Issue 38: A Bulletin for Big Ideas and Better Business

Class in session✏️

It’s just two weeks to go until the next cohort of The Business of Creativitymasterclass takes its (virtual) seats. The first lesson of our eight-week flagship course drops on the 21st October. Group bookings are available at a discounted price Take a look here to find out more.

OPINION/ ENTREPRENEURSHIP 

Fighting talk: time to stop comparing business and war

💬 Sir John Hegarty

The Art of War offers readers a comprehensive guide on how to eviscerate your enemies on the battlefield. The ancient Chinese manuscript is thought to be written by a military thinker named Sun Tzu. In recent decades, management theorists have jumped on the philosophies contained in this book, adapting them for business strategy. Admittedly, it contains some soundbites that are hard to argue with, like: “Great results, can be achieved with small forces.” Another memorable tips is: “Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amendable to your will.” I wouldn’t advise following this one to the letter.

Should we be worried that one of the most-cited books on business is an ancient manual designed to help generals in 475 – 221 BCE wage war more effectively? I think so. Business theorists should try something less hawkish and (slightly) more current. Another centuries-old business guru is waiting in the wings: Leonardo Da Vinci. American historian Walter Isaascson’s brilliant biography offers infinitely more for readers and offers a look at some of the approaches that helped make the Renaissance happen.

The world needs more creativity and less conflict

The world needs more Da Vinci than Sun Tzu. Our civilisation is staring down incalculable peril. Environmental catastrophe draws nearer. Regional wars are getting bigger. Technology appears to be dividing more than connecting us. Intolerance and a rise in populism are like flames fanned by fear. Solutions to such problems aren’t simple or linear: but creativity offers a means of approaching them.

Creativity teaches us to engage with each other, it inspires and unites us. It drives business growth and thrives in collaborating cultures. It loves diversity and discovery. It entertains and delights, driving empathy and well-being. It revives companies, communities, cities and culture. It encourages us to seek beauty and – most importantly – the truth. The answer to our predicament is staring us in the face. The world needs more creativity and less conflict.

THE AGENDA

✏️ Pencil it in: your agenda for the coming week

1.
Retailers are already bracing themselves for the Black Friday, spending boom. But for UK booksellers, there’s no date that matches the hype of Super Thursday. It’s when the race for the Christmas bestseller starts.
10th October

2.
World Octopus Day honours one of the most creative animals in world. Cephalopods have huge brains which are adept at learning and problem solving. It’s probably no coincidence that this awareness day occurs on the eighth.
8th October

3.
Missed Venice? Couldn’t get into Cannes? Never fear, The BFI London Film Festivalopens at BFI Southbank this week.
9th – 20th October

4.
Ada Lovelace Day – we can celebrate the mother of computer code and tentacled sea creatures on the same day, right?
8th October

5.
Innovators in technology, design and policy will flock to Expo 2025 in Osaka as it opens this week. The colossal show features its own theme song and a mascot named MYAKU-MYAKU: “A mysterious creature born from the unification of cells and water”.
13th October – 13th October (2025)

LOS ANGELES / INNOVATION

Buckle up: Musk lets off steam.
Source: RyanJL / x.com

Will Tesla’s robotaxis stall?

Elon Musk appeared to have a spring in his step on Saturday. Joining US presidential candidate Donald Trump on stage in Pennsylvania, he pogoed around in the background, before delivering a rambling speech about the high stakes associated with this election. Is the pressure of Tesla’s big launch this week getting to the enigmatic founder? It’s possible. This Thursday the electric car company is expected to unveil its Robotaxi system (rumoured to be named the ‘Cybercab’), after rescheduling the event back in August. The release is rumoured to include details on production, costs and a demonstration. But industry watchers are sceptical – some claim that the company’s technology trails competitors, and simply doesn’t work as well. With sales of EVs flat-lining, Tesla must demonstrate that it’s more than a car company. Musk needs another great leap (figuratively, this time).

ON CREATIVITY /

Credit: Sir John Hegarty

LONDON / CULTURE

‘Girl With Balloon’ at The Art of Banksy exhibition, 2019
Contributor: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Duo accused of Banksy theft

This week two men will appear at Kingstown Crown Court, charged with pinching a Banksy artwork – Girl With Balloon – from Grove Gallery in London. The print, which is valued at £270,000, was recovered after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police. The history books are full of dramatic heists, but in the age of the smartphone, it’s getting harder to mint a fortune from robbing famous works. The episode won’t have done the artist’s reputation any harm. Banksy has flair for creating stories and a mythology that enraptures the public. In 2018 a separate copy of Girl with Balloon was shredded during a live auction at Sotheby’s. A mechanism hidden beneath the frame activated and ripped the artwork as the audience looked on aghast. Creativity isn’t just about great artwork – it’s about the narratives that surround it.

FRANCE / CREATIVITY

Normal folk: The work of Annie Ernaux when the French writer won the 2022 Nobel Prize
Contributor: Imago / Alamy Stock Photo

Creative writing boom in France

France has minted its fair share of literary geniuses (one of which you may recognise in our quote below). But the world may be in for a further upsurge in French prose as creative writing workshops sprout up in several cities across the country (reports The Connexion). Surveys estimate that some two million citizens are harbouring a desire to write a book. The trend took off during the Covid-19 pandemic and educational companies have been quick to cater to the sudden emergence of the muse. Local libraries have been hosting courses, as well as The Artist Academy, Les Mots and Lire Magazine. They have a point to prove: French literature has been considered the preserve of those with genius. The coming writing wave is about normal folk with a good yarn.

There is no such thing as a great talent without great willpower.

/Honoré de Balzac