Best books about creativity according to Reddit

Reddit mentions of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Sentiment score: 13
Reddit mentions: 17

We found 17 Reddit mentions of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration. Here are the top ones.

#7 Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration #9
Creativity Inc
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Height9.54 Inches
Length6.4 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2014
Weight1.5 Pounds
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Found 17 comments on Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration:

u/btown_brony · 25 pointsr/anime

That said... as our MC is very much aware, the most damaging thing to the production would be for (a) the team to lose confidence in the director, and (b) the director to lose confidence in himself. So she finds a way forward that does enable him, but in a manageable manner. She turns what would be a negative conflict into a positive experience, one that gives the entire team more confidence going forward.

I'm the cofounder and software developer for a small startup myself. Do I cringe when my nontechnical cofounders try to change our requirements? Sure, but if it's for the best, you reschedule and replan and make it work if it's at all possible. And if it's not possible, you can't be negative off the bat - you have to still "enable" while trying to shape the conversation towards a mutual understanding of what a good compromise would be. Thus, snacks and positive monologues!

I'm reading Creativity, Inc. now, a management book by the CEO of Pixar, and it's astounding how much effort the Pixar leadership put into building a culture of creativity. If Shirobako's production company was Pixar, a senior level of leadership would done what the MC did, re-invigorating the team in the face of a dip of confidence in the director - they actually have a "Braintrust" that systematically makes sure these types of meetings happen early in the production cycle. But it's absolutely something that any employee can learn from. If you're interested in mitigating these types of management situations, I'd highly encourage you to read the book.

u/hiquest · 14 pointsr/vim

Actually, thank you sir, this is that exact type of feedback I was looking for! Thanks for really reading carefully and walking through the book.

As for to the critic, it's quite straightforward, but I don't see any rudeness.

Clearly the book is more like a pure idea now, there is a long way to go (and I'm clearly settled to walk the walk). I always keep in mind the Pixar movies that are absolute crap at the beginning (according to https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012) and have to walk through multiple sometimes painful transformations until they finally become the masterpieces they are.

I also have to say, that I need to keep my audience in mind. If I wanted to be pedantic I could just as well print out the :help manual. What I want instead is to create something pragmatic and practical, lite and simple, something people outside of the Vim community could grasp and be productive.

The idea is get more people familiar with Vim, so that they can then go deeper after that, maybe join the /r/vim/ and learn from people like you ;)

Anyway, thanks again for the fantastic feedback!

u/Connguy · 6 pointsr/EngineeringStudents

Don't try to read any fundamental physics/engineering textbooks, they'll just bore you and you won't learn anything without also doing stuff like you would in a lab or for homework.

Instead read some books that inspire or entertain you. You won't have time or energy to read what you want once school starts. Here's some options:

u/SparkyMcSparks_ · 4 pointsr/gamedesign

These books are more theoretical and about self growth as a well-rounded designer, if you want game theory others listed some great ones like Rules of Play and Book of Lenses. That said, here's my list:


  • Level Design For Games: Creating Compelling Game Experiences by Phil Co (Valve)

    It's more of a broad game design book since it talks about all the pipelines / processes of all departments coming together, with an emphasis on scripting / level design for crafting experiences. Portion of the book uses Unreal Engine 2 as a reference, but you can probably use UE4 or something else to follow along the actual game design lessons he's teaching and not have the take away be a technical tutorial.

  • Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull (Pixar)

    I cannot describe how invaluable this book is, if you're only to get one from the list it'd be this one. While it does covers Pixar's history as a frame of reference for a lot of stuff, it's also more importantly about their ideology for fostering creativity, productivity and work/ life balance -- all of which are important and can be applied to Game Design.

  • Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister.

    I read this one after Gabe Newell recommended it one of his interviews and it was at a time in my career when I was working at a AAA studio struggling with the corporate forces that got in the way of creativity / productivity. It was one of those that changed me as a developer. It's more from a management point of view, but seriously applicable if you are collaborating with other people in game development, either on the same level as you or those who rely on your work to do theirs. Or if you are going to work at studio, AAA or indie, it's also an insightful book to evaluate whether the culture cultivated by management is in your best interest so that you have the tools to do your best work without burning out.

  • Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson (Basecamp / Ruby on Rails)

    This one is like Peopleware but not as exhaustive, it's an easier read since it's a compilation and edit of blog posts the authors wrote on their old website 37signals. It's more or less about getting stuff done and filtering out noise, simplifying things to make results better -- this one is relatable for planning game project milestones. A lot of it will sound like common sense that a lot of people may say they already know, but it's surprising how many don't actually practice it.
u/Dante451 · 3 pointsr/AnthemTheGame

God do I despise the mods of this subreddit. The reproduced below apparently is a duplicate post that is not permitted, presumably because it could be placed here instead:

​

BioWare what's your mailing address? I'd like to donate ten copies of Creativity Inc.

Link here to the amazon page for this book. Written by Ed Catmull, the head of Pixar from before it was even Pixar, Creativity Inc. is essentially a story about Pixar's history and how Ed and the other leaders of Pixar tried to first make a successful animated movie, and then maintain that success. It talks about how one movie they made required a lot of crunch and burned people out, and they resolved to never do it again, and haven't. It talks about growing a company where two different projects are worked on by different teams, and ensuring nobody feels like there is an A team or B team. It talks about making sure the driving force of a movie is the experience, not the technology or pleasing some shitty executive. It talks about giving responsibility and accountability to a single person who owns the project and makes decisions.

It basically talks about how Pixar tried to navigate every god damn pothole BioWare tripped on, and maybe if you read it when it came out in 2014 we wouldn't have this dumpster fire of a game.

u/WonderNotEnvy · 3 pointsr/writing

/u/hellxxfire - Absolutely agree! :)

/u/Acornriot - Thankfully for my shorter (essay style) pieces...I've got my process down.

As for fiction...so far I've got:

  • Just write (keep a log of the idea,,,and each time I make changes) the image I see in my head...follow the characters as long as I could.
  • See the structure so far.
  • I use plot points and story arcs to get to the questions I need. For example....I broke down a couple of scenes from 'Grace Is Gone' and was able to come up with what I needed (What does the inciting incident help achieve? What could be a connection to the past? Once the protagonist thinks that there are two options...what's the hidden one?) to progress on a short story.
  • Write based on those prompts - for the short story I went long hand...when I do screenplays I just make notes and type (as formatting is better typed)
  • Update draft
  • Reread (If I typed up something from long hand, I see some gaps and plug them...also...I get some ideas and add them as I go. If I already was typing...I print it out and read it --- much better if I bring it with me and read it in between tasks...while I am out and about)
  • Review structure (if needed --- for particularly long things. Does it make sense?)
  • Submit/Publish (Thankfully I've recognised my 'perfectionistic tendencies' --- and no longer spend hanging on to a piece of work longer than I have to. Because it's quicker...not only to get the right feedback....it's also quicker for it to find the right audience.)

    Now I realise the phrase ('trial and error') is not enough...because you'd be keen to want to know where to find 'things to trial' right?

    I've got these:

  • Write Your Screenplay (What I like about what Jacob does is he says why a story works....and how a story could be tweaked)
  • Creativity Inc --- Biggest takaway is treating a story similar to how an archaeologist would treat a discovery...the best version is there...you just have to find it. :)
  • The Story Grid Podcast - Was quite interesting to 'listen in' to another writer going through the process. Even if my focus is more of screenwriting....I'm pretty sure there were a number of things that helped me get to some epiphanies. And thinking about it...I think it would be genre (sticking to it and understanding it)
  • The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith - My favourite episode was Eric Heisserer's one. This contributed in making me think of other avenues for my writing (which made me open to short stories).
  • The Blacklist's Script Breakdown - I'm pretty sure that this contributed to my idea of doing a 'Film to Script' exercise. My thought was: 'Why bother with the script when the best version is the one that's is out in the world?' (Well....I know now that sometimes the film doesn't live up to the script ---- that's okay...I'll just focus on the films I really enjoyed...because there may be instances that I may not be able to get a copy of the script to compare)

    My favourite writing action point? Only focus on the strategy that leads me forward. :) I may want to wade into Michael Tucker's analysis and keep taking notes...but that won't get me closer...and would likely result in me feeling overwhelmed...so...step by step. I only 'wade' when I'm stuck (that is...if my current process has resulted in a brick wall....so far....none yet!)

    Edit: Expanded the 'trial and error' phrase! :D
u/PartlyWriter · 3 pointsr/Screenwriting

I highly suggest reading the recent book by Pixar's Ed Catmull: http://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012

Lots of great stuff on the mindset of failure. Here's one great bit.

> Candor could not be more crucial to our creative process. Why? Because early on, all of our movies suck…Pixar films are not good at first, and our job is to make them so—to go, as I say, “from suck to not-suck.”

> Think about how easy it would be for a movie about talking toys to feel derivative, sappy, or overtly merchandise driven. Think about how off-putting a movie about rats preparing food could be, or how risky it must’ve seemed to start WALL-E with 39 dialogue-free minutes. We dare to attempt these stories, but we don’t get them right on the first pass. This is as it should be. Creativity has to start somewhere, and we are true believers in the power of bracing, candid feedback and the iterative process—reworking, reworking, and reworking again, until a flawed story finds its through line or a hollow character finds its soul.

You can read a fuller excerpt here: http://www.fastcompany.com/3027135/lessons-learned/inside-the-pixar-braintrust

Also check out this bit from Toy Story 3 & Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Ardnt re: Pixar

> I thought they must have some foolproof system, some big Pixar story machine, but they actually just make it up each time as they go along. Pete Docter’s [Pixar writer-director] analogy is ‘Everyone holds hands and jumps out of the airplane with the promise that they’ll build a parachute before they hit the ground.’

Here's more about their culture of failure (reading the book now)

> Mistakes aren’t a necessary evil. They aren’t evil at all. They are an inevitable consequence of doing something new (and, as such, should be seen as valuable; without them, we’d have no originality).

> Left to their own devices, most people don’t want to fail. But Andrew Stanton isn’t most people. As I’ve mentioned, he’s known around Pixar for repeating the phrases “fail early and fail fast” and “be wrong as fast as you can.” He thinks of failure like learning to ride a bike; it isn’t conceivable that you would learn to do this without making mistakes— without toppling over a few times . “Get a bike that’s as low to the ground as you can find, put on elbow and knee pads so you’re not afraid of falling, and go,” he says. If you apply this mindset to everything new you attempt, you can begin to subvert the negative connotation associated with making mistakes. Says Andrew: “You wouldn’t say to somebody who is first learning to play the guitar, ‘You better think really hard about where you put your fingers on the guitar neck before you strum, because you only get to strum once, and that’s it. And if you get that wrong, we’re going to move on.’ That’s no way to learn, is it?”

u/ohfouroneone · 2 pointsr/CGPGrey

Most people probably already know about this, but I think Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull, one of the founders of Pixar, is an amazing read for every business owner/manager.

As opposed to a lot of business books, this one is pretty entertaining and cannot be easily summarised. The key takeaway I got from the book is that success hides flaws in your company.

u/CreativeInput · 2 pointsr/graphic_design

I found this book to be a good read: "Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration". It was written by Ed Catmull, president of PIXAR and Disney. It basically goes over some of his companies' hurdles and what they did to resolve the problems. It expands on the idea that in any creative industry, the mistakes are a necessary part of the overall process.

To encourage creativity, allow your team to make mistakes early in the process and it will expand on their overall creativity. They'll be more inclined to think outside of the box in future projects if they know that they won't be chastised for doing so. I'm mostly referring to brainstorming/sketching/prototyping and other early parts of the process.

u/josephnicklo · 2 pointsr/graphic_design

Uncategorized:

Thoughts On Design: Paul Rand


Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design

How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul

100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design

Paul Rand

Paul Rand: Conversations with Students

Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design

Bauhaus

The Vignelli Canon

Vignelli From A to Z

Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible

It's Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be: The World's Best Selling Book

Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!)

Josef Muller-Brockmann: Pioneer of Swiss Graphic Design

Popular Lies About Graphic Design

100 Ideas that Changed Art

100 Diagrams That Changed the World

Basics Design 08: Design Thinking

Swiss Graphic Design: The Origins and Growth of an International Style, 1920-1965

Lella and Massimo Vignelli (Design is One)

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice

History of the Poster

How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer

The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics

George Lois: On His Creation of the Big Idea

Milton Glaser: Graphic Design

Sagmeister: Made You Look

Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss?

