I've been thinking a lot lately about the written word as an art form -- and so it was only fitting that I came across this passage today while reading "Linchpin":
Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that's creative, passionate, and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator.
What makes someone an artist? I don't think it has anything to do with a paintbrush. There are painters who follow the numbers, or paint billboards, or work in a small village in China, painting reproductions. These folks, while swell people, aren't artists. On the other hand, Charlie Chaplin was an artist, beyond a doubt. So is Jonathan Ive, who designed the iPod. You can be an artist who works with oil paints of marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances.
An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it personally.
...
Art is not related to craft, except to the extent that the craft helps deliver the change. Technical skill might be a helpful component in making art, but it's certainly not required. Art doesn't have to be decorative; it can be useful as long as the use causes change.
...
By definition, art is human. A machine can't create art, because the intent matters. It's much more likely to be art if you do it on purpose.
A cook is not an artist. A cook follows a recipe, and he's a good cook if he follows the recipe correctly. A chef is an artist. She's an artist when she invents a new way of cooking or a new type of dish that creates surprise or joy or pleasure for the person she created it for.
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
03 August 2010
29 August 2009
Stranger advice
The beauty of being able to talk to random strangers for a living is that you get a heck of a lot of unsolicited advice from sources you wouldn't otherwise peg as purveyors of truth. And because you're constantly asking questions, you start to adopt a "talk to me" expression on your face that invites even the most seemingly unfriendly faces to spill their secrets and tell you the story of their lives.
I wonder if this is a phenomenon that happens often to writers or journalists in the City. It's been happening on a pretty regular basis throughout the past few months, and I think it's kind of a fantastic thing, but sometimes it's more than that. Just last night, as I was sitting on the subway on my way home to Astoria, a man in a three-piece suit sat down next to me.
Two guys hopped onto the train just as the doors were about to close, looking pretty flustered. One of them asked me for directions to Penn station, but with my headphones in I didn't hear him the first, second or third time he asked. And then when I did hear him, I didn't understand what he was saying in his flustered state.
So the three-piece man (hereafter known as the TPM) got him to calm down and gave very detailed directions not once, not twice, but three times to make sure that he understood where to go. After the two men got off at the next stop to switch stations, thanking them, the TPM turned to me and said:
"Those can be dangerous, you know."
"I'm sorry, what can be?"
"The headphones. There's been a series of robberies from passengers either sleeping or zoning out with headphones this past month. Especially on the F train. So make sure you watch your things."
"Right, thanks," I said, smiling at the nicety of a man giving helpful, unsolicited advice on the subway.
"I think those guys were trying to take your things, actually. They were just checking to make sure you couldn't hear them."
Thank you, TPM. Thank you. That could have been bad. HA.
I wonder if this is a phenomenon that happens often to writers or journalists in the City. It's been happening on a pretty regular basis throughout the past few months, and I think it's kind of a fantastic thing, but sometimes it's more than that. Just last night, as I was sitting on the subway on my way home to Astoria, a man in a three-piece suit sat down next to me.
Two guys hopped onto the train just as the doors were about to close, looking pretty flustered. One of them asked me for directions to Penn station, but with my headphones in I didn't hear him the first, second or third time he asked. And then when I did hear him, I didn't understand what he was saying in his flustered state.
So the three-piece man (hereafter known as the TPM) got him to calm down and gave very detailed directions not once, not twice, but three times to make sure that he understood where to go. After the two men got off at the next stop to switch stations, thanking them, the TPM turned to me and said:
"Those can be dangerous, you know."
"I'm sorry, what can be?"
"The headphones. There's been a series of robberies from passengers either sleeping or zoning out with headphones this past month. Especially on the F train. So make sure you watch your things."
"Right, thanks," I said, smiling at the nicety of a man giving helpful, unsolicited advice on the subway.
"I think those guys were trying to take your things, actually. They were just checking to make sure you couldn't hear them."
Thank you, TPM. Thank you. That could have been bad. HA.
05 July 2009
Best nuggets of advice
...and yes, I just said "nuggets." So I'm reading this book:
and I'm finding lots of bits of inspiration in it, many quotable things, so I thought I would share:
"A number of people said they were simply in the right place at the right time. Many of our respondents, Don Hewitt among them, used the word lucky when describing the arc of their lives or careers. While they may have indeed been fortunate in different ways, we should take this as a sign that they're thankful for their success - that they understand the value of humility. Most people understand that chance favors the prepared. Hard work, risk taking, refusing to quite, and the will to get to the next waypoint no matter how formidable the obstacles appeared helped to define these people." ...as stated in the introduction.
