Why Old is Gold

December 18, 2014December 18, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

One thing that many people mistake about creativity is that, because it is associated with originality and modernization, it has to be something that was never done or even attempted ever before. The bigger problem is many have actually come to believe this, which is why new artists who are still struggling to make a name for themselves are finding it hard to break the ice. Most of them are having a hard time when it comes to deciding on how they would go about building a foundation for their talent. They are too cautious, rather fearful, about being called a cliché. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again; the moment you pay attention to what your critics say, you should either prepare for a meltdown, or worse, the death of your creative career. Although, you really don’t have to lose hope if that should happen because you can always start from scratch once you’re through the whole mourning process. The point is, disregard any negative things people say about your recycled work or concept because if it turns out to be a success, no single criticism will matter. In fact, you can laugh off any defamatory statement said about you or what you’ve created.

These days, everyone (not really, but many people I know) always get overly excited about Thursdays and Fridays. Why? It’s because they get to post old photographs of them (or friends and family, sometimes even celebrities they like) to reminisce and somehow celebrate a holiday that’s barely even legit, and use a hashtag (#) on the posts followed by words like ‘throwback’, ‘flashback’, or ‘circa’ plus the year the photo was taken. The photos, although no longer in their best condition, seem to look very artsy, thanks to photo editing apps on tablets or most smartphones, the most popular of which is Instagram. The whole objective of the app is having its users express themselves creatively through photographs. Basically you use old or recently taken pictures then add some filters, frames and other elements so that it comes out looking new, different, unique. The funny thing is, even though they didn’t require much effort, these pictures get a lot of likes and are re-blogged or shared on other sites. I’m actually not one of those people who enjoy doing these things, but I’ve got to admit, some can be pretty creative in their own way. Some of them don’t mind having similar themes or concepts with other users, in fact, they like to keep up with what the rest of the world is doing. And it’s not a cliché, but instead, a trend.

Personally, I don’t think having similarities with others in terms of work or expression takes away one’s authenticity. That is something not even the most creative mind, not even geniuses, can escape from. We either have things in common or differences. The classics are timeless. Any attempt on remaking or re-creating them is a form of flattery directed towards the original creators. Whether the remakes do justice to the classics or not, what counts is, it’s good enough that they bring these old masterpieces back to life. The good oldies will always live through time, but that is the work of the present generation to keep the memory of their glory days alive. That is how you as modern day artists can contribute to your respective art forms. It doesn’t have to be within blood ties to be a legacy. You must be brave enough to create what you can in the present, with help from what you’ve learned from the past, to live beyond your time and make it to the future. And in the future, where your creation is considered old, who knows how many people would find it gold?

“Our admiration of the antique is not admiration of the old, but of the natural.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Read. Write. Repeat.

December 17, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

Life is like a battle, but no one is really born a soldier. One has to train, learn how to use various weapons, and of course prepare mentally. You can’t win wars without a good leader who knows how and when the best time to fire is. And if you also don’t safeguard your stacks of ammo, you can get killed just because hiding can only save you for a while, that is if the enemy is not that persistent to exterminate your entire troop. It’s not very different from being a writer. Your knowledge is as good as the material you read, and your wisdom comes from your experiences. When you aim to conquer the world of literature, you must constantly think of ways on how you can make use of what you have learned. Many say that people who go out there and face the realities of life know better than people who only rely on books for facts. I beg to disagree. Before these facts were stated in the books, they were also real-life experiences, if not something the author witnessed himself. Even fiction novels have some essence of truth in them, evident in how they have similar patterns with what really goes on in real life. The only difference is, in fiction, everything is a little more interesting than how things normally are. Whether you write fiction or not, you always need to have some backing. What you need to do is, read as much as possible, and note down the points that you feel can be used for your own writing later on. This is stacking ammo for writers. You will never know for sure if you will be able to use them in the future, but it’s good to have reassurance from yourself that you have something you can count on when you have to.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I rarely travel (but would most definitely love to if I have time), and I don’t have that many noteworthy experiences to share or use as raw material for my writings. However, I have written many short stories, poems and songs. I owe it all to my reading habit. Perhaps my wide imagination also had something to do with it, but, this also spawned from hearing stories my grandmother would tell me. Oh she was quite the storyteller. When I was a kid, my mom always encouraged me to read. I started with fables then eventually more complex ones. My mother loved reading too. When she was in college, she collected Sidney Sheldon books. When I ran out of books to read, I snuck into her room to steal (okay borrow) one of the books just because I couldn’t sleep, even though she strictly forbid me to at that time because it wasn’t appropriate for my age then. Somehow, after having finished reading a book, I feel like being in a crisis, asking myself ‘now, what am I going to do?’ That’s the thing with reading too. In the beginning, you relate to a character because you have something in common. As you read on, you realize you have nothing in common with the character, but you want to. So when the story ends, you feel like your life ended as well. For me, whenever I feel like I don’t agree with how the author ended the story, I write my version of it. Sometimes, I write a completely different story, but it has some influence from the last book that I have read.

