From Vacuuming To Ice Plunges: How These 13 Creative Experts Get Into The Mood

As you may know, I enjoy studying creativity. The importance of it, the psychology of it, the ways to improve it. I have a whole page on this company’s site devoted to scientific studies around improving our creativity (view that here). So as part of this study I wanted to ask real people whose creativity is their professional product. What their hints, secrets, and rituals were when it comes to creativity. And who better to ask than my own Ideasicle Experts? The question I posed to them: “How do you create?” We got some surprising, funny, and insightful answers.

Creativity, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsMarch 6, 2024creativity, tips, secrets, rituals

Ideasicle Expert, Matt Lindley, Reacts To His First Creative 'Pillow Fight' On The Platform

Last week I wrote a blog post introducing our newest Ideasicle Expert, Matt Lindley, to the world (here’s the post). Since then we got a wildly urgent call from an agency who needed ideas in 24 hours. We don’t typically do ProXy Service projects that quickly, but we confidently accepted the challenge. I invited Matt to this project for a couple reasons: one, he’s not only creative but he’s super quick; two, I wanted to get him some experience on the platform. Frankly, I was a little nervous about what his reaction would be to the platform. Matt’s last 14 years has been at digital giants, Sapient Razorfish and (gulp) Google/YouTube.

News & Updates, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsSeptember 21, 2023Matthew lindley, creative ideas, SaaS

Matt Lindley, Google And The Four-Hour Ad: An Ideasicle Expert Profile

I’ve known Matt for nearly 20 years and have been after him to be an Expert here since I launched in 2010. While at Arnold Worldwide, we pitched and won Vonage, Progressive Insurance, and the RadioShack business, then the largest win in New England history. I always wanted Matt on the pitch team because he has this uncanny super power to disarm his audience with charm, creativity, and, most importantly, ideas. Since Arnold, Matt spent many valuable years entrenched within the Google/YouTube technosphere. Which brings us to his story about the four hour ad. Over to you, Matt.

Expert ProfilesWill BurnsSeptember 8, 2023Matthew lindley, youtube, google, arnold worldwide

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Scott Biniak And The Birth Of LeBron James' "We Are All Witnesses"

I have known Scott Biniak for nearly my entire career. We worked together at Wieden & Kennedy in the late 1990s on the Microsoft account. I remember being struck by his intelligence, passion, and enthusiasm for advertising and strategy. Since that time he went client side at Nike (among other places) and was the force behind LeBron James’ “We are all witnesses” brand idea. I say “brand idea,” but did you know that line started as an unfunded billboard in Cleveland, OH? I didn’t either.

Expert ProfilesWill BurnsFebruary 22, 2023Scott biniak, LeBron James, We are all witnesses, Nike, strategy

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Mark Ray, A Career Built on the Unholy Union of Art and Commerce

I’ve been told that working on Ideasicle X projects is like playing in a band. There are ideas thrown around to the rest of the “band” and they build on those ideas and riff on them until the polished gems emerge. Well, that’s never been more true, literally and figuratively, than when Ideasicle Expert, Mark Ray, is assigned to an idea job. He’s an idea guy and an accomplished musician. Here’s how he came to be, what he values, and how music is at his core.

Expert ProfilesWill BurnsFebruary 7, 2023mark ray, north advertising, Ideasicle Expert

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Claudia Caplan Never Stops Learning

Claudia Caplan is one of my go-to Ideasicle Experts because she has attitude, she is fearless, she’s brilliant, and says exactly what she thinks. All important ingredients in being successful within our little idea generating platform. But one thing I didn’t know until recently is her relentless curiosity and depth that comes with continuous higher learning. Just an inspiration. But I’m going to let her tell you.

News & Updates, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsJanuary 18, 2023Columbia University, Claudia Caplan, Ideasicle Expert

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Suzanne McKenzie Proves She Is Able Made

Creative ideas are everything at Ideasicle X. That’s why a recent addition to the Ideasicle Expert ranks is Suzanne McKenzie. She began her career as a designer at Boston shops Arnold and Continuum (I worked with her at Arnold). She was not only a gifted designer, she was a conceptual, and big, thinker who could also design. However, soon after stints with the Boston agency world, a tragedy happened and her life changed forever.

News & Updates, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsOctober 11, 2022suzanne mckenzie, able made, nonprofit

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Ernie Schenck, Houdini, And The Box

I got to see Ernie in action several times when I was at Arnold when he freelanced on pitches. Not that he needed auditions for Ideasicle X. The man is an advertising legend. But I remember being so impressed with his lateral thinking and ability to tell a great story. Well, he wrote a book that is a must-read for anyone in advertising because it’s as relevant today as ever. Ernie, take it away.

News & Updates, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsSeptember 5, 2022Ernie Schenck, Houdini, outside the box

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Lisa Taylor And Learning To Read

Lisa Taylor is an Ideasicle Expert. She is a writer by trade, but a mom when not trading words. Evidently, a very good mom. Her son had a learning disability—dyslexia—and Lisa, naturally, had a big idea to help not only her son, but all families dealing with this disability. Best if Lisa tells you the rest.

News & Updates, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsAugust 29, 2022Lisa taylor, dyslexia, dyslexia now what

Ideasicle Expert Profile: Roger Baldacci And Avoiding Burpees

I’ve known Roger Baldacci for almost 20 years now. I invited him to be an Ideasicle Expert because he’s a brilliant concept guy, has ridiculous energy, he sees the world differently than most (bring up anything paranormal and watch him go), and he’s a great collaborator. Well, he recently trained and ran a Spartan race and I thought the process he went through said a lot about who he is as a person and what he might bring to an Ideasicle X project.

News & Updates, Expert ProfilesWill BurnsAugust 22, 2022Roger baldacci, spartan race, training, ideas

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