Random Creativity Articles http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us Decoration Books – Enhance your creative skills http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/decoration-books-enhance-your-creative-skills.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/decoration-books-enhance-your-creative-skills.html Tue, 09 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Decorating Books is well illustrated in free decorating tips, way through which you can make your house comfortable and beautiful, it also tackles common design problems and bring a firm look in your decorating skill.

Decoration Books: Advantages
Decorating book contains professional decorating ideas, clear instructions, lavish photographs and easy projects that help you to decorate with ease. Decoration Books assist you to make uniquely decorated house.

Decorating Books: Review
Decoration books, enhances your decorating skills and help you to create best style in your work. It has some wonderful resources, which provides inspiration, tips and ideas. Decorating Book offers project work, which are easy, simple and inexpensive.

Before You Buy: Decorating Books
If you have decided to purchase a decorating book its very important you have a look at the book carefully. See that every color, illustrated pictures and projects are as per your choice and needs.
Nowadays you can easily purchase a decorating book online. There are number of sites that offer such books. All you have to do is select the book of your choice and apply for the same.


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Isabella Rodrigues writes for decorating-books.info,
offering the latest information on decorating books, visit them today for more
best buy decorating books.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Soap Making as a Hobby http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/soap-making-as-a-hobby.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/soap-making-as-a-hobby.html Tue, 16 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Soap making can be pursued as a hobby, and can even be turned into a small home based business. All it takes is an interest in the making of soaps, and some diligence in the whole process.

Soap is a simple mixture of oils and caustic soda (lye.) The resultant liquid when left to solidify forms soap with a lot of glycerin, hence also called glycerin soap. The industrial soap manufacturers remove excess amounts of glycerin and use other ways to make the soap soft and mellow.

The oils used in soap making are common oils like palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil etc. The caustic soda used should be of industrial quality.

There is some amount of heating involved in soap making, and this therefore requires caution. The exact proportions of mixing oil and lye should also be known beforehand.

A melt and pour soap making kit can introduce a novice into soap making. Simply buy the kit and follow the instructions that come along. Once you are familiar with this process, you may consult other sources and can try making soap oneself.

Everyone of us wants to have a herbal soap, one filled with natural oils and fragrances. Children are delighted with soaps of various shapes such as animal figurines. Pursuing soap making as a hobby can allow you to make soaps as you desire them.

For more information on soaps and soap making, visit - soap making


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The author is a freelance writer and associated with http://www.soap-making-recipe.info/

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Ways to crank up your Creativity http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/ways-to-crank-up-your-creativity.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/ways-to-crank-up-your-creativity.html Fri, 19 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Some people’s creative abilities are closer to the surface and one can easily see the manifestations of them. People say that their creativity is “inborn”. For others, expressing creativity takes more time and cultivation. The important thing to note is that we can all be creative. You just have to take steps to extract it from within you. Try the following:


1. Change your perspective.

You might have heard the phrase ‘Think outside the box’. You should try looking at the situation from a different point of view. Change your perspective. Consider all factors that are affected by your problem or your concern. Try to breakdown the problem into several elements then shuffle them. Think of what would happen if an idea is replaced. This aspect is important in enhancing creativity because it helps you remove possible fixations that may hinder creativity.

2. Mentally move away from your current location.

Imagine how another person would react if subjected in the same situation. Picture how different situations would continue when dealing with the same problem. Application in different settings can be also be done; and then from there, adapt a solution to the current setting.

3. Let your imagination run wild.

Exercise your imagination. Modification can trigger creativity because you see things in a different light. You can also try to exaggerate or think of the extremes, be it magnification or minimization of something. Thinking of the possible differences between these two situations could produce ideas. This is the ultimate brain exercise.

4. Your comfort spot.

The environment has to be right. You should have somewhere you can focus without being unnecessarily disturbed so you can give a problem your full attention. This should extend to the people you are with. You tend to do better at something when you are with like-minded people. To put it simply, hang out with creative people to help enhance your creative abilities.

Most of the time, people tend to be more creative when they are with people who are doing the same thing. It was also found that if you wish to be more creative, you should try hanging out with creative people.

5. Time, time, time.

You can’t rush creativity. Hurrying does not help in the outflow of ideas. Your mind tends to go into a state of slight disarray when you are trying to force things. Studies show that results produced in this state are generally lacking. If you are low on time, then keep a list of activities like this one close to you. Go over each of the activities and exercise each one. Give it time.


6. Get help…communicate your ideas to others.

A different view of the problem could help. Better yet, many different views! Never be shy to ask. Diversity is very helpful in relation with creativity. Organize a brainstorming session. The spontaneous generation of new ideas helps in formulation of more ideas. The products of brainstorming can be the raw material in the construction of the idea.

Remember that in brainstorming, 4 rules are followed for it to be successful:
- There should be no criticisms. Criticism hinders the free flow of ideas. This can be postponed until the session has ended.
- Combining and/or modifying ideas are encouraged.
- Quantity is preferred over quality in brainstorming.
- Weird or strange ideas are encouraged.


These are just some ideas to get your creative juices going. They can be adapted to suit each individual. A large amount of it is down to you. How inventive can you be? How open are you? Remove the boundaries from your mind and you will find your creativity will increase.

