tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7565152550769250272024-02-20T22:51:34.275-08:00Beyond CubesvilleAbout Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-38083488131676891622010-03-23T03:16:00.000-07:002010-03-24T01:55:03.540-07:00Do Schools Kill Creativity?<!--copy and paste--><object width="334" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"> </object><br />When I heard the profoundly entertaining words and witty perspective of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ken Robinson</span>, I almost cried. I started this blog for people seeking their place in the sun, a niche where they belong professionally. Here is a man who said it all for me. <span style="font-weight: bold;">People's unhappiness and confusion can be attributed to a general educational system that kills creativity</span>, according to Sir Ken Robinson.<br /><br /><!--copy and paste--><object width="334" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/SirKenRobinson_2006-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SirKenRobinson-2006.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=66&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity;year=2006;theme=bold_predictions_stern_warnings;theme=a_taste_of_ted2010;theme=top_10_tedtalks;theme=master_storytellers;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=how_we_learn;theme=the_creative_spark;event=TED2006;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="334" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/SirKenRobinson_2006-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SirKenRobinson-2006.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=66&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity;year=2006;theme=bold_predictions_stern_warnings;theme=a_taste_of_ted2010;theme=top_10_tedtalks;theme=master_storytellers;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=how_we_learn;theme=the_creative_spark;event=TED2006;"></embed></object><br /><br />I remember how I used to get very mediocre grades in 4th grade, simply because I couldn't remember the hundreds of names in the muscular and skeletal system. I also recall how I was sent to the guidance counselor during my senior year because my teachers were concerned that I was not paying attention, that I was always, as they would say, "spaced out". I also needed to draw in my notebooks so I could understand what's going on, and survived school by getting bonus points with my drawings in reports (Kids, back then we had no ClipArt gallery and no Google images!). The only reason I liked Math was when I got to draw shapes, angles and graphs using colored pens but I still almost failed anyway. My math skills improved when I started earning my own money after college, and my intelligence in science kicked off as soon as I started mixing artist's solvents and when I started to cook. I was also a late bloomer as a reader because I only liked Tintin comics, and colorful books with lots of pictures. I cheated through my book reports by spinning off stories from the summaries at the back (which my teachers saw through!). My favorite time of the day in school was when I got to eat.<br /><br />Sir Ken Robinson raises an interesting point:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> that professors shouldn't be the hallmark of success or intelligence because most of the time, they live in their heads. </span>We have an educational system that works on everything waist up. Everything academic, everything cerebral is given much weight. He also mentioned that in 30 years, <span style="font-weight: bold;">degrees will probably be useless and obsolete</span>.<br /><br />I actually believe him.<br /><br />He mentions back in the day a diploma guaranteed him a job. Now, you need an MA because the BA isn't good enough. The jobs that require the MA now need a PhD. He observes that you now have a bunch of people with sparkling degrees who stay at home and play video games all day. <span id="fullpost"><br /><br />So now what?<br /><br />As expected, I was never encouraged to be an artist or a writer because they said I will starve for the rest of my life. As a former educator in a mainstream school, I felt bad most times when teachers would belittle students with mediocre grades in major subjects and talk about it like the student was a big joke. I joined the educational system in hopes of finding students who are just like me and do better in their lives sooner than I did.<br /><br />Today, I draw and write for a living about things I enjoy most: food, art, music and travel. At 27, it wasn't too late for me to make the choice and I'm glad I took a chance on myself. It had to take the prodding of mentors, creative souls and the faith of friends who told me to just go for it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gillian Lynne, </span>the famous choreographer of "Cats" was considered a below-par student who kept fidgeting and lacked focus. She was brought to a doctor by her mother to be examined for behavior. Her mother narrated Gillian's "problems" to the doctor. Later on, the good doctor asked the mother to step out with him so they could discuss privately. He turned the radio on and left the room. Then, he told Gillian's mom to look inside the room. There was Gillian, dancing to the music from the radio. He advised her to send Gillian to a dancing school. He simply said, "Your daughter is a dancer. Send her to a dance school."<span style="font-weight: bold;"> And when she went to dance school, she saw everyone was just like her --- kids who had to keep moving in order to learn.