Nearly all of today’s major innovation workshops and programs call on organizations to drive innovation. What they miss is that innovation comes from the personal creativity of individuals. And creativity doesn’t require an advanced education or technical skills. All employees can be creative. Often, all they lack is a fitting mindset and the right skills.

Have you just started using QuickBooks and found it rather scary? Maybe, you heard about this software and wanted to know more about it? Well, whatever the reason, you don’t have to worry anymore. This book will help you learn everything about QuickBooks and how it can assist in maintaining the finances and records of your organization.

In a world desperate for a glimpse of authenticity, Nobody Knows What They're Doing is a breath of fresh air that reveals the truths hiding between the lines of Instagram-friendly aphorisms and behind the words of the most inspirational TED talks. An honest look at the reality of creativity and the joy and difficulty of crafting good (and bad) art, this book is a must-listen for every exhausted creative, every starry-eyed dreamer, and every artist who is trying to make their way in the world - and keep a roof over their head while they do it.

Are you sick of barely scraping by as a creative? How long have you been trying to build your career? How many hours have you spent banging your head against a wall? How much money have you sunk into ads and marketing that just don't work? This audiobook can't guarantee you a successful career, but it can give you all the fundamental knowledge you need to set you up for success because it was written by a creative for a creative.

In this innovative book, Jürgen Salenbacher shares his unique personal coaching method designed to develop creative thinking and innovation. The method, which originated as a career management tool, can be used by anyone who wishes to explore what they have to offer the world. In five succinct chapters, Salenbacher reveals how to use brand positioning methodology to discover where to go next.