www.Changethis.com is the home to a recent article we read for class. The article is called "FREAK FACTOR: Discovering your uniqueness by Flaunting weakness" by David Rendell's.
This article gives nine ways to utilize your weaknesses. Rendell argues that weaknesses are what make people unique, and we shouldn't waste our time trying to fix them. Instead, we should focus on our strength, and act on those.
3. Flawless: There's nothing wrong with you
While reading this section I began to think of flaws in a whole new light. Rendell emphasizes that every negative in our lives also have a positive correspondent. Interesting. Thinking this way is like finding the silver lining. I like the idea of everyone having their own uniqueness, their own flaws. Rendell states that being well-rounded or flawless, is both undesirable and impossible. EVERYONE has their own issues and nobody is truly flawless. It was interesting for me to process this because I often perceive people as pretty well-rounded, some even seem flawless. But to know that that is not the case is almost a sigh of relief. Its nice to be assured that everyone has their demons, and its okay to have them.
4. Forget it: Don't try to fix your weaknesses...
I enjoyed reading this part of the article because I can relate to it, everyone can. Rendell recommends that we not try and eliminate our weaknesses, instead we deal with them. We deal with them because with each weakness comes a corresponding strength. I agree with this concept. I have tried for the past three years to narrow in on my weaknesses and conquer them. And although I have made some progress, the weaknesses are still there, and they are still weaknesses. It's a weird point when you realize that the way you feel isn't a phase, it's actually just who you have become. Trying to change who you have become will get you nowhere.
7. Find the right spot
This section clicked with me. It makes so much sense. Rendell discusses the importance of finding a spot that suits you. For instance, if you don't like being in the spotlight, then find a place where you can do your thing but still be out of the limelight. He encourages to find a place where you can capitalize on your strengths, but also abide by your weaknesses. This was relieving to read in a way because I thought I was weak for wanting to find a career that met the needs of my weaknesses. But what I didn't realize was that in turn my strengths would shine through. Rendell nailed it when he used Rudolph as an example. He was a freak until his nose turned into a strength. He found the right spot.
Its funny to try and note my own weaknesses, mainly because I feel like I have so many! I double think everything I do. I worry too much about what other people will think. I worry about assumptions I make that probably aren't even true. Sometimes I think I might be too calm. I rarely get angry, which seems good on the surface, but anger is natural....soooo? I don't like being in the spotlight. I feel I work my best when I am comfortable with my surroundings. I need to work on finding my spot and then take it step by step from there.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Game Presentation - Strengths and Flaws
For the most part, I was pleased with our game presentation. I think we did a good job in conveying the "feel" of the game and expectancy of the experience. The of the only things we did not convey well was the "item" part of it. In our racing game, much like other racing games, you can collect items and use them against other racers. We mentioned this to the class, but didn't go any deeper then that. This is partially because we didn't fully develop the items you can get. In retrospect I think we should have. Because throughout our presentation we were mentioning "firing weapons" and "collecting items", but didn't care to explain them further. That had to be some what confusing. Another issue was our actual presentation. If we presented it to a classroom, which we did, than I think we did well. But the point was to present it as if we were selling the game. We definitely did not do this, and for that we were deducted points.
While coming up with the concept for this game, it was mandatory to talk amongst our group. The synergy between our group was pretty good I thought. Everyone was open to everyones ideas and nobody really presented the "my way or the highway" mentality. I will say since our game was a racing game, it wasn't hard to determine rules, mechanics, and objectives. Because racing games often share similar concepts inherently. The only road blocks we ran into were developing the goals. We didn't want to complete rip off other games like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong racing, so we had to develop a different system. Emily came up with the idea of "mini-goals" within each race. If you complete the "mini-goal", than you receive an item. This was original because it was far different then just running into a balloon to get an item. Also, as a group we decided to have a point system for tricks. The more tricks you do, the more points you get. Once you get enough points, you can upgrade you vehicle.
