How to Cultivate Creativity – 7 Tips for Learning in 24 Hours
It might not seem like creativity takes courage.
After all, your life isn’t in danger when it comes to creativity (at least for some of us). And for most of us, getting creative is an enjoyable activity.
However, to share your creativity to the world and put yourself out there takes tremendous courage. It take somebody who has dedication, determination, and most importantly, bravery.
But how do you remain courageous amidst all of the doubts, fears, and naysayers that jump out at every corner? How do you hold onto your faith when the expectations seem hopeless? And how do you keep marching on with your head up high?
There’s many different ways to deal with fear that I’m sure you’ll find on your own pathway to creativity. In the meanwhile here’s some of my own that I’ve learned along my own journey.
1. You’ll never be a true master: While you can be a master at whatever you do eventually, you’ll never have true mastery over something. Which isn’t to sound depressing but rather, uplifting. Because you no longer have to worry and wait until you know how to do everything perfectly. And besides, I think the journey is much more fun when there’s always something new to learn.
2. Stay cool, stay classy: I think this is one of the most important rules and one that I have fortunately followed most of the time. No matter what the critics, haters, and criticizers say, remain calm and collective. If you feel angry or depressed about it, feel that way in your own privacy. But whatever you do, don’t explode out in the public. It can only create more drama. By having class and character, it gains you respect in the end, regardless of what the other said. [Note: You can argue back if you need to. Just make sure that your rebuttal is calm, collected, and cool.
3. You’ve got nowhere to go but up: One of my writing heroes is Stephen J. Cannell. Not because he was born a genius. But rather, he grew up with the notion that he was talentless and not a genius due to his dyslexia. But you know what? It made him a writer. Because he realized that if he was the “worst” writer, then he had nowhere to go but up. And that’s what you have to realize too. That no matter where you currently are at, you have nowhere to go but further on up.
4. Take it with a grain of salt: Don’t let it get to your head, good or bad. If someone gives you a bad review, laugh about it. If someone praises you, nod your head and leave it at that. Because not taking yourself too seriously will keep you from being arrogant and it will also keep you from having a self-depreciating attitude.
5. Love the future, don’t hate it: The future can be a scary place. It’s an area of great expectations but also of great uncertainty. But not knowing what’s in store makes it exciting. Because who knows, perhaps you’ll stumble upon something far beyond your wildest goals. I’m not sure if I’ll achieve my goal to be an author who can make a living at it. But the journey so far has brought me plenty of wonderful surprises and lessons. And I’d rather be open to whatever comes next, then be bitter over not knowing if I’ll achieve my goals or not.
6. The worst that can happen, isn’t the worst that can happen: Imagine the worst that can come out of creativity. Everyone thinks your book is unreadable, your art is an eyesore, or you can’t play a decent chord. You stand there in front of everyone as they laugh and throw tomatoes at you. Now is that bad? Of course it is. You might live like a depressed hermit for a while. But is that the worst that can happen? Are you lying in a hospital bed or jail? No. Don’t get me wrong. If you don’t feel ready yet, practice your craft. But otherwise, try to remember that the worst that could happen isn’t really the absolute worst.
7: You’re never the worst: Just like taking everything with a grain of salt, it’s also important to remember that while you might not be the best at what you do, you’re probably not the worst either. If you have passion and you’re practicing at it, trust me, there’s someone far worse at it than you are.
Rising above your creative fears is not always an easy thing to do. As I prepare to release my own novel Drift on December 10th, it feels like I’m going to need more courage than I ever had before. But you know what? You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. All you need, is just a little courage.
