Unleash the Power of the Mind!

 Creativity continues to be under-valued in our world. Yes a broad statement, but if you’re looking at making a living from your art, then you’re probably going to be in for a challenging time. 10CC’s famous lyrics ‘Art for art’s sake, money for god’s sake’, aptly sum up the difficulty of being creative and getting paid for it. As an artist and musician on-and-off for many years, I too have struggled with this dilemma: is my creativity – art – worth money? How do I measure the worth of my creativity? Why would someone want to pay for my art? What am I getting from doing this?

 Sting once said something that stayed with me…’making music is your best reward’. Something like that, which I took to mean that the music created is the reward itself. Well, I love creating, but I need to pay the bills, which is the dilemma…ergo the common saying upon musos: get a day job!

However, having said that, being creative does have other rewards beside the ’outcome’ or product itself…and no it’s not money…read on.

 “Are there still original ideas in the world?”
“They beat me to that bright idea; what else can I do?”
“I’ve failed many times before that I can’t think of anything else to solve this problem anymore.”

These statements reflect the thought of an individual who has given up on creativity. Sadly, a lot of people share this way of thinking. They never viewed creativity as a very useful tool to improve or improvise in life in all its diversity.

A situation that requires a solution can be approached in a variety of ways. There isn’t a single way fix to a problem. Being creative opens new horizons and can deliver many benefits. Creativity can sometimes be mistakenly interpreted as an obstinate attitude. Some people think that insisting on doing things in a different way is a sign of stubbornness.

Never hold back a good idea. Everyone is free to interpret his own unique way. Any interpretation by itself is creativity at work. A person who enjoys creative thinking can easily come up with innovative solutions for situations that require a quick fix.

For instance, your car got stalled on a deserted highway due to a leaky rubber hose on the cooling system. Tough luck! Of all places, it had to happen in the remotest places.

If you have some chewing gum in your pocket, it just might be a handy fix. Start chewing the gum and patch it on the leak. To keep the gum in place, tie it with a piece of rag. This quick fix might do the trick so you can drive several miles without an overheated engine, until you get to a service station to have the leaky hose replaced.

There used to be a television series entitled “MacGyver.” The main character is an extremely creative and crafty guy. Whenever he finds himself in a tight fix, he tries to find a way out of it with his quick fixes utilizing available materials around him.

In a way, creativity is a never-ending learning process. From learning, you gain untold benefits, which you can use in real life situations.

Being creative might require you to think out-of-the-box, venturing your mind into the uncommon. You can never be sure of your ideas until you try them. As long as there is no perceived danger involved, it is always worth a try.

Inventions are products of creative minds. The field of science, in whatever branch you may touch on, is invention itself. Without creative minds, science would have been a forlorn field of knowledge.

It must be noted that most adaptations to improve or improvise are aimed at improving current conditions. Upon analyzing honest applications of creativity, the ultimate intention is to achieve good for all and the will to build lasting peace. After all, this intention is what counts most.

Erich Fromm spelled it out clearly, “The conditions for creativity are: to be puzzled, to concentrate, to accept conflict and tension, to be born everyday, and to feel a sense of self.”

 All the best

Alan

 PS: okay, so money is important to survive, but you want to be creative too? Take this quick quiz to see if you have what it takes to be rich…ie, the Mindset! SUCCESS UPGRADE

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

How does music help you? I’d like to ask you how – if at all – music has helped you in some way?

Current research shows that many people – including cancer patients and children with ADD/HD and autism , depression and anxiety etc- have experienced the healing benefits of music when used in conjunction with, or as an alternative to – traditional treatment programs.

Music/sounds can slow the heart rate thus assisting with stress and anxiety. Music has also been found to bring such as lowering blood pressure – which can also reduce the risk of stroke and other health problems over time – boost immunity, ease muscle tension, and more. In short, music and certain sounds can have a powerful influence on the health of our bodies and psyche.

In addition, research has shown that music and/or sounds – eg nature sounds – can stimulate brain waves to higher levels of concentration and altertness, or to calmer meditative states…and that these states continue for a time after the particular music stops.

When I worked as a music therapist for Red Cross, I witnessed the receptiveness of patients in various hospitals, towards music programs: people suffering from senile dementia benefited from movement, social interaction, singing – breath work – stimulation of memories from familar sounds; autistic patients became more receptive with the use of Pentatonic scales; older people in repatriation hospitals cheered up with songs from a more familar era; and brain-damaged patients visibly relaxed more.