</span><br /><br />Let the children dance, sing, cook, paint, sculpt, write and whatever it is that makes their hearts sing. People are not machines where data can simply be encoded, programmed, controlled and re-calibrated. We have feelings, we can taste, smell, hear, feel and see things.<br /><br />If only we let the child's imagination, senses and creativity flourish, change will be massive and beautiful.</span>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-15691700877152371712010-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:002010-03-20T11:24:57.440-07:00Thought For The DayHere is something interesting:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >"If you're not prepared to be wrong,<br />you'll never come up with anything original."</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">--- Sir Ken Robinson</span><br /></div></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-58660365510765958062010-02-15T20:39:00.000-08:002010-02-15T22:49:01.698-08:00Frisbee: That Lucrative Pie Tray<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeraT5Skg6ND7UaKGadA3SkoUonFX-7yVkFRTf5fz4Tj56IrzpdMEeIqVMRzbx4FurFBksVsL2XHICMUbrkfqgUZi5iXSYthIyzeURHvJPROBiiqjSKwQBdQykeplm6JbSs5COmL-Smc/s1600-h/frisbee.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeraT5Skg6ND7UaKGadA3SkoUonFX-7yVkFRTf5fz4Tj56IrzpdMEeIqVMRzbx4FurFBksVsL2XHICMUbrkfqgUZi5iXSYthIyzeURHvJPROBiiqjSKwQBdQykeplm6JbSs5COmL-Smc/s320/frisbee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438725357147165330" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I've made some very good friends when I joined an Ultimate Frisbee team some years back. One of my former teammates informed me last week that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Walter Frederick Morrison</span>, the inventor of the beloved flying disc, passed away at 90 years old.<br /><br />His story reminded me of an earlier post about a friend who made money by tearing a rusty and dilapidated boat and sold it as scrap metal for 20 times its original price. It takes a complicatedly simple form of creativity to see anything potential out of that, the same way Morrison heard the kerching ring in his head after seeing the empty tins fly back and forth across university lawns.<br /><br />See, it all began when Morrison decided to turn the remains of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frisbie Baking Company'</span>s pie tray into something officially fun since university students would toss the piece of tin after eating some pies. It looked like fun and soon it became a past-time. That was around the time people were captivated by the UFO and flying saucer hype.<br /><br />Then, something clicked in Walter Frederick Morrison's brain who was then a building inspector in 1948.<br /><br />The first plastic Frisbee was invented with his partner, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Warren Fransiscioni</span>. Although the partnership didn't pan out too long, Morrison proceeded with his<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Pluto Platter </span>--- the first basic form of today's Frisbee. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wham-O</span> toys liked what they saw and bought the rights from Morrison. Wanting a cooler sound for better marketing, they borrowed the name from the by-then defunct baker, proceeded to larger production and began the 50 -year old love affair with the world-famous flying disc that goes by the name of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frisbee.</span><br /><br />Wham-O sold over one hundred million units before selling the toy to Mattel.<br /><br />Morrison was awarded over one million dollars in royalties.<br /><br />All these started because of William Russell Frisbie's pies in the 1870s :)<br /><br /></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-78688738743313491692010-02-11T22:49:00.000-08:002010-02-14T06:05:37.173-08:00The Goal Of Persistence<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=41"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64pxCp4AsrI3I4lpwlXdGKVtY8ufwxadoUMoPJIAmA5Vl64eOveA-yss7kVp9HEW4AFS15wDrxAMedUb7J6Ng45x4f2ruz15aiaeex7VaPdrQbymt7dBDq9UAzDs8H0t6HO4-uvxlWKo/s320/Persistence.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437249402128786098" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong><em><strong></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Have you ever wanted to reach your goal but gave up even before you even got started? </span><span>Whether it's due to pure intimidation or sheer lack of faith</span><span>, reaching for our goals sounded much easier when we were younger playing doctor or imagining our trip to the moon simply because back then, everything was possible.<br /><br />Check out the article I found on the web. It's a good reminder to simply put one foot in front of the other... without stopping.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/more-faith-the-goal-of-persistence-1846482.htm">More Faith - The Goal Of Persistence</a></span><br />Author: David Beairsto<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When the Rubber Meets the Road</span><br /><br />We’re all refined in the fires of life and we all need more faith. What sort of metal we’re made of is proven in the outcome of the trials we face. When our decisions are left until the moment the trial begins we compound their effect.<br /><br />A mindset driven by desire and fueled by persistence can make categorical decisions about certainties in life.<br />- We won’t achieve our goals without persistence.