Andrew Cyrus Hudson is a writer as well as a reviewer for ComicAttack.net . Originally from the San Bernardino Mountains in CA, Andrew Hudson now resides in the San Fernando Valley and is planning to move to wherever life takes him next. Along with working hard on getting the word out for Drift (coming out on December 10th, 2011), a mainstream fiction novel mixed in with some elements of horror and even mystery; he’s also writing Strange Happenings, a science-fiction anthology coming out Summer of 2011 and revising Poem for the Wolves, an epic science-fiction novel about relationships, poetry…and explosions.
http://andrewcyrushudson.com
http://andrewcyrushudson.com/drift/
http://comicattack.net/category/journalists/hudson/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=577943880
http://twitter.com/hudsonian
How You Can Stay Positive & Overcome Adversity: Motivational Jeet Kune Do
Have you been in a situation lately that has challenged you to the brink of abandonment? It happens to the best of us and most people who are successful will have to face some form of adversity throughout their life. I have been in precarious situations in my life and no matter what the predicament is I can tell you that there is always a way out.
The philosophy of Jeet Kune Do states that “not being restricted by style, and yet disciplined by one, not being a slave to form (a given technique), but nevertheless making it perfect and knowing the right moment when to use it, all the while always adapting to the changing situation.” You have to adapt & change like “the nature of water.” If you apply this to the adversity that you are facing currently then you will see that you can simply change your way of thinking to adapt to the environment that you are in.
Lee warned, that pre-set routines, over-analysis, over-technicalizing, all these things, made martial arts not only inefective, but dangerous in an actual fight. See you read, and read, listen and listen, to old rhetoric, and restrict yourself to a given form, a given technique, at the moment of truth you work under those restrictions, and as Lee warned “the mind isn’t free.” Restricted by a way of thinking, a pattern, an inability to adapt, on the street it may not just lead to injury it could even get you killed. The only way to combat this is to free your mind of any negative thoughts.
Approach those who are giving you negative feedback and attack it with a postive notion. Solicit their input and make suggestions. Reach out to mentors by essentially giving back. It’s not about the medium it’s about you as a person. When you stop worrying about what people think and start to adapt to a particular style that works in your favor then people will begin to acknowledge you.
Jeet Kune Do isn’t a style, its a way of thinking; it is the entire reasoning behind Lee’s approach. You must always remember that there is no spoon. Spoon Boy: “Do not try and bend the spoon—that’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth.”
Neo: “What truth?”
Spoon Boy: “There is no spoon.”
—The Matrix
When Neo visits the Oracle in The Matrix, he sees a young boy in the Oracle’s living room who is bending a spoon in mid-air. The boy, dressed as a Buddhist monk, bends the spoon just by looking at it. When Neo approaches him to learn the secret, the boy tells him that in order to bend the spoon, Neo must bend only his mind. In the Matrix, the spoon doesn’t exist—it’s just a code or a program that tells Neo’s brain that he’s looking at a spoon. Neo’s mind, on the other hand, does exist. What he sees before him is not a spoon, but rather an idea his brain has created of a spoon—his own perception. He can change reality by changing his perception.
Neo remembers this exchange as he becomes more confident in his ability to break the rules of the Matrix. All he has to do is remember that the rules he breaks aren’t actual rules. Just as there is no spoon, there is no gravity, there is no time—all these things are lies the machines tell his brain. Neo can fly, for example, because he can see gravity is a false construct. Once Neo understands that “there is no spoon,” then he realizes that he can do the impossible. Finally, you should only use these tips as a guideline. True inspiration can only be acheived by you. You have to find a way to combat negativity on your own. It will be different for each individual. Find what works for you and then discard what doesn’t.
Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. – Bruce Lee
How To Escape Your Dead End Job & Do What You Love
Lately, I have been reading a lot of content on The Four Hour Workweek blog. You can choose to criticize or appraise Tim Ferris. That is not what I intend to discuss. I believe that we are put on this earth for a purpose. If you are religious then you believe in fate. Now, I don’t believe in fate because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my own life.
It is my conviction that we each control our own destiny. On my facebook profile you can see that I am a very creative individual & I post a lot of inspirational photos that inspire me. I was on the Abduzeedo blog looking at Typography Mania and I came across this picture in reference to the passing of Steve Jobs.
