Blog Re-Post
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
10 Ways to Increase Creativity
Re-posted from a new blog discovery- Dumblittleman
I'm excited that I'm headed in the right direction. I definitely talk to anyone and everyone, read about all types of subjects, try new things, etc. Now if only I can stick to my creative projects.
- Read Widely and Deeply
Whatever field you’re in, reading can only help. Go to the library and check out some good books – and don’t make all of them ones in your area of expertise. Why not get a novel you’d never normally read, or a book about a topic you have no knowledge on? This can jump-start your brain into working more creatively as you try to assimilate the new information based on what you already know from your own field. - Try New Activities
Another way to get your brain in gear is to try something totally new. Whether it’s salsa dancing, pottery or a medieval reenactment, taking up a new hobby can help shake things up and encourage you to think laterally. For example, you might be inspired to write an article using your new interest as a metaphor for something in your main field of work. - Talk To Strangers
Children are warned about “stranger danger”, but as adults, we shouldn’t be too afraid of talking to new people. We naturally associate with people who are like ourselves – the same income bracket, the same dress sense, the same career or industry – and this can stifle our creativity by making us feel that “everyone’s just the same”. Branch out. Chat to someone you don’t know in the cafeteria. Say “hi” to the person next to you in line at the coffee shop. - Reject Your First Ten Ideas
One great way to generate ideas, if you’re stuck for inspiration, is to sit down with a blank piece of paper (or a blank document on your computer) and list at least twenty ideas. Reject the first ten: they’ll almost always be too “normal” and bland. You have to get through these easy ideas in order to be really creative. If you’re writing a short story for a competition on “murder” for instance, the first ten ideas you have will be the ones that judges see time and time again. - Experiment: Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
We’re often wary of trying new ways of working or new activities because we’re afraid we’ll fail. But there’s no shame in failure – after all, as a baby, you failed countless times at walking, talking and potty training… but you’re an expert in all of those areas now! The path to success often requires trying out a lot of ways which don’t work.
“If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not
discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” –Thomas Edison - Make Connections: Link Two Projects
Do you have a stack of half-finished sketches or half-written short stories languishing in a drawer? One very effective way to reignite your enthusiasm is to combine two different projects. Take a character from one of your short stories and insert him into the plot of a different one. Mix that fantasy dreamscape sketch with the steampunk idea. Take an idea from that zany game you were designing and put it with the brainteaser series that you had planned. - Take An Unusual Perspective
If you’re working on a long-term creative piece, like a blog or a novel, it’s easy to get stale. Try adopting an unusual perspective. You might write a scene in your novel from the point of view of an inanimate object, or through the eyes of a character whose state of mind has been altered by alcohol or drugs. You could try writing a post on your blog from someone else’s perspective. For me, one of the most memorable posts on Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger is “5 Things You Should Know About My Dad the ProBlogger”, purportedly from the viewpoint of his (at the time) one-year-old son:
“You see my Dad reads more than he writes. I think he does this because his writing gets better after reading what others say and because it means he’s
learning more about his topics.” - Do Your Chores
This might sound like odd advice – after all, chores aren’t exactly creative. But physical activities like vacuuming, washing the dishes or scrubbing the floors leave your mind free to wander – and it’s surprising how many ideas can occur to you when you’re not sitting staring at your desk. - Use A Different Medium
If you’re a writer, try drawing for a change. It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw – use stick figures – but this can help jolt you out of your comfort zone, allowing you to approach a problem in a new way. If you’re a painter, try making up a tune and words for a song. If you’re a graphic designer, use modeling clay or create a collage. Don’t limit your creativity to just one medium. - Daydream: Keep Asking “What If…?”
The final, and most important tip for enhancing your creativity, is to daydream. Stare into space. Let your thoughts drift. Think about your project when you’re going to sleep at night – unusual thoughts often crop up in that half-awake, half-asleep state. Don’t try to force or rush creativity; give yourself time to let your ideas simmer away in the back of your mind.