Things I have learned in my life so far

Covering the '60s: George Lois, the Esquire Era

Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

[Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration]
(http://www.amazon.com/dp/0812993012/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=VEJ64Y4T0U6J&coliid=I1WMMNNLTRBQ9G)

Graphic Design Thinking (Design Briefs)

I Used to Be a Design Student: 50 Graphic Designers Then and Now

The Form of the Book: Essays on the Morality of Good Design

Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills

Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference

Semiology of Graphics: Diagrams, Networks, Maps

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

Envisioning Information

The elements of dynamic symmetry

The elements of content strategy

Corporate Diversity: Swiss graphic design and advertising

Book Design: a comprehensive guide

Meggs' History of Graphic Design

u/YITredMR · 2 pointsr/WaltDisneyWorld

Check out Bob Gurr's Google Talk, particularly at the 12 minute mark when he hears his interviewer use the word "Process." It's pretty funny. Watch the whole video. It's great. I'd also recommend any of the D23 panels that include the Imagineering Legends (Sklar, Gurr, Tony Baxter, Alice Davis, Rolly Crump, Joe Rohde, and others).

I was fortunate enough to hear Bob speak and meet him. Very, very nice gentleman.

In terms of books, in addition to those already mentioned:

The Imagineering Way is a fun book about the way they go about things.

The Imagineering Workout is a fun companion book.

John Hench's Designing Disney is a fun, visual look at his time with Disney.

Building a Better Mouse is a very specific story about the engineers who built The American Adventure show. This might be something you'd find interesting as an engineering student.

Project Future discusses the land acquisition in Florida. Very interesting book.

Three Years in Wonderland covers the construction and development of Disneyland in detail, more regarding the business side of things (leases, sponsors and partnerships).

*Walt and the Promise of Progress City is another fun book on the acquisition and the original EPCOT concept.

The main Walt Disney Imagineering Book is a great start, and Marty's two books are good as well.

I've also found Creativity, Inc to be inspirational. It goes back to the storytelling roots, but you'll find that most of the Imagineering books, articles, and posts are all about storytelling.

u/dippitydoo2 · 2 pointsr/MovieDetails

And don't forget that Disney didn't acquire Pixar until 2006. They had a partnership for distribution but Pixar was well-established before being owned by them.

BTW, the origins and methodology of Pixar are fascinating, everyone should read Creativity Inc if they get a chance.

u/bort_studios · 2 pointsr/gamedev

The best thing to do is to do all of the concept work first. You do not want to get three months into development and then realize that there's something you overlooked. The game should be fun before you even start programming it.

I know how you feel by the way ... with sort of moody teammembers. Managing a project is not easy - that is clear.

One thing that has helped my team a lot is using asana (free for up to 15 people). I have learned that absolute clarity about (1) where the project is and (2) how the project is going to finish across the entire team is ideal.

Before you start making any assets, you should make a schedule for the entire project. The first thing I recommend to do is to get concept art for the entire game. Every part of it. If you do not know what every part is going to look like, it is too early to start programming. If you do not know all the mechanics that are going to be in it, it's too early to start programming. Because once you start programming, it's going to be (very) hard to get back into "concept" mode. Right now is the most fruitful and creative part of game development - don't waste it by doing the routine aspect.

Do NOT leave the artist in the dark on your side of development. That fosters a poor working environment.

Read this

https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483297048&sr=8-1&keywords=creative+inc

It details how pixar makes movies. Apply it to your smaller team.

I repeat though, do not leave anybody in the dark just with an art asset list to make. That is definitely not how you make a great game.

Clarity and openness are key to fostering a good work environment. Everybody should know the schedule, and everybody should be able to know what everybody is doing at any time. Asana helps a lot with that.

Project management is hard and is something I've only just recently started studying, but I've had great success so far with what I've said here.

Oh yeah, somebody needs to be the leader. The tie breaker. And you MUST establish what the game should be. Because once you've established that, there is no question as to if one asset or the other is what should go in. The only question is if it fits with what the direction for the game is. The director makes those decisions.

Read a book on movie producing, too ... I like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Production-Handbook-American-Presents/dp/024081150X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483297223&sr=8-3&keywords=movie+producing

Producing a project on a team is a fucking hard thing to do. It's an art all in itself. Don't leave people in the dark, be open, and make a fucking schedule. It can change, and it will, but you need something to go towards. Good luck

u/swmacint · 1 pointr/todayilearned

Fore more info on this and a ton of other cool Pixar stories, read: Creativity Inc., by Ed Catmull, President of Pixar Animation Studios.

http://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012

u/NotTheLittleBoats · 1 pointr/todayilearned

In some alternate timeline, Enchanted Bayou Frog Adventure led to a 2D animation renaissance.

And to save everyone else the trouble of looking it up, here's the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012

u/Only_In_The_Grey · 1 pointr/technology

Is this it? How is the writing? I'm pretty interested in the book but don't read too much non-fiction like this partly because of how dry some authors can be with this stuff.