image by jef safi on Flickr

Connections are important.

The computing power of a brain depends partly on the strength of the networks between its cells. It’s not just the number of brain cells you’ve got; it’s the connections between them, and the strength of those connections, that makes intelligence and creativity possible.

The metaphor applies to an organization like the BBC, with its thousands of employees in different fields. The BBC contains one of the world’s biggest concentrations of creative innovators in one company. There’s an enormous amount of expertise distributed through an organization this size. Each of us is an expert in our own field: programmers, journalists, filmmakers, engineers, writers, researchers, and many more. Ideas and solutions that may be obvious to one team might be revolutionary to another. The trick is to get people together to talk about those ideas.

It all starts with a conversation.

Every person who works here has great ideas about something. But in the course of business as usual, there isn’t much opportunity for people from different departments, or different divisions, to meet and understand each other, learn from each other, to share ideas, to get inspired.

That’s what BeeBCamp is all about. It’s an unconference about creativity and innovation at the BBC. Over the course of a day, BeeBCamp uses a simple format to bring people together and get them talking. The conference creates a critical mass of creative experimenters and technical innovators. When we get together, the creative potential of all that expertise concentrated in a couple of places is one of the highest in the world.

These connections are important. On Friday, you at BeeBCamp will continue building them. Welcome to the conversation.

Scrapbook Paige is an addictive Hidden Object game with great environments to explore. After searching the many themed areas of the shop, players are given the chance to try out their scrapbooking skills. Creativity is key to earning extra cash when designing scrapbook pages for shop customers. Speed Rounds offer an exciting challenge as you try to complete rush orders. The superb magnifying glass feature is sure to please players when looking for those hard to find items.

Assemble scrapbooks

Win with your creativity!

Find the riddle items!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/Vista

CPU: 1.0 GHz

RAM: 1024 MB

DirectX: 8.0

Hard Drive: 112 MB

It Takes Just A second To Say Thanks,

It Takes Longer To The Work On This.

Scrapbook Paige

Innocence of a Child

Ah! The meandering river behold!
Twisting and writhing, it has
trickled o’er leagues manifold.

Somewhere, a child on its banks grows.
His heart joyous, clear; it rushes,
like a mountain stream sparkling cold.

Dreary grows now the path to the Sea,
Sluggish, restrained becomes its might.
Weary of life’s toils, this old heart
yearns for a child’s pristine delight.

via

Life. Politics. Video Creation. This is THE JOJCAST!

This week sees the return of a very good friend of THE JOJCAST. Indeed, the man who appeared alongside me on the very first episode! I talk to MG Phenom (Matt Elwood), about being part of Podpocalypse, ‘Anti-Blogging’ and the annual terror I like to call “NaNoWriMo.”

[Full show notes on this episode]

Don’t forget you can subscribe to The JOJCAST via iTunes. Voice over kindly provided by Joshua Withers.

Last week was spent in deepest, darkest, stormiest Yorkshire on a writing course (www.arvonfoundation.org) . It was held in the former home of poet Ted Hughes – how’s that for inspirational? No TV, no radio, no internet access (I only heard about the awful floods in Cumbria via a phone call with The Husband). Just plenty of time to learn, read and write. Oh and get to know the other fifteen participants and two tutors. What a great experience.

The hardest part for most people was to share their work with others. Actually read it out loud. However, once everyone had got over that initial hurdle (apologising profusely) you realised what you might have missed if they hadn’t dared. Some beautiful and often funny writing, that made you nod inwardly with a flash of recognition; oh yes, I’ve felt that too.

And that for me was the biggest lesson. That it doesn’t matter that it’s a first draft (or the fifteenth or the fiftieth), but at some point you have to be courageous enough to share what you’ve created with other people. Rude not to, really.

Sorry for the Christian undertones. I am not religious and I don’t want religious crap shoved in my face, to be blunt.

Something to think about.

I agree with the point completely though. I also have some points and opinions of my own which you may not want to read. I have never been a big lover of Christmas. Family coming together, food, fun and laughter – that’s all great. Fantastic. Christmas and family time, celebrating being together the way it should be.

However, I have a family that is so extremely materialistic it sickens me. For as long as I can remember this has made me look down apon Christmas and the huge amounts of advertising and money people spend, or as I see it almost feel like they HAVE to spend. I sure as hell know I have felt like that for a very long time when really, I haven’t wanted anything for myself and i’ve found it all disturbing that so much is spent because you’re told you have to.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE giving and I can’t say I don’t like receiving but Christmas is one of those times that makes little sense to me when it comes to the degree it is plugged. Just like Easter. I don’t care about your EGGS that come out 2.1 days after Christmas.

