Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys To Creativity

Picked this up after seeing MacLeod’s cartoons on GapingVoid for years and it didn't disappoint. It’s a punchy, irreverent kick in the pants for anyone trying to build something original. The advice to keep your day job while you build your creative "sovereignty" is exactly the kind of grounded realism most art books lack. Look, it’s not a literary masterpiece, and the teenage humor in some of the doodles won't be for everyone, but the core message is vital. He cuts through the romanticized bullshit of the starving artist. Instead of telling you to jump off a cliff, he tells you how to build a parachute while you're still on the clock. It’s less of a manual and more of a manifesto. If you can handle the profanity and the occasional ego-trip, there’s a goldmine of entrepreneurial wisdom here. It’s the kind of book you keep on your desk to flip through when you’re feeling stuck or discouraged by the water-cooler gang.

Wow, this was exactly the reality check I needed this morning. Hugh MacLeod writes like a friend who’s had a few drinks and is finally telling you the truth about your career. It’s cynical, loud, and surprisingly hopeful. I found the advice on internalizing the pain to be a game-changer for my own projects. He doesn’t promise you’ll be a star. He just promises that doing the work is its own reward. The format is great for people with short attention spans because you can just flip to a random page and get a dose of wisdom. Personally, I find most business books are 300 pages of fluff, but this is the opposite. It’s all meat, even if some of the meat is a bit salty. It’s a guide for those of us who want to create something meaningful without losing our souls to the cubicle farm. Unapologetic and raw.

After hearing MacLeod speak on a podcast, I wanted to see if his written work held the same weight. It does. This isn’t just a book for painters or poets; it’s a guide to starting a business in the modern age. The Ignore Everybody mantra isn't about being a jerk; it’s about protecting your vision from being diluted by committee. The wisdom here is realistic and hard-earned. He talks about the scut work and the years of obscurity that people usually skip over in success stories. In my experience, this is one of the few books that accurately describes the lonely childhood of a great idea. The cartoons add a nice bit of levity, even if the humor is a bit undiplomatic. It’s an original, non-conformist piece of work that actually gives people the incentive to stop talking and start doing.

Direct opinion: this is the best fifteen dollars I've spent on my career in years. Hugh MacLeod’s Ignore Everybody is a masterclass in brevity and punchy advice. It’s a simple, straightforward read that cuts through the noise of modern productivity culture. I particularly appreciated the section on remaining frugal and avoiding the props that distract from actual talent. The truth is, most of us use research and planning as an excuse not to do the work, and this book calls you out on that behavior immediately. It’s funny, sarcastic, and deeply practical. If you want a book that will pat you on the head and tell you you're a genius, look elsewhere. If you want something that will tell you to get your ass in the chair and work, this is the one. A must-read for any modern creative.

Finally got around to this slim volume after hearing a few friends rave about the 40 keys list. It’s incredibly easy to digest, with most chapters being just a page or two. Truth is, MacLeod doesn't sugarcoat the struggle of being a creative in a corporate world. I loved the section about how good ideas have lonely childhoods; that really resonated with my experience in marketing. Some critics say it’s just a blog post on steroids, and yeah, that’s probably fair. But frankly, sometimes you need those pithy one-liners to snap out of a rut. The business card cartoons are hit-or-miss. Some are profound, while others feel a bit like edgy high school notebook sketches. Still, the overall vibe is deeply encouraging. It’s a great weekend read if you’re looking for a creative spark without the heavy academic tone of most how-to art books.

This book is essentially a collection of sharp, jagged little pills for the creative soul. MacLeod’s style is very take-it-or-leave-it, and I chose to take it. He’s blunt about how much the world doesn't care about your art, which sounds depressing but is actually quite liberating. If nobody cares, you might as well do whatever you want! The drawings are a bit crude, but they fit the gapingvoid aesthetic perfectly. Not gonna lie, some of the sexual references felt a little unnecessary and dated, but the core message about personal responsibility and stamina is solid. It's a quick 150 pages that you can finish in a single sitting. If you're feeling stuck, this will definitely give you the incentive to move forward. It's basically a manual for being a geek in a world that wants you to be a drone.

Ever wonder why most creative advice feels like it was written by a Hallmark card? MacLeod is the antidote to that. He’s direct, abrasive, and completely sugarcoat-free. I really appreciated the 40 Keys structure because it makes the advice feel actionable rather than just theoretical. Some chapters are literally just one or two paragraphs, which works well with his business card philosophy. Gotta say, I think some people will be put off by his ego, but you have to look past the persona to get to the gems. The section on not needing props or fancy equipment was particularly convicting for me as a photographer. You don’t need the five-thousand-dollar camera. You just need to start shooting. It’s a small book with a big impact. Perfect for artists, entrepreneurs, or anyone tired of the standard corporate line.

The chapter on finding your own voice hit me right where I live. As an aspiring writer, I struggle with the water-cooler gang and the constant need for approval. MacLeod’s advice to sing in your own voice regardless of how it sounds was incredibly moving. Look, the book is definitely light for a hardcover, but the emotional resonance is what matters. It reminded me of why I started creating in the first place—not for the money or the likes, but for the joy of the craft. I loved the unfiltered, direct nature of the prose. It’s not zig-zaggy; it goes straight for the throat. Some of the advice is common sense, but common sense is surprisingly rare in the creative world. I'll be coming back to this whenever I feel my creative spark starting to fade under the pressure of external expectations.

As someone who appreciates Seth Godin’s endorsement, I expected a bit more substance from these pages. MacLeod has a very distinct, unfiltered persona that oscillates between brilliant and borderline obnoxious. While I appreciate the sentiment of ignoring everybody, the book often feels like it's contradicting its own logic. One minute he's telling you money doesn't matter, and the next he's explaining how to scale a business. In my experience, his story about drawing on the back of business cards is legendary, but he repeats it so many times it starts to feel like filler. The cartoons are clever enough, but the demeaning tone toward wage slaves felt a bit unearned. It's a fast read, and I did highlight a few lines, but it lacks the depth of something like Stephen King’s On Writing. If you want a quick hit of inspiration, it’s fine, but don’t expect a comprehensive guide to the creative life.

Not what I expected based on the glowing reviews from the tech crowd. While there are definitely some pithy one-liners that make for great social media quotes, the book as a whole felt incredibly thin. MacLeod spends half the time patting himself on the back for drawing on business cards and the other half condescending to anyone who works a nine-to-five. The teenage humor in the cartoons felt more immature than rebellious to me. To be fair, it’s a very fast read, but that’s because there’s almost no substance to the chapters. He contradicts himself constantly. One page he's an anti-capitalist artist, the next he's giving business tips. It felt like a collection of blog posts that should have stayed on the internet. I’d recommend Todd Henry’s The Accidental Creative over this any day. This just felt uninspired and repetitive.