According to the late, great guitar god, Jimi Hendrix, Knowledge Speaks, Wisdom Listens. And on that note… Welcome to Episode 22 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the topsy/turvy world of creativity.  My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and no matter what end of the creative world you work in, I’m here to tell you to shut up! In a nice way, of course.  Now if you’re a regular listener of Navigating the Fustercluck, you know that I never shut up. I talk…And talk, and talk and talk… So please get past my hypocrisy. And I thank you immensely for once again hearing me out. There are lots of people telling you how to talk. How to present. Hell, I’ve done it in multiple episodes. Today, however, I’m recalling this powerful, old adage: Silence is golden.  And all we have to do is listen more. Yet for most of us, that’s asking a lot. Quite a lot.Listening & UnderstandingFact is, for the most part, we do Not listen to understand, we listen only to reply.To be heard. To impress upon others our ideas, instead of aiming for a mutual exchange of ideas. As Charles Varlet, the Marquis de La Grange, put it…When We Ask Advice We Are Usually Looking for an Accomplice.That’s right, we’re looking for converts, not conversation, anxious for the other person to yield the floor.As writer Fran Lebowitz puts it…The Opposite of Talking Is Not Listening. The Opposite of Talking is Waiting.And she’s right. We forget that conversation is not a competition, it’s a collaboration. A team sport in many ways.When put that way, wouldn’t we all be better served if we set aside our natural self-centeredness to follow the words of Stephen Covey?Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood. Makes sense, right? Still, it’s hard. And it’s not hard to understand that either.  Most of us struggle to be heard. To have our ideas given a fair chance. Perhaps we are so coiled up to talk because we need validation. Because we so rarely receive praise. Because it’s so infrequent that people listen to us. That may explain why we’re so much more focused on talking than listening.I get it. All that considered, think of this sage old adage that my friends’ 107-year-old grandmother, Mildred “Fern” Puterbaugh used to say: If you want a friend, be a friend. Then ply that to what we’re focusing on here: Isn’t it true? If you want to be heard, you have to listen? Yes, we should listen out of basic respect for others. And practically speaking, listening will free the way for better conversations. Where everyone shares more and learns more from one another. For when You listen, you may learn something new.  Or as spiritual guru Ram Dass so eloquently states…The Quieter You Become, the More You Can Hear. One way that I’ve become a better listener is to pause when others pause. Not jumping in at the first opening. Hearing someone out fully and completely. Another way is to make a point to ask a question after someone speaks. To clarify. To learn more. And after hearing their full response, I often forget what I was going to say. Because what I just heard was more interesting. Or what I had to say wasn’t that important. This Brings Us to Meetings… Because of the avalanche of meetings that we’re all invited to, and dread, we get the idea that, well, we better talk!  First things first, get out of those meetings where you don’t feel that you can add much. It’s a waste of productivity. Unfortunately, once you’re there, you probably feel that you have to be heard or people will question your value. So you talk even when you have nothing to say. Right before you do, try to keep in mind the words of Abraham Lincoln: Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool, Than to Speak and Remove All Doubt.

Welcome to Episode 21 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the topsy/turvy world of creativity.  My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and we’re here for our last thoughts on mentorship… Today, you’re getting a break. A well-deserved break from my voice. Because this episode features our very first interview here on Navigating the Fustercluck. My guest? My most influential mentor, Tom Hansen.  I met Tom over 20 years ago when I was a junior copywriter in Chicago. Along with his art direction partner, the Mighty Tim Murphy, better known as “Murph”, Tom immediately impressed me as someone different. His mind was flexible and fast. Lightning fast. He also could talk business with any client. In fact, eventually, Tom would become the CEO not only of his own agency, but of a major corporation. His writing was crisp. And no one to this day has impressed me more as a presenter than Tom Hansen. So, when he slipped into my office with Murph and closed the door, I was all ears. We’re starting our own place, and we want you to come with us. But we’ve got to know now. Without pausing, my answer was Yes. Great, we’ll give you the details later. Hans and Murph closed the door. Five seconds later, Tom opened my door again, and said, By the way, we’re doing it in Dallas. Dallas?! Good thing Tom took off so fast or he would have seen my jaw drop to my chest. It was 4:30pm. My jaw didn’t close until 4:30am, as I laid in my bed trying to figure out how to tell Tom & Murph that I was not leaving Chicago for Dallas. I grew up with Chicago as my dream city. I had never been to or planned on going to Dallas. But after staying up half the night, I decided I trusted those guys. Plus, I had never lived outside the Midwest, and it might be nice to try somewhere else. As a mentor, Tom was amazing at motivating people. Why? We all knew that he cared about us. When he told me how much he was going to pay me, I admitted to him that he was giving me 50% more than what I had ever made before. I also admitted that I wasn’t sure that I was worth it. You’re not, he said. But you will be. And you’ll get there a lot faster if you’re not worried about covering your rent and where your next meal is coming from. Man, that gave me confidence. And be damn sure that it cemented my commitment. And when he heard that my creative partner, Bernard Park weren’t sure that we could afford airfare back home for Christmas, we found roundtrip tickets on our desks the very next day. Kind acts weren’t all that Tom gave us. He taught us about really thinking strategically. Editing. He’d sit down and work with you. And it all paid off. Our little company took off. It’s been awhile since we last worked together, but I continue to learn from Tom in so many ways. That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to my greatest mentor, Tom Hansen: Thanks, and welcome to Navigating the Fustercluck, Hans! You’ve been a great mentor to me and many, many others. Who was your best mentor, and what was the most important thing you learned from him or her?You’ve been around advertising a long, long time. What needs to change and what should never change?You’ve been both a creative and a client? What do both need to understand to make the work better?Tom, you’re the best presenter I’ve ever seen. A lot of people struggle with presenting. What’s the first thing you’d share with them?When you think of the best creatives you’ve worked with, what traits/habits have you seen in them?How do see creatives taking full advantage of data?So, as you look back on when you first entered the world of creativity, what do you wish you knew then that you know now? Let’s Take a Short Breather… (EXHALE.) …We’re here at Deaf Mule Studios to remind everyone that this is Nav...

Welcome to the historic Episode 20 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the topsy/turvy world of creativity.  My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, we’re here to pick up on our last episode that focused on the benefits and some of the ground rules of mentorship. This time I’d like to honor some of the amazing mentors that I’ve had the good fortune to know over the years. Carl Young Back in junior high, I was a bright, but moody kid who wasn’t quite sure how to express himself. That’s when I met Carl Young. Mr. Young was my 9th grade English teacher. A true teacher. Someone whose journey fortunately overlapped with mine. Before teaching from a grammar book, Mr. Young had been teaching from the Good Book. He was a minister. Answering not only to his God, but to General George S. Patton. Yep, Mr. Young was a minister in WWII who would come to  to know as much profanity as parables and prophecies.  Sometime later, he gave up his collar and the army for kids and the blackboard jungle. Eventually, he became a principal. But he loved teaching so much that after retiring, he went back into the classroom. I’m guessing that at the time he was somewhere in his late ‘60’s or 70’s. And I was in one of his last classes. It had about 30 students and 300 books strewn about. Like me, he was a voracious reader. Sometimes, he’d give me a title or two he thought I’d enjoy. I told him that I give them back. He told me, I don’t have enough time to reread them all. You take them. The reason Mr. Young gave me books from his personal collection was he thought that I could write. I discovered this as other teachers started to compliment me on my weekly creative writing assignments as I was walking down the hallway. This confused me. Even pissed me off a little, because I was so private, read insecure, about my writing. Looking back, it should have been a compliment. Regardless, it gave me the idea that I could become a writer. And eventually I did. Starting out my advertising career as a copywriter.  