"Stop working for a living and start designing a life." ...as stated by Tony Robbins.
"The important thing to know is that one thing that was really beneficial to me was my naivete ... Those who need certainty don't do anything, because nothing is ever certain." ...as stated by Survivor creator Mark Burnett.
"The key to achieving success in business is passion. Don't approach the business with a formula or just expecting to make a quick buck. You must have a desire. A vision. And then go at it hammer and tongs." ...as stated by Steve Forbes.
...and I'm just four chapters in.
and I'm finding lots of bits of inspiration in it, many quotable things, so I thought I would share:
"A number of people said they were simply in the right place at the right time. Many of our respondents, Don Hewitt among them, used the word lucky when describing the arc of their lives or careers. While they may have indeed been fortunate in different ways, we should take this as a sign that they're thankful for their success - that they understand the value of humility. Most people understand that chance favors the prepared. Hard work, risk taking, refusing to quite, and the will to get to the next waypoint no matter how formidable the obstacles appeared helped to define these people." ...as stated in the introduction.
"Stop working for a living and start designing a life." ...as stated by Tony Robbins.
"The important thing to know is that one thing that was really beneficial to me was my naivete ... Those who need certainty don't do anything, because nothing is ever certain." ...as stated by Survivor creator Mark Burnett.
"The key to achieving success in business is passion. Don't approach the business with a formula or just expecting to make a quick buck. You must have a desire. A vision. And then go at it hammer and tongs." ...as stated by Steve Forbes.
...and I'm just four chapters in.
17 April 2009
Expect the best
To a large extent, the difference between those who try for the seemingly impossible and those who stop just short of making the crossover is an ounce of common sense and a healthy dose of reality – though sometimes it’s hard to tell which category of individuals warrants the lack of one or the other.
Truth be told, an oft-overlooked element that figures into the formula of success is expectation. Not just whether or not someone takes the lot they’re given for granted, but also whether or not they expect the best or the worst out of a given situation.
Expecting the worst means worry, anxiety and selling yourself short. It means sacrificing otherwise-fantastic ambitions because they seem a bit too far-reaching or risky. It means, essentially, shifting your focus from one goal to a broader, less-desired end goal.
Expecting the best, on the other hand, means taking risks and justifying absurdity in the name of pursuing a passion and a belief. It means having a large component of foolishness in your decision-making, large enough so that you trust your heart rather than your logic.
Positive thinking really does go a long way, and taking circumstances as they come without judgment has really helped me make the most of my college career. Here’s to hoping that this translates into the real world as well.
Truth be told, an oft-overlooked element that figures into the formula of success is expectation. Not just whether or not someone takes the lot they’re given for granted, but also whether or not they expect the best or the worst out of a given situation.
Expecting the worst means worry, anxiety and selling yourself short. It means sacrificing otherwise-fantastic ambitions because they seem a bit too far-reaching or risky. It means, essentially, shifting your focus from one goal to a broader, less-desired end goal.
Expecting the best, on the other hand, means taking risks and justifying absurdity in the name of pursuing a passion and a belief. It means having a large component of foolishness in your decision-making, large enough so that you trust your heart rather than your logic.
Positive thinking really does go a long way, and taking circumstances as they come without judgment has really helped me make the most of my college career. Here’s to hoping that this translates into the real world as well.
06 March 2009
A New York state of mind
With Spring Break fast approaching, I'm getting increasingly anxious just thinking about the prospect of going to and physically being in New York City. I've already determined that this trip is turning out to be more of a business trip than an actual vacation, but I don't mind because to a large extent, when I think of NYC, all I can imagine is the very real possibility of having my dream job working at a mag in the middle of the bustling city. And when it comes down to it, that's not really work at all.
The past few weeks have been a bit crazy, balancing work at the Daily Trojan (and the drama of the USG elections) with class work with Bamboo Offshoot's first-ever A&E issue with the job hunt with several side projects with some semblance of a social life with ... life. The funny thing about the situation is that I never feel justified being stressed out, since everything that's keeping me up at night is just a manifestation of my desire to get somewhere in this crazy journalistic world. So I don't stress, though sometimes I think a little stress would be beneficial, healthier even.
I'm not realistic in my quest for my dream job, I'll be the first to admit. But I push forward anyway. There are too many reasons not to do something, but the one reason anyone should ever really take a risk and do it anyway trumps all those other reasons: You do it because you wholeheartedly want to.