A good writer must also be a good reader. Let the authors who came before you pass on what they know. During their time, some were considered as visionaries. Critics here and there say that what their ambition is for the following generations is a joke because they can never be certain of how the future is going to be like. But look at us today, we live in new times, but we still look back into the past for something that can support or strengthen our own ambitions for the generations after ours.

“Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know.” – Alberto Manguel

Have Fun For Creativity’s Sake

December 14, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

Everyone needs to unwind every once in a while. Earlier today, I suddenly had an idea. I couldn’t exactly say that it is a brilliant one, but I’m just happy that it had entered my thoughts. It is about this short story I’ve always wanted to write when I was in grade school, but, neurotic as I am about completing a task, I always tend to lose the drive in finishing it. This time, however, I have finally pieced together how I want my story to unfold. This time, I thought, I have a better chance of writing the piece and get to its ending. Noon came, and I was running out of things to write. I woke up thinking I could finish the story before the day ends. I thought wrong. It’s turning out to be more challenging than I thought, even though before I started, I had everything mapped out. The harder I pondered, the more resistant my brain became in welcoming ideas. I grew frustrated and gave up. I had my mind made up about never finishing that story at all. I went to my room, turned the fan on, and lay on my bed. I was hoping that being unproductive was just a matter of recharging my batteries, so I took a nap. When I woke up, I haven’t felt more energized. I sat right back in front of my desk and tried my luck on the story again, since I am finally well-rested. It’s almost time for supper and still, I haven’t written a thing. The blank space on my screen never looked more empty.

Food. That’s it! I remember having written a post before about the importance of eating right and its significance to the creative process. I joined my family at the dining table. We had quite a satisfying meal, but I unfortunately have to wait until the next good meal to savor satisfaction for a longer time. With just a few more hours before the day ends, I get right back to business and put my game face on, as I am now in front of my laptop for the third time today. I don’t know if the odds are just against me finishing this story or this is some kind of bad karma (although I’m pretty sure I’ve been really nice lately), but this is really bringing me down.

When I was still in college, I remember how my friends and I used to blow off steam during finals week (a.k.a. the stress marathon) by playing pool and having a few beers, so that we would feel refreshed and get our minds off of the pressure to pass the exams. I’m not saying it works for everybody, but it did work for us. Whenever we get back to studying after having a good time, the lessons seem to become easier to digest. I have noticed that my grades were better when I have a little fun in between study times, than when I study straight until the exams come. However, this claim is just based on a personal experience. There’s no scientific proof to back this theory, but if it can work for some, there’s no harm in trying it yourself, because it might work for you too.

Going back to the problem at hand… I have just realized that reminiscing how I handled an equally frustrating situation from back in the days, I’ve discovered the solution to my present dilemma. Maybe I just needed to play, so that I can regain efficiency at work. I’m not really into the games that most gamers are into these days. I’m kind of old school, I’m addicted to Tetris Battle on Facebook. I know, I know. It’s lame for some, but I enjoy it a lot. It’s practically the reason why I am on Facebook. So I played a few games until I ran out of battle energy for the day. Surprisingly, when I got back to writing, I knew exactly what to write. I was able to finish my short story. Believe it. It sort of felt like finding a cure for a new type of disease. On top of that, I was left with time to spare, so decided to share this with you guys. You should avoid uninterrupted toiling while doing something creative because it’s not meant to enslave you. In fact, creativity sets you free.

“Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.” – Albert Einstein

Extra-Terrestrial, Extra-Tantalizing

December 11, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

I don’t know what it is about the unknown that keeps us enthralled. Scientists have been studying planets and other celestial bodies in hopes of answering the question on whether or not another lifeform exists in outer space. If it were impossible to send out spacecrafts until today, and no proof whatsoever of aliens visiting Earth was found, I strongly believe there would still be a lot of fiction written about them. It is in our intrinsic nature to seek company, even the company of those that very much unlike us. How you wish they were real.

Regardless of what your spiritual belief is, human as you are, you tend to have faith in something bigger than you. Or at least you want to believe that such entity exists. In ancient Greece, they have made up gods and goddesses, which are very significant characters in their literature, to make life more meaningful and interesting. I admit, if I were born in that time and place, I would have been greatly impressed at the creativity of the minds of those who birthed these characters. From nothing, they have constructed a hierarchy of beings that don’t exist at all. Even so, not being tangible did not stop these beings from being a thing of interest up until today.

Going back to aliens, these extra-terrestrial beings – they were very popular elements in books during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. How this genre originated is actually very, put in a lesser formal expression, cool. See, in the 1930s and 1940s science fiction was only beginning to catch the attention of the public. That time, the hot topic in print and media was stories of war. Some writers who would rather not do a parallel scheme for fear that they might end up soliciting negative impressions from the masses, decide to tell stories about the World Wars using an out of this world scenario. They have pioneered the ‘Intergalactic Wars’. And somehow, these stories have formed one of the largest fan bases in the sphere of fiction. Today, grand conventions are held to celebrate the different characters of this genre and many of the attendees come wearing costumes. You have got to admit, once in your life, you wanted to play the role of any character from either Star Trek or Star Wars, two of the most popular products of science fiction.

If you have read any sci-fi novels, you will notice that although the story is set somewhere in a galaxy, far, far, away, the aliens in the story show some very human-like traits. This is because their emotions are patterned from that of ours. This is how being creative can give us god-like powers. Creativity enables you to produce something new, and part of it reflects you. It’s not exclusively Biblical to say that creation is created in the image of the creator. Many authors of fiction will agree that most of their characters identify with them, not the other way around.

Even if there really aren’t any aliens out there, I’m sure you will be able to make a story about them. Yes, you, using nothing but your imagination. I’m encouraging you to write your own sci-fi story. It doesn’t have to be about a war. What is your idea of an alien civilization? You can use romance, comedy, or both as a theme to have an unusual take on the genre.

“A philosopher once asked, ‘Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?’ Pointless, really… ‘Do the stars gaze back?’ Now, that’s a question.” – Neil Gaiman

Long Walks on the Beach

December 9, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

Ah…the beach. People may feel differently about many things, but I’m pretty sure almost everyone likes the company of roaring waves. There’s a certain magic about the sound that just makes you feel like you can do anything.

I have a friend, her name is Francine (it’s really not Francine, but when I asked her if it was okay to use her story, she asked me not to use her real name). Francine is a fashion designer. She came from a family of architects. At first, they did not like the idea of her taking interest into Fashion Design. They told her that among her siblings, she had the most impractical choice of career. Back when we were still in college, Francine had to work and study at the same time because her parents did not support her matriculation fees since it was a course in fashion. It came to a point where Francine had to give up because she couldn’t handle all her responsibilities already. So she quit fashion school. She talked to her father about taking Architecture and Interior Design on the following semester. After five long years, two years ago, she graduated. Francine is now a licensed architect. Her office, completed ten months ago, is located at the center of the city. And guess what? It is a private architectural firm, as well as a high fashion boutique. Who would’ve thought she could turn her dreams into a reality by having to place it on hold momentarily.