Besides books, Mr. Young gave me confidence. Encouragement. A vision and direction for the future. Turned out, he was a pretty major figure in my life. Yet, it took me years to appreciate him enough to attempt to reach out. I called Lance Junior High to try to track him down. For security reasons they declined. But they connected me with a teacher who had been mentored by him when she first started out.  My fear was that she would tell me that my old mentor was dead. He was not! I was thrilled! Until she continued. Turned out that while Mr. Young was still alive, he was in the throes of dementia and wouldn’t remember me, since he couldn’t remember who he was.  I was devasted. But the young teacher was kind enough to give me the address of his wife and son. I understand that they appreciated the letter very much. Still, if only I had come to appreciate this dedicated educator who got through to me at critical point in my life. From time-to-time, it still gnaws at me. Hear ye! Hear ye! Let me tell thou about the next mentor I want to share with you, Linda McFeters. A Renaissance woman, literally. She co-owns 3 Renaissance fairs. I met “Fetes” as Linda is fondly called, back when I was in high school, and worked for her each summer during my high school and college years. I helped run 40 food & beverage booths. Back then, Renaissance Fairs were like the last bastion of a tribe often described as the last of the American Gypsies. A ragtag group of talented misfits, many living off the grid.  It was hard to attract good workers to man our kiosks when local mothers thought their kids might be kidnapped or brainwashed by these folks. That wasn’t really the case, but nonetheless, parents were protective.

Welcome to Episode 19 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the agonizingly wonderful world of creativity.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, whatever it may be, we’re here to talk about mentorship.Let’s start with this:If You Cannot See Where You Are Going, Ask Someone Who Has Been There Before. – J Loren NorrisOver the course of my life, I’ve been fortune to have many mentors, some of whom I hope to talk about today. So, let’s talk about how being mentored, and how mentoring others can help everyone involved.First, a thought from 2-Time British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli:The Greatest Good You Can Do for Another is Not Just Share Your Riches but to Reveal to Him His Own. During interviews or while on various panels, often I’ve been asked, What in your career are you most proud of? Well, it’s not any individual awards or any one thing, period. It’s when people who I once worked with tell me that part of their success is thanks to what they gained by working together. It’s the best. The absolute best. To see great people move onward & upward, often surpassing what I’ve done, is awesome. Humbling. It makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself.As my father taught me: We’re all in this together. When you see your life as a team sport, you’ll celebrate the accomplishments of others.I’m Happy for Them, But Not Proud of Them.Does that sound strange? Maybe this is a misguided pet peeve of mine but I never tell people how proud I am of them. I’m not their father. However, I do tell them how happy I am for them. Is that weird? I feel strongly about it yet can’t explain exactly why. Perhaps “proudly” indicates that I’m taking credit for their accomplishments. Honestly, am I off-base? I’d love your thoughts. Feel free to reach out on Twitter @NavigatingF.Putting Together Your Board of DirectorsThere’s an awfully lot to know in this life. Having one mentor probably won’t cover it all. Pick and choose people who you respect and trust. In return, respect their time and efforts, so they can trust you. People are busy. You owe it to them not to waste their time. Be prepared with your questions. If it helps, even write them down. Be polite. Ask them what works best for them. And hold on to the good ones! Having your own little Board of Directors can be quite helpful and fruitful with new knowledge, contacts and even friendship.Reverse MentoringBefore going on, let’s touch on something that’s a new or newer wrinkle in mentorship. Reverse mentoring. I love this and have personally benefitted from it.It’s Hard to Keep Up on ThingsI’m not one of those people convinced that the greatest music ever written and recorded and ever will be written and recorded comes from my formative years. Seems highly unlikely and irrelevant. Although Right Said Fred’s, Too Sexy for My Shirt song, is surely something Mozart would have envied, if he’d been so honored to live long enough to hear it. That said, at some point in your life it becomes harder and harder to keep up on the new stuff. That’s why I ask people younger than myself for their suggestions and favorites. A lot of it isn’t to my tastes, but some of it is awesome. And all of it expands my understanding of what and why people are moved to listen to it.Also, for a guy my age, when it comes to technology, I’m fairly advanced. But I ain’t no digital native. And I don’t pretend to be. Fortunately, working in a creative industry, there are plenty of younger folks happy to share their knowledge. Thank you! I will never know as much as you, and we may not agree on all things technology, but at least we can all agree that the word “dongle” i...

