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Review: The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry
Todd Henry provides a framework to systemize creativity in [amazon_link id=”1591844010″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Accidental Creative: How to be brilliant at a moment’s notice[/amazon_link]. The first three chapters cover “the dynamics” of creative work–what it is, creative team work and things that can sabotage creativity. Â These chapters set up the “creative rhythm”, being cognitively aware of the dynamics of creativity to do creative work.
In the rhythm, Henry discusses being able  to identify what’s important, maintaining healthy relationships, staying healthy to do creative work, one’s environment (or stimuli), how much time to do creative work.  The last two chapters tie his concepts together with examples of his own personal implementation.  The index in the back of the book is useful for further reading, as he cites books he referenced to formulate his ideas.  The book is pretty close to a how to book on being creative as you can get, however, you need ideas to work with, which he discusses and suggests to set aside time each day just to think up new ideas.  Accidental creative starts slow (for me at least) and contains concepts and tips found elsewhere.  I’d recommend this as a starter book and take concepts needed to get stuff done.
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Review: Old Masters and Young Geniuses by David W. Galenson
What happens when an economist becomes an art critic? That’s the premise David Galenson writes in [amazon_link id=”0691133808″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Old Masters and Young Geniuses[/amazon_link] with as he examines numerous artists, primarily from mid 1800s impressionists through mid 1900s modernists. The thesis is that two life cycles of an artist: old masters and young geniuses. Old masters are those that reached their peak later in life, and Galenson believes, due largely to a life of artistic experimentation. Â Young geniuses succeed due to conceptual innovation, simplifying previous complexities. Â His two metrics to quantify and distinguish artists into either category are the price of an artist’s work from a certain point in their career, or the number of prints, or citations, of their work from a time in their life.
Galenson also applies his framework for analysis to the Renaissance painters of Michelangelo and Carravagio, 19th century and early 20th century American writers, directors, poets and sculptors. (Photographers are noticeably absent.) The book is dry and reads like a mixture of art criticism and art history. Â The depth of research provides an overwhelming, yet comprehensive analysis of creating art, and the citations are provided at the end of the book. Â My criticism of the book is probably one of scope. Â The artist compared were clumped at particular time periods in history. Â What would be interesting would be to see if more contemporary artists fit the same framework for analysis.
I’d recommend this book as a Kindle read. Â I found myself wanting to mark and highlight the book and look up words or research an artist, particularly the poets. Â The analysis of poets alone should make someone somewhat informed of Frost, Plath, Eliot and Pound.
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Review: Monster Island by Dan Wellington
★★★☆☆ [amazon_link id=”1560258500″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Monster Island by David Wellington[/amazon_link] – This is well written for a zombie novel.  A zombie apocalypse ravaged the world, leaving 3rd world countries, like Somalia, one of the few safe places. Dekalb is a former UN weapons inspector, agreeing to lead a band of teen, female Somali soldiers in search of anti AIDS drugs that may exist in New York City.  Greg is a zombie, who has somehow maintained his ability to think, speak and act.  Dekalb meets Greg, and a rash act by one of the soldiers makes an enemy of the two.  The story progresses with Dekalb meeting a group of survivors and having to take on Greg, whom Dekalb finds that Greg is more capable than being able to think.
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Review: A Visit From the Goon Squad
★★★★☆ [amazon_link id=”0307477479″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan[/amazon_link] – Central to the story are time, music, Bennie Salazar and Sasha. Beyond them are pasts that they share between people they’ve known and places they’ve been.  Bennie is an aging record executive and Sasha is his assistant. The story travels back and forth in time, sometimes jumping past, present and future all within a paragraph describing out people try to escape their actions despite the passage of time. The format is unorthodox, and a long chapter, told in the guise of a PowerPoint deck, comes across as amusing at first, then sobering. Jennifer Egan figured out how to wring emotional catharsis out of a PowerPoint deck. In a sense, the past catches up with all the characters presented to tell a story of transformation.
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Use a mason jar with a blender
It turns out, most blenders fit properly with a mason jarmost blenders fit properly with a mason jar.
We use this trick most often to make whipped cream. The blender whips it right in the jar, so if we have extra, it’s already in a jar for storage. And it is easier when it comes to making small quantities.
The pictures make it perfectly clear.
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Crossword Puzzle Girl
Petite, blonde hair always in a pony tail, blue-eyed, she occupied the same corner of the campus cafeteria. Whenever I saw her, her face peered down, lips pursed and eyes intently engaged in the day’s crossword puzzle. Her books and backpack would be either piled at her feet or on the table next to her, depending on the crowd of students flowing through the room.
During my attendance at TCU, the campus’s main dining hall, called The Main, served three meals a day, opening and closing for each meal. At times, it became confusing as to what the hours actually were, especially when students would camp for hours at a time, at the behest of the cafeteria’s staff. The Main’s interior looked like a Luby’s stuck in the 90s—grey walls, tables and floors, bold geometric, airbrushed artwork and booths lined with red vinyl.
This girl, whom I silently named Crossword Puzzle Girl, was a staple. She always went for the back corner and folded the campus paper, The Skiff, to reveal the crossword puzzle. Before Sudoku became the distraction of choice, the crossword puzzle had a place in the back of classrooms, communally shared in the lounges or those sitting solo, etching out the answers to the day’s clue’s.
I never asked of her name, so she never answered. The only other thing I knew about her, seems amusing. She was a baton twirler. Dressed in purple polyester, skin-tone sheer and sparkly, sparkly sequins, she would dance amongst the band during halftime shows, as her partner—the baton—twirled, swirled and curled through the air. While she worked on the puzzle, her pen would roll and somersault between her fingers.