This particular quote made me think of a line that I heard in a track by Y Society entitled “This Advice” Insight opens up on the beautiful production by Damu and says, “What are we here for?/ There must be more than grades or scores/ Obeying laws, staying employed, confrontational wars/ Some are sacred and pure who remain poor/ Where’s the golden doors?/ Some feel they’re open ’cause they slowing our shore/ When hope was the cure many ignored through the Betty floors/ Steady jobs, lost marriage, divorce, grownups immature/ The core of the problem is a mystery / Decisions affect history/ Persistence leads to victory/ Some wish to injury/ These kids we don’t relate to – but what does it mean?/ Hip-Hop connects us yet it’s strange / That respects change/ Ask ‘em what they want to be when they grow up / Who molds them? ‘It’s outta control’/ Is what they say to themselves when they get old/”
I meet lot of people who all vary in opinion. I don’t think that working more or working on behalf of others is altruistic. I do believe that we live the most fulfilling moments of our lives inspiring others and doing what we love to do. At the moment, I have no place to go. I don’t have anything except for my creativity. Is it because I refuse to work to acquire wealth for someone else? No, of course not. I am a graphic designer. I will always utilize my creativity towards my advantage. Everything begins with choice. I choose not to love my craft and to spend as much time as necessary doing what I love to do & vicariously inspiring others. When no one wanted to give me an opportunity I chose to create an opportunity for myself. I may not be where I plan to be ideally, albeit, I know that time will come. I’m on the pursuit of happyness.
One of the most inspiring stories that I have is the story of Chris Gardner, Entrepreneur & CEO who describes his story in “The Pursuit Of Happyness.” This is a true testimonial to those who don’t believe. If you are dedicated and you work towards your ideals no matter what anyone else says and if you have belief then you will succeed. I’m asking you to believe. Not only in my conviction to bring about metamorphosis. I’m asking you to believe in yours. The will is everything. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage. Here are some tips on how you can improve your productivity and be on your way to living a fulfilling lifestyle
Bolster Your Creative Output By Activating Your Red Zone
A Manifesto For Free Raducals Less Paperwork Less Waiting More Action
Ending Business As Usual 10 Insights On Rethinking Work
Are Designers The New Catalysts Of American Entrepreneurialism?
With the recent changes in a stagnant economy are designers the new catalysts of American Entrepreneurialism? According to Bruce Nussbaum Designers are merging their ways of thinking with startup culture. The result, writes Bruce Nussbaum, is greater innovation and astounding VC success rates.
If any of you are familiar with basic economics then you know that wealth is created by production not consumption. Wealth has to be created. “The people who create wealth are the farmers who grow the wheat for the dough and tomatoes for the paste; those who harvest the milk for the cheese; the food processors who turn raw commodities into pizza ingredients; the entrepreneur who comes up with idea to sell pizza; the bank that decides to invest capital in a pizza store; and the delivery guy who brings the pizza to your door. Each of those actors creates wealth. Consumers then destroy the wealth that was created (in this case by eating the pizza).” – brian Stow In order to grow America needs a catalyst of startups.
Designers are emerging steadfast and more companies are being created now than ever. The advancing desire among designers to bring their user focus, specific expertise, and propositional thinking to the ancient techniques of startups promises to be a welcomed metamorphosis.</p><p> This is especially the case with IDEO. A design & consulting firm in CA who take a psychological personal approach to design. “The emerging trend represents a headlong crash of creativity into capitalism.” Today’s most innovative start-ups are successful because they’ve learned to think differently & creative. More and more agencies are turning to user experience designers as they want to engage their audience in a more creative way.
Uncertainty and ambiguity are directly linked to the part of our brains where fear and anxiety are active. This makes the creative process difficult and taking risks towards innovative ends frightening. Creatives need to become entrepreneurs to inspire greatness in others. “All the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world, whether it is Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright Brothers, they all think, act, and communicate in the same way and it is the complete opposite to everyone else…” Simon Sinek explains his theory on how great leaders inspire action. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action The encouraging news is that we are seeing an emergence to capture the imagination and energy of a new generation of young designers & creators. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage!