I really like the idea for our controller. The center of the controller has a gyro ball in it, much like Golden Tee. In the game, when you go off a ramp, you can slap the gyro ball causing your character to flip all over the place. But, the user must also stop the gyro ball and level out the character so they can land correctly, and in turn earn points toward a new vehicle. I just thought this was a very original idea all around.
In the end I can't complain about my group. We worked very well together and everyone pulled their weight.
While coming up with the concept for this game, it was mandatory to talk amongst our group. The synergy between our group was pretty good I thought. Everyone was open to everyones ideas and nobody really presented the "my way or the highway" mentality. I will say since our game was a racing game, it wasn't hard to determine rules, mechanics, and objectives. Because racing games often share similar concepts inherently. The only road blocks we ran into were developing the goals. We didn't want to complete rip off other games like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong racing, so we had to develop a different system. Emily came up with the idea of "mini-goals" within each race. If you complete the "mini-goal", than you receive an item. This was original because it was far different then just running into a balloon to get an item. Also, as a group we decided to have a point system for tricks. The more tricks you do, the more points you get. Once you get enough points, you can upgrade you vehicle.
I really like the idea for our controller. The center of the controller has a gyro ball in it, much like Golden Tee. In the game, when you go off a ramp, you can slap the gyro ball causing your character to flip all over the place. But, the user must also stop the gyro ball and level out the character so they can land correctly, and in turn earn points toward a new vehicle. I just thought this was a very original idea all around.
In the end I can't complain about my group. We worked very well together and everyone pulled their weight.
Hero/Villian Analysis
Colin Mercer's Blog
Colin's superhero and villain were named Lightning Man and Puck. Lightning man was obviously the superhero, and Puck was the villain. At first glance, it isn't hard to determine who is good and who is evil. Puck's coloring completely describes the type of "being" he is. His brightness is much darker than Lighting Man. Lighting Man contrasts Puck with his bright red and yellow suit. Immediately when comparing the two drawings, the viewer can determine a designed mood. Puck looks sad, anger, ugly, and grimacing. His entire color scheme is different saturations of black. Lightning Man on the other hand is bright, colorful, and generally looks more friendly so to speak. I think this team did a good job in conveying who was who in terms of good and evil.
Mike Mytnick's Blog
Next I looked at Mike Mytnick's blog. His hero and villain were Icarus and Shadow Puppet. Right off the bat, the names give away the hero and villain. Iracus is the well-lit hero who shares an affinity of coloring with Colin's Lightning Man. Shadow Puppet on the other hand is...well...more shadowed. He has a dark black and purple color scheme and overall just looks evil. He just looks like he is full of despair. Icarus however is well-lit and mainly all yellow. Icarus can shoot light I believe, which helps convey his character. Light in general, along with the coloring of yellow, symbolizes "good" and "heavenly" to me. So when looking at these characters I actively decided that Icarus is the good guy. Again, Mike and Amanda did a great job of conveying there characters in the way they intended.
Chris Page's Blog
Lastly, I took a look at Chris Page's characters. His hero and villain are named Spark and Hotspot. When I look at these characters, I can guess which one is good and which one is evil, but I am not entirely sure. I would guess, based on the coloring, that Hotpot is the hero here. He is brighter, and thats about it. The characters look very similar, but Spark is much darker. I believe Spark can shoot lightning, however Hotspot I believe Hotspot can shoot fire. So going off of their superpowers, I'm not sure which one is "good" or "evil". Since I am going with the assumption that Hotspot is the hero, I would suggest giving him a happier expression. The picture of him looks like he is worried, which is uncharacteristic of a hero. But, from overall mood that I got from the pictures, I can say that I actively came to the conclusion Hotspot is the hero. So I suppose the design works if I am right....The drawings are really good though, just a few adjustments I think should be made to really make the hero POP!
