New Website!
Posted by Lee Steffen | Filed under Graphic Design, New Work, Photography
After over a half a year of labor, I am extremely excited to announce the premiere of the new Penguin Creative website! Literally, as I write this, the relief is just starting to hit me that this site is DONE! For the past 8 months I have had the task of filtering through over 30,000 photos from the past year and a half of travels around the world. My wife has been incredibly patient with my late nights and incredibly helpful in giving me the thumbs up or down on many of the images you see.
The past two years have undoubtedly been the most challenging of my life, but also the most rewarding. I have never felt more conviction, joy and refinement that I did during my global trek. My desire is that the photos and the stories on this site inspire you all, and hopefully stretch your paradigms a bit too. The more I see, the more I realize that I am incredibly blessed and incredibly spoiled at the same time, just being born in this country. We have all been given the resources, education, creativity and finances to move mountains. My desire is to one day pool those exponential resources to make a lasting impact in the lives of the scores of underprivledged.
I have to mention, this site would not have been possible without the amazing wizardry of Pupon of A3 Interactive and Design. Pupon not only captured this vision by making this site intuitive and (virtually) dummy-proof, but far exceeded what I could have ever expected when I began. My gratitude exceeds my words.
Future of Hip-Hop
Posted by Lee Steffen | Filed under Graphic Design, Magazines, New Work
The upcoming cover for CCM’s “Future of Hip-Hop” issue, featuring Grits.
Sugar the Movie
Posted by Lee Steffen | Filed under Film / Video, Graphic Design, New Work
I recently completed the packaging for Sugar the movie, written, directed and produced by my friend Alex Beh. He also did the hair and makeup, styling, post production, music, dance choregraphy and catering. Kidding.
31 Ways To Be Creative
Posted by Lee Steffen | Filed under Ideas
So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Below are some tips that have worked for creative Hugh MacLeod over the years:
1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. Know where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about “Commercial vs. Artistic” is a complete waste of time.
24. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.