Creative

Features of Zoom Lenses

2008-03-31T08:13:00.001+07:00

By: Yuni Riyanti

If you are a photographer or just someone that loves taking pictures using your camera, specifically the single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, you must know what zooms are for. Zoom lenses are added to your basic camera unit to be able to focus on a subject correctly. It is similar to filters that you also add on your camera for specific special effects.

If you are a photographer or just someone that loves taking pictures using your camera, specifically the single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, you must know what zooms are for. Zoom lenses are added to your basic camera unit to be able to focus on a subject correctly. It is similar to filters that you also add on your camera for specific special effects.

During the past, you would see a photographer carrying his huge camera case which contained about half a dozen different lenses. Each of these lenses has a fixed focal length and can only be used for a certain type of focus shot. If the photographer wants to take a shot on something from a different angle, he would need to change lenses. That takes a lot of time and possible loss of the good view for the shot.

Having all these lenses and carrying them every time you have a shoot can be a big burden, not to mention, expensive. Thanks to our ever improving technology, zoom lenses were introduced. With zoom lenses, you can have a single lens that covers the same range that three or more fixed focal length lenses. This definitely lets the photographer change angle or focus instantaneously as compared to the old lenses.

Mid-range zoom lenses are versatile since they can cover normal, wide-angle and telephoto focal lengths with just a single lens. Telephoto zoom lenses are great for portraits, scenic, travel, candid and sports photos. Long zooms are useful for wildlife and sports photography.

Features of Zoom Lenses

Here are just some of the features of most zoom lenses available:

1. Macro focusing. This feature allows the lens to focus at a close range. To determine how close a lens is able to focus, a reproduction ratio is specified in the lens. A 1:4 reproduction ratio means that a lens can focus an object such that if the diameter of the object is 4 inches, it will measure just 1 inch in the picture itself.

2. One-touch zoom control. Most of the zoom lenses have just a single ring that controls the focus and zoom at the same time.

3. Lens aperture. There are zoom lenses that have only one maximum aperture, while others have two, for example f2.8-4.0. The f-number changes as the zoom changes.

Tips in buying zoom lenses

If you are planning to buy a zoom lens, the first thing you have to consider is the focal length range. For you to know what correct focal length range to buy, you must identify your purpose for the lens. If you think you will use it mostly for travel and vacations, a mid-range zoom would suffice. However, if you are planning to use it for sports and portraits, a telephoto zoom is a better choice.

The size and weight of the lens is also a consideration. In general, a bigger and heavier lens is usually faster. One that has wide zooming range can also be larger.

Lens speed is important if you are intending to use the lens for indoor photography. A faster lens allows more light which makes it easier to shoot in subdued lighting.

If you are using a lot of filters, it is best to consider the size of the zoom so it can accommodate as much filter. If you want close-up photos, you must also consider the specifications of the camera with regard to macro focusing. If you are after flexibility, it is best to have a zoom with continuous macro focusing than a limited one.

Of course, just like any other product, price is also a consideration. The better the features of the zoom lens, the more expensive they will be.

Zoom lenses are really a good investment if you are thinking of making photography a business. Even if you don’t, and you are just someone who loves taking pictures, having zoom lenses is still a good choice. You can take great shots at different angles and distances.

So if you are thinking of getting one, decide first on how you intend to use the lens so you can make the right choice. As you become more and more into this hobby or profession, then you can buy different types of zooms. Carrying just one or two zoom lenses is not a bad idea.

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The Things That You Have To Consider When Buying A Camera

2008-03-29T08:01:00.000+07:00

Photography is a much loved hobby around the world. Many people would want to get their hands on a camera and start shooting away, or get some supplies to be able to build their own darkrooms and develop the films themselves.

Photography is a fulfilling hobby, however, there are many equipments out there which can be sources of confusion especially for beginners. The mere number of equipments can stir up one’s head.

What better way to guide a photography student than to give tips on how to buy a camera, which is of course, the most basic equipment in photography. This article tries to give some basic tips regarding the things that you have to consider when buying a camera.

1. What do I need?
If you want to buy a camera, you must first ask yourself- “what am I going to use it for?” there are many different kinds of cameras out there and they are used for different purposes. What we would recommend, especially for beginners, is to get a good, sturdy point-and-shoot camera. These cameras are very handy and can be used in any occasion.

Well, the most intriguing pictures are the ones which capture unique events from unique angles. You may not be able to bring a more intricate piece of equipment when exciting things happen, but a point-and-shoot camera is always carried by photographers. There also are many other features that you might want to look at or avoid in choosing cameras such as stands and shutter features.

2. Research
A photography enthusiast needs to be able to know about what he wants to do when taking pictures. Reading different materials such as photography magazines (example: Apogee Photo or Popular Photography” can give you updated and fresh information about photography in general and photography equipments.

3. Know your budget
Getting the best pictures doesn’t mean that you have to buy the latest and the most expensive model on the market. It all depends on who is taking the photograph and the equipment is just a tool. More features mean more expenses. A buyer must be able to assess what features he needs to be able to get comfortable with a camera. It’s really a waste of money if you buy a top-of-the-line camera and don't know how to use half of its features.

These are just some basic tips on how you can start assessing what camera to buy. You must look into the details of a certain camera and assess the features and prices.

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Tips on Exercise Good Travel Photography

2008-03-28T07:37:00.001+07:00

Traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures. Capturing those precious and exciting moments is even more pleasurable, especially if it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip. For the photo enthusiast, taking pictures of everything in sight is as important as going to these places.

So how can you exercise good travel photography? Here are some tips:

1. Choosing the right variety of camera
Purchasing the perfect camera can be as hard as deciding where to go on a vacation. A primary consideration for travel photography is whether to get a single lens reflex camera or a SLR, or a point-and-shoot type. They each have their own benefits and disadvantages.

In SLR, lenses can be interchanged. A photographer can view exactly what the lens is seeing because of its reflex viewing system. Point-and-shoot, meanwhile, have viewfinders that adjust the view of the image automatically. They are easier to use than the SLR, but its viewing range is a bit limited.

2. Selecting the right kind of film
The dilemma in choosing the right kind of film can be solved by determining the output desired and the traveling conditions in which the pictures will be taken. You need to choose between a color negative or a color side if you want to take colored pictures. The benefit of using a color negative is that it tends to be forgiving of corrections in color or errors of exposure. Professional photographers, however, go for slide films because almost all commercial reproducing is produced from transparencies.

3. Researching for the trip
Knowing the right information about the place your visiting is as important as shooting the pictures. Planning the trip in detail enables the photographer to improve on the quality and quantity of opportunities where he can take great pictures. It is essential to read before a trip. Browse through materials such as travel guides, magazines, maps and newspapers. Also, try to talk to someone who has actually been their. The information that they can give will be very valuable.

4. The right way in creating a travel journal
The pictures taken during a trip should tell a story, and should not be just a jumble of random pictures. It should chronicle the trip from start to finish. It is important to track the dates that the pictures were taken.

One should not turn down the experience of travel, just the same, as one should not forget to capture precious images from that trip. Perfect planning and having a keen eye for a good image can be the key to achieving everything.

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LOW TRUST SOCIETY

2008-03-27T08:31:00.000+07:00

By: Rhenald Kasali

Saya baru saja memeriksa ujian mahasiswa saya. Ketika akan menyerahkan nilai akhir Mereka, saya terpaksa menoleh kepada berita acara ujian yang mencantumkan nama beserta tanda tangan mereka masing-masing. Astaga. Tak ada satu pun nama yang dapat saya kenali dari tanda tangannya. Hal ini mengingatkan saya pada peristiwa unik yang saya alami hampir tujuh tahun silam ketika baru saja memulai program doktoral saya di Amerika Serikat.

Baru tiba beberapa hari, adviser saya menyuruh saya membuka bank account di bank mana saja di kota itu. Saya pun menurutinya. Maklum, tanpa punya buku cek, hidup di Amerika akan terasa sulit. Hampir semua transaksi dilakukan melalui pos. Bayar listrik, telepon, air,tagihan kartu kredit, beli buku, bayar pajak, kena tiket lalu lintas (tilang), sampai bayar uang sekolah. Semuanya menggunakan cek. Tanpa cek, hidup di Amerika kok rasanya susah sekali.