If Hollywood and the media have taught us anything, it's that breaking free from a stilted norm or set of circumstances is how people find true happiness - Zach Braff did it in "Garden State." Will Smith did it in "The Pursuit of Happyness." Heck, even James McAvoy did it in the horrendous Matrix-meets-300-meets-Fight Club mash-up "Wanted."
The moral of the story being, in all three instances, that if you don't like your circumstances, change them. Destiny will only wait around on the steps of the Royal Ball for so long before you have to run up and meet her.
Foolish as it might seem to diving headfirst into a new city and a new lifestyle, I'm excited about the prospect of taking charge of my future. I can't for the life of me understand when people complain of boredom - being "bored" is a state of mind, nothing more, nothing less. And it's no one's job but your own to work your way out of it. Therefore, every day is busy not because I have heaps of work chucked at me, but because I knowingly usher in all these tasks and stories and assignments. Willingly.
At the end of the day, I want to be able to say with absolute confidence that I put in as much effort to attain my successes as Destiny put in to ensure that I get to wherever I need to be.
When stress and work start to pile in, and I feel like I can't handle the obligations, responsibilities and problems anymore, nothing's more satisfying than picking up a shovel and finding my own way. It's a NY state of mind.
The past few weeks have been a bit crazy, balancing work at the Daily Trojan (and the drama of the USG elections) with class work with Bamboo Offshoot's first-ever A&E issue with the job hunt with several side projects with some semblance of a social life with ... life. The funny thing about the situation is that I never feel justified being stressed out, since everything that's keeping me up at night is just a manifestation of my desire to get somewhere in this crazy journalistic world. So I don't stress, though sometimes I think a little stress would be beneficial, healthier even.
I'm not realistic in my quest for my dream job, I'll be the first to admit. But I push forward anyway. There are too many reasons not to do something, but the one reason anyone should ever really take a risk and do it anyway trumps all those other reasons: You do it because you wholeheartedly want to.
If Hollywood and the media have taught us anything, it's that breaking free from a stilted norm or set of circumstances is how people find true happiness - Zach Braff did it in "Garden State." Will Smith did it in "The Pursuit of Happyness." Heck, even James McAvoy did it in the horrendous Matrix-meets-300-meets-Fight Club mash-up "Wanted."
The moral of the story being, in all three instances, that if you don't like your circumstances, change them. Destiny will only wait around on the steps of the Royal Ball for so long before you have to run up and meet her.
Foolish as it might seem to diving headfirst into a new city and a new lifestyle, I'm excited about the prospect of taking charge of my future. I can't for the life of me understand when people complain of boredom - being "bored" is a state of mind, nothing more, nothing less. And it's no one's job but your own to work your way out of it. Therefore, every day is busy not because I have heaps of work chucked at me, but because I knowingly usher in all these tasks and stories and assignments. Willingly.
At the end of the day, I want to be able to say with absolute confidence that I put in as much effort to attain my successes as Destiny put in to ensure that I get to wherever I need to be.
When stress and work start to pile in, and I feel like I can't handle the obligations, responsibilities and problems anymore, nothing's more satisfying than picking up a shovel and finding my own way. It's a NY state of mind.
10 January 2009
Dream Big
If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference,
To embark
on something worth doing,
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily
But for something that tugs
at your heart,
something thing that's your aspiration,
something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself
to make your days here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.
Dream big.
Know, though
that things worth doing
seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
And there will be bad days.
There will be times when you
want to turn around,
pack it up
and call it quits.
Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by
trying.
Persist.
Because with an idea,
determination,
and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect,
and your heart guide you.
Trust.
Believe in the incredible power
of the human mind.
Of doing something
that makes
a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of all the things that will cross
your path this year.
The start of something new
brings the hope of
something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you.
And you will pass this way
only once.
Do it right.
- author unknown
14 September 2008
Circle of Life
It's amazing how so many things have really come full circle in these first few weeks of senior year. I just got back from a Jason Mraz concert out in Cabazon, and as I was standing there in the crowd, swaying and sifting to the addictive rhythm and flow of the Dynamo of Volition, I thought back to my first Mraz concert at the beginning of senior year in high school, and how much things and life and circumstances have changed since then.
More than that, though, I thought about what hasn't changed, what parts of me are still intact after four grueling, eye-opening years of college.
Four years ago, I was sprinting through my last leg of high school, nervous about college applications and the prospect of leaving the bubble of comfort I had grown up in. I remember having a whole jumble of emotions as I started the year - excited about being top-dog (assuming power over yearbook and Chinese Club seemed to be such a big deal back then), hesitant about figuring out my plans post-graduation, reflective about friendships made within the cardboard walls of Whitney. There was a sense of urgency to the whole year, trying to cram in as much as possible before ending that ever-so-significant phase of life.