Weekend Recap
I know. Finally. In between watching the second season of Californiacation (thanks J., I'm now obsessed with the show), I had some mini adventures. On Friday, I won the battle that every girl wishes she could win with her boyfriend: we saw "New Moon." Okay. I didn't want to see it that badly and there was no trickery involved- just a desperate need to find a movie not sold out in the Union Square, East Village area. But here's where the experience led to being one we both enjoyed - Heather Graham sat 2 rows behind us with her 3 blond, giggling friends. I think everyone in that theater could have been high. A huge group across the isle laughed at every poignant moment, thus ruining any potential that New Moon could have had. It was better than the first movie- direction, cinematic photography and special effects but nothing can still help the acting skills of Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattison. I implore some finer actors to take them under their wings.
Then on Saturday, I had my portrait painted downtown by the very talented, interesting a lovely artist Kristen Copham. She's attempting to paint impressionistic, 45-minute portraits of one thousand people within 2009. She's nearing her goal and has already amassed a collection of portraits that are vibrant, character-revealing and successful, in my opinion. It was a super cool experience knowing that my image will become part of the art world in some capacity along with my parents and eventually my sister and hopefully my bf.
I had arranged a girls' night at an undecided location downtown for later that evening and had to kill time somewhere inside while I waited to hear if at least one of them could still make it. So I sat in Inoteca, drinking a delicious glass of dry, Italian red wine while attempting to read "The Fountainhead" in the dimly lit, romantic light. The food was fantastic but one of those places that in order to satiate your hunger, you have to eat an appetizer, main course and dolci. Forty-two dollars spent on a date with myself where, as usual, I managed to avoid any awkward silences and UM, stuttering. Slightly buzzed and completely freezing, I took the bus back uptown towards my apartment while successfully convincing my friend to meet me at a wine bar around my corner. Hey, the night was young! An hour later, I sat with my lovely roommate and friend around a bottle of red wine in the cozy wine bar Vino, getting tipsy and recapping our funny adventures. And finally, we ended the night with a trip to Hot and Crusty for some indulgent chocolate chip cookies. All and all, a lovely weekend and I'm still debating what to do today. I've realized over the last few months that despite liking uptown and being near the park, I'm a downtown girl at heart. Hmmm. Perhaps a trip DT is in order for today.
Another Re-Post
Cause I'm too tired to re-cap my fairly awesome evening
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Men = Animals
Favorite quote of last night.
my guy friend: "It's like dangling bacon in front of a bear and expecting not to get mauled. You can't blame the bear."
me: But men are human and not animals. There is a different set of rules and code of society they need to live by."
my guy friend: "No there isn't. Guys are animals and you better be careful not to dangle the bacon."
Re-Post
I'm going through my blog to find material for my novel. I know.. I know. I'm trying to write the great American novel. Well. Maybe not. I once met a guy at a bar (in my youth) who told me that he was trying to write the "Great American Novel." I guess looking back, I can give him credit and realize that's a lofty goal.. but back then, I was horrified and thought it was a very poor attempt to get laid. Anyway, this is one of the many mildly entertaining posts I found.. convo between me and a good friend.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Bloggersation
REDACTED: sup woman
ME: do you read my blog?
REDACTED: Ive read it before. I mean its funny. Im not a real blog fan tho. Just seems the stuff I would REALLY want to know about people, wouldnt be on a blog
ME: hmm, like what? i'm pretty honest on my blog
REDACTED: I dunno. I can't explain it really. I just feel like in general they are just...meh not that you/other lie
ME: but not necessarily too personal, more about my political opinions, religious views. etc. i think it's a pretty accurate depiction of who i am, and goes deeper than if you were to know me casually
REDACTED: are you pitchin' me to read your blog?!?!
