Archive for the ‘Poetry’ Category

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An Ice-Breaker To Reinsure Everyone

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

The only thing to fear is fear itself. As an improvisation workshop leader I met a lot of people very uncomfortable with the idea of having to perform in front of a group. “Improv is not for me, I couldn’t think of what to say” is something I heard many times. I found that the best encouragement to provide them with is a proof of their own ability.

So I use this little game to highlight the fact that we can all came up with short stories on the fly. Most people are surprised of the fact that words can came so easily. It’s a good way to alleviate their fear of “blanking out” and it get them to focus and perform together without being exposed to the entire group too soon. As for everything to do with improvisation, the secret is to concentrate on your partner(s).

Name: Her name was?

Category: Verbal warm-up

Difficulty level: Low

Description: A short story built with the listener’s participation.

Set-up: Players in pairs, facing each other.

Instructions: Player A tells a story, asking player B for details from time to time (e.g. names, locations, events etc.) and integrating those details into the story so it ends up being the product of both A and B’s imagination. The game finishes when either of them finds an ending to the story.

Variation: With groups of three, four and more.

If you are using this game in a workshop, do not forget to allow time for participants to share their impression after playing the game.

For more games like this one visit:
http://www.imprology.com/games/viewallgames.html
For workshop templates visit:
http://www.imprology.com/workshops.html

Posted in Poetry, Self-Improvement | No Comments »

Creativity Management: The Value of Time Pressure

Friday, October 12th, 2007

FORWARD

I recently gave a presentation at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design on a topic entitled “Is creativity management an oxymoron?”

The essential confusion to people resistant to the idea of “creativity management” was the word “management.” Replace it with the word “optimization” and the resistance disappears; all we’re really trying to do is optimize the quality of the idea pool and optimize the implementation process.

Then you can suggest that most people already implicitly accept the idea of creativity management: if you ask them to solve a problem or engage in a particular endeavour, one of the things they’re likely to do is herd people into a room with a flip chart and conduct some sort of brainstorming session and implicit in that action is the acceptance that certain methods, processes and procedures enhance creative output.

Then you can begin discussing how to improve the enormous amount of creative output people generate, from problem solving in everyday business life right up to the level or art.

***

CREATIVITY AND TIME PRESSURE

There is a pervasive belief that time pressure stimulates creativity. This is both true and false.

There are a number of forces at work:

a) Time pressure increases creative output. By forcing idea production, setting goals and incremental deadlines, a greater number of ideas are produced than if a “do your best” approach is taken. If a leader asks particpants in an idea generating session to address a problem and think of at least 5 ideas every half an hour, then 80 ideas are produced by one individual and 1600 are produced by 20 individuals at the end of an average working day. This level of output is conscious and would not be produced normally.

b) Time pressure encourages prolific production and therefore the probability of generating good ideas increases. It can be said with great confidence that quality of output is closely related to quantity. The best single creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.

c) Forcing output pushes individuals along the experience curve, refines their methodology, builds competencies and knowledge and improves performance. Screenwriters know that they are likely to produce more, better quality work faster if they set themselves a schedule of a certain number of pages per day.

d) Motivation is critical to creativity. If a person is intrinsically motivated, time pressure may be a synergistic extrinsic motivator. If the person is not intrinsically motivated then it may turn out to be a non-synergistic extrinsic motivator, which reduces the level of engagement in the endeavour.

e) Short term time pressure may be bad in that it does not allow the mind to engage in the endeavour at various cognitive levels. It does not allow rich ideas to formulate through the process of incubation. Intrinsically motivated individuals will benefit from short term time pressure and goals (sets cognitive forces in motion) and will generate richer ideas through incubation over the longer term.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

The Managing Creativity and Innovation MBA dissertation, DIY creativity Audit, Powerpoint presentation and Good Idea generator software can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

Posted in Poetry, Self-Improvement | No Comments »

Goblins in Thongs: The 5 Rules of Creativity Explained

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007

Creativity has a “Mysterious Force” connotation. It is often thought of as something that only genius artists possess. And while it is true there is a bit of mysterious force about creativity it is something that everyone possesses. Understanding the 5 rules of creativity will help you to develop and grow your creative potential.