We planned to meet up because I told her I needed to write about something inspiring, and also just to catch up. She chose a nearby beach. I didn’t really expect that she would choose to go to the beach because, well, it is December and we’re only going to be in for a really cold time at the beach. We wouldn’t be able to enjoy the sun. When we arrived, it was fairly sunny. Well, what do you know? We played some relaxing island tunes in our hut and sipped on fruit juices we bought from the canteen. And then I started to ask her some questions. Eventually, I asked her what made her decide to take a pause in fashion design and do what her parents wanted for her to do. She pulled me and asked me to take a walk along the beach with her. She said that when she started to feel hopeless about ever finishing her course in fashion (financial resource was scarce then), she realized that maybe she needed to take the longer route. She didn’t really quit. She just thought that if she did what her parents say, she can finish college with their help and become a professional. From there, she knew that she could pick up from where she left, she could finally push through with her pursuit of her passion. She confessed that after her graduation, she didn’t ask for a party. She didn’t feel like celebrating because she thought too much about being busy now that her path is made before her. She told her parents that she wanted to go on a short vacation to an island, alone. She said that for a whole week, she took long walks on the beach because she was mourning for the end of her dreams in becoming a fashion designer. However, each time she returned to her cottage to rest, she was tempted to do some sketching. When she got back home, she showed her mother her sketch pad and it was filled with sketches of clothes, as well as buildings! And then she discovered that she can actually make interesting architecture, something out of the box, unlike those she learned in school. Her mother encouraged her to take a workshop so she can have a certificate in fashion designing. And after six months of doing that exactly, she is officially both a fashion designer and an architect. On her twenty-fourth birthday, her family told her the good news, that her office is almost finished.

Creativity, too, may come in mysterious ways. Francine was not expecting to find it in a moment of sadness, but it came naturally. Sometimes, when we are pushed down to our weakest point, that is where we find our strength. I also believe that the beach has certain powers that awaken our dormant creative prowess. Had she gone to a different location, events would have turned out differently. It was a clear case of being at the right place at the right time, even when the feelings didn’t start out right.

“Vital lives are about action. You can’t feel warmth unless you create it, can’t feel delight until you play,can’t know serendipity unless you risk.” – Joan Erickson

4 Things Your Critics Really Want From You

December 6, 2014December 6, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

Just as there are certain things that motivate an artist, there are also deeper reasons behind every detractor’s display of distaste. Although some of them would claim that they are simply giving an opinion, the truth is they want to provoke you into doing something that will crush your creative drive. It’s very important for you to be aware of their intentions so that you will know how to handle them. If you’re a keen observer, you have probably noticed some of these hidden motives already.

Here are four of the most common things that your critics are just dying to see. While going through them one by one, let’s go fast forward to a scenario where you allowed them to break your streak of creative victories. The future looks dark, I tell you.

You make a fool of yourself.

Before you started paying attention to what your critics say about your work, you are able to produce masterpiece after masterpiece. You used to not even have to ask for second opinions because you do your craft for your own pleasure, as a healthy expression, or you’re simply exhibiting your talents to make your loved ones proud. When you allowed the negative comments to scare you, your lack of confidence became very evident in your work. In fact, its quality has gone from great down to ordinary, then boring and eventually ridiculous. It’s not that nobody can appreciate the outlandish, but the point is it isn’t much of an art anymore because it’s a product of second guessing.

You get more haters.

They might as well have set up a Facebook community page for this, because chances are, they’re going to get a lot of ‘Likes’. That’s always been one of their main goals, to rally fellow detractors so as to sound more truthful in their negative claims, believing there is power in numbers. And once you let your critics get the better of you, you experience a chain of failures. You constantly fail, because even though what they’re saying about your work is not entirely true, you grow more cautious and not take giant leaps of faith with your creations anymore. We already know what playing safe is a crime against.

You hate your own.

It’s frustrating. It’s depressing. And who wouldn’t learn to despise one’s own work if you just kept messing up? Admittedly, I would. Some artists express revulsion through art. There are those who are able to make remarkable pieces, even though those pieces were made out of hate. However, this kind of hatred that you develop is not healthy because it is directed towards your art. You’re basically not creating from hate, but instead, hating what you create.

You throw in the towel.

Take it as it is. You just go ‘That’s all folks!’ and quit on your craft. The critics have won. They’re able to put your career in creativity to a sad end. It’s like forcing a boxer to stop boxing without even crippling him. You can’t really lose your talent, you will always have it. But when you quit, you lose everything, even yourself.

Snap back to reality. Good thing we were only visiting an imaginary setup. Although, they are likely to happen as a consequence of allowing the damaging statements made by critics to weaken your will to create. Remember, a good defense is a great offense. Not paying attention at all is the best way to fight back.

