Now and Zen
Every now and then, I enjoy a little Zen.
Anytime I need a "deep thought" I enjoy visiting DailyZen.com.
It's design is simple and pleasing (you might say it's almost Zen-like) and the site has some simply great features like the ability to email the daily quote, send a Zen card, or even view a week's worth of Zen sayings.

Check it out ~ http://www.dailyzen.com/

Weird Inventions
Today features a gallery of obscure (i.e. "weird") patents.
Some of the patents on file include a machine that simulates a "high-five" (guess it also answers the question about the sound of one-hand clapping), pants that separate at the crotch so you can mix "styles" (like what... plaid and polka dots??), and a toe-puppet (that's what I said!)
Bask in the weirdness that is the inventive mind!
http://www.delphion.com/gallery

Weird Creativity
This week I've decided to cover creativity most would deem as "weird."
What better way to kick-off this week's theme than with the latest theory of "weird ideas" by Professor Robert Sutton, author of Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation (Free Press, 2001).

Sutton's book is fantastic list of ways managers can break the rules and make their businesses more creative. Read the Fast Company article to learn more about Sutton's views, and then go buy the book. Don't just READ it -- implement the ideas within to turn your organization into a wild, weird, and creative place to work.

Chuck O' the Day
Today I complete week long coverage of "Chucks."
Perhaps I'll focus on a different name next week --
Send me an email and suggest a name!

This Made Me CHUCK-LE
Sure, it's a bad pun -- but is there really a such thing as a *good* pun?
I've seen all sorts of writing contests, but the winner is usually someone who writes well -- not this time!
2002 Bulwer-Lytton Bad Writing Award

This could be a fun contest to win -- if you're gonna be a bad writer, you may as well be the best bad writer you can possibly be! Although I suppose all the other writers could say "Sure, I might be a terrible writer, but at least I'm not bad enough to win an award for being bad."

Do you think people submit entires to this contest, or are they just nominated?
I mean, does anyone actually TRY to win?

Chuck O' the Day
This week I seem to be on a roll of featuring info from "Chucks" -- so, I decided to continue Chuck coverage thru the rest of the week. Maybe I'll choose a different name next week -- any names in particular you'd like me to cover?
Send me an email and suggest a name!

Chuck Palahniuk
While you might not immediately recognize Chuck Palahniuk's name (or even be able to pronounce it!) Today's "Chuck o' the Day" is the author of a best-selling book that became one of the most wacked-out movies of recent history -- Fight Club. His twist ending surprised me more than either Sixth Sense or A Beautiful Mind. Maybe because the rest of the story was more disturbing then the other two combined, and it distracted me from the plot twist.

Palahnuik's website is pretty interesting. The design is a bit haphazard, but it's got great spirit. He's also holding a contest to choose names for characters in his next book. (If he's reading this, I hope he's keeping my name in mind.)

Check out this creative Chuck at www.chuckpalahniuk.net

Chuck O' the Day
This week I seem to be on a roll of featuring info from "Chucks" -- both Monday and Tuesday focused on people named Chuck. I decided to continue Chuck coverage thru the rest of the week.

Chuck Jones
Earlier this year, one of the most creative guys in the world passed away -- Chuck Jones.
Chuck created some of the most memorable and beloved cartoon characters, as well as contributing to the evolution and popularity of the art form that is animation. Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, Foghorn Leghorn, the Roadrunner, and the animated patron saint of "idea guys" everywhere -- Wile Coyote. You can learn more about the life and work of Chuck Jones by visiting the official website: ChuckJones.com

When you visit the website, I hope you'll choose to read more about the Chuck Jones Foundation.
The Foundation recognizes, rewards, supports, and inspires continued excellence in the field of classic animation. They've established a Student Excellence Scholarship which is awarded to students whose work shows great potential in advancing and expanding the character animation medium. I encourage you to make a donation to the Foundation via the Chuck Jones website.

Th-th-the That's All Folks!

A Creative Carry-along
Fellow Idea Guy Chuck Green's new IDEA JOTTER saves on stealing cocktail napkins.
As creative folk, we all have our favorite way of recording ideas when we're on the road. Some folks carry portable recorders, some tap their concepts into PDAs, some sketch their thoughts on cocktail napkins, and some just scribble a note on the palm of their hand.

Chuck's new creation -- the Idea Jotter -- is one more excellent way to keep track of those random bursts of inspiration.
No batteries required, no tap-tap-tapping, and no unsightly ink stains to wash away. I still enjoy scrawling notes on napkins, but with a new Idea Jotter in my pocket I won't make the mistake of accidentally sneezing into my next million-dollar idea! You can even get Idea Jotters personalized for your next brainstorming event.

Contact Chuck at IdeaBook for more details, or to buy your own Idea Jotter.

Karma for a Dolla
Writer Chuck Atkins personally invests in the happiness of strangers... and it's CHEAP!
This is one of the coolest ideas I've heard in the past week. I think I'll start doing it too.

Can anyone break a $5?

Read about it HERE.

Predicting Success
This show is going to be a hit.
Have any of you seen the previews for this new detective show?
It looks clever, original, and funny as hell!
It premiers tomorrow night and I just know I'm gonna be a fan.

Visit the official site by clicking HERE.
Not only is it a fairly well-designed website, it's a great companion to the tv series. The site features "one-minute mysteries" to solve and "scene of the crime" stories to explore. All the stories are written as Monk case files and it's a fun way to explore the website and learn more about the show -- kudos to the designer and idea-folk who created it!

Where Do You Get a (work) Life?
Yesterday I provided a link to where you could get an IDEA, today I tell you where to get a (work) life!
Free Agent Nation is an outstanding book for anyone planning to work for themselves.
My friend Dan Pink has created the ultimate user guide for successfully navigating your way out of the corporate rat race. I really can't say it any better than the "official" blurb on his website, so I've pasted it below ~ complete with links to a FREE excerpt from the book... FREE stuff from FREE AGENT NATION!

Widely acclaimed for its engaging style and provocative perspective, FREE AGENT NATION—has helped thousands transform their working lives. Now the paperback edition of this business bestseller features an all-new section: a comprehensive 30-page resource guide that explains the basics of working for yourself (how to get started, where to find health insurance, how to market yourself) and includes 101 Free Agent Survival Tips culled from successful solo workers nationwide. Hip and hopeful, FREE AGENT NATION will change your thinking—and maybe even change your life. Read it today to free yourself tomorrow.

See the Table of Contents

Read an excerpt

Look at the reviews

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
THE most frequently asked question of creatives
At one point (don't ask me when) I started collecting answers to the question "Where do you get your ideas?" Ask any writer, filmmaker, musician, artist, etc. what question they get asked the most it will be the one I mentioned above.

One my favorite writers is Neil Gaiman.
He created the award-winning graphic novel series (it's so much more than a comic book) SANDMAN, and has authored several imaginative novels -- of which the most recent is AMERICAN GODS.

Ennyway...
Neil answers this question better than anyone else I've run across.

Where Does Neil Gaiman Get His Ideas?

Creative Cities
A quiz that hits creative people where they live.
In my June 10th entry I mentioned Richard Florida's book "The Rise of the Creative Class" -- today I learned of an online quiz hosted by Fast Company magazine that determines the creativity level of your city based on Richard Florida's research.
Based on my responses, Columbus, Ohio scored a 60.

How did your city do?

Wake-Up Call
I *really* like caffeine... but I think this stuff would even give ME the shakes!
ShowerShock Caffeinated Soap (no, I'm not kidding!)