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Donald Ogilve owns a Self-Improvement website, www.masteryourfate.com. Click here to unleash your creativity now.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Types of Painting Books http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/types-of-painting-books.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/types-of-painting-books.html Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Face Painting Book

Face Painting Book will provide you all the tips and techniques that professional face painter artist use. The painting book provides you with all the fabulous face painting designs, simple and easy techniques and useful stepwise guidelines. The painting books consists books like creative painting books, facial art books, wild animal face books, scary face books, FX face books, etc. These books contain different tutorials on painting animal's faces, scary faces, etc.

Tole Painting Book

Tole painting is an art of decorative painting of metallic objects like tins, coffeepots, and other similar household items. This folk art began in the 18th century in New England. The paintings are a wonderful artwork done on the surfaces of many metal objects. Today one can find number of online stores that provide such painting books. These painting books consist of many decorative and elegant paintings. The painting book also contains many beautiful displays of art for art lovers.

Oil Painting Book

Oil painting books can serve as a complete guide that will help you understand the whole process involved in oil painting. The book will make you learn most of the dark secrets of oil painting. You will learn how to start your painting, proper preparation, proper timings of pauses and breaks, when to let dry, why so much time is taken, and many such important things. Additionally, oil painting book also provides knowledge about money wasters, what brush should be used, etc. It also provides useful tips on your palettes, tube oil paints, medium effects, panels, canvas, etc.

Isabella Rodrigues writes for painting-books.info,
offering the latest information on painting books, visit them today and get
the latest information on painting.


Visit today: http://www.painting-books.info




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Isabella Rodrigues writes for painting-books.info,
offering the latest information on painting books, visit them today and get
the latest information on painting.


Visit today: http://www.painting-books.info




Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Indian Art and Architecture and its relation to Indian Music http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/indian-art-and-architecture-and-its-relation-to-indian-music.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/indian-art-and-architecture-and-its-relation-to-indian-music.html Thu, 17 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
This term paper in particular focuses on the visual arts and architecture in relation to their influence on Indian music. Indian art is highly symbolic. The much-developed ritual-religious symbolism presupposes the existence of a spiritual reality that, being in constant touch with phenomenal reality, may make its presence and influence felt and can also be approached through the symbols that belong to both spheres. The art and architecture produced on the Indian subcontinent dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. Therefore from that alone it can be determined as to how culturally influenced it must have been. To Western eyes, Indian art can appear strikingly ornate, exaggeratedly sensuous, and voluptuous. A strong sense of design is also characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern as well as in its traditional forms.

Indian art is religious inasmuch as it is largely dedicated to the service of one of several great religions. It may be didactic or edificatory as is the relief sculpture of the two centuries before and after Christ; or, by representing the divinity in symbolic form (whether architectural or figural), its purpose may be to induce contemplation and thereby put the worshipper in communication with the divine. Not all Indian art, however, is purely religious, and some of it is only nominally so. There were periods when humanistic currents flowed strongly under the guise of edificatory or contemplative imagery, the art inspired by and delighting in the life of this world.

Although Indian art is religious, there is no such thing as a sectarian Hindu or Buddhist art, for style is a function of time and place and not of religion. Thus it is not strictly correct to speak of Hindu or Buddhist art, but, rather, of Indian art that happens to render Hindu or Buddhist themes. For example, an image of Vishnu and an image of Buddha of the same period are stylistically the same, religion having little to do with the mode of artistic expression. Nor should this be surprising in view of the fact that the artists belonged to nondenominational guilds, ready to lend their services to any patron, whether Hindu, Buddhist, or Jaina.

The religious nature of Indian art accounts to some extent for its essentially symbolic and abstract nature. It scrupulously avoids illusionistic effects, evoked by imitation of the physical and ephemeral world of the senses; instead, objects are made in imitation of ideal, divine prototypes, whose source is the inner world of the mind. This attitude may account for the relative absence of portraiture and for the fact that, even when it is attempted, the emphasis is on the ideal person behind the human lineaments rather than on the physical likeness.

To be properly understood, the art of India must be placed in the ideological, aesthetic, and religious framework of Indian civilization. This framework was formed as early as the 1st century BC and has shown a remarkable continuity through the ages. The Hindu-Buddhist-Jain view of the world is largely concerned with the resolution of the central paradox of all existence, which is that change and perfection, time and eternity, immanence and transcendence, operate dichotomously and integrally as parts of a single process. In such a situation creation cannot be separated from the creator, and time can be comprehended only as eternity. This conceptual view, when expressed in art, divides the universe of aesthetic experience into three distinct, although interrelated, elements—the senses, the emotions, and the spirit. These elements dictate the norms for architecture as an instrument of enclosing and transforming space and for sculpture in its volume, plasticity, modeling, composition, and aesthetic values. Instead of depicting the dichotomy between the flesh and the spirit, Indian art, through a deliberate sensuousness and voluptuousness, fuses one with the other through a complex symbolism that, for example, attempts to transform the fleshiness of a feminine form into a perennial mystery of sex and creativity, wherein the momentary spouse stands revealed as the eternal mother.

