The hottest Creativity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Art & Illustration Topics

Office Hours

Story Club with George Saunders • 99 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Editors have a tough job choosing what to publish based on personal taste.
  2. Rejections may not always provide clear or helpful feedback for writers.
  3. Writers should listen to their inner voice to improve their work, even after facing rejection.

Chomp

Infinitely More • 20 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. The game Chomp involves two players taking turns biting from a chocolate bar, and the goal is to avoid being the one to take the last bite. Players remove chocolate squares from the lower-left, taking away everything above and to the right of their chosen square.
  2. Winning strategies in Chomp can depend on whether you're going first or second, especially based on the size of the chocolate bar. Players need to think carefully about their moves to ensure they don't end up losing.
  3. Chomp is not just a fun game; it also teaches lessons about strategy and decision-making in game theory. Understanding how to analyze your options can give you an edge in winning.

Mining for ... jewelry?

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 13 Dec 21
💼 Business Creativity
  1. Big ideas often look messy and impractical at first. They aren't always obvious, so it’s important to look deeper.
  2. Finding valuable ideas is like mining for ore, not finished jewelry. You need to recognize potential within rough concepts.
  3. Instead of expecting perfect ideas, focus on exploring the possibilities and challenges that come with them.

#86 Design in balance

Design Lobster • 99 implied HN points • 20 Sep 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Design often involves making trade-offs to maintain balance in your work.
  2. In design, creating sculptural elements that are both functional and visually pleasing is essential.
  3. Design can be seen as the art of bringing different elements together to achieve a better outcome through balance.

Labelmania

Skunk Ledger • 71 implied HN points • 27 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon is noticing something everywhere once you learn about it
  2. Labels can unite people and multiple selves in creative work under one umbrella
  3. Labels offer a unique way for distributing work, curating, and building trust in creative communities
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The Rotor

Political Currents by Ross Barkan • 21 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Writing can be a source of freedom. Unlike sports, where failure can weigh you down, writing allows for exploration without fear of public judgment.
  2. Persistence is key to success in writing. It’s important to keep trying, even when faced with rejection, and to keep showing up to do the work.
  3. Minimize distractions to enhance your writing experience. Put away technology when you need to focus, and embrace the urge to write whenever it strikes.

The Goldilocks theory of creativity

Austin Kleon • 119 implied HN points • 07 May 21
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. The Goldilocks theory of creativity suggests that we find the right balance between too much and too little stress in life when being creative. It's about finding that perfect spot that inspires us to create without feeling overwhelmed.
  2. Making something, even if it's not perfect, is often better than striving for an ideal. Starting with a rough draft or just creating anything can help get your creative juices flowing.
  3. When life gets tough or too easy, it can affect our ability to work creatively. Sometimes, a little challenge can make creating more enjoyable and rewarding.

hello I am not ready yet

vrk loves paper • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. The writer hasn't started their newsletter yet because they want to build an audience first.
  2. They have written an about page which gives more information about the newsletter.
  3. They encourage people to subscribe, promising that the first newsletter will be coming soon.

30 Days of Creative Programming

polymathematics • 19 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. Creating something new every day can really boost your skills. It helps you learn and grow quickly.
  2. Setting a specific challenge pushes you to be more creative and disciplined. It makes you more productive in your work.
  3. Sharing your projects with others can inspire them too. It builds a community of learning and support.

Questions for a new technology

Austin Kleon • 99 implied HN points • 20 Aug 21
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. When considering new technology, it's important to ask thoughtful questions about its impact.
  2. Art often demands both sacrifice and risk, and embracing this can lead to greater creativity.
  3. It's essential to cultivate your passions and interests, much like tending to a garden for personal growth.

The Genius Myth

Polymathic Being • 65 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23
🚌 Education Creativity
  1. Collaboration and networking are key to innovation, not individual genius.
  2. Good ideas often come from exploring hunches and leveraging diverse networks.
  3. Avoid discounting obvious solutions and embrace the input of divergent thinkers.

On creativity and language models

Philosophy bear • 50 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🔬 Science Creativity
  1. Creativity involves putting things together in a new way, whether it's useful, thoughtful, beautiful, or admirable. It's all about recombining existing elements.
  2. The level of creativity depends on how new and good something is. Any new sentence can be seen as somewhat creative, but the degree varies.
  3. There doesn't seem to be a definite line between different levels of creativity; they all involve rearrangements of existing elements. It's a spectrum of newness and usefulness.

Panic Writing

Investing 101 • 50 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. The author practices 'panic writing' to maintain consistency in their writing process.
  2. Shorter posts sometimes result from trying to tackle larger pieces, which can lead to popular content.
  3. Improving writing skills is seen as crucial for clear thinking by studying advice from experienced writers.

