Everything that I'm up to. Everything that inspires my work.
I met with a friend last week who looked at me sternly and asked, “Marcus, what the hell is The Black Operatives Department? I like it, but what is it?” He’d never seen the talks live and had no frame of reference. As we chatted I realised that I’d never sat down and explained properly why I’m doing it, the …
This post explores why experience is such an important part of the creative process and is part of my Creative Intelligence Archive Series. I hope you enjoy it. I left school when I was 16, skipped sixth form college and A-Levels, choosing to spend the next seven years working my way through various design and art courses. Portsmouth College of …
A memory from the hill. Once, many years ago (twenty-seven, to be precise), I was sitting in the canteen of Dartington College of Arts, prodding at a dubious lasagne with a fork, when a group of my theatre friends staggered into the room. They were in a sorry state: limping, moaning and supporting each other as they made their …
The decision to set up my own business was probably one of the best that I’ve ever made. I’ve found the past two and a half years deeply rewarding. I have a broad range of exciting clients, and I’m rather proud of the work I’ve been asked to do for them. Have there been stumbles, trip-ups and moments of uncertainty? …
I like Twitter. I’ve been using it since 2007. I’m not a power user, my business does not depend on it and the world will continue to turn without it should it succumb, stumble and eventually perish during the oncoming start-up bubble explosion. Yes, we can live without Twitter, but I’d rather not and as I’m concerned for its financial wellbeing …
I’ve started scripting my talks, writing them out longhand, typing them up and performing them directly from the script. This has become part of my talking format, and it seems to work for me. I spoke at Silicon Beach in Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago, and as my talk wasn’t filmed I’ve decided to post the script here. I’ve …
Sehr geehrter Herr de Maizière, Ich heiße Marcus John Henry Brown, wohne in München und ich bin leider in Großbritannien geboren. Verstehen Sie mich bitte nicht falsch: ich liebe Großbritannien. Ein Teil meines Herzens wird für immer Südwest-England (wo ich studiert habe), Schottland (Geburtsort meines Vaters) und den Cotswolds (wo Inspector Barnaby gedreht worden ist – läuft meistens auf ZDF Neo) …
I struggle with January: I always have done and always will. The first couple of weeks are always stuck in second gear, my mind is soft spongey and rubbish. Thankfully the phone started ringing on the 7th and kick started me back into the year and a working frame of mind. Let’s be honest though, it was a rough month, …
Difficulty level: easy. The Isar is Germany’s 4th longest river. It’s also perfect for creative walks. It starts life in the Austrian Alps eventually giving up and committing river suicide 295 km later where it joins the Danube. It carves its way through the heart of Munich and offers locals enough space to sunbathe on its stony shores. Thousands of joggers …
Activity level: Easy. Christmas is over and it’s nearly the new year. I’m writing this sat in the kitchen of my in-laws after another excellent Christmas and a nice batch of creative walks with my wife in Rodgau’s City Forest. I love this forest. It’s a stone’s throw away from where my wife grew up and it is the place …
