Most Valuable Topic from MC495?

The most valuable topic I learned from my MC495 class, dealt with the myths of creativity.

This was the most valuable topic I have learned in this class so far, because I hate to say I believed some of these myths.  Learning about these myths helped me to reevaluate what I think "creativity" is.

MYTHS:


Creativity comes form "creative types".
This is when we group creativity to certain people.
This is a myth because we are ALL creative, however many people think you are simply born with creative talents.

Money is a creativity motivator.
This is a myth because once you've spent it, the value is evaporated.
Once you've won money, you think it will never happen again and therefore you have no motivation after this to be creative.
I learned from this myth that a trophy is actually a better incentive than money, because it can remind you of what you have accomplished and motivates you to further express your creativity.  When I think back on my life, I am more proud of the trophies I have won, than the monetized awards.

Time pressure fuels creativity.
Creativity has a need for incubation versus execution.
Your brain needs time to figure solutions out.
I always say I do my best when I am pressed for time, but in reality adequate time would allow me to perfect my creation.

Fear forces breakthroughs.
You cannot intimidate people to be creative.
This made me take a look at my past accomplishments.  My best work was not done out of fear of failure or fear of impressing someone, but instead my creations were results of my own will, influence, and imagination.

Competition beats collaboration.
This is when we focus on beating someone rather than solving the problem.
I was shocked to learn collaboration is actually more of an influence on creativity than competition.  I always thought striving for your best when up against others would motivate you more, especially since I do not enjoy participating in group projects.

A streamlined organization is a creative organization.
A streamlined organization is designed to have the least resistance and maximize their output or product.  That sounds like a great thing, right? However, this need for mass production in a concise amount of time can hinder our creative ability. This is where I truly learned it's not the quantity, but the quality.

Study Break

How someone prepares for a big test says a lot about who they are.

My preparation and study rituals scream one word: NERD. 
The word Anxiety is a very close second though.


When it comes to studying, I am very particular.

1.  I need a quiet space. Not library quiet, but monk-ish silence. Noise distracts me. Most people come to understand one thing about me fairly quickly: I have the WORST sense of hearing.  I listen to the TV all the way up and rarely notice when my voice volume is completely too loud for the setting I am in.  My outside voice is also my inside voice. This notion might seem to contradict some of my study preparations and techniques, because I am an auditory learner.  I learn by hearing things.  This might be a key point in why I cannot study in a noisy environment.  I focus on the noises around me, rather than paying attention to my studies.
2. I procrastinate.  Each time a test nears, I tell myself I will study days or maybe even weeks in advance.  Each time this happens, I say I will start this ritual next test. (See what I did there? -Procrastination Station.) I usually study the night before a test and into the wee hours of morning of test day.  Shockingly, I do not need Aderral to help me accomplish this.  Running off zero sleep is one of my few.. uh ..."talents" if you want to call it that.
3. I suffer from "study blackout". Some of you might be saying to yourself, that there is no such thing. Oh but believe me, there is. And more than likely you have been a victim of it as well.  "Study Blackout" is when you suddenly realize you have been on Pinterest for the past 30 minutes instead of reading the 3rd chapter in your Economics book. You have no idea when you clicked on Twitter, or how long you have been online shopping. This is similar to when you drive home and when you get there you can't remember your drive. I occasionally frequently suffer from this.  The best help in this situation is to leave your laptop/iPad/phone in another room. Insane right? But it's doable. 
4. My friends think I talk to myself. And guess what? They're right.  In order for me to absorb what I am learning, I need to hear the terminology and concepts out loud.  My mother use to say I could ace a test just by going to class.  To an extent this is true.  I remember examples professors give in class without writing them down.  My ability to quote sentences from lecture is borderline creepy.  When it comes to studying, I have to put my notes back into lecture form. I have to hear myself talk about the concepts.  This makes it difficult to study in a public space, well without being labeled a lunatic.  This hopefully will help me one day when I will be the teacher giving the lectures.
5. I make electronic notecards. If you do not know about quizlet.com yet, then I am about to change your life.  Quizlet.com is a website where you can type information, terms, and definitions into their database, and they will create notecards for you. FO FREE.  All you do is print them out, cut them up, and start learning! This website can cut your study preparation time in half.  If you don't want the physical cards, you can take tests on the website that are created by the information you put into their database. I love technology.
6. I do the readings. Crazy concept right? To actually buy the book and do what the teacher tells you to? Well guess what, it works.  This can be a double edge sword though.  I read and understand class material before we talk about it in class. But this also means all the other people in class who slack off and refuse to pay $70 for a textbook (but will spend $50 at the bar...) ask me if they can use my book.  I'm all for sharing but come on man?
7. IUAWIS - I Use Acronyms When I Study. I am queen of turning the concepts of one thing into a ridiculous sentence.  For example: On my last test, the 5 ways that facial expressions are expressed are Simulation, Intensification, Neutralization, De-intensification, and Masking.  But I learned that the 5 ways that facial expressions are expressed are So In Need of Dave Matthews. Seems silly, but it's genius.

When it comes to test day, I have specific rituals.

1. Take a shower. Seems like a necessity anyway, but taking a shower will wake me up and give me energy I need to focus on a test.
2. Eat a good breakfast. Not just a good breakfast, but a filling one.  There is nothing more distracting than a growling stomach talking to you while you take a test in a classroom full of people.
3. No coffee. Energy is good. Looking like a crack addict with the shakes is not good.
4. Run over my notes. I do this before every test.  I go to the exec room in my sorority house and study for about 45 minutes before I take a test.  This room is rarely occupied and in the quietest section of the house.  I read my whole outline out loud to myself so I can hear for the last time, what will be on the test. I also go through my notecards at least one more time.
5. Tweet it out. This might seem juvenile, but before a big test I will vaguely tweet about it. I will post something like "Here goes nothing" or "Crossing my fingers". I do this all the time and don't really know why. Maybe I did it once before I got an A on a test and figured it wouldn't hurt to continue the tradition?  Or maybe I'm hoping someone will see my post and say a little prayer for me...
6. Pencil Perfect. I bring about 2 extra pencils to a test.  Just incase I break one, someone else needs one, etc.  I also refuse to use pens on a test. Too much of a commitment. Too permanent. 
7. Pointless Anxiety. I get a lot of anxiety before a test, but not related directly to the content of the test.  I freak out that my phone will ring during a test. Or that my alarm will go off.  I check to make sure my phone is off multiple times before I take a test. An unhealthy amount of times.  I give dirty looks when someone's phone distracts me during a test... and Lord knows I don't want to be on the receiving end of that look.  
8. Have questions? ASK! One thing that completely boggles me about college is how students think asking questions is not necessary.  No one did anything great in this world without a little help.  When the professor asks if anyone has any questions before the test, ask something.  Even a question you know the answer to. Worst case senario? He gives you and the class an answer you would have missed if you were too afraid to ask. And shockingly, professors actually want us to succeed in class. So ask them for help!

Investments

How do I Invest Myself?

"Successful investors have to be bold, willing to take risks, and ready to act contrary to the behavior of other investors."

- Sternberg & Lubart

How do I Invest Myself?

Take short-term losses for long term goals.

I invest a majority of my time and a huge chunk of my money into my academic life and future career.  Right now I am taking short-term losses for my long term goals of becoming a college professor.  I have taken out all the loans possible in order to make sure I have the schooling I need. A steady career in a field I love, with a comfortable paycheck will be the long term goal I am reaching for.  I am also sacrificing my time by devoting it to schooling, studying, and applying to graduate school.

There's no guarantee that one's stock will go up.

When it comes to investing yourself, there is no guarantee that what you are sacrificing for will be achieved. I could be in debt for years from my schooling and could fail out of graduate school.  Risks are something every investor must take into account.  I believe my investment in my future life and career will be work it, and that I will achieve all my goals.

Your ability to become more creative is impacted by your own personal beliefs about knowledge and learning.

I believe knowledge is cumulative over time and not fixed from birth.  No one was born with the amount of knowledge they will live with for forever.  I also know learning takes time and it will take years for me to attain the knowledge I need in order to pursue my career.  I am currently more of a performance-oriented learner.  This means I am more concerned with appearing successful or competent.  I am more of this kind of learner right now because I need to appear competent and successful in order to get into an accredited graduate school.  I will need to be more of a mastery-oriented learner where I am highly focused on understanding content and not fearing failure.  This will allow me to master my knowledge on the communication concepts I will teach in the future and not be afraid to ask questions.  

Buy low and sell high. 

I am investing my time in school now so later in life I will have a job that will be worth my investment.  If people think you're slightly nuts in whatever you are doing, you're probably on a "buy low" path.  I believe this describes my investment in a future teaching career because most people do not understand why I want to put this much time and effort into school.  If years of schooling and possible debt are the risks I have to take to attain my dream job... it's an investment with risks that I am willing to take. I will be bold, be willing to take risks, and be ready to act contrary to the behavior of other investors.