<br />- We won’t endure long on our own.<br />- Our thoughts determine our actions.<br />- Our actions reveal our faith.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Setting the First Goal</span><br /><br />When our first decision is to run toward, rather than away from, life’s challenges, we allow the creative imagination to rise up courageously. We recognize that all of our goals are set in anticipation of the obstacles in our way.<br /><br />If something we desire is waiting right in front of us we don’t set a goal to obtain it, we simply take it.<br /><br />The objects we desire usually require well thought out plans before we can hope to obtain them. Even the trip to the grocery store requires forethought and faith. Sometimes our plan needs to include another step in case the first store is out of what we wanted.<br /><br />When life is lived in reaction to everything that besets us we develop habits that are defensive in nature. Creative imagination isn’t designed as a protection mechanism but will become so if that’s the extent of its use.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Community</span><br /><br />The company we keep, like the thoughts we think, has a profound affect upon the goals we make. We won’t dream big in a cautious crowd. In timid company, the rogue individual who’s willing to strike out on their own is excluded.<br /><br />If we want to set goals worthy of our greatest dreams we’ll need people close by who believe in us. The more encouragement we receive, the more faith we have to achieve.<br /><br />Envy and jealousy are obviously absent in groups that thrive on encouraging one another. We celebrate everything because it keeps us all moving forward...<span id="fullpost"> The overall health of any network of like minded people depends upon the weakest member.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fueling Our Minds</span><br /><br />Autosuggestion takes place constantly. Unless we remain vigilant over the information and emotions that affect our subconscious minds, we’ll lose ground to the negative influences around us. Everything we hear and see should be filtered through our conscious thought process.<br /><br />This is why our goals are written down and recited daily. This isn’t simply a memory technique but an exercise for our subconscious mind. Our active part in autosuggestion is a conscious objective to the success of the overall plan.<br /><br />An entrepreneur acquires more faith when the thought process sets the emotional tone for every active step they take toward their goal.<br /><br />An athlete develops greater confidence when their thoughts condition the rush of adrenaline to release at specific intervals throughout the game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Outcome</span><br /><br />Regardless of what transpires during the game, or in life, the discipline of persistence drives us onward.<br /><br />It doesn’t take more faith to keep going. Belief becomes stronger because we keep going.<br /><br />To twist a popular phrase, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough are still going.’<br /><br />The tenacity of someone who is passionate about what they do is clearly evident. They read like a book.<br /><br />When the object of faith is clearly defined, the plan of action has purpose. Understanding the mission attracts more support than powerful speeches or pleas. We all want a reason for what we get behind. The more powerful that vision, that dream, that goal, the harder we’ll persevere in our quest.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">About the Author</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">David Beairsto, author and owner of http://NetworkFisher.com truly believes that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime. NetworkFisher encourages entrepreneurs to have more faith in what they are doing by applying the discipline of persistence to their business activity. Knowing how to succeed in business online or offline is a matter of becoming a master marketer. Successful businesses are continually defined by their ability to effectively market their product or service. Visit our website at http://DavidBeairsto.com to follow us in our effort to transform ordinary people into successful entrepreneurs, one by one.</span></span></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-79774312810501409052010-02-11T21:56:00.000-08:002010-02-13T00:31:59.745-08:00Doing Something With Nothing<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />It seems I've morphed into the sounding board for friends taking giant leaps as they depart from the 9-to-5 towards the great unknown. The first thing that I end up blurting out is this:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Can you deal with moments of doing nothing?"<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=178"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx3o3tbSB61Z7iwKM4_v0HBVyWyOxqCZgZgRAWI_JCt6ZyJ10giDL0xVErazowVJvDMXVyqYiemyeqgcrraIO5KOX59Lk3HtG3uMZ9FTJEq5mJl7746Cv1bpH8Hum1N8IVbEhjxTDyHk/s320/Man+Fishing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437244490697670738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>See, going freelance is pretty much like being an entrepreneur. You are your own industry, and you sell your most valuable commodity: time and talent. As with any business, there will be both peak and low seasons to deal with.