For further reading: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665120/designers-are-the-new-drivers-of-american-entrepreneurialism
http://capitalismtoday.blog.wku.edu/2010/03/15/production-not-consumption-creates-wealth/
Free Wallpaper of the Month Rich Uncle Pennybags
For my monthly freebie I decided to do something different. I was listening to Enter The 36 Chambers and I suddenly felt inspired. With all the tumultuous talk of the economy and the U.S. being in such a massive debt I thought it would be unique to touch on the topic utilizing my creativity. I thought of the acronym C.R.E.A.M & then it hit me. Here I present to you Rich Uncle Pennybags (the Monopoly mascot) re-imagined. Enjoy!
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Feel Free To Download Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MPCHGI7Q | http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4WGB2FB9 | http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WS2VRYL0
What do you fear most? How to define your future
As a designer it can get lonely at times. I have a lot of time to reflect upon myself. I believe that working towards your ideals will provide eternal bliss. I’m not perfect, nor do I strive to be. I have to deal with some form of rejection almost every other day, however, I consider myself fortunate to be able to do the things I do. I wouldn’t give up my talent for anything. It is my gift to share with the world. I subscribe to over 1,000 feeds in my Google reader and every now & then I come across something so inspiring that is worth sharing. It makes me ponder. What do you fear most? Why haven’t you already accomplished your dreams? Men fear most what they cannot see. It is my conviction that everything begins with choice. This depends entirely on your perspective. There are some who think that choice is an illusion. Let me clarify. I like to entertain the possibility that just because we are not yet aware of a decision we have made, that does not mean that it is purely the result of a physical/deterministic chain of events. I’ll explain with a hypothetical situation: Imagine that you ask a couple of children to pick one ball out of a bag full of multi-colored balls. Alice picks a green ball, and Mitch picks a blue ball. As you witness these choices, you would think that free will determined the outcome. But if you move time in the opposite direction, rewinding through these choices, it would appear that Alice and Mitch were fated to choose green and blue balls. As you move time forward and backward, it seems that there is only one possible way the balls could have been chosen by Mitch and Alice. If you could Quantum leap or time travel you would see that these decisions had not yet been made and were the direct result of a determined outcome. This, however, is not true; if we do have an immaterial self that controls us and has free will, it’s entirely possible that we are not fully aware of everything it is doing, and that our brains may be slaves to its actions, and not the other way around. When you make a decision your mind weighs options. The only thing that stands in your inability to accomplish your ideals is you. What you really fear is inside yourself your ability to do either great or terrible things. Stop thinking you have to exist living in your current situation. You have the sight. Imagine you are looking at the world without time. Where do you see yourself in 5 – 10 years? You can have it all. Really! Follow your heart. Listen to it carefully, don’t
be inhibited by what others have… to say. There is a way. “You must be
imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because …of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true – anyone can cook… but only the fearless can be great. ” – Gusteau
Free calendar for August 2011
I have been very busy and I have not had the time to update my blog, but now I have some time so I am taking this opportunity to give back. I am making a free calendar for August for all the Leos that are celebrating their birthday. The wallpaper will also be available in all sizes according to your desktop or laptop. Thank you for all of your support. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage!
Nary Manivong Documentary ‘Dressed’: Homeless to Hero
The odds were against Nary Manivong. His parents abandoned him and his three siblings when he was just 14 years old, and he found himself homeless on the streets of Columbus, Ohio fending for himself.
“The first place I slept was at a donut place,” he said.
One day he came across a copy of Vogue magazine and knew instantly he wanted to be a clothing designer. Making pieces out of scraps, he cobbled together his first show at 17 in Ohio but knew he had to get to NYC to make his dreams come true.