Setelah punya bank account dan mulai berbelanja dengan menggunakan cek, ternyata saya pun mengalami kesulitan. Pasalnya, petugas bank memanggil saya karena mengalami kesulitan membaca tanda tangan saya. Saya mencoba menjelaskannya bahwa itu benar tanda tangan milik saya, dan saya melakukannya kembali di depan petugas itu. Petugas tetap menolak dan mengatakan itu bukan tanda tangan. Kalau bukan tanda tangan lantas apa?

"Itu urek-urek!"ujarnya sambil tersenyum. Sejak itu saya pun mulai berlatih membuat tanda tangan baru, yaitu tanda tangan yang namanya mudah teridentifikasi. Maka, sejak saat itu saya mulai terbiasa memiliki dua jenis tanda tangan. Saya menyebutnya satu tanda tangan lokal (yang dikatakan urek-urek tadi) dan satu lagi tanda tangan Amerika. Kalau anda pernah hadir dalam seminar saya dan meminta saya menandatangani buku saya yang Anda baru beli, Anda pasti ingat bahwa saya selalu mengatakan itu adalah tanda tangan Amerika: mudah dibaca dan diidentifikasi. Ada juga pembaca yang minta
dua-duanya, dan ada kalanya saya pun meluluskannya. Tanda tangan lokal itu biasanya hanya saya gunakan untuk urusan bank Dan menandatangani transkrip nilai mahasiswa.

Dalam salah satu seminar saya pernah meminta agar para peserta menggoreskan tanda tangannya di atas kertas dan meminta rekan di sebelahnya yang baru dikenalnya mengenali nama mereka. Ternyata tak banyak di antara mereka yang dapat mengenali nama orang dari tanda tangannya. Ketika ditanya mengapa mereka membuat tanda tangan seruwet itu, semuanya menjawab bak koor: "Biar tidak mudah ditiru orang lain." Mengapa kita semua melakukan hal yang sama? Mudah ditebak jawabnya.

Sejak kecil Kita telah diajari orang-orang tua dan guru-guru Kita agar tidak mudah percaya pada orang lain. "Buatlah tanda tangan yang tidak mudah ditiru agar jangan sampai dipalsukan orang lain." Kita menurutinya, dan tanpa kita sadari roh-roh ketidakpercayaan ini sudah melekat dalam pikiran kita. "Trust," kata Francis Fukuyama, adalah "the social virtues and the creation of prosperity." Rasa percaya adalah suatu ikatan sosial yang penting untuk menciptakankemakmuran. Kalau tidak ada rasa percaya, mestinya tidak ada bisnis. Bagaimana mungkin kita berbinsis dengan orang yang tidak Kita percaya? Rasa percaya itu pula yang akan menentukan bangunan organisasi perusahaan saudara. Makin rendah rasa percaya kita terhadap orang lain, makin banyak pula kita melibatkan sanak saudara kita, teman sealmamater, sesuku dan sebagainya terlibat dalam bisnis kita. Kita makin menutup pintu bagi orang lain. Dan akibatnya potensi kita untuk menjadi besar akan terhambat.

Pengalaman lainnya yang saya dapatkan di Amerika barangkali dapat menjelaskan betapa berbedanya tingkat rasa percaya. Menjelang pulang ke tanah air, setelah menyelesaikan program studi, saya pun melakukan moving sale melego barang-barang yang nilai bukunya masih cukup tinggi. Misalnya saja Ada sebuah dish washer (mesin pencuci piring) elektrik yang usianya baru tiga tahun Dan nilainya masih cukup tinggi namun harus dilepas dengan harga yang sangat murah. Pembelinya tentu saja masyarakat
komunitas tempat tinggal kami, yang umumnya adalah keluarga muda atau para mahasiswa asing yang dari mancanegara. Kalau calon pembelinya datang dari negara-negara seperti Rusia, Yugoslavia, Ceko, Turki, Portugal, Brazil, Irak, Pakistan, India, atau negara-negara Afrika, biasanya transaksi berjalan tersendat-sendat. Mereka umumnya tidak percaya terhadap kualitas mesin (apakah masih tetap baik) dan harga yang ditawarkan. Mereka mengutak-atik mesin, menghabiskan waktu berjam-jam,
mengajukan pertanyaan, lalu menawar di bawah separo dari harga yang ditawarkan. Prosesnya sama seperti Anda menawar harga sepasang sepatu di pasar Senen atau pasar lainnya di Indonesia. Dan akhirnya pun dapat diterka: tidak ada transaksi. Hal yang berbeda dialami kalau pembelinya berasal dari negara-negara yang barangkali dapat kita sebut sebagai high trust society, seperti Amerika, Inggris, Finlandia, bahkan Jepang yang rata-rata sudah lebih makmur hidupnya. Mereka cuma bertanya tiga hal: mengapa dijual, apakah ada kerusakan, dan berapa harganya. Kalau mereka suka, mereka tidak menawar, langsung angkat. Dalam kepala mereka, kalau barang ini rusak maka mereka akan kembalikan segera. Mereka percaya bahwa orang lain dapat dipercaya, dan kalau mereka menipu mereka akan ditangkap polisi, diadili, dan dijatuhi hukuman.

Pembaca, apakah implikasi melakukan kegiatan bisnis di sebuah low trust society? Mudah-mudahan Saudara sudah dapat menangkapnya: jangan langsung melakukan transaksi. Selalu mulailah dengan membangun rasa percaya dari lawan-lawan bisnis Anda. Jangan sesekali melakukan penawaran kalau lawan bisnis Anda di sini belum mengenal betul Anda. Kalau ada jalan pintas yang dapat ditawarkan, barangkali cuma satu ini: carilah jembatan melalui orang-orang yang sudah dikenal dan dipercaya oleh lawan bisnis Anda. Tanpa itu, Anda cuma melakukan upaya sia-sia. Saya merindukan,
kelak anak-anak kita akan membuat tanda tangan yang namanya dapat dibaca oleh orang lain.

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Tips on Taking Pictures with a Digital Camera

2008-03-25T07:47:00.002+07:00

By: Yuni Riyanti

Planning to get your hands on a digital camera but not sure if you can make the transition from your old camera that uses film to one that utilizes a memory card? If you are afraid of things that are complicated, then don't worry. Although digital cameras may be advanced, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are not user friendly. Here are some tips that can help you in taking pictures with a digital camera.

Enhance the color tones of your picture
There are times when you think that your shots have a cold or clammy aura. This is because digital cameras have default settings for white balance at auto. This is ok for most shots but if you want to increase the reds and the yellows of your shots, adjust the auto setting to cloudy. This makes your pictures appear warmer as well as richer.

Macro Mode
Activating the close up mode on your camera, usually called the macro mode, will make your shots have sharper details. This is very easy to use in digital cameras unlike in the conventional ones. To use your camera's macro mode, look for the icon that depicts the macro mode or "close up". Normally, the icon is that of a flower. Go as close to the object as your camera will allow. It is important to remember that you have a rather shallow field depth, thus it is important to focus on the subject's part that you consider to be the most significant.

Invest on file storage
Having a memory card that is capable of storing a large amount of picture files is important. This gives you the freedom to take more pictures. The higher the resolution of your camera which normally ranges from 2 mega pixels to up to 6 or more mega pixels, the higher the memory size of you card should be. With an ample sized memory card, you don't have to pass the opportunity to take a shot. No more worries of having a full memory card whenever that perfect shot appears.

Always use high resolution
Your digital camera has many resolution settings. Always take pictures using the highest possible setting. Although higher resolution means more memory used up, it isn't a problem if you have already acquired a good sized memory card. You will never know when the best shot you'll ever take in your whole life may pop up, why take it in poor resolution?

These tips will help you with your new digital camera. Never hesitate to take as many pictures as you can! Remember you have enough memory, why worry?

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Use of Depth of Field Lenses Wisely

2008-03-24T08:45:00.001+07:00

By: Yuni Riyanti

There is a certain way that experienced photographers take such stunning pictures, portraits and photographs where the subject being shot is focused in a clear and perfect manner while the background is sort of a blur.

