Family and Creativity

When I think of family the first thing that comes to mind is food and all the time we spend together around the dinner table.  So as I thought of ways how the topic of family makes me more creative I kept coming back to food.

I quickly came to realize that by eating dinner with my family all those years and as I continue to do so, I am enhancing my creativity.  I decided that there are three fundamental ways that eating dinner as a family makes me more creative.  First, meals are about sharing.  Not just the food being served, but ideas, stories, and advice.  The sharing of ideas makes me more creative because it increases the number of ideas that I possess.  Even if everyone in the family would rather be some where else, for that hour of eating, the members of the family have to share their food, thoughts and ideas.  I read an online TIME magazine article this past week about eating dinner as a family.  The title of the article was The Magic of the Family Meal and it basically talked about all the benefits of eating dinner together.  The following is a quote that supports my point of sharing and family meals.

Secondly, family meals involve interacting and creating.  The dinner table is a platform for bouncing ideas off an audience and working together to solve problems.  Making dinner for my family was the first time I was really trying to please the audience with something I created.  I do the same things today as I create designs for much larger audiences.  Developing a meal for a family that pleases everyone requires use of a creative mind.  Cooking meals that are colorful is a way to add nutrition to meals as well as appealing to our other senses.  The following picture is of a colorful meal complete with most of the necessary food groups.  I become more creative as I plan similar meals for my family.

Finally, eating dinner as a family makes me more creative because of all the different point of views.  I come from a family of six and even though we were all raised similarly, no two members of the family think alike.  Communicating our own views sparks my creativity because it gives me a different angle of looking at things.  Even now as I eat dinner in the cafe with the family I am apart of here at school everyone has their on way of thinking and if we weren't stuck eating together every night a lot of the ideas might never be expressed.  The following is a YouTube link to a humorous clip from the movie, The Break-Up.  Although they might not all want to be there they are interacting and receiving points of views that they would have not experienced if they were not sitting together as a family.  In this way creativity is being increased.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdrHecN3ZhI

Sharing ideas, interacting with one another, and collecting different points of view are all ways that increase my creativity.  Through spending time with my family during meals I have done all these things.

Freedom and Creativity

As I walked through The Stover Center yesterday on Waynesburg University's campus I found my inspiration for this week's blog post.  A group of students and faculty are helping to promote the "End Child Slavery" campaign.  They have raised awareness of passer-byers with posters, chains made out of paper and other booths and tables set up with additional information.

I began to realize just how powerful advertising materials can be.  For example, if a movie is partnered with a cool and exciting movie poster, the chances are greater of viewers choosing to watch that one.  There are many iconic posters of our time that have stood for powerful messages and led people to take action.  For instance, the HOPE poster used in Obama's campaign. 

 

 

This single poster gave hope to the entire nation and was part of the reason of his election into office as President of The Untied States. Another iconic poster displaying Rosie the Riveter represented American women who entered the workforce. 

 

The image of Rosie empowered women to not only survive, but thrive and contribute while the men were away fighting.

I wanted to show these iconic posters to demonstrate my fundamental point that posters, especially creative ones have the potential to be extremely powerful promotional pieces.  They are not simply created for entertainment, but to communicate and stimulate action for a cause, unite a nation, empower folks, or simply to inform the audience.

The following two posters are very informative pieces of information about slavery in the world today.  The subject of freedom sparks my creativity because it shows me how powerful my designs can be.

 

A design that clearly and creatively communicates a message will reach the audience and more likely affect them in ways that a boring design would not.  These two posters both employ a mix of images, typography and vibrant color schemes to capture attention and thus the compassion of the audience.

I found a few more examples of powerful posters that employ creativity to demonstrate its message.  This time, though, the examples are all related to freedom, the theme of this week.

This poster was created in hopes that the audience will take the time to honor the many fallen soldiers throughout our history who died to preserve freedom in America and abroad. Raising awareness about the supreme sacrifice for the cause of liberty helps us treat others with respect and truly appreciate the life we lead. The poster impacts my creativity because it shows me how a simple yet creative design can tell such a powerful story.

The last example I found that sparked my creativity is a photograph of street art relating to freedom.

Using unique mediums such a a concrete wall in a city might be a way to really capture the views eye.  I need to keep this in mind the next time I want to creatively present a design with an important message.  Also, using images like soldiers, that people already attach meaning to will help in effectively communicating the content.

