Category Archives: creative thinking

Ideas that inspire: 100 Years After the Riotous Rite of Spring

Posted on May 29, 2014 by jfmiller

I’ll admit. I’m obsessed with Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.  If you know the Disney movie Fantasia you know the music. It’s the one with the scary dinosaurs. This music may well be imprinted into my lizard brain. As kids we’d dance to it in … Continue reading →

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Ideas That Inspire: Paul Rand on Singular Solutions.

Posted on February 20, 2014 by jfmiller

Paul Rand’s essay on “The Politics of Design”. In this excerpt, Rand explains why presenting many solutions to a problem leads to waste and confusion. Graphic designer Paul Rand created classic logos and striking book covers during his career. Steve Jobs talked about working with Paul Rand in 1993. … Continue reading →

Posted in brand identity, brand strategy, Building Brands and Brand Nations., creative thinking, critical thinking, design, digital design, ideas that inspire, trends, web design | Leave a comment

Places that Inspire. Clifton’s Cafeteria.

Posted on December 24, 2011 by jfmiller

On Broadway between West 6th and 7th Streets is a 1935 Downtown L.A. landmark, Clifton’s Cafeteria, where “none were ever turned away, [and] during one 90-day period, 10,000 ate free”. Clifford Clinton created his forest oasis during the Great Depression … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, creative thinking, photo blog, places that inspire, Small Business. Big Business. Your Business., Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Building Brands and Brand Nations. Being a part of something.

Posted on December 6, 2011 by jfmiller

Does your brand feel like it’s something your customers want to become a part of? Does your brand mean something to them? Does your brand stand for something they can believe in? Thousands of Green Bay Packer fans became a … Continue reading →

Posted in brand identity, brand strategy, Building Brands and Brand Nations., creative thinking, design, digital design, ideas that inspire, Small Business. Big Business. Your Business., Social Media, web design | 1 Comment

Ideas that inspire. Kurt Schwitters at Berkeley.

Posted on November 5, 2011 by jfmiller

If you’re anywhere near the Bay Area, hurry to see Kurt Schwitters, Color and Collage in the cantilevered bomb shelter aesthetics of the Berkeley Museum of Art—BAM/PFA—before the show closes Sunday, November 27th Kurt Schwitters’ evocative collages are composed of … Continue reading →

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Places that inspire. Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace.

Posted on October 26, 2011 by jfmiller

They’re gonna put me in the movies. They’re gonna make a big star out of me. We’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonely. And all I got to do is act naturally. Buck Owens, Act Naturally, … Continue reading →

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Ideas that inspire. Millennials Remake America

Posted on October 1, 2011 by jfmiller

Judy Woodruff of PBS News Hour recently interviewed the authors of the new book, “Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America”. They report Millennials—95 million born between 1982 and 2003—are the largest generation in American history. They’re the … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, creative thinking, critical thinking, ideas that inspire, trends | 2 Comments

Building Brands and Brand Nations: Catching on.

Posted on September 28, 2011 by jfmiller

True. It’s a little hard to feel sorry for the freakishly beautiful. It brings to mind the 30 Rock episode when Jon Hamm—Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) boyfriend—doesn’t understand that the average looking aren’t treated the same as the abnormally beautiful. … Continue reading →

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Places that inspire. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

Posted on September 27, 2011 by jfmiller

The old South Street neighborhood was pretty desolate when I lived there. I rented a cheap room on nearby Kater Street alley and that 1890s working class rowhouse made no promise of being brought back to near-habitable decency any time … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, creative thinking, photo blog, places that inspire | 3 Comments

Places that inspire. Trapper’s Lodge and it’s stony inhabitants.

Posted on August 15, 2011 by jfmiller

Beginning in 1951, John Ehn created haunting pioneer portraits for his Old Trapper’s Lodge that once stood near the old Burbank airport. John Ehn’s cement and paint pioneers are politically incorrect, sometimes violent, always full of wit and more than a little … Continue reading →

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