Michael Wesch’s work on digital ethnography at Kansas State University is worth looking at, if you haven’t already. One of his well known videos is called “A Vision of Students Today“. I like it because it highlights how students learn and spend their time, including the power of collaboration, the immediate access to vast amounts of information and multi-tasking. In my view, it also indirectly supports David Levy’s point on “No Time to Think” (see post below).

I am interested in what ways today’s digital environment supports creativity and in what ways it harms it? In the physical world we are only conscious of a very small amount of the stimuli around us (e.g. sights and sounds) even though our unconscious mind might store vast amounts of information. Our intention and focus filters the information in our conscious mind. I am not sure we have found such a balance yet when interacting in the digital world – and this I think has an impact on our creativity.

Just watched a lovely talk by David Levy called “No Time to Think“. It captures quite a lot of what we covered in our sessions, but does in a much more scholarly way than I did. He highlights how intellect has two aspects – one that is about searching, abstracting, refining and concluding (the stuff we are generally taught to be good at) – the other is about thinking, reflection, assimilation and contemplation – and that both are important, and that the second scholarly aspect is not given equal weighting. It is worth checking out the video if you have time ;>

Hi all,

Ive been listening to the audio sessions and sat down this morning to think about what’s going on in my life, my values and other things that I think about. After seeing the post secret blog I thought I’d do something similar only instead of secrets I thought I would share some images of my life and how they relate to me.

Thanks

There is an interesting centre that has been set up at the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University called the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. Their work is “to realise the potential of mindfulness-based approaches in mental and physical health”. The techniques taught are similar to some of the ones we covered in our sessions. Check out www.oxfordmindfulness.org if you are interested.

I thought I’d add this link which, much like my last post, feels only loosly related to creativity in product design (although on the subject of values it’s very strong) . This site is something I come back to time and time again because it’s just so darned interesting. PostSecret , in itself a creative project, marrying web technology and the postal system, is based on the idea that people send in their secrets on the back of a postcard, and the most interesting are posted every Sunday. In addition to being a cracking idea, it is also a great showcase of the creativity of those who post in secrets, and the struggles or enjoyment they find between life and their values.

And if that’s not enough, there is at least one every week which will make you wet yourself laughing…

As I mentioned in the last session I have started a project called “Just Druid” – this one of my attempts to put into practice what we covered in the sessions. If you are interested, you can find out more at www.justdruid.com. It would be great to hear about any other project you are planning.

No session this week, but will have a film and pizza evening next Wednesday (9th December) and was thinking of showing the film Life of Brain – as I did refer to the film in some of the sessions. Meet at 6pm in B0.01 as usual. Please come along if you can make it.

AdSpark™ uses interactive Metaphorix® animations as a shortcut to consumers’ emotional responses -alongside rational questioning – picking up underlying shifts in brand engagement that would otherwise be missed.

Amazing article on a modern day version of the kings new clothes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/world/middleeast/04sensors.html?_r=1

A few people have talked with me about the session on Values, so I thought I would share the values I initially came up with for myself – as I called them: My Ten Commandments (i.e. they are for me, and not necessarily for anybody else)

I SHALL: Create, Be free, Be open, Have courage, Be still, Take action, Be gracious, Be strong, Be true to myself, Be at peace

But then when I reflected on the ten values I felt they were all too serious, so I have added two more – Play and Have Fun. I am sure I will change my mind again, but it has been a good exercise for me.