“Some people insist that ‘mediocre’ is better than ‘best.’ They delight in clipping wings because they themselves can’t fly. They despise brains because they have none.” – Robert A. Heinlein

By Chance Creatives: Which One Are You?

December 5, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

Inside of us is a kind of hunger that can only be sated by expressing things that no longer wish to dwell in our heads. This is our creative nature. It is like a volcano. It may become dormant for some time, but when it‘s ready to erupt, there’s no stopping it. There is actually more than one cause of volcanic eruption, and like it, there are many reasons that motivate people to be creative.

The product of creativity by pure chance is often more exhilarating for most people because it is something that they are able to accomplish unexpectedly. There is an element of surprise even for the one creating himself, unlike outputs resulting from hours or days of planning, where there’s even a possibility of losing the motivation.

Here’s a list of the kinds of people who are able to express creativity under certain circumstances or temporary states of mind. Perhaps you can relate with any one of them.

The “everything is falling into place” creative

You just got hired or promoted, bought a new house, won an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe, and all the other good stuff. Although it’s hard to believe that some people actually have this kind of luck, this is possible. What’s unlikely is that you may be too overwhelmed about the series of fortunate events that you wouldn’t actually have time to sit yourself down do something creative. But as I’ve said, we are naturally artistic, so the state of elation might just get you into innovating.

The “happy tummy” creative

Your workspace looks like a McDonald’s VIP corner. That one must eat well before working is not good enough for you. You actually eat WHILE you work. For you, having no food while working is like a driver racing in a car without wheels.

The “Batman and Robin” creative

You are skilled and have all the resources, but you constantly need your sidekick to be around. You want to make sure someone gives you a second opinion in real time. You work well when collaborating with someone who is very open to your ideas, but also someone who wouldn’t hesitate to disagree with you when he has a better concept.

The “In a relationship” creative

You can’t stop reading and writing romantic compositions. When you have to help out with prepping a venue for an event, you feel the need to fill the place with flowers and hearts, and it’s not even Valentine’s Day.

The “It’s complicated” creative

You’re really single. You just want to pretend that your life is a little more interesting than it actually is. But because you want to solicit attention, you create things that are rather intriguing. They seem pretty convincing, but in truth are only a product of your wishful thinking.

The “far from sober” creative

Your friends practically worship you, that is, whenever you suddenly turn into an overconfident public speaker during your occasional drinking sessions. What’s funny is that you are surprisingly eloquent, given that your mind is somewhere between logical and senseless. You normally couldn’t draw, not even a perfect circle or stick figures, but you’re shocked to find a graffiti on your wall when you wake up the next day.

The “everything is falling apart” creative

You are in a dark moment in your life. You just ended your relationship, you got fired, lost something really valuable, and on top of that, have a falling out with someone close to you. Some beautiful things come from the darkest of places. This is how you are. You wallow in the shadows, but you always end up converting pain into masterpieces.

“You need to create space for your creative process to thrive rather than expect it to operate in the cracks of your frenetic schedule.” – Todd Henry

Creative Workspace: One Size Does Not Fit All, But…

December 4, 2014 Sasa Leave a comment

Your office or studio is where you do the brainstorming for your current project or the next one. But, it doesn’t mean you have to stay in there each time you have to work. Having a career in creativity gives you that advantage. Unlike other types of careers, you don’t have to be confined in an area to be productive (or forced to be). You have the whole world as your workspace. Plus, you don’t have to worry about punch in/out clocks. You hit the time when ideas hit you, and there’s absolutely no limit to how long you can keep working, allowing you to strike while the iron is hot.

Unfortunately, even when we want to go elsewhere to work on something, the atmosphere does not always agree with our plans. When you have to stay indoors because weather conditions are not auspicious for some creating and innovating, there are ways to counter the unproductivity. Visit and make use of the different quarters in your abode. Below, I have some suggestions for you.