ME: i guess it depends on who it is, if someone i had a crush on or wanted to get to know had one, i'd read it, but i really do it for myself. some of it's funny.. and relevant to anyone. like the squirrels having sex, and blog of superbowl party
REDACTED: yeah, those pictures were funny, I'm not accusing your blog of being ass im just saying blogs in general suck, so I dont read blogs
ME: i guess i'm more inclined to read people's now that i write one
REDACTED: If I had a blog... "law school sucks" "got wasted" "law school sucks" "fucking red sox"
ME: you sound so well rounded
REDACTED: I might talk about like...really loud burps, but other than that, meh
ME: I guess you don't have much to say
REDACTED: Im empty. I can make an emo blog
ME: emo blog?
REDACTED: "life sucks" "no one likes me" "look at my died black hair and pierced nose"
like emo kids, u know
ME: I try to have a more positive view on life and perhaps be inspiring
REDACTED: thats so BORING though. no one like happy. SAD sells
ME: boo
REDACTED: like...actually I would prob be less likely to read some emo blog than a happy blog
but whatever. porn trumps all every minute I spend reading a blog is a minute undevoted to porn
ME: Truer words have never been spoken
REDACTED: I can of course have two windows open, blog on one
porn on the other, but, I could have porn on both there is no escaping it.
ME: nice
Merry Christmas!
What you've all been waiting for. Hello Lola. My cutest kitty. Okay, someone get her an agent! And rounding into a close second.. or something like that. Mischief! I think the lobster encounter exhausted him. I know. It's a tough life.
Clever
Speaking of work - due to the nature of my company, we rarely hire photographers for photo shoots. But, I still get a ton of cool promos and always feel guilty that someone made the effort to mail me something when it's unlikely I'll be able to hire them. So, to spread the love, I thought I'd give a shout out to some recent, cool and unique promos. I was inspired by another art producer blogger, Cecelia Marshall. I'm excited that aphotoeditor highlighter her blog. I remember meeting her back in March and she mentioned she wanted to start a blog. Glad she came through with flying colors.
This promo from Chris Crisman was highlighted on Cecelia's blog but I just got the follow up - holiday version today. The cards are absolutely hilarious and had me looking up his website right away. Most importantly, he has solid, quality work to back up the edgy, unique and non traditional promo.
And I also enjoyed receiving this holiday appropriate, practical gift. It's about high time I used my oven for the first time. Thanks Lew!
Slacking
Wow. I've been slacking so much on my blog that for the first time ever, I had to log in. Hmm. Well. This weekend was the weekend to end all weekends. I kid. But I suppose it was fairly eventful. On Thursday, Thanksgiving dinner consisted of lobster and champagne. That's right folks. That's how we roll up in Schmersey. Hollar. Aight. My sister couldn't make it home for Turkey Day so we decided to forgo the labor intensive Turkey for an equally as indulgent and delicious fair. While home, I managed to fit in about 6 episodes of Mad Men 3rd season where I lost all faith in MAN kind. Or at least began to appreciate the less "authentic," less boozy and lucrative but way more politically correct, and female friendly advertising world of today. And on Saturday... wait for it. I had my 10 year high school reunion. That's right folks. I'm alive and have lived to tell about it. Actually, there's not much to tell. The four hours of open bar and small talk went by mighty fast and thanks to Facebook, there weren't any major surprises. I brought my beau which was a smart move. Not only did he get along with my peeps but having him there helped me avoid repeating my stats a million times. I still haven't figured out how to explain what I do in one sentence. I took off from work on Monday and Tuesday to use up my vacation time- i.e. I had a "staycation." I know what you're thinking. How very 2009- recession economy of me. I take comfort in knowing that after only 8 hours of work this week, I'm already over the hump. Victory! Speaking of work...
Almost Schmersey Bound
I can proudly say that I woke up at 5:45 am today and hauled my tired ass to the 6:30am Core Fusion Class on Madison between 76th and 77th, over a mile from my apartment! The walk in the pre-dawn light is always an interesting experience and seems to encompasses what it means to live in New York. I walk past multiple garages near my street, all servicing those who work at the hospital close by. Past the more middle class, residential neighborhood that I live in. Past the delis and shops that start opening at 6am. Then I round onto Madison, past a large church where numerous homeless find safety and shelter outside the church doors. And finally I reach the last leg of my journey, up Madison Avenue, walking by the Ralph Lauren flagship whose windows are decorated with the ideal of the American dream. Then past one fancy, expensive boutique after another. And finally into the revolving doors of 980 Madison Avenue where two Richard Prince photographs hang in the marble lobby. In class, I'm surrounded by Type A, too-thin, sinewy women and I wonder if they were ballerinas in former lives.
