Rstory: faRewell to the staRt...

Rstory: faRewell to the staRt...: After almost five months... we all boils down to this! After sitting for 3 hours every tuesday night,what really happened? What did we becom...

faRewell to the staRt...

After almost five months... we all boils down to this! After sitting for 3 hours every tuesday night,what really happened? What did we become because of those 5-8 moments? What did we learn from all discussions? So what now?

For this blog let me not decide into anything... I will just let the story unfold as I stare blankly to the winking cursor....

Just like any other posts that I did... I really don't know where to start... and yes, even where to end... So how do we really begin endings?

Lets start from the very beginning.

We watched a documentary entitled objectified... an hour and half documentary film on creating, modifying and developing a product.

So what now?

As I have mentioned in my blog, I hope that it made us appreciate, respect, and take action to further promote and take responsibility of the things that we take a hold. Not because of the brand, or its cost, but because of what is inside the product... the process it gone through... the people behind it.

We studied the four quadrant of the brain and its hemesphere. It was discussed that there are left and right brain thinkers. that there are some who are logical, critical or the artsy partsy, those who think zig zags when the rest are thinking of straight lines.

So what now?

For me, it made me balance things out. I have learned that there are some decisions that need both functions and critiques. I have learn that its not always an excuse to be a "right" thinker or "left" thinker, I did something becuase I want to do it. I stand firmly on what I thought is right.

We studied on creativity... the little Cs and Big Cs... idea generation. from big-time companies... the process of creativity.... how do one goes about it and how do others do it.

So what now?

I have learned to appreciate what I can and cannot do, to accept my little Cs and take encouragement to those Big Cs yet waiting to be reached. I am looking forward to get my hands into new endeavors of creativity.

We tackled japanese inventions, creative companies, creative indidviduals, decision-making, mind-mapping, affinity maps, post-its! we have learned how to do creative things methodogically.

So what now?

I guess I became more open and accepting to new ideas, to be ciritcal so I will not stop to where I am now and go on to where I am heading too, to be graceful despite the stress. To dare to dream big not only for oneself but more so for others. To weight things out. To ask. To know. To act.

It was five months of a lot of learnings, and fun. Tuesday nights spent with people ready to share their knowledge and be open. Countless suspensions, as if Tuesday is the real Saturday.  Time of extracting creative juices due to requirements.

So what now?

I hope that from now on, I will become more and more, better person, better thinker, criticallyand creatively, take better judgments, and take a  appreciation not only of arts but also to anything.

The semester is coming to its end... and so is this blog.. but I hope that things we learned from eachother will take an effect towards us endlessly.

cReations. cReativity. cRamming.

This entry is more than just a blog for me… since I just came out freshly devastated from my hard rock research class I thought of experimenting on myself…  At 10:23 P.M., half an hour before the deadline, how on earth can I pull off, squeeze out, and bring on all “creativity” I have to make a blog? As mentioned in one of our readings (The Eureka Moment – Brian Nadel), Tom Kelly of IDEO’s said that “Time pressure is one of the best way to get the job done”. So this is not actually cramming… more of a “social experiment” – research and creativity rolled in one.

So where do I start? Creativity defined or undefined.

Like love, religion, beauty, gender, among others… I cannot concretely define, gauge, or characterized what creativity is and who is creative. But creativity is generally stereotyped to being an “artist”, and I bet when you read or hear the word “artist” (like now) I can sense that you are thinking of … – Picaso, Botong Francisco , Michael Angelo, Michael Bubble, Leonardo Da Vinci and Leonardo Di Carpio – or perhaps if you see a guy with a long hair (preferably in dreadlocks), in colorful outfit (or in total black), all alone (or in a bunch of herd) you would think that he is a creative artist, as if being (excuse me for the term) odd is akin to creativity. But of course, “creativity” is not always an excuse to do things your way, it’s a timeless debate like creative freedom and freedom of self – expression – which is another long story to tell so let’s put that at rest for the moment.

