Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Providence
"Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth-the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too." Goethe
In today’s economy of accomplishment and ambition, one of the hardest lessons to learn is the lesson of risk-taking. This involves counter intuitive thinking. Moving forward with conflicting options and without solid proof of the outcome. We would all love to be given a crystal ball and see the future and make the decision process that much easier. Or if we had a higher power give us insight, it would certainly provide assurance for the outcome. But, this is where the vitality of our existence is realized. We are given the free will to choose directions, to uniquely assimilate the data that the world around us transmits, and to build our own expertise and instincts. God may provide the doors, windows and other portals, even the opportunities themselves, but it is up to our own confidence and commitments to step forward. And, as Goethe has pointed out, then Providence steps in.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
The World Is But A Canvas...
"The World is but a canvas to the imagination." Henry David Thoreau
I recently rediscovered the joy of sketching and watercolor painting. This endeavor has been completely self-motivated, and other than my wife and children, no one has seen (or will probably see) my start up efforts! It’s been quite therapeutic, however, mostly because the blank canvas is unhindered. I’m not attempting to meet anyone’s expectations, or even create anything remotely for a commercial reason. Suddenly my thoughts wander, my interests are piqued, and I begin to fill the canvas. This freedom is what unleashing one’s imagination is all about. Often we rely too heavily on the opinions of others rather than focusing on the canvas. Thoreau’s thought is a reminder of the power of the blank canvas around us. The world is waiting-where will your imagination take you?
I recently rediscovered the joy of sketching and watercolor painting. This endeavor has been completely self-motivated, and other than my wife and children, no one has seen (or will probably see) my start up efforts! It’s been quite therapeutic, however, mostly because the blank canvas is unhindered. I’m not attempting to meet anyone’s expectations, or even create anything remotely for a commercial reason. Suddenly my thoughts wander, my interests are piqued, and I begin to fill the canvas. This freedom is what unleashing one’s imagination is all about. Often we rely too heavily on the opinions of others rather than focusing on the canvas. Thoreau’s thought is a reminder of the power of the blank canvas around us. The world is waiting-where will your imagination take you?
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
A Good Imagination
"To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." Thomas Edison
When I was growing up, one of my favorite hobbies was building models. Probably the most fun was when I’d ignore the instructions and make up my own ideas with some parts that the model kit provided, but usually from stuff I’d find around my room. My inventions weren’t to specifications, but they were always originals- and despite the improvisational look they may have had, I was very proud of my efforts. Creativity really is not about the actual ingredients, but the ability to put ideas together. Edison uses the term, ‘junk’, because in great inventions the actual parts without their context truly are junk. In fact, think of a junkyard and all that is found in the giant heaps of massive discarded matter. I think we often look at our situations like this. We need solutions, but all around us we see a bunch of junk. Our moment of invention really comes from our ability to step back and realize that our imagination can turn the pile of scrap into something innovative. It’s how the first light bulb was made. A lot of imagination and a pile of junk. Look around, improvise and allow your imagination to change the specifications you see.
When I was growing up, one of my favorite hobbies was building models. Probably the most fun was when I’d ignore the instructions and make up my own ideas with some parts that the model kit provided, but usually from stuff I’d find around my room. My inventions weren’t to specifications, but they were always originals- and despite the improvisational look they may have had, I was very proud of my efforts. Creativity really is not about the actual ingredients, but the ability to put ideas together. Edison uses the term, ‘junk’, because in great inventions the actual parts without their context truly are junk. In fact, think of a junkyard and all that is found in the giant heaps of massive discarded matter. I think we often look at our situations like this. We need solutions, but all around us we see a bunch of junk. Our moment of invention really comes from our ability to step back and realize that our imagination can turn the pile of scrap into something innovative. It’s how the first light bulb was made. A lot of imagination and a pile of junk. Look around, improvise and allow your imagination to change the specifications you see.
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Great And Wonderful Things
“ I am accustomed, most of all at night, when the agitation of my soul fills me with cares, and I seek relief from these bitter worries and sad thoughts, to think about and construct in my mind some unheard-of machine to move and carry weights, making possible to create great and wonderful things.”
Attributed to Agnolo Pandolfini by Leon Battista Alberti, Della tranquillita dell’animo
This quote came out of a series of dialogues from the renaissance about remedies for how to raise your spirit and overcome depression. According to author Ross King, our speaker who had himself been through much suffering lists “traditional remedies such as wine, music women and sports”, but that this was his most successful tactic. By allowing his mind to fantasize about creating “great and wonderful things”. What a great way to focus our attention away from the troubles that the world serves up daily. It is also a great contrast to the kinds of remedies that our culture has prescribed. I find that the many choices of distractions, actually creates even more stress. Think about how hard it is to shut off the noise of our daily grind. You lie there at night wondering whether what you said or did met the expectations of others. Maybe going through those unfinished projects, and all that has to be done. How much more fun it is to imagine constructing some ‘unheard-of’ idea! To appreciate Agnolo’s revelation, you have to also know that he was speaking within the famous Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. This revolutionary structure was the place of the famous dome, created by Brunelleschi, built with innovative and breakthrough inventions. I find this important because it also directs us to discovering our own inspirational place. By journeying there we can allow ourselves to see beyond the day-to-day difficulties and into the expanded reality of our own inventiveness. Also, there is incredible energy that is released as we imagine the creation of any idea. Angolo’s imagining “some unheard-of machine to move and carry weights” is both functional and metaphorical. Our ability to think of new ideas, new concepts and innovative solutions works in shifting priorities, as well as moving away the weights of the world. It also points out our ridiculous instinct to worry, which accomplishes nothing. Instead, if we focus our minds eye on dreaming, creating and innovating new ideas, think of how much more we can accomplish. As he said, by doing this we, ‘make possible’ that ability to create ‘great and wonderful things’.