Whether it be through family and tradition or of course, every bloody business in your face everywhere you go for A QUARTER of the year Christmas advertising is screaming at you (quite literally for a few weeks now since the carols started) – I believe Christmas and the costs are all too pushed.

Well, DUH?!

I wonder about how much financial struggle for some if not many, goes on because WOW we can’t skip Christmas, somebody think of all the Department Stores! I just ignore it these days but sometimes, it just annoys me. I bet the struggle doesn’t stop as soon as the carols stop either, and oh wait.. meet our new friend Easter.

From some time during August this year the bombarding started. I don’t get that either. Doesn’t it take the fun out of it for some of you that love and get truly get excited over Christmas? There is nothing wrong with getting excited either, these are my opinions only, but a quarter of the year?

Ok. I don’t mean to offend anybody here and I am as materialistic as any other normal person I know, but this is world scale. HUGE money. I have often wondered about the amount that is spent on Christmas. Because I have always had a skewed view once I had a mind of my own, the older I get the more I have strong thoughts not only all the time but especially around so called Celebration times. I don’t know, about things like Malaria tents and education and how LITTLE that costs. The lack of food and water in other parts of the world. The homeless we have in our own city which SO many people overlook and don’t realise is there. You know, those little things that make me overlook stupid snow globes.

The spirit that I don’t see in many families and people when it comes to Christmas anymore, for some it was never there. The stores raking it in. I love things, but it can get out of hand imo. Like when you were a little kid and you made things for your parents in pre-primary, the lop sided ‘mug’ which looked ridiculous but was loved all the same.

As adults, I know so many of you out there that are SO talented. How many of us put those talents to good use rather than going out and spending a bunch of dosh that could feed a village, half of the presents probably bought off the cuff because you didn’t know WHAT to buy – never to be used.

I know many people disagree with me and that’s cool, i’ve had this conversation a million times before. Really though, think about this. How many of you get stressed out over Christmas? I can safely say without a doubt that most people I know could say that Christmas has been or maybe is each year, one of the most stressful times of the year. Should it be? What is Christmas really about? Don’t tell me Jesus, either. Does it have to be so stressful?

Another thing. How much do your kids expect to be handed to them? How do you think they treat Christmas, how do you think the advertising and expectations effect them? I don’t want you to answer me but no this isn’t a rhetorical question, ask yourself. The answer may not be at all bad, but I know for some it is.

Now I sound pretty bitter here and maybe I am. I dig Christmas and people coming together, I get people wanting to buy each other gifts, giving, receiving and having a good time. I am talking about the other side of the coin though. It’s not ALL good.

WHO is getting what out of this? and why.

Imagine if we all did something creative for each other, something that really meant something – just ONE year. Do you see what could happen? Sure some people (by people I mean villages and villages annnnnd.. ok pretty sure you’ve got me) could be fed but I bet some banks would start swinging green and red nunchucks too.

I  don’t always buy things on Trade Me that need restoration and then leave them forever in my garage gathering dust. Occasionally I actually do restore a piece and then I am so chuffed with myself. That old chaise that I blogged about finally went to the rubbish heap as I realized it was never going to happen – while hubby stood there with that “I told you so” look on his face. But I finally tackled an old blanket box that has been in my room and I recovered it. I bought this box/seat for $5 off Trade Me and I have been longing to do something with it. Well as we are moving very soon (hang in there for another couple of weeks and I will divulge all!!) I decided that I couldn’t throw it away nor could I sell it as it was. I had the fabric I planned to use on the chaise so decided to recover it quickly. I love the result – I’m just mad at myself that I didn’t recover it sooner and get the joy out of it. It all ends well though as I got to give hubby the “I told you so” look back when I sold it on Trade Me for $50. Not bad for a quick project.

Recovering it was surprisingly easy and fairly quick – one morning’s work and hey presto!!

Ugly box before covering.

First I took the lid off by removing hinges.

Covered the padded seat first using tacks and hammer – so simple!!

Seat done.

All complete – got so involved with covering that I forgot to take step by step pictures as I progressed – silly me!!

Looks good don’t you think – I was quite pleased with the end result.

I was going to post this last week along with the video about brain crack, but I didn’t want to detract from the primary topic of the day. So, here’s a written interview with Ze Frank about creativity.

Design and Innovation Daily will take a break for the holiday and return on Monday, November 30.

I remember seeing this in a James Bond Film years ago…  Where Pierce Brosnan was driving his BMW with his PDA.

