Think-Smith

A thought from my books Stop Looking for Zebras and Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work!, that feels especially relevant for the DesignTO Festival: Good ideas don’t arrive finished.
Most of the creative work I’ve done, and a lot of the work I see others struggling with, lives in that in-between space. Not broken, just unfinished.
I’ll be talking about this (and listening) at Swipe Design Books + Objects on January 29, during the DesignTO Festival.

Book Signing & Conversation
January 29, 2026
1:00–3:00 PM
Swipe Design Books + Objects,
401 Richmond St. W, B04

Get the books:
www.think-smith.com/books
Swipe Design
https://www.swipe.com/

After a year and a half of writing, testing, refining, and pouring experience into the pages… it’s here 📦

Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work! 🦓✨

Your accountability partner for career clarity and growth.

Inside this workbook, you’ll:
🔍 Dive into who you are and how you show up
🧠 Identify what lights you up (and what doesn’t)
📈 Explore the right path for your career
💸 Understand what you need to thrive (yes, there’s math)
🎯 Walk away with focus + a practical plan forward

No matter where you’re at - student, job searching, freelance, in-house, changing paths - it’s never too late to do the work and move toward a career that feels right.

Let’s get unstuck.
Let’s get clear.
Let’s do the work.

Purchase your copy now on my website or on Amazon!

One of my favourite reminders from Stop Looking for Zebras is the idea that our work as creatives isn’t meant to live in a museum. It’s meant to move, to communicate, connect, and serve the people we’re creating for.

These pages capture it perfectly:
✨ Your ideas don’t have to be perfect, they just have to get out of your head.
✨ Your worth isn’t defined by analytics, but your work will be measured by results.
✨ Feedback isn’t personal. Coffee helps.

As designers, writers, marketers, and makers, we all get stuck in the trap of treating every project like a masterpiece. But the truth is: the more freely we sketch, brainstorm, scribble, and explore, the better our work becomes.

That’s the mindset behind the next step in this journey…

Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work!: Exercises, prompts, and doodle space to realize your most authentic and creative self, is out NOW!

A hands-on companion to the book, created to help you take the mindset shifts and actually apply them. Page by page, exercise by exercise.

You’ll be hearing LOTS from me soon, but for now, consider this your gentle nudge to make space for your creativity… even if it starts with a messy page and a cup of something warm ☕️

In-House or Out-House?

Let’s talk about working in-house.

A lot of creatives do it — me included.
Major software company. Government department.
Been there. Done that. Designed the PowerPoint.

The jobs are there.
The need is real.
Yet somehow, people still treat in-house work like a creative compromise.
A sell-out.

It’s not. It’s strategic.
It’s where a ton of the real work happens.

In-house teams exist because organizations need creativity on tap.
We’re the ones translating corporate jargon into something people actually understand.

But yeah… sometimes it feels like Groundhog Day.

I remember my son once saying, “Dad, I’m bored.”
And I told him,
“You’re bored because you want to be.”

Same goes for in-house.
If it feels dull, shake it up.

Don’t wait for permission.
Make your own momentum.

- Get visible.
- Let other departments know who you are and what you do.
- Hang bold, engaging posters.
- Host an open house.
- Start a conversation.

Just back it with intent — tie it to the bigger company why.

You deserve a seat at the table.
So stop waiting for someone to offer you one.

Bring your own chair.

You’ve got a voice.
Use it.

A Zebra and an Orca walk into a rooftop bar…🦓✈️

A coaching client recently took Stop Looking for Zebras on their vacay to Vancouver! A few parks, some city views, and one very pixelated orca later… Can confirm: it’s the ultimate creative carry-on!

Packed with sharp insights, exercises, and caffeine for your career, it’s made for navigating work and ideas in the digital age.

Felt fitting to stop by Douglas Coupland’s “Digital Orca”. A mashup of nature and tech that mirrors the message: modern problems need modern (and creative) approaches.

Highly recommend packing Stop Looking For Zebras, the next time you need some inspiration on the road!