Welcome to Episode 18 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the love/hate world of creativity and marketing.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, a maker or imagineer, today we’re here to talk about generalists and specialists. Is one better than the other, or do we need both?There’s a number of ways of looking at this, so expect a wild ride of point of views and opinions.The Generalist vs the SpecialistFor years, consultants have told us that it’s the specialist who makes the major breakthroughs and the major bucks. The example I’ve heard most is the comparison between a surgeon and a MD in the medical world. Your MD knows a lot about a lot of things. A surgeon knows everything about one thing. And she makes the bigger money.The Advantages of the SpecialistWith the extra education and training that usually comes with becoming a generalist, you can demand more pay and have a chance to rise to the top of your field.The DisadvantagesAbsolute focus on one thing can create blinders.  Can become boring. Stagnant. Innovation often relies on connecting the dots. But if all your dots are bunched together, your thinking may not stretch your perspective. Your vision may become myoptic, or any other number of college entrance exam type of words.The Advantages of the GeneralistYou get to experience a lot. Spread your field of vision. Cross-pollinate your ideas with those of others. Plot dots all over your mental map.The DisadvantagesSpreading yourself too thin. Leaving spaces that can’t be tied together or bridged. Threads that can’t hold such far-flung thoughts together.The BalanceLike most things in life, balance is the key. Balance, unfortunately, is kinda boring to most people. It also requires a lot of work. And it doesn’t come via a silver bullet. Ever refer to someone as well-balanced? Probably not. Maybe one day you can help change that.So Where is the Balance? Well, that’s a damn good question. And I’ve got an answer for you that has it down to a T. T-Shaped people that is.T-Shaped PeopleMaybe the best way to describe a person with just the right blend of general and specialty skills is the term “T-Shaped People”. Think of it this way, the cross-stroke of the letter T represents your broad general knowledge. You can write a bit. Edit a bit. Maybe shoot some, too. But your real strength is in art direction. Establishing the look and feel of a piece. That’s the downstroke of the T, and what you specialize in. Yet, there will be times, whether it’s because of budgets, workload, passion, availability, whatever…that you combine 2 or more of your skills on one project. This flexibility and range may help futureproof you when downtimes come. And downtimes will always come.Jack-of-All-Trades, Master of None.You hear this all the time in describing someone with a wide breadth of knowledge. But I like this response from a legend of the business:The Key Word is Trade. A Trade Requires Many Skills and Tools. I Like a Carpenter with Lots of Awesome Tools.  – Alex Bogusky, Co-Founder &Chief Creative Engineer Crispin, Porter & BoguskyTo me, that’s a pretty balanced notion. These are the kind of people Alex refers to as Swiss Army Knife Creatives. It’s an interesting topic; one I can’t help to filter through my personal story.MeThis is a very interesting topic for me, because somewhere on the continuum of Jack-of-All-Trades to Renaissance Man, you’ll find yours truly. (Hopefully you’ll find me closer to the latter than the former.) Over the years, it certainly has helped to keep things interesting. But I don’t use terms like Swiss Army Knife, or anything like that. Instead,