For when it’s too cold outside:

Drink hot chocolate and have your laptop or sketch pad with you, or whatever it is that you need for making drafts. Don’t underestimate what the comfort that a warm cup of anything can do.
Listen to the classics. They’re proven to help ease the mind and improve the activity of brain cells, so you stay alert mentally even when the weather is seducing you to take a nap.
Stay in the guest room. If you don’t have one, pick any room that you normally wouldn’t hang out in. You can even sit by the staircase or squat on the floor along the hallway. The point in this is to let you learn how you can find comfort in the most unexpected places, to appreciate the relief in spots that you would normally just pass by. Do the imagining there and write your thoughts on a notebook. Trust me, you will be able to use that.
Read or watch some drama, suspense or action-packed novels and films, even if you’re not a fan. Why these genres? As I’ve mentioned earlier, the cold can tempt you to be lazy. These types of entertainment are firmly engaging because you need to fully focus on them to understand the story throughout the end. Then after, you can use them as inspiration for your work.

For when it’s too hot outside:

Eat some ice cream (or any frozen treat), still with your creativity tools handy. To help beat the heat while you’re working on a project, incorporate the cool delight you get from what you’re eating into your work. I’ve tried this last summer. In spite of the great discomfort that the humid weather is giving me, I felt like frost fairy. You’ll get highly imaginative. Believe it.
Listen to modern songs. Unlike the classics, they will allow your brain to be just a bit passive, but not to the point of drowsiness. You can create a personal playlist of feel-good tunes to keep the vibe seemingly breezy, making it extra fun for you to work. However, if you’re not used to noise when working, you can always just opt for silence or listen to the mere sound of nature.
There’s neither storm nor snow, but the sun is too harsh. Sit on the porch or out in the backyard, under a shade of a tree. In the absence of any of these, any outer extension of the house will do. If you have air-conditioning, that works too. But I wouldn’t recommend it for when you’re working, especially when inside your room where it’s likely for you to fall asleep.
Read a humorous book. It’s too hot already, you don’t need something that requires you to be over-receptive. Laughter is a remedy for many things, it can also aid creativity relapses. No television this time. It only worsens the present uneasiness brought about by the abnormally warm weather. Also, an informative manuscript is a good alternative.

One place can’t really hold all the functions you need for an ideal workspace, but if you use your creativity when the situation calls for it, you will be able to deal with what’s available and continue to be productive. It’s part of your being creative to keep doing what you do, no matter what.

“Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash

Tap Into your Subconscious for Better Ideas

December 2, 2014 Sasa 2 Comments

When you have to come up with an idea, you look around to see if something or someone inside the room can pitch it to you. The tendency to be passive when confronted with a problem is a major hindrance to our being natural problem-solvers. As rational beings, we always seek for a solution, even when there is no problem to begin with. We just love to assume that there is always a catch. Perhaps it can be a good thing. I mean, nobody prefers being sorry when being safe is within capacity upon the start. But, is danger really present? In the scope of creativity, I think not.

Playing safe is a crime against creativity. The bigger the risks, the crazier the ideas, the more promising the outcome will be. The best source of these extraordinary concepts are buried deeply in our subconscious. Why? It’s because inside our semi-active thoughts, some realities are exaggerated. I know I’ve stressed in previous posts that too much of anything can’t be good( probably more times than I can recall), but in this sense, I’ll point out when exaggeration can work. Upon the inception of ideas, they are basically in a safe mode. Meaning to say, as long as they remain inside your head, there will never be such a thing as too much.

Your brain is made to hold unlimited information, pointless and useful alike. You feed it with new ones all the time, as a result of the different senses functioning. Once absorbed, they are stored in your memory. However, we can’t possibly remember everything. Have you ever noticed that when you don’t need to remember something, it comes so easily as though you would normally bring that thing up? But when you actually need to bring it up, you just don’t know where the heck it went. Take for instance when you’re taking an exam and you studied your ass off, but when the questions are right in front of you, you go blank. Artists get this all the time. Even though there is no pressure to get good grades, as some students feel during a test (or most of them at least), they aim to create something worthwhile for their talents’ sake.

Memories that can be used as raw material for something creative are often the hardest to recall. If you are frustrated enough about it, there is actually a way to access them. This process is called hypnotherapy. Hypnosis has long been used to treat people who have problems concerning the subconscious. Is it truly effective in improving recollection? I wouldn’t know personally because I haven’t tried going to a hypnotherapist, but according to my research, it’s confirmed – hypnosis can improve memory recall. I’d like to note that it doesn’t work as a truth serum, nor is it a reliable means of accessing buried memories, but it does evoke mental photographs which can trigger interesting ideas.

