Connections
Sign up for my RSS feed
Sign up for The Subtraction Chronicles, a weekly recap
Backstory
-
You can call me Matt.
I spent 8 years as an independent advisor to the U.S. corporate headquarters of Toyota. It changed my outlook on life. I learned how to learn, and I learned to "think lean". I took those lessons on the road to other organizations. Now I write books and articles, speak, teach and coach others on creativity, innovation, and design strategy.
You can read more on my About page, or connect with me on my Contact page.
Why Subtraction?
There's an art to removing just the right things, in just the right way, to achieve greater impact in business, work, and life.
Lao Tzu said: "To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day."
That's my go-to philosophy, and this blog is dedicated to sharing it along with all the amazing things that amazing people are doing to improve the world by waging "war on more" through subtracting from our collective experience anything obviously excessive, wasteful, complicated, unnatural, hazardous, hard to use, or ugly. Or better yet, refraining from adding those things in the first place!
I've just finished a new book entitled The Laws of Subtraction, which are these 6 simple rules for winning in the age of excess everything:
#1: What isn’t there can often trump what is.
#2: The simplest rules create the most effective experience.
#3: Limiting information engages the imagination.
#4: Creativity thrives under intelligent constraints.
#5: "Break" is an important part of any breakthrough.
#6: Doing something isn’t always better than doing nothing.The book will be out October 26, 2012. I've asked 52 of the most brilliant people I know to contribute. You'll be amazed and inspired by their stories of how subtraction has played a role in their work and life.
Appearing now…
Taste tests…
Facebook Friends & Fans
My Twitter feed…
- Love this Wordpress theme. Elegant. Awesome "skeleton" approach. My new site redesign choice. http://t.co/t7Llg7z6 via @dhgtweeted10 hours ago
- The Greatest Day Of Your Life via Matthew E. May - As CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, Rich Horwath ... http://t.co/Azq8Gp7atweeted11 hours ago
- Addition By Subtraction via Matthew E. May - The meme of subtraction is growing, the drumbeat ... http://t.co/PB6ojSfltweeted1 day ago
- It's getting louder: addition by subtraction. http://t.co/OE7unawktweeted1 day ago
- Are you a cow or buffalo? http://t.co/3eXb9RpMtweeted1 day ago
-
Latest Posts
Category Cloud
Categories
- Artistry at Work (6)
- Books (107)
- Creativity (85)
- Design (40)
- Genius (17)
- Law #1 (5)
- Law #2 (4)
- Law #3 (4)
- Law #4 (3)
- Law #5 (5)
- Lean (2)
- Shibumi (61)
- Simplicity (19)
- Social Media (19)
- Storytelling (18)
- Strategy (80)
- Subtraction (25)
- Technology (27)
- Uncategorized (36)
- Zen (12)
Archives
Category Archives: Artistry at Work
Artistry At Work: Form Following Function
Today, each artist must undertake to invent himself, a lifelong act of creation that constitutes the essential content of the artist’s work. The meaning of art in our time flows from this function of self-creation. Art is the laboratory for … Continue reading
Artistry at Work: New School Rules
I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein Business artistry is much more than simply becoming technically proficient at something. We … Continue reading
Artistry At Work: Lean Into Discomfort
“An artist’s creative intelligence can truly express itself only when prompted by his intellect and when he is in a state of inspired rapture; it is then that he abundantly demonstrates his God-given powers and sublime ideas.” –Georgio Vasari Every … Continue reading
Artistry at Work: Heeding Basic Instinct
When actors ask, “What is my motivation?” they’re asking about what’s most important to the character they are playing so that they can make and commit to an authentic artistic choice in their role. But they’re also talking about values. … Continue reading
Artistry at Work: Depth Over Breadth
If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful after all. -Michelangelo Talent is merely potential, and everyone has it. Talent is everywhere – but by itself it is nothing special. It is … Continue reading
Artistry at Work: Thoughts On Talent
Every time I’m in the throes of writing a book, which I am at the moment, something strange happens. Random but clear thoughts pop in my head that have little to do with my current work. I generally scratch them … Continue reading