The Indian artist deftly uses certain primeval motifs, such as the feminine figure, the tree, water, the lion, and the elephant. In a given composition, although the result is sometimes conceptually unsettling, the qualities of sensuous vitality, earthiness, muscular energy, and rhythmic movement remain unmistakable.

The form of the Hindu temple; the contours of the bodies of the Hindu gods and goddesses; and the light, shade, composition, and volume in Indian painting are all used to glorify the mystery that resolves the conflict between life and death, time and eternity.

The arts of India expressed in architecture, sculpture, painting, jewelers, pottery, metalwork, and textiles, were spread throughout the Far East with the diffusion of Buddhism and Hinduism and exercised a strong influence on the arts of China, Japan, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, and Java. These two religions with their various offshoots were dominant in India until Islam became powerful from the 13th to the 18th century. With Islam, which forbids the representation of the human figure in religious contexts, geometrical patterns became the most common form of decoration in art and architecture created under India’s Muslim rulers, especially the Mughals.


The earliest surviving Indian architecture consists of brick buildings. While early wooden structures have generally not survived, later stone buildings, built in a similar style, are known. The oldest traces of architecture in India are the vestiges of buildings of burnt brick found at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa (now in Pakistan), dating from about 2500-1750 BC. The subsequent Vedic period, which precedes the beginning of historical styles, is represented by burial mounds at Lauriya Nandangarh, in Bihâr State, and rock-cut tombs in Malabar, Kerala State.

The establishment of historical styles began about 250 BC in the time of the Indian king Ashoka, who gave imperial patronage to Buddhism. Accordingly, the monuments of this time were built for Buddhist purposes. A characteristic Buddhist construction was the tope, or stupa, a hemispherical or bell-shaped masonry monument, typically surrounded by a railing, and with four entrances marked by gateways, and designed as a shrine or reliquary. Buddhism waned after the 5th century as Hinduism and Jainism became dominant. The Jain and Hindu styles overlapped and produced the elaborate allover patterns carved in bands that became the distinguishing feature of Indian architecture. The Jains often built on a gigantic scale, a marked feature of their architecture being pointed domes constructed of level courses of corbelled stones.

The Hindu style is closely related to the Jain style. It is divided into three general categories: northern, from AD 600 to the present; central, from 1000 to 1300; and southern, or Dravidian, from 1350 to 1750. In all three periods the style is marked by great ornateness and the use of pyramidal roofs. Spire-like domes terminate in delicate finials. Other features include the elaborate, grand-scale gopuras, or gates, and the choultries, or ceremonial halls. The next style that remained dominant was that of the Islamic era. Islamic architecture in India dates from the 13th century to the present. Brought to India by the first Muslim conquerors, Islamic architecture soon lost its original purity and borrowed such elements from Indian architecture as courtyards surrounded by colonnades, balconies supported by brackets, and above all, decoration. Islam, on the other hand, introduced to India the dome, the true arch, geometric motifs, mosaics, and minarets. Despite fundamental conceptual differences, Indian and Islamic architecture achieved a harmonious fusion, especially in certain regional styles.

Indo-Islamic style is usually divided into three phases: the Pashtun, the Provincial, and the Mughal. Examples of the earlier Pashtun style in stone are at Ahmadabad in Gujarat State, and in brick at Gaur-Pandua in West Bengal State. These structures are closely allied to Hindu models, but are simpler and lack sculptures of human figures. The dome, the arch, and the minaret are constant features of the style. The Provincial style reflected the continued rebellion of the provinces against the imperial style of Delhi. The best example of this phase is in Gujarat, where for almost two centuries until 1572, when Emperor Akbar finally conquered the region, the dynasties that succeeded one another erected many monuments in varying styles. The most notable structures in this phase are found in the capital, Ahmadabad. The Mughal phase of the Indo-Islamic style, from the 16th to the 18th century, developed to a high degree the use of such luxurious materials as marble. The culminating example of the style is the Taj Mahal in Agra. This domed mausoleum of white marble inlaid with gemstones was built (1632-1648) by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife. It stands on a platform set off by four slender minarets and is reflected in a shallow pool.

Building in India since the 18th century has either carried on the indigenous historical forms or has been modelled after European models introduced by the British. Numerous examples of Western styles of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries may be seen in public buildings, factories, hotels, and houses. The most outstanding example of modern architecture in India is the city of Chandîgarh, the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab; the city was designed by the Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier in collaboration with Indian architects. The broad layout of the city was completed in the early 1960s. Notable architectural features include the vaulted structure, topped by a huge, concrete dome, and the use of concrete grille and bright pastel colours in the Palace of Justice; the arrangement of concrete cubes topped by a concrete dome that is the Governor’s Palace; and the use of projections, recesses, stair towers, and other contrasting elements to break the monotony of the long façades of the secretariat building, which are 244 m (800 ft) long. Modern Indian architecture has incorporated Western styles, adapting them to local traditions and needs—as in the design of the railway station at Alwar, Rajasthan State.

