Do you know someone who can motivate others without even trying? Meet Hugh MacLeod. Through his wildly popular blog, gapingvoid, and the cartoons he draws on the back of business cards, MacLeod motivates, inspires and shares his views on everything from being creative, to looking at the world around you, to keeping yourself grounded. His book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, is a must-read (more than one time) that’s filled with cartoons, insight and tips that are worth reading and more importantly, following.  A few of my favorite tips are:

• The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will.

• If your business plan depends on suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.

• Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the “creative bug” is just a wee voice telling you, “I’d like my crayons back, please.”

• Merit can be bought. Passion can’t. The only people who can change the world are people who want to. And not everybody does.