Creativity: Talent or Just Experience

If you want to be successful, you need to be creative. A good motivational phrase that looks like it’s taken from some workshop held by I-did-it-myself manager of an art project. To tell the truth I totally agree that you need to be different, stand out from a crowd as we live in the era when typical things don’t put up with the competition and it definitely means that you need to be above the average. But what does it mean “to be creative”? Is it all about being unique and beautiful? Or just not similar to the precedent?

It’s a very interesting issue because there are loads of definitions that connect creativity with something new and valuable but it is not possible to produce something original without knowing what it was before. As a result, it is necessary to be intelligent and competent enough to produce something “fresh and juicy”. In other words, you need to have life experience because of two reasons: 1) history and knowledge background give you the opportunity to know what has been already created and what needs to be created; 2) everything is done for people, thus communication experience provides necessary information about the people’s needs. So, if you think that creativity is something people are born with, I suppose you should reconsider your views on that matter. And next time you brag about your inability to generate an original idea or plan your own project, try to expand your world outlook and enrich your knowledge about this or that sphere. I bet your brainstorming will be much more productive and who knows, maybe you’ll come up with a genius idea.

So, creativity – is it a talent? Or is it just experience plus good understanding of human needs? I think there’s really something to think about. What are your ideas on the matter?

Why Jack London Is My Favorite Writer and What We Can Learn from Him

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it.

(c) Jack London

You know, when you have favorite writers in childhood, growing up makes you re-evaluate the reasons which influenced your taste in reading. Going through the same books again and again doesn’t give you the same feelings as when you were 10 years old and your heart thumped and jumped out of chest while main characters were fighting for their lives. And it’s all the same with me. I can’t find that joy and happiness or fear and anxiety that I felt as a child living through the adventures from the printed pages, except for one writer who still instills those emotions with the only change – the deeper understanding of human nature. The first book by Jack London that I came across was “The White Fang” and, of course, I immediately fell in love with it. I won’t tell you about the excitement from his novels and stories because you all already know it and that’s not the point. As I was getting older I started to take interest not only in books but in authors as well and Jack London wasn’t an exception. So, you can imagine how impressed I was when I found out that he wasn’t born with such a talent. It was earned due to the hard and persistent work. To seek inspiration he hopped the trains, was an oyster pirate and worked like hell on ships. When he pursued the dream to create real fiction, Jack London barely slept and ate (simply because he either forgot or felt twinges of conscience “wasting” time for sleep). He wrote, wrote and wrote essays, short stories, verses, pamphlets and novels. At the same time he educated himself as much as possible to improve and develop.

Jack London made writing his work and his life. He devoted all his time and strength to become a decent writer and it is a good example of a struggle for a dream. This eminent personality and his not easy but noble path show us that talent can be acquired by hard work and patience. We can’t produce a masterpiece without the preceding tries and fails. So, if you want to write but don’t know where to start, look at your favorite writers. I bet they can teach you a lot of things.

Plagiarism: Something to Avoid or Our Inevitable Future

As writers you regard plagiarism as a matter of honor. At least I suppose so, associating feelings with my writer’s essence. The beauty is in the process of turning your thoughts into the coherent sentences that either trigger emotions or serve as guidelines for your readers. This is not all, of course, and you definitely know it.

Copying somebody’s opinion creates the feeling of some defectiveness and inability to produce an original idea or judgment. Consequently, every self-respecting writer stays away from plagiarism to feel self-confident and secure. But how many times you said the phrase: “You read my mind” or “That’s what I said”? How often do you come across texts on the Internet that seem similar, familiar or the same? Have you ever found phrases that you felt you would say exactly the same way?

Recently I’ve bumped into an interesting talk by Kirby Ferguson called “Embrace the Remix”. He told about Bob Dylan and people’s claims about him stealing songs, mentioned Apple patent of Multi-Touch in 2007 and records of its development way before Steve Jobs even dropped out of college. As a result he made a conclusion: “Everything is a remix”. And then it hit me. Everyday people produce tons of Internet content expressing different or similar thoughts sometimes in the same words. From time to time it seems to me that I have a genius and original idea but when I start surfing the Internet it appears that someone has already got the point. So, most of the time I attempt not to produce unique writing but to avoid plagiarizing and it feels not very good.

Well, the point is that I really have a fear that plagiarism is our inevitable future, that everything possible will be said in any possible way. But I do hope that the constant evolving of society and language will not let that happen.

And are you afraid of plagiarism?

Cyber Widow, Twoogle or I Love New English Words

I constantly come across newly coined English words while surfing the Internet. Usually they are connected with digital world and new technologies. But sometimes they just make my day :) I’ve decided to share my favorite new English words that I happily use in my everyday language!

• procaffinating - the situation when you decide finally to do something only after drinking coffee.

Well, I think that it’s just the word I needed all my life! It perfectly describes my working process and when someone accuses me of procrastination I can easily defend myself with “Hell no! I am procaffinating.”

• bag salmon - a passenger who moves in the opposite direction of deplaning passengers to get baggage from an overhead space.