The next most important aspect of Indian culture is Indian Music. It is an element that forms an integral part of their religion in addition to the culture. Dance in fact is an expression of that music and that too has religious importance in Hinduism. However one other important issue to consider is that the art and the architecture of the land were greatly influenced by religious beliefs and customs, as has been seen especially by the Buddhist and Islamic religions. The same is true for the music. That too was greatly influenced by religion. In fact the first forms of music were religious hymns and ballads called bhajans. They were songs sets to musical instruments such as the sitar and table and they were stories about religion and mythology.

Just as there is no such language as Indian, but instead many hundreds of languages, with over a dozen considered major, so there is no single entity as Indian music. The range of musical styles and traditions in the subcontinent of South Asia, which comprises modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, is in proportion to the vastness of the geographical area and the density of population. This is most obviously the case with folk and tribal music. Given that India is predominantly rural, it could be claimed that such categories of music are those of the majority. On the other hand, the rapid development of communications and wider access to the mass media have helped to create what is almost, despite the language differences, a pan-Indian popular music, recorded and disseminated electronically. This emanates from the Indian film industry, the largest in the world, of which the products tend to adhere to formulaic devices, including many songs and dances.

What is usually understood by the term Indian music refers to the classical tradition, based on the melodic system of raga and the rhythmic system of tala. This music is traced back thousands of years to the vedic chants of the early Hindu settlers, though it has reached its present form in the last four or five hundred years. Its development over almost the last two thousand years has been documented in a series of theoretical treatises, mostly written in Sanskrit, which enhance its status, whether they elucidate or obscure its actual practices. The word commonly found in Sanskrit for music is sangit, which denotes the primacy of vocal music, with instrumental music largely derived from it, and dance as a further integral element. Although it is not expected that musicians will be dancers, it is still vital that dancers be musicians. Muslim invasions and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century and the Mughal Empire in the 16th century in the northern part of the subcontinent greatly contributed to a bifurcation of classical music by the 16th century into a northern tradition of Hindustani music, and a southern tradition of Carnatic music, and a gradual shift in both from religious application to a courtly entertainment. Both retain their basis in raga and tala and share many other general features, though they are sufficiently different in detail to necessitate separate training. Since independence from British rule in 1947 and the demise of the princely courts, Indian music has moved to the concert hall, the recording studio, and the world stage.

Hindustani Music is the classical tradition of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and, to some extent, Afghanistan. It also corresponds to the area of Indo-Aryan languages and the greatest concentrations of Muslims within a predominantly Hindu region. Many of its characteristics are traced back to the court poet and musician, Amir Khusrou, at the end of the 13th century. From his accounts, and from treatises by other authors, it is clear that the Indian music of that time was already highly sophisticated, and he is said to have introduced several Arabic and Persian elements. This process continued under subsequent rulers, especially the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century, whose court boasted the legendary singer, Tansen, and the later Mughals and regional rulers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Under their patronage music became a matter of prestige, and there was intense rivalry between courts and between the musicians themselves. Repertoires were often jealously guarded, and much of the teaching was kept strictly within the family. This helps to explain the rise of gharanas, traditions associated with different families, usually of Muslim court musicians and named after the city in which they were employed. Although gharanas are still talked about as a means of indicating a musical pedigree, they have been dying out since the demise of the courts and the advent of recordings and rapid communication, and also because of the greater mobility and independence of the musicians.

When the great theorist, Bhatkhande, collected music from court musicians in the early years of the 20th century, he found not only a huge range of compositions but also of performing styles. As part of his effort to classify Hindustani music and reconcile theory with practice, he grouped the thousands of melodic types, ragas, under ten scales, or thats. Only a fraction of the ragas in existence are in common use. The priority in Hindustani music is the maximum development of the minimum material, so a musician needs to know a few ragas in depth, rather than a large number superficially.

However the most important relation of Indian music to art is through the raga. Raga is the melodic basis of Indian classical music. Each raga has infinite possibilities of variation, and a skilful performer can extend improvised and composed material from a few minutes to well over an hour. The origin of the word, from a Sanskrit root meaning color, suggests that a raga is more than a musical idea. Its correct rendition must instill a certain mood in its listeners, creating aesthetic delight (rasa), and ragas have been associated with paintings and poetic aphorisms in the thousand or so years of their existence. Therefore the visual arts through the paintings and their rendition into architecture have influenced music through the development of the ragas. There are many and they in turn form the basis for all kinds of musical interpretations.

In the North Indian tradition of Hindustani music, ragas are also assigned to particular times of the day or night, and, in many cases, also to seasons of the year. Each raga must be distinguishable from all others, whether in the Hindustani or the southern tradition of Carnatic music.

The development of the raga will normally continue with one or more compositions, set in particular talas, or time cycles. In vocal music, which is always pre-eminent in Indian music, the main Hindustani song forms are the khyal and dhrupad, and there are several shorter forms, usually of a lighter nature, such as thumri, and tarana.Khyal, as its name suggests, has strong Muslim influences, while dhrupad, a term from Sanskrit, is older and regarded as essentially Hindu, although it developed to its present form in the Mughal courts.

Conclusively it can be said that the development of music descended for art, in the sense that the basis of Indian music the ragas, were musical expressions of the existing art, and architectural depictions of the periods and styles that they were developed in. In addition it can also be determined that Indian music is the soul of the Indian culture whose body is the art of the subcontinent.