This is probably is one of the coolest iPhone apps out there, the German-made ‘Spirit of Berlin’ driverless car app is well suited for secret agents.

Computer scientists recently developed the Spirit of Berlin smartphone app which gives user the ability to control a vehicle using an on-screen steering wheel, brake and accelerator. The projects director Professor Raúl Rojas envisions a future where taxis are piloted by unseen drivers.

References: robotics.mi.fu-berlin.de, dailymail

Now have a look at the You Tube clip.

well, it looks like i’m off to find a REALLY good freedom of speech lawyer.  i’ve been threatened by some anonymous douchebag saying that all the people i’ve criticized are banding together to come after me.  really?  little ol’ me.  now that’s comedy.  if you know a good lawyer that wouldn’t mind taking this straight to the national media, if in fact these douchebags do come after me, then let me know:o)

to my street team members, thanks for all your help putting up flyers and making posters, we’ll reconvene at a later time.

•••

WAKE UP PEOPLE, YOU ARE LIVING IN A MATRIX DESIGNED BY ADVERTISERS TRYING TO STEAL YOUR MIND AND YOUR SOUL…

•••

•••

•••

support creativity and stop mindless mass consumption.  artists and culture jammers of the world, unite!

crossing that bleak and open meadow,
i saw a murder of crows flee
from the flailing stalks
and into the whaling wind.
their shrieks of turmoil
pierced my lament heart
with such precision
that i could not bare
to be just a corroborator standing by.
they are mad
yet they are true.
and so,
i learned the words of the birds,
and within mere moments
i too sought the bleak and open skies
of anarchy.

On Tuesday morning, a cello sat on the sidewalk outside my house. I considered engaging in a musical conversation, but instead rushed off to work.

On Wednesday morning, the sidewalk looked up at me with empty eyes.

**   **   **   **   **   **

I have a confession to make. Lately, I haven’t been practicing what I preach on this blog. Circumstances in my life at the moment have had me working long hours six or seven days a week, every week, for a while. Life has been particularly stressful. And I haven’t been maintaining a creative practice.

This blog itself does give me a bit of an outlet. But I haven’t devoted any time at all to what I call my soul-writing. The fragments of fiction and poetry, the phrases of metaphor and memory my Muse hands to me. Moments of creativity that may become pieces of a larger project or may just feed my deepest self by merely existing.

But this past weekend, I didn’t work at all, taking two days in a row off for the first time in quite a while. And guess what happened? My Muse took the opportunity to begin nudging me. Or maybe he’s been nudging me all along, and I just haven’t been listening. At any rate, a couple of metaphorical micro-stories flowed into my mind. And once I started writing them down, more arrived.

Perhaps not surprisingly, they all speak to issues of creativity and writing. I’ve shared one above, and I plan to continue sharing them and write about the issue each describes. ”Why I Don’t Speak Cello” illustrates my current period of overworked stress. Something extraordinary sits on the periphery of my life, and I’ve been refusing to engage with it. Creativity is always extraordinary, you know.

My life hasn’t slowed down, in spite of the fact that I actually had a real weekend. And my stress level remains high. But this little story my Muse handed me reminds me that I can still take 15 minutes to talk to the cello before I rush to work.

15 minutes a day. That’s how you learn to speak cello—or become a writer, or maintain a creative practice—no matter how much crazy life throws at you.

And if you do ignore the cello until it disappears, just remember to stop and talk to the timpani and the trombone when they arrive.

even though the filmmaking bar has been set pretty low in cbus, there has been at least one artistic feature made here (that i’m aware of).  one example is this:

i wish more local filmmakers would aspire to make interesting creative features like this instead of trying to make the most banal attempts at ripping off hollywood.

too bad damon zex never made a feature film…

so this is my first post on this blog
i’m going to try to post on here a lot
i miss writing
this first post is going to be sort of a long one
you don’t have to read it all
i’m writing this more for me than anyone else
it gives me a sense of comfort to write out my thoughts
i like being able to look back  on them in the future
so the thoughts begin…

i’m going to be a copywriter
this became clear to me today when i visited the creative circus
the creative circus is a portfolio school in atlanta
i’ve been thinking about going there after i graduate from uga this coming may
if i want to go into creative in the advertising industry, i pretty much have to go to a portfolio school to hone my skills
initially i thought that i was going to go and study art direction or design[making the art in ads] in a portfolio school
when i was sitting in on a class today at the circus, i realized that i want to do copywriting

