Do the weird stuff, because originality is built on the unexpected.

Writers: Language should bend to your will, not reveal your inadequacies.

“What if”s are inedible seeds.

The minute you think you are cool, you will be the only one who does.

The most talented is only occasionally the first promoted.

Everybody’s winging it.

There is always a more effective, impactful or persuasive word than “better”.

Don’t kill. Execute.

Inspiration is a reaction.

Ironically, opportunity rarely reveals itself at opportune times.

Nobody really knows what’s going on with all this internet stuff. Some are just really good fakers.

Keep a pad and a pen with you. Especially if you you’re walking into a room where you know you’ll need one.

Very, very rarely is everything — your chair, the temperature, your state of mind — just right.

In the real world, coming up with a great idea is like leading a marathon at the 3-mile mark.

This is my first-ever guest-submitted headline, but I liked it too much to pass it up. Thanks to Neel Williams, copywriter at The Martin Agency.

Downtime is brain-feed time.

So sometimes you will suck. Accept it. Embrace it. And get over it.

If you showed up to a meeting/class/work today still sweating, post-shower, from your workout, you are doing something right.

Never run away. Only run to.

This is about the misery you may be feeling right now at work. If you run away, you are leaving something behind. Make sure when you run, it’s to something, not just away from what you have.

Do not wait for someone to tell you what to do.

Acknowledge inspiration, even when it’s only a random flash on the periphery.

Worry less about what people will think of you and more about filling that damn blank page.

Don’t shy away from sappy; make the sappy idea good.

Always have a fantasy, or else you may be disappointed with your own success.

Thank you for reading. I need a break.

I started this daily list of ideas in December, 2007. And it was fun for a while. But recently it has been more of a burden.

Thank you, Andy Pearson and Kasia Haupt, for the inspiration to do this. I have learned a lot about the creative process and about myself over the past 432 posts. Thank you, Rusty, Patrick, Alex, Ashley, Elizabeth, Erin, Jackie from New Zealand and everyone else I haven’t named, for reading, caring and following this blog.

Now go create something great for yourself. Make us all proud.

I will still post to this page, just not daily. So don't delete the RSS feed if you subscribe, and come back every couple of weeks.

Later,

Dan

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” — Conventional Wisdom

“You’re good. Get better. Stop asking for things.” — Don Draper

Learn to recognize your own personal impediments.

Connect with people. If you succeed at that, everything else becomes easier.

Is Twitter a fad?

An idea is not a thing. It’s what you do with the idea that really matters.

There’s nothing wrong with being self-serving. Except, of course, the social and professional fallout.

Beware: In advertising, everyone plays by his or her own ethical rule book.

A shorter email is better 100% of the time.

Are you creative? What does “creative” mean, anyway?

Ask questions. People love to feel important, and you may learn something.

Today is either an off day or a day off.

This blog is the longest ad I have ever written.

Despite your inexperience, nobody can make the decision for you.

What’s your immediate reaction to the phrase, “Take the rest of the day off”?

Empathy is an acquired taste.

As ad creatives, it’s not our job to make someone want us. It’s our job to make someone want our client’s brand.

Never blame others for your failures.

An axiom is just advice that’s been typeset.

If you had everything you wanted, would you be happier?

That whole thing about expect the unexpected: Totally true.

Willingness and work ethic are worth at least as much — if not more than — talent.

It is entirely plausible that everything I say today will be incorrect.

Even ad careers have layovers in ATL.

What is your best skill or talent?

This is no time for modesty. Sell yourself. Now.

A copywriter’s job is to make it all make sense.

The art director’s job is not to figure out what to show but rather how to show it.

Concentrate less on getting it all done and more on the emotional damage all of it can cause.

Why do most ads and commercials suck?

Take risks. Try to embarrass yourself. The worst that can happen is something great.

The medium is not the message. The message is the message.

My hunch is that less than 3% of your imagined readers are actually reading your Facebook status updates.

You’re in the driver’s seat whether you’re holding the wheel or not.

What wakes you up? Music? Caffeine? Deadlines? Cold water? What?

As pros, our job is to disguise something brilliant as something palatable.

Make it. Then sell it.

