Ideas on a Deadline: How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking

by Phil Cooke

Overview

Ideas on a Deadline is the definitive book for creative people who have to deliver breakthrough ideas on demand. One of the most destructive myths about creativity is the idea that we need to wait for inspiration. But as artist Chuck Close said, “Inspiration is for amateurs—the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Whether you’re a creative professional like a designer, writer, musician, or filmmaker, or an executive, engineer, teacher, or salesperson, this book will show you how to “prime the pump” of your creativity, overcome the blocks, and deliver great ideas when you need them the most.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781957369044
Publisher:	Avail
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	4.88(w) x 7.09(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Helping creative leaders navigate their career and calling in today’s distracted media-driven culture. Phil Cooke, Ph.D. is co-founder and CEO of Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles and the nonprofit Influence Lab. He has produced media programming in nearly 70 countries, and created many of the most influential inspirational TV programs in history with a client list that includes Hollywood studios, major nonprofits, and many of the most respected faith-based organizations in the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword You Have an Hour to Rewrite Everything 13

Introduction The Creative Demand 19

Part I The Mindset

The Art of Focusing on What Matters 27

Chapter 1 Never Miss a Deadline 29

Chapter 2 Expectations Matter 35

Chapter 3 The Truth about the Eureka Moment 39

Chapter 4 Why Passion Isn't Enough 43

Part II The Motivation

The Art of the Creative Attitude 51

Chapter 5 Start by Saying "No" 53

Chapter 6 Learn to Forget What You Know 59

Chapter 7 Push the Boundaries and Build Creative Confidence 63

Chapter 8 It's Time to Embrace the Fear 69

Chapter 9 Do We Become Less Creative as We Get Older? 77

Part III The Method

The Art of Creative Extensions 81

Chapter 10 Start with Clarity 83

Chapter 11 Get Your Life in Order 87

Chapter 12 The Benefit of Creative Extensions 95

Chapter 13 Start with a Blank Page 101

Chapter 14 Write It Down! 107

Chapter 15 For the Best Ideas, Go to the Source 115

Chapter 16 Showers, Driving, and the Thinking Chair 121

Chapter 17 The Power of a Good Walk 127

Chapter 18 The Holy Trinity of Creativity: 135

Chapter 19 Hold Back the Flood 143

Chapter 20 Your Crisis May be the Key to Your Creativity 151

Chapter 21 The Power of a "Mash-Up" 157

Chapter 22 Dreaming and Creativity: Does It Really Work? 163

Chapter 23 Build in the Time to Recharge 173

Chapter 24 How to Make Your Dream Their Dream 181

Part IV The Momentum

The Art of Unleashing Creativity in Others 189

Chapter 25 Atmosphere Matters: How to Design a Creative Culture 191

Chapter 26 Leading High Achievers 199

Chapter 27 Your Ideas Should Get People Talking 203

Chapter 28 Going Deeper 207

Chapter 29 Find Out More about Phil Cooke: 211

Editorial Reviews

Praise for

Ideas on a Deadline

Phil Cooke doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to helping creative thinkers maximize their creative output. Brilliantly honest, insightful, informative, and entertaining, this is the book guaranteed to help anyone trying to come up with ideas in this crazy, chaotic, work-from-home world. I’ve been doing creative advertising for almost forty years—but Ideas on a Deadline has given me the kind of practical advice I wish I had learned decades ago.

—CRAIG MURRAY

Founder, CEO of MOCEAN, 3-Time North American “Entertainment Advertising Agency of the Year”

The only reason I was able to write this endorsement was because Phil gave me a deadline! Once again, Phil has delivered a pithy and profound mix of hard-earned wisdom and hilarious anecdotes. This is a piquant reminder that the world is rife with creatives wracked with anxiety, and the answer to the riddle of inspiration is always, inevitably, to do. So keep a pad nearby when reading this, so the spigot of imagination that Ideas on a Deadline opens will have a beautiful bucket to fill. Peace.

—TODD KOMARNICKI

Producer Elf, Writer Sully, and deadline-meeter always

Producing television and film projects around the world, we understand the pressure of deadlines more than most people—and that’s why Phil’s book is so important. Anyone who’s creative (no matter what business you’re in) needs to read it. It’s a masterclass on how to develop amazing ideas under pressure, and it will change your perspective on creativity.

 —ROMA DOWNEY and MARK BURNETT

Phil Cooke is one of my favorite people and a dear friend. He has perfected the art of delivering wisdom, insight, and common sense with just the right amount of humor to make it all stick. It’s no surprise that Ideas on a Deadline is packed with practical ways to help you achieve maximum productivity and maintain your creative spark.

—BOBBY GRUENEWALD

Founder/CEO, YouVersion & Pastor/Innovation Leader, Life.Church

Named to Fast Company’s list of the Most Creative People in Business

Ideas on a Deadline is full of insights born of Phil’s reflection on his own long and successful career. I’ve been an actor for forty-plus years, and in my world, we film on Friday, we open on the sixteenth, and dress rehearsal is Thursday. No excuses, no extensions, no “my dog ate my homework.” Everything Phil says makes sense to me. I was once so desperate to find a character a few days before the final dress that I did all the scenes in different cartoon voices, just to shake something loose. (Luckily, it worked.) Yes, it was a bad idea, but it was an idea! And I learned something Phil emphasizes: don’t wait for a great idea; just have a lot of ideas and pick the best one. Ideas on a Deadline is not a step-by-step one-size-fits-all. It’s a useful, practical guide on crossing the threshold from imagination to creation.

—FRED APPLEGATE

Actor, TV, Broadway, and London: The Producers, Wicked, Young Frankenstein, The Last Ship, The Ferryman

I have to be honest. I may end up inadvertently stealing a ton of the insights I found in Ideas on a Deadline and passing them along as brilliant advice to other creatives. But in fairness, I’ll also wholeheartedly recommend that every creative—young and old—read this enlightening and encouraging book. It’s not just about deadlines. It’s about the power we have as creatives to understand, influence, and unleash our own creativity.

—DANNY BRYAN

Advertising Creative Director, TRG

As a production accountant and finance executive, my world is all about the deadlines and the numbers. It’s easy to get lost in the debits and credits, but Phil’s book reminds us that there is creativity in every line of work, and it provides the steps needed to regain creativity while not losing productivity. The truth is, we’re all creatives. And this perspective has changed the way I approach budgeting, tracking, and managing films and teams worldwide. I highly recommend Ideas on a Deadline to anyone who wants to make a change or needs a boost of creativity in their everyday work life.

—KIMBERLY ROBINSON

Finance Executive, 20th Century Studios, Hulu, Disney

From the Publisher