Keep Moving Forward

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

This quote came from one of my favorite Disney movies, Meet the Robinsons. The central idea of the movie revolves around an orphan who meets a boy and his family from the future, but an underlying theme about innovation and never giving up despite failure is also implied.

The article on Pixar reminded me so much of that film, and I also found it to be a good complementary read to a documentary on Pixar that I watched not too long ago, aptly named "The Pixar Story". Initially I had downloaded it for entertainment's sake, but after seeing it I wanted to share it with our Creativity and Problem Awareness class because it showed the entire journey of the animation studio from its humble beginnings to the phenomenal success story it is today.

This is the part wherein I come clean and just say it: I am a Pixar fangirl. To be honest, I seriously considered animation as a career once upon a time, before the reality of my inability to draw became too hard to ignore. The company itself has a certain allure and mystery that's difficult to resist. Is there some kind of Pixar magic? Do they just conjure good stories and good characters without any effort whatsoever? Why are they so good at what they do?

But after reading the article and watching the documentary, I realized that all of it was far from being a walk in the park. They also had their fair share of hurdles and dead ends, and everything they've done thus far have been the products of nothing less than blood and sweat.

But what is most remarkable about them is that they still manage to keep themselves grounded despite all their hits and critical acclaim. The fact that they put so much value on the talent and skills of their people, and their willingness to take such big risks is in itself a huge innovation already. Pixar not just makes waves in the industry in terms of animation and technology but also with the entire organizational framework and the principles driving the company.

We can learn so much from how Pixar has built itself and its people. The openness with which they generate and critique their own and each other's ideas, the free collaboration among all the groups involved, and the passion with which they work even if so much sacrifice is asked of them is truly awe-inspiring.

Design Observation: YUCK

In terms of practicality, I don't think there should be very many things in your day to day life that you don't enjoy using, unless it is absolutely necessary. This is what I thought when I was trying to find an item to critique, because otherwise it would be really difficult to tolerate something which you would readily describe as being "yuck".

But while sitting at my computer pondering this, I instantly found the solution to my problem. In the context of what I said earlier, there is one particular object in my room that I use almost always but which nonetheless irritates me, although sometimes I am not always aware of it. And that object is...

...my electric fan.

As of writing this blog, I have baptized my electric fan "Kitty", which is short for "kiti-kiti". Apparently it can't sit still AT ALL when facing forward, unless I turn the head all the way to the side and make it face me in that awkward angle or if I prop it up against something, like a chair. I haven't figured out the root of the problem yet, nor have I any desire to. But if I were to speculate, it's either because the propeller moves so fast that the vibration is too much for the little thing to handle, or it's because the base is too small for such a big head. Although not entirely a big deal because I can still use the fan for what it was made for, this little design flaw annoys me to no end but I have to live with it lest I perish from a heat stroke or drown in perspiration.

To further prove my point, here are some photos:

This is Point A. (10:00 PM)

Observe, dear reader, how Kitty moves from Point A to Point B.

Walang hiyang pasimple pa eh. (10:10 PM)

I completely forgot to check on it again after that, since the night was pretty cool and I didn't notice the absence of a breeze, but when I next checked it at around 11:20, it was here:

Kitty the Ninja Electric Fan.

I think it thinks it's a Knight chess piece, with the L pattern and all.

Despite its shortcomings, I don't think I'll be replacing Kitty. Other than that minor flaw, I'm just going to go ahead and accept it as being eccentric. And besides, it feels pretty good to know that I have the only electric fan in the world that can defy the laws of physics.

A Mind Map of Mind Mapping

This is my mind map of what I think are the many uses of mind mapping. To explain it further would seem rather redundant, so for this blog I will let the image speak for itself. After all, it supposedly speaks a thousand words. :)

Design Observation: WOW

Hardly a day goes by that I don't use the Globe Calls app on my iPhone. I found out about this ingenious invention from a friend, who recommended the app after seeing that I was using an iPhone and that this automatically made me a Globe user. It makes calling infinitely more convenient, because the app does all the work for you.

What I love most about this is its general APPEARANCE. The Globe Calls app welcome screen is a simple illustration of how to use it:

I also like the fact that it doesn't use flashy fonts or a dozen tiny buttons and dials, just an uncluttered design and a very simple interface as can be seen below:

If you hadn't known otherwise, you'd probably think it was just the normal contacts list of any iPhone. As for its FUNCTIONALITY, I like that it was designed specifically to cater to users who wanted to avail of Globe's numerous voice call promos but are too lazy or just unable to take note of the required prefixes and codes. This app basically does all the work for you.

