YOUR DAILY INSIGHT // As Told By: John Cleese

Today's daily insight on the "two separate minds" is brought to you by consummate actor and comedian John Cleese--it may be lengthier than usual, but it's no less crucial. 

We all operate in two contrasting modes, which might be called open and closed. The open mode is more relaxed, more receptive, more exploratory, more democratic, more playful and more humorous. The closed mode is the tighter, more rigid, more hierarchical, more tunnel-visioned. Most people, unfortunately spend most of their time in the closed mode. Not that the closed mode cannot be helpful. If you are leaping a ravine, the moment of takeoff is a bad time for considering alternative strategies. When you charge the enemy machine-gun post, don’t waste energy trying to see the funny side of it. Do it in the “closed” mode. But the moment the action is over, try to return to the “open” mode—to open your mind again to all the feedback from our action that enables us to tell whether the action has been successful, or whether further action is need to improve on what we have done. In other words, we must return to the open mode, because in that mode we are the most aware, most receptive, most creative, and therefore at our most intelligent.

YOUR DAILY INSIGHT // As Told By: Georgia O'Keeffe

Today's vital words of wisdom--as brought to you by hallowed artist, Georgia O'Keeffe.

I said to myself: I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me--shapes and ideas so near to me, so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn't occurred to me to put them down. ...I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught.

YOUR DAILY INSIGHT // As Told By: Charles Mingus

Today's insight is brought to us by none other than jazz great Charles Mingus--and it's a quote we had to read multiple times for it to sink in (which can often be the most effective kind.)  Hit the jump now for your daily insight.

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.

YOUR DAILY INSIGHT // As Told By: Seth Godin

Here at 3rd Ward, we've decided there's no better way to start off your morning than with a verbal kick in the rear. So beginning today--and happening on the daily--we'll be sharing with you words of encouragement from some of our favorite innovators.  

Take the words and do with them what you may--but remember to always, always do something.

Case in point: Get yourself in gear and peruse 3rd Ward's Fall classes, we guarantee you can make something happen.

This morning's wake-up call is brought to you by experimental marketing guru and (despite how some may feel) undeniably brilliant writer, Seth Godin.

As our society gets more complex and our people get more complacent, the role of the jester is more vital than ever before.  Please stop sitting around. We need you to make a ruckus.