Books for creatives who need a jolt of inspiration; some caffeine for your creativity!
Why Zebras?
Trendy or invisible. Those shouldn't be your only options.
The Zebra approach isn't about chasing attention. It's about knowing who you are as a creative and bringing that perspective to your work with confidence.
Waiting for inspiration is a losing strategy. You need a solid toolkit for when the page is blank, the deadline is real, and your confidence takes a hit.
Think of these books as practical guides for navigating a creative career without losing yourself in the process. No fluff. No shortcuts. Just better questions, clearer thinking, and ideas you can put to work right away.
Stop Looking for Zebras
Your first step in taking control of your career and creativity.
Stop Looking for Zebras is a no-nonsense, engaging, and practical guide to keeping your job and sanity in this ever-changing world of creative communications. Over twenty years in the making, it is a deep dive into the creative process providing observations, exercises and anecdotes to help you better communicate in a shorter time frame.Reading this books will help you build a more productive mindset, inspire your creative process, and give you the skills to keep you motivated so you can move through your career with confidence.
Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work!
You’ve read the essays and the rants. Now it’s time to do the work.
If Stop Looking for Zebras helped you see things differently, Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work! helps you do something about it. This companion workbook is designed to move you beyond overthinking and into action. Through practical exercises, creative prompts, reflection pages, and a healthy dose of uncomfortable honesty, you'll gain clarity about your work, your career, and whether you've become tragically competent.
You'll explore what drives your best ideas, challenge assumptions that are holding you back, and uncover new ways to approach your creative practice with confidence and intention. Because insight is valuable. But insight without action doesn't change much.
Workbook Bonus!
The work doesn’t stop when you reach the last page. Whether you purchase the printed or digital edition, you'll receive access to downloadable PDF versions of all the exercises. The digital workbook is fully interactive, and the PDFs make it easy to print additional copies whenever you need them.
Stop Looking for Zebras Digital Bundle
Skip the shipping and start the work today.
This digital bundle includes the PDF editions of Stop Looking for Zebras and Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work!—giving you the ideas, exercises, and practical tools to navigate a creative career with more clarity, confidence, and purpose.
“A good dose of inspiration”
“Nothing short of a masterpiece”
“A truly practical guide for inspiration”
Hey, I'm Rob!
Author and Founder of Think Smith.
Along the way, I realized that what I’ve learned over the years and my varied experiences across the creative industry could be the dose of inspiration and motivation for any creative at any stage in their creative career.
So, I became a published author: The Frankenstein Condition (2017), Stop Looking for Zebras (2022), and Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work! (2025).
I’m still writing, so there’s more to come.
Some frequently asked questions.
Who are these books for?
These books are for creative people trying to do better work without getting stuck, burned out, or lost in the noise.
For designers: whether you work in branding, UX/UI, web, or any other discipline where you’re constantly solving problems and shaping ideas.
For writers: navigating the pressure to produce, stay relevant, and find something meaningful to say in a world that always wants more content.
For students: preparing to step into creative careers and figuring out how to make work that actually matters to them.
And for anyone working in a creative field who wants more clarity, confidence, and direction in how they think about their work and career.
What’s the difference between Stop Looking for Zebras and the Workbook?
The book sets the foundation and helps you shift how you think about your creative work and career. The workbook helps you apply those ideas through reflection, exercise, prompts, and doodle space. One is more about perspective, the other is more about action.
Do I need to read the book before the workbook?
You don’t have to, but it helps. The workbook builds on the ideas in the book, so reading them in order gives you more context. That said, you can jump straight into the exercises if you like.
What formats are available?
The books are available in 2 formats. Printed paperback editions are sold via Amazon, and digital PDF versions are available directly through Think Smith. The workbook also includes access to PDF downloads of each exercise.
What’s included in the digital version?
The digital versions include the full book or workbook in a downloadable PDF format. The workbook version is interactive and can be filled in digitally and both the digital and printed copy include access to printable exercise pages for continued use.
Is there a difference between buying on Amazon and buying directly through Think Smith?
Yes. Amazon only offers print editions. Think Smith only offers the digital editions, giving you instant access.
Can I print the exercises?
Yes. Both the print and digital formats of the workbook give you access to the exercise PDFs. They have been designed so you can print additional copies whenever you want, allowing you to revisit and reuse them as needed.
