Keep the Creative Juices Flowing - Issue #3 - Connecting the Dots
Hello my Friend!
I hope to find you well and creative!
I must be honest, I questioned myself about working on the newsletter in these terrible times. They say that adversities don't have to stop the world but, I add, the world can't just ignore adversities.
I believe that Creativity is important, even more important in these times of trouble where resources are limited or depleted, where souls and people and the most important THE Values that make us Humans are in danger.
Creativity is also about keeping up under duress, is also knowing and believing that there is always another way to deal, cope and react in front of hard times.
And here I am, hoping to make some good for whole ecosystem of people, hearts, minds and souls.
Here is the newsletter.
A quick note about the newsletter: starting with this issue I'm introducing the tags for the links in the Food4Thoughts section.
#think: these are those contents that make you think, that instill reflections
#tool: self explanatory. Those platforms, objects, tools that I already use and I believe can be interesting and beneficial for you
#make: these links may not be about making in the most direct sense but they can give you ideas and inspire you to make something
I hope this can improve your "time-to-knowledge" and make this newsletter experience more pleasant.
Creativity is about Connecting the Dots
We are now mastering the art of sensing Signals, right? The next step is to work on what is between a Signal and a Creation and I call that "Connecting the Dots".
We start collecting our Dots the day we see the light. The Dots strongly depend to how we live, our education, the environment, the context we live in. Sensing Signals and Collecting Dots are parallel activities that can entangle to each other. Being "open" is not always enough to collect Dots, we need to be exposed, to follow every road, to actively seek and pursue every path.
Although for some people Connecting Dots is a natural ability, for others is not so spontaneous. Like we did for Signals, we can train our mind and body to connect the Dots by creating a basic mental process and teaching ourselves to automatically start it every time we need/want/must be Creative.
This is a "template", is the sequence of the basic steps. You may find it obvious and maybe trivial but, believe me, following even this rather clean and simple path can give you so powerful ideas and, why not, more DOTS!
I can guess you are a little confused, to make it clear just look at the next sketchnote. This is NOT something fake I did on purpose to show how it works, it is real and genuine.
This is an authentic yet small example of how I think, how I get my ideas. Among all the things I've drawn, the one I like the most is the "Wish for Success" (top right corner)! Imagine you take an old, rusty nail, you polish it, you paint it and make a nice little box for it. Then you gift it to a friend who is starting an important project or is moving or is in the middle of a tough phase in his/her life. You wish him/her to literally "Nail It" and when he/she accomplishes the goal you'll meet and celebrate the success by physically nailing it, by driving the nail somewhere meaningful.
It is so powerful and poetic and evocative, innit?
Food4Thoughts
#think-The Science of Curiosity
Speaking about curiosity. This is an about 5 min. read that I recommend because I find it very interesting and inspiring. These are those kind of things that we "feel somehow" but are hard to "codify".
#think-The Seductive Path of Good Enough
Uh boy… this post resonates with me so strongly. This is the real threat when I’m collecting the Dots. Sometimes I arrive at a point and say "ok, yeah, that’s it, I can do that" or "I understood what I need to know". And then I settle, I continue with what I got, that I feel is enough, BUT it quenches the thirst, it prevents me to continue in my research and expand my experience/knowledge.
#tool-Workflowy
Creativity conjure ideas, ideas condensate in concepts, concepts are the building blocks of our creative projects. Soon or later you'll need to organize, store, share, write, search everything, right? And maybe to collaborate with other people. If you, like me, love the "power of simplicity", this is THE tool.
#make-Everyday Objects are Organized into Perfect Geometric Shapes
I’m pretty sure that a Creative person like you already know Colossal but maybe you missed this post and I want to make sure you see it. It is beautiful and reassuring. In a world of uncertainty, making order even if in small things can give a sense of peace and completeness and restore hope.
The Catch All
Sensing Signals, Connecting Dots, Making Things
This time is about making the mobile structure I depicted in the very first sketchnote in this newsletter. I made it exactly as I wrote in the sketchnote: with the intention to release it out there. And I did.
The process took 3-4 days and was great. I really suggest you to study the platonic solids and try to make them. It is so easy, you don't need a lot of things, some thin cardboard, scissors or a cutter, adesive tape and glue.
This is an online tutorial to make them but I'm pretty sure that you'll find all you need with a simple google search.
Making this object required different abilities and, I'm very serious, while doing it, I had a LOT of new ideas, I collected so many dots and I can't wait to share everything with you!
Here is the link to the whole "Making of"
The password to access the webpage is: platonicsolids
As usual, if you have questions or want to share with me your works, PLEASE, drop me a line, just reply to this email or DM on Twitter (my DM are always open for you). I'll be so happy to hear from you.
My Stuff - Support
I know this is a delicate topic. Everyone feel and react differently.
Yet, I would like to ask you if you can help in the way you feel is right for you.
Join #sketchnoters4ukraine #showyoursupport
Surprisingly, a lot of people asked me "How this can help people?"
Use your Creativity to raise awarness, show your support, I believe in the power of drops, join me and other sketchnoters, add your drop.
Donate!
If you can.
Ukraine Crisis: support emergency aid — www.redcross.ch We thank you warmly for your solidarity. Your donation allows us to support the teams mobilized in Ukraine.
That’s it!
Let's connect the dots and be happy!
Stay Awesome
Stay Creative
Hope to see you the next time: April, 4th 2022
Ciao
Mauro