Demonstrate a real commitment to your workplace so one day, when your life is upside down, it won’t be an issue at work.

More often than not, even the best plans take a lot longer to see to fruition than you would want.

The annual Headline-A-Day Page summer hiatus begins now.

Don’t feign modesty. (Again paradoxically, it comes off as insincere and cocky.)

Getting a haircut that’s cooler than you are has the paradoxical effect of making you even less cool.

Alternate Headline: Be wary of those whose haircuts are cooler than they are.

Okay, so you have no ideas for your current assignment / problem / challenge. Where do you turn first for inspiration?

I want ads on my social network as much as I want radio spots on my phone calls.

Sometimes it’s critical to utterly, shamelessly unplug.

Typos are acne.

If you don’t know the difference between “its” and “it’s”, then you have no business calling yourself a writer.

Do you laugh harder at other people’s Facebook posts or your own?

Showing respect is the only way to earn it.

Never, ever feel guilty for taking well-deserved time off.

Make your idea happen, or you’ll be kicking yourself when you see that someone else has.

Forgive, but never forget.

What’s your favorite ad-biz perk?

Be willing to kill your babies.

In my world, prolific and good are synonymous.

Don’t believe what you hear about people; make up your own mind.

Create out of thin air, staring at a wall. (That’s how I wrote this post.)

What do you do to reward yourself immediately after a great meeting, presentation or solo brainstorm?

Brilliance is expected. Don’t let it go to your head.

Treat every day as if it were a job interview (especially in this economy).

Don’t make important decisions when you are too tired to see straight.

Loosen your grip.

What’s the best idea you’ve had so far this year?

Save your complaints for stuff other people can actually help you with.

Staring at grass is more productive than staring at most screens.

Stupid idea? Do it anyway. (If, of course, it won’t hurt anyone.)

A bit of advice: Never play a practical joke on your boss.

So. Any big summer plans?

Good intentions are meaningless if you suck at your job.

Most people — even the most annoying and inept — mean well.

Your best idea will come when it’s ready. You just have to be paying attention.

Never be so arrogant to believe that you know where you will (or won’t) find your inspiration.

Do you know what a browser is, and if so, what’s the home page on the one you use?

I figured every reader of this page would know what a browser is. However, now I’m not so sure. Right after I thought of this week’s question — but before I posted it — I saw this.

Oh, and here is browser use for this blog, as of today:

Don’t make a decision until you absolutely must.

I forget where I heard this. It’s not 100% original.

Move around (mentally and emotionally) until you find a perspective that works for you.

Um ... I am writing this because I have committed to doing so. Kinda like whatever you have to do/write/design today.

Do what you do best. Play to your strengths. And embrace doing the things you truly enjoy.

Heard any good jokes lately? I could use one.

Tend to your personal relationships.

Your creative director expects a lot more than any teacher ever did.

Take the job that’s on your plate right now. The great job will be here when it, and you, are ready.

Schadenfreude is The Great Recession’s silver lining.

Why should I (or anyone) use Twitter?

You’ll know it works when you don’t wonder whether or not it works.

Have an idea. Then — and only then — execute it.

Understand the very important distinction between simple and simplistic.

Everyone is entitled to the (very) occasional dry spell.

What’s getting in your way?

Good friends are worth more than a raise, an award or a promotion.

Ironically, patience takes practice.

Creativity is not a passive endeavor.

For some reason, almost everything I have ever stressed out about seems trivial today.

Ever lose perspective? How do you get it back?

One more hour. Dedicate one extra hour today to your craft.

Enjoy. This is it.

Approach everyone with lovingkindness, because everyone is carrying some pain.

I can’t claim this as original, only as relevant. I believe it’s a paraphrased Chinese proverb. 

Sometimes you’re driving. Other times, you’re the bug on the windshield.

Given only these two choices, who would you choose as a partner: A kind, genial hack or a super-talented, insufferable prima donna?

I don’t think it’ll ever get better than “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.”

Everything seems clearer and simpler the day you see your father/mother/boss as fallible.

Hard work can lead you to great things. But hard work itself has no real, intrinsic value.

Account people: Using more words does not make you appear smarter.

What is the purpose of art?

Headed into a meeting? Be alert; there’s an agenda in every seat.