Welcome to Episode 17 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you steer thru the topsy/turvy world of creativity and marketing.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and no matter what kind of content creator you may be, we’re here to talk about resilience.Now before we do, I must admit that our last show was stuffed with quotes. Like 10-pounds worth of quotes in a 5-pound bag. Quotes were practically wallpapering the room.Please don’t get me wrong, I love quotes, but that was too many. Way too many.This episode, I guess I owe you some words of my own…Here’s to the future!Actually, those aren’t my words. And this is not my story. But it’s a story that deserves to be told, and I’m a pretty good choice to tell it. If you’ve joined Navigating the Fustercluck at all, you may have noticed that every episode ends with these very words:Here’s to the future!That sign-off is a tribute to a friend of mine mentioned in an earlier show. An unlikely friend that I’d like to tell you a bit more about. Someone who’s story would make a great book. That someone was Arnold Penney. When he died at age 92, he was literally my oldest friend.Among the many lessons he left me, Arnie was easily the most resilient person I’ve ever known. Knock him down 7 times, and he’d spring back up 8 times.Arnie and I met back when I was Director of Marketing for the Houston Rockets basketball team. Arnie & his wife, Dier, were season ticketholders. But like me, they were from the Midwest. I hail from the Milwaukee-area; they were from Detroit.At a meeting of season ticket holders, Arnie grilled me pretty hard over some things he wasn’t happy about the customer service he was experiencing. Honestly, he was right about most of them. Fortunately, I managed to hang in there. Because he turned out to be even tougher than I could ever have imagined.Afterwards, Arnie approached me to say that while he wasn’t giving me a free pass, he appreciated how straightforward I was. He was willing to give me a chance. From there, our relationship just kept growing.In fact, we even cast Arnie and Dier in a commercial with 7’6” center, Yao Ming, from China. They became known all over our arena, and even out and about on the town. Arnie was close to 80 back then.One time we went out for some beers, and I noticed some chains around his neck. Arnie, what are those all about?He then pulled up 3 sets of dog tags. One set were his from WWII.The other two were like nothing I’d ever seen before. They were like art. They were beautiful. What struck me most on these oval medallions was the amazing calligraphy. Turns out that the tags were Japanese.You see, Arnie was a scout for the American troops in Japan. He’d go out miles ahead from his band of brothers to spy on the enemy. Twice he came face-to-face, mano-o-mano with Japanese soldiers. Both times, in hand-to-hand combat, Arnie came out ahead. Then he told me why he took the dog tags of his fallen foes.Wegs, I wear these tags every day. But understand this: I don’t wear them as trophies, I wear them out of respect. Every morning I wake up and say a prayer for their souls. Then I curse the old men who sent boys to do things no one should have to do or see. This guy was a true warrior. An honorable man. All he wanted to do was help get his buddies home and see his family again. Arnie survived with his body and soul intact. Although from time-to-time, until the day he died, nightmares would pay him a visit.But he was resilient. He persevered.One thing I noticed right away was that Arnie had some small scars on his face. I assumed they came from the war, actually, he got them afterwards in the ‘70’s. You see, Dier was African-American and Arnie was white. A pretty bold move in Detroit back then.

