BBC Documentary - Horizon_ The Creative Brain How Insight Works

The video shows about how scientist have been testing different ways to stimulate creativity. Whether the ideas are big, small or life changing. How sudden bursts of inspirations and the creation of new ideas can be controlled. Throughout the video, they show scientists trying different methods of stimulus. Trying to stimulate different parts of the brain to induce creativity, trying to use puzzles and brain-teaser to draw out creativity. They even show a visual mapping of the brain to show us which sections of the brain is active when creativity kicks in. All their findings are very interesting and can really open doors into the psychology of creativity.

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

The video started of pretty boring, i anticipated it to be boring throughout the entire 12 minutes. However, i was surprised as Mr Achor has some really awesome comedic timing. He told jokes so effortlessly. He really cracked me up when he talked about the incident with his sister. He later went on to talk more about happiness. He lost me a few times throughout his talk as i was distracted from laughing and also because he spoke very fast. To be terribly honest i didnt really catch all that he meant to say. But i think i want to give him credit for making me laugh and whilst he was talking about happiness and how to be happy. I think making me laugh achieved the main point of this ted talk. HAHAHA. Throughout his talk he went through a lot of interesting pointers about how beneficial happiness can be to people. I don't remember most of what he said as his talk was pretty face paced. But i like how he managed to link happiness to productivity and how being happy improves productivity. I dont think ive ever laughed out loud at an ted talk video ever. His story of how he distracted his sister from the pain of falling off the bed was hilarious! I think it really showed how ignoring the things around you can convincing yourself that everything is alright, in turn makes you happier and leads to better outlooks on different outcomes.

Picture of the Day

So I was so burned out at with these week and I just wanted to get lost. I've felt so tired with this week so i decided to find a little cafe at this new business hub opposite where my church has services. Its across the road from Suntec. So this cafe was pretty cool as the seats are outdoor and as i looked around the architecture looked so amazing, so fluid. The coffee was pretty bad though. But i had a good time talking to my friend and also just taking in the beautiful designs. 

Analogical Thinking Introduction video

The video was pretty dry. I felt like the guy was speaking was speaking too fast and i was distracted by how old it was. However after rewatching, i realised how relevant the video was. As a designer we need to understand how analogical thinking works. Analogical thinking to make it simple, is to explain something by associating it with something familiar to simplify it. The example given was how he described the internet. As an engineer, you would be able to accurately describe the internet with terms like gigabytes, RAM and data. However, only people who understand these terms would understand. However, its just only for engineers to engineers. But to appeal to everyone. We have to use an example that people can relate you and are familiar with. So to simplify the internet, we can use the example of the Highway. We use this because everyone knows what is its and how it works. So that is analogical thinking, to relate things to the audience.
As I'm studying Graphic Communicate, i think this i really important that as i have to learn how to communicate certain things to people and Analogical thinking is really IMPORTANT!

Reflection on "Artist's Brutal Illustrations Show How Hong Kong is Nothing Like China"

So in class we had to open a very controversial article of a citizen residing in HongKong addressing about how "uncouth" the people from Mainland China are different from them. This anonymous graphic designers compared his own Hong-Konger against the people from China with some illustrations that addressed different topics like sanitary habits, government and social media. However, i felt that this designer hid behind the cloak of anonymity and created provocative and offensive. I went back to lesson 2 and read my book. I noted down what Mr Ezzam said " if you want to be SHOCKING go ahead, there are people who would be on your side, but there are people who would also be against you." This is what this designer did. I agree there is a stigma when it comes to China mainlanders and I've encountered some of the stereotypes of these Chinese foreigners.

However, although there were some facts it was too aggressive. He did bring up topics of government, freedom, and social media. I found that it was quite unusual that the government elects its own president, and not have people vote someone to power. I found that the restriction of a global social media platform like Facebook was shocking. I found that they have no freedom of speech that to me is so important as a Creative.
Freedom, or the lack thereof

So after i poured out my opinions on the group we started to talk more and more about this topic. We realised that this is SO one sided. It's only this one view. The designer generalised and stereotyped the whole population. He slung and hurled accusations like Chinese people are fragile, rude and lack standards. However, although there are some like these. Not all of them are like these. I'm going to be honest, i was actually agreeing with the designs until i heard the perspective of our very own Chinese classmates. My classmates are such nice people who ARE CLEAN who ARE SOCIABLE who ARE POLITE. I realised that just because they are slightly different they are still people who don't deserve these kind of persecution. After that day, i opened my eyes and realised how nonsensical these accusations were and I didnt want to take part of these social bashing.  

