THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…

USING YOUR BRAIN WISELY…

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“

”

ART BEGINS WITH RESISTANCE - AT THE POINT WHERE RESISTANCE IS

OVERCOME. NO HUMAN MASTERPIECE HAS EVER BEEN CREATED WITHOUT

GREAT LABOR.

-ANDRE GIDE

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ELIMINATE NEGATIVE INPUT WHEN YOU CANNICOTINE, CAFFEINE, STRESS, OVERUSE OF PRESCRIPTIONS, ANGER, ALCOHOL ETC.

FUN IS GOOD FOR YOU…

• JUST BE CAREFUL WITH EXCESS

• THINK OF REPERCUSSIONS OF YOUR ACTIONS

• WHAT SEEMS IMPORTANT NOW? MAY NOT BE TOMORROW

• MODERATION OF CONSUMPTION, EXCESSIVE IN EXPRESSION AND PASSION

• PUT YOUR WELL BEING IN THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR DAY

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BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND

AND BE COMPASSIONATE TO YOURSELF

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“

”

ART IS NOT WHAT YOU SEE, BUT WHAT YOU MAKE OTHERS SEE.

-EDGAR DEGAS

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AN ARTIST SHOULD…• BE OPEN TO ALL EXPERIENCES AND LEARNING

• HELP TO MAKE SENSE OF A CHAOTIC WORLD

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“

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CREATIVITY IS ALLOWING YOURSELF TO MAKE MISTAKES. ART IS KNOWING

WHICH ONES TO KEEP.

-SCOTT ADAMS

YOU CANNOT CHANGE HOW PEOPLE ACT, ONLY HOW YOU REACT

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LYING TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS…

BLINDS YOU TO TRUTH AND HINDERS YOUR ABILITY TO TELL IT

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“

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THE ARTIST WHO AIMS AT PERFECTION IN EVERYTHING ACHIEVES IT IN

NOTHING.

-EUGENE DELACROIX

COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING

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SET UP TIME LIMITS FOR PLAY AND WORK

BALANCE IS CRUCIAL

DON’T LET ONE THING TAKE OVER TO THE DETRIMENT OF ALL OTHERS

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KNOW THAT..

IF YOU ARE DEPRESSED?

YOU ARE LIVING IN THE PAST

YOUR DEPRESSION STEMS FROM REGRETS, PAST

TREATMENTS-PERHAPS ABUSES

YOU FIND YOURSELF THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO YOU

AND THAT GUIDES YOUR THOUGHTS

IF YOU ARE ANXIOUS?

YOU ARE LIVING IN THE FUTURE

YOU CANNOT KNOW YOUR FUTURE BUT YOU ARE AFRAID

OR WORRIED ABOUT IT

YOU MAY OFTEN THINK OF WORST CASE SCENARIOS

THAT NEVER ACTUALLY OCCUR

SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY

TRY TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT

YOU CANNOT CHANGE WHAT HAS BEEN

YOU CANNOT KNOW WHAT WILL BE

YOU CAN HEAL YOUR PAST AND MOVE ON

YOU CAN PREPARE FOR YOUR FUTURE BY LEARNING NOW

“

”

IF YOU HEAR A VOICE WITHIN YOU SAY 'YOU CANNOT PAINT,' THEN BY ALL

MEANS PAINT, AND THAT VOICE WILL BE SILENCED.

-VINCENT VAN GOGH

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“

”

I WAS BORN WITH MUSIC INSIDE ME. MUSIC WAS ONE OF MY PARTS. LIKE MY RIBS, MY

KIDNEYS, MY LIVER, MY HEART. LIKE MY BLOOD. IT WAS A FORCE ALREADY WITHIN

ME WHEN I ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. IT WAS A NECESSITY FOR ME - LIKE FOOD OR

WATER.

