Creative Development

What do Apple CEO Steve Jobs, comedian Chris Rock, prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, the story developers at Pixar films, and the Army Chief of Strategic Plans all have in common? Best-selling author Peter Sims found that all of them have achieved breakthrough results by methodically taking small, experimental steps in order to discover and develop new ideas.

This is the remarkable behind-the-scenes story of the creation and growth of Airbnb, the online lodging platform that has become, in under a decade, the largest provider of accommodations in the world. At first just the wacky idea of cofounders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb has disrupted the $500 billion hotel industry, and its $30 billion valuation is now larger than that of Hilton and close to that of Marriott.

Have you ever wondered why celebrities look so rested in such a short time after giving birth? The answer: baby specialists like Helen Moon. A baby specialist and professional nanny for the past 25 years, Helen has worked closely with hundreds of families, including some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Helen knows that the first six weeks of a baby's life - when parents tend to be nervous, siblings are needy, and new babies need immediate and constant attention - has a huge impact on the entire family.

Introducing the highly anticipated sequel to "The Mid-Journey Muse: A Toolkit for Reflection, Inspiration, and Artistic Growth". Discover even more valuable insights and practical tools to help you navigate through your personal growth journey. This comprehensive guide to mid-journey prompts includes a wide range of prompts, questions, and exercises designed to support individuals in their journey of self-discovery, creativity and personal growth. Whether you are a seasoned pro or just starting your personal growth journey, this book is the perfect companion to help you stay motivated, ...

Living a modern life requires juggling a ton of information. But we were never taught how to manage this information effectively so that we can find what we need when we need it. In The PARA Method, Tiago Forte outlines a simple and intuitive four-step system that will help us sort all the information flooding our brains into four major categories—Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives—allowing us to manage our commitments while achieving our goals and dreams.

Would you have the patience and drive to change your mind state, music production techniques, and health habits to sustain this highly demanding way of life? This step-by-step guide to music composer lifestyle design teaches how J.T. went from a six-figure job in a Fortune 500 company to composing music full-time, almost doubling his revenues within the first two years; how to compose, sound, and live like the pros; how to monetize every second spent in front of your equipment, making sounds and songs; and more.

From a Harvard faculty member and oral language specialist, an invaluable guide that gives listeners evidence-based tools and techniques to communicate more effectively with children in ways that let them foster relationships with less conflict and more joy and kindness.

In an irresistible invitation to lighten up, look around, and live an unscripted life, a Stanford University professor and master of the art of improvisation explains how to adopt the attitudes and techniques used by generations of musicians and actors. These secrets are currently being taught to entrepreneurs, engineers, and first responders in a crisis as well as housewives and Alzheimer caregivers. Let's face it: Life is something we all make up as we go along.

We've all seen the happiness on the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless, all-consuming, and fun. But as Dr. Stuart Brown illustrates, play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish through play.

In Finding Your Funny Muscle, Mike shows you how to “flex” your ideas into funny, original, and relatable humor that gets big laughs—and makes you memorable for the right reasons.

Rewire Your Routine: The Proven Path to Effortless Success Through Habits! Are you stuck in a cycle of failed attempts to change your life? Do you dream of habits that work for you instead of against you—where progress feels easy, not like an uphill battle? This book is your guide to breaking free from ineffective habits and creating the life you’ve always wanted. With proven strategies, you’ll learn how to make lasting changes without relying on fleeting motivation or exhausting willpower. Forget the myths: “You need ironclad willpower to succeed.

The Element shows the vital need to enhance creativity and innovation by thinking differently about human resources and imagination. It is an essential strategy for transforming education, business, and communities to meet the challenges of living and succeeding in the 21st century.

Ideas are everywhere, but those with the greatest problem-solving, business-transforming, and life-changing potential are often hard to identify. Even when we recognize good ideas, applying them to everyday obstacles - whether in the workplace, our homes, or our civic institutions - can seem insurmountable. According to Matthew Syed, it doesn't have to be this way. In Rebel Ideas, Syed argues that our brainpower as individuals isn't enough. To tackle problems from climate change to economic decline, we'll need to employ the power of "cognitive diversity".

Whether you're in the trenches struggling to make consistent sales or dreaming of turning your art into a full-time living, this groundbreaking guide provides the inspiration and the practical steps you need to become your own art boss. There's never been a better time to turn your creative ideas into a successful business. The internet is pushing aside art world “gatekeepers” who used to decide what was "worthy”—now anyone with a laptop and a dream can make a thriving living from their creativity.

Finally! Discover how to create to-do lists that work! Do you feel frustrated because you can't seem to finish every item on your daily to-do lists? Do you feel discouraged because you're not effectively managing your workload and responsibilities at your office and home? The good news is that there's a simple solution. It's a matter of using an approach specifically designed to help you organize, manage, and address every task and responsibility on your plate in a timely fashion.

Fifteen weeks and 25 ways to unleash your inner Brando, Einstein, and Shakespeare. The most successful and creative people in the world don't possess anything different than you. They have no magic formula or special secret. They've simply prevented the left hemisphere of their brain - the "logical", analytical side - from sabotaging their life. Whether you're a ballerina or banker, accountant or actor, At Left Brain Turn Right shows you how to silence the noise of your left brain, ignite your creative side, and live the life you've always imagined.

Since well before his epic 1974 walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, Philippe Petit had become an artist who answered first and foremost to the demands of his craft - not only on the high wire, but also as a magician, street juggler, visual artist, builder, and writer. A born rebel like many creative people, he was from an early age a voracious learner who taught himself, cultivating the attitudes, resources, and techniques to tackle even seemingly impossible feats.

Want more joy, meaning, or productivity in your life? This neuroscience-informed, story-driven guide to creativity will help you recognize how to activate your creative nature in your work, hobbies, and home life. Everyone is creative, whether via singing in the shower, crafting budgets, making coffee, kayaking rapids, or sharing a meaningful moment with a loved one. To create is just to bring something new into existence, whether a moment or a menu.

There is a paradox. As children, most of us think we are highly creative; as adults many of us think we are not. What changes as children grow up? Organizations across the globe are competing in a world that is changing faster than ever. They say they need people who can think creatively, who are flexible and quick to adapt.

We have been spoon-fed the notion that creativity is the province of genius - of those favored, brilliant few whose moments of insight arrive in unpredictable flashes of divine inspiration. And if we are not geniuses, we might as well pack it in and give up. Either we have that gift, or we don’t. But Allen Gannett shows that simply isn’t true. Recent research has shown that there is a predictable science behind achieving commercial success in any creative endeavor, from writing a popular novel to starting up a successful company to creating an effective marketing campaign.