<br /><br />I noticed every freelancer has his own groove. Some start off with a bang, while others gain steady momentum at a laid-back pace. Once a project has been completed, depending if there's another job pending, there is that chance of a lag time. I find that the challenge of being freelance is minimizing that duration, or obliterating it completely by packing your schedule without spreading yourself too thin.<br /><br />Off-hand, there are things that can serve as temporary solutions to the excruciating wait:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Explore other areas that are somewhat connected to your field.<br /></span>Are you a contributing writer? If magazines<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>are booked until the next issue, try doing some side-editing for a friend's small company. Going freelance means being very resourceful. Provided that you are not selling yourself short, know the limits of your own fees and keep in mind that there will be moments when no price is too small, especially since something is definitely better than nothing! <span style="font-weight: bold;"> <br /><br />2. Build connections and use your chat time wisely.<br /></span>If you find yourself stuck with lots of time in your hands, chat friends up online and bounce ideas off each other with potential projects. If you plan on going freelance, keep in mind that establishing yourself in a good network of friends and even former colleagues provide a great source of insight and potential leads. Make full use of your time and try to create something, even in your head, and see how you can make it fly. Nothing is impossible so even the most seemingly unattractive (or outrageous) venture could prove to be potentially lucrative. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />3. Turn trash to cash.<br /></span>That adage "one man's trash is another man's treasure" holds true for a friend who saw a dilapidated boat in its rusting and deplorable state. He bought the boat, had it torn apart and sold as scrap metal for over 20 times more than its original cost. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>This could also apply to someone who may turn down a project only to benefit someone else. If you are simply at home just whiling your time away and a friend offers to pay you less that your typical hourly rate to merely sit as a receptionist for less than half a day, I say go for it. Should you turn it down, someone else shall scoot over to do the job and make full use of the fees to pay for good meals for the weekend, one month's worth of mobile bills or housing dues.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-76168494684360244572010-02-03T02:51:00.000-08:002010-02-03T02:59:57.988-08:00All Boxed Up?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExCEQ9Td16S4NRPIqJEI3Gm_geY59JjiLLK1ZMnv92lb_jGtrrzt3svYjISt4m_T8yM7RtEcpLjT9cIizVB44e7SxpFzKqemGQ6gYnK-YjKk-zLyuq-c0ufPEmGFHdOoErvX946V5lUc/s1600-h/out+of+the+box.jpg"><br /></a>There's something symbolic about this.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ESv55r4emPY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ESv55r4emPY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><br />A good reminder that it's time to get<span style="font-weight: bold;"> out of the box </span>:-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExCEQ9Td16S4NRPIqJEI3Gm_geY59JjiLLK1ZMnv92lb_jGtrrzt3svYjISt4m_T8yM7RtEcpLjT9cIizVB44e7SxpFzKqemGQ6gYnK-YjKk-zLyuq-c0ufPEmGFHdOoErvX946V5lUc/s1600-h/out+of+the+box.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExCEQ9Td16S4NRPIqJEI3Gm_geY59JjiLLK1ZMnv92lb_jGtrrzt3svYjISt4m_T8yM7RtEcpLjT9cIizVB44e7SxpFzKqemGQ6gYnK-YjKk-zLyuq-c0ufPEmGFHdOoErvX946V5lUc/s320/out+of+the+box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433969336400457138" border="0" /></a>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-34566630470176391072010-02-02T09:07:00.001-08:002010-02-02T09:13:54.621-08:00The Way To SuccessSometimes, the key to success is really just learning how to understand and follow simple solutions.<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJbiw_bOFmY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJbiw_bOFmY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-3030884925144377842010-02-02T07:01:00.000-08:002010-02-02T21:23:54.995-08:00A Laundrywoman And Her Jaguar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=112"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XZA3cGOVPwDDhFw4Z5VphmU2kUqd1RgyLmGYuEjm2tXMCxK29IZCE3Y-UMC9_nQIjSzS3lO1LPb15oaRQEYX9oKnyN2LgveRzzQ-fxUU7_LzWaqBofWvdIw-cjW1idAzfNdso7QX8ts/s320/Cathedral_and_Jaguar.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433673870221923506" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">For many years and for the most part of her life, Michelle* was a <span style="font-style: italic;">labandera</span> (laundrywoman). She was born to a mother who also washed clothes for a living. Because of extreme poverty, only the eldest was able to finish school in a remote province while Michelle had to quit high school in her first year and help feed the family. Today, she drives her own Jaguar, owns a large home, a battalion of dogs and lives with a large household staff.<br /><br />In my career, I meet the most amazing characters, people who all want to learn English for the most incredible reasons. Entering the room warily and dressed in the most expensive brands, she somberly told me during our class, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"Ngayon na may pera na ako, iba na ang mga tao na kasama ko. Pero lahat sila, nagsasalita ng English at pag may party, wala akong maintindihan at nahihiya ako. Kaya hindi nalang ako lumalabas."