For two days each September, Barkley agency in Kansas City locks its doors, rents a historical downtown theater, and kicks off a Creativity Symposium for its 350 employees – from the financial people to the highly creative folks.

They invite speakers from all over, and this year I was honored to give the opening session. I left totally impressed with Barkley’s commitment to creativity. Their motto is “Every idea has an expiration date,” so they’re constantly after new ideas – and new ways to discover those ideas.

“Great ideas can come from anywhere – and from anyone,” says Brian …more

After presenting a workshop in New York last month, I took a hike across the Brooklyn Bridge to view Olafur Eliasson’s New York City Waterfalls.

Stepping into Brooklyn also gave me the chance to catch up with Alissa Walker, one of my favorite PC alums. Early this summer, Alissa left the rarefied air of Hollywood for three months in the NYC area, working on a travel book for Chronicle.

Alissa is fun to be around. I love her passion for writing, hunger for learning and quest for new experiences. She honed those traits as a student, and she relies …more