Lightly tapping any one of the options will activate the service indicated. It's surprisingly easy to use, due in large part to the simple instructions and clean interface. It's also not "bulky", in the sense that it wasn't overloaded with useless and unnecessary features that would weigh it down and make it overcomplicated.

But of course, the best thing about it is that it can be downloaded from the iTunes store completely free of charge. It has also performed up to par so far, because my phone bills have gotten much lower since I started using it.

Probably the only obvious flaw I can see in this app is that it is exclusive to iPhone and Globe users. But if you are an iPhone user, don't hesitate to make this a staple app for your everyday calling needs.

Fitness First

I find it uncanny, or just a bit unsettling, how people are becoming such fitness buffs these days. Perhaps it's just me, but a lot of the people I know or who are in my circle of friends are either already going to a gym or just about to sign up for a gym membership. A friend even took me to a Fitness First branch before for a one-time only free pass into this mecca of buff bods and gym equipment. All this hype is starting to take its toll on me, making me much more conscious about how much exercise I'm getting.

But after reading the article "Cognitive Fitness", I felt relieved and felt that it was a refreshing change from all the talk about diets and calories and sit ups. There is FINALLY somebody out there who's advocating fitness from a different perspective.

But of course, this isn't to say that I have never heard of the idea of exercising one's mind, apart from one's body. I've heard about it before in my Psychology class, in various articles and in some science journals and periodicals (Yes, I read those).

I already knew before reading the article that people's brains change physically as they gain more knowledge, which is why scientists fought tooth and nail to have the opportunity to examine Albert Einstein's brain. They wanted to understand what the brain of a genius looked like, as compared to average human beings.

I also knew that performing various mental exercises can keep you mentally fit. This is very valuable information, especially for me since I am addicted to mind games and puzzles, particularly word, strategy, and hidden object games. It's comforting to know that all these weren't a waste of time, at least not most of it.

But it is still a sad fact that a lot of the world's major companies and corporations think that any form of frivolity is counter-productive. I know a lot of local companies follow this ideology.

If only all the workplaces in the world were like Google's central office in Zurich.

If I were unemployed and broke, I would definitely put Google as my number one choice for employment hands down regardless of salary or job description simply because of how much fun they seem to be having at work. In an ever changing world, the business side should learn to acknowledge the impact of letting loose has on productivity and creativity in the workplace. They should be able to "let their hair down" once in a while and have just a little bit of fun. It's doesn't have to be an either/or type of choice, there should always be a balance in things.

Instead of our "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" mindset, we must shift this to "Work hard and party harder." Then maybe we could start churning out fresh and innovative ideas again.

(Pictures were taken from: http://www.boredpanda.com/the-best-place-to-work-google-and-their-office-in-zurich/)

Five Minds...Four Minds Too Much?

In this day and age, I think it is safe to say that all of us are highly susceptible to fall into the trap of becoming too enthralled with the prospects of the future. The word itself speaks of things to come, and so we spend the time between then and now thinking of the numerous possibilities that we have yet to encounter. This is most likely what Professor Gardner was doing when he was thinking about his "Five Minds for the Future".

The lecture and the point given were undoubtedly very well thought out and I could clearly see the point he was trying to make, but I feel that I must also point out that in thinking of ways to improve our future, we mustn't lose our sense of reality and become disillusioned with mere possibilities alone.

I think that we were asked to do a reflection on how to make Gardner's points a concrete reality because he himself didn't provide the necessary insight. He proposed his five minds for the future, but on all accounts he never got past the examples. And I can see why; the pen may be mightier than the sword, but this is so because things are much easier said (or in this case, written) than done.

The first two minds he presented, a Disciplined mind and a Synthesizing mind, are most likely the most prevalent type of minds in our present society. These are the ones given the most importance, and possessing either one or both can earn great esteem from peers. These are easily developed concretely, through habit, self awareness and vigilance. But I think what concerned Gardner more was not the ease in which we learned but that our idea of their real meaning is insufficient.

As for the Creative mind, I think our previous lecture on Sir Ken Robinson has given us enough knowledge to understand why it is harder now than ever to make creative thinking flourish. The root cause is fundamental, and we cannot simply try to cover up the symptoms.

But I think the hardest to concretely develop are the Respective and Ethical minds, for obvious reasons. They depend greatly on the individual, and can vary from person to person. Gardner himself said so, and I completely agree that "the issues of respect and ethics, which are hard to measure objectively, are so terribly important".

