So what is an altered book?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_book

How can you transform something negative into something positive? Why not start with an old textbook that you despise? How can you take that negative emotion and transform it into something positive??? This is the task this week for the current Seeing Sideways students! Check their posts next week to see what they come up with!

The power of transformation can be seen here in this Art21 video from PBS:

Transformation: Art21

For some ideas of what other people have done, check out some of these links:

http://pinterest.com/lindaslinks/book-sculptures-altered-books/ 

google search on "deconstructed books art"

http://www.logolalia.com/alteredbooks/

http://pinterest.com/lesliesmitty/altered-books/

http://gomakesomething.com/category/ht/ab/

Watch a video about it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qkiocvx7FQ

Let's think for a moment about how to think about covers and first impressions, and how to tell a story... This Ted Talk is odd, but helpful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC0KxNeLp1E

Creativity and play

Ted talk. http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play.html

Irony, your name is ironic

Ironic that this was on my Facebook page today, because one of the assignments I just posted for BOTH of my summer classes is about expectations of the course... Hmmmm.....

synesthesia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

Evelyn Glennie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_l7kRDv9c8

In the moment....

 

When looking at our roadblocks to creativity, consistently we tend to look at outward limitations such as lack of money, time, opportunity, etc. Each and every one of us has the unlimited potential for change and creativity and it is inside us, not outside. By holding on to the past and not acknowledging our baggage and then releasing it as needed, or by looking into the future and being weighed down by the anxieties of what might happen, we imprison ourselves within a cell of our own construction. 

Indeed, money is necessary to function in this world, but it is not from this world where creativity springs. It is from within, and there is no amount of money that can purchase that which you already have. Likewise, time; time is a construct of humans that allows us to schedule our lives, but those who have found pleasure in creative pursuits know that creativity is timeless. We all have time to let our minds wander where they may; why do you think so many ideas are born in the shower, or in a dream? Those are the moments that are always within a life and can't be scheduled for other pursuits. In fact, these moments of time where the mind is free from past and future worries that plague us are necessary to basic human existence. Humans are inherently creative beings but unfortunately we forget this as we fill our lives with insane schedules and allow our minds to be preoccupied with past mistakes and future anxieties, crowding out the beauty of this one moment, which is followed by another that is also this one moment. In any single moment all is possible because nothing has happened to make it into a memory and the next moment has yet to arrive, which might force a choice, which can then become a regret. This one single moment is happening right now. And NOW is the only thing that matters and NOW is always inside us.

Time and tides (of ink)

http://design-milk.com/alberto-seveso/#more-99385

These photos only capture what your eyes/brain are too slow to perceive. Reality is a most interesting thing, isn't it?

If she can, why can't you?

 

Read this article. It changed my life. 

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/visions-of-a-blind-photographer/?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes

Sorry for not posting

I did not post anything new last semester because my Internet access was sooooooo bad that I could not load the blog, let alone post anything... So lookout folks, I am back and the weird and wonderful will soon commence again!!!

A new semester!

Today we met for the new semester and it looks like a good group for this round! I am looking forward to the egg posts!