Growing – up with love for colors, graduating with a degree in Communication Arts, and now taking up Masters, others would easily say “creative ka!”, but still to some “it’s not enough”. Howard Gardner said that each has his own creativity – but specifically being creative in “X”, whether it’s  Big C (great achievements of genius, like the ones I mentioned above) or little Cs (like the photos below – from yours truly).

(mirrored photo I took at CCP)

(a sketch of my good friend)

(a painting I did way back in HS)



If one is creative so what now?

If all has Big Cs and Little Cs, then we are all creative – it is just that not all are put on the pedestal and hall of fame. But more than just having an audience for your creativeness and people to appreciate it, specifically if we take a look on inventions – the aspect that needs to be raised is who benefits from what. And I think you probably know where am I leading too (though I can barely see where am I ending this) – The creativity of Japanese, for me, is out of question, to borrow DOT’s tag “it is more creative in Japan” – they do things the Japanese way. From great inventions and innovations – technology, robotics, cell phones, automobile, to “cute” creations – Anime, Sanrio, fashion, and not only out of the box stuff but also out of this world, regardless if it’s useless or not, so long that they can express their creativity. And of course, the following TV shows would surely bring nostalgic memories (right 90s babies): Voltes V, Takeshi’s Castle, Mask Rider Black, Shaider, and my favorite – Mask Man (in case someone is misplaced here – oops… let me know)

photos from google

Mask Man



Shaider

And then what really now?

20^th Century Writer Ray Bradbury, would wrapped this up best (at 11:45 P.M.) “Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self – conscious, and anything self – conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things”

The next time you think that you cannot be creative…

Don’t think twice or thrice… just don’t think at all.

aLRayt!

For these past weeks our class in Creativity and Problem Awareness has been discussing zombie’s favorite part of a human – brain. And as of the moment my brain isn’t really being friendly to me, or maybe it’s the other way around. Work has been exhausting my mind (those who can relate please raise your right hand). Neurologists call it brain – fatigue, because of too much information coming in and out of our mind (information overload). As of the writing I am pleading and begging to the four quadrants of my brain to please work together. Which reminds me (oh my brain cells are functioning now) that I would humbly appeal to those in authority to please review again the crossover connection of left – hand to right – brain hemisphere and the right – hand to left – brain hemisphere. I know you have been studying it for the past one – hundred fifty years but please come on! Perhaps you missed some data somewhere down when you’re gathering information. I am right handed but I know, I proclaim and I believe that my dominant brain is also the right hemisphere (those who can relate please raise you left hand). During the test we did weeks ago, I expected to belong to the 3rd Quadrant but it was my lowest! how can that be!? I am an emotional person! I use my feelings often! I love IPC!  The result showed that I belong to the 2^nd Quadrant of the brain or the sequential thinkers or organizers. 

yeah Right! That’s the funniest joke I have heard for centuries! I am not organized!  (see these photos below, that's my desk at work and see I am Sam the Right-brainer) 

But yeah I tend to be a detailed – person, but no! no! no! I don’t follow sequences; I skip from chapter 1 to chapter 23 when I read books. I am not good with language, my tongue is often twisted, I don’t follow the norm, I don’t go where everybody is, and I… I… I can’t believe this! All my life… for the past 20… plus years, I am convinced and I believe that I am a right – brain person, but just one test, one piece of paper, destroyed what I have been holding on for the past 20… plus years (melodramatic music insert here). Oh well not unless my theory is right that I am actually left – handed but my parents forced me to make use of my right hand (mmaaaa!!!). But kidding, I was not really overacting with the result, though a little surprise and curious. And it shouldn’t really bother since it really functions as one, and it adjusts according the situation we are in. No one actually says, “oh wait which part of my brain I should use?”, right? :)