Creativity is personal. When people don’t like your work, it’s easy to fall into the trap that they don’t like you. But trying to blend in does nothing more than dull the edges of your work. Being yourself is a constant battle. But you have to keep fighting for yourself.Show Notes:* to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night & day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. – ee cummings, poet* You Are the Hero of Your Own Story – Joseph CampbellYou may not slay a dragon or save the galaxy, but you are the main character of your life.* Life Isn’t About Finding Yourself. Life is for Creating Yourself — George Bernard Shaw* Sometimes the Thing that’s Weird About You is the Thing that’s Cool About You. – Maureen Dowd, Journalist* Follow Your Inner Moonlight; Don’t Hide the Madness. – Allen Ginsberg, Beat poet, Activist* And Those Who Were Dancing Were Thought to be Insane by Those Who Could Not Hear the Music. – Nietzsche* Accept Who You Are. Unless You’re a Serial Killer. — Ellen Degeneres* Be a Hammer of Fresh Air.* I Prefer to Be True to Myself, Even at the Hazard of Incurring the Ridicule of Others, Rather than to be False, and Incur My Own Abhorrence. – Frederick Douglass, Abolitionist* Choosing the Freedom to be Uninteresting Never Quite Worked forMe.  — Diane Keaton* If You End Up with a Boring Miserable Life Because You Listened to     Your Mom, Your Dad, Your Priest, Or Some Guy on Television Telling You How to Do Your S*#%, Then You Deserve It.  — Frank Zappa, Musician & ActivistWelcome to Episode 16 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the love/hate world of creativity.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, whatever it may be, we’re here to talk about you. You being you. The best you, you can be. The you, you want to be. You got me?You got into creativity because you have something to say. A point of view that you’re passionate to share with the world.As blues legend, John Lee Hooker used to say, It’s in you. And it’s just gots to get out.And for those of you willing to put yourself- and your individuality -out there and on the line, I salute you. I really do.Because it ain’t easy. As the poet e.e. cummings said…To Be Nobody But Yourself in a World which is Doing Its Best, Night & Day, to Make You Everybody Else Means to Fight the Hardest Battle which Any Human Being Can Fight; and Never Stop Fighting.  Keep this in mind. People aren’t against you. They’re for themselves. And they’re usually not in favor of change. Why? Change is scary. Change is work. Change rarely comes without risk. So, don’t take it personally. We all have our own POV and story. As famed mythologist Joseph Campbell stated:You Are the Hero of Your Own StoryYou may not slay a dragon or save the galaxy, but you are the main character of your life.  So, when it’s all said and done, will your memoirs be worth reading?  If they do turn out to be noteworthy, there will have to be some reason why.  Something you felt strongly about.  Something you were willing to fight for, no matter how many obstacles got in your way.He Who Has a WHY to Live for Can Bear with Almost Any How. — Viktor Frankl, Holocaust SurvivorWhen you have a Why, you have focus, a purpose– your own personal North Star to guide you through good times and bad.  Your Why is your reason to get out of bed in the morning, and the drive that keeps you up late.  Each of us either has a Why or wants one. It’s your motivation and strength. And the material of which you’ll mold your life.

Happiness is everything. At least that’s what the Happiness Industrial Complex would like you to believe. But should it be? After all, the happiest countries are not the ones that sell the most self-help books. In this episode, we see how creativity may play into a more satisfying life.Show Notes:* Happiness is Overrated – Wegs* There are other more substantial goals* Happiness is a byproduct of those efforts* The Purpose of Life is Not to Be Happy.It is to be Useful,To be Compassionate,To Have it Make Some Difference thatYou Have Lived & Lived Well. – Ralph Waldo Emerson* The ‘Happiest’ Countries Are Never Those Where Self-Help Books Sell the Most. — Oliver Burkeman, The Antidote* What’s that tell us?* Over-focusing on an end result can throw you way off track* Life Is 10% What Happens to You and 90% How You React to It. — Charles R. Swindoll* a) “They” don’t make you feel that way, your reaction to them does* b) It takes mindfulness and practice not to let things/”them” get to you* Repeal the Law of Attraction — Wegs* Wishful thinking rarely leads to results* New Age thinking will most likely leave you unhappy in your old age* What Screws Us Up Most in Life is the Picture in Our Head of How It Is Supposed to Be. — Jennifer Nguyen* Trying to fulfill your ideal narrative leads to a less than ideal life* Leave some room for improvising, chance and luck* Inspiration is for Amateurs. — Chuck Close, Artist* Don’t be an Inspiration Junkie* You can power through with focus and effort* You’ll Be Happier When You Stop Trying to Be Happy…If You Observe a Really Happy Man, You Will Find Him Building a Boat, Writing a Symphony, Educating His Child, Growing Double Dahlias or Looking for Dinosaur Eggs in the Gobi Desert.  He Will Not Be Searching for Happiness as if it were a Collar Button that Had Rolled Under the Radiator, Striving for it as a Goal in Itself.  