After several trips to New York, he secured a backer and debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2005 to much praise. He seemed well on his way to success until his investors pulled the plug, and he was once again left homeless and destitute. )WWD reports that Manivong is back and showing his latest collection — a collaboration with Ally Hilfiger — at the upcoming New York Fashion Week).
The Documentary, “DRESSED” is a compelling story of a young clothing designer, Nary Manivong, who defied the odds of a broken childhood and homelessness to reach his ultimate dream, a show of his collection at New York Fashion Week.
A truly inspiring story that unfolds against the backdrop of the fashion industry in New York.
Woven within his story are accounts and commentary from leading fashion industry experts, students and designers who relate their own perspectives about what it takes to make it in the highly competitive world of fashion.
“Dressed” is a documentary that traces the steps of designer Nary Manivong through exactly this process. The kicker, though, is that Manivong was abandoned by his parents when he was 14 and was forced, with his brothers and sister, to fend for himself while growing up homeless on the wrong side of the tracks in Columbus, Ohio.
The film follows Manivong as he struggles to pull together his first Fashion Week presentation by working two jobs and relying on the generosity of his network of friends.
“Dressed” also examines the struggles young designers in general go through and features interviews with such fashion types as Paper magazine’s Mickey Boardman, Simon Collins from Parsons the New School for Design, Barneys New York’s Simon Doonan, fashion consultant George Furlan, “The Fashion Designer Survival Guide” author Mary Gehlar, designer Nanette Lepore, consultant Fern Mallis, Robert Verdi and more.
At a screening of the film at New York’s Soho House hosted by Tommy Hilfiger (his daughter Ally is starting a contemporary fashion business with Manivong called Nahm), Manivong admitted the process of making the film was challenging. “This shows that you can be a self-taught designer and succeed,” Tommy Hilfiger, also self-taught, mused to StyleList. Dressed directed and produced by David Swajeski and executive produced by Maryanne Grisz, was released Feb. 4 in New York City, Feb. 18 in Philadelphia, and Feb. 25 in Columbus, Ohio. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. “Creativity Takes Courage.”
Fore more additional info. http://www.dressed-themovie.com/
How To Get a Design Job Using Tinned Meat!
I was searching for successful marketing campaigns online to get inspiration for what I wanted to do to reinvent myself. I came across this ingenious article by Andrew Kelsall discussing how he came up with his marketing campaign to garner attention using SPAM. In today’s society, it is my conviction that in order to survive you have to get creative. Regardless of you work 9-5 or you are seeking employment it is vital to utilize your imagination. You must adapt to change. Hopefully, this article will inspire you as it did me . . .
This article is dedicated to the Blog Action Day Poverty Fund as part of the Jacob Cass Group Writing Project, together with a PayPal donation. The proceeds go directly to the fund to help stamp out World-wide Poverty. You can visit the official Blog Action Day site here.
Now, for the article…
Image copyright here
A few years ago, when I left the Coventry University School of Art and Design, England, I landed a freelancing contract just a few days after returning home. How? I quite literally spammed some design companies!
STAGE 1: POSTING TINS WITH NO EXPLANATION
The first stage of this marketing campaign was very simple. I posted out empty tins/cans of SPAM meat in the post. After eating the SPAM (it tastes OK on a sandwich — there’s millions of staving people out there, I wasn’t going to waste it), I targeted a few design companies that I would like to work for and stuck a stamp directly onto the cans with their addresses and posted them. Yes, that was it. Just an address with no explanation on the tins.
I repeated this process over several days, until each company I targeted received about 5 tins through the post. Here in the UK, if you post something with a stamp on it, and it’s not hazardous, the ‘posty’ has to deliver it, so the SPAM got through okay.
My hope was for staff at the targeted design companies to ponder the meaning of the SPAM tins. I hoped it would create discussion between team members, with bemusement with each and every can posted to them. I anticipated reactions like this:
What the heck is this? Another tin of SPAM…this is the third one this week! What’s it all about?
