In Ignore Everybody, Hugh MacLeod puts forth 40 keys to creativity. As you might infer from the title, this is not a standard take on this topic. MacLeod is unconventional, 'snarky,' and definitely provides a interesting perspective. His main points, in my opinion:
- If you want to be truly creative, don't expect payment. Keep a 'standard' job and do your creative work on the side. Once you're in it for money, you're beholden to the opinion/desires of others, and creativity diminishes.
- Ignore everybody. Don't try to stand out from the crowd- stay away from the crowd altogether. Do your own thing, take ownership in it, and forget what others say. Be different, and proud.
- Teamwork and consensus can be a bad thing, as it encourages others to seek and become overly reliant upon group approval. This, again, diminishes creativity and turns many into followers.
Hugh has some good points, and this was an interesting audiobook. It's very opinionated, of course, and not based on any research- this is just a guy's opinion based on his own life. In that way, it's like talking to a friend who's had a lot of ups and downs: they have good things to share, but you don't always identify with where they're coming from, or trust that their experience can be translated to general life principles for all of us. Additionally, this seemed very geared towards 'artsy' types who were trying to make it big in art/movies/books/etc. Thus, it wasn't quite what I was expecting or wanting (I was hoping to learn techniques for fostering innovation). Still, it's short enough to warrant a listen- if you can ignore the occasional cursing or inappropriate (sexual) jokes.
Rating: B
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