You know what? The executives, artists, business artists, designers, best-selling authors, thought leaders, scholars, and other creatives who have flourished do not have charmed, care-free lives.

http://vimeo.com/82851798 At age 24, Levi Felix was absorbed in the Los Angeles high-tech lifestyle, literally living and sleeping at the office and with his computer. Then his doctors warned him: With an ulcer and blood level 70 percent below normal,…

Gist: Vision and mastery can make goal-setting meaningful and effective for creatives. 1. WHAT DRIVES US I never make New Year’s resolutions. (I don’t feel so bad knowing that Luck Factor author and psychologist Richard Wiseman’s study points out this practice’s futility.) I used…

My four-month-old girl gawked at my gesticulating form from across the study. From her jungle-motif seat, she watched my hands as they whipped hieroglyphs – words and arrows and grids – on my new white board wall adhered to the…

In study after study, situation after situation, Adam Grant observed in his book Give & Take that the teachers, entrepreneurs, and creatives who see frequently that their work makes a meaningful difference in others’ lives feel motivated to continue having…

Neruda doing what he does well. Note: As I hang low in high summer (working a little more behind-the-scenes), I’m printing and re-printing pieces this month in The Art of Productive Loafing series. Here’s an archived…