I first read George Lois’s Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!) near the official start of my independent creative career in 2010. I’ve read it many, many times since. It lives up to its title.
I contacted George in 2012 to thank him and got a pleasant reply. Looking back, I think that was the highlight of that year. I was saddened to learn he died in 2022, but 91 years is a superhuman run by any standard.
Reading it again now, more than a decade since that indie dream died, my only issue with the brisk little book is Lois’s claim that he only slept three hours a night. I used to subsist on five when I was making video games and writing sci-fi, and that messed me up quite bad. Now, it’s seven to eight or else. Aside from that, Damn Good Advice is essential reading for any creative person who cares about integrity.
2012.03.12 – 2025.07.27