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Courtesy:
FLASH TERM PAPERS


Also available on:

Indian Art, Architecture and Music


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> The 3 Rules for Writing Articles for Fun and Income! http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/the-3-rules-for-writing-articles-for-fun-and-income.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/the-3-rules-for-writing-articles-for-fun-and-income.html Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600
I know you want to know the rules right now, right? First, these are not my rules. These are rules known by all good writers. I didn't invent them. They were taught to me and I simply use them every day. Here they are:

Rule #1 - "Tell them what you are going to tell them". This, of course, is your headline like my headline - "3 Rules for Writing Articles".

Rule #2 - "Tell them". I am already doing that, right? I started with the first sentence at the beginning of this article and I am telling you right now!

Rule #3 - "Tell them what you told them". This is the summary, a sentence or sentences that bring the whole point of the article into focus to give you something to remember. That comes at the end.

What about the high school dropout? He simply took a cheap tape recorder, recorded Mr. Cronkite's newscast every evening, played it back and typed exactly what Mr. Cronkite said. He studied it to see how the three rules applied. He did this over and over and over until he could write his own version of the story. When he felt confident he showed his work to his wife and best friends for critique. He even recorded himself saying the stories into that little recorder, over and over and over. His dream was to be a radio newsman.

Our high school dropout also took the daily newspaper and re-wrote lots and lots of stories, reorganizing the facts, creating his own catchy headlines. Most important? He applied the "3 Rules for Writing Articles" to every article. When he had articles he had some confidence in, he showed them to his wife and best friends for critique. He followed the 3 Rules for several months, working on his writing after getting home from his regular factory job in the evenings. He did this for hours and hours and hours. Practice, practice, practice!

So, where did all this hard work get him? You will be amazed.

Our high school dropout landed a part time job on Sunday mornings as a on-air newsman at a local radio station! His writing and a passable radio voice got him that job. His fellow factory workers laughed at him. Made jokes. "You? C'mon, get real!". But, did he quit there? No! He kept working on his writing and voice delivery. Hours and hours and hours!

Within 3 months he was full time on the graveyard shift. He quit the factory job. About 3 months later he was on days, Monday through Friday, in prime afternoon drive-time! Within 2 years he was a local TV News Anchorman! Two years later he was Anchorman and News Director! Now, I must point out another key factor in his success. Many professional broadcasters and writers helped him grow along the way. He was never afraid to ask for help on how to improve his writing and delivery on-air. Pride never got in his way. The pro's were more than willing to offer advice and valuable tips! It was better than a college education.

Now, you may be thinking, "Jim made this guy up. This story can't be true".

Well, friend, that high school dropout is me! My broadcast news career spanned more than 15 years. I won several national and local news awards. On my main blog (see Author Box), you can see a photo of me posing with Walter Cronkite in a promotional session for my news program. I also have promotional photos with Dan Rather and Diane Sawyer and photos with many other famous people. I have interviewed every type of news maker from Presidents to killers and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous.

Am I bragging? Maybe. But, the point is, the "3 Rules for Writing Articles" plus determination and practice helped me to become a successful writer and news reporter. They can help you, too! I have given you the starting point. It's up to you. By the way, you can find other writing guides on my main blog that will help you become an accomplished writer as well.

And, in case you have not guessed, that last paragraph is the "Tell them what you told them" rule!

Yours for success!
Jim DeSantis


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About the Author: Jim DeSantis is an award winning journalist who edits 15 blogs on a wide range of self-help topics. Go to On Line Tribune where you will find many free and paid resources about Writing Articles and eBooks including how to sell your work for a great part time or full time income.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Unleash Your Creative Potential! http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/unleash-your-creative-potential.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/unleash-your-creative-potential.html Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
Far-off into the reaches of space is a beautiful blue planet we call earth. A creation to itself, but on a smaller scale. You see the rise and fall of ocean tides the cyclic patterns of nature to the sound of thunder when lightning smacks a shuttering bolt of electricity through the atmosphere. A gentle reminder that you are surrounded by the forces of nature, and deeply connected with them.

Let us now take a closer look and focus on you, the artist. As co-creator you feel the need to express your artistic endeavors. This need rises inside you like a fountain spring. -Appearing in many ways, in the creative arts such as visual song and dance. If not directed and nurtured correctly and given the freedom to grow, your need for expression could turn into a torrent of pain frustration and anxiety - a curse.

But it shouldn’t be, few realise their connectedness to the same power that is responsible for creating the stars in the heavens, that is lingering within you now. Without creativity there is no life or definite purpose no mystery or intrigue. You are the enigma. Your creativity fills the empty spaces on a gallery wall, the white pages of a book and defies gravity in dance on a stage. All the while feeding the void of emptiness in people’s hearts and minds to help ponder the great mysteries of the universe such as who am I? Where did I come from and where do I go?

You see not with your physical senses but with inner vision an intuition few experience. You are able to do this because you trust yourself. When you are exposed to new information you are able to judge that this information is valuable, or that information is not. The mysteries announce themselves to you in a language of silence igniting a fire deep inside you. Eventually to rise to the surface and allow you to take up your divine right as co-creator in a universe of unlimited potential.