It is really not essential to see an expert in order to tap into your subconscious. You just simply forget the need to remember, or the need to solve something, and relax. Relaxation is key when you are trying to get into a more creative vibe. Get enough of it and you will be surprised to see that it becomes easier for you to pull your useful memories to the surface.

“The mind does most of its best thinking when we aren’t there. The answers are there in the morning.” – Alain de Botton

Feed your Creativity…For Real

November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 Sasa 1 Comment

A healthy mind is a productive mind. And to nourish the mind, one has to nourish the body. If you think what you put into your body has no effect on your creativity, you’re dead wrong. The brain is an amazing organ. It is able to perceive things that none of our other organs have even encountered. Where the basic senses have a constraint to certain extents, the brain has full access. For as long as you keep eating what is good for your brain, you won’t have to worry about having to wait for some creative stimuli.

You don’t have to be extra careful about choosing what to eat. You also need not worry about having to avoid certain food because it might affect your way of thinking. Just remember that the reason why you are altering your diet is because you want to think clearer. You are not trying to prevent anything, you are only trying to boost something. Feeding your creativity is not limited to finding inspiration. It can, and advisably, be taken literally.

Starving individuals, that’s what most artists are commonly stereotyped as. But that couldn’t be at all true, at least not completely. For how can one be in the best condition for creating when the mind is incapable of producing sensible art? You want a concrete example? There’s Pablo Picasso. He’s one of my favorite painters (the Guernica painting used as the featured image of my previous post may have given that away). He, for one, understands the importance of eating healthy to maintain his creative drive. Well, it was actually his physician who advised him to make sure fish and spinach are always included in his diet in order to enhance his abstract-thinking powers. Although one might argue that he is intrinsically talented and did not rely solely on the food he ate for his creativity, you can’t discredit the fact that the reason for his reaching of the maximum potential may be caused by proper care of the brain.

So what exactly are these creativity enhancers? These are foods that may or may not contain tyrosine, but are good sources of energy . Now, why did I especially mention tyrosine if you may choose to do without it anyway? It is a biochemical precursor of dopamine(the happy hormone) that promotes deep thinking. So you see, its presence is not necessary, but its benefits are noteworthy.

Below are some of the foods that are good creativity boosters:

Anything that is unprocessed – Fuel your brain, first and foremost, by going natural. Studies show that foods which undergo chemical processing lessens the nutrients you are supposed to get from their unprocessed counterparts.
Coldwater fish – Why does it have to be fish from cold regions? It’s because they are highly rich in Omega 3 which is the best brain food. Ever.
Green leafy vegetables – Not only do they help you maintain focus, they are excellent memory enhancers. They slow down the rate of cognitive decline which is an inevitable part of ageing. You’ll never have to worry about losing a bright idea. Plus, they are good antioxidants.
Whole grains – They keep the traffic of glucose energy moderate, so your mental energy remains steady. They are best taken during breakfast because they control the release of energy throughout the day, ensuring consistency in your drive to complete your creation.
Fresh fruits – It’s not only apples that keep doctors away. Any fruit can give you that perk, as long as it’s fresh. Because your brain can’t store glucose, it relies on the bloodstream to provide it with a steady flow. Luckily, fresh fruits are there to the rescue.
Nuts and seeds – Nuts have always been a reputable source food-induced intelligence. The truth is, they are just as beneficial for convergent thinking as they are for divergent thinking. In fact, regular consumers of nuts and seeds get twice, even thrice, the flow of creative juices.
A harmless amount of junk – Feel the need to refresh the page? Go ahead. I did say junk. A little indulgence never hurt, so have some of your favorites. It’s absolutely fine to eat YOLO-style every once in a while. And most junk foods do help release endorphins to your brain, making you feel positive. Just make sure you know when enough is enough, or you may put your creativity limit at risk. After all, a true artist knows when to break the rules from time to time.

Of course, you have the option to not stick to a certain diet, or only eat those mentioned above from now on. Your skills or talents are pretty much safe without following these suggestions. Again, they’re only meant to help boost what you already have. Personally though, I encourage you to think of Picasso when you consider it; painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright. He isn’t even just mediocre at being any of those. How about that?

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf

P.S. I know I quoted Virginia Woolf instead of Pablo Picasso, but I feel this is more suited to close the article better. Too much Picasso for one day is art gluttony.