Creativity

Sometimes the hardest part of writing these blogs is getting started. I've found freewriting (MIT 2016), or stream-of-consciousness writing, to by quite effective for coming up with topics that are intriguing enough to warrant reflection. I seem to have a tendency to go to research articles and journals rather than other blogs or YouTube to find information on topics. This habit may be because of the various assignments in this masters and I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative for a blog. Research lags current practice, though the topics I've been discussing so far haven't been new.

Last Week's Topic - Deep Learning

The only new thought I had on deep learning is that reflection, at least for me, seems to help with the motivation to learn deeply. I'm not sure if this is because I've been reflecting on deep learning or because of the reflection process.

Topic of the Week

At the end of last week, I got quite excited about the masters and some assignments that we need to complete. The assignments include a Digital Learning Resource (DLR), and an E-Portfolio that we will use to showcase our work for future employers. While it is early days on both, I'm excited by the idea of using design knowledge from previous modules. I watched a webinar by iSpring (2020), about simple graphic design principles, and was surprised that I knew it all already.

I think my surprise was because I was finding it difficult to visualise how the DLR and e-portfolio would look. I was struggling to figure out how people get started on a design and now I wonder if part of it is just getting started. Similar to creative writing, it doesn't matter if the first draft is terrible. No one will ever see it and it gives you something to refine.

On a side note, I really like the analogy that compares writing to sculpting: a sculptor starts with a block of marble and then carves out the sculpture; with writing, your first job is to create the block (i.e., the first draft) and then gradually carve out the final draft.

Finding inspiration from your surroundings, prior experiences and, especially, the work of other creatives, seems to be useful. I'm glad that I'm working with another person for the DLR as not only has it got the process moving, the ability to bounce ideas off each other quickly has, so far, been really helpful and has already produced two good ideas that I know I wouldn't have come up with myself.

Austin Kleon has written a few books about creativity. They're quick reads, written in a welcoming style, with lots of quotes from other creatives.

Steal Like an Artist (2012)

Show Your Work (2014)

Keep Going (2019)

"Show Your Work!" describes the idea of showing your works in progress, via a blog or Instagram or some other medium. I try to include evidence of projects/tasks I'm working on in these blog posts and find it helpful.

"Steal Like an Artist" is a little more relevant to coming up with ideas and centres around the idea that very little creativity is truly original. The originality comes from how we alter previous ideas or put them together to form a whole.

I particularly like the following page from "Steal Like an Artist":

Good Theft vs Bad Theft - Kleon (2012)

With that in mind, I think I will find and study as many courses and e-portfolio designs as possible and steal the ideas that I like. Even writing "steal" just now gave me pause, as it has such a negative connotation, but as long as I follow Mr. Kleon's good theft guidelines, I think it's acceptable. And it may be how many creatives already work.

Last Week's Next Steps

(Click bullet for notes)

Start researching jobs, including required competencies and ideal e-portfolio content.

Not done really, current coursework prioritised, though I did notice one company called IQVIA, advertising for a medical writer. I think working for them would be really interesting. This is an important step, for deep learning, for the e-portfolio and for applying for jobs and will stay on the list each week.

Become more deeply entrenched in the course content and any interesting resources that appear in the twitter assignment.

In progress. Am continuing to keep my list of resources updated.

Try to come up with a system to recognise content that I should learn deeply.

I'm unsure how to do this. I could learn anything deeply and it would probably be useful at some point. Should I learn what takes my fancy in the moment or plan my learning in advance? This goes on the back burner for now.

Continue lifestyle changes.

Diet decent. not ideal. Had to leave the gym because I started coughing, antigen test negative and felt grand the folowing day.

Continue working on proposal, storyboard and wiki assignments.

ROUGH DLR Content and Storyboard

What I Want to Change

• I haven't really started researching jobs.

• My CV needs work.

• Keeping a record of resources isn't enough for deep learning to occur.

• Lifestyle could be better.

• I have minimal design experience or skills.

Next Steps

Note: Because of a brief holiday, these may remain static in week 4.

• Research jobs, including required competencies and ideal portfolio content.

• Recreate/update CV.

• Continue with the goal of learning deeply.

• Continue lifestyle changes.

• Study as many online courses and e-portfolios as possible and keep record/screenshots of good ideas

References

Kleon, A. (2012) Steal like an artist: 10 things nobody told you about being creative. Workman Publishing.

Kleon, A. (2014) Show your work!: 10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered. Workman Publishing.

Kleon, A. (2019) Keep going: 10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad, Noura Books.

iSpring (2020) 'Improve learner experience with 6 simple graphic design principles', iSpring Webinar Series [video], available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1z8tjjwrl4 [accessed 22 Feb 2022].

MIT (2016) The Writing Process: Freewriting, available: https://writingprocess.mit.edu/process/step-1-generate-ideas/instructions/freewriting [accessed 22 Feb 2022].