The Cranky Creative, Author at The Cranky Creative Blog

January 29, 2019 The Cranky Creative

How video games made me a marketing copywriter

Unofficially, my career as a marketing copywriter started in 1980 when I was 10. Then, as now, I loved video games. I loved the technology—cool-looking plastic boxes that pumped colorful

ad review terrible liberty mutual car insurance commercials

January 15, 2019 The Cranky Creative

Liberty Mutual ad review: no safe harbor from bad humor

I hate most TV commercials with the white-hot fire of a thousand suns—so it takes something special to get me riled. Enter Liberty Mutual, the company whose car insurance commercials

creative people suffer more from anxiety mood disorders

January 7, 2019 The Cranky Creative

Anxiety and creativity: How they’re linked, tips to cope

The Cranky Creative explores the link between creative people and anxiety. Plus, tips for keeping the demons at bay. I jolted awake, gasping for breath. My heart was racing. My

start 2019 right with wisdom from the pocket pema chodron

December 26, 2018 The Cranky Creative

Start the New Year right with wisdom from Pema Chodron

The Cranky Creative shares life-changing words from someone a lot smarter than he is. Happy New Year, Cranky readers! I’d like to tell you about a book I’ve been reading

December 17, 2018 The Cranky Creative

The company holiday card that never was

Back when I was a young copywriter in 1992 or ’93, I was asked to write the company holiday card. This was no small honor—the place employed six or seven

cyber hackers send scam emails to blackmail victims

December 11, 2018 The Cranky Creative

Critiquing the creative of a ransom email scam

“Hello! I’m a hacker who cracked your email.” Last week, I received an email from my own email address. It was sent by a purported hacker who claimed to know

Cranky Creative blog, incompetent people don't know they are incompetent

December 4, 2018 The Cranky Creative

Incompetent people don’t know they’re incompetent

It’s true. Science has proven what many of us always suspected: Incompetent people don’t know they’re incompetent. Welcome to one of my favorite news stories ever, clipped from my local

Cranky Creative blog, happy thanksgiving creatives

November 19, 2018 The Cranky Creative

A Cranky Creative Thanksgiving

This week, I share my thoughts on a recent freelance copywriting assignment and the things I’m thankful for this year . . . Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow creatives! It’s November

Cranky Creative blog, employee motivation and happiness

November 12, 2018 The Cranky Creative

Exploring the effects of positive and negative motivation on worker happiness and productivity

AKA, how to crush the life (and love) out of your employees. I saw a TED Talk recently that got straight to the heart of one of the greatest frustrations

The Cranky Creative blog, the dark side of workplace niceness culture

October 8, 2018 The Cranky Creative

When “nice” is not kind: The dark side of workplace niceness culture

On my last day at the direct marketing agency where I had worked for two years, I scrolled through my LinkedIn newsfeed and spotted an article that seemed written just

The Cranky Creative blog, should I quit my job?

September 24, 2018 The Cranky Creative

“Should I quit my job?” 16 signs it’s time to move on

If you are so unhappy at work that you find yourself Googling “Should I quit my job?”, then Houston, you have a problem. Here are 16 signs it may be