Museums trigger creativity

Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City

Last month I visited Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

It is one of the most iconic museums in Mexico. It’s a must to be there!

In December, there was an exposition on Russian art that displayed propaganda posters as well as drawings that illustrated influences from cubism.

There was a specific room for all visitors to play with cubes and build anything with them to interact and experience that kind of art. This is brilliant. It’s the first time that I find this possibility in a museum.

A pyramid, product of cubism at Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

Pieces and ideas to interact with cubism at Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.

Then, in a different exposition, the murals painted by Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros portayed the essence of the Mexican history. My mom and I were analyzing them, and figuring out the meaning behind them. We came to so many conclusions together.

It was really constructive to exchange ideas on what we were appreciating.

In that very moment, I realized that it’s important to have pen and paper when visiting a museum. I felt so bad for not having any of those elements. (What kind of journalist am I?)

Therefore, next time I visit a museum, it’s mandatory to have them because of the following reasons:

• Further research on a topic or artist can be conducted later on. Keywords are necessary for that.
• It’s possible to come up with ideas to design, illustrate and photograph. Inspiration might catch you there!
• Thoughts and interpretations can be translated into ideas for articles or analysis.

 

Go for it.

 

A story of art and entrepreneurship

Jack Giesen – Calgarian artist, illustrator and designer

Jack Giesen, 26, is a Calgarian artist, illustrator and designer of indie science fiction and fantasy book covers. She has taken all of her talents to maximize their potential through entrepreneurship. Her parents were her first point of reference in aiming for an independent career, and her grandma inspired her to get into the creative world.

As for her name, it is what it is: Jack. Not Jacqueline.

The first steps

 She grew up in Saskatchewan and lived there until she graduated from high school. Because she was in a small town, she had to travel to a city on the weekends in order to take art classes.

“As soon as I graduated [high school], I was ready to go,” said Giesen. She recalls coming to Calgary in 2005 to take a pre-college program at The Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). Then, she built a portfolio that was sent to several art schools. She got accepted to ACAD and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD).

Giesen decided to fly to Nova Scotia and begin a new journey far from the town where she grew up, which she didn’t like much. However, after a couple of years in that new program, she decided to leave.

“I left because they didn’t really teach any of the business side. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do afterwards, and I also wanted to run my own business,” she admitted.

So she went home and then returned to Calgary to work in the marketing and public relations field. Later on, she came across Royal Roads, a university in Victoria, B.C., where she is about to complete a bachelor in professional communications.

Christmas spirit

Zoolights – Calgary Zoo

I confess I haven’t felt the Christmas spirit in a while.

I don’t know. Other situations seem to be more powerful than taking the time to feel that spirit.

This year, the season is different.

It’s probably the first time that I’m excited about Christmas because I feel I’m part of new traditions.

I confirmed that at the Zoolights in the Calgary Zoo. I’m so grateful for being able to perceive all these new vibes in the air.

I’m loving every second of it.

Running after you

Colours around

Bringing dinner

Play time

 

What’s next for Calgary?

Ken King talking about CalgaryNEXT

 

Last Tuesday I attended a press conference by Ken King, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Flames.

He came to SAIT Polytechnic to talk about the project CalgaryNEXT.

The objective of this project consists of a globally recognized centrepiece that will transform the way Calgarians live, work and play. At the same time, it will be a destination for world class events.

CalgaryNEXT is yet to be approved. King is explaining the plan to different publics including citizens, the government and companies. He’s convinced that this is the right time to propose this kind of project and make it a reality.

In that aspect, I admire his enthusiasm. It’s true that, right now, the economy crisis is critical in the province. It seems like there’s other issues with higher priority; however, in the long term, a project like this can bring great benefits in terms of employment, tourism and entertainment.

I’m curious to see how the project progresses.

 

Sunday readings: creative work

Read something fun on Sunday

Sundays are meant to be peaceful.

And what’s more peaceful than reading?

Here’s three articles related to creative work that may inspire you keep creating.

25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer
Posted on 99u.com

Sit down and start writing. Find your routine. Get through that first draft…these are some suggestions that famous writers provide on this article.

Go ahead and check them. Once you’re done, you’ll be motivated to get your work done. Trust me.