It took a lot of introspection and reevaluation to strike a happy balance between work and play, holding on and letting go, and I had to flounder a bit at the beginning of the year before I could upright myself and structure my life in such a way that I wasn’t burning out or always running to catch up.
Now, four years later, I find myself in the same situation. These past three weeks have been hellishly busy, but I really have no one but myself to blame for making it so. I was overextending myself and living from day to day, doing everything just in the nick of time, not really planning ahead or really even taking the time to breathe. Even after my stint in the hospital following the marathon, my mind refused to rest, racing forward to what I had to do the next day following my release. I told everyone that physically collapsing was a wake-up call for me to really slow down in life, but in my head I told myself that I just needed to make myself stronger and even scolded myself for letting myself falter.
I’ve grown up with a need to be busy, to make every moment of my day count. As a consequence, I’ve been filling any empty spaces in my schedule with lunch dates, office hours, catch-up coffees, dinners, meetings…saying “yes” to everyone because I’d rather spend my time focused on them and their problems than on my own. Only problem is that in these past few weeks, I’ve found myself burning out because I’m making myself so available to everything and convincing myself that I can make time for things that I really can’t.
One of the many good things that came out of all those coffees and lunches and dinners and meetings, though, is that I got a better sense of my own skewed sense of priorities. Even though I “knew” that I should slow down and stop attracting unnecessary stress, it took hearing it from multiple people to really set in.
There are only 24 hours in a day.
I am not superwoman.
If I don’t take care of myself, I can’t fully take care of anyone or anything else.
Slow down.
Enjoy it.
Breathe.
There are a million things that still need to be done this weekend, but after really taking the time to stop and take my own advice, I’m realizing that I’m not only happier, but a whole lot more functional. I’m making lists and prioritizing, cutting out the fluff and getting down to what really matters to me.
Putting myself first feels a bit strange, but I’m telling myself that I need to get used to it. Help myself before I can completely help others, and learn to say “no” to commitments.
I won’t worry my life away.
There’s a rhyme and reason to why I love Mr. Mraz’s music so much. True, there’s something soothing about his voice, the way he makes it an art to sing and scat, but beyond that, his music reminds me of senior year and anticipating the next step. Of new beginnings and turnarounds and reassessing. Hearing his songs is a reminder of what has been and what is to come. It sounds dramatic, I know, but music is my life, and each clip of sound is a segment of my soul, pieced together into the person I am now.
Going to the concert really brought home the reality that I’m now in my senior year of college. No more adjustment period. I’ve found my groove and I intend to ride this out till I can’t ride no more. This is it and I’m going to make it the best year yet. I’ve decided.
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
More than that, though, I thought about what hasn't changed, what parts of me are still intact after four grueling, eye-opening years of college.
Four years ago, I was sprinting through my last leg of high school, nervous about college applications and the prospect of leaving the bubble of comfort I had grown up in. I remember having a whole jumble of emotions as I started the year - excited about being top-dog (assuming power over yearbook and Chinese Club seemed to be such a big deal back then), hesitant about figuring out my plans post-graduation, reflective about friendships made within the cardboard walls of Whitney. There was a sense of urgency to the whole year, trying to cram in as much as possible before ending that ever-so-significant phase of life.
It took a lot of introspection and reevaluation to strike a happy balance between work and play, holding on and letting go, and I had to flounder a bit at the beginning of the year before I could upright myself and structure my life in such a way that I wasn’t burning out or always running to catch up.
Now, four years later, I find myself in the same situation. These past three weeks have been hellishly busy, but I really have no one but myself to blame for making it so. I was overextending myself and living from day to day, doing everything just in the nick of time, not really planning ahead or really even taking the time to breathe. Even after my stint in the hospital following the marathon, my mind refused to rest, racing forward to what I had to do the next day following my release. I told everyone that physically collapsing was a wake-up call for me to really slow down in life, but in my head I told myself that I just needed to make myself stronger and even scolded myself for letting myself falter.
I’ve grown up with a need to be busy, to make every moment of my day count. As a consequence, I’ve been filling any empty spaces in my schedule with lunch dates, office hours, catch-up coffees, dinners, meetings…saying “yes” to everyone because I’d rather spend my time focused on them and their problems than on my own. Only problem is that in these past few weeks, I’ve found myself burning out because I’m making myself so available to everything and convincing myself that I can make time for things that I really can’t.