-RAY CHARLES

“

”

10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KICK START YOUR CREATIVE BENT

“

”1. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION

QUICKLY, WITHOUT OVERTHINKING IT, WRITE 10 VARIATIONS OF THE SAME QUESTION…

FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE CLASSIC QUESTION "HOW CAN I BUILD A BETTER MOUSETRAP," YOU MIGHT ASK QUESTIONS SUCH AS "HOW DO I GET THE MICE OUT OF MY HOUSE?" AND "WHAT

DOES A MOUSE WANT?" OR "HOW CAN I MAKE MY BACKYARD MORE ATTRACTIVE TO A MOUSE THAN MY HOUSE?" ONE OF YOUR NEW QUESTIONS WILL LIKELY BE A BETTER ONE

THAN YOUR ORIGINAL.

“

”2. BECOME AN EXPERT

AND GET A MENTOR. NEARLY ALL NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS HAVE THEM.

THE SECRET TO EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS DOESN'T LIE IN NATURAL ABILITY, BUT IN DELIBERATE PRACTICE. IN FACT, RESEARCH SUGGEST THAT BEING WORLD CLASS AT

ANYTHING REQUIRES 10,000 HOURS OF PRACTICE. IT'S NOT JUST DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, HOWEVER. IT SHOULD INVOLVE PUSHING YOURSELF TO

MASTER TASKS JUST SLIGHTLY BEYOND YOUR CAPABILITIES.

“

”

“

”3. BE OPEN AND AWARE

CREATIVITY REQUIRES THE ABILITY TO SEE THINGS FROM MANY PERSPECTIVES

CREATIVE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. YOU CAN DO THIS BY BECOMING MORE AWARE AND PRACTICING MINDFULNESS, WHICH INVOLVES

INTENTIONALLY NOTICING THINGS AND NOT PEGGING PEOPLE YOU MEET BASED ON YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR THE CATEGORIES YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED IN YOUR MINDS. INSTEAD, TRY TO

BE OPEN AND CURIOUS AND RESIST STEREOTYPING PEOPLE.

“

”4. PLAY AND PRETEND

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK: KIDS ARE CREATIVE AS PART OF THEIR NATURE, DON’T LOSE THE ABILITY TO PLAY

LEAVE SOMETHING UNDONE. IF AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU LEAVE A TASK SLIGHTLY UNFINISHED IT MAY BE EASIER TO START ON THE NEXT DAY. THAT'S BECAUSE COGNITIVE

THREADS ARE LEFT HANGING IN YOUR MIND AND AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR NON-WORK ACTIVITIES YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIGHT HOOK ONTO THEM AND GIVE YOU A SUDDEN

INSIGHT.

“

”5. GENERATE LOTS OF IDEAS

LOTS! EVEN IF THEY SEEM COUNTERINTUITIVE OR ODD

SET AN IDEA TIME. BLOCK OUT A REGULAR TIME WHEN YOU'RE SHARP, RELAXED, AND UNDISTRACTED. JULIA CAMERON, AUTHOR OF POPULAR SELF-HELP BOOK "THE ARTIST'S

WAY" SUGGESTS TAKING 30 MINUTES EACH MORNING TO FREEWRITE IN A JOURNAL. AS YOU DO, YOU'LL NOTICE NEW IDEAS CREEPING IN.

“

”6. FUSE IDEAS

SOMETIMES TWO SEEMINGLY OPPOSING IDEAS CAN WORK WELL TOGETHER

ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU. WE HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE US, AND WHILE DOING SO MAY BE COMFORTING, IT'S NOT STRETCHING.

ALSO TRY IMAGINING YOURSELF AS SOMEONE ELSE--SUCH AS A CHEF, A FOREIGN STUDENT, A BUILDING INSPECTOR. HOW WOULD SUCH PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD?