Accept this: Even when you make the right decision, things will go wrong.

Inspiration is a creative person’s most nutritive quarry.

Enjoy the good stuff at least as much as you wallow in the bad.

What’s your favorite thing about your current city?

So far, the best moments of my life didn’t happen with a mouse in my hands or a track pad and keys under them.

The best work is timely, but it’s also timeless.

Others will like your work more if they believe you do.

Express gratitude. You’ll be surprised by its potency.

What is your greatest talent, the one thing you do better than most?

Don’t be tentative.

Embrace your tangents.

Inspiring others is in itself inspiring.

Chill. There is no ticking timer.

Are you happier today than you were on the first day of Spring ’08?

No American should ever say “bollocks”, “wanker” or “cheeky”.

Okay, so Facebook redesigned its home page. Everything changes. Nothing is like it used to be. Adapt.

Simplify.

I’d rather be considered old than old-school.

This recession is all about our “getting back to the basics.” What’s your current go-to simple pleasure?

Be honest with yourself, and play to your strengths.

Rather than attempting to write copy, simply endeavor to record your thoughts. (Then, you’ll have your copy.)

It’s a safe bet that your well is way deeper than you think it is.

If insight eludes you, craft the crap out of the safe idea.

What creates enemies?

You are only a priority to yourself.

Never assume you know what’s going on in other people’s minds.

Take nothing for granted.

Flashes of horror and joy come with the territory.

This is not really about creativity or anything, but I am curious: Does this crappy economy directly affect you? If so, how?

When you are wrinkly and frail, today’s stress will seem silly.

Your job is to think of a better way to show, or say, the last idea you came up with.

Do not watch the stock market.

Be grateful if you have a boss that lets you work wherever you want. But be prepared for a boss that expects brilliance from a sterile cubicle.

Are your days most like a ride on a roller coaster, commuter train or Cozy Coupe®?

One cannot reap a harvest from an unplanted field.

Kids and writing. Both can invigorate, both can obliterate.

For motivation, this blog pales in comparison to falling on your face.

“The core skill of innovation is error recovery, not failure avoidance.”

This is a quote from Randy Nelson, Dean of Pixar University.

Are you superstitious?

Close this window and back up your computer. Now.

A better idea is just one hour, or one cubicle, away.

If you are currently being paid to have ideas, consider yourself very fortunate.

Humor is mandatory.

What do you do when you hit the wall or just cannot think of a new idea?

I like Trust Me. I am adjusting to the actors, but the show really takes me back to my big-agency days.

No. You may not choose your own nickname.

I believe the brilliance of Mad Men is due in large part to the casting of an unknown as lead actor.

Decide for yourself what’s really and truly important.

What other windows are open on your computer right now besides this one? (If you are reading this on a mobile device, look up. What do you see?)

Today, create something that could have only come from you.

Success is often disguised as a failed attempt.

Today is the future’s “simpler time”.

Your path is yours alone, so listen to – but don’t always follow – the advice of others.

A great creative cannot work literally 24/7. How do you chill?

Try to avoid naming an email folder or a folder on your computer “random saved stuff”. I did. And I regret it.

Be willing to do the dirty work.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Not my line and Not Barack Obama’s. It’s Mahatma Gandhi’s.

Worry less about your future and more about kerning or finding a better word.

I’ve shared my love/hate thing: this blog. So what do you want to simultaneously kiss and kill?

I hate writing this blog so much I want to quit writing it tomorrow. But then it’d win.

I love writing this blog so much I’d write it for free. Oh yeah, I do write it for free.

The really cool shit happens in the spaces between the obviously cool shit.

It’s never a good time.

What do you like most about the best partner you’ve ever worked with?

Looking for a job? Leave no stone unturned — lesser-known places often have the most opportunity for talented, hungry creatives.

Be early, and bring something to read.

Your success probably won’t be determined by how well you do the difficult things, but whether you do the easy things you’d rather avoid.

Even for the brightest, lucidity is fleeting. When it’s there, ride it like a wave.

What single, simple thing do you hope to accomplish this year?

Play every hand carefully. That much you can do.

So you’re in advertising? Get over it — most people are more appalled than impressed.

