7 steps to creativity - how to have ideas A guest post by Simon Townley of WriteMindset As a writer, having ideas is one of the most important parts of your craft. But often it seems like one of the most difficult and challenging parts of the whole process. How do you keep ideas flowing? Some people like to wait for inspiration to strike. Luckily, there is a formula for producing ideas on a consistent basis. But if you need to produce strong and creative ideas regularly as part of your writing career, then it pays to know the formula, and how to use it. First of all, what is an idea? “An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.” So how do you combine old elements into new? “The capacity to bring old elements into new combinations depends largely on the ability to see relationships.” Young says the ability to see relationships between facts is the most important factor in coming up with ideas. How do you cultivate it? There is also a formula, however, a five step plan which Young outlined in his book.
Homemade MREs For quite a while now, I've wanted to make up my own "MREs" for my Get Home Bag (GHB). I was recently out scouting some properties, and realized that my GHB only had some packs of tuna and some candy in them. I had broken my own Cardinal Rule - If you use it, replace it immediately. So, I went about making up some MRE packages. I assembled my "ingredients" based on "Best By" date, calories and protein content. The idea was to put long-life food together and vacuum seal it in a FoodSaver bag. For my first MRE, here's what I included - It includes: One individual serving of Beef-a-roni, 2 ounces (by weight - about 1/2 cup) of dry roasted peanuts, one pack of Land-o-Lakes French Vanilla cappuccio, one Promax energy bar, 4 pieces of Jolly Rancher hard candy, and utensiles (plastic spoon, knife and 2 napkins). Since the peanuts were loose, I wanted to separate them in the pouch. I then filled that with the peanuts and sealed it. Here are the stats - Here's the result - Times have changed!
The Egg Author's Note: The Egg is also available in the following languages: The Egg By: Andy Weir You were on your way home when you died. It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. And that’s when you met me. “What… what happened?” “You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. “There was a… a truck and it was skidding…” “Yup,” I said. “I… I died?” “Yup. You looked around. “More or less,” I said. “Are you god?” “Yup,” I replied. “My kids… my wife,” you said. “What about them?” “Will they be all right?” “That’s what I like to see,” I said. You looked at me with fascination. “Don’t worry,” I said. “Oh,” you said. “Neither,” I said. “Ah,” you said. “All religions are right in their own way,” I said. You followed along as we strode through the void. “Nowhere in particular,” I said. “So what’s the point, then?” “Not so!” I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “How many times have I been reincarnated, then?” “Oh lots. “Wait, what?” “Well, I guess technically. “Sure. “Wait.
Hobbiton: Sheep 1, Hobbits 0 Matamata in New Zealand was the place chosen to film the Hobbiton scenes of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy of movies. After the film was finished the farm upon which the Hobbit village was created asked if some of the hobbit homes could remain to serve as an additional tourist attraction to the area. ...And so it was. In other words, don't go to Matamata's Hobbiton expecting Disneyland. The set still has a charm all of its own. Just sit back, use your imagination and you will be in Hobbiton. And no, you can't eat the lambs. See how Hobbiton has changed in 2011 after the completion of the filming of The Hobbit!
Traveling Lightly Through Life | zen habits ‘A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Francine Jay of Miss Minimalist. I’m often asked what inspired me to become a minimalist. After over-packing on a few trips—and suffering the misery of lugging around a heavy suitcase—I vowed never to check a bag again. The experience was exhilarating! I began to edit the contents of my home with the same fervor as I had my suitcase. Lighten your load Excess possessions are like excess luggage: they can tie us down, get in the way, and drain our sense of energy and adventure. Conversely, the less stuff we have to worry about, the more nimble we become—and the better able to embrace new opportunities and experiences. To regain our freedom, we simply need to lighten our loads. Start with a clean slate. Question every item. Set limits. Use modules. Think versatility. Digitize. Live on the edge. Lighten your step Some tips for traveling well through life: Take the slow train.
Ab Exercise STOP! Don’t do another crunch ab exercise. You have alternatives Abs are the most sought after body part. We want beautiful abs with no fat on top! Below are some ab exercises that I love to do. Take your time as you learn each ab exercise. What’s Your Favorite Ab Exercise? Plank Pose Start- Start in an upper push-up position. Go For It- Stay in this position as long as possible. Tips and Techniques- – Remember to breathe! – Pull your belly button into your spine. – If you feel this ab exercise in your lower back, lift your derriere up into the air a bit. – When you cannot hold on for another second, come down to all fours (hands and knees). – Plank Pose and Child’s Pose are two of many yoga poses that I use in my trainings. – This is my favorite ab exercise of all time. Leg Lowering Start- Begin by laying on your back. Go For It- Very slowly begin to lower your legs so that they are almost touching the ground. – Inhale as you lower your legs to the ground. Reverse Crunch Bicycle Ball Crunch
The Complexity of the Creative Personality Researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi includes in his books and other writings descriptions of the diversity and multiple characteristics of creative people. In a post of hers, Juliet Bruce, Ph.D. notes that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced me-high chick-sent-me-high-ee) wrote, “If there is one word that makes creative people different from others, it is the word complexity. Instead of being an individual, they are a multitude.” “Like the color white that includes all colors, they tend to bring together the entire range of human possibilities within themselves. Here are a few qualities he lists, as Bruce summarizes: A great deal of physical energy alternating with a great need for quiet and rest.Highly sexual, yet often celibate, especially when working.Smart and naïve at the same time. Do you relate to any of these qualities? One of these intriguing areas is androgyny. The photo is actor Tilda Swinton, at the 2008 Oscars, where she won for her role in “Michael Clayton.”
750 Words Interrogating Texts: 6 Reading Habits to Develop in Your First Year at Harvard - Research Guides Critical reading—active engagement and interaction with texts—is essential to your academic success at Harvard, and to your intellectual growth. Research has shown that students who read deliberately retain more information and retain it longer. Your college reading assignments will probably be more substantial and more sophisticated than those you are used to from high school. The amount of reading will almost certainly be greater. College students rarely have the luxury of successive re-readings of material, either, given the pace of life in and out of the classroom. While the strategies below are (for the sake of clarity) listed sequentially, you can probably do most of them simultaneously. 1. Y ou’ve probably engaged in one version of previewing in the past, when you’ve tried to determine how long an assigned reading is (and how much time and energy, as a result, it will demand from you). What does the presence of headnotes, an abstract, or other prefatory material tell you? 2. 3.
The Great Geek Manual » The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries I make no secret of the fact that I’m a hardcore bibliophile, but we’re a common enough lot these day. And the one sight that always makes me linger over a webpage is rows and rows of neatly organized books. So, in an effort to draw more like-minded read here to my little blog, I decided to round-up a gallery of photos of some of the most beautiful libraries I’ve ever seen photos of. Enjoy. If you enjoy this gallery, make sure you check out our other list of The United States’ Most Beautiful Libraries! Abbey Library St. The Astronomy Library of the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands Photo Credit: (Erik) Bristol Central Library Photo Credit: *Firefox The British Library reading room at the centre of the Great Court of the British Museum in London, England. Central Library of Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada Photo Credit: lightgazer Delft University Library in The Netherlands Photo Credit: rutger spoelstra José Vasconcelos Library in México City, Mexico Photo Credit: CliNKer
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