ellipsis…

i really enjoy this video of John Jay talking about creativity. he speaks to a few different areas that relate a lot to creatives but i think they are really good for anyone; understanding & truth, experiencing new cultures, not being defined by others.

the video got me thinking about my own creative process. i’m always so curious about other people’s creative process, though don’t talk about my own. i’m thinking over the next little while i’m going to start writing (as best i can) on my own creative process. hopefully it’ll be somewhat interesting. take a few minutes to watch the video, it’s not long and shot really well.

i love words. i wish i could write them faster, but that’s not the case. it takes me forever to get the thoughts in my head to the ink on paper. what’s even worse… trying to take the thoughts in my head to properly come out of my mouth. i think it’s because my mind runs much much faster than the my hand or my mouth can compute, so everything just comes out gibberish.

this is why i’m astounded by the talent that is within 22 year old Sarah Kay. not only does she write poetry, she speaks it, or to be more specific, she performs it. her resent TED talk, in California, on spoken poetry and her organization called Project V.O.I.C.E. she received two standing ovations!

her delivery of her poems are not of the traditional rhyming or rapping of spoken word poetry. it is from a theatrical performance; reminds me of individual monologues. i find it refreshing, her poems definitely speak well this way. i enjoy her pauses and intonations. some argue that her poetry isn’t of the spoken word variety or that they are too cliche. for what it’s worth, they seem to satisfying something within me.

what do you think?

this is her TED talk. if you want to listen to just her poems they are the first 3:40 minutes and the last 3:30 minutes (at 15:10).

Intel has been doing a series of short doc films called Visual Life. the first one that really spoke to me was the one they did on Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist.

this next film is on designer Michael Wolff. the way he articulates the way he creates is amazing. he speaks about how he must have “muscles of seeing, that makes [him] able to see more than some of [his] colleges can see.” and then goes on to share how he has three muscles that flow into each other; curiosity, appreciation, and imagination. each muscle feeds the next to enable him to visualize the world in a way no one else can. it’s a great look into the creative mind of Michael Wolff.

plus, he cooks the same way i cook.

“if you’re not prepared to be wrong,
you’ll never come up with anything original”

- ken robinson

what is the best advice you can give to a photographer struggling to find their voice?

Well if it wasn’t a struggle to find one’s own voice, what would be the point? Struggle is good! I think it helps to be an independent thinker. Be sure of yourself and your intention. Read and read more. The struggle is what makes it worth doing – what gives your voice the meaning.

- Susana Raab

[via APE]

i was just reading over Chase Jarvis’ blog. Chase is an amazing photographer, and he’s always has great tid-bits of advice. over the last couple of months he’s been writing about the creative process and the work & drive that it takes to keep your creativity fresh.

the “Creative Gap” is the difference between the artists visual concept of a project and the actual end result that is created. at times that gap feels like the Grand Canyon, and those times usually makes most of us want to throw our camera against a brick wall. i know i do. the solution… (a grueling one at that), is to submerse yourself in work. making projects and deadlines for yourself. working through the brick wall after brick wall, never giving up. Chase found a good video from Ira Glass explaining both the problem and the solution very well.