Music first gave me a direction in my life and thus gave me a sense of meaning and purpose at a time when I was searching for an identity and feeling aimless.

So how has music helped you? Please post your experiences.

All the best

Alan

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

 Hello. Today I want to thank my readers by offering a free gift…Unleash the Creative New You!

It is well documented that health and creativity go hand-in-hand…but just as our mental and physical health become bogged down with sometimes little improvement, so too does our creativity suffer. However, if we work at it, exercise, nutrition, self-development, support etc, then we should see some return for our effort over time.

 Creativity is no different. When we explore our creativity – in whatever capacity that might end up being – we open ourselves up to the beautiful state of being curious explorers, who unleash their inner spirit and express it in relation to their life experience. Obtaining the zen-like state of ‘no-mind’, energizers and heals at the same time, thus assisting us in ’syncing’ with the flow of life and the fundamental creative life-giving force of the universe…sound great hey?

 So go ahead, just enter your details below and I’ll send you my free eBook on the subject – see contents below.

 PS. Please leave a comment on how you find it. If you have some art/creative pursuit that you’d like to share, then you can send a picture of it and I’ll create a page for it. Alternatively, just tell us about it if you want.

 To your creativity 

 Alan 

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Many great things have started as an simple, creative idea. Consider donating some of your best ideas to help others. The more creative you are, the more ideas you will be able to create. You can be creative even if you don’t think you are.

I have known many people that were scared to use a computer for the first few times. However, after diving into it they became more comfortable. They were willing to take a risk and make some mistakes. The result was an ability to learn and do things they would never be able to do without the use of a computer.

Being creative and thinking up world-changing ideas occurs in the same way. Everyone can be creative but they have to be willing to start. The creative process will then become more natural over time.

Try the following tips to help you on your journey to be more creative:

1. Record your ideas on whatever is comfortable and convenient at the moment. What is important is that you record your ideas. In the past, I have forgotten ideas that I thought of when I was on a walk. Now I carry a digital recorder with me on those walks. At other times I use my computer, notepad or journal. Choose what will work best for you and make sure you have a way to record your ideas at all times. You never know when an important idea will surface.

2. Don’t limit yourself to ideas that seem possible. Capture all of your ideas. Even those that seem impossible to implement are important for a couple of reasons. First, what seems impossible to you may not be impossible sometime in the future or for someone else. Second, impossible ideas encourage further creative ideas that might be more likely to be implemented.

3. Change your scenery or location. A change in scenery can stimulate the creativity inside you. A change might be as simple as looking out a window. You can also visit someplace new like a park, beach, or mall. The new environment can foster new ideas.

4. Read on many topics. It is amazing how many things in a totally unrelated subject can prompt new ideas. By broadening your knowledge into more areas, you make your creativity potential grows.

5. Go for a walk. Some of my best ideas have happened when I was on a walk. This applies to any form of moderate exercise. I have heard of others that have written articles and speeches while waalking or jogging.

6. Focus in 10-15 minute increments. It does not take a significant amount of time to brainstorm some potential ideas. In fact, brainstorming works best when done for short periods of time. Concentrate for a few minutes on generate as many ideas to address a specific area or problem. Then capture anything that comes to mind throughout the rest of the day (see tip #1). You will have several ideas for consideration for little investment of time. One of those could become something tremendous for helping others.

7. Think big.  What question are you asking to prompt your ideas? The larger the question, the larger the impact those ideas may have on the world. You can start by addressing smaller problems but don’t limit yourself to those. You have unique experiences, knowledge and talents that should be applied to helping others on a grand scale as well.

Follow these tips and you will be on your way to generating ideas that have the potential to change the world. Don’t let your previous lack of creativity keep you from developing and donating your ideas. Get started today.

 Creatively yours

Alan

 PS: Optimize your IQ and drastically improve: memory, focus, concentration, creativity and learn to speed read. You get FIVE reports (‘How to Exploit Your Brain’s Unlimited Power’, ‘Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory’, ‘How to Stay Focused and Increase Your Concentration’, ‘Unleash Your Creativity’, and ‘Double Your Reading Speed…Increase Comprehension…Accelerate Your Learning Ability’). The author, Leon Edward, guarantees this $1222 value and you’ll get it all for just $19.97.