Colin's superhero and villain were named Lightning Man and Puck. Lightning man was obviously the superhero, and Puck was the villain. At first glance, it isn't hard to determine who is good and who is evil. Puck's coloring completely describes the type of "being" he is. His brightness is much darker than Lighting Man. Lighting Man contrasts Puck with his bright red and yellow suit. Immediately when comparing the two drawings, the viewer can determine a designed mood. Puck looks sad, anger, ugly, and grimacing. His entire color scheme is different saturations of black. Lightning Man on the other hand is bright, colorful, and generally looks more friendly so to speak. I think this team did a good job in conveying who was who in terms of good and evil.
Mike Mytnick's Blog
Next I looked at Mike Mytnick's blog. His hero and villain were Icarus and Shadow Puppet. Right off the bat, the names give away the hero and villain. Iracus is the well-lit hero who shares an affinity of coloring with Colin's Lightning Man. Shadow Puppet on the other hand is...well...more shadowed. He has a dark black and purple color scheme and overall just looks evil. He just looks like he is full of despair. Icarus however is well-lit and mainly all yellow. Icarus can shoot light I believe, which helps convey his character. Light in general, along with the coloring of yellow, symbolizes "good" and "heavenly" to me. So when looking at these characters I actively decided that Icarus is the good guy. Again, Mike and Amanda did a great job of conveying there characters in the way they intended.
Chris Page's Blog
Lastly, I took a look at Chris Page's characters. His hero and villain are named Spark and Hotspot. When I look at these characters, I can guess which one is good and which one is evil, but I am not entirely sure. I would guess, based on the coloring, that Hotpot is the hero here. He is brighter, and thats about it. The characters look very similar, but Spark is much darker. I believe Spark can shoot lightning, however Hotspot I believe Hotspot can shoot fire. So going off of their superpowers, I'm not sure which one is "good" or "evil". Since I am going with the assumption that Hotspot is the hero, I would suggest giving him a happier expression. The picture of him looks like he is worried, which is uncharacteristic of a hero. But, from overall mood that I got from the pictures, I can say that I actively came to the conclusion Hotspot is the hero. So I suppose the design works if I am right....The drawings are really good though, just a few adjustments I think should be made to really make the hero POP!
Audio Response to The American Life
After listening to some of this episode about superheros, I got to thinking about what ability I would want. Realistically, it would be great to fly, be invisible, be immortal, but those are not actually abilities I would choose. Heres an example of the "superhero" who hold the powers I would want:
You are probably asking yourself why in God's name would I want to be anything related to Mel Gibson...well, let me explain:
You are probably asking yourself why in God's name would I want to be anything related to Mel Gibson...well, let me explain:
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Joke Video Analysis
For this project we had to make two approaches to the same joke. Here are the links to our jokes:
Joke One
AND....dun dun dun
Joke Two
Our first joke video, structurally, contrasted our second. Although the video looks primitive with the hand made props and such; we tried to focus line and shape. Our shots of Adam on the ground playing with the train were specifically designed to have put him amongst horizontal and vertical lines. The pillar behind Adam puts him within a frame. He is directly between two vertical lines. Additionally, the lines from the couch cushions and the lines from the trimming on the wall, all lead to Adam's body. Adam sticks out in shots for two main reasons:
Overall, I'm pleased with the videos. They were more or less nothing like our intended scripts, but it worked.
Joke One
AND....dun dun dun
Joke Two
Our first joke video, structurally, contrasted our second. Although the video looks primitive with the hand made props and such; we tried to focus line and shape. Our shots of Adam on the ground playing with the train were specifically designed to have put him amongst horizontal and vertical lines. The pillar behind Adam puts him within a frame. He is directly between two vertical lines. Additionally, the lines from the couch cushions and the lines from the trimming on the wall, all lead to Adam's body. Adam sticks out in shots for two main reasons:
- First, his clothing is much darker then his surroundings. His black shirt contrasts with the green couch, and again when he is sitting in the stairway (which is supposed to be his room)
- Secondly, Adam is one of the only curved elements in each shot. Everything Adam is surrounded by is essentially made up of squares and rectangles. So throwing in Adam, who is curved and not so right-angled (is that a word?), makes him stand out.