One interesting part of the reading material, though we were not able to discuss it in class, is the “bias” in custom in being labeled as right or left handed. Right in Latin is dexter meaning skill or adroitness  (ability), while left in Latin word is sinister meaning bad. The French word for right is droit which means good, just or proper, while left in French word is gauche or awkward. And in English right means... ahh “right” or correct or true while left is associated with weakness or worthlessness. Even here in our country, the tagalog word for left is “kaliwa”, and if your “maka-kaliwa” your leftist or the term used in politics for those who go against the government. And if your husband or wife cheated, it is called “nangaliwa”. Unfair… right?! :)

Another topic discussed which often happens in every day is the aspect of convergent and divergent thinking, and another, is the vertical and lateral thinking. I don’t think that one is better than the other for it has its own purpose and use, according to what is need for a certain situation. For research, the thinking style, I guess, is often combination of everything. In gathering data all possible methods are considered before selecting one that is best to use (convergent thinking). For advertisers, writers, and other artists probably, most often than not, think diversely to see all possible ideas to present TV commercial, theatre or production. For practical application, a woman must converge her thoughts before selecting that one right man, and for males… they think of diverse ideas to win a woman’s heart (yiiihhh). Perhaps it is not always that we converge our thoughts or think diversely, but it is sure that always, every time, we think vertically or in lateral form – we think ordinarily or out of this world. And we actually don’t stop and think which one to use, right? Our brain is like ninja, moving fast, or lighting mcqueen shifting one gear to another, as the need arises, right? :)

But the highlight of the so far discussion is those mind-boggling-brain-twisting-whatchamacallit quizzes! Come on! I can't see how that girl twists both ways (see, I told you guys, I am rihgt brain thinker) Why in this world will I think of possible problem when I use a pen (like it often has diarrhea or LBM), or other way to use paper clips (like using it as “panggatong”), or human not needing to eat (like … I do like this, because we will all be super models!). And those nine dots! They made me feel like I don’t use my brain to its full potential and to the best of its ability (so help me gosh!) because I was not able to get how to connect it – I started from this side, to this dot, to another angle, to another dot… I even tried folding and twisting my paper but to no avail! And those situations given, challenged me! Come on! What’s the safest place among ranging fire, assassins and lions? Or two sons not being twins! Out of this world situations but challenges you to either dwell on it much until arriving to a possible answer, or have some simple thoughts and finding the right answer. 


left or right or either way or both... I come to realize that our brain can think of the simplest “thoughtless” reasoning or the craziest, weirdest, and sanest excuse. good or bad, its up to us and to which quadrant we will ponder it.

And that’s how our brain works, right? :)

R...obot!

(this photo is a screen shot of my comment on Sam's blog :))

just want to share this. i don't know if you get to have the same experience, but i find this ... err... odd (?) i can't think of a word... but the instruction "Please prove that you are not a Robot" and that you have to enter this code... is weird for me... we just finished a documentary about design and now we are discussing on how brains work... and i just google about a robot who can think on its own...

http://theweek.com/article/index/217930/the-robot-that-can-think-on-its-ow

  

 (taken from the link)

the caption of this photo goes "This robot can not only chat with its robot buddies via the internet, but can conquer new challenges by itself.".... so its no longer an assurance that entering a code attests that someone is not a robot...  genius? or not? im not really sure, but these robots and other out of this world are the things that design, technology and someones great brain can do! now i wonder what quadrant of brain they fit in... hmmmm :)

gRacefulkiller

hi! just a sudden thought... in case i commented on your blog using "gracefulkiller"... its me, R :) that's my google account id :) for info so as no one will be confused :)

aRt Story

Much as I wanted not to claim it, I guess I have to confess that this would be my first serious shot on blogging. I don’t consider answering questions on friendster’s bulletin board as blogging, and neither do I constantly post notes on facebook. The closest thing I can relate to this is my livejournal account, which I barely used (anyone who could remember?) I had it way back when having a mobile phone with multi-color housing that matches your outfit puts you on the pedestal of demigods. So please bear with this neophyte. As Henry Ford once said and was quoted in the documentary, “Every object has a story,” and so is this blog… and this is my version of it.