Rule1: “The rule of Fusion” This is where the title of this article becomes clear. Addition is the rule of adding two things together. This is a fundamental skill of creativity. Taking one thing and adding it to another to come up with a totally new thing, idea, concept, or thought. Often times these additions might at first seem extremely incongruous but it is through these incongruities that the most creative ideas emerge. Aren’t we all so glad that somebody used this rule on peanut butter and chocolate? Don’t dismiss even the craziest addition. It may lead to other, better, ideas. Which is what the second rule of creativity is about.

Rule 2: “The logical progression” Every single thing came from an earlier thing. No thought, idea, product, story, painting ever was brought into existence from nothing. It derived from something earlier. This brings up an interesting bit of trivia about Picasso. A Woman, meeting him in a restaurant asked him to draw something for her and she said that she would pay him anything. He quickly drew out a sketch on a napkin and said “That will be six thousand dollars please.” She was shocked at this and retorted: “But it only took you five minutes to draw it!” To which he replied: “No Madame, it took me forty years and five minutes to draw it!” Picasso was proving the point that he didn’t just draw it out of nothing. He drew it out of the progression of artistic ability and skill he developed over 40 years of learning. Think about something and then try to peek back into where it originated from then try to extrapolate this into what could be next for it. You will be surprised where this takes you.

Rule 3: “The rule of scattershot” Edison is famous for his quote that inventing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. What he meant was that you have to just try a whole bunch of things, no matter how crazy it might seem because sooner or later something special will come out of it. The trick here is to be observant enough to know what is working. This is a famous technique used in Brainstorming where you just come up with as many things as possible regardless of their initial apparent relevance or worth. It does lubricate creativity and generate lots of good stuff.

Rule 4: “The rule of discipline” While creativity has the bad reputation of being something for dreamy types who lounge under a tree waiting for an apple to fall it is just not true. Creativity follows the “opportunity comes to the prepared” rule in that if you want to be creative you have to do and learn. From this you will grow in your creativity. If you want to be a more creative painter you have to paint - a lot. Through this practice your mind will generate creative thoughts. The same is true for any pursuit. The more you do it the more prepared you will be to receive creative inspiration and more importantly the more prepared you will be to realize them.

Rule 5: “Transferance” Every invention, thought, idea, product, or other thing was created for a purpose but every one of these things can be applied in other ways. A hammer is much more than just a tool for pounding nails. If you are working on a creative problem look at other similar or even dissimilar solutions to problems and see how you can apply these solutions to your problem. This brings us right back to the goblins. Some goblin saw the success of thongs on human beaches and thought “maybe this will work on goblin beaches.”

It is true that creativity is a bit of a mystery but these five rules help you to understand what creativity really is and how you can harness it and develop your creativity to a fuller potential.

For more interesting insights into being a creative webmaster visit the authors site at: The Creative Webmaster – Forging the Iron of Creativity on the Anvil of a Website

Posted in Poetry, Self-Improvement | No Comments »

Creativity Coaching: But Isn’t That Just For Professional Artists?

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

The main blockage many of us have when it comes to being creative is that we simply don’t think that we are.

We each have a set idea or vision of what a “creative person” or “artist” is like, and more often than not, we don’t include ourselves in this category, however much evidence there is to the contrary.

And so, by not even considering that we ARE creative, and thinking that our creative work isn’t valid and important - whether we write, weave, paint, knit, act, sculpt, cook, compose, sing or enjoy any number of other creative activities - we limit ourselves from receiving the recognition and nurturing our creativity deserves.

This really is for many people THE major stumbling block to being more creative.

How often have you found yourself saying or thinking things like:

“But I’m not creative. Not really. So what’s the point in me spending more time and energy on it?”

“I’ve got no creative talent, I just dabble and play around, I only do it for myself.”

“What right have I got thinking I’m creative anyway? There must be millions of people more creative than I am.”

ALL of us are creative in some way or other.

And, just as an athlete tones their body, builds their muscles and eats a healthy diet, we too must look after our creativity if we are to see it grow and develop.

This begins, again, with the belief that we are creative in the first place.

Even if we don’t initially feel we can paint like Michaelangelo, or sing like Marvin Gaye, it shouldn’t stop us improving our painting and singing the best we can, and equally, if not MORE importantly, having great fun and enjoying the creative adventure in the process.