Overall, I'm pleased with the videos. They were more or less nothing like our intended scripts, but it worked.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
How To Be Creative
This video discussion is in regards to an article off ChangeThis.Com. The article is by Hugh MacLeod and is titled "How To Be Creative".
Movie Critique
Opening Scene of "Where the Wilds Things Are"
Directed by Spike Jonze
Cinematography by Lance Acord
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Visual Framing
For blog 5A we were asked to pick one of our favorite images from the soundscape project and reframe it. I chose a Salvador Dali painting which I believe is titled,"Shadow fuq ramel" (according to a google search). As you can see below, I chose to pull the frame in tighter on the woman who appears to be crying and cut out the rock in the background.
ORIGINAL
REFRAMED
I originally was drawn to the image because of its boldness and mystery. Upon first glance you can guess that the woman is crying, but you have no idea why. It's very mysterious. Aesthetically, her shadow immediately pops at you. The shadows visual intensity is stronger than any other element of the picture. It is extremely bold.
When I went to reframe the image, my goal was to discard of the rock/mountains in the background, leaving just the crying woman. By doing this I was planning on focusing the attention on just the woman. Unlike the original piece which directs your eye to the mountains using the shadow. When you analyze this image you immediately notice the shadow, see that it's coming off a woman who appears to be crying, then you can't help but follow the virtual lines of the shadow directly into the mountains. This is why it's mysterious to me. Okay, so she is crying, got it, but why with the rocks and mountains? So my plan was to take that mystery out of the equation. However, I don't think that is exactly what happened. If you notice, the base of the rocks are still in the corner of the reframed picture. This almost makes it more mysterious! Because not only do you not know why she is crying, but now you can't even tell what she is looking at. The little hint in the corner creates tension because frankly it could be anything. You would think that pulling the image from an Extreme Wide Shot to just a Wide Shot would clear up some confusion, but the feeling of mystery remains an affinity.
When it comes to why I think Dali framed the original they way he did, a few answers come to mind. First of all, I believe Dali created with the rule of thirds in mind. If you divide the frame into thirds vertically, there is an important element in each quadrant. On the left is the woman, middle is the shadow, and right is the rocks/mountains. And again if you divide the frame into thirds horizontally. The bottom contains the blackness, middle contains the woman and shadow, and the top holds the horizon and the mountains. The rule of thirds is demonstrated to well to be a mistake. Also, by the use of lines (both actual and virtual) and direction, I believe that Dali wanted the rocks to be just as important as the woman. The woman creates a virtual line by facing the rocks and, as mentioned before, her shadow literally walks your eyes directly to it. The primary direction of the image is aimed at the rocks/mountains.
Overall I did dislike this blog as much as I expected. Once you apply the concepts we learned in class, it becomes obvious that the artist clearly had them in mind. It's interesting to pick up on the intrinsic information as well as the extrinsic.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Music Critique
For this project we had to create two 120-second songs with identical and different elements. I looked at the following students projects for this critique:
Alexa Krivoniak
Emily Levy
Kelly Matousek
The only music project that was posted was Kelly's. Here is my audio critique of hers:
Alexa Krivoniak
Emily Levy
Kelly Matousek
The only music project that was posted was Kelly's. Here is my audio critique of hers:
"Brainwashed"
“Brainwashed” is another article that can be found on ChangeThis.com. The article takes a look at how our generation has been brainwashed into being average. The author, Seth Godin, strongly believes that our society has been built to produce average and compliant individuals. He argues that creativity and uniqueness can make an individual stand out thus making that person more vulnerable to being ostracized. Godin also discusses how we fear letting ourselves shine at times because we are afraid of being laughed at or perceived as being dumber than the rest.
Gobin discusses a handful of layers that people can use to try and reinvent themselves. By reinventing yourself you can possibly break yourself free from this average hegemony we have been forced into.
The first layer that I truly believe exits inside of everybody is what Godin calls “Acknowledging the Lizard.” Basically this a concept that talks about how our brains, that stem from the prehistoric lizard, are all naturally afraid of being laughed at. This fear of being laughed at is often the reason great ideas or creativity is repressed and cut off at the roots. He refers to this shut down as “the resistance”. Godin points out that we need to stand up and understand that “the resistance” will continue to hold us back until we can fight against this fear of being laughed at.
I for one can relate to this concept. I always just thought it was mainly me over thinking things, and some of it is, but I guess I never considered that other people felt the same way. Reading this has given me a small sense of relief to know that the way I feel sometimes is actually pretty common.
The next layer Godin mentions that stands out for me is the Fail layer. This layer refers to the act of failing and using it as a tool to grow and learn. However, like most would be agree, failing can be terrifying and crippling. But Godin says it is mandatory. Again, I love this concept. I like the optimism of looking at failing in a good way and a way to prosper. I suppose that if one never tries because of the fear of failing, then they will never really know if they had something good or not. This goes back to my howl blog about my favorite quote, “The biggest mistake one can make is living in fear of making one.” This layer entirely relates to this quote and how I believe I should run my life. I think I need to make a more conscious effort to live this way and try to suppress my own lizard mind more often.
Overall, I found this article useful because I have a weight off me now. I relieved to read that feeling afraid or apprehensive is completely common across everybody. This article was a breath of fresh air for me.
Gobin discusses a handful of layers that people can use to try and reinvent themselves. By reinventing yourself you can possibly break yourself free from this average hegemony we have been forced into.
The first layer that I truly believe exits inside of everybody is what Godin calls “Acknowledging the Lizard.” Basically this a concept that talks about how our brains, that stem from the prehistoric lizard, are all naturally afraid of being laughed at. This fear of being laughed at is often the reason great ideas or creativity is repressed and cut off at the roots. He refers to this shut down as “the resistance”. Godin points out that we need to stand up and understand that “the resistance” will continue to hold us back until we can fight against this fear of being laughed at.
I for one can relate to this concept. I always just thought it was mainly me over thinking things, and some of it is, but I guess I never considered that other people felt the same way. Reading this has given me a small sense of relief to know that the way I feel sometimes is actually pretty common.
The next layer Godin mentions that stands out for me is the Fail layer. This layer refers to the act of failing and using it as a tool to grow and learn. However, like most would be agree, failing can be terrifying and crippling. But Godin says it is mandatory. Again, I love this concept. I like the optimism of looking at failing in a good way and a way to prosper. I suppose that if one never tries because of the fear of failing, then they will never really know if they had something good or not. This goes back to my howl blog about my favorite quote, “The biggest mistake one can make is living in fear of making one.” This layer entirely relates to this quote and how I believe I should run my life. I think I need to make a more conscious effort to live this way and try to suppress my own lizard mind more often.
Overall, I found this article useful because I have a weight off me now. I relieved to read that feeling afraid or apprehensive is completely common across everybody. This article was a breath of fresh air for me.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Music Project - Fixed
Here is my song for the music project...cheerful, relaxing, overall pretty calm
Friday, January 28, 2011
Soundscape Response
This week I took a look at a few soundscapes from some classmates. Overall I enjoyed them and thought they were done pretty well. The people I looked at were:
Jason Flood
Chris Faust
Jay Deal
My Audio Response:
Jason Flood
Chris Faust
Jay Deal
My Audio Response:
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Postal Service Covered
The song I have chosen for this blog was originally sung by The Postal Service. The song is called "Such Great Heights" and it has always been a favorite of mine. The band that covered this song has recently became more popular and goes by the name Iron & Wine. Honestly, I am not that big of an Iron & Wine, but I do love their version of this tune.
