For some, being open-minded is as easy as breathing. For most others, it’s a challenge- something they have to think about constantly and make a continual effort to keep and obtain. My favorite people to talk to are those who can make you see the world differently.

It is easy to expand on an idea that is familiar to you, it’s tougher to chase with the same zeal an idea that can seem opposed from your views. Poke holes in the things you believe in and entertain the things you don’t. This will help you have a better understanding of why other people think the things they do. Chances are it won’t change your mind but what it will do is give you the option to.  I’m not telling you how to think, I’m asking you if you want to.

Here's an inspiring artist for you all on this fine Thursday!

Jessica Hische is a hand lettering artist/typographer/graphic designer who has done work for clients such as Wes Anderson, Dave Eggers, Penguin Books, The New York Times, Tiffany & Co., OXFAM America, McSweeney’s, American Express, Target, Victoria’s Secret, Chronicle Books, Nike, MailChimp, and Samsung, among others. She's made the Forbes 30 under 30 list (twice), and has been named Print New Visual Artist, ADC Young Gun, and GDUSA Person to Watch. Needless to say, she knows what she's doing and she's got it goin' on.

One of the cool things about Jessica (aside from how talented she is) is her work ethic. The body of work that she's created in her career is immense. She's incredibly hard-working and is always creating. When she left her job to start her own business, she illustrated a "Drop Cap a Day" (a drop cap is a decorative element typically used in documents at the start of a section or chapter. It's a large capital letter at the beginning or a paragraph or text block that has the depth of two or more lines of normal text.) But she didn't just go through the alphabet once or twice, like most people would. She went through it 12 times! She's incredibly inventive and dedicated and is continually creating awesome work. Aside from that, she's refreshingly honest and transparent and just an all-around cool human being and I'm always inspired by her.

If you're interested in her work, you can check some of it out here.

I stumbled across a concept recently in the book “Rework” from SBU that really changed the way I look at things. Isn’t it funny how the simplest concepts are the ones that really knock you off your feet?

Instead of paraphrasing, I’ll just quote it, since it’s short and sweet:

“I don’t have enough time/money/people/experience.” Stop whining. Less is a good thing. Constraints are advantages in disguise. Limited resources force you to make do with what you’ve got. There’s no room for waste. And that forces you to be creative.

Ever seen the weapons prisoners make out of soap or a spoon? They make do with what they’ve got. Now we’re not saying you should go out and shank somebody - but get creative and you’ll be amazed at what you can make with just a little.

When is the last time you viewed your constraint as an advantage? Make it today.

(Oh - and go pick up a book from SBU)