What are your own creative beliefs?

What are your own beliefs about how creative you are and how much you deserve to devote time to creative projects and pursuits?

If someone offered to pay for you to go on a creative weekend of discovery or have a series of sessions with a creativity coach, what would you’re immediate reaction be? Honestly?

Start gathering the evidence of your creativity

A great way of giving yourself a boost in confidence in this area is to actually write down all the creative things you have done, and continue to do.

These can be specific creative projects like something you’ve made, designed, painted or written for example. But also remember to include all the other things you do that are creative, that aren’t specifically framed as creative projects.

The stories you make up to tell your children at night. The songs you sing in the shower. The delicious meals you invent, prepare and serve. The way you often come up with brilliant ideas in your office for things no-one else thinks of.

Once you begin to recognise, accept and then celebrate your own unique brand of creativity, you begin to see it’s true value and that yes it IS worth spending more time and energy developing it, for your own sake, and for the benefit of all those your creative efforts come into contact with.

Start today, believe in your own creative ability and worth, and make that list of creative achievements. Who knows what it might inspire you to do next..?

© Copyright 2007 Dan Goodwin

Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at http://www.CoachCreative.com

Posted in Computers-and-Technology, Poetry, Self-Improvement, Software | No Comments »

Breaking Into Hollywood - How Much Should I Ask People To Pay Me?

Sunday, June 10th, 2007

If you’re starting out or moving up in the entertainment industry, knowing what pay rate to ask for is particularly hard, so here are some guidelines to go by.

In general, it’s very important not to sell yourself too short OR price yourself too high. What determines this is not just the “market rate” for the services you’re delivering. When you’re setting your fee for a job, take the following into consideration - every time:

RATE “CALCULATOR”
1) What the market rate range is for the gig;
2) What experience you’ll gain;
3) What contacts you bring;
4) What contacts you’ll gain;
5) What relationship(s) you’ll form with whom;
6) What credit you’ll receive;
7) Who is issuing that credit (it matters!);
8) What experience you bring to the table;
9) When you will be paid.

Seems like a lot! Believe it or not, ALL of these are monetized in the entertainment industry. So do that 9-point checklist on every offer and adjust accordingly. Let me quickly break down how to use the list:

1) Market Rate. This is your opening number. You can always start with Guild tables; for screenwriting and teleplays, for example, the Writers Guild posts a Schedule of Minimums for payments. If you AND your potential employers are novices, this quote will probably be too high for you, for the reasons on the rest of the list. So beyond the various guilds and unions for your industry, a great way to research the market rate is to ask someone who recently was promoted past the position you’re considering. They’ll be happier to quote their former rate than reveal their current one! How to find them? Get online on the industry forums and boards! Join a Yahoo! Group in your field and post away.

2) Potential Experience (”-”). If you’ll get important professional experience from the gig, this is worth lowering a quote in negotiations with someone who cannot pay much. The new work experience will help you get better jobs (and pay) as you rise. If the employer is a complete newcomer, however, be realistic about what kind of training you’ll actually receive. The key question to ask is, “What are the credits and background of the most experienced person I’ll actually be working with?” That will let you know how much you’ll learn in the process of doing the job.

3) Your Contacts (”+”). If you are bringing key industry names to the project, and that is part of what you are expected to contribute, that’s a bump for your fee.

4) Potential Contacts (”-”). There’s nothing worth more money in this business than personal contacts. If you’ll walk away with a great database of vendors, staff, crew and other industry contacts you connected with, take that into consideration as you set your price.

5) Potential Relationships (”-”). Beyond contacts, if the gig has you working closely with major players in your field, it’s worth flexibility on your fee. This isn’t just who will be on set with you. Which legitimate agents, managers, designers, network execs, bookers, casting agents, etc. will be part of the project and seeing you shine? Relationships are worth MORE than money in Hollywood.

6) Your Credit (”-”). If you have to choose between money and a better credit, in the beginning, go for the credit - as long as it is an accurate one! In other words, don’t trade a writing credit for a “co-producer” (meaningless) or “producer” credit if you only wrote the script. Your producer credit will be vetted and tossed out in any credit dispute if the project goes anywhere. But if you’re working on a TV pilot, and they can’t pay well, but you can get an Associate Producer rather than a Production Assistant title, that is worth money in the bank on your next job. So work with them on your fee.