Andy Siditsky
Attributed to Agnolo Pandolfini by Leon Battista Alberti, Della tranquillita dell’animo
This quote came out of a series of dialogues from the renaissance about remedies for how to raise your spirit and overcome depression. According to author Ross King, our speaker who had himself been through much suffering lists “traditional remedies such as wine, music women and sports”, but that this was his most successful tactic. By allowing his mind to fantasize about creating “great and wonderful things”. What a great way to focus our attention away from the troubles that the world serves up daily. It is also a great contrast to the kinds of remedies that our culture has prescribed. I find that the many choices of distractions, actually creates even more stress. Think about how hard it is to shut off the noise of our daily grind. You lie there at night wondering whether what you said or did met the expectations of others. Maybe going through those unfinished projects, and all that has to be done. How much more fun it is to imagine constructing some ‘unheard-of’ idea! To appreciate Agnolo’s revelation, you have to also know that he was speaking within the famous Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. This revolutionary structure was the place of the famous dome, created by Brunelleschi, built with innovative and breakthrough inventions. I find this important because it also directs us to discovering our own inspirational place. By journeying there we can allow ourselves to see beyond the day-to-day difficulties and into the expanded reality of our own inventiveness. Also, there is incredible energy that is released as we imagine the creation of any idea. Angolo’s imagining “some unheard-of machine to move and carry weights” is both functional and metaphorical. Our ability to think of new ideas, new concepts and innovative solutions works in shifting priorities, as well as moving away the weights of the world. It also points out our ridiculous instinct to worry, which accomplishes nothing. Instead, if we focus our minds eye on dreaming, creating and innovating new ideas, think of how much more we can accomplish. As he said, by doing this we, ‘make possible’ that ability to create ‘great and wonderful things’.
Andy Siditsky
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Motivated Thinking: Are You Motivated?
“How old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you was?”
-Satchel Paige
This is a really good question. We need to truly ponder its depth before answering as it is certainly revealing. For example, you can answer this question merely based on how you feel at the moment. I know that there are times when I feel much younger than my age. In fact, recalling when I worked out with my son’s little league baseball practice, I could sense my youth as I threw the ball around to the team. Later, I sensed it right into my shoulder and back. Yes—those were joints not bats cracking, kids. So, maybe our physical being isn’t the same twenty years later, what about our minds? This is where the pondering gets serious. Each of our lives contains experiences that have shaped and formed our perspective. And with every new day arrives new challenges, new opportunities to invent, gain insight, and grow. As a creative person, I suppose it’s an area that I’m more sensitive to given the demands of my occupation. Always seeing each day as a fresh new canvas. I kind of feel you can also measure the age of your minds eye by how much you’ve seen. For some, life’s experiences make us feel like we’ve seen too much. Ever feel that way? Maybe looking at trends, fashions, music, you feel like you need to crawl back to your primordial cave into a fetal position? Damn, when the heck did I get so philosophical! Actually, I enjoy this stuff because I am really energized by these kind of cultural changes. Having children around helps or rather requires that you be daily immersed in these ‘pressures of our times’. So, in our minds eye we can feel a certain age, too. Then there’s the spiritual side of things. Maybe this is too intangible for your taste, but I think it’s pretty practical. There is an odd sense of presence and refined age that is difficult to describe, but ever present in each of us. This is the part of us that knows without really knowing: call it our gut. We feel like an old soul when it comes to some stuff, and yet like a new born babe on others. When I step back from my hectic life and look at the inertia from all the intersecting points (people, places and things), I sense there is some point to the chaos. There is a greater purpose for being here. That assurance, confidence and trust enables the drive and passion to keep going and growing. So how do I answer the question? I’m young enough to keep thinking about the answer.
Andy Siditsky
-Satchel Paige
This is a really good question. We need to truly ponder its depth before answering as it is certainly revealing. For example, you can answer this question merely based on how you feel at the moment. I know that there are times when I feel much younger than my age. In fact, recalling when I worked out with my son’s little league baseball practice, I could sense my youth as I threw the ball around to the team. Later, I sensed it right into my shoulder and back. Yes—those were joints not bats cracking, kids. So, maybe our physical being isn’t the same twenty years later, what about our minds? This is where the pondering gets serious. Each of our lives contains experiences that have shaped and formed our perspective. And with every new day arrives new challenges, new opportunities to invent, gain insight, and grow. As a creative person, I suppose it’s an area that I’m more sensitive to given the demands of my occupation. Always seeing each day as a fresh new canvas. I kind of feel you can also measure the age of your minds eye by how much you’ve seen. For some, life’s experiences make us feel like we’ve seen too much. Ever feel that way? Maybe looking at trends, fashions, music, you feel like you need to crawl back to your primordial cave into a fetal position? Damn, when the heck did I get so philosophical! Actually, I enjoy this stuff because I am really energized by these kind of cultural changes. Having children around helps or rather requires that you be daily immersed in these ‘pressures of our times’. So, in our minds eye we can feel a certain age, too. Then there’s the spiritual side of things. Maybe this is too intangible for your taste, but I think it’s pretty practical. There is an odd sense of presence and refined age that is difficult to describe, but ever present in each of us. This is the part of us that knows without really knowing: call it our gut. We feel like an old soul when it comes to some stuff, and yet like a new born babe on others. When I step back from my hectic life and look at the inertia from all the intersecting points (people, places and things), I sense there is some point to the chaos. There is a greater purpose for being here. That assurance, confidence and trust enables the drive and passion to keep going and growing. So how do I answer the question? I’m young enough to keep thinking about the answer.
Andy Siditsky