The documentary, “Objectified”, brought compounded thoughts in my head, with a running time of an hour and half, more than 10 interviewees, and presentations of various products and designs, from toothbrush to cars, laptops and mobiles. It was actually an information overload. My trail of thoughts, as I watch the film, ran in crossroads as disorganized as my handwriting as I curved these words. So to put into method my thoughts and better understand my insights, I will make use of an acronym very close to the documentary, and to the course that we are taking, baduy as it may sound… A.R.T.

Appreciate

I guess after the film, I or maybe even some of you would never look at a toothpick the same way again. I guess one might even check those tiny lines on its tip, or even try snapping it after used, or simply look into its details. Those tiny details that little did I know has a meaning, a purpose, and a reason that root back to a culture or symbolism. Details of designs where there because it serves a purpose. The innovation that the designer went through, those sleepless nights and long awaited eureka moments just to improve the product, to develop it for the consumers’ convenience; it is for us and worth our salute. It made me appreciate more and thank God that I was born in this generation where most things are fast and easy. I bet you wouldn’t like, not even dare to imagine, being in the era when peeling a potato would need a sharp rock and do it the Flintstone way. As I look around my tiny space, seeing a hanger hooked on the edge of my bed, hampers in shape of rectangle and circle, rotating stand fan, music playing on my phone, these are the things I see everyday but did not really dwell much on its usefulness on how it makes life less complicated. Now, I no longer see mere products, but man’s ingenuity. What I see are people with great mind, untiring hands, and flaming passion to create products not for themselves alone but for all.

Respect

With much appreciation, I give my high respect not only to the designers but also to their products. I used to think that some products or designs are non-sense, of no use, waste of resources, and made with one eye shot and half of the brain dead. Honestly, at first, I thought that the laptop featured by one of the designers would need a miracle in order to sell it, not even to his relatives, unless it will come as free. I don’t think it’s efficient, I don’t like it being bulky, it looks heavy, and its monitor and keypad are too small for its size. Its only saving grace is the “automatic eject” if incase your pencil rolled on the side of the monitor (genius…err… right?). But after much pondering and guilt eating my conscience for being nasty, I realized, who am I to critique someone’s work. I don’t know the effort he exerted for it; I wouldn’t know what he went through to come up with such product. Who am I to really critique when I haven’t even tried spelling my name backwards. Perhaps at times I think out of the box, but this guy, he thought out of this world that led him to create a box that is yet to exist. I guess it would take me forever to create one, even with my two eyes wide open.

Take Action

All those innovations and product development take me back some years ago when being cool means having moving phone saver screen and an infrared that allows you to play the mobile game Snake in two players. There I was engaged on a debate, trying to argue why innovation must have some repercussions, limitations and considerations. I was standing on the opposite side… alone. My point is that while the rest of the world is advancing with all these high technological gadgets and moving forward in zip and zaps, there are people, somewhere unknown, who haven’t even heard a music through a radio, or the word television is gibberish, or electricity, radio waves, or satellites have reached their community. Who knows that maybe, just maybe, there are really some who still live in the realm of Fred or Tarzan. It made me feel bad to desire more, to want more, I was afraid to be engulfed by materialism and advancement. Some thought I am acting weird, thinking slow, an old soul… and I thought so too. If all of those meant looking forward but trying to preserve culture and origin, reaching and grasping innovations but holding to what really matters most, stepping forward towards a new world but leaving a trail so as anytime I can look back and go back or let others follow, and to ensure no one gets lost or left behind… then by all means I am weird, slow and old soul.

The documentary reminded me of an action I almost forgot for sometime. As said in the film, at the end of the day the purpose of these products is to help us survive each day, we put meaning to it, value to it… but with that I guess, I put on my hand the responsibility to make use of these instruments, to be an instrument to create a bigger impact and greater cause not only for me to survive and to savor each moment, but most importantly for others as well.