7) The Credit Source (”-”). A credit only means as much as the person who gives it to you. If a major company offers you a lesser credit, don’t dismiss it outright. That company’s good reputation and position in the industry might give you more heat when you go to your next gig - and it certainly can open that next door a lot faster.

8) Your Experience (”-”). If you’re new in the game, this is where you’ll potentially shave quite a bit off of your quote, and that’s a wide open range. If you’ll be working for an established company, there still are minimum expectations for rates (again, check with outside people at the level above where you’re being hired). Established companies are offsetting the lower rate with a list of career and future financial benefits. Newcomers are not. So if you are providing a real product or service to a fellow industry newbie, you must be paid for it. And not on the “back-end” (where unicorns and Bigfoot and other myths live)!

A producer who can’t shoot a film without your script…can’t shoot a film WITH your script - because they don’t have money. It costs money to make a movie, and part of that should go to compensating the writer, especially since, unlike the crew, you are getting no other tangible experience in the process, and your writing credit will be skeptically received on an indie film that never saw the light of day. But if you’ve never had a script produced or done a modeling shoot or been in a play, and a newcomer wants to hire you, don’t even think about holding fast to union minimums. Work with them on a fee or some tradeoffs, per the list above and the tip that follows.

9) The Pay Date (”+”). The later someone is going to pay you for your work, the more you can bump (slightly increase) your fee. Almost everyone reading this has been approached by someone who wants them to do work for free (on “spec”), with promises of payment “on the back end.” That’s meaningless because you’re pretty much never going to see a back-end payment (it’s possible; just not likely!). So here’s a rule. If you are doing physical work for someone (writing a script, walking a runway, doing a photo shoot), you must arrange to get physical “payment,” of some sort, when you do the work.

If the employer is an established company and you are a working professional, do not do spec work for them. Once you do it for free, you will always be expected to do it for free - or at least for too little. Thank them for the offer of employment, let them know you don’t work for spec but are excited to work with them, then work out a deal memo through your lawyer, offering them an introductory fee for this first project and establishing a minimum “floor” for any projects that follow. Established companies are never shocked to talk to lawyers (that’s how we do things in Hollywood), and they are more than used to paying for people’s work.

Newbie employers can offer you “deferred payment” - but also request a guaranteed in-kind benefit you can leave that gig with (and sign that in a deal memo, too). If you’re doing a fashion show for someone, ask them if they will at least hire a professional digital photographer (or let you bring one) so you can get shots (free clothes aren’t enough - those won’t get you your next gig!). Ask the designer to alert the photographer that you’ll be bringing a laptop or memory stick to download your images before you leave, and bring a thank you note and truffle for the photographer. If you’re writing the script for someone’s film, ask them to buy a copy of professional screenwriting software and turn over one of their access codes to you. Work with strapped newbie employers to see what they can offer you in exchange for your labor - since they’re not offering you entrée to the contacts, relationships and respected credits that would otherwise make a lower rate worth it.

ONE LAST WORD. As you work more steadily in this industry, your “rate” transforms into your “quote.” Your “quote” is what you were paid on your most recent gig(s), and it’s the magic number everyone expects to pay you on your next gig. So once you begin working more steadily, you must be very protective of your quote, regardless of the additional benefits a certain gig would offer. Be particularly wary of being asked to accept a lower rate in exchange for a higher credit because that sets a ridiculously low quote for your new credit level. Sounds pretty sticky and uncomfortable? That’s why people have agents.

DMA is a former film story analyst, international runway model and stage performer who is now the executive producer of Tidal Wave TV, a new media and reality TV production company in Los Angeles. Learn more about how to sell a screenplay or sell a reality show from DMA’s industry guides: “The 1-3-5 Story Structure Made Simple System: The Nine Essential Elements of a Sellable Screenplay” and “The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System: Ten Steps to Creating and Pitching a Sellable Reality Show.”

For DMA’s national speaking schedule and more insider resources for breaking into Hollywood, please visit Planet DMA. It is our goal to mentor you through your career in the entertainment industry!