Hay you guys, does anyone know who posting this SPAM? If someones playing a joke on me, which one of you is it?
Well, I found out later than I did promote discussions like this…read on…
STAGE 2: POSTING A SPAM-BRANDED FOLDER WITH MY CV
After I had finished posting of the SPAM cans, I waited a day or two, then sent out a folder showing a tin of SPAM on the cover stating “You’ve Been Spammed” (shown in the image below).
The folder was about A5 in size and opened up like a four-page brochure.
When opened, my covering letter and CV (printed on A4 paper) were folded in half and tucked inside the mock-up SPAM can, as shown in the three images below.
This folder was designed to put to rest all discussions and curiosities surrounding my “Spamming Campaign”. My covering letter contained this text:
Title in Spam-Shaped box at top simply said: What?
Dear Sir/Maddam
I am a recent graduate from the Coventry University School of Art and Design seeking employment. As a former student, I’m hard-up and living off SPAM — so your Post-Box has been Spammed rather than your In-box to let you know who I am!
Ok, I’m not really living off SPAM, but I am looking for a job in a company such as yours in this region. I believe that I could be a benefit to you and your clients…[and so on].
STAGE 3: THE JOB OFFER
Well, those curious reactions I was banking on to land me a job was a reality. I was invited to do various free-lancing work at Wobble Design Ltd in Leeds, UK. When I went to work there on the first day, the design team told me the reason I got the job was for my ingenious marketing campaign. They said they were curious to the reasons they was receiving my little empty cans of tin meat, and it promoted many discussions between them and the architecture firm next door!
So, if you’re wanting to stand out from the crowd, be different and do something unusual. If you want a Graphic Design or any other job, just be creative, be different and set yourself apart from the crowd. You never know where it will lead you.
But if you’re fed-up with hearing about SPAM, heres a lovely photo for you instead. Enjoy!
Image copyright here
Have you marketed yourself in an outreagous manner? If so, did it get you anywhere? I’d like to hear your stories…
25 Superb WordPress Themes
The themes from ThemeForest posted this week are, as the previous set, classy and well cropped. The simple but fancy line is still present, with quaint variations from now on, or designated attributes which outline the line of focus: either a corporate, personal, elaborate or a minimal design; all of them fitted approaches for blog or web pages themes which are desired to be easy to maneuver as well as to admire by visitors. Pages load easily and are pleasant to the eye without exposing it to an exaggerated amount of visual stimulus.
Moreover, the theme presented speaks not only for the user, but also for the designer, as an appanage or symbol of its personal brand. Here after, a series of such themes have been selected, starting from the smooth and elegant views drawn in pastel or just “simply” minimal to the more laborious or a bit extravagant ones.
Enjoy the collection and feel free to use any inspirational ideas you might encounter, either as a support to your own vision, either as a ready for usage material.
Tesigner2 – Beautiful HTML – Download
Breeze – Professional Corporate and Portfolio WP – Download
Optimus Theme – Download
Design Lovers – Download
Corporate Works – Download
Duotive ONE General Purpose WordPress – Download
Innovative Shop – Download
Pang – Business, Portfolio and Corporate Template – Download
Quad Template NewsBlog and Product Catalogue – Download
Rockfolio One Page Portfolio Template – Download
Sliding Content jQuery Portfolio (5pg) – Download
Watecolor WordPress – Download
Zeguma Professional – Advanced Theme – Download
Simplicius Simplicissimus Universal WP3 – Download
Enfolio – Premium One Page HTML – Download
Orange Theme – Download
Cars Dealer WP3 Edition – Download
Toronto – HTML-CSS – Download
Softshell – Unlimited colors. Great video support – Download
PixelCreative – Clean Corporate Template – Download
Melani Sub Rosa – Download
Loopback – 9 in 1 – Portfolio-Business Template – Download
Olive Business & Portfolio WP CMS Theme 15 – 1 – Download
OPAtheme – Download
Retro Mail – Download