The following are the steps to take those amazing picture-perfect shots.

The technical

First things first, it is best that the camera being used has a plate for imaging that is large. Also, a lens that is considered fast should also be used. “Fast” in photography language means a lens that has an aperture that is larger than f2.8.

When the aperture of a camera is large, the image or picture that will be produced has a depth of field that is shallow. In photography language, this basically means that the area that is behind as well as front of the subject being taken is a blur.

As much as possible, the shoulder and the head of the subject should fill the whole frame. Also, if the subject is a person, don't forget to focus on the subject’s eyes.

The technique

Practice really does make perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect job done only once. It takes perseverance as well as patience. When shooting pictures, try to take a series of shots using a lens that has a wide opening and a stop on at least one or two.

Focus on various areas such as the ear, nose, hair using varying apertures for such. When the pictures come out, you then have many different options to choose from.

To be able to create a depth of field that is shallow, the best thing you should do is use a long lens – preferably a telephoto – and have it set on the zoom that at its maximum. Then, try to stand as close to the subject as possible.

However, for subjects that are in motion, for example a car. The camera must then be moved the same way the subject is moving. Or simply put, the subject must be followed. The best film to be used for such a shot are ISO 400 films. Also, don't forget to set the camera at an ISO setting that is similarly fast.

The body of the camera, especially when taking such moving picture shots, must be steady. Make sure to focus on the subject as you see it through the lens of the viewfinder. Using such a technique ensures that the subject being focused on is clear and crisp while the background is a beautiful blur. Such a picture helps highlight the movement being done by the subject therefore making it seemingly jump from the picture.

Photo effects

Believe it or not, there is also an easy and stress free way to create a similar photo effect without doing the techniques mentioned. This has become possible through the magic of software. Photoshop has a “blur” function, which blurs the picture’s background in a uniform manner independently as well as authentically the way an actual photograph may be done by a technically-savvy photographer. The software blur is and looks artificial while the real blur is more organic in feel.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the technology of software is advancing so that there is a CS2 version of Photoshop that enables anyone to create a blur that is considered as “smart.” This function takes into consideration the picture’s depth of field. This basically means that the function applies a lot of blurring effects to the pixels that appears more distant and applies a lot less blurring to the pixels that appear nearer. Believe it or not, such a function is adjustable that anyone could achieve any effect desired.

All in all, depth of field is a fairly easy concept to understand especially to those serious in learning the art and craft of photography. All it takes is a lot of patience, perseverance and a heart that is willing to learn as well as a mind that is open to making mistakes and gradually correcting them along the way towards creating a picture perfect shot.

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Enjoy the Hobby of Capturing Wonderful Pictures

2008-03-17T08:11:00.000+07:00

By: Yuni Riyanti

Photography is considered as one of the rare hobbies that you can easily learn. Some may think that there's a trick in taking great shots. However, there are certain elements that you need to consider in order enjoying the hobby of capturing wonderful pictures.

With the exception of video cameras, there is nothing greater than capturing precious moments in photographs. They preserve those moments you are part of. You may enjoy those memories captured with your family, friends, and events and you can even share it with them.

To enjoy this hobby, you need to first learn the skills and techniques of photography. You can undertake training in technical skills to master the art of capturing photographs. You also need to consider acquiring different materials you will need to enjoy this wonderful hobby. Here are some beginner tips for learning photography.

1. Get to know what interests you. Focus yourself on a particular topic so that you can fully understand your chosen subject. It is important to have full knowledge on the subjects you want to photograph.

2. You may invest in a self-focusing SLR with the newest features with all the whistles and bells. You may also get an automatic focus camera that can read details on every captured subject.

3. If you choose to venture into nature photography, it is important to consider the location of shots. Make sure to that sunlight will not affect any of your shots. Position yourself behind the sun so that it will be use for lighting to create clearer shots.

4. Practice taking photos in your home or in your backyard. You can capture images that are not within your subject. Sometimes you may even create great shots on unexpected and unplanned moments.

5. It is advised to take photos steadily using a tripod. You can produce great images when you use the right angles. It is very important to pay attention to the size, shape and position of the subject

6. When there is no available sunlight on the subject, you must have artificial lighting to support the brightness and color of the photograph. Although the camera has a flash, it is sometimes insufficient in supplying the needed light in creating a clear image.

These are only some guides for you to enjoy photography as a hobby. You may enjoy capturing images as long as you have the right materials and good technical skills. Many believe that beginners taking photography as a hobby can end up professional photographers.

Capturing Images on Creatures of Nature

2008-03-08T16:18:00.000+07:00

By: Yuni Riyanti

Photography is the art of creating a special medium beyond your self-expression. It requires good taste, good sense of appreciation and technical skills in capturing the subjects. Many believe that they can profit in this chosen field as long as they develop their technical skills and knowledge in becoming a talented professional photographer.

Nature photography has always been inspiring and exciting. It thrills every photographer with its mystery and the beauty of wildlife. One of the most amusing subjects for nature photographers are the birds.

Bird behavior has had great impact on pictures. Birds attract many photographers with their mastery of flight and their distinct diversity in nature. Here are some guides that will help you focus on improving your skill in capturing images on these magnificent creatures of nature.

1. You need to know what interests your mind. You have to know your topics so that you will not be confused. You should learn more about birds by investing on a good birding guide. This will help you know more about their behavior, breeding season, and bird eating habits.

2. You should always keep your subjects well being in mind. Avoid those instances that create stress on your images. If the bird is not in its natural behavioral characteristic, you should leave the bird alone and allow the bird to recover first from its stress. It can also be a sign that the bird might be nesting eggs somewhere near the site and that is why it portrays a “predator luring” behavior.

3. You should make your vehicle as you’re just like your camera an accessory. In some areas, you may see birds more adapted to vehicles and consider your vehicle less harmless than a person positioned on his tripod trying to take a good shot. You should learn how to be patient in finding the right place where the birds can accept the presence of your vehicle.

4. You may use fast shutter speeds cameras. This device is good in taking great bird images. Most birds are fast and can disappear quickly in the air. You may need a 1/500 second shuttering speed. This can capture sudden movements and flights.

As a nature photographer, you should maximize your surroundings. A good place for you to start your hobby in nature photography especially with birds is in your own backyard. You can then practice the art and techniques of capturing great shots and wonderful images that nature has to offer.

Our economic salvation and creativity

2008-02-19T17:23:00.001+07:00

By Tryst Williams, Western Mail

In his book At Arm’s Length, Geraint Talfan Davies argues that to fully appreciate art the nation needs help seeing the wider picture. So the former Arts Council for Wales chairman tasks a culture minister with putting on the glasses...

IN THE past few years there has been a lively debate in the arts about the value of the arts; whether the arts are to be valued for their own sake – their intrinsic value – or whether they can be supported only because of their economic, social or educational benefits – their instrumental value.

In England government ministers have themselves leapt into this fray, more recently moving away from the ‘instrumental’ camp towards valuing the quality of the art. Last year James Purnell, in his brief tenure as England’s Culture Secretary, commissioned Sir Brian McMaster to search out ways of encouraging excellence in the arts. The initiative was regarded as a new departure.

For some reason the debate seemed to pass Wales by. No Welsh culture minister has set out a clear view on this issue, although it is safe to say that the instrumental view still holds sway in Wales. But it is not a question of ‘either…or..’ There is another option.

If Government requires that the arts take a broader social mission to heart – and there is little reluctance to do so on the part of the arts – surely the corollary is that we must draw in a wider circle of government actors not only into the policy discussion but also into the funding equation. A culture minister or a First Minister who managed to do that, would have broken wholly new ground in the cultural debate in Wales, and elsewhere.

The arts are as worthy of the cross-cutting approach as the Welsh language. This would effectively reverse the usual instrumental argument. Instead of approaching it as a one-way and heavy-handed insistence on a social return on arts investment, the task would be to win a cultural return from as many areas of public investment as possible. It would also help redefine what culture ministers are for: policy leaders of a cross-cutting cultural agenda for a government, rather than signers of ad hoc cheques in a desperate search for the short-lived adrenalin rush of a more limited patronage.

