We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for an Oprah moment.

Check out this video, which has apparently been quite popular on the web, of Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch delivering his “last lecture.” The last lecture is an academic tradition but for Pausch, who is suffering from pancreatic cancer and has only months to live, it’s quite real. The married father of three gives a heartfelt presentation about dreams, optimism, and what’s really important in life. Video here or here.

(Thanks Brad)… more

I’ve been meaning to post on this for a while now, since listening to this presentation Chris Anderson made before book publishers last summer. Now that it’s a Wired cover story – Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business – I’d better snap to it. Anderson, author of The Long Tail, has hit another memetic bullseye with his next/current book project FREE.

How can a DVR be free? How can air travel be free? How can a CD be free? How can directory assistance be free? Anderson breaks down the new, increasingly common and advisable economic models: “freemium”, ad-supported, cross-subsidies, zero marginal cost, labor exchange, and gift economy.… more

A Receptive Mind (mini-essay #2). It cannot be overstated how important the simple act of asking a naïve question can be. It triggers the consideration of something altogether new. It deposits some speck of impurity into the mix. It opens up avenues that lead to new intersections. But it is only a receptive mind that is able to answer a naïve question. You have to be open to the unexpected so that if you come upon a discovery you’ll recognize it and act upon it.

If DuPont scientist Stephanie Kwolek hadn’t had an open mind back in 1965, she would never have discovered how to make the fiber that is used in bulletproof vests, radial tires, fiber-optic cable, suspension bridges, and spacecraft shells – a fiber five times stronger than steel.… more

Welcome to Creative Generalist. This blog is just getting started but will hopefully become a great source and collection of divergent creative thinking. While specialization in all fields has become standard, I believe that a generalist’s role is becoming even more important in figuring it all out. Nowhere is this more apparent than in creative endeavours, where the best ideas are products of a wide, often unusual mix of thoughts, disciplines, cultures and inspirations. A generalist is one who sees the big picture and make the connections that lead to new and interesting discussion. So, that said, I hope to make regular posts as well as posts from other creative generalists.… more