“

”

7. CHOOSE THE BEST IDEAS

IF YOU'VE FOLLOWED THE FIRST SIX STEPS, YOU SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF IDEAS. NOW THE TRICK IS PICKING THE BEST ONES

LOOK PAST THE GOOD. ONCE YOU'VE DECIDED AN IDEA IS A GOOD ONE, IDENTIFY ITS PROS AND CONS, ASSIGN EACH ONE A NUMBER BETWEEN ONE AND 10 ACCORDING TO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. THE PRO TOTAL SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN YOUR

TALLY FOR CONS. YOU SHOULD ALSO THINK OF THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO. WHAT TERRIBLE THINGS MIGHT HAPPEN TO FOIL THE SUCCESS OF YOUR IDEA?

“

”

8. MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF YOUR GREAT IDEAS

THIS MAY BE SOMETHING SMALL OR LARGE, JUST MAKE SOMETHING!

SAWYER, WHO IS THE WRITER BEHIND OF "ZIG ZAG: THE SURPRISING PATH TO GREATER CREATIVITY," HOLDS UP THE SILICON VALLEY DESIGN FIRM IDEO FOR ITS USE OF "DESIGN THINKING," WHICH SEEKS TO GET SIMPLE VERSIONS OF AN IDEA INTO THE WORLD AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE--MAYBE IN AN HOUR OR A DAY--BY USING SIMPLE MATERIALS SUCH AS CLAY OR CARDBOARD TO GIVE SHAPE TO A NEW CONCEPT. IT'S A WAY OF THINKING THROUGH MAKING, A PROCESS THAT OFTEN LEADS TO MORE

IDEAS.

“

”2 MORE THINGS…

ANTHONY BURRILL HAS BEEN EXHIBITING HIS WORK IN GALLERIES ACROSS THE WORLD FOR OVER 15 YEARS, FINDING INSPIRATION IN THE MOST UNLIKELY OF PLACES. HIS BOOK

MAKE IT NOW! ADDS THESE SMALL THINGS…

“

”

9. KEEP YOUR PHONE AT ARM’S LENGTH

AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE LIKE…

WHILE SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GREAT WAY TO SHOW OFF YOUR WORK, IT’S NOT THE BEST WAY TO STAY FOCUSED AND AVOID DISTRACTION. BURRILL CHECKS HIS EMAIL JUST THREE TIMES A DAY DURING

PLANNED, SHORT ANSWERING SESSIONS. THIS WAY, HE STOPS HIS ONLINE ACTIVITY FROM RULING HIS DAY, AVOIDS PROCRASTINATION AND KEEPS HIS CONCENTRATION. SHUTTING YOUR PHONE OFF FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKING DAY CAN PREVENT YOU FROM WASTING TIME AND HELP YOU

BE MORE CREATIVE.

“

”10. GIVE YOURSELF DEADLINES

THIS MAY SEEM COUNTER TO THE THINGS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT BUT…

DEADLINES MAY SOUND SCARY, BUT THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE A VALUABLE INCENTIVE TO GET TO WORK AND ACTIVATE YOUR CREATIVE IMPULSES. PLAN TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW FOR YOUR

LONG DAY OF THINKING AND DAYDREAMING. THIS WILL FORCE YOU TO FIND INSPIRATION IN YOUR IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS AND ALLOW YOU TO FEEL ACCOMPLISHED. BURRILL USES THIS TECHNIQUE

TO MOTIVATE HIMSELF: “WHEN A DEADLINE IS APPROACHING IT CONCENTRATES MY MIND AND I BECOME VERY FOCUSED ON GETTING EVERYTHING FINISHED IN TIME.”

“

”AND A FEW MORE THINGS…

SAY ‘YES’ MORE THAN ‘NO’

OPTIMISM, ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM MAKE EVERYTHING HAPPEN

BUILD YOUR CREATIVE NETWORK

SOME FUN LINKS…

• HTTP://LIVEBOLDANDBLOOM.COM/04/RELATIONSHIPS/ANGRY-PEOPLE

• HTTP://THEOVERWHELMEDBRAIN.COM/IRRATIONAL-PEOPLE/

• HTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/BLOG/FULFILLMENT-ANY-AGE/201408/8-WAYS-HANDLE-NARCISSIST

• HTTP://WWW.WIKIHOW.COM/DEAL-WITH-A-NARCISSIST