And can you blame ’em? Seen any good commercials on TV lately?

If you measure your success against people less talented than yourself, you’ll never reach your potential.

If you measure your success against people more talented than yourself, you’ll always be disappointed.

New Year’s Eve: overrated or awesome?

Encouragement and threats are thinly veiled guises of one another.

Twas the Headline before Christmas and all through the house, not an idea was stirring.

Challenge yourself.

There’s no time like the present, and no present like time off.

What would you be doing right now if your internet were out indefinitely?

Today’s prevailing sentiment: Whatever.

Your abilities are the product of a confluence of disparate influences and the timing of their actualization.

Ten years ago, I couldn’t have written that headline.

Inspiration wanes. So while you wait, doubting yourself and sucking, do something else.

There is nothing linear about an advertising career.

What would you rather be, incredibly talented or ignorant of the need to be?

Ultimately, resiliency will serve you better than tenacity.

Cockiness is often arrogance expressed. It can also be a symptom of insecurity, self-doubt or a need to be loved. Don’t assume.

If you wear hats, would you please wash them. That dirty lid ain’t cool. And it smells.

Don’t compare. Other people’s success is irrelevant to and completely independent of yours.

One year ago today, I started this blog on a whim. Is it time for a change?

If you work harder on questions you won’t need to struggle as much to create answers.

A lack of effort would be a shitty thing to regret.

Your craft cannot be taken too seriously.

Despite the monotony that defines a workaday lifestyle, no two days are ever truly the same.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made not to do something?

Opposite opinions are often both right.

My DVR is the only piece of technology that actually works for me.

(My cell phone interrupts annoyingly, my computers are cold taskmasters, and my game consoles are gathering dust.)

Is an “other-guy” ad really the best thing you can come up with?

An “Other Guy Ad” (as defined by yours truly) is an ad that features either a world without the product or the competitor’s product. So the whole thing is the opposite of the benefit.

I have grown weary of this creative gimmick / technique / crutch / template / default “solution”.

You can only return to the well so many times until you need to dig a new one.

How do you define success?

Burnout is real. Pace yourself, or you’ll pay dearly.

If you have talent, a solution is inevitable if not imminent.

Almost every day, I consider making my blog post my last.

If mankind were ever able to invent a time machine, it would already exist.

What are you looking forward to?

This blog represents me as an advertising professional. That’s why you won’t find a single post about my politics.

You will be judged by your facebook status.

Before you brainstorm, brandstorm.

(By that I mean talk about the brand and its promise before jumping to ideas for ads and whatnot.)

The creative process behaves the same way as evolution, so be sure to give your ideas a chance to mutate and evolve in execution.

Penmanship is a lost art. Will you miss it?

No matter how miserable your latest challenge is, it will eventually be water under the bridge.

Believe in your ideas. Especially the huge, outrageous ones.

You may not feel it yet, but after today, culture, society, ideas and communication will never be the same.

Your voice and your opinion matter. Vote.

Has an ad ever been so bad or good that it actually scared you?

Here’s one attempt from a pal of mine at Goodby.

Ideas are like cows. They are infinitely more palatable after they’re sliced up and cooked.

Think more about thought itself — both yours and others’.

Facebook makes email look like my grandfather’s fountain pen and monogrammed note paper.

The better you are at wrangling time, the better off your entire life will be.

Bonus Weekend Post: If you are new to this blog, scroll down and read your way up. I was much better ten months ago.

So you’ve been out, well, indulging. When you get back to your place, you make a bee line for what snack?

Sleep deprivation leads to headlines like this.

You are not the only one struggling; everyone is fighting some internal battle every day.

Take full advantage of the city in which you live.

Never broadcast your foibles, especially if unsolicited.

Would you rather have a partner who isn’t as smart as you are (but doesn’t mess things up), or a partner who is smarter than you?

A hamburger without Tabasco™ is like warm beer.

I don’t love advertising nearly as much as a person with an ad blog should.

Inspiration doesn’t come. It’s discovered on the journey.

Find the guts to take care of yourself.

What distracts you most from working?

Keep your promises, no matter how long it takes to fulfill them.

Think of your partner’s worst idea as a sudoku puzzle longing to be turned into something worthwhile.