creativity

Geno Schnell was giving a talk on creativity in one of the BME Entrepreneurship Seminars. I learned a couple new things about creativity.

As an engineer and being surrounded by scientists, I do not encounter creative people by the common definition. On the contrary, people in these areas are taught to think methodically and predict the next step. Very little seems to be done on hunches, inklings, and luck. However, it is with creativity that the major breakthroughs are made. The best part is that creativity can be fostered and learned.

Schnell states that the easiest way to improve creativity is to observe your mental thought processes. As you think through things in a certain way, try using different hands to solve the problem, or think of the problem through different experiences. Creativity is very dependent on the environment.

Leaders must have a lot of soft skills to create an open environment where the group trusts the leader, that there are no expectations and no right answer, and that the group understands and uses its diversity. Also, everyone normally has a creative outlet. To improve the individual's creativity, it's best to learn the process through their outlet. By searching on Amazon for creative process + (art, music, or whatever) then you can develop your creativity through the way you'll learn the fastest.

Some interesting points in the presentation is that young people are more creative because of their self-doubt. They question themselves constantly, which leads to many different approaches. With high self-esteem, the person is more persistent to follow through an approach to the end. A highly creative individual must have both self-doubt and high self esteem in the group to get the best creativity.

job vs. school

It seems that everyone I know is either working or going to grad school. It seems the people in grad school are much busier with their lives than those working. I have proposed that people try to expand or shrink to their immediate time demands.

With a job, you will have more free time on the weekends, you're making money, and the stuff you learn is somewhat useful for your career. With grad school, you have less free time, you're paying for your education, hopefully learning something that somewhat relates to what you'll do, but the big bonus is that you delay real life for a year, and you get more opportunities to chill with people of similar interests and age.

I think it's interesting how people view what they're doing compared to what they perceive what their friends doing different stuff are doing.

However, when I go to grad school to study an MBA, I think it will be a nice change of pace, and I'll be at a time where I can relate to other MBA's. But we'll see if I'm bitching like everyone else when I get there.

psychic predictions

I've always been curious about supernatural phenomena, super human abilities, paranormal activities, etc. I'm not sure exactly why, because I've never really seen anything in my lifetime that suggests the presence of ghosts or spirits, but I do believe I have psychic powers.

During one of the breaks in my real estate agent license class, we discussed psychics and I mentioned that I wanted to go see a good psychic. One of the people in the class recommended a psychic she's been seeing for years. The psychic's name was Bessie.

I went to see Bessie with Dave on Wednesday, Oct 5th, 2005 at Pete's Restaurant in Curtis Bay, MD, near Glen Burnie. I went, not really knowing what to expect. Dave got his reading first, and it was pretty much dead on. The interesting insights I gained were that he was one of five children, always has a $ when he goes into something, very impatient, needs to watch out when he's driving, and his new venture will have two other partners and he should watch out for one of them that's kinda sneaky.

Then it was my turn.

She told me right away that I'm going to move and it would be permanent. I was starting a business, and had mixed feelings about it, even though I was going to make really good money. She said that money wasn't the most important thing in my life, that being successful was, and that I would be successful. I was growing farther away from my family and friends, and oddly enough she said to stay away from my old friends from the past, that they'd be a bad influence on me. She said that I've come a long way, and still have a lot to go and do. I'd be traveling a lot in my future, and would eventually end up in California, while still having operations going on in Maryland.

As far as business, my real estate ventures would make me very wealthy, and that I would have successful ventures in production, and design. As she said that, her voice became stronger and proclaimed that I have a God given gift that I haven't used yet. That she saw everyone recognized my previously hidden talent for designing. She mentioned that I would meet a girl in 4-5 months that I would end up with for the rest of my life. She was part American Indian, and we would meet at this event and start talking without anyone introducing us. We would have five kids, and that I would never divorce under any circumstances. She mentioned my knees being weak and that I should watch my balance.

All in all, it was an interesting experience to say the least. Now that I have some sort of guage to work against, it makes me wonder about my destiny and how everything fits into place. Do I work towards a destiny that I create, or is it all just some sort of puzzle where all my actions and experiences sum up to one small piece?