The Five Things Book reveals over 100 creative people’s five favourite things
Posted on creativeboom.com

Think about the amazing things you surround yourself with. There’s a book that talks about that and it’s titled “The Five Things Book.”

This article describes its purpose and what results came after asking people from all over the world to list their favourite items.

It’s certainly an interesting exercise to understand creative minds better.

“Note and Vote”: How Google Ventures Avoids Groupthink In Meetings
Posted on fastcodesign.com

Sometimes brainstorming does not provide the best results when it comes to thinking in groups at a meeting.

In this article, the Google Ventures design team shares a hack that skips the worst parts of groupthink. If you plan to work in a creative field or are already in it, click on the link and take some notes. It’s brilliant.

 

Happy reading 🙂

Photo Credit: Anna Demianenko at unsplash.com

Facing creative fears

Creativity is challenging

Creatives face challenges constantly.

Everyday, there’s something new to solve. Something to figure out in any kind of industry.

However, these creatives also get to a point where they don’t know if they can meet expectations. What if they run out of ideas?

What if they’re not good enough?

Lots of what if’s.

The other day I found this talk from 99u. In it, Christoph Niemann, an illustrator, artist and author proposes solutions to these challenges.

Let’s focus on the solution, not on the problem.

Procrastinating

It’s almost the end of the semester.

We all are busy getting our final assignments done…right?

Well, sometimes things don’t flow. Because of that, I thought of sharing this fantastic video on procrastination.

Can you relate to that?

 

Documenting epic fails

You need to fail in order to succeed

We all love talking about our success.

That’s not a bad thing.

On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with failure. We cannot succeed without it.

Thomas A. Edison once said:

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

So, from now on, I’ve decided to start documenting my failures to keep track of my progress.

I’ll start by sharing some pictures that I took for my Photo class. I had to demonstrate how the panning effect works.

There’s two epic fails and one small win.

Fail 1

Fail 2

Small win

Making mistakes is part of human nature.

A magazine can change your life

My new favourite magazine

I just discovered an amazing magazine: New Philosopher.

It is an Australian publication that’s distributed in Canada, the US, New Zealand, the UK and Western Europe.

Its concept is quiet unique: exploring philosophical ideas from the past and from the present to live a more fulfilling life.

New Philosopher caught my attention because of its title “Why do you travel?”

I like the fact that it speaks directly to YOU from the start. It’s much more personal.

Its layout is beautifully crafted and the content is deep and meaningful.

There’s two more important notes to make. This is the very first time that this happens to me after reading a magazine:

1. Most of the articles made me take notes.
2. I felt I was a completely different person after reading it.

The content is that great!

All the philosophical aspects are not written in a complex way. It is easy to go through every word, and start thinking about things you had not thought of before.

My favourite lines from this issue:

[Carl] Rogers’ advice for a good life is to abandon plans and fixed programs of how to act and feel, and be free to move in any direction. Let experience shape the self.

In terms of business, New Philosopher doesn’t have any ads on its pages. It is founded through subscriptions and sales at bookstores. Great content will always sell itself.

I’m seriously considering a subscription and so should you.

Step up and show your work

Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon

All of us have projects.

We write, we take pictures, we create music…but we are shy to share that work with an audience.

Austin Kleon says

Crafting something is a long uncertain process. A maker should show her work.

In 211 pages and 10 chapters, Kleon describes step by step how to put your creations in the public eye through the use of the Internet.

His first chapter strongly states that you don’t have to be a genius. All you need is process. Results are not the main focus. This point in particular is the core essence of Show Your Work! That mindset can actually help you track your daily progress as you think less about becoming famous or going viral.

The matter of time can be a factor that stops you from crafting your art everyday. You have to work, or study, or take care of your children, or feed the dog and so on.

Still, it’s important to share a little something everyday through a tweet, a picture or a blog post. Small steps will turn into great habits.

On the other hand, Kleon suggests to tell good stories instead of becoming human spam. You might be excited about your content, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to pester online communities to ask for likes or retweets.

According to the author,

“Follow me back?” is the saddest question on the Internet.

Show Your Work! is highly recommended to start promoting yourself through social media. It’s the kind of book you can easily read in one day.

Once you’re done, you’ll want to get to work immediately.

Photo by Alicia Barreto Jaime