</span> </span>(Now that I'm well-off, the people I encounter are different. But all of them speak English and when there's a gathering, I can't understand anything and... <span id="fullpost"> I am ashamed. That's why I don't bother going out.) There is evident self-pity as tears well-up in her eyes.<br /><br />She began washing clothes as young as high school, charging P3/shirt at construction sites. She later on ventured into selling <span style="font-style: italic;">bananacue</span> along Ayala Avenue. Suddenly her eyes sparkled, she straightened up a bit and beamed, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"Alam mo, pag-tindera ka at nagbebenta ka sa Ayala, sikat ka! Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ang tuwa ko nung na-promote ako at binigyan ako ng bisikleta ng boss ko dahil marami akong benta."</span> </span>(You know, if you're a vendor selling stuff along Ayala, you're big-time! I will never forget the day when my boss promoted me and gave me a bicycle as a result of my sales.)<br /><br />Michelle's life today is a result of hard work because she believed in a better life. She now runs a garment company while her husband, who was a construction worker, supplies large-scale services to construction sites. She did not marry into wealth. Instead, she and her husband created their wealth based on sheer faith using whatever strengths they had to move up one day at a time.<br /><br />She studied English because she wanted to somewhat catch up on the classroom time she missed out on in her youth. Also, she wanted to be able to banter well with the people in her new-found circles. Towards our last few sessions, she would come into the room, smiling, and giving me updates in her best English.<br /><br />I remember the last day we had as I asked her, "Michelle, one last thing. What advice can you give me so I can be as successful as you?"<br /><br />She laughed, blushed then sighed, and her eyes started to moisten again as she spoke with intensity, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">"Ma'am, basta gawin mo ang lahat at wag ka lang titigil. Kung ako nga pinanganak na wala, nagawa ko ang lahat nang ito. Ikaw pa, pinanganak na meron. Wala kang dahilan para hindi umasenso."</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>(Ma'am, just do it and don't stop. I grew up with nothing but was able to do all this. You, on the other hand, were born into so much more. You have absolutely no excuse for failure.)<br /><br />The sheer simplicity of her advice is what also made it rather profound.<br /><br />This, my dear friends, was the day when my attitude towards success took a sudden turn and life has been so much different ever since.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-59245790380993922142010-01-26T06:05:00.000-08:002010-01-26T06:59:30.755-08:00Billionaire Drop-outs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=987"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOOcuSwlv4JO6vDlKJ5k3YH5tcl16IDDM0lW0-iqEAEybJaAZBkZH-YcK_y82vRbhiu3m1_kHDOutmZtr3QV59vRuTav5QiI91ZeF_wru88G8p74oZ-TIJcXlR6tWj2xo4vDeMQXlszA/s320/gold+coins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431055687592976562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.millionairedropouts.com/millionaire.php/Dropout_Trivia/"></a></span>Most of the people who work for these companies are likely to have a diploma.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oddly, though, the people who founded them never had one.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">"Some of history’s greatest companies were founded by drop-outs, including Kodak, Polaroid, Famous Amos, Disney, Ford, Learjet, Bank of America, Motown Records, Whole Foods, Domino’s, Apple Computer, Netscape, Microsoft, Polo, Jet Blue, Dunkin’ Donuts, NBC, KFC, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Holiday Inn and Rolling Stone Magazine."<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Also, a lot of our most fundamental items were created by drop-outs.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">"Many of the world’s greatest inventions were developed by drop-outs, including the television, radio, airplanes, cars, motion pictures, the incandescent light bulb, the car stereo tape deck, the gas mask, the traffic signal, earmuffs, the game of basketball, the sewing machine—and many more."<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The people with immeasurable wealth never finished school either.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">"America’s first millionaire, John Jacob Astor, was a high school drop-out. America’s first billionaire, John D Rockefeller Sr., was a high school drop-out. America’s richest college drop-out is Bill Gates. Asia’s richest resident, Li Ka-shing, is a high school drop-out. Argentina's sole billionaire, Gregorio Perez, worth $1.7 billion, is a high school dropout. Spain’s richest resident, Amancio Ortega, worth $14.8 billion, is a high school drop-out."<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It's quite inspiring to hear how people achieved their dreams without excuses, without limitations.</span><br /><br />Just putting it out there :)<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.millionairedropouts.com/millionaire.php/Dropout_Trivia/">www.millionairedropouts.com</a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-9405016426020502742010-01-25T19:19:00.000-08:002010-02-02T21:27:04.417-08:00Cubesville's So-Called Life<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=792"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceAUMisq8JX_vG6xzhyphenhyphenge3s_D2U2bJWefKZA7MQGD-qsS5ztAW_8ibNOQal8c5giRY40yZx8niv2UpCACsdrV_Z2xm6Px-ZxKXG1C7r7ni-V3H71MyA_oEeZLRjO7nA97CbSxa_2ReQg/s320/man+in+a+hurry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430889779141750354" border="0" /></a>The moment I tell people I'm freelance, they automatically think I either don't have a <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> job or that my life is one big nap time. On the contrary, going solo is a gargantuan responsibility because I basically give up my comfort zone and everything that can pretty much ensure what used to stand for security:
