The 99% Conference

"It was another huge year for the 99% Conference this past Thursday and Friday in New York as 400+ creative minds came together to focus NOT on inspiration or idea generation, but rather on the mechanics of making ideas happen. The Times Center was charged with the energy of an audience full of creative intention as our power-packed lineup of speakers took the stage." the99percent.com

Below are some of my favourite quotes from the speakers so far.


Scott Belsky - Founder of Behance

• Generate ideas in moderation. We must not be afraid to kill new ideas that will take us off course.
• Act without conviction. We have to act when we are unsure to keep the momentum going and rapidly refine ideas.
• Encourage fighting within your team. Though many of us shy away from confrontation, conflict can actually help us hone our ideas
• Embrace constraints. It’s imperative to break down projects into small, actionable units so that we can move forward without feeling overwhelmed.


Stefan Sagmeister

• Don’t hang out of a window in a New York highrise for a film shoot without a permit. Sagmeister recounted almost getting arrested for looking like a “jumper” while dangling out of a window. And, yes, there is a moral to the story: Risk-taking is a necessary part of any creative process.
• Choose your clients wisely. You can choose clients based on how much they will pay you, based on their integrity, based on their personality, or many other criteria. Sagmeister’s preferred criterion for selecting projects is asking whether or not they will allow him to learn. As creatives, we must always push the boundaries of our own knowledge.