My “off” week

My Home Office Hacks • 7 implied HN points • 07 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Taking breaks and enjoying your time off is important for staying creative and sharp. Engaging in meaningful activities during this time can make a big difference.
  2. Finding a cause to support can be a great way to connect with others and step away from your desk. Volunteering can help bring fresh energy to your routine.
  3. If you spend a lot of time at your desk, consider getting a standing desk converter. It can help you switch between sitting and standing for better comfort.

Questions about Questions

polymathematics • 19 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Questions can lead to deeper thinking and understanding. It's important to ask the right questions to explore a topic thoroughly.
  2. External influences like a good book or song can inspire creativity. Sometimes, a simple change in our environment can spark new ideas.
  3. Writing can be a great way to reflect on thoughts and feelings. Putting ideas down on paper helps clarify and develop them further.

Disney Loves (and Hates) Public Domain

SatPost by Trung Phan • 53 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
💼 Business Creativity
  1. Disney lost copyright on the 1928 'Steamboat Willie' version of Mickey Mouse, showing their contradictory relationship with public domain.
  2. Disney is a major user of public domain content but also supports copyright extension laws to protect their own works.
  3. The tension between copyright and creativity lies in finding the right balance for how long protections for works should last.

#47 Why does red mean stop? 🚦

Design Lobster • 119 implied HN points • 21 Dec 20
🪑 Design Creativity
  1. Traffic lights use the color red for stop because it was easiest to see from a long distance in the early 19th century due to its long wavelength.
  2. The development of the bagless vacuum cleaner by James Dyson involved overcoming challenges in the lucrative vacuum bag market and partnering with a Japanese company.
  3. Designing something well is akin to being a good host - anticipating the needs of users like guests at a party, as mentioned in a quote by Charles Eames.

Free the Models

Parth's Playground • 12 implied HN points • 24 Mar 25
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. Early AI models were creative and wild, but later versions became more reliable and practical. This change focused on making them useful but made them less interesting.
  2. The newer models give correct answers but lack personality, making them feel boring. It's like having a friend who only talks about practical matters without any fun.
  3. To boost creativity in AI, we need to encourage different types of models to exist, just like there are many unique humans. This variety will inspire new ideas and innovations.

Three life hacks: Read, Play and Explain.

A Bit Gamey • 20 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
🚌 Education Creativity
  1. Reading books can change how you think and help you grow. They take you into different worlds, making learning fun.
  2. Doing what you love can feel like play, even if it looks like work to others. Finding joy in your tasks can lead to success.
  3. Explaining things simply shows that you truly understand them well. It helps you communicate better and learn more effectively.

Journey into the subconscious mind

Multimodal by Bakz T. Future • 2 implied HN points • 09 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Exploring the subconscious can be done through activities like meditation, doodling, and journaling. This helps in understanding the thoughts and images that come to mind daily.
  2. Using creative tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, or Midjourney can help visualize and interpret subconscious imagery. These tools can make abstract ideas more tangible and understandable.
  3. Paying attention to vivid imagery and symbolism in your thoughts can lead to deeper insights. This process can enhance your creativity and self-awareness.

Read like an artist

Austin Kleon • 99 implied HN points • 14 May 21
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. A new book club called 'Read Like An Artist' is being started to explore books that inspire creativity. It's a fun way to discover new ideas and thoughts on living a creative life.
  2. Reading can be approached in many ways, like reading more than one book at a time or enjoying old books. These different methods can make the reading experience richer and more enjoyable.
  3. Books, like people, need care and attention to thrive. Giving them fresh air and sunshine is a nice way to think about how to engage with literature.

The Four Energies

Austin Kleon • 79 implied HN points • 01 Oct 21
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. October is a month for cozy things like scary movies and stories, bringing a fun spooky vibe to bedtime. It’s a great time to enjoy seasonal activities with family.
  2. Creative work can be driven by different feelings, like being happy, grateful, angry, or insulted. These emotions can really spark creativity and influence your work.
  3. Reading books can lead to deeper thoughts about their value. If you can sum up a book easily, you might wonder if it was worth your time in the first place.

How to stop corporate logic killing creativity

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 13 Jul 25
💼 Business Creativity
  1. Corporate structures often stifle creativity because they focus too much on data and control. Real innovation needs freedom and the ability to explore new ideas without getting bogged down by numbers.
  2. Data can be misleading when trying to predict the future. Instead of focusing only on what's happened before, we should consider bold new ideas that might change the game.
  3. Creativity is a form of rebellion. It's important to confidently advocate for new ideas, even when others are stuck in their traditional ways of thinking.

Seven ways to spend our 4000 weeks well

A Bit Gamey • 20 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Creativity
  1. Embrace limits to spark creativity. When you can't do everything, you find new ways to make an impact.
  2. Focus on a few important tasks that really matter. This helps avoid distractions and leads to greater recognition.
  3. Accept imperfection and the natural pace of life. It's okay if things aren't perfect; it leaves space for what truly matters.

