Working on a box of donuts

Just came across the new book “Life, Inc.” by Douglas Rushkoff. I haven’t read it but is about how we (or at least the American society he writes about) have become disconnected from the real value of life and creating and trading things and have succumbed to the rules of corporations.

A wee bit of communism or even anarchism, but the premise rings kinda true. If nothing else, it will probably get you thinking.

Here’s a teaser video where the author explains the idea of the book:

Life Inc the Movie

In Life Inc., award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker, and scholar Douglas Rushkoff traces how corporations went from a convenient legal fiction to the dominant fact of contemporary life. Indeed as Rushkoff shows, most Americans have so willingly adopted the values of corporations that theyre no longer even aware of it.

buy the book here:
www.lifeincorporated.net

Erik did a great writeup and evaluation of the latest Creative Company Conference. His closing comment I found pretty interesting, and it ties in with something that we here at Klatergoud HQ have been discussing for a while now:

Again, like last year, the format of the conference was completely uncreative: a puppet on the stage with a power point, and us in the audience gawking at him (there were no hers). What I really really miss at these conferences is time for reflection with other participants. So many very interesting people in the room and such a great opportunity to share ideas or even work on solving problems. But there’s no time to learn from each other because the programme is packed with expensive speakers. I’m sure some people in the room want to be entertained, but I would be happier with a different format: I’m envisioning a setting where interesting people form different backgrounds get together in an inspiring setting and actually work on a project together: there’s no better way to learn from each other.

There is a lot of room for improvement in the format of the conference. Interaction, with the speaker but also between attendees should be an integral part of the programme. It’s ironic an industry that revolves around teaching and sharing ideas has not evolved much since its inception, while universities, who are in the same business, have adopted much more interesting models of late.

It’s time for a change!

That said, I don’t want to hold from you the presentation of the almight Sir Ken Robinson. I’ve probably seen his TED presentation a hundred times, and this one is no less thought provoking and inspiring.

Just recently I developed an allergy for a verb. The thing about this verb is, that it inhibits failure. It is too often used and many people don’t understand the danger of it. They also don’t see that by the existence of this verb, talent is limited and opportunities thightend. The verb I mean here is ‘trying’

You shouldn’t be trying. You should just do. Nike understands the essence with their slogan: ‘Just do it’. Take for example the following phrases:  ‘I will try to help you…’, ‘I will try do make a painting…’, ‘I will try to organise a party…’ Just come out and help me, make the goddamn painting and organise that party. But DON’T TRY to do it.

Learn
If you don’t succeed in realizing what you do, it is not a problem. As long as you learn from it and get to understand why it didn’t work out what you were doing. Only then you will develop yourself! Just as a child cannot try to grow tall or a person tries to age. They just grow and get older. There’s no trying in these matters.

Just do it and if you find out you can’t, than thats it. Then you start learning until you can or you quit. But then again remember the saying: ‘A winner never quits, a quitter never wins’. Once you found out of what you’re naturally good at, you will succeed and things you do develop and go smooth.

Creative people don’t try to be creative, they simply are. So! Shouldn’t you be doing someting, instead of just trying?