One of the many good things that came out of all those coffees and lunches and dinners and meetings, though, is that I got a better sense of my own skewed sense of priorities. Even though I “knew” that I should slow down and stop attracting unnecessary stress, it took hearing it from multiple people to really set in.
There are only 24 hours in a day.
I am not superwoman.
If I don’t take care of myself, I can’t fully take care of anyone or anything else.
Slow down.
Enjoy it.
Breathe.
There are a million things that still need to be done this weekend, but after really taking the time to stop and take my own advice, I’m realizing that I’m not only happier, but a whole lot more functional. I’m making lists and prioritizing, cutting out the fluff and getting down to what really matters to me.
Putting myself first feels a bit strange, but I’m telling myself that I need to get used to it. Help myself before I can completely help others, and learn to say “no” to commitments.
I won’t worry my life away.
There’s a rhyme and reason to why I love Mr. Mraz’s music so much. True, there’s something soothing about his voice, the way he makes it an art to sing and scat, but beyond that, his music reminds me of senior year and anticipating the next step. Of new beginnings and turnarounds and reassessing. Hearing his songs is a reminder of what has been and what is to come. It sounds dramatic, I know, but music is my life, and each clip of sound is a segment of my soul, pieced together into the person I am now.
Going to the concert really brought home the reality that I’m now in my senior year of college. No more adjustment period. I’ve found my groove and I intend to ride this out till I can’t ride no more. This is it and I’m going to make it the best year yet. I’ve decided.
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
27 August 2008
Greedy Much?
I think I'm being greedy. It's only the third day of class and already I can feel that I just might burn out this semester with all the activities and commitments and jobs I'm trying to juggle. The horrible part of the whole situation isn't the being busy, though. In actuality, the real harsh realization is that I might be overly busy for all the wrong reasons.
My friend brought up a really good point the other day. When I was trying to justify to him my taking on so many different responsibilities, he looked me straight in the eye and asked me if it might just be that I'm being selfish.
I was taken aback and it must have shown on my face because he quickly explained that he didn't mean it in a good or bad way, just as a statement of fact. Greediness is tied to "want" and "need," and in my case, I "want" to do too much and I "need" to stay busy, two facts that will probably lead to much unavoidable stress later on down the line. I think maybe I'm too caught up in the idea that I need to cram all of these things into my senior year, when really, I need to take a step back (maybe two) and drop a few commitments.
The only thing is, all of the things I decided to get involved in this year are so important to me...so is that being selfish? I'm grabbing for too much and maybe that's just wrong because I'll turn up with nothing. If these first three days have been any indication, I'm not going to have much time for myself - and is that in itself being selfish?
At this year's APASS student welcome, a lot of the incoming freshmen were asking for advice about time management and I almost wanted to laugh. I told them it was okay to say "no" to organizations and "no" to commitments and to make sure that their own sanity came first. To take care of themselves before helping others, just so that they would be able to contribute themselves 100% to the project at hand. I told them to prioritize and eliminate unnecessary stressors.
I need to take my own advice. Badly.
It's such a strange line to walk upon, balancing my needs with what I perceive to be other people's needs. When you know your loved ones and friends are depending on you, it's hard to turn your back just because you need to take care of YOU.
My friend brought up a really good point the other day. When I was trying to justify to him my taking on so many different responsibilities, he looked me straight in the eye and asked me if it might just be that I'm being selfish.
I was taken aback and it must have shown on my face because he quickly explained that he didn't mean it in a good or bad way, just as a statement of fact. Greediness is tied to "want" and "need," and in my case, I "want" to do too much and I "need" to stay busy, two facts that will probably lead to much unavoidable stress later on down the line. I think maybe I'm too caught up in the idea that I need to cram all of these things into my senior year, when really, I need to take a step back (maybe two) and drop a few commitments.
The only thing is, all of the things I decided to get involved in this year are so important to me...so is that being selfish? I'm grabbing for too much and maybe that's just wrong because I'll turn up with nothing. If these first three days have been any indication, I'm not going to have much time for myself - and is that in itself being selfish?
At this year's APASS student welcome, a lot of the incoming freshmen were asking for advice about time management and I almost wanted to laugh. I told them it was okay to say "no" to organizations and "no" to commitments and to make sure that their own sanity came first. To take care of themselves before helping others, just so that they would be able to contribute themselves 100% to the project at hand. I told them to prioritize and eliminate unnecessary stressors.
I need to take my own advice. Badly.
It's such a strange line to walk upon, balancing my needs with what I perceive to be other people's needs. When you know your loved ones and friends are depending on you, it's hard to turn your back just because you need to take care of YOU.
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