Your art is your life and like the creator who is one with his creations, you are one with yours. And so here you are. An individual seeking to express your inner and most personal thoughts and wants through your Art. Your belief in a power that comes from within and how to tap that source of unlimited potential will decide your success as an artist in this world. This power you already have.



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Tiki OBrien is the founder of maori artsA graduate from the school of hard knocks, Tiki is a Maori artist, entrepreneur and businessperson rolled up in one package, he is also a writer, philosopher, motivation speaker, and personal coach.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Who stole my hangi? http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/who-stole-my-hangi.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/who-stole-my-hangi.html Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
The concerns of Maori in the use of these designs hinges on the ‘appropriateness’ of the application of the design. One of the major factors is that Maori depended on the images and icons to pass on knowledge in lieu of the western styled written language. Therefore the designs and images represent words, meanings and stories. Given this it is little wonder when the ignorant select the wrong design to grace the front of their product or packaging, they are likely to cause offence.

Even so, what claim does Maori really have on a specific design or icon? according to western law if the author to a design or painting dies, after a certain period the designs become open domain or available to anyone. However indigenous lore not law, which is thousands of years old, differs in some respects because the design is recognised as belonging to the tribe who entrust their history, and meaning to the artist who created it.

Since the tribe is classed as a living entity even after several hundred years later it could be said that it still belongs to the tribe by today’s standards. But this is open for debate and interpretation and may mean a new chapter needs to be included on indigenous intellectual property rights. There are a number of big company’s or corporations that have been embarrassed by the decision to use Maori heritage on their products or packaging, and not doing it the effectively.

These include the recent drama of NZ Post using cartoon caricatures of Kapi Haka. NZ Post had the best of intentions, but the use of cartoons to depict something that is dear to the Maori culture caused such an outcry that the stamps were withdrawn and approximately 1 million were destroyed.

The huge Danish toy company Lego used Maori names for it’s characters in the Bionicles series. Initially they contested their right to use the names but finally capitulated. More controversially was Morris Tobacco (a huge corporation by any standards), who branded a pack of cigarettes as “Maori Mix”; including a map of New Zealand and various Maori designs.

Unsurprisingly this caused a furore amongst the Maori community, who have been battling against the grip the tobacco industry seems to have on the Maori people, let alone the Maori heritage. The uproar resulted in an apology from the CEO and a quick withdrawal of the product. These public failures beg the question.

Why do they bother? Why sell cigarettes to Israeli’s with Maori designs on them? In fact Maori design and iconography is undergoing a renaissance in New Zealand, and in many ways this renaissance has been driven by a world hungry for designs that are different and contain some meaning. The icons of much of the western world are largely ‘plastic’ and meaningless: The arches of McDonalds for example, and other manufactured icons.

The resurgence in spirituality, and an interest in alternate cultures throughout the western world has resulted in a demand for Maori icons and designs in the form of Tattoos, product decoration, and symbolism. International corporations are aware of these trends and look to profit from them.

However these lessons have hit home. When it comes to using indigenous imagery as a brand for commercial gain, a new process is emerging. Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the need to explore the cultural sensitivity, offensiveness and ownership of a trademark which is made up if indigenous imagery or references, before making use of it. Such consultation may be with elders, clans, iwi, language institutions, government departments, and artists, for example. This all goes towards promoting authenticity and depth to a product or service – and more importantly, promoting our culture correctly.

Although the larger corporations are investing in this process the smaller businesses really don’t know what to do. The problems stem from people who are not fully informed or have been poorly advised about the market and how to go about using Maori designs correctly. There is a cultural revival, a Maori renaissance, occurring here in New Zealand. This shows that Maori are alive and kicking and are doing what they can to protect what is left after one hundred and fifty years of colonialism.

Those intending on using Maori design may benefit in the knowledge that Maori are united on all fronts in the protection and preservation of their cultural identities with fierce passion. There are always people ready to take advantage of the uniqueness of what Maori culture bring to the global mix. Unless you have the credibility and respect of the community, expect to see a war party at your doorstep with a pounding by the cultural watchdogs or protectors of Maori culture. For more info please visit www.maori-arts.com




--
Tiki OBrien is the founder of maori artsA graduate from the school of hard knocks, Tiki is a Maori artist, entrepreneur and businessperson rolled up in one package, he is also a writer, philosopher, motivation speaker, and personal coach.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Creativity as Mediator Between the Worlds, or Wild Dog’s Kingdom http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/creativity-as-mediator-between-the-worlds-or-wild-dogs-kingdom.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/creativity-as-mediator-between-the-worlds-or-wild-dogs-kingdom.html Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
It has become trite to say that modern society has lost its soul, but in truth, that's just what has happened. Soul is something that cannot be experienced in the outer world. It cannot be understood, evaluated, judged. Soul is the groundswell of the inner world, and the eyes with which we view the outer world are blind when turned inward. It is only with the eyes of the heart--the instinctual nature of our deep internal knowing--that we traverse the inner landscape and find our way to soul.

