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The Food System The Food System The Food System - Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Social Issues Team and Elliott Kuhn (graphic artist), 2004. Agricultural Treadmills PDF version of Agricultural Teadmills You Are A Mashup Of What You Let Into Your Life Aaron DeOliveira alerts us to a wonderful presentation by writer/artist/poet Austin Kleon called Steal Like an Artist. It's a little less than 8 minutes, but worth watching: There's a lot in there that will sound familiar if you're a regular reader, but it goes over the simple fact that content creators always build on the works of those they come across, whether on purpose or not. There were two lines that really caught my attention.
About 3QD 3 Quarks Daily "I couldn't tear myself away from 3 Quarks Daily, to the point of neglecting my work. Congratulations on this superb site."—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University. "3 Quarks Daily is smart and highclass."—Robert Pinsky, only three-term U.S. Poet Laureate ever. Austin Kleon on Cultivating Creativity in the Digital Age by Maria Popova The genealogy of ideas, why everything is a remix, or what T.S. Eliot can teach us about creativity.
Why Boredom Is Good for Your Creativity Like most creatives, you probably have a low boredom threshold. You’re hardwired to pursue novelty and inspiration, and to run from admin and drudgery. Boredom is the enemy of creativity, to be avoided at all costs. Or is it? Consider these remarks by comedy writer Graham Linehan, in a recent interview for the Guardian: I have to use all these programs that cut off the internet, force me to be bored, because being bored is an essential part of writing, and the internet has made it very hard to be bored. Jonah Lehrer on How Creativity Works by Maria Popova Inside the ‘seething cauldron of ideas,’ or what Bob Dylan has to do with the value of the synthesizer mind. In his 1878 book, Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Nietzsche observed: Artists have a vested interest in our believing in the flash of revelation, the so-called inspiration… shining down from heavens as a ray of grace.
The Vital Link Between Emotions and Creativity in Photography I love photography. I love the idea of capturing a moment in time, an event, an abstract scene or just a snippet of life that would otherwise go unrecorded, only to be forgotten over time. I have no formal training, no gallery exhibitions, no commissions and not even a particularly large following on Flickr or any other social media. However, this does not deter me. How the Hum of a Coffee Shop Can Boost Creativity Pulling up a seat at your favorite coffee shop may be the most efficient way to write a paper or finish a work project. But now a new Web site lets you bring the coffee shop to your cubicle. The site, called Coffitivity, was inspired by recent research showing that the whoosh of espresso machines and caffeinated chatter typical of most coffee shops creates just the right level of background noise to stimulate creativity. The Web site, which is free, plays an ambient coffee shop soundtrack that, according to researchers, helps people concentrate.
Why You Should have a Messy Desk — Busy Building Things Einstein: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Mark Twain. What is one thing these three visionaries have in common? They all had very messy workspaces. These three game-changers were never ones to follow the crowd, and always enjoyed doing things their own way. Living Out Loud - Kick-start your creativity If you haven’t come across Keri Smith before you’re in for a treat! She’s a ‘rebel’ artist and author who helps and encourages people to find their passion and creativity, while not following the rules. From the titles of some of her books you’ll be able to tell; Wreck this Journal, The Guerilla Art Kit and Tear up this Book! This one, Living Out Loud is my favourite. There are lots of books out there that I love about tapping into your creative spirit, but most of them are ‘How to’ books, this is a ‘do it’ book instead. We’ve all grown up…
Deadly conformity is killing our creativity. Let's mess about more I began to notice the creativity of the manager of the Pret a Manger coffee shop, close to where I live, after he showed extraordinary kindness to a woman with Down's syndrome in her 20s. Well, maybe it wasn't that remarkable, but it was certainly natural and spontaneous and beautifully done. Having been asked by her carer, the woman cleared their tray and tipped the rubbish into the bin. 5 False Beliefs that Are Holding You Back Email by Benny Hsu Over the years you’ve created a set of beliefs in your mind that you hold to be true. Some are indeed helpful and true, while others have completely fooled you. It’s these latter, false beliefs that quietly hinder your potential and hold you back from the life you are capable of living. Here are five such false beliefs to be aware of:
5 Psychological Traits of Creative People - Gregory Ciotti - Quora Since creativity seems to thrive with individuals and sometimes collaboration rather than group work, what sort of traits are often found in especially creative people? As with all creativity research (since it is a very large and complex topic), the results are a bit muddy, but a collection of the research seems to point to a few traits that are found regularly in creative people. Below we’ll discuss a few that are more common in those people with creative skills (note that this does not mean that all creative people have these traits!) 1.) Creative people are eccentric Breaking news: the sun is hot!
The complete guide to listening to music at work - Quartz If you’re reading this article at work, there’s a decent chance you’re wearing headphones. It has never been easier to tune in to your own customized soundtrack—or more necessary to tune out your open-office coworkers, cubicle mates, and fellow coffee-shop denizens. But not all music is created equal, especially when there’s work to be done. How should you choose the best office soundtrack for a given task? Which songs will help you get energized, focused, or creative—or even just through a very long day? Let’s start with the basics.