All in all, freedom affects my creativity.  Because it is such a powerful concept, and the audience is extremely large the pressure is on to develop a design that really affects people.  The way to impact the lives of the audience is to develop a creative design that they won't be able to forget.

Creativity and the Environment.

     I am really interested in packaging design.  So, I often look at blogs that post new and innovative types of packaging.  When I found out the theme for this week's post would be nature I decided to search for types of packaging design that integrate creative techniques and eco-friendly materials.  Design can truly reflect nature.  The following examples show how this reflection is helping to save the environment.

     The above image (source: www.packagingoftheworld.com) is of a sustainable CD case.  Transforming something that is normally plastic into something made of recycled and recyclable cardboard is a push in the right direction.  This package contains no adhesive as well.  Conceptualizing products such as this expands my creativity because it shows how an idea that has been the norm for years can be changed for the better if imagination is utilized.

     This image (source: www.behance.net) of the colorless Coca-Cola is another futuristic idea that strives to help the current damage being done to nature and our surroundings.  The design of the can limits air and water pollution that usually occurs during the coloring of the product.  A red can has been the staple of this company for years but one small change and a brilliant use of imagination can help save the planet.  Using my brain power to think of ideas such as the colorless Coca-Cola greatly strengthens my creativity.

     Probably the most interesting and inspiring example of eco-friendly packaging design that I found is this paper water bottle (source: www.thedieline.com).  The litter that accumulates from plastic bottles is a huge problem in the world today.  The 360 Paper Bottle is the first totally recyclable paper container made from 100% renewable resources.  Designers were inspired by resources in nature and the problems in the environment to develop this product.  In the future, I will strive to put my creativity to use for good causes like this paper bottle.

     The products developed to help the environment was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of a post on nature and creativity.  However, the textures in nature, like the one pictured above (source: forums.steves-digicams.com) really inspire me and expand my creativity.  Whether using them as a background texture or mimicking the patterns, some great pieces of design can be created. If I remember to take a closer look at the patterns and natural designs created in nature then I know my creativity will grow.

     The above image (source: www.smashingmagazine.com) is a poster created by reflecting curved lines that are visible in nature.  Nature inspired the artist to design this brilliant poster.  Consequently, I know that nature has the potential to have the same effect on my creativity. My design ability will without a doubt expand as my creativity grows by observing nature.

Solving Problems

For the past couple weeks I have been listening to the audio book version of Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson.  I am really enjoying it and have learned many great lessons.  I am at the point in the book where Apple is asking Jobs to return to their company as CEO and help them turn things around.  Since his exit many years earlier, Apple failed to develop any new and innovative ideas that the consumer wanted, thus making them relatively unsuccessful.  There were many problems within the company and the people at Apple slowly came to the conclusion that the only thing that could fix the mess they were in was Steve Jobs.

When we started talking about problems during our lessons in class and how to solve them, I immediately thought of this book.  First Jobs recognized the source of the problem then took the steps he deemed necessary to develop a solution and ultimately be successful.  The following are the steps that Jobs took to put Apple back on track and transform them into the profitable company they are today:

Step One: Identify the source of the problem.

In one of the first meetings he held after he began assisting Apple again he asked the people what was wrong with the company.  When no one responded correctly Jobs answered by shouting, "The products!"  Next Jobs asked, "And what's wrong with the products?"  Again no one gave a correct answer.  When Jobs answered for them, he said bluntly, "They suck!"

Even though at times it may be difficult, admitting to oneself and others of the problems and challenges faced is the first step.  Once this is learned, a solution can begin to be developed.

Step Two:  Surround yourself with the right people.

When Jobs returns to Apple one of the first things he does is fire numerous current employees.  He needed to be surrounded by people he trusted to produce successful products and ideas.  With the right team in place Jobs could accomplish the things he needed to, so Apple could be successful again.  (This is as far as I got in the book...)

Keeping these lessons from Steve Jobs in mind, I realized some important information necessary for creativity and solving problems.  Identifying the problem and surrounding myself with positive people may be the keys to success.

Between class discussion and listening to Steve Jobs, my creativity has been increased this past week.  In class I learned to break down my problems for easier ways to solve them.  From the book I learned valuable lessons about how to break down the issues that I face from day to day that may hinder my creativity.