ORIGINAL - THE POSTAL SERVICE
COVER - IRON & WINE
Let me start by saying that I honestly love both versions of "Such Great Heights". But I love them in different ways. There is a vast contrast between the two, but the difference isn't bad. Some may disagree, I understand that my opinion on this is subjective. Aside from the lyrics and pieces of the rhythm, there really isn't much that is too similar about these two songs.
First off, the timbre of both songs are completely different. The tempo of the original is quick and the lyrics are bold and clear. The original version is very energetic and electronic. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the entire song was composed solely on a computer. It really doesn't sound like any real instruments are even in the original. It almost sounds completely synthetic. The original version has a high-pitched beat pulsing in the background the entire time. For me, this gives the song life. It seems like it is alive and active.
The cover of this song is different in many ways. The timbre is more slow and relaxed. The feeling of this song gives you sense of calm, which contrasts with the energy of the original. You could argue that the melodies of the two songs are similar, but I think they are different. The melody of the cover is much more drawn out and drowsy. This is partly because the pitch is so much lower. Also, the entire song is played through slow guitar picking. An affinity between the two versions is their organization. Both songs are organized well. Neither of them sound chaotic or confusing. Both songs have repeating patterns that give the song organizational strength.
The harmony does vary greatly between the two songs. The harmony of the original is full of life and pops at you. As where the second one almost rocks you to sleep. I suppose that might be why I like both versions so much. The Iron & Wine version is a completely different spin on the whole thing. I'm not sure I can pick a favorite because at different times both of them seem to fit perfectly. So I think my favorite is subjective to my life's events at any given time. I listen to the original all the time when I am driving somewhere. Usually on longer drives. Also, it pops up here and there when I am working out or running. And on the flip side, the Iron & Wine version seems to pop up when I am lounging or just doing miscellaneous tasks. Kind of just like a mellow background tune to enjoy. I think each song has it's own time and place.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ways to Get Ideas
I just finished up reading an excellent article called "14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas" by Mitch Ditkoff. The article can be found as a pdf on ChangeThis.com.
The article is pretty much self-explanatory by the title. Ditkoff dives into 14 different ways to get great ideas. However the suggestions Ditkoff gives are not as black and white as "do this" and you will "get this". His suggestions are more abstract. For instance most of the ways to get breakthrough ideas deal with experiencing things out side of your comfort zone, which in turn will spark your creative thinking tank. I agree with this article completely and plan to adapt multiple suggestions into my day to day life. It makes sense, if you live your life in the same format and structure day after day, how are you going to generate new ideas? Most of our thinking is based off life experiences, so if our experiences are the same then odds are our thoughts will be the same as well.
13. Use Creative Thinking Techniques
Number thirteen really hits home for me. The analogy Ditkoff uses for getting this suggestion across is his comparison to people as old cars. Older cars when it's cold out sometimes have trouble starting, but once they get jumper cables they run fine. Same with people and using our creative minds. Sometimes we need a jump start from a foreign sources to spark our creative thinking. I'll admit even though I have trouble admitting it to myself, I do live a very structured life. Which makes sense to why I feel like I am in a creative drought lately. I need to step outside my outside myself and look for that spark. Or atleast hope I run into it somewhere.
5. Fantasize
This suggestion is self-explanatory. Ditkoff advocates to fantasize. To dream of impossible yet fantastic ideas. I think that everyone fantasizes but is often grounded by the reality of them. I think it happens to me too often. Again I'll admit that when I think of something that is remarkable to me I will often push it through my realistic filter and more or less extinguish the flame. However Ditkoff says to do just the opposite. He says it is a good thing to fantasize about seemingly impossible ideas. I think I will try to discontinue that feeling to be realistic about my fantasies. I whole heartedly believe that being too realistic can lead you directly into a dead end.
4. Make New Connections
Making new connections is again a concept I am well aware of, but rarely put into practice. Ditkoff strongly urges that great ideas can often take multiple people and perspectives to come about. Breakthrough ideas or feelings are often not pulled out of thin air, instead they often come from a collaboration of different origins and elements. This suggestion isn't rocket science. Of course great ideas and inspiration come from collaboration. I need to try and utilize this idea more often. Despite being rather extroverted when I am comfortable, I also tend to be extremely introverted when I am not. I need to learn to be myself more often and not get caught up in my own circular thinking.