To conclude, I believe that to fully implement Gardner's five minds entails a complete overhaul of our present system, not just of education but of practically everything. Taking each of his five minds separately and developing one in an individual is easy, but integrating all of them in one person seems too optimistic and probably too much to ask of anyone.

On the Arts

“Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I think Ken Robinson’s article was the best way to start our Creativity and Problem Awareness class, mostly due to my tremendous relief at finding out that I am not as un-creative as I often think of myself. His stress on creativity being inherent in all human beings assured me that I do have hope…and that I’m not in the wrong class.

That aside, I completely agree with the points he made, most especially about the insufficient priority given to the arts. This is already an indication that society disapproves overt expressions of their definition of “creativity”. These days, we are taught that creativity is being good at drawing, painting, music and the like. But creativity can be found in all aspects of our lives, and in all the fields of study, as Mr. Robinson has pointed out. Now the problem is how we get everyone to believe it.

The best example I can think of is the one closest to home: the four Loyola Schools in the Ateneo. It’s hard for some to admit, but there exists an invisible heirarchy among the four Schools. Dominating the top is the John Gokongwei School of Management, followed by the School of Science and Engineering, then the School of Social Sciences and then the School of Humanities. As a Communication major, I have personally felt the hidden disdain that usually comes with my answering a question about what my course is. This is a clear example of what Ken Robinson said about the existence of heirarchies within the fields of study in schools, stemming from economic competitiveness and the wrong idea about the insignificance of non-business or arts related courses.

Most people are in the School of Management because logic tells them that a degree there will certainly get them employed immediately after college. Same goes for the School of Science and Engineering. The fact that the School of Humanities has the lowest student population should come as no surprise. The sad truth is that college nowadays serves simply as the stepping stone to the best, highest paying job, and the learning experience that should be the main emphasis is taken for granted. I can only hope that Ateneo does not become one of those educational institutions where the notion of creativity is limited and extremely lacking.

But we can’t take full responsibility for this, because the media also played a large role in the demise of the Arts. In most movies or television shows depicting schools (i.e., Glee), the Arts and Music programs are the most commonly cut from the school budget. They become, as Mr. Robinson put it, “collateral damage.”And although I know that these are based on real life situations, it reinforces and justifies people’s beliefs precisely because media is so powerful in affecting society. We of all people should know this.

To sum it all up, I completely agree with Dr. Luther King. True education should bestow us with not just academic intelligence but also with the right amount of character to be able to utilize that intelligence in the best way we can. And the best way to cultivate this character is if we finally give the Arts the credit and respect they so rightfully deserve.

Me, Myself and I

Well, first things first. I have one more hour left of savoring the first day of my last year as a teen. It was a remarkably fantastic day that has hopefully filled me up with enough endorphins to keep me going until the end of this school year. Awesome, awesome day :)

Anyway, moving on to more pressing matters, I believe I have certain quirks about myself that I have to come clean with to officially "baptize" my Creativity and Problem Awareness blog (Hello, classmates and Sir Mark!), and the first major one that I will disclose is this: I do not blog often. Actually, let me rephrase that, I do not blog AT ALL.

Well, now that THAT's over with, I'm just gonna go and wrap this up since we have leveled with each other about that situation.

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Just kidding. I know I'm not used to maintaining a blog, but this might seem like an incredibly fun experience so I will definitely make the time for it.

That being said, I don't think I can make enough time to talk about the entirety of my being in such a short period (and hello there, character limit) so I will just summarize the major points (and whatever other random stuff that occur to me) about myself here:

• My name is Gwenivere Alexis L. Co. I was named after King Arthur's wife, but I'm not entirely proud of it because...well, you know. (If you don't, look it up. If not, well then ok :D) My nickname is Gwen.
• I just turned 19...this morning. :)
• I am generally loud, rambunctious, an extrovert, and as one potential employer has put it: "gregarious" (I LOVE THAT WORD)
• I am a self-proclaimed 'fraidy cat. You will never catch me in one of Sir Andrew Ty's horror film classes unless you drag me there and strap me to a chair. (Although I am dreadfully curious what does on during his film viewings...)
• I am sentimental; I tend to cry over shallow things. Like movies. And puppies.
• I love food. Seriously.

That's just about all I've got for now. It's really hard to talk about oneself, you know. But I do hope I get to arrive at more "self-realizations" as the year progresses, with COM170 there to unleash it all. :) Looking forward to an awesome semester!