If our outer eyes are perceptive, however, and guided by our inner knowing, we can see the outcome of mystery. This happens when, for example, the invisible becomes suddenly visible, or the impossible becomes suddenly possible in ways that cannot be explained by the rational mind. Such things often happen on both a small and large scale, but in Western culture we are quick to attribute them to coincidence; if coincidence isn't sufficient, then the doubting Thomas is convinced it can "figure out" a rational explanation of the mystery.

How much richer life can be when we are open to Mystery. But to do this, we must be brave warriors of the spirit, with creativity as both our fire and our sword. I see Creative Soul Works as a community in which we support each other as we journey into the unseen worlds to bring back sacred knowledge. We support each other despite our fears and insecurities. We guide one another as we reclaim the role of mediator between the worlds.

What follows is a recent experience from my life in which the Mystery was revealed and, I believe, I unexpectedly became a mediator between the worlds.

About six months before my husband's beloved dog D'Art died, he had two dreams. In the first dream, D'Art ran off with a pack of dogs. My husband, Ned, feared he would never see D'Art again, but finally the pack reappeared. The first two dogs ran past him, neither of them D'Art. The third dog thankfully was. As D'Art raced in great joy he called out (in English!) "Dad, I went to my kingdom and it was so wonderful!"

In the second dream, about a month later, Ned was walking down a road when a pack of wild dogs raced by him. One wild dog broke suddenly from the pack and, looking up at Ned with great love, said, "I missed you as much as you missed me." My husband drew back in fear and wild dog ran off. When he woke up, he was very sad that he hadn't embraced Wild Dog. To this day, whenever he thinks of these dreams, tears come to his eyes.

About six months later, D’Art became seriously ill. When the decision to ease his passing was made, the vet, who is a family friend, came to the house. It was about 8 pm on a lovely summer evening. Any thoughts of Wild Dog and D'Art's kingdom were far away. We were grieving for the loss of D'art, and I was concerned about the impact D'art's passing was having on my husband. But we knew the time had come, and Ned, myself, my son and the vet formed an ad hoc circle around D'Art.

I saw this circle of connection forming as Ned placed his hands on D'Art. I knelt by his side with one hand on Ned and another on D'Art. My son had his hands on D'Art. The vet administered the drug into D'Art with one hand while laying her other hand on D'Art. We were all connected through D'Art, who slipped into blessed calm as the vet administered a sedative. We sat in the deep silence of the unfolding mystery, and finally, the vet quietly asked Ned if he was ready. Ned nodded and within seconds D'Arty was gone.

Relieved by the stillness and the knowing that D'Art's suffering was at an end, I closed my eyes. It was then that the inner world flew open. Instantly I saw a pack of dog spirits racing across a sun-drenched field. D'Art, freed of a sick body, was bounding with the energy of a pup. He was racing to join his pack, and all of a sudden he turned toward me and sat, as if waiting. Our eyes met and I saw that gleefully naughty expression D'Art wore when he was about to take off for parts unknown in the outer reality. But this time, he seemed to hesitate, and I felt he was asking me if it was all right to go. I nodded and called to him, "Safe journey, Darty! We love you!"

He looked at me one last time with such love and joy, then was on his feet and off and running with his pack of wild spirits, most assuredly to his kingdom! This was very real for me, but not something I felt Ned, our son or the vet would let in, and so I said nothing. We finally decided it was time to continue with the burial. Ned wrapped D'Art in a sheet and carried him out to the grave my son had dug. It was a very big grave. D'Art, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, weighed almost 100 pounds.

Ned laid him in the grave, we all said our goodbyes and began to shovel in the dirt. That's when we heard the first howl.

We live in the country, on a mountain, and there are only a few other houses near by, none of which had dogs. The howling was clearly coming from the woods that abuts our property. Now, however, there was not one but several dogs howling. It was an eerie, otherworldly sound and we all stopped and listened.

"Those aren't dogs," I said.

"Coyotes," said my son.

"Really?" asked the vet. She listened again and nodded. "Yes, I think they are coyotes. Do you often hear them?"

"No," I said. "There are coyotes around but we've never seen or heard them."

The whole time we were burying D'Art, the howling continued, its song rising and falling. No one spoke. We were connected by this call of the wild. We haven't heard or seen another dog, much less a coyote, on the mountain since that night.

Were these coyotes? Were they wild dogs from Ned's dreams? Had D'Art run into the wild of spirit with them? Were they welcoming him home? Thoughts such as these don't hold much interest for me; rather I am honored to have been a part of this mysterious opening. Even my husband and son, who are staunch believers in the what you see is what you get world, remain awed by this event. We don't speak about it often.

My family is fortunate to live in a place where silence and nature are ready companions. The most noise we hear are the birds, occasionally the neighbor's children, a lawn mower, snow blower, or helicopter, and the distant hum of a nearby parkway where no trucks are allowed. I feel certain that having the privilege of having the vet come to the house, of being by ourselves on the mountain on a serene summer evening, are part of what made this experience possible. Perhaps D'Art's spirit and I, with my comfort in the unseen and my absolute belief in the power of creativity to mediate between the worlds, became the necessary mediators that night.