Think of a current challenge of yours. What would a fantasy solution to this challenge look like?
What clues does this fantasy solution give you?
A current challenge of mine right now is trying to find "my thing". Everyone around me seems to exhibit that they know exactly what they want to do with their career. Realistically, I know not everyone has it set in stone, but I can't help but feel like they do. It's troubling for me at times to try and narrow down what area of mine is calling my name. Part of this feeling is because I am so indecisive sometimes when it comes to myself. I can't help but always ask myself if maybe I am wrong. A fantasy solution to this problem, even though to me this sounds impossible, is to quit searching for it so hard and hope that it finds me. I think a good way to go do is to be open to looking dumb, looking inexperience, and accepting that I'm not going to be an ace at everything I do. It is these feelings that often hold me back. This fantasy solution clues me in that for whatever reason I get myself caught up in the fear of ambiguity. I don't like being indefinite with my actions because I have an increased chances of failing. This is clearly holding me back. The obvious and only way to fix this problem is get out there and basically venture into a void I am unfamiliar with. No matter how hard that may be.
The article is pretty much self-explanatory by the title. Ditkoff dives into 14 different ways to get great ideas. However the suggestions Ditkoff gives are not as black and white as "do this" and you will "get this". His suggestions are more abstract. For instance most of the ways to get breakthrough ideas deal with experiencing things out side of your comfort zone, which in turn will spark your creative thinking tank. I agree with this article completely and plan to adapt multiple suggestions into my day to day life. It makes sense, if you live your life in the same format and structure day after day, how are you going to generate new ideas? Most of our thinking is based off life experiences, so if our experiences are the same then odds are our thoughts will be the same as well.
13. Use Creative Thinking Techniques
Number thirteen really hits home for me. The analogy Ditkoff uses for getting this suggestion across is his comparison to people as old cars. Older cars when it's cold out sometimes have trouble starting, but once they get jumper cables they run fine. Same with people and using our creative minds. Sometimes we need a jump start from a foreign sources to spark our creative thinking. I'll admit even though I have trouble admitting it to myself, I do live a very structured life. Which makes sense to why I feel like I am in a creative drought lately. I need to step outside my outside myself and look for that spark. Or atleast hope I run into it somewhere.
5. Fantasize
This suggestion is self-explanatory. Ditkoff advocates to fantasize. To dream of impossible yet fantastic ideas. I think that everyone fantasizes but is often grounded by the reality of them. I think it happens to me too often. Again I'll admit that when I think of something that is remarkable to me I will often push it through my realistic filter and more or less extinguish the flame. However Ditkoff says to do just the opposite. He says it is a good thing to fantasize about seemingly impossible ideas. I think I will try to discontinue that feeling to be realistic about my fantasies. I whole heartedly believe that being too realistic can lead you directly into a dead end.
4. Make New Connections
Making new connections is again a concept I am well aware of, but rarely put into practice. Ditkoff strongly urges that great ideas can often take multiple people and perspectives to come about. Breakthrough ideas or feelings are often not pulled out of thin air, instead they often come from a collaboration of different origins and elements. This suggestion isn't rocket science. Of course great ideas and inspiration come from collaboration. I need to try and utilize this idea more often. Despite being rather extroverted when I am comfortable, I also tend to be extremely introverted when I am not. I need to learn to be myself more often and not get caught up in my own circular thinking.
Think of a current challenge of yours. What would a fantasy solution to this challenge look like?
What clues does this fantasy solution give you?
