Where does creativity come from?

Why is it that we assume that true genius is always accompanied by torment and anguish? Through Gilbert's talk I realized that I've always thought that creativity and suffering are inherently linked. That is why I believe Amy Winehouse, Billy Holiday and Mary J. Blige are such a great singers; their suffering can be heard through their voices. 

Well, in this speech Elizabeth Gilbert pleas for us to believe that creative people are just used by 'genius' since they can give a shape to creativity - in the form of a story, a poem or a song. She explains how the Greeks and Romans believed in the existence of deamons or geniuses that lived around the artists and fed them with inspiration. Naturally, Gilbert tries to ease her own mind, which is now haunted by fear of her failing to write another book as successful as 'Eat, Pray, Love'. It's an interesting topic though.

And, just for the record, I really enjoyed reading that book - but I do wonder: Would it have been as good if Elizabeth Gilbert had not been miserable and tormented?

How to feel like the incredible hulk?

Emotion is the force of life

This TED video is truly amazing! Tony Robbins is a coach, or - better said - an expert in leadership psychology. In twenty minutes time, he introduces his views on how people can optimize their performance. He asks: What makes the difference in the quality of people's lives? He says it's all about the Science of Achievement and the Art of Fullfillment- and the latter is based on appreciation and contribution.

What is it that shapes us? According to Robbins, decision is the ultimate power. Al Gore sits in the audience and gets told that he could've become president of the United States, basically if he would've tried harder. Tony argues that its not lack of resources that makes us fail, but lack of resourcefulness. If you work from your human emotion, that's when you win. The last part about 911 gave me the creeps (especially since I was also in Hawai'i at that time). Very very powerful talk - do watch it!

This is what I mean; anything you'll tell us during your fifteen minutes of fame will be great, as long as you tell us with emotion. Say 'AI'!

Jazz - Why Ella is so great?

Ella Fitzgerald is by far the most appraised Jazz singer ever. She was a great improvisational artist, as evinced by this video :) Wanna hear more about Ella and the (at least) other two great ladies of Jazz Billy Holiday and Sarah Vaughan? Let me know through our FB group!

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

It is seldom that we talk about the things that we really love or we know a lot about to people that do not share that exact same passion or are not in our field of work. What a pity!

After discovering TED, I realised once again that it is possible to explain something difficult in just fifteen minutes and that (with the right tools) you can get someone else to be enthusiastic about it too.
Here are some ways to do it:


Dave Eggers about a great homework project he does with public schools in the US


Majora Carter fights environmental racism in the Bronx


CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, tells you to always stay hungry

Not just an idea?

So, I love to think, and I love to talk. I make up new ideas and say: "We should really do that one day". And then, nothing. Silence. Sweet and utter silence.

Well, as I am a big fan of (very tacky) American personal effectivity guru Stephen Covey, I decided to ask myself the question he asks in the "7 habits of highly effective people" - What one thing you could do, would change everything you do? In my case, it is to DO, to not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk, basically to execute my plans. Well, this blog is about exactly that. It is a forum for plugging ideas to see if anyone else finds them feasible. It is a place where I show how other have made their ideas reality and where I'll (hopefully) show off what I have done... The secret to doing - according to Covey - is to Begin with the End in Mind. If anyone has a nice mission statement to share, do let me know!