I saw Crossword Puzzle Girl a few months ago. She’s one of those people you’d never expect to see again, and would notice them immediately if paths crossed, however distant. Instead of a 90s era cafeteria, a contemporary Starbuck’s cafe was the setting. She sat in the corner, flanked by windows, light shining off her blonde hair, pulled back into a pony tail. Instead of a bag of books by her side, a stroller stood. Instead of a bustling crowd of undergraduates moving around her, her daughter, equally blonde and blue-eyed, moved amongst the tables and chairs.
Crossword Puzzle Girl sat with a pen in her hand and looked relaxed as she appeared to answer one of the day’s clues.
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Recent non-fiction reads
[amazon_link id=”1422133443″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]HBR’s 10 Must Reads The Essentials[/amazon_link] – This complilation collects 10 articles that business leaders should readily consider–strategies for broad aspects of business. Â Each article is summarized in a side bar with the key points. This is handy as the articles are 20-30 pages in length. Â Drucker, Porter, Christensen are all present with topics covering leadership, innovation, strategy, analytics and more. Â Standout articles: Michael Porter’s “What is Strategy?” and John P. Kotter’s “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail”. Â If you have access to a good library, you should be able to find these articles, and with some effort, Google Scholar can dig them up.
[amazon_link id=”0385529058″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Click by Ori and Rom Brafman[/amazon_link] – Ever wonder what causes people to click? Ori and Rom divulge five factors: vulnerability, proximity, resonance, similarity and shared adversity. Also, there are individuals who can adjust their temperament to their circumstance, which they call high self monitors. The book is a quick read, under 200 pages, and illustrates each point with well told stories.
[amazon_link id=”1591843529″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman[/amazon_link] – Ever wonder what MBAs learn? Josh Kaufman distills key, critical and essential concepts and principles across all facets of business. Â From the hard numbers of accounting, fuzziness of marketing and organizational development to fluidity of strategy, each concept is summarized and provided an example. Â It’s not meant to be read straight through, it’s meant to be read as a reference, or perhaps a means to translate business lingo into something concrete and meaningful.
[amazon_link id=”0142001104″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander[/amazon_link] – Across 12 points, uplifting and inspirational stories are used to tell the power of being inclusive, constructive, positive and seeking understanding. Â Definitely worth a reread to focus on doing good things and keeping a good mindset.
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Recent fiction reads
And by recent I mean, in the last 6 months.
[amazon_link id=”159514188X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher[/amazon_link]Â – Clay Jensen receives a box of cassette tapes, narrating why a dead classmate killed herself. Hannah Baker tells of teenage heart break and cruelty that pushed her over the edge. The novel shows how a little empathy and compassion can mend a troubled soul.
[amazon_link id=”1594744769″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs[/amazon_link] – Jacob’s grandfather always told stories, colorful stories of life during World War II. Dismissed as a way to deal with the horrors of war, his grandfather was never taken seriously until he is abruptly murdered. A note left for Jacob directs him to Wales, where his grandfather grew up. In trying to figure out the mystery of his grandfather, Jacob discovers his grandfather’s colorful stories were very real, and in the process discovers himself in World War II. Unique characters throughout with an interesting take on time travel and good and evil. The ending is a bit of a cliff hanger, alluding to a sequel and where the story will ultimately go.
[amazon_link id=”0385534639″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern[/amazon_link] – A magical, beautifully crafted novel where every word adds to the story. A mysterious circus that arrives without warning tells the story of a competition between two illusionists, their love and their passions. Strong and developed characters, Celia and Marco create feats of magic for the circus not knowing when the competition will end. *Highly recommended*
[amazon_link id=”1439132852″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia[/amazon_link] – Monsters are real, and in this pulp, sci-fi, horror mashup, a team of monster hunters collect bounties for killing monsters. Â Owen Pitt finds this out the hard way after being attacked by a werewolf , surviving and being recruited by Monster Hunters International. Owen learns everything in the horror movies is real, and learns of a much broader plot of the Cursed One, to take over the world in the name of the Old Ones. Â It’s a mindless story full of action and gore with some developed characters. Â If you like guns, knowledge of various arms is fairly extensive.
[amazon_link id=”1439133913″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia[/amazon_link] – Owen Pitt lived to see another book. Â A death cult led by the Shadow Man intends to take over the world. Â Same stuff different book.
[amazon_link id=”B003LL2Z1W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Brains by Robin Becker[/amazon_link] – What if a zombie retained its greatest personal ability. For Jack Barnes, it’s the ability to think. Â In this zombiefied riff on Frankenstein, Barnes retains an acid wit and lucid tells of his life as a zombie. Â A short, quick read, and at times overwritten. Â Amusing if you’re into zombies.
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Twitter Stories
Twitter splendidly presents stories of tweets or clever uses of its service in Twitter Stories. A guy who saved his mother’s book store. Fishermen who sell the day’s catch while still on the boat. Complete recipes in 140 characters. Twitter is finding a singular purpose–enabling people to communicate uniquely and directly to the entire world, no filter needed.
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Art begets art
Art begets art.  One creative act should be free to inspire another creative act.  To say that one creation, once delivered to the world, remains tethered to its creator, unable to inspire, evolve or grow into something new, restricts the life of the original creation.  As much as one may try to control the perception of the work they created, it’s impossible.  Once you let the light, the art, the work, whatever, out—it’s no longer yours.  Maybe for a time it’s your’s.  But at some point it belongs to someone else. And that person may be inspired by your work to let loose another creative work.