What is the value of seeking social gain from the margins of the smallest department of state compared with seeking to knit culture into the agendas of the government’s biggest spenders?

What is the value of sporadic exposure to the outreach programmes of arts organizations compared with embedding the arts into the curriculum of our schools – not just as discrete lessons in art or music, not necessarily always as additions to the curriculum but as a tool for delivery of a greater part of the curriculum, a spur to creativity in all education, and perhaps an imaginative route to engaged citizenship? Sadly, it is an area where Wales is beginning to fall woefully behind other parts of the UK.

The Institute of Welsh Affairs, in its study of policy options for the Assembly’s third term, post 2007, pointed out that Wales had no equivalent of England’s well-funded schemes for encouraging the arts in the schools – the Artsmark scheme and the Creative Partnership projects – both jointly funded by the DCMS and, significantly, the Department for Education and Skills.

This is not just a question of creating more rounded citizens, or generating larger future audiences for the arts, though both are highly desirable objectives. We are enjoined to be part of the ‘the knowledge economy’. We are told our economic salvation is to lie in innovation, ideas and creativity. Exactly.

If Wales needs an innovative, knowledge-based economy – or even innovative public organisations – how do we create it without nurturing imagination, challenge and creativity in every way? And what better way than through familiarising young people in their most formative years with the challenging imagination of artists, the invitation to the lateral leap?

How can Wales make a bigger contribution to the design industry in which Britain is a world leader, if the visual arts do not have sufficient space and time within our schools, or if we do not maximise, through better collaboration, the potential that exists in the higher education sector?

If we are to have thriving creative industries, they will, in large part be seeded in the arts. There is no film industry without the writer. There is no music industry without the young musician. It is often artists who have explored new media first.

The issue also insinuates itself into both the economic development and environment portfolios. The Wales Tourist Board, not long before it was subsumed into the Assembly’s civil service, promulgated a strategy for cultural tourism. Admittedly, its definition of culture was wide enough to include food as well as festivals, but the starting point for most tourists is our natural and built environment. Famous visitors – Gilpin, Borrow, Turner – have marvelled at our landscape in Wales, but they have usually been less impressed by our cities, towns and villages.

Yet if we want to create a distinctive image for them – images that mark out our quality against competitors – it is our ambition and our cultural values that will determine it – exhibited in architecture, and fine urban and landscape design. That requires design quality to be a central objective of our planning systems, not an optional extra.

And how do we nurture a public culture that values the quality of our physical environment if the fabric of our schools is decaying or their playgrounds are sterile or our streets are devoid of stimulating art and architecture? The arts, the economy, education, and the environment must be interwoven in our thinking and our actions. Inevitably, such thinking must draw in local government. If the cross- cutting approach is necessary at the level of the Assembly Government, then it surely has even greater validity at the local level, even if culture is still a discretionary spend rather than a statutory responsibility.

It should worry us all that so many people believe that it is the steepest hill that the arts have to climb. There are many local authorities in Wales that can be proud of what they have achieved on the cultural front. The best have shown vision and commitment and have been prepared to back words with action and money. However, the majority are a long way behind the best. And all this is in the context of local government in the UK giving a far lower priority to cultural matters than its counterparts in many of our European partner countries and, in recent years still cutting back.

Sports development officers in some authorities outnumber arts officers by more than 10 to one. Despite this the Arts Council of Wales had to offer some authorities 75% of the cost of employing an Arts Development Officer to get them to appoint their very first one. In one case it had to offer 90%. Conversations in some local authorities remind you of Sinatra’s line, “If you have to ask the question, you ain’t going to understand the answer.”

For instance, why could I walk into the new offices of Pembrokeshire County Council – Graham Sutherlands’s adopted county and one with more artists per square mile than any other in Wales – and see not a single work of art on the walls?

The internal modernisation programme in local government has also produced structures that are often opaque and where responsibility for the arts floats in a way that often makes both forward progress and accountability difficult. Most arts officers – and they are relatively new appointments in many authorities – sit at a third or fourth tier level, answerable within portfolios that can range across tourism, regeneration, libraries, lifelong learning or sport and, in one instance, even crime and disorder – but never with any sense of integration within a larger picture.

In the arts the partnership between the Assembly Government and the Arts Council, on the one hand, and local government on the other, is the most important partnership that we have. Where it works, the arts thrive and the public gains. Where it doesn’t, the arts and the public suffer. It needs to work better than it does at present. It requires understanding and commitment from elected leaders and chief executives.

It demands that responsibility for the arts and culture be clearly and unambiguously located at a senior level – and in Wales that may be a responsibility wider than a single local authority. It also requires an end to situations where those with authority have no knowledge, and those with knowledge have no authority – an insistence on appointing professional arts expertise that is properly respected, trained and rewarded, and holding identified budgets that have some realistic relationship with that which they are expected to deliver.

We must also end the situation where effective planning by arts organisations is often hampered by the reluctance of local authorities to match the Arts Council’s own three-year funding agreements. Lastly, it needs clarity and consistency in the reporting of cultural expenditures that will enable robust benchmarking of performance.

Money will always be in short supply, but it is in that very situation that the cross-cutting approach within local councils becomes the most sensible and efficient way forward. The task of encouraging local government in these directions must fall to ministers. This is one area where the democratic mandate is both necessary and shared.

We live in an age when we are being urged to get beyond simple calculations of gross domestic product to more sophisticated measures of quality and even contentment. The demands of climate change are also forcing us to reassess our values alongside our behaviours. In this situation the arts and culture should sit alongside sustainability as the defining characteristics of the quality and creativity of our society, guarantors of a civilised and caring community as well as its survival. This is what will change the ‘texture of our living’ that the Assembly Government’s forgotten first cultural strategy sought to affect.

This is an edited extract from At Arm’s Length, by Geraint Talfan Davies, published by Seren. £12.99. Read more from the book in tomorrow’s Western Mail.

Source:
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/02/19/our-economic-salvation-and-creativity-91466-20491951/

Explore Your Creativity With A Degree In Video Game Design

2008-01-26T08:48:00.000+07:00

by: Andy West

Video games have exploded in popularity, thanks to our high paced and pressurized world crunching down on individuals. People need a break from reality and video games provide that venue of escapism, and businesses have definitely gotten the message loud and clear. Developing new games is a fierce industry and companies need people who can always bring on better games that stimulate all the senses at once. But how can you get into this rising segment and turn your interests in computers into something that's a lucrative, fun career full of opportunity?

A degree in video game design is the training you need to break into a market where you can create fantastical worlds or develop settings that are so realistic, you can almost touch them. Individuals are demanding more and more from software companies, and only the top quality games will succeed in today's competitive world. Investing your talents in a solid education that will give you the skills and know how to create high tech video games is a wise choice. The job opportunities will never peter out or become saturated, thanks to new technology that's always being put into the market, and you can get into the gaming craze by getting the best training possible to send you into an amazing career.

You'll have the chance to use your own imagination to create great characters that become popular household names. Remember Mario and Luigi? Well, those two characters were created by people with video game design skills and they earned their makers millions of dollars. What about Yoshi? The little dinosaur is another character created by someone with video game design skills that has made someone rich and famous. Why can't that person who develops the next popular, fun character be you? Online gaming is another venue that has become a multi-million dollar industry and all you have to do is look up World of Warcraft to see how many people are hooked on video games, making the market a rich one for job opportunities.

So what's involved in video game design? Educational facilities will provide you with artistic training to help you create visual images that snag people's interest and keep them gaming, as well as the know how to apply that to animation and 3D modelling. Story development is a must, and you'll be able to think up new ways of challenging people with tricks and traps or enemies to battle to become heroes and earn glorious rewards and treasures. Not only that, those who offer degrees in video game design will help you to put together a profile that will make you an attractive asset to software companies looking for talented 3D artists and gaming developers.