He Will Have a Become Aware that He Will Have Become Aware He Is Happy in the Course of Living Life 24 Crowded Hours of Each Day.  — W. Beran WolfeTranscripts:Welcome to Episode 15 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the love/hate world of creativity.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, whatever it may be, we’re here to talk about your attitude & happiness and how they effect (or is that affect?) your creativity and work.Here comes some happy talk for you, but not in the slap happy crapy way most motivational speakers serve it up. That said, let me state right off the bat…Happiness is OverratedIn America, one thing that we all seem to be certain about is happiness. We want it. It’s everything. In fact, it’s the only thing. At least that’s what you’d think if you listen to all the happiness gurus out there. Those bright-eyed smoothies telling you that all you have to do is think your way to happiness. And that if your force-fed happy thoughts don’t make you happy, double down and think some more happy thoughts. Even more if need be. And if that doesn’t make you giddy, well sorry, it’s all your fault for being so negative!Now here’s a little thought-bomb delivered by Ralph Waldo Emerson that really got me thinking about happiness. Ol’ Ralphie said…The Purpose of Life is Not to Be Happy.It is to be Useful,To be Compassionate,To Have it Make Some Difference thatYou Have Lived & Lived Well.Doesn’t sound like what the Happiness Industrial Complex is selling, does it now? Then again, what do they know?The ‘Happiest’ Countries Are Never Those Where Self-Help Books Sell the Most. ~ Oliver Burkeman, The AntidoteFor a country obsessed with happiness, we ain’t all that happy, people. In fact,

We are creatures of habit. Save for few, we crave certainty and safety. Neither traits that lead to much creativity. So let’s examine what’s behind this and what we can do to make certain that certainty doesn’t hinder us. Show Notes:* People Fear Leaving Their Safe Harbor of the Known and Venturing Off into the Unknown. Human Beings Crave Certainty—Even When it Limits Them. * Safety/security is a foundation of Maslov’s hierarchy of human needs* We aren’t as open or adventurous as we give ourselves credit for* The Only Certainty is that Nothing is Certain.* Out of everything I ever share in the course of this podcast, this is the only thing that I’m 100% sure of—I think* Embrace it, like death, uncertainty is just a part of life* Be Stupid. – Renzo Rosso, Founder of Diesel Clothing Line* Be a table rasa, a blank slate free of past bias* Let go your ego, you can’t be expected to know everything* Eff know-it-alls, no need to let them* I Have Devoted My Life to Uncertainty. Certainty is the Death of Wisdom, Thought, Creativity. — Shekhar Kapur, An Indian International Film Star/Director* There is no “sure thing” in creativity* Leave yourself open to the possibilities, let new buds bloom* Paranoia Will Destroy Ya’. — Ray Davies, The Kinks* The need for certainty can make you cling to ideas that otherwise make no sense* Certainty can be handcuffs, stifling your creativity to find new solutions* Go Out on a Limb, That’s Where the Fruit Is. — Mark Twain* Most innovation starts with smart risk* Creating new stuff is the thrill of your work (I hope)* Don’t Wait Until You Have Enough Facts to Be 100% Sure, Because by Then it is Almost Always Too Late. — General Colin Powell* Before sending soldiers into life-threatening battle, the military must be 70% sure of the mission* If that seems low, it’s not; after 70%, the battlefield changes so much that it’s a whole new situation* Technology can help strike a balance between balance and risk* You can test multiple approaches at an affordable cost* Squeezing out uncertainty without losing its magic is not more possible to build a process around Transcripts: Welcome to Episode 14 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the love/hate world of creativity. My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and today we’re here to talk about The Certainty Trap. And the certain failure that comes with the Certainty Trap. Especially when it comes to creativity and innovation. Let’s dive right in…According to inspirational speaker and guru, Robert S. Sharma… People Fear Leaving Their Safe Harbor of the Known and Venturing Off into the Unknown.  Human Beings Crave Certainty—Even When it Limits Them.  According to Maslov and his famous hierarchy, security is one of our most basic needs.  Deep down inside there’s a longing for stability, consistency and permanence.  Perhaps we long for the certainty of security so badly that we’re willing to settle for the mere appearance of it.  Waging war for comforting absolutes, regardless if there is proof to the contrary. And since we used war as a metaphor, let’s move on to famed American Diplomat, Richard Holbrooke… You Have to Test Your Hypothesis Against Other Theories.  Certainty in the Face of Complex Situations is Very Dangerous.  Certainty can be dangerous. Then why do we seek it? Certainty certainly feels good.  It feels confident.  It feels strong.  But it will also feel like a ton of bricks landed on your head if you follow it blindly.  No matter how sure of yourself and your position, you may want to pay attention to make sure you’re not following some illusion. The Only Certainty is that Nothing is Certain. – Pliny the Elder, a Roman philosopher who sounds like a character from the Sm...