Posted in Arts-and-Entertainment, Business, Internet-and-Businesses-Online, Poetry | No Comments »

Navigating the Unknown: 7 Reflection Tools

Thursday, June 7th, 2007

1. Change the lens you use for seeing the unknown. Do you see the unknown something to be feared, challenged, dealt with, managed or overcome? Or is it something to be navigated, explored, embraced, cultivated, or expressed? If you think of facing the unknown in your work what thoughts and emotions come to mind? What metaphor? A beast to be tamed, a wave to be surfed, a game to be played? How we perceive the concept of this unfolding future we call the unknown determines how easily we navigate it.

2. Consciously engage uncertainty. Whether we like it or not the unknown has now become our working partner. By actively engaging the unknown in small ways at first — such as with a low-risk/high-ambiguity project — you develop the essential skills to work with it in larger high-risk/high-ambiguity arenas. What would it take for you to go deeper into situations, pushing past what you currently know, before going forward? It feels counterproductive in our fast-paced culture, but by taking the up front time to go deep and explore multiple dimensions, next-level solutions begin to reveal themselves.

3. Allow the process to be messy. When we start consciously exploring unknown, there is a period of time where logic, order, and organization are put on hold as we get into the unearthing of new information. It can seem illogical, nonsensical, and even foreign-sounding as it emerges. Like all births, new directions are not necessarily tidied up and pretty as they enter the world. Similar to a baby being born, the ideas, structures and systems that emerge from the unknown space can look unrecognizable at first. The task it to continue to draw whatever shows up forth, amidst it messiness, until the new order emerges. There is a natural, self-organizing system at play in every emergent situation. How much time and space do you give to ideas to go formulate?

4. Actively leave the familiar. Just because something worked for one group in one situation doesn’t mean it is necessarily repeatable. Look back to the past for what is relevant to the new situation and bring it with you. Leave the rest behind. It is in our nature to seek the shelter of the familiar even if we know it is no longer serving us. Leaving what is comfortable and not working to dip into the “empty space” to draw forth the new is challenging. Do you have compassion for yourself (or others) when you are frustrated, overwhelmed and feel like you hit a wall?

5. Use multidimensional creative approaches. By using a variety of creativity tools, techniques and approaches you can engage more of your brain and more of your senses. The human habit is to approach uncertain situations with the same set of analytical tools each time. No matter how focused and capable your thought process, unless you do something different to activate new parts of the brain, the information will still travel down your same neural pathways in the same way and you will come up with the same types of solutions. If you purposefully integrate alternative methods, whole brain thinking and multi-sensory stimulation, awareness is heightened and you become more responsive and resilient. What are some ways you can intentionally do this?

6. Be the Beginner. Probably the most significant, yet challenging aspect of navigating the unknown is the willingness to enter the beginner mind. We live in a knowledge based society. We are educated to have the right answers. The more we know, the more intelligent, capable, and competent we are considered. We are rewarded and recognized for that which we know, not for that which we don’t know. Yet, in a world where the word innovation is showing up in exponentially more mission and vision statements, this is often exactly what is needed to move forward. It’s not about abandoning what you know, but bringing it to the table to sit side by side with what you do not know.

7. Accept the human paradox. Within the paradox of human nature, being what it is, the unknown is both dangerous and exciting, a threat to be feared and a mystery to be revealed. We are mystery seekers. There is a multi-billion dollar mystery industry — books, movies, adventure tours, Internet games, and haunted houses. There is something about walking around the corner and not knowing what will pop out that is inherently exciting and alive to us. Uncovering and discovering are in our nature — just look at a child exploring the environment, looking behind every crack and crevice for what’s next.

While a part of us may love the mystery, we have another part of us, in our reptilian primal brain, that has been hard wired to fear what is around the corner. Our ancestors knew well knowledge of our surroundings gave us control of a dangerous world. There was a real danger in leaving the safety of the cave. This is still true today. When we perceive threats to survival, we like to know what is next. Ironically, the same world that makes people want to retreat to their caves to hide from the “predators” is this same world that is requiring new levels of innovation to adapt and thrive. When is change exciting and when is it threatening to you?