One thing is for sure: Without a degree in video game design, the competition to break into the industry is so stiff that you'll never be able to get ahead. Great ideas and a creative imagination isn't all it takes to open fantastic opportunities and set you into an amazing career. Top quality skills and training that keep you on top of the game and get you that perfect job are the only way to go about finding your place in the lucrative industry of video games. You'll learn the practical side of design and animation to be able to develop games that bring in sales for businesses and earn the skills you need to be head hunted by companies. More than that, obtaining your degree in video game design won't just be an important investment and career choice, it'll also be a blast of fun as you expand your horizons and creativity, learning to think outside the box and come up with new, exciting worlds and characters.

Creativity and Original Thinking: The importance of Incubation.

2008-01-26T08:19:00.000+07:00

by: Lucretia Torva

The “Bed, Bath and Bus” theory of creativity. Some of you may have heard of it. If you haven't, it's the notion that the best ideas come when you least expect it, such as in the bath/shower, lying in bed or waiting for a bus.

Lets travel back in time to visit Archimedes, a Greek mathematician, philosopher, inventor and who experienced the first recorded incident of solving a problem in the bathtub. He is most famous for discovering the law of hydrostatics, sometimes known as 'Archimedes' principle', stating that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces. The story goes that he was given the job of determining if a king's crown was really made of solid gold or partly of silver. He pondered the problem for some time. He was sitting in his bath one day when the idea struck him that different elements (such as gold vs. silver) would displace different amounts of water. So it was, an equal weight of silver displaces more water than gold.

The solution came to Archimedes when he was no longer working on the problem. He had thought about it and most likely gathered some information...then he took a break. His subconscious mind continued working, working without the constraint of conscious control. Our subconscious minds have a far greater capacity than we can possibly imagine! So, it is up to us to give the subconscious the room it needs to arrive at solutions to our problems.

I believe we need two characteristics in particular to make incubation successful: patience and belief. Both of these are necessary for you to walk away from a problem that means a lot to you, that you really want to solve or that has a deadline.

Patience is a challenge. Most of us want instant gratification. The media have trained us to want things quickly because that's how they deliver information to us. Be patient and allow the solution to come at the right time, which may not be right now. Assuming you have done some research, brainstormed and put some effort into this, patience will have it's rewards.

Belief is necessary for any success to happen. You must have belief in yourself, your creative abilities, your subconscious mind. Trust is another way to say it. Trust that you have done the work. Trust that you have looked at the problem from multiple viewpoints, that you have been open-minded and asked for input form others. I would also add that you should trust that the problem is worth solving! Yes, that the solution will be of benefit. It doesn't have to be of benefit to the entire world, but of real benefit to at least you.

One last thing to do. Assign this project to your subconscious. Literally tell your mind to take care of, then let it go.

I realize the subject here is creativity and problem solving. Doesn't this process sound a lot like using the Law of Attraction to reach your goals...well, that's also creativity! Use this for your goals. Visualize them and do some research as to what you really want. Assign the goal to your subconscious mind a let it go! Be patient, believe and see what happens!

What the heck is a blog, anyway?

2008-01-21T10:28:00.000+07:00

by Matt Rosario

What the heck is a blog, anyway?

If writing is an art, then, blogging is one way of using words to craft new art. People who are into blogging are the ones who are artistic in their own way, carefully choosing words that best describe their feelings, sentiments, wishes, desires, hopes, opinions, criticisms, and everything else in between.

Basically, blogs were first introduced as weblogs that refer to a â€œserverâ€™s log file.â€ It was created when web logging reached the virtual market.

Since its beginning in the 1990s, web logging gradually saturated the virtual community, blessing the Internet as viable source of greater information. However, with web logging, you still need a web site and domain names, but with blogging, you do not need at all.

ALL you require is an account with blog providers. In most cases, these kinds of blogs are free of charge. With the onset of easy blogging in the industry, personal journaling had been a common ground for people who wish to be known all over the world.

However, not literally famous as this is not a case on being popular or well-known personality. Generally, blogs are created for personal use. Like a journal, people can recount their daily adventures, sentiments, travels, experiments and whatever ideas they want to express online.

Nevertheless, with the advent of the online businesses, blogs have gradually taken the spotlight in providing businesses a chance to boost their productivity online.

Business blogs are, basically, created to advertise the services or products of a certain web site or online business in order to increase online sales. Moreover, business blogs are also one way of promoting the company so that the other readers will know that a certain company exists online.

With blogs, entrepreneurs and work-at-home moms are able to establish a name in the virtual market through articles that can be very useful in the readerâ€™s life. From there, you can make money out of blogs by simply syndicating it to your businessâ€™ web site.

This can be done through the RSS technology. So, if you are thinking to create a blog, whether for business or for pleasure, you need to know some tips that could help you get through and make your blog one of the interesting blogs online. Hereâ€™s how: 1. Consider your audience

Even if your blog is generally personal, still, it would be better to consider the minds of your readers. You have to think of something that would interest them. After all, most of the reasons of people who write blogs are not at all confined to their own personal motives. Most of them would love to be â€œheardâ€ (or read) and would love to be known, in some way or another, even for just a minute. Hence, it is very important to come with a write up that everybody can understand, not necessarily that these people can relate to it but they can understand it.

2. Pictures speaks a thousand words

To make your blogging worth the browsing effort of your readers, it would be extremely nice if you will put some pictures in it. It does not necessarily mean you have to place a picture of yourself. Any photographs will do as long as it does not pose danger or insult to anyone who will be reading your blog. 3. Make constructive and beneficial blogs

Even if you are free to write anything you wan to say to the world, still, it would be better to create some write-ups that would be beneficial to your readers. After all, its information technology that you have there so better be inclined to provide information rather than sheer quirky entertainment.

4. Avoid making multifaceted and complicated blogs

In order to have an interesting blogs, try not to use some highly technical and highfalutin words. After all, it is not a science discourse or a debate that you are making, so better stick to simple facts and short blogs. Bear in mind that most people who use the Internet usually do more scanning than scrutinizing each site word for word. Therefore, it would be better to come with blogs that will not bore your readers just because you have these lengthy articles.

5. Make it interactive

As much as possible and if your capacity will allow it, make your blog interactive. You can do this by placing some video or audio clips in your blog. You can even place an area for comments or for some feedbacks. In this way, you can get some impressions or reactions of other people. Who knows, you might even gain some friends just by making them feel at home in your blog site. Indeed, blogs are not created just for the mere fun of it. It also has its own purpose in the world of the Internet.

Therefore, for people who wish to harness their craft, as far as writing is concerned, blogs are the best way to do it. As they say, blogging is the contemporary term of creative and commercial writing.

Creativity and the Excitement of Life

2007-12-26T08:26:00.000+07:00

by: Helene Rothschild

Are you allowing yourself to express your creativity? When you were growing up, were your creative expressions discouraged? Would you like to express that part of you and experience more of the excitement of life?

As a Marriage, Family Therapist for many years, I was able to assist many men, women and children to awaken this dormant part of them. They often had negative beliefs based on negative experiences that caused them to shut down their wonderful creativity. The clients shared with me how they always felt something gnawing at them that needed to be expressed.

With the creative HART (Holistic and Rapid Transformation) process I developed, I was able to help them remove their blocks so that they could allow their creative juices to flow.

For example, Joyce, a fifty-five-year-old woman was retiring from her computer job at a college. She came to me because she did not know what to do with her life. I intuitively picked up that she was a singer. When I told her, "You are a singer," she burst into tears and cried uncontrollably for about five minutes.

When Joyce was able to compose herself, she shared with me how much she loved to sing but stopped in her teen years. Her well meaning parents discouraged her from pursuing a singing career. They insisted that she go to college to learn skills and have a career in something that offered her security and a good living. In fact, her parents refused to attend her singing performances in the high school plays.

From that negative experience, Joyce felt hurt and rejected. She decided that when she sings she is not loved. To stop the pain that she felt from that negative thought, she gave up singing. The teen-ager buried a beautiful part of her along with her hurt feelings. However, they were still in her unconscious and still affecting her.

The impressionable daughter succumbed to her parents' pressure and followed their dreams. "I always wondered why I always felt something missing in my life, Helene," said Joyce. Her tears of sadness changed to tears of joy, as she smiled brightly with the thought of singing again and enjoying a part of her that she had buried a long time ago.

