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How to Trick Your Brain for Happiness This month, we feature videos of a Greater Good presentation by Rick Hanson, the best-selling author and trailblazing psychologist. In this excerpt from his talk, Dr. Hanson explains how we can take advantage of the brain’s natural “plasticity”—it’s ability to change shape over time. gobyg There’s this great line by Ani Tenzin Palmo, an English woman who spent 12 years in a cave in Tibet: “We do not know what a thought is, yet we’re thinking them all the time.” It’s true. In recent years, though, we have started to better understand the neural bases of states like happiness, gratitude, resilience, love, compassion, and so forth. Ultimately, what this can mean is that with proper practice, we can increasingly trick our neural machinery to cultivate positive states of mind. But in order to understand how, you need to understand three important facts about the brain. Fact one: As the brain changes, the mind changes, for better or worse. Fact two: As the mind changes, the brain changes. 1. 2. 3.
New type font said to help dyslexics NEW YORK, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A new font designed for people with dyslexia is now available for use on mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones, its U.S. designer says. The font, called OpenDyslexic, was designed by Abelardo Gonzalez, a mobile app designer from New Hampshire who has released the free font to word processors and e-book readers, Medical Xpress reported Monday. Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulty in reading for people with otherwise normal vision and intelligence. It affects up to 10 percent of the population. Research has shown that "bottom-heavy" fonts using lines that are thicker toward the bottom than at the top results, for some, in less page-flipping and more successful reading. While some font developers rushed to create their own "bottom-heavy" versions of existing fonts, hoping to capitalize on licensing fees, Gonzalez decided to design a font from scratch and then make it free to anyone who wants to use it.
Lessons Drawspace Pro Lessons are designed for artists of all levels and educators, and are logically organized into resources and activities. Eventually, all lessons and E-books authored by Brenda Hoddinott will be available here: four to eight brand new lessons and newly-revised older lessons are being added every month! Upgrade Now: Download all 310 lessons and 4 e-books! Try for Free: Download lessons marked as "Free"! 1.1.R1 Glossary Of Art Terms Definitions of art-related terms used in the resources and activities of Drawspace Curriculum (updated February 2013) $3.99or Upgradeto access all files 1.1.R2 Travelling Back in Time with Graphite A few fun tidbits of information about the history of graphite $0.99or Upgradeto access all files 1.1.R3 Examining Graphite and Grades Understanding the differences between H and B grades of graphite $0.99or Upgradeto access all files 1.1.R4 Seeing Grades in Drawings Graphite drawings demonstrate the visual qualities of H and B grades of pencils Download Download
How to Think of What to Draw: 23 steps (with pictures) Edit Article Edited by Dvortygirl, Laptop123, Nicole Willson, Random and 41 others Have you been inspired to draw, including getting inspiration from famous artists, or are just doing it for fun? Drawing can often be fun, but sometimes it can be hard to think of ideas for what to draw. Ad Steps 1Doodle. 21Look back through old sketchbooks for ideas. Tips Don't be afraid to try something new or make something up as you go. Warnings While there's nothing wrong with drawing from a photograph to practice, keep in mind that you may not be able to publish the result if you don't hold the copyright or have permission.