Another Hawaiian waterfall. I desperately need to go on a hike. Perhaps paint from real life instead of photographs.
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Painting with Matt. We inspire each other. Here’s his painting. The quote in the painting “History is a cyclic poem, written upon the memories of man.” by Percy Shelley.
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A painting commission based on an older painting. It’s interesting that because how long it’s been since I painted this, I don’t have the same paintbrushes or mindset that I did then. But, I enjoyed it and the process.
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I was thinking what I could paint endlessly and find deep satisfaction after each version of a concept. I have painted many waterfalls and many more to go. Here’s one for today… a three-tiered Hawaiian waterfall.
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Brainstorm .Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions By Maisel, Eric (Book – 2010)Summary: Eric Maisel talks about how “productive obsessions” change the way people think very literally. An obsession has a bad reputation for being something that motivates people to do great things that require intense focus and devotion. Maisel encourages all of us to tackle a task head on, devote a part of your life to it.
Review: Though most of the book reads like a self-help client testimony compilation, this book frames the notion of creativity in a way that is most effective (I think). It’s not about trying new things, but investing more in the stuff you already are tasking your brain to think about. I would love to explore the dynamics of obsession more and see how they can be channeled into a creative path that is more like a current than a staircase.
Rating: 7 neuron clouds
Wine-pairing: Velvet Goldmine (1998)A reporter’s obsession takes him down a path of glam rock, mystery and identity.
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Your Creative Brain .Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in your Life By Carson, Shelley (Book – 2010)Summary: Shelly Carson, PhD, goes through her acronym, CREATES, as she describes neuroscience behind creativity and the mildly surprising lack thereof. Connect, Reason, Envision, Absorb, Transform, Evaluate, and Stream are the steps to creative output. Some tips for a better creative environment, listen to music, though any noisy place will do. Milk those times you feel angst or just pathetic.
Review: I wasn’t completely inspired by this book. Too many exercises and quizlets to really feel like the author was invested in something transformative as art, but rather that you feel that you are getting something out of the book. I really appreciated her sentiment about how art and creative endeavors take a while to get good at. I also liked how she mentioned one of my favorite people Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, and the delightful concept of flow.
Rating: 4 exercises where you are writing down everything you hear
Favorite part: “Scientific research is remarkably consistent in finding that expertise in most fields takes about 10 years to develop.” p.328. I thought this was comforting and it should be a relief to those who took on a project that they didn’t have much experience in and found that they were disappointed that they weren’t pros by the end.
Wine-pairing: 50 First Dates (2004) Directed by Peter Segal. With Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore. I really enjoyed Lucy’s character because when she paints, she’s really into it and it seems to come from a very happy sweet place. Art is about tapping into your mental landscape and finding the right motivation to inspire you to soar higher than you think you can.
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Artscience: Creativity in the Post-Google Generation By Edwards, David A. (Book – 2008)Summary: This is a captivating book really making the case for the necessary art and science connection. Artists like Diana Dabby (who used chaos theory to create piano variations) and Julio Ottima who used, painting to tap into liquid diffusion properties work, are the leaders in creativity in their respective fields, using all their resources to achieve breakthroughs in thinking. Other artscientists mentioned and worth looking into: Theda Radtke, Benoit Mandelbrot and Buckminster Fuller.
Review: This is an inspirational book, though heavy on the emphasis on higher education. The artscientists mentioned are involved with universities and have immersed themselves into their idea. They are committed people who have their basic needs met and have moved to the next level of exploration that require most of their time and energy. I want to be somewhat critical of innovators that neglect a sense of balance, but what I am is jealous that I don’t have an idea that captivating. This wasn’t so much as a great book, but an introduction to great people, the kind that think outside the realm of what’s accepted and normal.
Rating: 7 comprehensivists
Wine-pairing: A Beautiful Mind (DVD – 2002) The story of John Forbes Nash, Jr in a very cinematically pleasing format. I love how they depict mental processes visually by using technology, focusing the camera in some places, computer generated effects to highlight components otherwise unnoticeable by the average movie watcher. I enjoyed the scenes where he draws formulas on the windows. Art, science and madness are not that indistinguishable.
