By Mark Salmon | IMMachines.com The Creator’s Paradox You want to move faster, but you’re tired of forcing it.You want clarity, but your mind’s loud.You want progress, but you’re drowning in possibility. Most solopreneurs think the answer lies in doing more.But what if the next level of creativity isn’t about acceleration — it’s about alignment? [...]
Creativity isn’t about being original. It’s about being authentic.Austin Kleon’s classic, Steal Like an Artist, isn’t a manifesto for plagiarism — it’s a manual for reinvention. For midlife creators, coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs — the message is pure gold:You don’t need permission, perfection, or a grand plan. You just need to start — and let [...]
Based on James Webb Young’s A Technique for Producing Ideas — adapted for IMMachines Core premise: An idea is a new combination of old elements.The production of ideas is a definite process you can learn, run, and improve—like an assembly line. If you’ve ever thought “I’m not creative,” here’s your permission slip: creativity is less [...]
“A work of art is not an end point in itself.It’s a station on a journey.A chapter in our lives.We acknowledge these transitionsby documenting each of them.” Most creators secretly try to carve statues—perfect, permanent, unchangeable. But real creative lives look more like rail journeys: you make something, you arrive somewhere new, you look around, [...]
“Do what you canwith what you have.Nothing more is needed.” “Sometimes, it can be the most ordinary moment that creates an extraordinary piece of art.” You don’t need a bigger budget, a fancier camera, or a 90-day sabbatical to make meaningful work. You need a clear promise, a brave first move, and the humility to [...]
A practical, slightly mystical field guide for IMMachines creators who build by moving “The work reveals itself as you go.”Also: “We are dealing in a magic realm. Nobody knows why or how it works.” If you’ve ever taken one small step and found a door you didn’t know existed—welcome to the club. Creation isn’t a [...]
A Rick-Rubin–ish field guide for IMMachines creators, coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs “Talent is the ability to let ideas manifest themselves through you.” Most of us were taught that “talent” means you push harder, think smarter, and out-grind everyone. Nice story. Also wrong. The most reliable makers I know don’t force ideas—they host them. They reduce [...]
“The ability to look deeply is the root of creativity.To see past the ordinary and mundaneand get to what might otherwise be invisible.” — Rick Rubin Most people skim life like it’s a terms-and-conditions page. Creators don’t. We look deeper. That’s not woo-woo; it’s a practical competitive advantage. When you learn to see what others [...]
Introduction: Creativity Has a New Canvas For centuries, artists have expressed creativity through brushes, instruments, chisels, and words. Today, there’s a new canvas: the prompt. Every time you write a prompt—whether it’s a single line or a structured sequence—you are making a creative choice. You’re shaping possibility. You’re saying: “This is the world I want [...]
If you’ve been feeling “stuck,” bored of frameworks, and secretly craving the thrill of making something only you could make—this is for you. TL;DR (but read it anyway, you’re a creator 😉) The Creative Ambush argues that real creativity isn’t summoned by sticky notes, frameworks, or polite meetings. It’s born when you take radical responsibility, [...]
