Look and See (and Listen)

Today is all about fun and games. Here are a few fun links for those of the visual and textural persuasion (that's you, right?)

Art Images from the Exploratorium: http://www.exploratorium.edu/imagery/art_images/index.html

Beautiful sounds from TED TALKS. Here, "Rokia Traore sings the moving "M'Bifo," accompanied on the n'goni, a lute-like Malian stringed instrument with a soulful timbre." from this TED site.

For making your own "BEAT BOX" videos: MAD PAD app for iPad and iPhone at http://www.smule.com/madpad

 

And, thanks to Valerie's recommendation, this is a great newsletter about creativity -- all phases and stages. Your can subscribe from the website here.

I found this about the site its originator from the ABOUT page:

"Because creativity, after all, is a combinatorial force. It’s our ability to tap into the mental pool of resources — ideas, insights, knowledge, inspiration — that we’ve accumulated over the years just by being present and alive and awake to the world, and to combine them in extraordinary new ways. In order for us to truly create and contribute to the world, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these ideas and build new ideas — like LEGOs. The more of these building blocks we have, and the more diverse their shapes and colors, the more interesting our creations will become."

Here's a fun example of a book review from the site:

"In there mere three weeks since we firstfeatured the delightful 344 Questions: The Creative Person’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment by ever-inventive designerStefan G. Bucher (of You Deserve a Medal and Daily Monster fame), it has quickly become the most popular book in Brain Pickings’ entire five-year history. The lovely pocket-sized gem, illustrated in Bucher’s unmistakable style, helps you flowchart your way to personal and professional happiness and figure out life’s big answers.

Let’s be clear: I want this book to be useful to you. There are many great how-to books and biographies out there, and even more gorgeous collections of current and classic work to awe and inspire. But looking at catalogs of artistic success won’t make you a better artist any more than looking at photos of healthy people will cure your cold. You’ve got to take action!” ~ Stefan G. Bucher"

Infernal Machines

Some interesting thoughts on copyright, creativity and technology in this TED Talk (you DO know about TED Talks, I hope). 

P.S. I just found out that Larry Lessig will be one of the speakers at the TEDx San Antonio event on October 16. You can apply to be a participant at the event at the web site. TEDx is an independently organized (ie open source) event patterned after the TED programs in California. For more information go to http://www.tedxsanantonio.com/