The more you work with the unknown as a co-creative partner, the easier it is to stay grounded in the winds of change. It takes more than just deciding to embrace uncertainty to be able to do it. It takes understanding where you are in relationship to the unknown now, and then consciously choosing to be with the discomfort, and perhaps excitement, of exploring new territory. Underneath business buzz words, mission statements and strategic goals, there is an unsure human facing a new world. It takes practice. As with mastering any new skill, navigating the unknown is an ongoing process.

©2007 Michelle James

For the past 12 years, creativity expert Michelle James has worked with individuals, entrepreneurs, leaders and organizations to help them unlock and focus their creativity to develop their “signature” processes, models, frameworks and approaches and become an effective, creative working culture. Using the principles of emergence with creativity, she developed the whole-brain, whole-systems Creative Emergence Process®. It’s used for drawing out new ideas, solutions, directions, strategies, services, products, and processes. As CEO of The Center for Creative Emergence, Michelle does this through consulting, facilitating, and creative emergence coaching. Michelle’s background includes organizational development, marketing communications and the media. She is an abstract painting artist, a performer of improvised plays with Precipice Improv, and a CoreSomatics® Movement and Bodywork Master Practitioner. She recently established Quantum Leap Business Improv–business improv theater for leaps in thinking, being, and innovating. She founded the Capitol Creativity Network in Washington, DC.

Posted in Poetry, Recreation-and-Sports, Scuba-Diving, Self-Improvement | No Comments »

Oriental Medicine

Tuesday, June 5th, 2007

Find Oriental Medicine Schools in the United States and Canada. Whether your goal is to achieve your Masters in Acupuncture and Traditional Oriental Medicine, or to earn a diploma in Asian body therapy, Oriental medicine schools can provide you with an alternative health education that will give you the knowledge and skills to practice Oriental medicine therapies.

If you are one of the many candidates who is prepared to dedicate time and effort to one of several Oriental medicine schools and desire becoming an Oriental medicine practitioner, then you will discover that the vast majority of Oriental medicine schools offer a comprehensive curriculum in Oriental medicine anatomy and pathology, physiology, diagnosis, various acupuncture styles (E.g., 5-element acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, etc.),needling techniques, meridian therapy and acupuncture anatomy, Tai Chi, Qi gong, Herbology, Eastern nutrition, and Chinese herbs.

In addition to in-depth, Oriental medicine studies, students enrolled in Oriental medicine schools will gain general education in biology, biochemical principles, medical terminology, human physiology, pathophysiology, clinical science and report writing. In many cases, Oriental medicine schools may include or extend general business management courses to those wishing to go into their own medical practices.

Students enrolled in Oriental medicine schools who opt to participate in this more advanced academic program will acquire the skills and knowledge to sit for the National Certification exam, and in most cases, be able to obtain licensure to practice acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the area where they reside. Furthermore, ambitious students registered in a number of Oriental medicine schools may elect to enroll in the Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program, which entails over 1,200 class and clinical hours of study.

A great many Oriental medicine schools provide diploma and certificate programs in a variety of Asian body therapies. Some certificate and diploma courses offered through Oriental medicine schools may include massage therapy, holistic health practitioner, Tui Na certification, and acupressure.

If you are interested in enrolling in one of many Oriental medicine schools or would simply like to learn more about Oriental medicine schools, feel free to browse the Healing Arts Schools directory today.

Find your dream job! Let education within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, holistic medicine, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Oriental Medicine
© Copyright 2007
The CollegeBound Network
All Rights Reserved

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Resource Box: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd - Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com, in association with CollegeSurfing.com - Educational Resources for Healing Arts Schools, Oriental Medicine Schools, and other Alternative Medicine Schools.

Posted in Arts-and-Entertainment, Casino-Gambling, Insurance, Poetry | No Comments »

Increase Creativity With Visualisation: How Just 10 Minutes a Day Can Boost Your Creative Output

Tuesday, April 24th, 2007

Visualisation is a technique we can use to boost our creativity by playing in our heads powerful images of how we want to be, at our most creative, productive and happy.

Here’s how it works: Every time we see an image we give it some meaning and then associate emotions to it. For example, what would the following pictures make you feel? A Caribbean beach in a holiday brochure? A set of dentist’s tools? A brand new Porsche? A giant cockroach?