it’s not just that i want to do it
i know i can do it
with art direction and design, i really wanted to do it, but i didn’t know if i was skilled enough
with copywriting, i’m completely confident i can be successful at it
i’ve always loved writing
it’s how i deal with things, good and bad
i used to write lyrics/poems in high school
i started a book 2 summers ago
so i’ve always had a love for writing, and i feel like my creativity comes out of me in the form of words
my favorite part about creating ads is putting together the copy
so it just makes sense that i’d be a copywriter
it’s a sense of relief knowing what i want to do
not having a doubt about it
it’s awesome
i know what i want to do with my life for the first time ever
it took 22 years and almost 8 months to happen
i’ve always had no idea what i wanted to do for sure
i never felt good about a major in college
i was good at different things, but i never had the desire to make careers out of them
it’s different with copywriting
i get excited when i think about doing it as a profession
it fits well
if any of you know fay fay
you know that when he and i are together, we make up very random stories on the spot and add to them spontaneously
well that’s what i’d be doing when i’m coming up with copy for ads
it seems perfect for me

well
that’s about all i have to say about that
it was an epiphany for me
i had a couple epiphanies today
that was a huge one
the other was that i don’t need chicago
some of you might know that  i went to chicago recently to visit advertising agencies
i absolutely loved it
since i got back, i’ve been very focused on somehow getting back there to live
whether it be after i graduate or after portfolio school
it’s what i’ve been planning on/working towards
today when i was driving around atlanta, it hit me that i don’t need chicago
with the relationships[girlfriend, friends, family] that i have, i’d be content anywhere
realizing this today was big for me
i was focusing on the wrong thing

i think that’s all i have to say tonight
this was a long post
it was also a serious post
don’t expect them all to be long or serious
it’s very very unlikely that will occur

night night,
billiam

(Years Three/Four of Robb’s Illustrious Career)

My third/fourth year in the business I worked for this show-runner who was a real piece of work. He was the most hated figure I’ve ever worked for. He made The Weasel look like a normal, well-adjusted human being. From the writers room to the production office to the stage, everybody hated him.

This guy was a harsh dictator. I’ve never seen anybody better at shutting down creativity in a room. Writers pitching jokes or brainstorming ideas would be cut off and dismissed mid-sentence, mid-pitch. Nice. The in-joke in the writers room was that if he was looking for an integer between 2 and 4 and you pitched 3, you would get shot down.

Strangely, this guy was also helpless. He couldn’t do anything by himself. He had no personal assistant, so we were ALL his personal assistant. I was personally called by the guy on a weekend and compelled to help him out with something personal. Let me repeat, I was NOT his personal assistant. My son was an infant at the time, but apparently the guy didn’t think I had anything more important to do on a Sunday morning than get in the car and go help him out. The in-joke in the production office was that you might get a call from the guy in the toilet demanding that you come help him with the paperwork.

One day Mr. Sunday Morning said his computer monitor “flickered.”I was called into his office and yelled at when I could see no flickering. Well, actually, he didn’t yell, he rolled his eyes condescendingly and told me to go find somebody else – anybody else – to come in his office to confirm the flickering. No matter how many assistants and then producers were called in, NO ONE else could see any flickering. The line producer called the computer rental company and had the non-flickering computer and monitor replaced. Twice. Guess what? Mr. Sunday Morning said it still flickered. I will never forget this: I was personally in his office, along with the line producer and all the writers and some of the cast, when Mr. Sunday Morning became enraged and literally shouted to the heavens, “Why does no one else see this flickering?!”. Everybody in the room was acutely aware of the obvious reason. Everybody except him.

He was fired. Well, I got ahead of myself. First the executive producer was told – by everyone – about this guy. Producers were running around in circles wasting time and money on crap for him. The executive producer’s hand-picked writers were not being allowed to write or even contribute, and were threatening to quit. Nobody was happy. A few shows in, production was shut down and Mr. Sunday Morning was given a serious talking-to. After that, he was on his best behavior. At considerable expense, we spent weeks retooling. An additional writer was brought in to clear the air and “reset” the writers room. Writers’ contributions were welcomed and accepted. Everything was back on track, and everyone was happy.

Until we started taping again. With the stress of production, the dictatorial prima donna control freak jerk returned and everything went back to the way it was. A few shows into this second part of the season, the executive producer unexpectedly appeared on the lot, went into Mr. Sunday Morning’s office, and fired him. Security escorted him off the lot.

It was wonderful. It was… justice.

For weeks afterward it was like the laws of gravity did not apply in our little world. As my Uncle Bernard used to say, “When you hit your thumb with a hammer as hard as you can over and over and over… it feels so good when you stop.” The rest of the season was filled with sweetness and light. And with cruel, unrelenting jokes from everyone about the disgraced, fired jerk. The satisfaction was overwhelming. The world is fair after all.