Are you ready to awaken or reawaken your unexpressed creativity? It may be in art, music, crafts, needlework, writing, inventions, cooking, speaking, etc. There is no limit to creativity. Our minds (logic) are in our left brain, and our creativity flows from our right brain which is also the feeling, intuitive, and spiritual part of us.

The following poem can support you to enjoy more of your creativity.
My Creativity
I am...
1) Expressing my creativity.
2) Allowing myself to be creative for the joy of it.
3) Realizing that my creativity comes from my spirit which is my unlimited, all knowing part.
4) Continuing to express my unique creativity no matter what anyone says or does.
5) Balancing my life so that I have time for my creativity.
6) Accepting that being creative for the fun of it is time well spent.
7) Enjoying the excitement of life.

Success - An Objective And Promise

2007-12-06T11:03:00.002+07:00

by: Donald Yates

Our Objective And Promise I believe in you because you are a creature of God. Our objective in writing this series of articles is to assist you in: Developing a deeper understanding and heightened relationship with God Developing more clearly defined goals in all areas of your life Developing a clear, written plan of action for success Developing a more positive attitude about yourself and the opportunities that abound around you Developing the skills necessary for you to achieve your personal and professional goals Developing internal motivation to reach those defined personal goals Our promise is to: Help you develop an inner passion for achievement. Help you to visualize that which is now and that which is to come. Help you build on the hope that is for your future Help you find your hidden skills and passions Help you find your inner self Help you develop a meaningful working relationship with God and your fellow man But Wait! - Who are we kidding?

Let’s face it; these objectives and promises are not worth the paper they are written on, without you. The catalyst in the equation is you. It’s you that makes it all worthwhile and brings God’s promises into an experience. We must have your undivided attention, willingness to participate, desire to succeed, fortitude to stay the course and most of all – believe in yourself and the possibilities. Make no mistake, no one can make it happen for you and quite frankly most people don't care if you make it or not. The reality is, in most instances, people want to see you fail. They don’t want to see you elevate above them. Sound harsh – well it's sad but true. In other words, that which effects you is governed by you and nothing is going to happen in your life without your participation. I guarantee you won’t be successful if you simply think you can read some information and not put it into action. If you think there is some magic ray that enters your brain while you sleep and you will suddenly wake up a success. Then, my friend, you are doomed to a life of mediocrity.

Success is a personal challenge that God places before you; you have to work for it. Each advance in God’s creation requires some effort on the participants part. God’s laws are open to everyone, believers and non-believers. Don’t think just because you are a believer, God’s laws are proprietary to Christians; they are not. God’s laws are indifferent; they are cause and effect or the action in choice. That's why bad people succeed, they have uncovered the secret. Good people fail because they won't open their eyes to the truth.

Unfortunately, statistics show a great percentage of what is published in the world’s greatest self-help and how-to publications never gets read by most buyers and of the material contained is only partly or never practiced. Most people don't have enough belief or are just not self-disciplined enough to follow or study even the best laid out instructional concepts in the manuals and then implement them into their lives. That’s why higher learning institutions are so valuable and charge so much; they teach how to arouse the inner self to undisciplined people.. They also teach people how to focus on the task at hand. I can’t stress enough, if you do not discipline yourself in this effort it too will fall to uncertainty and ultimately disappointment. If you don't believe, failure becomes your bed partner What most people forget is that to become great at anything, you’ve got to get single minded. You have to define your target and fire the arrow straight and true.

First Law- the force needed to move an object is in direct proportion to its’ resistance. What does that mean? It simply means, “the harder you work the more you get.” But, there’s a saying, work smarter not harder that applies. Intelligent application overrides brute force. Also, necessity is the mother of invention. People are the only beings on earth that has the capacity to invent. Why? Because invention is discovering truth; a God inherited trait.

God may provide everything you need but it is still a test of your willingness; to see if you have the fortitude to carry out the task. Success is a test of endurance, desire, and commitment that always resist capture. Success is an elusive mistress who if not attended to, will betray you for another. The fact is, personal accomplishments, stewardship and financial success may go hand in hand but without a clear-cut course of action, they are nothing more than pipe dreams that are allusive and may never be achieved. They must first materialize in your mind before they will materialize physically. But, everything is relative as each action affects its’ own result while every problem contains its’ own answer. The answer has to be sought out and defined. A target may seem clear but is elusive until defined. It’s like a shadow; there is no substance until you define its parameters. There may be five targets set up on a target practice course but you would not know which to shoot at unless you identified your particular target. Be sure you are shooting at your target and not someone else’s. It is easy to mistakenly work toward someone else’s goal thinking all the while it is yours. Your alter ego does not want to see you successful. He is the Prince of darkness and great deceiver, he wants to deceive you into thinking being poor is being righteous. There is no virtue in being poor. Where have you ever heard that a poor man exemplifies Christ? Is God poor – I don’t think so!

Each goal or target is affected by cause and affect. This law of action contains forces that drive an object toward completion. The more rewarding the project is, the harder you have to work to obtain it. No one said it would be a bed of roses and you will get what you want on a silver platter. It takes hard work, which has and always will be the backbone of American success. Really, it’s no big deal; just keep focused on the brass ring. Even God worked, and worked hard, to bring His creation into a reality. He worked so hard he rested when he finished. And how about His passion for man? You can see it all around you, blue sky, green grass, the flowers, how beautiful they are.

It is time; all excuses are gone, you now have step up and grasp your key to freedom. Above all develop your personal high-powered guideline and motivator into a step-by-step plan. That's what it takes, nothing more nothing less. When I say step-by-step, I mean we can show you how each element of a broad goal can be broken down into its’ smallest parts, but, once you have defined the goal, do you have the passion to carry it through? Like a super star football player, you have to love the game and pursue it with a burning passion that only God can provide. You have to call the play, hike the ball and go for the touchdown. You have to ignite a fire in your heart for the achievement of being in His favor.

Before you start you must be sure, I mean absolutely sure, your goal is something you enjoy. Ask any successful person what their first prerogative is. It will always be that they are doing something they enjoy. It must make you happy because the only way to enjoy life is to be happy in it. Now, you now have the fuel for the fire but you still have to light the fire before it will burn. In the same since, preparation has to be made before feeding fuel to the fire. You have to make sure you don't start a wild fire and become radical at what you do. There is such a thing as self-containment and you have to be the master of it.

There is no mystery in success it is simply a series of tiny little steps, like any learning process small steps must take place before you can run. A baby does not start off walking’ it must experience crawling first. It takes groundwork, dedication and most of all, perseverance. How many times will a toddler fall? Once, twice a thousand times? See everyone else doing what you are striving for. You must desire it; recognize the desire and act upon the desire. I don’t mean, and I’ll say it over and over, just desire it; I mean I has to be a “burning desire”, a passion, like a super athletic desires the win. It becomes a personal thing; a demonstration to God you are worthy and you deserve it. It becomes a skirmish between you and the challenge at hand. Do you want to crawl around all your life while everyone else is running?

Who will be the victor, the old man and his habits or new man and his successes? Truly, people are a victim of their own meritocracies, their comfort zone, and their unwillingness to change. God provides, if you would only become His action partner. Nothing is ever left for chance; you can and will develop a clear picture of your future and the accomplishments contained there. Why? Because I believe in you. I believe you were destine to succeed. You will triumph, over all obstacles to become a Raven flying free from all bounds.

Make no mistake God wants you to prosper. He provides plenty and wants you to be happy in His abundance. He doesn’t want you to worry or fret over life, He gives abundantly so you may experience life as He intended it for you. He ask that you be grateful for His gift and give Him the glory for all you receive. Know who your contributor is and be happy in it. People cannot provide anything for themselves. God is the provider, people are partakers. It's a perfect relationship where everyone wins.

If you will allow, we hope to provide you with a stronger foundation for which you may define your goals, improve your out-look, and develop the personal and professional skills necessary to get the most out of your hidden talents and true potential. First you must change from within if you are to be permanently motivated. Desire comes from the heart, embraced, tested, tempered and trusted then, and only then will it move mountains. Here, you will find challenges and outright dares that will question your motives and drive you forward toward that which is rightfully yours.