A current challenge of mine right now is trying to find "my thing". Everyone around me seems to exhibit that they know exactly what they want to do with their career. Realistically, I know not everyone has it set in stone, but I can't help but feel like they do. It's troubling for me at times to try and narrow down what area of mine is calling my name. Part of this feeling is because I am so indecisive sometimes when it comes to myself. I can't help but always ask myself if maybe I am wrong. A fantasy solution to this problem, even though to me this sounds impossible, is to quit searching for it so hard and hope that it finds me. I think a good way to go do is to be open to looking dumb, looking inexperience, and accepting that I'm not going to be an ace at everything I do. It is these feelings that often hold me back. This fantasy solution clues me in that for whatever reason I get myself caught up in the fear of ambiguity. I don't like being indefinite with my actions because I have an increased chances of failing. This is clearly holding me back. The obvious and only way to fix this problem is get out there and basically venture into a void I am unfamiliar with. No matter how hard that may be.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Finding Your Howl
This is my audio: response to an article titled "Finding Your Howl" by Jonathon Flaum. This article can be found at ChangeThis.com
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Creative Influences
I think it is hard for someone to label the type of creative person they are mainly because in my opinion creativity isn't learned, it's just sort of who we are. I don't exactly know where I would fall in terms of type. I will say that I feel that a lot of my ideas and ways of looking at things seem abstract to others. I have noticed that often times I am the weird one for the ways I look at things. But to me, it seems like the best option or way to go about doing something.
One of the most inspiring people in my life is honestly probably my mother. She is an art teacher and has always been doing art around us going up. My mothers artwork varies in style, but is often focused around things that she loves. She has made numerous paintings of my sister, herself, and even me. I can see where she draws her inspiration at times. Unfortunately I don't have any of her artwork to present, so I will save the space for someone else.
One of the most inspiring people in my life is honestly probably my mother. She is an art teacher and has always been doing art around us going up. My mothers artwork varies in style, but is often focused around things that she loves. She has made numerous paintings of my sister, herself, and even me. I can see where she draws her inspiration at times. Unfortunately I don't have any of her artwork to present, so I will save the space for someone else.
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An artist I can present is a man I learned about last year in my IART class. His name is Andy Goldsworthy. Andy Goldsworthy makes his artwork completely from natural pieces. For instance he will bind icicles together or stack rocks on top of each other in crazy ways.In my opinion, each of Andy's pieces are completely subjective. In his documentary, "Rivers and Tides", Andy describes what his motives were for his creations. But I still think that interpretation of the subtext can be up for debate depending on the viewer.
I love Andy's artwork because it contrasts with a lot of cliche standards that people associate with artwork. He doesn't use paints, brushes, canvases, etc. He just uses the earth. And unlike most other masterpieces, all of his work eventually gets destroyed by mother nature. I admire how he takes a different approach to creating. I think the fact that the work will get destroyed is enough to deter most artists from the get go.
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Another artist I admire is Spike Jonze. I love pretty much anything he gets his hands in on. Spike is consistent for delivering fun and unique material. And all of his stuff has such a different spin on things. He is widely known for his one of kind commercials, such as this one...
And has more recently made a name for himself by directing Where The Wild Things Are.
Spike's work is always full of active and sub-textual information. For instance Where The Wild Things Are was said to be a movie about a child, not a movie for a child. You would think at first sight that this was going to be a children's movie. I really enjoyed how Spike took the original book and adapted it to the big screen in his own way.
Spike's creations tend to inspire me because, much like Goldsworthy, he emphasizes that it is okay to think out side the box and see things differently then what others might see. When I view the work of these artists, I don't feel as boxed in when it comes to ideas. I get the feeling that anything you can come up with can more or less be made a reality with enough effort.
Friday, January 7, 2011
8am
I signed up for the 8am class for multiple reasons. I am a morning person as is and have minimal trouble getting up. However my main purpose was so I could get this class out of the way as early as possible. Also, taking this class this early allows me to squeeze in some hours at work and still get off at a reasonable time. The earlier I can move into the weekend, the better. It's difficult trying to balance out school, work, and play. I have found that the earlier I can get done with school, the easier the rest becomes.
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