Tyler Ward (the guy in the bandana, I think) has covered all sorts of songs, and he’s really, really good. I frequently like his covers more than the original songs - someone give this kid a record deal.
Almost every dimension of cognition improves from 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and creativity is no exception. The type of exercise doesn’t matter, and the boost lasts for at least two hours afterward. However, there’s a catch: this is the case only for the physically fit. For those who rarely exercise, the fatigue from aerobic activity counteracts the short-term benefits.
—-
Those who study multi-tasking report that you can’t work on two projects simultaneously, but the dynamic is different when you have more than one creative project to complete. In that situation, more projects get completed on time when you allow yourself to switch between them if solutions don’t come immediately. This corroborates surveys showing that professors who set papers aside to incubate ultimately publish more papers. Similarly, preeminent mathematicians usually work on more than one proof at a time.
—-
According to University of Texas professor Elizabeth Vandewater, for every hour a kid regularly watches television, his overall time in creative activities—from fantasy play to arts projects—drops as much as 11 percent. With kids spending about three hours in front of televisions each day, that could be a one-third reduction in creative time—less time to develop a sense of creative self-efficacy through play.
From Newsweek, three awesome ways to be more creative and get more done. The exercise one, in particular, fascinates me. This article, and one from the99percent called “The Cure For Creative Blocks? Leave Your Desk” make it awfully clear that the best way to work smarter and better is to stop working sometimes.
Another article on the subject, which I loved (partly because it’s fascinating, and partly because my mind gets blown every time I read Jonah Lehrer) was about Why We Travel. From the article:
When we escape from the place we spend most of our time, the mind is suddenly made aware of all those errant ideas we’d suppressed. We start thinking about obscure possibilities – corn can fuel cars – that never would have occurred to us if we’d stayed back on the farm. Furthermore, this more relaxed sort of cognition comes with practical advantages, especially when we’re trying to solve difficult problems.
The Neuroscience of Inception
A must-read if you’ve seen Inception. A must-avoid if you haven’t, because it ruins everything it possibly can for those who haven’t seen it.
Either way, it’s fascinating. Again, if you haven’t seen it, don’t read it - just trust me. It’s awesome.
Can “Houndog” really be self-titled? I’d like to meet this Houndog.
This site looks different!
Design is a funny thing. I’m no good at creating it, but I know good and bad when I see it. And, much more importantly and expensively, I get bored with most designs very quickly.
So, for a $9 purchase of the wonderful Scaffold theme, I’ve got a site that feels all brand new-like! I’ll be writing and posting here more and more, and playing with some of the options, so things will likely look horrible for a long time, then look great for a few days, then completely different. And round and round we’ll go.
What do you think of the new layout?
Being excellent is one of the most important things in life. But excellence and professionalism are NOT synonyms.
I love this quote. Whether you’re writing, or applying for a job, or sitting in a coffee shop somewhere, being great is rarely about being “professional.” People respond to real people with real thoughts who are genuine about both, rather than someone who’s been practicing and preparing.
I hate professionalism - it’s stodgy, boring, tough to read, and generally not worth my time. Excellence, though, I’m always in search of. Love it, Shawn.
LeBron could earn close to $1 billion over his lifetime in salary and endorsements if he makes Madison Square Garden his permanent home—their high-end estimate sees him earning as much as $2 billion. That outshines the estimated $700 million he’d likely earn in Cleveland, the $690 million in Chicago, and $600 million in Miami.
What The Knicks Told LeBron: Come To New York And Make $1 Billion
Fascinating, and probably accurate. I read the other day that if LBJ wants money, he’ll go to NY; championships, Chicago; loyalty, Cleveland. I can’t wait to see what he decides.
But still, $1B is one. big. fat. check.
- Page 1 of 10
- Next »