Making a Comeback

Growing up I learned quickly what "good music" was.  My father was in a band, my uncles were in a band, my Papaw played saxaphone for decades, and even my Grand was a former bass player.  Most family events concluded with my Papaw on his saxophone or my Uncle Tony on the piano.  Hearing my dad have band practice in our music room inspired me to play the piano and take drum lessons.  I was actually pretty good.  My dad even bought me a pair of "jelly bean" drums that were multicolored. I loved them.  Needless to say my parents knew to teach me the importance of music in my life.  But I learned of one band in particular that was the most important of all . The Beatles.  I knew who John, Paul, George, & Ringo were before I knew the names of  any U.S. presidents.  As far as I was taught: "The Beatles are musicians.  Everyone else is just auditioning to be their opening act."  I had their songs memorized and remember waking up on weekends to the sound of their music being played while my mother cleaned the house.  My favorite movie of all time was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  This movie was made in the 1970's and featured the band The Bee Gees performing all Beatles songs while fighting to win back the magical instruments that were stolen from their city.  Needless to say this movie royally flopped at the box office and still is repulsive to most critics.  I saw the movie as a tribute to The Beatles.  SPLHCB featured all my favorite songs and had the comedic innocence that I enjoyed.  Not many people agreed, but that was my movie.  I watched it repeatedly. To an extent, The Beatles and their music were my childhood.  My parents divorced before I was 10 years old, and for a while I lost interest in the music.  My dad taught me everything there is to know about the band: from Yellow-Submarine, to the Yoko Ono days.  When he was no longer there, I didn't feel the connection or happiness I once felt when I heard Hey Jude or John Lennon's Imagine.  At that point in my life, I saw The Beatles as an old group that was ostracized by my friends and didn't give me a comforting feeling of "home" anymore.  I lost interest in learning an instrument.  I stopped playing the piano and quit my drum lessons.  I just wasn't interested in the music anymore.  And I forgot about The Beatles.

Well, not to fear! The Beatles and their music have made a comeback into my life! I owe a lot of it to my little brother.  My brother is now 4 years old and can play the drums better than I could at age 8.  He even inherited my "jelly bean" drums and uses them all the time.  He has rhythm that some people would give anything for.  He can memorize a song after hearing it once.  And guess what. He knows everything there is to know about The Beatles.  I remember him asking me one day if I knew who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were.  I could do nothing but smile and say "Yes, VJ. I know all about them.".  My dad plays music now more than he ever has.  My brother is now the one who sits in at band practices and thinks my dad is the new Ringo Starr of his generation.  Seeing my brother's love for the band and interest in music has made me revisit my childhood.  I have three Beatles Pandora stations.  I watched the Grammys this year solely because Sir Paul McCartney was performing.  Don't Let Me Down is currently my ringtone.  And guess what Santa bought me for Christmas this year...

I was literally as excited as a little kid on that Christmas morning.

And in July, my dad is taking me, my sister, and my little brother to see Ringo Starr at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.  I cannot wait to hear a Beatle LIVE. Cross that one off the bucket list.

The Beatles have made a comeback into my life and after years I have rediscovered  my love for music.  I forgot about The Beatles and how much I loved them.  The Beatles are back, and this time- they're not going anywhere.  Next stop- taking up piano again.

And as the wise men once said:

"ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED."

The Holstee Manifesto

If you are not familiar with the Holstee Manifesto, you are missing out.  This encouraging creation can change all of our lives around. And it inspires the world to CREATE. What better?

Mind Map

"A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea."

Pictures shown are those of my own mind map creation.

I created a divergent mind map, meaning I have one key topic ("Father") but derive four different interpretations of the word. Father as in Priest, Biological Father, Father Time, and Father Figure. Mind maps are interesting because you will notice words or phrases that you use multiple times, even when they are products of divergent topics.  All the yellow lines are connecting matching words that resulted in different areas of the mind map.

How a Divergent Mind Map works:


1. Pick a topic
2. Create 4 different meanings for the topic
3. Associate a word with one of the topics. (ex. I went from Biological > birth father > babies > baby food > apple sauce > apple trees > forest. - get it?)
4. Repeat step 3 for the other three worded interpretations.
5. Correlate matching words or opposites by drawing connection lines (ex. I had "beach" from Father Time and from Biological Father, so I connected them.  If you had "peanut butter" in one place and "jelly" in another, you would connect those as well).
6. Color your creation to emphasize meanings.
7. Enjoy

I loved this project.  Mind maps are evidence that all people are creative. Everyone's mind works differently, but how we associate meanings help us create and relate to one another. There's no such things as "simple minded" or someone who is "not creative".  All of our minds are complex and unique.  They allow us to create and learn in different ways.

My most used words/connections:

Christmas, Beach, Flowers, Football, Winter, Drugs, Boat, Trees, Apples, Celebrity, Music, Fall, Country, Athlete, Actor, Movies, Alcohol, Water, Bible, and of course Harry Potter

Is Brainstorming the new Groupthink?

Drawing by Bailey Oliver

 

groupthink  [groop-thingk] noun

1. the practice of approaching problems or issues as matters that are best dealt with by consensus of a group rather than by individuals acting independently; comformity.

2. the lack of individual creativity, or a sense of personal responsibility, that is sometimes characteristic of group interaction.

brainstorming  [breyn-stawr-ming] noun

a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc. by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion.

Brainstorming is mostly seen as a positive element to problem solving, and teamwork has been a rapid trend in businesses, schools, and even church groups in the past few decades. But is brainstorming a new fad that is hindering our creative process? To an extent, I believe so. The overuse of brainstorming is enforcing the negative and harmful process of groupthink in many organizations. Groupthink can hinder and completely halt the creative process in an organization because team interaction pressures members into conforming to other group ideas in order to reach a speedy and wide consensus. Groupthink is a great hazard to group work and an organization overall because outcomes are sometimes purely based on results derived from peer pressure. Brainstorming can cause individuals to mimic others, shy away from expressing their own ideas and opinions for fear of rejection, and can cause employees to lose sight into their own creative processes. Just look at the difference in poor Mr. Jones above. After reading this article in the New York Times, my opinion on brainstorming’s correlation with the diminishment of creativity was only heightened.

Brainstorming can hurt the creative process.  Do we need teamwork? Yes. Teamwork is useful but only if individuals are allowed time before to explore their creative thoughts in private. Then individuals can contribute to a group.  Personally I find my best work is completed when I am alone with minimal interruption.  In a world where everyone is told to collaborate and work together in groups, we are putting the outcomes of our products in danger.  Introverts or shy people may have a genius idea but fear rejection in committees.  Some of our most marvel creations could have gone unnoticed if the creator was nervous to speak up during a brainstorming session.  In many companies today, brainstorming groups are put in place to quickly determine solutions or products.  The need for a quick remedy or answer can cause groups to feel pressure to achieve one idea quickly without giving full thought to the process.  Having different committees for every new project in an organization can hinder the company because it does not devote time for each individual to create.  Freedom is a necessary stimulant in order to have a creative and successful work environment. The freedom to create is essential to all organizations and brainstorming can hinder this process.
 
Do not fall into the fad that brainstorming creates.  Individuals and their creative process create.

Multiple Intelligences

According to a variety of quizzes and surveys, I have been labeled a "Linguistic Intelligence".  This does not come as a major shock to me. 

Linguistic Intelligence:    Preferring the use of words and language to solve and/or understand a problem.

This definition is me to the core.  I have always used the power of words to persuade, inform, or simply communicate with others.  I use to play sports and have played both the drums and piano in my day, but found the best way to express myself was through words.  I was that nerdy kid that wrote poetry or kept random diaries.  In kindergarten I even went to a county-wide competition for a short story I wrote called "Kindness in the Woods". It was about a raccoon who met friends along a journey through the woods, and had to escape from a mean villain named "Booger Britches". No lie. Yea, so you could say that my imagination as a child was quite vivid.  I also find the easiest way to learn new topics or study for a test is to make acronyms for things, even in subjects not connected to language and writing.  For example:  Math is not my strong suit, so the best way for me to have a shot in getting the right answer was to follow acronyms.
    Order of Operations:
        Please  Excuse  My  Dear  Aunt Sally
        Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Addition, Subtraction.
Being a linguistic intelligence also gave me an advantage when it came to present giving.  My sister always wanted to sign birthday cards from both of us last so she could see what I wrote and try to out do it.  She always accused me of trying too hard to be emotional through my writing on even the simplest of cards. Proud to say I provoke a few tears now and then when a loved one receives a letter from me. Score.
    Being part of the linguistic intelligence community has definitely had an impact on how I personally create. One of my passions in life is to create documentaries and other productions.  Instead of placing a high importance on the visual aspects or shots in my creations, I am mainly concerned with the script or influence my writing has on the viewers.  I almost find more pleasure in creating audio stories than visuals, because my words have more impact on the visions viewers create on their own.  For a long time I worked as a news reporter.  One of the main reasons I think I did not fully enjoy the experience was because my creative writing process was always hindered. I always had to "hurry and finish writing that script", or "make it less personal", "don't be so dramatic", "you sound too promotional", and "stick to the basic outline of news writing".  I hated this process. Linguistic intelligences need to use their own words and language as their unique point of view.  Having this way of thinking helped me decide this was not the career path for me, and instead I needed a job where me words had a huge impact on listeners and I was free to express myself through words.  I am currently on the long path to becoming a professor.  I want my words to inspire someone to create something, or stand up to someone, or learn a concept that was completely confusing before.  Being a linguistic learner will help me achieve and thrive in this career.

Oh, you can tell by how long this entry is that I am in fact a linguistic learner. Shocker.