Or is it?

Four years later, I saw Mr. Sunday Morning’s name on a movie poster. And I about lost my lunch. He wrote a movie – a big, successful, $100+ million Hollywood blockbuster. And later that same year, he did it again. He wrote ANOTHER big, successful, $100+ million Hollywood blockbuster. Movies with BIG HUGE stars. And prominent, beloved, cult-following directors. I am not making this up. The guy made it big. Twice in one year. The disgraced jerk hadn’t faded away, he just moved… into movies. And looking at imdb, his plate is still quite full. This guy is a huge success. We got cancelled, but he made it big.

He sure showed us.

In the years since, I have tried to figure out the true meaning of these events. You know, the big, cosmic truth. Was Mr. Sunday Morning really a jerk? Yes. Is he really a successful writer? Yes. Is he successful BECAUSE he is a jerk? Or in spite of this? Or is there any relationship between these whatsoever? For me, this is the question. Young P.A.s and assistants often ponder this issue, because the vast majority of the time in the business the people in charge (like Mr. Sunday Morning and The Weasel) are dictatorial prima donna control freak jerks. So do people become dictatorial prima donna control freak jerks BECAUSE they are successful and are allowed to get away with anything? Or do they become successful BECAUSE they are dictatorial prima donna control freak jerks to begin with? Is one a prerequisite for the other? If so, which one? Can you really be successful if you are NOT a dictatorial prima donna control freak jerk? Or will all normal, nice, well-adjusted writers become dictatorial prima donna control freak jerks once they become successful?

And which one am I?

Huff, Puff

Burpies, squats, huff, puff

And repeat for ten minutes

Crossfit Workouts Suck!

hello?
don’t you see me?
i’m right in front of your eyes!
when you look in the mirror,
i’m there.
i’m here when you go to bed at night,
and when you wake up in the morning too.
haven’t you ever seen me?
everywhere you go;
i’m there.
when you take off your make up at night
i really come to life.
you must be blindfolded or something
if you truly can’t see me,
’cause i’m really not hard to miss.
i’m right there in front of you

can’t you see me ?

La narrativa más allá de contar una historia o referir algún hecho, es generar discursos que evidencien una tendencia cultural en un momento determinado de la historia de la humanidad.

La narrativa arquitectónica es un ejercicio de investigación sumamente valioso para el desarrollo de espacios urbanos. El despacho inglés CJ Lim Studio 8 Architectes se caracteriza por su grande aportación al discurso arquitectónico del presente milenio. Su narrativa involucra inovar el diseño a partir del estudio social, cultural y ecológico de programas sustentables.

Sus “ensambles culturales” son una muestra que a través de una investigación experimental se puede llegar a un estudio profundo de las distintas culturas y sus identidades.

How exciting!

We may finally have some “place” to record all our adventures. 

Well I (C) have been spending a few hours on the computer which is a bit long, and now the kids are getting pretty restless.  But i did put in a huge effort for them yesterday and this morning, with lots of  mum-directed activities.

Yesterday we read lots of our latest story – “The Phoenix and the Carpet”, by E. Nesbit, as well as did some painting, made lots more paper beads, and created some salt/modelling clay, to make christmas decorations!!

This morning we read 5 chapters of Esther – In our school time we have been reading the bible straight through from Genesis for almost 2 years, and are still only up to Esther!  We usually do 1-2 chapters/day, but as Esther is the absolute favourite we had to read lots of it!  Then  I listened to Serenity read (YAY!!) while I sat beside her making paper beads. Want to kinow how?

Just as exercising regularly will help keep you physically fit, having a sense of purpose will keep you spiritually fit—& it will also keep you unruffled when faced with stress.

During the holidays, more than any other time, it’s critical to focus on who & what has heart & meaning in your life. This Thanksgiving, slow down, pause, & reflect on these affirmations:

-  I am authentic & full-hearted in what I say & do.

-  I say Yes to what & who has heart & meaning for me.

-  I can & do say No to others… & say it as a complete sentence.

-  I align my priorities with how I spend my time.

-  I invest in making a difference in others’ lives.

-  I do what I love for work & leisure.

Ask yourself, which of these affirmations apply to you… & what can you do to focus on those that give you a lift & a sense of forward momentum.

Consider the affirmations you can turn into goals—not just for today but throughout the upcoming holidays & into the New Year—to help you stay focused, unruffled, & on track so you can enjoy your loved ones & the many other blessings of the season.

Happy Holidays!

Pass It On!

The truly wealthy give until it feels good.