Summer Reading
What are you reading this summer?
I've just returned from vacation where I started reading Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull. It's a brilliant story of Pixar and the necessary elements it took to build their team, develop hit movies like the Toy Story films and create a culture for its employees that is built on creativity, accountability, and strong company culture.
Seems like every summer I get stuck on a theme and this summer the theme seems to be creativity. What about you? Do you find yourself immersing yourself in a particular subject, genre, or area of interest?
I've also been trudging through Einstein by Walter Isaacson. I've enjoyed reading about Einstein's life and career but found the book a bit long in the tooth and thus hard to finish. I think I have 200 more pages to go. Maybe by Christmas.
I am also reading Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown. Thanks to Ms. Brown I am learning to embrace my inner doodler and connect that process to spur my inner creativity and express my ideas in different ways. It's a process but one that I am enjoying immensely.
I finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed earlier in the summer. Not exactly a mesh with the creative theme but did get me thinking and reassessing some of the bigger things in my life. I can't wait for the film adaptation which comes out in the fall.
Reading is one of life's little pleasures. Though I wish I had more time to do it throughout the year. Summer vacation is the perfect opportunity to make up for any lost time. Though this summer has been a little slow on the reading front, I have more books than I have time to read in this short break, I'm enjoying the process of reading more. I am absorbing more of the words that are being written. And, dare I say it, appreciating the messages a bit more than maybe I have in the past.
Creativity, Inc. has been especially inspirational for me. Though I am not in the movie business, I draw a lot of parallels to the process of building the right team, having the right vision, and focusing on the outcomes in my software companies and consulting practices. I suspect Ed's lessons learned are coming at exactly the right time for me as I try and figure out what I want to do with this next phase of both the companies I run and my own professional life.
I am also doodling like a mad man these days. No piece of paper is safe as I become a Doodle Revolutionary.
How about you? What are you reading that is inspiring you these days? Let us know by leaving a comment. I'm always looking for a good recommendation on books to add to my list. Who knows...you may just inspire my next topical or genre obsession.
Ripple On!!!
ICYMI: