The Accidental Creative

There are many things a good leader does to help their team gain focus, stay motivated, and produce great work. However, there are also some very common mistakes that many leaders make that they don’t even know are killing their team’s ability to engage with their work. This is especially true when doing creative work, because it requires tremendous trust and an ability to take risks that could be costly to correct later. The better you are at setting good rails for your team, the more they will feel freedom to bring their best ideas and work to the table. Today I discuss a few ways that leaders unknowingly squelch their team’s creativity, and to do about it. (These ideas originally appeared in my column at INC.) ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.  

Are you brave? Strangely, it depends on what your definition of brave is. Today's guest Adam Smith is here to walk us through what it looks like to be brave in life and work, and it may not always look like what you think. Adam's new book is called The Bravest You. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Slack. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Where do great ideas come from? For many creative pros great ideas are simply sourced in everyday experience. However, in order to turn those seemingly commonplace observations into brilliant work, you need to know what you're looking for. Today's guest Bernadette Jiwa has just released a book called Hunch that's all about how to leverage your curiosity and empathy to mine your environment for idea gold. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

We've all heard the myth of the starving artist. Everyone knows that artists have to suffer for their art, live in squalid conditions, and experience great pain in order to produce brilliant work. Except, according to today's guest, that's not really the case. Jeff Goins has just written a new book called Real Artists Don't Starve, and on today's show he shares some of the differences between starving artists and thriving artists, and how you can make enough money from your art to sustain it. (If you pre-order the book before its June 6 release, Jeff is also offering bonuses worth $200.) ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

No matter how experienced you are or how much great work you’ve produced in your career, there inevitably comes a time when you’ll find yourself “stuck”. This usually has less to do with a lack of ability to do the work and more to do with some kind of psychological or habitual barrier that is preventing you from diving into the heart of the work in front of you. I’ve encountered many of these in my day, both personally and with those I’ve worked with. Here are a few questions to help identify productivity-zapping roadblocks. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Slack. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.  

The story that you believe can either free you or imprison you. On today's episode, Tom Asacker shares what he's learned about how these narratives can prevent you from doing your best work, collaborating with others, and leading at your full potential. Tom has worked with some of the largest companies in the world, helping them unlock how belief drives action, and helping them overcome barriers that are impeding their growth. His latest book is called I Am Keats. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Ever feel like you can't possibly please a boss or client? Or, are you ratcheting up the expectations for yourself (or your team) in a way that makes it impossible for you to be satisfied with an outcome? You might be experiencing something called expectation escalation. However, it's not always the boss and client that is to blame. We often do this to ourselves. On today's episode, I share how to mind your baseline. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Skillshare, the place to learn new skills and take your work and life to the next level. For a month of free access to courses, visit Skillshare.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Is the thing you think you're trying to do with your work really what you're doing? What if the entire system is set up to get you to do something else, but you don't even realize it? On today's episode, I explain why pop radio is so bad, how artists end up as willing accomplices in mediocrity, and how your team might be doing the same thing (and not even know it). ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Slack. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

It's such a joy to have Seth Godin back on the podcast. In this conversation, Seth shares insights about the nature of doing creative work in the face of uncertainty, and how to succeed with the smallest possible market instead of aiming for big. He also shares a bit about his altMBA program, an intensive, 4-week online workshop for high-performing individuals who want to level up and lead.   ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Ever feel like you have too many interests and curiosities to choose just one? For some people, this attribute makes them feel a little out of place in a marketplace full of specialists. However, today's guest says there's nothing wrong with you, and that in fact, there might just be a word to describe you: multipotentialite. Emilie Wapnick will tell you what that means with insights from her new book How To Be Everything. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Your career is going really well, and you're knocking it out of the park with your projects. Then suddenly, one day you realize that your work just isn't quite giving you the same spark or gratification that it once did. Everyone around you is happy with what you're producing, but deep inside you know that you're kind of phoning it in. Why does this happen to even the best and brightest people in the workplace? On today's episode I share the two places where creative pros get stuck, and what you can do about it. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Skillshare, the place to learn new skills and take your work and life to the next level. For a month of free access to courses, visit Skillshare.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

We're all influenced by the greats of our craft. Every writer has a hero, as does every designer, leader, and musician. However, we often fail to think deeply about why those particular heroes are so influential on our own work. In today's episode, I share a few ways you can probe the depths of your influences to hone your own craft. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Twenty20, the place to get inspiring, authentic stock photos. For five free photos, visit Twenty20.com/ac. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Yes, hustle is important. However, it's possible to hustle so much that you become decreasingly effective. In today's episode, I share the value of strategic slacking and how to use the "breakout principle" to have breakthroughs and generate better ideas for your work and life. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

When you're stuck on a project and need an idea, what do you do? Do you stare at it, beating your head against the desk and straining for insight? There's a better way. Today's guest, Nick Tasler, shares a phenomenon called The Kafka Effect and how it can help us generate creative ideas and make valuable new connections. Nick's latest book is called Ricochet. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Does your current job have you dreaming of greener pastures, and longing to make a leap to a new one? Wait! Before you do, I have an exercise for you. You should write a resignation letter, but not send it. Below you can download a transcript to help you ask the five questions I share in this episode. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.