At Your Leisure

Word of the Week:

Omnicompetent  (adj):  Being able to handle anything.

Despite taking a full course load and being a member in three separate clubs, Janet remained omnicompetent throughout the semester.

Quote of the Week:

“Believe you can and you're halfway there.” –Theodore Roosevelt.

Stream of Facts:

A shipment of rubber ducks and other assorted bath toys was once lost at sea in 1992 and had remained lost for 20 years. Many had drifted as far as Hawaii and Alaska, being swept up in a circulating current near Japan. Tracking the location of these ducks has since helped scientists study currents and the effect of climate change on marine life.

Due to climate change over a period of 56 million years, the ancestor of modern horses, the Sifrhippus sandae, underwent a change in size twice. It first dwarfed to approximately the size  of a house cat and weighed 8.5 pounds. It would later adapt and gain an extra 15 pounds in the last 45,000 years of this shift.

The classic children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” was almost titled “Where the Wild Horses Are” until author Maurice Sendak realized he did not know how to draw them.

Dr. Seuss once decided to write and  draw a book for adults. Titled “The Seven Lady Godivas: The True Facts Concerning History’s Barest Family,” the lewd tome chronicles the exploits of seven nudist sisters who pledge to not marry unless they discover a new truth for mankind.

Reporter Recommends: Flexing Your Creativity

When work is a slog and class has got you down, many need an outlet or some valid reason to get away from the world of courses and assignments.

Lately, I’ve been allotting myself breaks to explore some of what would have been distant hobbies. While I’m not art inclined, I’ve been enthralled by experimenting with Photoshop to create new images. As a gamer interested in the making of the craft, I’ve been honing my spriting skills by doodling simple figures and redrawing more complex ones. Last Saturday and Sunday, I’ve spent a few minutes in the morning fiddling with my ukulele and have developed a two chord fragment into a six chord start to a song. I’ve even dabbled in some Web Design for some new challenges.

It can be anything, from practicing drawing proportionally to learning some programming. Try something creativity for some time each day. Quoting the “Right Brain Manifesto,” “You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create.”

Mixtape Therapy Creativity List:

Here’s some tracks to get in the creative mood.

Listen to Them Here!

“Syncing Feeling” by Jim Guthrie: Beginning with a zen hum, the song guides you entrancingly into a light pattern of piano clangs. The song conveys “time to focus.”

“Shivering Fawn” by Fruit Bats: A soft track with a country-esque guitar riff and accompanied by xylophone instrumentation. It drags you into a peaceful, idyllic sense of being.

“flOw Meditations” by Austin Wintory: The blissful sound of harmonic ooos by a female vocalist from up close and from a distance, the track exudes a calming yet chilling mood.

“Empire Ants” by Gorillaz Feat. Little Dragon: Graceful guitar, playful piano and a crescendo of electronic bliss, the rising tempo will give you a great pace to work on your creative endeavors.

“A Night in Tunesia” by Bopert Davidson Combo-Nation: This track is the marriage of legend Charlie Parker’s classic jazz track and upbeat hiphop backing beats. This will have you bobbing your head while continuing your journey.  

“Fragments Of Time” by Daft Punk feat. Todd Edwards: Disco with fantastic vocals lead by Edwards and some light electronic tunes in the background. This is the point where you might reach the apex of your progress.

“Secret in Forest” by Yasunori Mitsuda: An acid jazz rendition of a classic Chrono Trigger, the smooth jazz bass will have you slow down and finally see the results of your work coming together.

“Ocean of Your Eyes” by Smokey & Miho: A Latin inspired pop song composed of an organ, warm guitar riffs and maracas, the song is a chill sendoff to this adventure of creativity.

Haiku:

Crinkle of the leaves

The fear finally sinks in

Sandal season’s gone.