Are You Ready?

What makes you think you are ready now, when you weren’t yesterday? What changed? What or who has held you back? Has your situation changed? Are you tired of the same old rut day-in-and-day-out? Are you tired of people calling you a loser? Are you tired of feeling like you failed that promise you made to your spouse way back when only the world was enough? You know, a rut is only a grave, open at both ends. What kind of and how deep is the rut you are in? What makes you think anything is going to be different tomorrow? Sure you want success, everyone does, but at the expense of what? Only a very few achieve it, why?

Everyone wants to be rid of financial worries, have good relationships and get rid of stress. . Right? Wrong! We are what we make ourselves. No one makes you fail; you are responsible for that. No one makes you a difficult person to get along with; you are responsible for that too. No one makes you dumb or less than anyone else; you do it to yourself. Well, when are you going to quit letting other people chart your course when you’re the caption of the ship? You have the wheel, plot your own course, define your direction in agreement with your desires and get on with it. Quit being a sniveling victim and be a supreme victor. Climb the mountain and claim the prize, be all God created you to be. After all, you were created in His image. Have faith, and endurance will come. Once you have clearly defined your compatible personal and professional goals they become an internal motivation, the skills required to achieve those goals become obvious. We can only provide a guideline in these dynamic series of articles to place you in the starting gate, and help put you on track so you may develop the personal and professional skills needed to activate more of your potential and achieve your personal goals for success. Make up your mind to run each race to win or don’t get in the race at all. You know where you have been, if you want to stay there then, so be it and you believe.

I refuse to believe you are like most people who choose to only tap a fraction of their capabilities and never even scratch the surface of possibilities lying dormant within them. We have never met yet if feel you. I feel your frustration your anger within yourself for not carrying through on promises made. The feeling of regret for lost years and lost dreams that melted away like fallen rain.

My God, my God, where are thou that you have allowed this person to succumb to a world of lofty presumptions? Have you turned away from this person and let the world become his/her master? Please Lord, please allow this wayward child to see the path of his/her rightful destiny, and pursue it with vigor. Than you Lord for the plenty you are about to display in this person's life. This I ask in his precious name, Amen.

In Conclusion

While the rewards of life hinge on doors of opportunity someone still has to swing them open. There is no one simple answer to all the problems of the world, there are only responses to questions. Mediocrity robs man of spirit while the soul cries for freedom. Yes, many people live lives of desperation that are dull, drab and uneventful. They never truly wake up from their self made destiny. I once knew a man who died and they revived him. He said it was like waking up for the first time. His life experience changed in a heartbeat. Everything was new and fresh, and he saw it in an entirely new light. His perception was from another place. Colors became more vibrant sounds were more crisp and everywhere he turned he saw opportunity. Before he saw only survival where potential reward was.

From the beginning, man has sought the truth. First in God and then within himself he has sought an understanding to a unanswerable question. From the earliest recorded literature, there have been arguments, debates and dissertations on what constitutes the ingredients of success. One common factor is that some action has to take place before success can result. A cause must be employed before one can progress toward effect. Some kind of act has to take place.

6 Best Ways to Boost Your Creativity

2007-12-06T11:03:00.001+07:00

By David W Richards

Either those working in a creative environment or those who don’t, must have had experienced a moment when they feel like they had nothing at all in their mind. They got blocked. They are stuck.
However, there are some steps that these people can try to get unblocked. They can even go back to being extremely creative.

All they have to do is simply:
1. Break off. Simply do nothing. Take your time. You might be overloaded. You might be stressed out. And, there is nothing better you can do than just stop doing anything. Take some time to enjoy yourself. Get a bubble bath or enjoy your most favorite food or go shopping. Anything that can make you feel relaxed.
2. Don’t be afraid to make changes. Change anything that you think is necessary. Change your working atmosphere. Change your way of doing the job. Change your way of thinking.
3. Believe in yourself. Don’t underestimate your capability. If once you could do it, then you can do it and you’ll always be able to do it. Keep in mind that you are a creative person. Don’t ever think the opposite.
4. Play with what seem to be impossible ideas. Try to. You’ll never know whether it’s really impossible or not until you try. Even if it might not be an amazing result, at least you have exercised. And, for most creative people a seemingly-impossible-or-bad idea might turn into an astonishing one.
5. Get a friend. Link with a friend also working as a creative person. Share stories, tips and knowledge. And, learn from this friend.
6. Enjoy the process. Anything done with joy might bring a better result than that with depression. Especially anything related to creativity. If you tend to get drowned in the river of hopelessness, you are unlikely to be creative.

Don’t waste your being blocked and stuck. Move forward. Your willingness is the key to creativity.

Making Creative Output A Practical Reality

2007-12-06T11:03:00.000+07:00

By Mary McNeil

If you want to bring your creative ideas to life, you’ll know that you need more than just inspiration. It takes planning and persistent effort too. So if you're brimming with creative ideas but struggling to develop them into tangible output, here are a couple of techniques you can use to make creative output a practical reality.

1. Declutter your way to creativity
Clutter takes many different forms. The most obvious is the physical clutter in your home. Less obvious, but just as constricting, are the emotional and mental clutter you carry around in your head and in your habits. I'm a great believer that the first step you need to take towards greater creativity in your life is to create a space for it.
Sometimes you need to create space without knowing what will fill it. Just clear the clutter and trust that something creative will appear once there's space for it. In my experience it always does. Other times you need to create space with a specific purpose or creative project in mind.
The process of decluttering itself often involves tough decisions, followed by a brief period of grieving for the ex-clutter. But once you've got through that, you experience a fabulous lightness and sense of possibility. This is the space in which your creativity can come out to play.
So if you stop for a moment and think about where the clutter is in your life, what springs immediately to mind?
If you were to clear one particular area or type of clutter in your life, which one would free you up the most to get creative? What's the first step you need to take to get clearing and to create some creative space for yourself?

2. Create structure to support your creativity
There's a fairly widely held belief that truly creative people need to live unstructured, bohemian lives and that any hint of a routine will kill their creative output. Now while that may be the ideal for a rare few artists, for most people it removes the possibility of a support system.
I believe that the structures and routines you build in your life are the foundations which support your creativity. They can, of course, also stifle it. So you need to make sure that you're building the right sort of foundations. And that means designing your day-to-day routines thoughtfully.
Ultimately you want your creativity to have some output. That involves creating the space and the routines which will allow you to practise your art regularly, whatever form it takes. The grander the scale of your creative ambitions, the more space and disciplined structure you will need.
Have a think about how much time you want to spend each day (or each week) on your creative projects.
What routine or structure could you put in place to ensure that you get the time you want?
If you can't get all the time and space you want, how could you get at least a part of it? What's the first step towards it?

What Prevents Most People From Achieving Success In Life?

2007-12-04T07:57:00.000+07:00

Author: Adam Khoo

If setting clear goals is so crucial for us to achieve a successful and fulfilling future, then why do so many people fail to do it? Why are so many people allowing the river of life to pull them in all directions?

1) Limiting Beliefs

The first thing that holds most people back from setting goals are their limiting beliefs. Many people only dream about what they would love to have. When it comes to committing to a
specific target and plan, they don't even bother. Something inside them says 'there is no way'. Either it's too difficult or they simply don't have what it takes.

You now know that these are nothing but limiting beliefs. Unless we break past these generalizations about ourselves, we will never dare to design goals that drive us to the next level.

2) They Don't Know What They Want

'But... I don't know what I want!' This is probably one of the most common responses I get from people. I bet if I gave these people a magic lamp and told them that they would be granted anything they wish for, they will start making up a whole list of things real quick!

It is not that people don't know what they want. What has truly happened is that most people have stopped daring to dream. I believe that as kids, all of us had fantasies and dreams of what we wanted to have and be when we grow up. However, as we went through life, we meet with so many failures and disappointments that our rational, critical mind has forbidden us to continue day dreaming anymore.