With visualisation we can imagine images that trigger within us states that are most conducive to our creativity. Images that we picture inside our heads can be as powerful as those we actually see with our eyes. And the great thing is, we can produce these images whenever we want.

Many people think they can’t do visualisations. Here’s a simple example to try:

Imagine you’re standing at the front door of where you live. Think about the following things –

What colour is the door? Are there any windows or panels in the door? What type of handle does it have? Where’s the keyhole? Is there a knocker or a bell? What’s the letterbox like?

Ok, now how did this exercise feel?

That was an example of a simple visualisation. Once you can do this then it’s just a case of expanding it to whatever you want.

Let’s try adding a few more details.

Go back in your mind to the image of your front door. Imagine your key in your hand. Is it cold or warm? How heavy is it? Put the key in the lock. How smoothly does it go in? When you turn the key, what do you hear. As you open the door, how easily does it open? What can you smell? What else can you hear?

How did it feel this time to add more detail the image?

Now you have the basic format for powerful visualisations.

Think about how you can adapt this to boost your creativity.

For example, you might want to visualise yourself sitting at your computer typing away furiously at your novel, writing 1000 words an hour or more. Or you might wish to see yourself opening a letter to reveal you’ve been offered a 3 novel publishing contract.

You might see yourself out in nature somewhere painting landscapes, feeling highly inspired, creative and alive. Or at the opening night at your new exhibition at a national gallery, soaking up the atmosphere and praise all around you.

Maybe you’d like to visualise yourself dancing, putting on a flawless performance, being totally in the flow and at one with the music? Or the audience’s reaction at the end, delighted, amazed, spellbound.

Whichever you choose, make it something that you really desire, that you’d love to be experiencing for real in your creative life. Put simply, visualise yourself doing your greatest creative work.

Once you’ve picked something, set aside at least 10 to 15 minutes, go somewhere quiet where you’ll not be disturbed, get comfortable, close your eyes and begin your visualisation.

Imagine every detail you can, bring in each of your senses as fully and vividly as possible, until you feel as if you’re really there.

Practice to increase the impact

Practice your visualisation every day, and very soon you’ll find it easier and easier to slip right into and enjoy.

If you find you’re not quite fully connecting with your visualisation, then maybe it’s not the right one for you. Adjust some of the details until you find one that is most rewarding and that you look forward to returning to time and time again.

What you’ll also notice over time is how your creative life will begin to move closer to the images in your visualisation. The more you practice, the more you make your mind familiar with the visualisation, the more powerful it will become.

© Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin

Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at http://www.CoachCreative.com

Posted in Poetry, Self-Improvement, Spirituality | No Comments »

Adult ADD: Streamlining Your World to Boost Creativity

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

Here’s the thing, some ADD people don’t think they’re creative for some reason. And that’s usually because they’re told that by a bunch of people who are really dumb.

In the meantime, whether or not you think about your ADD as creativity, what we’re trying to say here is you get to do what you want and think about what you want to think about more of the time with every reliable, effective system that you put into place in your life. And when you’re able to do that, you are able to achieve higher levels of success.

And whatever area of your life you are trying to excel in, whether it’s making more money, getting in better shape, having a better relationship, having more time, being able to have a better family life, systems are important. One of the ADD-friendly systems might be about your children, which is wonderful – is it right that you should have to schedule in time to spend with them? Is that right? Some people would say it’s not right. But that might be the only way you can make sure it happens every day.

Because of ADD, you my be very easily distracted, no matter how much you love them and care about them and everything else, whatever you’re focused on – whether it’s your kids, or whether it’s a project you’re working on – you may evaporate for eight hours at a time and no one will have any idea where you are. You need to schedule these things in and you need to schedule reminders to say, “Hey, remember, it’s time to eat now. Hey, remember, it’s time to exercise now. Hey, go spend two hours with your kids. Remember.” Oh yeah, great! Get up and go do that, and have fun.

So it allows you to completely get absorbed in the things that you love, and that freedom that systems give you will be a very big change.

A lot of ADD people are very resistant to systems because they feel like there will be a loss of independence, but it’s a positive choice. The thing is, is that what you’re really doing here is choosing to become independent. Because you’re choosing to create those systems that are going to allow you that creativity, that independence.

You know, if you want to change your two–hour block of “you” time, which allows you to do something–anything–that you just want to do, from two to four in the afternoon to four to six, you have the ability to do that. It’s just that all those things in your life that you’re trying to keep track of, they’re not going to happen unless you get them into your calendar.

We beat on that quite a bit, but it’s been life-changing for both of us to have that at our fingertips.

And that’s exactly it. Think about the frustrations that ADD present in your life right now. Get out a piece of paper and put a headline at the top that says, “Here are some of the things that frustrate me.” Dirty dishes in the sink, maybe it’s you’ve got three books that you’re reading all at one time, or five books, or whatever. Maybe it’s that people interrupt you. Whatever it is.

But write down some of the things you’re frustrated with. The key to all systems as it relates to ADD is that it’s gotta work with whatever you’re naturally doing right now. Because it’s nearly impossible – if not completely impossible – to force yourself to do something that’s inconvenient or difficult. Then, try to think of a way to make things ADD-easier for yourself.

For instance, if you’re feeding several dogs or cats and you have things stored in huge containers with lids, how many times do you forget to feed the animals because it’s just too difficult? OK, so make the whole process ADD-friendly. Get bins with swinging doors so that you can just reach in with a scoop and take the food out quickly and easily. It’s no longer a hassle, right? Make it simple, and your life will be easier. Do that with every frustrating task that you can think of, and you’ll soon have a smoother life.

Next time, we’ll talk about something every ADD person on the face of the earth probably dreads–moving and unpacking.

Tellman Knudson is a certified hypnotherapist and CEO of OvercomeEverything, Inc. Stephanie Frank is a world-renowned speaker and coach, and the author of “The Accidental Millionaire.” Find more information about them and more of their ideas at InstantADDSuccess.com, a comprehensive library of information and support for people with ADD.

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Alzheimer’s Disease vs. Dementia

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may share common symptoms but there is a marked difference between these two problems of aging. Everyone as they age may lose their keys and may have some problems remembering facts and figures. For many older Americans, this is a common sign of aging. Dementia is a serious brain disorder that covers a wide spectrum of cognitive problems while Alzheimer’s disease has unique physical and brain conditions that other dementia disorders do not share.

Dementia is a common problem in the elderly population. It is estimated that as many as four million Americans live with some degree of dementia. The symptoms of dementia can be described as a collection of symptoms that indicate that the thinking process is deteriorating.

These symptoms affect the individual in a variety of ways but they all the symptoms of dementia have a devastating affect on the quality of life. Individuals suffering from dementia lose some of their ability to carry out daily activities. One effect of the disease is that a key brain chemical acetylcholine is lost. The loss of this important chemical can contribute to some of the symptoms of both dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Acetylcholine is produced in several locations in the brain including the basal forebrain. It thought that this chemical promotes learning. Acetylcholine-producing cells in the basal forebrain are damaged in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which are believed to contribute to the loss of memory which are an early symptom of the disease.

Dementia is also caused by the destruction of brain cells. The destruction may be caused by a head injury, a stroke, or a brain tumor. Some people have a family history of dementia. Dementia may also change a person’s mood and personality. As the dementia progresses, mood swings and other disruptive behaviors may become apparent. The person who has dementia may not be aware of these problems.

Some of the signs or symptoms of dementia may include:

  • Problems with memory
  • Problem with orientation
  • Having difficulty making plans
  • Difficulty with dressing
  • Difficulty with common tasks,
  • Making a phone call,
  • Using cooking utensil
  • Difficulty performing simple math problems
  • Difficulty with language

Dementia-like symptoms can also develop as a result of other lifestyle condition, such as alcohol or substance abuse, vitamin deficiency and certain infectious diseases. Although Alzheimer’s Disease accounts for nearly 60 percent of all dementia cases; all cases of dementia are not Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is a unique brain disorder that affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Alzheimer’s usually begins after age 60.

It is important to classify the type of dementia that the patient is experiencing. An appointment with a health care specialist to confirm a specific diagnosis. Some forms of dementia can be successfully treated with drugs. Once the patient and the family understand what is causing the dementia-like symptom, a treatment plan to address the root cause can be put in place.

For more information on alzheimers statistics, treatment, caregiving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alzheimers disease early symptom detection.

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