Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite

It's actually a book that my Creative Director recommends, basically for creative people to become more edgy, think out of the box. Check out Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite here. The phrase also constitutes...well, the mantra that I'm trying to imbibe for myself right this moment.

To be a well of ideas that never runs out, I think this mental state will do me a lot of good. Although it runs a bit contrary to that philosophy in another book on thinking and making decisions, entitled Blink. I've yet to read it, though.

Author Paul Arden, who also wrote other books on advertising and creativity such as It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be, was the Executive Creative Director of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi during its hey days. His British Airways campaign is always regarded as one of the best advertising campaigns of all time.

A year before he died, he wrote a book entitled God Explained in a Taxi Ride, which (according to Wikipedia) "attempted to explain the meaning of life in 125 pages."

Take-home for me: Artists or writers like me always strive to find the best, most out-of-the-box, wowing ideas everyday...but at the end of the day always turn to God for life's true meaning I guess.

The Million Dollar Idea List

It's exactly what it is, according to the book Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain. A list of ideas that if ever produced or invented, will make you richer by a million dollars.


First on my list is a battery-operated microwave oven.

I was going to write my second one but I was reminded I need to produce copy for an event invite for one of our banking corporation clients (which I’m sure has more than a million dollars’ worth of assets). They need it this morning, or else.

Hmm. Interesting how I’m doing something giving me a teeny fraction of a million dollars when the one I’m doing it for is probably getting millions more by the second.

Back to work so I can get back to my million dollar list soon!