There’s a difference between why a person buys a product and why he says he buys it. Be aware of it and you will go far.

Nobody likes someone who hates what he does. Ever sat at a bar and heard someone whine about how they want to do something creative? It’s horrible, but if you sit through it, end the meeting with a business card. Perhaps you’ll have a rich client who is more than willing to spend some dough. If they never call, you’ll have wasted a wonderful evening. And that sucks. Just don’t go home and whine about it.

If you don’t think your own work is worth referring to, why should someone else? Self-reference is a way of proclaiming importance. It’s the second best thing to writing your own reviews. German artist Martin Kippenberger built his career this way. Quentin Tarantino built his on referring to other people. And then he began quoting himself.

French philosopher Gilles Deleuze recommended that you read one of his books as you would listen to a record. Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle likens his process of working to jamming. This Poptimism was designed to be like an upbeat disco track with the provocative lyrics of a punk rock song. Go play.

A good compliment is what you always wanted to hear, but never did. Don’t trust those. There’s usually a reason you never heard it. A bad compliment is simply a redundancy. “You are fantastic” is a generic compliment, the purest you’ll ever receive. Take it and run with it as far as you can.

If you find every other Poptimism snooze-inducing, at least follow this advice.

Imagine a CEO who is worried about how he appears while interviewing a potential employee. How well will he be able to judge if he should hire or pass? Don’t worry too much about how you look. You’ll learn much more by focusing on others. Chances are most of them will look more worried than you.

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It works.

Want to make something popular? Don’t show it. Censorship is just a way of getting people to look even closer. CIA reports with blacked out words are studied more than Shakespeare. Previously banned books go on to become bestsellers. Commercials that are taken off the air get free media space when shown online.

The list goes on.

American artist Jenny Holzer once wrote, “Morals are for little people.” That was before moralizers had made “little people” the politically correct term for dwarfs.

Listen to her.

You can’t keep things back. Technological breakthroughs, extramarital affairs and political scandals will prevail.

So will your success if you listen to this advice.

Remember to remember the people who helped you along the way. When an employer sees you the same way you see yourself, it’s the best thing in the world. It’s like true love. And it happens as rarely. Be thankful and return the favor whenever possible. Thanks to James Viloria for teaching me this.

Whatever you do, make it easy for your target to get in touch with you. Ever been to a website without an e-mail address? Or gotten a phone number in handwriting you couldn’t read? Annoying, right? You already spend hours every week trying to reach the right people. At least make sure the right people can reach you.

Preaching is trying to convince yourself in front of an audience. When you find something you love to do, just do it for the rest of your life. No need to talk about it. Don’t be afraid to try many things to get there. Try writing, photography, painting. Maybe your passion will be a combination of the three. You might be a really talented writer, but not have the personality to deal with solitude. You might be a gifted visual person without any people skills, in which case becoming a film director would be a bad decision. Look out for a perfect match of your personality and talent. American filmmaker John Cassavetes was a lively people person. To avoid the lonely proces of writing, he acted out his screenplays and had a secretary type them down. There’s a creative solution to everything. If you find out what you really love is preaching, then take all this with a grain of salt.

Restlessness happens on days when a deadline isn’t close enough to make you panic yet not far enough away to let you relax. Push the deadline closer and work harder.

Flawed arguments delivered with punch are more powerful than bulletproof arguments delivered in monotone. Ancient Greek philosophers called it sophism. Philistines call it nonsense. Who do you agree with? Remember, the opinions you trust are what makes you the person you are.

Money doesn’t equal freedom. Put it to use by spending it on creative projects nobody else wants to fund. On a daily basis, spend money as if you didn’t have any. One day you won’t and you’ll be better off.

TBA. Don’t be afraid to love. Even if you’ve been hurt, ironically, the only thing that will heal you is love. That’s not saying jump into the next relationship that presents itself. But eventually, it is.

Photographers, actors and ad men are particularly easy to satirize. That’s no wonder. Inflated egos have always been funny. When dealing with a self-professed genius, it can sometimes feel like you’re an extra in a bad joke. Bring him to a university lecture or an art gallery, offer a bit of bright commentary, and suddenly he’ll think you’re the genius.

Photographers, actors and ad men are particularly good subjects for satire. That’s no wonder. Inflated egos have always been funny. When dealing with a self-professed genius, it can easily feel like you’re an extra in a bad joke. Bring him to a university lecture or an art gallery, offer a bit of bright commentary, and suddenly he’ll think you’re the genius.

Keep a box of interesting gifts at your house. You never know what fascinating person you’ll meet at your next dinner party. If you hit it off with someone, slip a small token of appreciation into their coat pocket when they’re not looking. Add a call to action. They’ll follow up. Be discreet – you don’t want to make others feel excluded. If you can’t think of an interesting gift, the upcoming Poptimisms books makes an excellent one. Run to the store and buy a dozen.

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In fashion, one-offs are pieces that didn’t make it into production. In cinema, the director’s cut is the indulgent version no distributor wanted to buy. In publishing, limited editions are released when there’s no money for a bigger run. Make things look as if they’re worth more than they are. A CEO is a novice who applied this mantra to himself.

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Steal from everywhere. Everything is context. Just ask Marcel Duchamp. A work of video art could become an effective piece of advertising. A paragraph from a book could make a beautiful short film. A stand-up joke could be a functional piece of furniture. Okay, maybe not that, but really, it happens all the time.

People who pay money for creative work usually don’t have the talent to create themselves.

When presenting work to a client, never give them options. They’ll pick the worst one. It’s just a lack of education, but it could ruin your career.