Check it here: IQ Mind Brain Power ELibrary

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Each of us has the power to be creative. It’s part of our natural make-up as human beings. The trouble is that, too often, we block our natural creativity and so make errors in thinking and give ourselves more problems than we should. Here are 7 ways to open up your natural creativity and keep the channels unblocked.

1. Don’t Make Assumptions. When we assume, we often make an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. Assumptions are examples of lazy thinking. We simply don’t wait to get all the information we need to come to the right conclusions. There is the story of the customer at the bank who after cashing a cheque and turning to leave, returns and says: “Excuse me, I think you made a mistake.” The cashier responds, “I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do. You should have counted it. Once you walk away we are no longer responsible.” Whereupon the customer replies: “Well, okay. Thanks for the extra $20.”

Tip: When you feel yourself wanting to draw conclusions, just wait until you have all the information.

2. See Things From Other Points Of View. A truly open mind is willing to accept that, not only do other people have other just as valid points of view from theirs, but that these other points of view may be more valid. A story is told that the modernist painter Pablo Picasso was once traveling on a train across Spain when he got into conversation with a rich businessman who was dismissive of modern art. As evidence that modern art didn’t properly represent reality, he took out a photo of his wife from his wallet and said: “This is how my wife should look, not in some silly stylized representation.” Picasso took the photo, studied it for a few moments and asked: “This is your wife?” The businessman proudly nodded. “She’s very small,” observed Picasso wryly.

Tip: Don’t have a monopoly on how things are. Things aren’t always what they seem. Be ready to consider other points of view.

3. Avoid Yo-Yo Thinking. Some people tend to have a tendency to swing from a highly positive mood one minute to a highly negative one the next, all because of what they see in front of them. It’s like a yo-yo: up one minute, down the next. It’s far more healthy to stay neutral and not let emotions get the better of you.

Tip: Remember that things are rarely as good – or as bad – as you think they are.

4. Get Rid Of Lazy Thinking Habits. Habit can be a major stumbling block to clear thinking and another example of laziness. Try this experiment. Write down the Scottish surnames Macdonald, Macpherson, and Macdougall and ask someone to pronounce them. Now follow these with the word Machinery and see what happens. Most people are likely to mis-pronounce it. This is because we tend to think in habitual ways and don’t like what doesn’t fit.

Tip: Don’t think that, just because things happened in a certain way once before, that they will happen like that again.

5. Don’t Think Like An Old Person, Think Like A Child. Research shows that the number of synapses, or connections, in the brain is greater in a child of two than in an average adult. The reason for this is that, while a child of two has no limiting world view, as adults we do. It’s like a sculptor who starts off with a large block of clay, more than he needs, and then gradually removes the clay as he moulds his sculpture. If we use our brain like a child, accepting everything without judgment, we can actually halt and reverse the brain ageing process.

Tip: Don’t worry about the myth of age. With the right stimulus and a passion for learning, you can actually improve your brain’s powers.

6. See The Detail As Well As The Big Picture. You may know the poem by John Godfrey Saxe called “The Blind Men and the Elephant”. This tells how six blind men of Indostan go to see an elephant and each try to work out what it is from touching it. One blind man touches the tusk, another the trunk, another the tail, and so on. Of course, not being able to see the whole elephant, they come to wildly different conclusions.

Tip: Try to keep the big picture in front of you while looking at details. It will help to put everything in its proper place and context.

7. Think For Yourself. Taking time out to think is still frowned on in many organizations that prize activity over creativity. People who work in creativity-constrained organizations are likely to think the way they are supposed to think, or as others think, or as has always been the way to think. It’s like the blinkered thinking that Hans Christian Anderson describes in his story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Everyone in the land refuses to see that the emperor is naked and has been duped into believing he is wearing a splendid costume for his coronation. Only a young boy who has been ill and not party to the cultural brainwashing can see the truth and cries out: “Look, everyone, the Emperor is wearing no clothes!”

Tip: Don’t let others tell you how to think. When others ask your opinion, tell it to them straight.

Once you make these 7 techniques part of your habitual thinking patterns, you will amaze yourself with how easy it is to come up with fresh, innovative and creative solutions to all of life’s problems.

Creatively yours

Alan

 PS: If you’ve ever wanted to explore painting and re-explore it, have a look at this unique resource on the Art Design Web. ‘At last you can draw and paint any subject with ease…even if you have never drawn or painted before’. That’s an encouraging claim to those budding artists…include 3 bonuses and a 56 day money back guarantee…GO FOR IT!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites