'How Creativity Works': It's All In Your Imagination
iStockphoto.com What makes people creative? What gives some of us the ability to create work that captivates the eyes, minds and hearts of others?
photography by Angus R Shamal - StumbleUpon
A selection of some of the most awesome Behind-the-scenes shots I’ve seen from some famous movies. Back when set designs were huge and hand made, when special effects where mechanical and photographic and film stars were risking their lives on the set. source: Ain’t It Cool News.
50 of the Best Websites for Writers
There are tons of reference sites on the web that can help you find a job or write a poem, essay or story. Here is a list of the best 50 websites for writers. Reference Websites
35 Inspiring Color Palettes from Master Painters
Putting together a great color palette for your design work can be one of the most challenging aspects of any project. And many times, color palettes are built from some source of inspiration. So why not be inspired by some of history’s greatest master artists? Colour Lovers has a lot of great tools including the ability to create color palettes auto-magically from pics you find around the web.
50 Things Everyone Should Know
by Mark and Angel Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one. While not totally comprehensive
4 Ways To Amplify Your Creativity
The holidays are over, the weather is lousy, and we’re sober again. We made all kinds of New Year’s promises, but the big one that will change our careers, if not our lives, is the promise to ourselves to become more creative. In my new book, Creative Intelligence, I show that creativity is learned behavior that gets better with training--like sports. You can make creativity routine and a regular part of your life. That’s true for big companies as well as small startups, corporate managers as well as entrepreneurs. Creativity is scalable.
Meet the 16-year-old fashion designer whose sustainable looks may shake up the industry.
Using mosquito netting, branches, ribbon, and flowers, 16-year-old Apichet "Madaew" Atilattana is turning the fashion industry on its head. Madaew looks for materials. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images. The high school student from Khon Kaen, Thailand, creates innovative designs using unconventional materials, and he's garnered quite the following. Madaew is often inspired by plants, animals, and other organic elements.
Eight Secrets Which Writers Won't Tell You
Image from Flickr by Lazurite This is not particularly relevant to the post, but I’m getting an awful lot of comments telling me, often a little snarkily, “it’s ‘THAT’ not ‘WHICH’”. The “don’t use which for restrictive clauses” rule comes (as far as I can tell) from Strunk and White.
Great discussion, I hope there will be more. by wendylynne Jun 10
I guess that really depends on the individual. I've never let a statement affect how I create art. I think it's better to accept the truth (of course, it may not be considered the truth to everyone, this is just how I see it) and move on than to try and work my around it. I know nothing is original but that doesn't stop me or hinder me in any way. In fact, I think it helps me...I'm not afraid of my influences like I used to be when when I first started really studying art. Instead, I challenge myself even more to try and make my own original take on an idea that's already been created. Most times I don't even think about it at all. It's just something to keep in mind. by nardar Jun 9
I see what you mean, about the levels of abstraction. But in order to really get through those successful levels of abstraction, you have to start somewhere. Anyway, I wonder if I'll still hold the same opinion 5 years from now. "Nothing is original" is what I have been taught and also what I have observed and experienced in my days as an artist...but who's to say that maybe there is something out there that hasn't been seen before? by nardar Jun 9
Here's how I think about the topic of "nothing is original". If I believe nothing is original, I will be satisfied with making derivative art. If I believe originality is possible, I will strive to do better work. So my belief is based on how useful it is to my life. I agree it is a matter of definition, or "level of abstraction". You can look at Van Gogh's Sunflowers and say, oh, everybody paints flowers." Or you can look at them and appreciate that no one every painted them like he did, before he came along. And by the same token, no one will paint them the way you do. Even if you were to try to copy his painting, the work would still have something of you in it,especially if you try to find your own way of painting it. So I think the statement, or belief, that nothing is original, can lead to laziness. That is why I don't accept it. I really didn't expect all this discussion when I first posted. New to pearltrees. by wendylynne Jun 9
I agree and disagree with your point. I guess it's all about levels of abstraction. In my opinion there are lots of new and original ideas, pieces of art, products, whatever... The concrete object with its special form, its concrete colours is original and new. But then one can always say, but it has got a shape which can be found ... And yes, there are colours, there is some red and then there is some green colouring and those two colours can be found there and there, too. But what about the unique combination? Where can that be found? On a certain abstract level there is nothing new, but our sensual perception likes the concrete impression. by friedrichwulf Jun 9
If someone can give me an example of something completely and utterly original...something that is not influenced (either knowingly or unknowingly) by another artist, then I will change my opinion about the statement "nothing is original". Because, frankly, it's pretty much true. Everything that can be done HAS been done by SOMEBODY in the recent or distant past. It's all about recreating and making something that influenced you completely your own. by nardar Jun 9
Let me reply with a quote from an artist: -"Let us not forget that original comes from origin" Eduardo Chillida And now from a book about Entropy and physics : Since ancient times, men has been always looking for some element of stability and security in the middle of the change. "There is nothing new under the sun" said the wise Solomon (960 - 927 a. C). With this he meant: yes, everything changes, but it is not bad nor irreparable. Because at the end everything repeats itself. -Vittorio Silvestrini, what is Entropy by milotron Jun 9
Well, it is a bit over the top, I guess. But some people hold the opinion that there is nothing new under the sun. Those poor people who think differently either have not experienced or read enough. by friedrichwulf Jun 8
Actually I don't agree with the statement that "nothing is original", but there are lots of other inspiring ideas in this article. by wendylynne Jun 8