Welcome to Episode 13 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the love/hate world of creativity and marketing.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, whatever it may be, we’re here to talk some more about Hispanic Marketing.Right now, more babies of color are being born than Anglo babies. The diaper brands are fully aware of the change taking place in America, and you should be, too. That’s why we’re going to delve deeper into how both the marketplace and workplace had best become more inclusive, and fast!Algorithms Eat Anecdotes for Lunch.Trust me, I’m Hispanic. Back in the day, that’s what clients heard when they were trying to reach out to broaden their audience. And to be honest, that sort of gamesmanship still goes on now. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t enjoy a tale or two for extra texture. Just make sure that you’re listening to someone who knows how to tell a good story with numbers. There’s enough data these days that you shouldn’t have to settle for someone’s gut feel and hunches.Acculturation is Dead!In this era of Big Data, there is no excuse for contrived generalizations and artificial segmentations. So, while I don’t dispute that acculturation exists, I firmly believe that it no longer has any relevance to marketing strategy. In marketing to Hispanics today, CMO’s should demand the same due diligence from their Hispanic marketing agencies as they require from those in the “general market.” If you’re not presently receiving that level of service, find better partners. First off…Don’t Hire a Professional AccentUnfortunately, there are still a group of people who make a living just off their ethnicity. They may be British planners who pronounce process “PRO-cess.” They may be Australian, Eskimo or Hispanic… But just because someone speaks Spanish doesn’t make that person an expert on the Hispanic Market. So, no matter what their ethnicity, be careful whom you assign your Multicultural efforts, give Multicultural communities the level of respect they deserve by hiring someone with the right data, knowledge and experience to be your point person. Not just someone who happens to be Hispanic, gay or black or whatever. Take my tampon story.Tampon ManWhat’s the first rule of marketing? Know your consumer. Rule #2? You are not your consumer. Once I was asked in an inappropriate, less-than-roundabout way how a middle-aged white guy could lead multicultural efforts. My response? One of the most successful projects I ever worked on was for a tampon company. Amazingly, neither my gender nor my lack of intimate knowledge with the product prevented our team from scoring a win. In fact, call me Tampon Man, if you’d like. (Nah, don’t do that.) The moral of the story? Hire the best person for the job. Period. And yes, that means hiring people of color on accounts targeted to primarily Anglo audiences as well. OK? This shouldn’t be so hard. But we’ve got to deal with it.Another thing we’ve got to deal with are misunderstood ideas like Total Market.Total Market is IncompleteTotal Market is also a big buzzword these days. But if you’re not careful in how you apply it, it could also prove to be a buzz saw.In theory, a holistic integrated approach is what we all strive for. But in practice, a dangerous assumption is made. It’s taken for granted that a common marketing problem exists across all ethnic segments. Yet, it’s far from uncommon that their marketing problem or barriers to growth are different. In those situations, one common Total Market solution will not solve 2 different problems.Take It UpstreamTo be successful, a Total Market approach must be applied further upstream.