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. A Regular Paycheck</span>
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<br />As a member of cubesville, whether you called in sick or were too busy to attend that meeting<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span></span></span>you're guaranteed that regardless what happens, money comes in every 15 days. However, should you decide to go solo, if you are able to line-up projects steadily on your own from a variety of clients, then you're off to a very good start.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Colleagues</span>
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<br />When you work in an office,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>you can somewhat rely on people around you (most of the time) to cover for you when you hit a snag. When you go solo, it's pretty much all you.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Lunchmates</span>
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<br />One of the hardest things I had to deal with was...<span id="fullpost"> having no one to talk to many times. When I teach, then well and great. But when I'm holed up working on composing content, I realize that I don't use my voice all day and end up having meals by myself (which isn't bad at all, really, because I get to enjoy my own home-cooked meals versus fast food slash junk!) What I relish most as a freelancer is my choice to meet up with friends mid-day and having long lunches (as long as nothing is pending!) because that is one of the perks of being freelance.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Insurance</span>
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<br />The perks of working in a stable company is their ability to shoulder your bills in times of distress<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Then again, you can always purchase your policies<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>on your own --- from life insurance, health and even pension.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Titles and Minions</span>
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<br />Unless you enjoy acquiring prestigious titles, driving cars that aren't really yours and having people to order around along with your climb up cubesville's ladder, I think it's a waste of time spending too many years in a place where you have no idea where you're headed... and why you're putting up with a life that's "okay".
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;">***
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<br />Freelance is not about slacking off, staying home and watching TV while you <span style="font-style: italic;">try </span>to work. It's about taking your existing career framework to the comforts of your own spot, dealing the cards yourself and making the rewards grow exponentially.
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<br />How you get from point A to Z, though, is completely up to you.</span>
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<br />About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-9327654036659711702010-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:002010-02-02T21:34:21.686-08:00The Freelancer's Office<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>
<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Embarking on a reliable freelance career need not be as daunting as some people dramatize it to be. There are a few basic things one can do and have, to instill a semblance of order as a freelancing creative professional.
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<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=901"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1EDuo7PZDdbmkIwdjB4zRqIpd9Hxnha5W0RKQtTL_o4q0JZoAsXLVs_Tkij_05lGxJiDVyhAp7ABwuq0J5tc-30d3yhMSitxpF9OdYHU8dZ3Df3NhBrT3qNdndmf7S4qSF1gR0N3HjM/s320/laptop+and+mouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430710305558370786" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Laptop</span>
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<br />My entire office can pretty much be shrunk as a 14-inch gadget right in front of me. A reliable computer system is key to surviving the world of freelance as you are pretty much your own receptionist, secretary, supervisor and accountant all-in-one. Depending on what your field calls for, one need not purchase state-of-the-art, high-end technology if all you need to do is answer e-mails and draft letters on Word. I opt to have a laptop because it keeps my life free of tangled cable wires, provides lot of desk space and doubles as a mobile office as opposed to having a stationary and bulky metal box. The goal of any self-employed professional --- whether you've venturing into media, arts or computer programming --- pretty much boils down to <span style="font-style: italic;">efficiency</span>.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Cellphone vs. Landline</span> (oh, yes!)