--
Emily Hanlon is a novelist of seven works of fiction and a book on the creative writing process. Her website creativesoulworks.com, is based on her belief that the multifaceted journey of creativity is not limited to the arts, but nurtures life at the most profound depths, those of the soul journey. Her website thefictionwritersjourney.com explores writing through her dual pronged teaching technique.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Mothers and Daughters, A Healing http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/mothers-and-daughters-a-healing.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/creativity/mothers-and-daughters-a-healing.html Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
At first, when I heard she was in the hospital, I felt little emotion. Both my sister and brother, who are very supportive of this separation, assured me I didn’t have to go see her. They would take care of her. But the following afternoon, I found myself driving to the hospital. I was not a decision I consciously made. My car, it seemed, was driving me there.

I walked into her hospital room, heart pounding. She was sleeping and as I walked by the foot of her bed, my fingers reached out to tickle her toes. No response. As I stood by her side, I gently tickled the palm of her hand.

She opened her eyes, focused and then looked at me in disbelief that quickly turned to wonder. “You’re here!” she said softly. “Emmy…”

I leaned over and kissed her. Her cheek was soft and warm. I sat beside her and held her hand. Although she was "not there" all the time, she was for a lot of the time, and her joy at seeing me was lovely. We chatted and laughed. Then, totally unprompted, she announced, “I can’t change, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” I said. “But I can change. I’m working on changes within me.”

She nodded and fell silent. It was a comfortable silence and, again, unprompted, she said, “I read what you sent me.”

Recently, I had sent her some pages from my new website, Creative Soul Works. I sent it along with a photograph of myself and my dog, Phoebe.

“Did you like them?” I asked, knowing, amazingly, that I would feel comfortable even if she were critical.

She said, “I had to read the pages a few times, and I’m not certain I understood it all, but I liked them.” She was quiet again, and after a few moments said, "This spiritual part has always been in you and isn't it interesting that it is now coming out in such a fashion.”

Wow! That was amazing for her. No judgmental criticism!

Then a chaplain came into the room. He asked if he could sit with us a while. We said, yes, of course. My mother began talking, not making apparent sense, but I knew what she meant. She was talking about a woman where she lives who held Friday night spiritual gatherings and my mother always loved going. The woman is dying of cancer and my mother misses her.

After a while, the chaplain asked if he could say a prayer. He and I stood by my mother's bed and he held both our hands and I held my mother's hand, said a lovely prayer and left. It was lovely, unexpected, mysterious and perfect. I left her soon after feeling content and safe being my mother's daughter for the first time in a very, very, very long time.

That night I spent time in and out of sleep thinking about end of life and passing over. Wednesday, I woke up early and went walking with Phoebe along a trail through the marsh near us. It was a bright, cold morning. Glorious. The sun sparkled on the thin covering of new ice, the first of the season. I was lost in the beauty of the morning. Nature embraced me. Nature in its denuded, brown beauty. Trees reaching to the brilliant blue sky in prayer. Me and my beautiful puppy dog and the marsh and the ice and the sun and the birds and thoughts of my mother and the beauty of age and even the majesty of death.

All this swirled in my mind as Phoebe and I walked through the marsh. And it seemed to me the trees and air were whispering poetry into my ear. This came to me:

Guardians of Light
hear my sorrow.
Guardians of Death
soothe my soul.
The frozen marsh is a starfield
of December sun.
I fall into the Mystery
where questions are shackles
and the ancient memory of tress
shines.

When I returned to my car I knew I had to go see my mother again. She was sleeping when I got there, curled up like a baby, white blanket tucked high about her neck. I sat beside her on the bed and nudged her into waking. She blinked and stared vacantly at me.

"Who I am?" I asked.

She smiled and said, "Emily." Then added, "Where did you come from?"

"A walk with Phoebe. It's beautiful out."

She drifted back to sleep.

"Wake up," I nudged her again. "Come on." I tickled her.

She laughed and opened her eyes.

"Do you still know who I am?" I asked.

"Of course!" She looked at me as if I were crazy.

We talked a bit. She rambled. I asked her if she had seen any angels.
She said, "No, but some men where chasing her all night thought the woods in Larchmont."

I asked her if she has seen my father or her mother?

"They're dead," she said.

"I know. But maybe they'll come visit if you want them."

She smiled.

"Daddy can protect you from the men chasing you," I said.

She drifted back to sleep.

I nudged her again. "I wrote a poem," I said. "Do you want to hear it?"

"Sure," she said.

"Okay, listen..." I read the poem. When I finished, I thought she had fallen asleep. I leaned over and whispered, "Did you hear the poem? Should I read it again?"

"Read it again," she said. She listened, silent a few moments and said, "I understand the poem. I think you're telling me not to be afraid of death."

I smiled. She smiled. "Have you seen any angels?" I asked again.

She sighed. "I'm sleepy."

I leaned over and kissed her soft skin. "Sleep," I said.

"Are you coming back?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "I'll be back."


--
Emily Hanlon is a novelist of seven works of fiction and a book on the creative writing process. Her website creativesoulworks.com, is based on her belief that the multifaceted journey of creativity is not limited to the arts, but nurtures life at the most profound depths, those of the soul journey. Her website thefictionwritersjourney.com explores writing through her dual pronged teaching technique.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>