I. I was raised by two commercial artists. My father was a professional cartoonist who worked for an ad agency and my mother was a fine artist, animator and book illustrator. They were both brilliant people but neither of them could keep a meal on the table. I learned very young that people with rare or exceptional gifts of creativity really do often have a very difficult time with the more mundane demands of society or even day to day living. I also learned the extreme level of selfishness of the artist.

II. In working with artists you can really see the difference in the process when they have those truly free and creative moments within themselves. Those moments when no-one is chasing a chart position or a dollar or overthinking a lyric or a chord. It happens because the artist is free and true in the moment of expression. Those are the songs, paintings,films that remain evergreen and are referenced by generations.

III. I have found that for myself going with my first instinct is imperative. The one that you actually feel in your stomach when you think or speak about it with others. I find that when I move too far away from that, things don't work out as well. For myself I can embrace any outcome without regret so long as I follow the honest instinct. Acceptance is far more difficult for me when things don’t work out well and I know I didn’t follow through on the initial inspiration. 

IV. Corporate responsibility is a bit of an oxymoron as the very nature of corporations is to legally rid responsibility on as many levels as possible. I like

that the concept is being talked about however any real action is only likely to happen when the artists themselves become clear and confident enough to demand change as a whole. Taylor Swift standing up to Apple was huge albeit was a 90 day issue. Perhaps something like it will happen again when artists of that level of power unify and demand reform in the overall business and accounting practices of all of the major companies in our industry. 

V. Creatively I believe we are about to enter a truly amazing time, one we haven’t experienced for many years. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been listening to some great music for a while however with all of the economic, social and political unrest we are about to experience, it is bound to make for some even better art than what we’ve been living on for ages. In terms of the business, the BRIC territories should be an important part of the evolution providing politics don’t prevent it of course. 

VI. An idea I'd like to seed is sharing, mentoring and storytelling between the executives in positions of power and the up and coming independent creatives. More of a salon style industry camp that is about real exchanges and round table discussions. It would be fun to do an industry camp that’s only purpose is this. No awards, no panels, no A&R agendas.