Whenever we get excited about something, our internal voice will rush in to tell us, 'it can't be done' 'you cannot do that' ' that's impossible.' 'grow up, get real'. (It could even be an
echo of our parents' voice, if we had stern, no-nonsense parents). As a result, this would block our creative juices and deflate our passion - the very elements we need to create and
design the life we truly want.

We need to learn how to unlock our imagination and set our creative minds FREE....free of fear and inhibitions so we can dream clearly and with growing excitement of what we truly want out of life.

3) Fear of Failure

This fear of failure, of rejection and embarrassment is what probably paralyses most people from even starting out. I had a participant in one of my seminars who never dared set goals
because of her intense fear of failing if she did not achieve what she had set her heart and mind to.

In her mind, she reckoned that if she did not set expectations, then she could not fail!

My mum did something similar when she was sitting for her final O level examinations over 40 years ago. She was sure she would fail maths (which she hated), and so she decided she would rather not take the exam than have a fail mark!

Sound crazy, but many people do the same thing. They believe that it is better not to have expectations so they cannot let themselves down.

Does this mean that people who keep setting goals do not fear failure? I don't believe so. I think everyone hates and fears the feeling of failure, including myself.

What then gives them the courage to set high goals and go for it? It is how we define failure to ourselves. The only one who can tell us that we failed and make us feel bad is... ourselves.

Yet, this is how we often shoot ourselves in the foot. The moment we do not achieve what we want, even on our first attempt, we tell ourselves we have failed, and feel really bad.

This pain is what prevents us - and this goes for the majority of people - from daring to try for high stakes, to taking risks.

4) Addiction to the Soft Life

Most people are risk averse because they are addicted to a way of life: a soft life, a cushy life with habits and material comforts they are loathed to change or risk losing. Unless that
comfy life-style is imminently under threat, they won't do anything that calls for iron will and discipline.

Setting goals and really going for our goals often means changing habits, sacrificing time spent hanging out with friends. This is why people make half-hearted attempts. As soon
as their new path impinges on their old habits, they withdraw...it's too hard.

A friend who teaches a Detox & Energise self-help program says most people don't stick to it because even if they believe in its long-term health benefits, they are not willing to work at
it....and it is life-long work. They'd rather pop a pill (a drug) and dam the long-term consequences.

There are no short-cuts to success in any area - business/career, health or personal relationships. So, be prepared to make what appears to be 'sacrifices' and, if you do, the rewards are there.

How To Be Creative?

2007-11-29T09:07:00.000+07:00

By: Dan Goodwin

Doubt that you're creative? Don't think you have the first idea how to be more creative even if your life depended on it?

Here’s a quick 5 step guide to getting your creativity flowing freely:

1. Be creative in your outlook. Ideas and inspiration are literally all around us. By opening ourselves to this possibility we’re in a far stronger position to receive new ideas.

Pick 3 objects around you right now and ask yourself what else they could be used for, what other objects you connect them with and how they could form the start of a new creative project for you,.

2. Be creative in your beliefs. You are, potentially, as creative as anyone on this earth. We’re all born with a unique set of creative abilities.

What do you truly believe about yourself and your creativity? If you don’t believe you’re capable of being creative, it’s highly unlikely you will be. Adopt new beliefs that are aligned to someone who’s creative, confident and prolific and notice the difference in your creativity.

3. Be creative in your intentions. Tell yourself simply “Today I’m going to be more creative in everything I do.”

It sounds almost too simple to work, but try it for a couple of weeks, follow through by trying add a little creative twist to everything you do each day, and you’ll soon notice the difference to your creativity.

4. Be creative in what you absorb. If you’re in exactly the same surroundings every day, it’s difficult to remain inspired and fresh in your creativity.

Visit new places to give you different stimulation. They can be obvious creative places such as galleries or museums, but also anywhere that’s different to your usual surroundings. Absorb everything around you as fully as possible with each of your 5 senses.

5. Be creative in the company you keep. It’s said we become like the 5 people we spend most time with.

Who are these 5 people in your life? Are they people that are stimulating, creative, imaginative, supportive? If not, you might want to start seeking out others who are more like the creative person you want to be.

Any of these 5 steps on their own can help you be more creative.

Use two or more in combination and they’re even more powerful.

So, which step are you going to choose today and use to increase your creativity?

Stephen Pierce Reveals The Secret Ingredient For Your Success On The Internet

2007-11-23T08:53:00.000+07:00

Author: Gideon Shalwick

There! How unusual for trying to keep your attention - I gave the answer away right at the beginning! So, theoretically, you don’t even have to read the rest of this article, but if you want to find out the deeper meaning of the first sentence in this article and how you could benefit form it, let me just tell you that there is heaps more to it than that.

Sure, passion is important for success, but what I’ve found is that most people don’t really know HOW to create passion in their lives. And that’s what this report is about.

As you read every word of this report, you will become amazed as to how simple it could be to put a bit of spice back into your life, and to increase your chances of success on the internet by factor of 10 (ok, maybe not 10, but you’ll certainly increase your productivity if you just apply some of the key concepts in this article :) ).

So, if passion is such an important ingredient for success, how on earth can you get it if you don’t already have it?

It’s a lot easier than you might think.

Perhaps the most succinct way that I have seen it described, was by the noted scholar of world mythology, Joseph Campbell. He simply said:

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."

Now, once you start following your bliss, some amazing things start happening. Fred Gratzon, when talking about finding your passion, says it best in his amazing work, The Lazy Way To Success:

"If you love what you are doing, it ceases being work. The more you love what you are doing, the more you spontaneously commit to it. The greater your commitment, the deeper the knowledge you gain. The deeper the knowledge, the more powerful the knowledge. The more powerful your knowledge, the easier it is to achieve
success, because deep, powerful knowledge is the key to inspired thinking and finding intelligent solutions to problems. And with that deeper knowledge, you quickly recognize opportunities and pounce on the best ones. But it all starts with loving what you do."

So the idea here is that once you’ve found what you’re really passionate about, it becomes easy to become successful. And we all know that success breeds success, so once you’re on this amazing path, you simply become unstoppable.

In my own book Millionaire Drop-Out Secrets, I talk about HOW you can actually find what you’re truly passionate about. So, as a courtesy, here’s a quick review of that process:

The whole technique is based on 4 steps:

Step 1 - Create a list that contains all the things that you absolutely love doing. This is the kind of stuff that gives you goose bumps or makes your heart pound when you just think about it. Most likely, this list will contain items such as your natural God-given talents.

Just start writing them down, and don’t worry about how practical your list may seem. Once you have thoroughly completed the first list, you are ready to move on.

Step 2 - Create a list that contains all the things that you absolutely love giving to people. Once again, just start writing and don’t worry about any of it seeming silly or unrealistic. Just get all your ideas down on a piece of paper.

Step 3 - Prioritize the entries on your two lists. Simply place all the things your love doing and giving most, right at the top and the things you love doing and giving least at the bottom.

Step 4 - Create a career option that you’ll be truly passionate about. You can do this by simply combining items on
your first list with items on your second list.

For example, say your two lists looks something like this:

What I love doing: What I love giving to people:
Playing piano, Laughter, Playing harmonica, Entertainment, Talking, Life changing information Etc. Etc.

Combining the first entry from the first list (playing piano) with the second entry of the second list (entertainment) can give you a clue as to a possible career option that you’ll be very passionate about. You could rewrite this as:

“My purpose and calling in life is to entertain people by playing the piano. This is what I am passionate about and what I love to do with my life.”

As you can see, you can create multiple combinations of things that you love doing and things that you love giving to people. Create as many combinations as you can, and then pick the one that resonates with you the most.

You will do well to spend some time on this as it will influence the rest of what you do with your life from this point onwards. If you can pinpoint exactly what it is that you want to do in this life, the rest becomes a lot easier and you will start living an inspired life as apposed to an unfulfilled, frustrating one where it doesn’t feel like you are adding any value.

But this is only part of the picture. Yes, there is more. There is a missing link to this whole process that I have discovered in my research after interviewing some of the world’s top internet marketers. To find out what Internet Marketing Legend, Stephen Pierce, has to say about this, please visit my website for a free video interview.

To your passionate success in the internet!