creativity
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Camera obscura
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2 min read
Sometimes it’s the written word. Other times, it’s a still photo. If the camera is too revealing, we can communicate via video or sound. Said filmmaker Robert Bresson’s in his 1975 book Notes on the Cinematograph: “A locomotive’s whistle imprints in us a whole railroad station.” Communication is a game of elements. Film is the art of combining…
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A curious rebel
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1 min read
When in doubt, you can always depend on your curiosity. It is the fire starter for all important questions. But inquisitiveness is not the only fuel you need. Sometimes you need an anarchic kick. The best medicine is straight-up rebellion. When conviction fights convention and curiosity whets the mind, the amalgam produces an orderly disorder…
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The revolt of you
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1 min read
In constant revolt, we take on new challenges that others can’t see or are too preoccupied to try. The mother of invention is necessity, with the brave and curious making that tiny start. Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Susan Sontag The endeavor to do…
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The paradox of messiness
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1 min read
The paradox of messiness is that it can also describe someone who’s extremely productive. For instance, your desk may be full of sticky notes, cords, and other office supplies and your computer desktop may be buried in a trail of untitled (and empty) folders. But all this frenzy could be a sign of busyness rather…
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The two essential phases in the creative process
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2 min read
There are two essential phases in the creative process. The spontaneous phase is where ideas sprout, unintentionally and seemingly out of nowhere. Everything interesting goes in the hopper, including the slightest observation, things seen, imagined, overheard, or misheard. Whether it’s a notebook or your phone when you’re gathering string, the medium is less important than…
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Doubting our own self-doubt
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1 min read
The only way to allay doubt is to do. We must face our biggest fears. Perhaps the only thing holding back J.K. Rowling from success was her fear of public speaking — she did it anyway. Public speaking. I agreed to read live at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in the belief that…
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“I was made for the library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people’s interests. The library was open, unending, free.” Ta-Nehisi Coates
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4. Everyone needs a dragon day. In the middle of my burned-out period of the challenge, I started sculpting little dragons out of clay, just for fun. I did this on Sundays, which is my permanent day off from painting (thirty-in-thirty challenge or not, I still wasn’t planning to paint on Sunday). When I was talking…
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Fighting inertia
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1 min read
Stock phrases, a detailed script, a prescription for exactitude. Imagine how boring life would be if you already knew its outcome. It’s the routine that subverts our days into yesterday’s form, responding to emails in our head. Sameness destroys creativity. How can we fight inertia? We take risks, do the unpredictable, anything to keep the…
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Why writers feel like they do nothing
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1 min read
As writers, we may feel like we do nothing. No matter how much daily effort we put into it, writing doesn’t feel like a regular job. Instead, writing feels like a blessing — whether we do it for pay, as a hobby, for therapy, or because we enjoy stitching together words as art. Or all…