Indoor Faces

 when you drop your coin and you're trying to find it

 When your parents scold your brother for something you did. And you dont wanna own up.

 The face you make when you slip on a puddle

 When you got away with a lie (Pinocchio's nose)

 When you no one laughs at your joke. 

 After hearing some juicy gossip.

When you realised you wasted your tutorial week doing nonsense

 How i felt when i got my braces. 

 Crossing your eyes

The face i make when that baby cockroach starts to fly

Outdoor Faces

when your friend tells you a moderately funny joke and you just smile for moral support

 sticking your tongue out when someone calls you cute

 acting cute

 when you find out your crush likes you back

 when you hear the lames joke in the world

 when you hear the ice cream truck

 when you try to grow a beard but its patchy as hell

 when girls get their brows done

 when your mum says no to the toy you want

when the drugs kick in

Picture of the week

So this week, I had some free time to catch a play about "Commedia dell'arte". My friend asked me to check out her play that was going on in Lasalle. She was in charge of the costumes. Honestly i dont mind comedy but I found it more about giggling that actual BURST OUT LOUD LAUGHTER. The people seated infront of me were the directors ex students so they purposely BURSTOUT IN LAUGHTER. Waving their hands around all crazy like. I was just silently judging them. Hahaha but honestly, the comedy was at most giggle worthy, but these people just went all out and laughed like it was über hysterical or something. This just made me realised how much i dislike these kind of fake people. Those people who literally suck up to the people above them. I get that we should honour the people above us, but i believe we dont have to bootlick them. In fact, i truly believe the highest honour is when you are able to say "no" in a constructive manner. To not just go with the flow, or agree or in this case laugh at every poorly thought through joke. Well, i just dislike these types of people.  

Battle Royale Movie review (warning: there are some gory images)

So this week we since we were having an extra week to do complete our work so our lecturer DECIDED TO GIVE US EXTRA HOMEWORK! Thanks sir if your reading this. Just kidding ;) i actually love movies and this was pretty awesome.

So this movie is set in japan where the youth are uncooperative with their education and learning. They are basically skipping school. So the Japanese Government decided to pass the " BR Act" which randomly chooses a class fight to the death. Till there is only one survivor left, and that survivor will get freedom. Sound familiar? Maybe like The Hunger Games? Well it shouldn't because the author of the books, Suzanne Collins, "supposedly" has never heard of Battle Royale. The movie that was the rave of the early 2000s and we have THE big time director Quentin Tarantino saying that Battle Royale was HIS FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME. Come on Suzanne, lie better.

Well that isn't the point but as an avid movie lover and big fan of Quentin Tarantino,  this movie would have been extra awesome if you haven't seen the Hunger Games. But nevertheless, the action scenes in this movie were over the the top but yet simple. It was simple because of the amount of special effects available at that time. They really didn't hold back when the killings started, there was some really gory deaths!

 The only gripe i have with this was the unrealistic deaths. I get that it's a movie but they emphasised heavily that this is set in the real world and that this movie is as real as it can get. BUT the deaths were stupidly unrealistic. Every time someone was shot or riddled with bullets, it was as it bullets are made of paper or something. No one stays down. Literally everyone gets back up after a whole magazine is emptied into their chest. I get that you dont immediately die after being shot but you definitely wouldn't be able to get up and have that much mobility. All in all, this movie had an interesting plot, character development and it made me question who would really survive if my class was sent to this. I dont think I would survive, but i do have a list of people i would like to take with me when i go down. MUAHAHAHA! OH another thing i didnt really like was that there was so much love stuff going on in one class, i mean come on, i get that they are all handsome actors and pretty actresses but NOT everyone in the class has to have feelings for one another.

Still I really liked it and enjoyed the crazy experience. I would defininately recommend it to someone who likes the classics, someone who hates the hunger games, or people who just like action in general.

Hunger Games aint got nuttin' on Battle Royale!

I think Royson would survive, he had that hidden cunning look. I feel like if he's back to a corner, i think he would really fight his way out. 

My weapon of choice would be a shotgun. Its easy to use and it doesn't really need precision to kill? I guess the scary thing is if i run out of ammunition.