Ikigai and the question of personal purpose
While brands have been obsessed with purpose in recent years, we have overlooked personal purpose, which can lead to a far more enriching working life, says creative coach Richard Holman
Why it pays for advertising to be enigmatic
The most effective ads leave a gap for the audience to join in on the messaging, by giving them the respect to work it out themselves
Confessions of a creative industry coach
Here Richard Holman discusses some of the most common questions, doubts and problems that have come up in his five years as a creative coach, from self-doubt to managing pressure
On the pleasure (and perils) of public speaking
Public speaking can strike fear into the hearts of the most competent people. Here, writer and coach Richard Holman offers his advice on how to get through it, and maybe even learn to enjoy it
What constitutes success?
We are hardwired to seek success in our careers, but what does it actually look like, and by what measure do you define it in your work?
Are copyright battles destroying creativity?
In an industry where people are often badly paid, it’s important to protect the ownership of creative work and ideas. But is this leading to a litigious culture that will ultimately suppress creativity? Richard Holman examines both sides of the question
How to conduct the perfect brainstorm (with advice from Isaac Asimov)
Brainstorming has something of a bad name these days. But with a little bit of help from a classic essay by Isaac Asimov, Richard Holman offers some advice on how it can be done well
How to shake off the demon of convention
In this extract from his new book, Creative Demons and How to Slay Them, Richard Holman examines the lure of convention and how to summon original thought
The battle for self-belief
Working in the creative industries inevitably involves rejection and doubt. But those are also the elements that can lead to greatness, writes Richard Holman
Richard Holman on the value of the unexpected moment
Wrong turns and unpredictable moments are a part of every creative journey, yet we rarely like to examine these in full, preferring to give the impression that everything is in our control. But, writes Richard Holman, these accidents are vital
What to do when the plagiarist strikes?
On discovering that a piece of work he had created had ‘inspired’ a project from another studio, Richard Holman went through a range of emotions before realising that plagiarism can have its benefits
Getting started on that long-lost project
With the UK in lockdown, and much of the creative community with some unexpected time on their hands, there’s never been a better time to tackle that project you’ve always dreamed of doing. But how to get started? Richard Holman has some tips