An hour and a half later, I'm in my office downtown by Union Square, surrounded by an entirely different group of people. Artistic Brooklynites, Long Island, creative suburbanites, and even the tattooed biker. Good morning New York.
New York, New York a Wonderful Town..
Check out this article from Gawker. It links to a Brit's piece about why New York has lost it's edge and an awesome New Yorker's response. I love New York.
There's a Time and Place for Pole Dancing
This is not one of them...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkKaMk7s1rA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=425&h=344]
I LOVE NEW YORK
Sunday afternoon after a day walking through the Met, (seeing Tim Gunn), walking through Central Park, and of course.. right before heading to the shake shack. Life is good. Just got a new Canon Powershot s90 so the next time I take a picture at sunset, it will be less grainy. So excited.. Now all I need is a raise to pay for all this stuff. Hmmmm.
First Home Made Meal... with the boy
This is sooo belated but my mother is getting blog withdrawal so I figured I'd post this. I'm chilling at my parent's watching True Blood!! So exciting to watch an actual TV instead of my computer.
In other news, I found a dress for my 10 year high school reunion. I had a few dresses in mind until my friend on the reunion committee told me it was comfortable casual. What the hell does that mean? So I got something in a more "casual" jersey fabric from Urban Outfitters except that it feels pretty short and sometimes I think my butt is hanging out. C'est la vie. I'm excited. It will be fun. Haven't gotten my dance on in a while.
There's a Time and Place for Pole Dancing
This is not one of them...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkKaMk7s1rA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=425&h=344]
Happy Monday!
Wow, I've been slacking on the blog. Updates soon. By the way, wasn't the weather amazing yesterday? How much do I love Fall in the East Coast.
Weekend Update
This weekend was much less action packed than last but still fun. On Friday, I had wine in the East Village and then went out to dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant. I've come to realize how many restaurants I missed out on while living there. Most the good, quieter, more romantic spots are further East, near Tompkin Square Park. I'm still a downtown girl at heart.
Saturday, my sister and I had an unlikely connection while living in two different parts of the country. We both ate it while bike riding. According to her, she flew over the handle bars and hit her head while biking the empty streets of Minnesota. Fortunately she's okay and there's no brain damage (that we know of) but she has a few scratches and bruises. My glorious fall came at the end of a successful, first time bike ride with my friend Eric through Central Park. During our two loop ride, I managed to gracefully show off, riding sans hands while standing, much to Eric's annoyance. It wasn't until we were 3 blocks from his apartment, that my laces got stuck on the foot cage and I promptly fell over.
In between drinking wine, eating pasta and walking between 66th and E90th (about 6 times), I also saw two movies - oddly enough both set in 1987 but they couldn't have been more different. Adventureland took place at an amusement park about a virgin and his innocent love for the more experienced, Em. It was pretty decent by my annoyance at Kristen Stewart's acting skills sort of tainted the viewing experience. And I saw Precious at the DGA theater, a profound story about perseverance and overcoming one's devastating hardships through a strong spirit. It was incredibly moving and included some Oscar worthy performances by some unlikely actors.
And on a brighter note, I discovered a new iPod game called Unblock Me. It's excessively addicting and after playing it all weekend, I tried to read some of Anna Karina. Except instead of being able to focus on the story, I saw the words on the page sliding from side to side...
Happy Monday!
Favorite East Village Halloween Shots
I had one of the best weekends I've had in a long while. After recovering from a fun Friday night party, and before getting ready for Halloween, I walked around the East Village with my camera. Here are some of my favorite shots. What are yours?