If they’re being difficult, pitch them something they want to hear, and change it in the process.

It could get you in trouble, but at least you’ve made something you believe in.

You might get fired, but at least you’ll have a quality project under your belt.

And that’s going to make your portfolio stand out when you’re looking for a new and better job.

The best condition for creativity is a straight line from start to finish. Of course there will be walls to climb. Just don’t lean on them for too long.

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Get a head start, dare to color outside the lines.

Adjust your clothing, attitude, and body language according to the situation. A successful businessman excels at making a wide variety of people comfortable in his presence. Tone it down if you’re working with corporate types, be bold if you’re pitching for Paul Smith. You’ll end up happier.

Forget about your first word and the one you’ll say on your deathbed. It’s the five words you use to describe yourself that matter. Imagine you’re going to a dinner party and the host is telling you who’s coming.

“Mark is an eccentric millionaire who knows Romeo & Juliet by heart.”

“Victoria is a 42 year old teacher with two kids.”

Who would you rather meet? Mark has paid attention to how he describes himself. He knows that if you give people a little help, that’s how they’ll see you. Victoria has left it up to others to decide. And when do that, they pick your age, profession and marital status. In that order. It’s a bit like a film critic using phrases that he knows will be quoted on the promotional poster. Describe yourself like a movie. Perhaps you are fantastic, exhilarating, and outstanding, but be creative when you choose your words. Picking “creative” isn’t. Poptimisms is all love, toughness, simplicity, honesty, and faking it.

And if you think that sounds arrogant, there’s your problem. Don’t be afraid of big personalities, egos and success. Most people are, because most people don’t have big personalities or success. But they still have ego. And without the two others, that turns to envy. Embrace the bold. But understand that if it’s not for you, it’s not for you.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s what Friedrich Nietzsche said. You become good at tennis by playing someone better than yourself. That’s what thousands of coaches say every day. There’s a lot to be said for a competitive spirit and struggling for years. But there’s also a lot to be said for taking the fast lane. The sheer arrogance of asking your opponent to make things harder for you, will often make him step down in fear, or simply become disinterested in fighting against you at all. “Why waste time,” he’ll think, “if he’s gonna succeed anyway.” Extreme confidence is extremely convincing. Of course, if you really wanna compete at this level – your only chance of truly improving – you’ll have to find someone as audacious as yourself.

On a magazine cover, you have one image to make an impact. In a commercial, you have 30 seconds. Make your point quick. Or you’ll lose people. You’re getting a bit bored already, aren’t you?

Your signature is your visual slogan. Albrecht Dürer’s signature is as recognizable as his artwork. The same can be said for Piccaso’s. If you’re a painter, it should be the first work of your oeuvre.

Parties are how you demonstrate your success. People remember a good time. More than they remember great work. An art exhibition often has as many visitors at the vernissage as it has during the whole time it’s on. French artist Yves Klein knew this. In 1958 he opened an exhbition and served blue cocktails. The next day, everyone peed blue – Yves Klein’s signature color. International Klein Blue. Good party. Good work.

You feel like you’re losing it. That thing you usually do so well. Making people laugh, coming up with great ideas, dressing like a king, whatever. You’re not exactly sure what’s wrong, but fear ending up like the rest: mediocre. It’s strange, because you do what you’ve always been doing. And that’s probably the problem. Change is necessary to keep on the top of your game. Habits don’t take long to form, and chances are, you’ve stuck to your guns in the name of integrity, when in fact, you’ve just been stubborn. Simply do the exact opposite of what you’d usually do. It’s not the opposite if it doesn’t seriously question your rules, morals, or ethics. It has to feel wrong in the gut. It’s the only way to get back on track.

If you make somebody listen, make sure you have something to say. What’s the most interesting conversation you’ve ever had? How long did it last? Where was it? Hard to remember, right? Sadly, most conversation starters register as just that – conversation starters. As a consequence, nobody gets out of their comfort zone. You have to be more clever to break the ice. How about being a conversation starter yourself? When you introduce two people, lie. “James, meet Susan, she’s an astronaut. Susan, meet James, he’s a treasure hunter.” Then leave. This will get them started. Once the initial confusion has cleared, you can be sure the talk will turn to you. “He’s a funny guy, huh?” They’ll have the basis for good conversation, you’ll be remembered for it, and they’ll most likely come speak to you later on. A little lying can make everyone better off.

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Never assume the inferior position in a relationship. People only see you as inferior when you see yourself that way. The creative business is full of collaborations. If you’re a painter, somebody needs to photograph your work; if you’re a photographer, somebody will have to design your visual identity. You’ll meet many talented people, and quite a few famous ones. Never be too impressed – just stand by your own work. People who have recently become famous think they’re the center of the universe. Avoid them. After a while you become used to your lifestyle and don’t think much of it. Don’t think much of it from the beginning.

The mistakes you make don’t define you. They’re a testament to your curious nature. Mistake is just another word for trying. Try harder. Make more mistakes.

You might have noticed the poster looks like a battery. Actually, it looks like a battery from Duracell. Batteries come in all kinds of colors, but had the orange been green, you wouldn’t have made the association. A successful brand inextricably links a color to an object. That’s the power of color.

The good side is that you’ve established a very appreciative audience for your work – your disciples. The bad side is that you’ll have to do the same thing over and over again to keep them happy. And that can easily turn into a case of the marionettes controlling the hands of the puppeteer. And then things turn ugly.

Everything is a matter of perspective. Change yours frequently.

It’s as simple as that.