Asking for a Friend: How Do You Learn to Manage People?

During the nine years Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo ran the design-minded e-commerce business Of a Kind, they learned a lot—and a lot of it the hard way. To spare you some of the head- and heartaches they experienced, they’re answering a couple Qs about creative entrepreneurship to help you on your way. Here’s the second installment of a two-part series....

Aug 2020

Asking for a Friend: What Does It Take to Build a Successful Partnership?

During the nine years Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo ran the design-minded e-commerce business Of a Kind, they learned a lot—and a lot of it the hard way. To spare you some of the head- and heartaches they experienced, they’re answering a couple Qs about creative entrepreneurship to help you on your way. This is the first installment of a two-part series....

Aug 2020

Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love from Day One

Welcome to 99U’s monthly Book Club, where we look at book releases that challenge us to think deeper, explore new perspectives, and spark a better understanding of the nuances of a creative career, from leadership and community building to productivity and everything in between. *** Red Antler, the Brooklyn-based agency founded in 2007, is behind...

Jul 2020

Stumbling Blocks and Obstacles: How to Overcome Creative Ruts

How do you overcome creative block? It’s a simple question, but one that we wrestle with as creatives over and over again. Just when we think we’ve found the answer to move past a current rut, a new challenge arises. Feeling stuck happens to all of us—newly minted graduates, creatives early in their practice, mid-career practitioners, and seasoned pros. ...

Jul 2020

How to Think Smart About Your Downtime

We all know constant connection makes it harder than ever to switch off when we finish work for the day. It’s vital to set aside time to properly recharge. But let’s say you already heeded that advice—does it matter what you actually do in your downtime? Moreover, is there a way you can use your hobbies to not only have fun and unwind, but also to boost...

Jul 2020

Pay Attention: The Art of Noticing

Welcome to 99U’s monthly Book Club, where we look at book releases that challenge us to think deeper, explore new perspectives, and spark a better understanding of the nuances of a creative career from leadership and community building to productivity and everything in between. *** Have you ever been on a Zoom call where someone drinks from a mug?...

Jul 2020

How to Channel a Daily Vision into a 20-Year Photography Career

In January, an eight-minute video ricocheted across the internet. In it, photographer Noah Kalina chronicled some 7,300 self-portraits, taken daily over the last two decades. As he stares wide-eyed into the camera, we watch a 19-year-old aspiring artist transform—ever slowly, over the years—into a man with a deeply respected photography career. As the...

Jun 2020

Highlights from the 12th Annual 99U Conference: The Creative Self

This year’s 99U Conference was, for the first time, a free, virtual experience with attendees joining us from around the world. From a paper-crafting workshop that investigates the interplay of the physical and digital, courtesy of Kelli Anderson, to Antionette D. Carroll’s blueprint for genuine inclusivity and equity, there is a wealth of ideas from...

Jun 2020

Emily Cohen: Building the Love Into Creative Business

About this talk Self-proclaimed “brutally honest” creative business strategist and consultant Emily Cohen says the concept of love is a starting point for all her interactions and relationships. She shares the practical ways that we can show and receive love in relationships with clients, employees, and colleagues, and how to build lasting, reciprocal...

Jun 2020

John S. Couch: Designing a New Day

About this talk Even those of us working our dream jobs have hidden ambitions that our routines don’t accommodate. For author and artist John S. Couch, that means the intimidating prospect of trying his hand at stand-up comedy. In this workshop, he leads us through a painting exercise where he shows us how to build time into your schedule for those...

Jun 2020