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The Artist Life
What motivates artists to create great work?
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George R. R. Martin’s Mindset Shift that Made Game of Thrones a Success
George R. R. Martin’s Mindset Shift that Made Game of Thrones a Success
In the 1980s and 1990s George R. R. Martin was working in television as a writer. He was writing scripts and getting paid pretty well, but…
Jared Dees
Sep 27, 2017
Zac Brown: Making Art for a Living
Jared Dees
Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Power of Taking a Break
Jared Dees
Channel Your Art Into a Project
Jared Dees
Be Vulnerable
Jared Dees
Experimentation Leads to Innovative Forms of Art
Jared Dees
Be Confident in Your Art
Jared Dees
Trending
How a Series of Blog Posts Turned into a Multi-million Dollar Bestseller
How a Series of Blog Posts Turned into a Multi-million Dollar Bestseller
How Andy Weir’s The Martian went from a free eBook to a major motion picture.
Jared Dees
Jan 2, 2017
Two Characteristics of an Effective Artist’s To Do List
Two Characteristics of an Effective Artist’s To Do List
How does your to do list compare to Leonardo Da Vinci’s to do list?
Jared Dees
Dec 27, 2016
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Almost Wasn’t a Story
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Almost Wasn’t a Story
Dickens sat out to write something totally different than what we have today and we are all grateful that he changed his mind.
Jared Dees
Dec 26, 2016
10,000 times
10,000 times
When Brandon Stanton left his job as a day trader, he came to New York with one goal in mind: find something to make just enough money to…
Jared Dees
Dec 9, 2016
Write What You Know
Write What You Know
The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, National Lampoon’s Vacation: these movies defined a decade. They were some of…
Jared Dees
Dec 12, 2016
E. L. James (Fifty Shades of Grey) Started Out as a Fan (and You Should Too)
E. L. James (Fifty Shades of Grey) Started Out as a Fan (and You Should Too)
Erica Mitchell (known by her pen name E. L. James) was a fiction fan before she was famous for her fiction.
Jared Dees
Dec 21, 2016
How Neil Gaiman Forces Himself to Write
How Neil Gaiman Forces Himself to Write
The hardest part about writing in the world today is the constant availability of distractions.
Jared Dees
Dec 16, 2016
Pay Attention to Your Reaction to Feedback, Not the Feedback Itself
Pay Attention to Your Reaction to Feedback, Not the Feedback Itself
How Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest uses feedback to make better art.
Jared Dees
Dec 30, 2016
Don’t Write What You Know
Don’t Write What You Know
Brian Koppelman and David Levien didn’t grow up with a love for poker, yet they had a breakout success with the movie Rounders. Koppelman…
Jared Dees
Dec 13, 2016
Write the Book You Want to Read
Write the Book You Want to Read
David McCullough is one of the best known writers of history today but he didn’t intend to be a historian at the outset of his career.
Jared Dees
Dec 29, 2016
Find Your Nerds
Find Your Nerds
Followers, likes, comments, impressions, “reach” . . . these are all tempting measures of success when trying to grown an audience.
Jared Dees
Dec 15, 2016
The Daily Journal Practice that Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) Uses to Write Songs
The Daily Journal Practice that Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) Uses to Write Songs
Where do musicians come up with their lyrics? Where does any artist get her ideas?
Jared Dees
Dec 22, 2016
Say “Yes” Early to Every Invitation
Say “Yes” Early to Every Invitation
By 2007, Michael Bublé’s hit song “Everything” along with a half dozen of his other songs were played at countless weddings everywhere…
Jared Dees
Dec 14, 2016
Love Your Audience Like Oprah
Love Your Audience Like Oprah
Do we make art for ourselves or our audience?
Jared Dees
Dec 28, 2016
Love Your Day Job
Love Your Day Job
Rick Riordan’s Advice for Writers
Jared Dees
Dec 19, 2016
How Jamie Foxx Developed a Comedy Routine Everyone Could Enjoy
How Jamie Foxx Developed a Comedy Routine Everyone Could Enjoy
Whether you are a comedian or professional speaker or even a writer or a illustrator, it can be difficult to create something that people…
Jared Dees
Dec 20, 2016
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