Synthetic Creativity Vs Organic Originality

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 10 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. Douglas Rushkoff is joining a course about using AI while keeping human creativity in mind. He thinks AI should boost our human abilities, not take over jobs.
  2. Generative AI shows us where our creative work might be dull or repetitive. This can help artists find new, original ideas.
  3. The rise of AI in arts and media could lead to everyone using the same technologies, making it harder to stand out in creative fields. Artists need to focus on being unique to compete.

Salvation is only a half step away

Sunday Letters • 19 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Playing music can teach you that mistakes might not be as bad as you think. Often, no one really notices your mistakes while jamming.
  2. In music and ideas, being too cautious can stifle your creativity. It's better to keep moving forward with your ideas than to freeze up waiting for a perfect one.
  3. Even if you make a 'bad' choice, like playing the wrong note, you can often turn it into something interesting by just moving to the next step. There's always a way to make it work.

An image of happiness

The Leftovers • 19 implied HN points • 02 Nov 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. The film Sans Soleil reflects on an 'image of happiness' with a powerful scene of three blond children in Iceland from 1965.
  2. The narrator discusses the fleeting happiness, contrasting it with the subsequent destruction of the children's village in 1973 due to a volcanic eruption.
  3. The author connects personal reflections on happiness to the themes in the film, expressing the desire to evoke his own 'image of happiness.'

Where Does the World Happen?

Cybernetic Forests • 19 implied HN points • 27 Nov 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Redefining relationships to the rest of existence is crucial for survival and progress. Adapting our understanding and connection to the world is essential for moving forward.
  2. Worlding involves exploring the emergent place-making between subjects and the quality of relationships within that space. It's about the relationships built through interactions, perspectives, and scales.
  3. Questioning the extractive nature of capitalism and technology is vital. Recognizing the interactivity with the world and challenging extractive consciousness through new perspectives are key to fostering more respectful and sustainable relationships.

Who gets to define illustration ?

On Looking • 39 implied HN points • 09 Apr 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Illustrators should define illustration, not let others limit their creative space
  2. Definitions have power, and it's important for illustrators to reclaim that power in defining their roles
  3. Historical definitions of artists and illustrators are inaccurate; illustrators encode complex meanings in their work

Office Hours

Story Club with George Saunders • 36 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Office Hours post involves a reader seeking advice on transitioning from writing non-fiction to fiction. The writer expresses feeling encumbered by old writing habits and seeks guidance on creating believable and interesting fictional worlds.
  2. The post highlights the challenge of shifting writing styles and provides insight into the process of capturing granular details to make fictional worlds realistic. The reader contemplates ways to make the leap to fiction despite feeling limited by habitual thinking patterns.
  3. Paid subscribers may access the full content of the Office Hours post by subscribing through the provided link.

Flower Power

CTOrly • 19 implied HN points • 22 Sep 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. The act of recreating something isn't just imitation; it can be a way to continue the essence of the original.
  2. Documenting decisions and actions may not fully replicate the original intention, but it keeps the essence alive.
  3. Utilize tools and methods that support your work effectively, like Linear for workflow management, to avoid unnecessary challenges.

Today is riskier than tomorrow

do clouds feel vertigo? • 19 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. Today brings a lot of risks and distractions due to the rapid changes in AI, making it harder to keep up. People often feel lost or overwhelmed by all the new possibilities.
  2. Having clear intentions and the ability to ask the right questions is becoming very important with AI tools. It's not just about using them, but knowing how to make the most of them.
  3. The future of creativity may involve more collaboration between people and AI. Instead of one-on-one interactions, we might see team-based conversations that bring ideas together in new ways.

Generative AI and the death of the artist

Kyle Chayka Industries • 71 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Generative AI tools are being used to replicate artists' styles, impacting the livelihood of traditional artists.
  2. The role of the artist is changing as AI allows anyone to easily create art, potentially diminishing the value of artistic skill.
  3. AI is making it possible for people to generate art or music in the style of established artists, leading to a redefinition of what it means to be an artist.

AI and Humanity's Future

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 5 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. The rise of AI brings both exciting opportunities and serious risks. We need to understand how it can help us and how it might hurt us.
  2. It's important to actively engage with AI technology. Learning how to use it can enhance our lives and creativity.
  3. There are big questions about the future with AI, like job loss and the nature of consciousness. We need to think carefully about these issues.

Hello World | #1

The Pole • 19 implied HN points • 28 Dec 22
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Starting a newsletter to build connections over esoteric ideas and initiate dialogues with others.
  2. Launching a newsletter now for sustainability by prioritizing habit over perfection and focusing on delivering value to readers.
  3. As a reader, expect a mix of curated content organized into unique sections, seeking feedback to improve and make the newsletter engaging.