There is always someone who is elbowing his/her way through the crowd like it’s the end of the world and he/she is running from zombies. Now, there is a special word that will help you to identify people who do this in the plane. “Hey! Who’s pushing there? - Never mind. It’s just another bag salmon”

• lumbersexual  - a heterosexual man wearing lumberjack style outfit and a long beard
   

Coming across this word I finally understood who so called hipsters reminded me of. Lumberjacks! Men rack their brains over how to earn enough money to be stylish smoothies and pick up girls. It’s simple: just be a lumberjack! You don’t have to go to expenses because your work clothes is the hit of the season. A perfect crime :)

So, these are my personal “newbies” in English that I already use daily. I love the dynamic nature of the English language and I am always eager to find some new material to use in my writing. The world doesn’t stand still and so do people together with their main means of communication. And it’s wonderful.

I hope this post has lived up to your textpectations and you will definitely use these awesometastic words!

By the way, what are your favourite newly coined words in the English language? Let me know!

  

Do you drink coffee when you write? No, I drink music

Writers with baggage of experience will definitely agree that it’s not all only about writing. Of course, there are times when you don’t notice anyone or anything, you plunge headlong into your thoughts and materialize them with words. But I bet it’s not always like this. Sometimes everything matters: light, colors, flavors and sounds.

I love listening to music while writing because it creates a kind of my own world where there is only me and my thoughts accompanied by my favorite tunes. I suppose there are a lot of people who feel the same way, so, I’ve decided to share some sources I use when I need the magical power of music.

• Youtube
  
  

That’s right. I use it not for watching videos. In fact, there are loads of musical channels that’ll fit any taste. Various genres, remixes, covers in indie, deep house or experimental styles. I think the idea of audiovisual music blogs is genius as it looks aesthetic and trendy at the same time.

• Stereomood 
  
  

This one is a true writing solution! The music always matches the mood I choose and the generated playlists are just fabulous. Sometimes there are songs you listen everyday, sometimes you come across new precious discoveries that will start your writing day!

• 8tracks
  
  

The last and my favourite one is a space where people make their own playlists and share their tastes, feelings and emotions. The most wonderful thing about it is that you can’t choose which song will be next because you don’t know. Every time it’s a pleasant surprise with new bands and singers unknown before.

These are my sources of inspiration and pleasure because music brings us sun in heavy rains, warmth in cold winters and silence in bustling noise. Click, listen and enjoy because that’s everything that matters.

 

Can’t Find a Word? Find a Chocolate!

As a writer with 15-year experience of creating original texts I perfectly know that there are times when you just can’t get a word out of yourself. It seems that you already understand the topic, know exactly what to write and how to write it. But when you put your fingers on the keyboard you feel that something’s off. Well, this is what I call I-need-to-relax syndrome with I-need-someething-sweet symptoms. In this case I turn to my personal “aid kit”.

• Change your position

People say that changes are always for good not without a reason. So, if you feel uncomfortable, it’s time to roll … and rock :) Select the position that is convenient for typing, put everything necessary within your arm’s reach and enjoy your writing process. And buy yourself a soft rocking chair. I discovered that it’s an integral part of an excellent writer and you can be really creative in your positions.

• Listen to music

There have been numerous studies that show how positively music influences the working process and personally I experience its effect all the time. It’s not necessary to use only the classics or only the pop. Choose something you really like whether it is indie rock or heavy metal (as long as it is your favourite) and create with pleasure.

• Eat a chocolate

Chocolate is the last and most important piece of the puzzle and it’s connected not only with boosting effects on your brain. Your endorphines begin to goof around, the sun starts shining more brightly and your mood goes up. And what is better than a happy, cheerful writer in his favourite rocking chair and full of sweet inspiration?

   These are my 3 to-do “boosters” that I use whenever I have a bad time creating a text. Of course, it’s very individual and everybody has his/her own little things that get them lit up but I hope that my tips will be a good start for your personal “aid kit”. Enjoy yourself!

Academic Writing Habits

Found a great idea over here and decided to create a list of useful exercises for those who have to deal with academic writing every day. I mean, most writers who write non-fiction or fiction can allow themselves to rely on inspiration. We, academic writers, cannot. So, how can one get used to daily academic writing?

Tip #1: pick yourself a set of short assignments for a week and get them done. Don’t start with writing course works or thesis papers: you will get bored. Small essays on different topics are exactly what you need. You won’t get tired, because there will be no need to accomplish a tremendous research, and you won’t get bored, because it won’t be necessary to concentrate on the same topic for a long time. Such practice could also be entertaining, if you choose a set of topics you are interested in.

Tip #2: learn to think in a proper way. The easiest way to do it is… to visit a library. So, all you need to do is to come to the library and to choose any scientific field you wish. Go to the section where you can find information on the chosen subject. Pick any book, the cover or the name of which looks interesting to you. Look it through – you don’t have to read it, just take a look in order to realize what topics are described there. Then just pick any topic you like, sit down and try to make a plan for different types of essays on this topic – a plan for an argumentative essay, a research paper or a thesis paper. This exercise will help you cope with academic writing in different scientific fields. It will also allow you to learn the difference between different essay types.

Tip #3: make a list of your most and least favorite topics. Define the directions and topics you would love to explore. If you want to get used to daily academic writing, forget about uninteresting themes at least for a month. Work with the matter you like. It will make your process of adaptation to academic writing easier.