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<br />If you have to make multiple, lengthy and repetitive inquiries...
<br /><span id="fullpost">, it would be best to have a land line at your convenience. This can double as access for an internet provider as well as a line for transacting fax correspondence. Depending on your required internet consumption a landline may minimize costs as opposed to someone subscribing to multiple accounts of mobile internet access and duo-subscriptions on top of existing cellphone bills.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. 3-in-1 Printer/Scanner</span>
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<br />I must admit that I have not used a fax machine in ages. What has served me well for the most part is my 3-in-1 compact machine that enables me to e-mail scanned documents easily as well as photocopy rush documents. Even though I churn out lots of writing requirements and scripts, I rarely submit my work in hard copy thereby keeping my printer needs quite fundamental.
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<br />If you're starting from the ground up, my best suggestion is to be creative, innovative and maximize your existing overhead (even if it means starting off by working on your dining table!) and start with what you have instead of unnecessarily splurging on fancy gadgets too soon.
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<br /><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Photo Source: <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net">www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></span></span>
<br />About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-42221410480855071942010-01-20T22:14:00.000-08:002010-01-25T08:31:30.415-08:00How To Avoid Anything You Enjoy<div style="text-align: center;">This is one book all procrastinators should have.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DWBo86Anm8H7Hui-TY2M8kNJw-IpdMLFdlwtyQg-KPlIxBpqXpAIJ00-1lzUZOBi-R61LEQAcf19GVVaLyKwetQSC2rbB-JFUR_Rqtkh6moH9EggWf3BXAZvf5UWo1306l1U80eZcXo/s1600-h/How+To+Avoid+Making+Art+Julia+Cameron0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DWBo86Anm8H7Hui-TY2M8kNJw-IpdMLFdlwtyQg-KPlIxBpqXpAIJ00-1lzUZOBi-R61LEQAcf19GVVaLyKwetQSC2rbB-JFUR_Rqtkh6moH9EggWf3BXAZvf5UWo1306l1U80eZcXo/s320/How+To+Avoid+Making+Art+Julia+Cameron0001.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"How To Avoid Making Art"</span> is a fully illustrated compilation of mocking reminders for those with endless alibis for putting a creative and enjoyable life on hold.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With one illustrated wit per page written by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Julia Cameron</span> (the author of "The Artist's Way"), it makes for a quick and highly amusing, if not sardonic, read. It might hit home, so brace yourself for things that might sound awfully familiar :-)</div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-2673067188417842412010-01-20T20:59:00.000-08:002010-02-02T21:36:17.889-08:00The Only Way Out Is Through<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwJMRONDzIQZ-jnDQ6yGUaYy-fOkS9YWWUfFR1Zu3LymaW-25SgCe1yzeIvgbPq91tTYIYhLIgnAHMaxrebafJRm2tnZVLDNYcqs39H95CM0acTeyEMe-cJtPiHT7wrvZQYg8ugyfgMA/s1600-h/divider.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwJMRONDzIQZ-jnDQ6yGUaYy-fOkS9YWWUfFR1Zu3LymaW-25SgCe1yzeIvgbPq91tTYIYhLIgnAHMaxrebafJRm2tnZVLDNYcqs39H95CM0acTeyEMe-cJtPiHT7wrvZQYg8ugyfgMA/s400/divider.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429068417672489986" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">My Psychology teacher, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tess Tuason</span>, once mentioned the quote: <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"The only way out is through."</span><br /></div></div><br />I find this applicable for freelancers because I strongly believe that <span style="font-weight: bold;">to develop a solid self-employment system requires being employed first</span> :)<br /><br />Life would be so sweet if we need not trudge through traffic in corporate attire and just have Wii-breaks instead of coffee breaks.<br /><br />I spent a good year in a multi-national bank that reported to two different regions of varying time zones. Because of this, I learned the value of <span style="font-weight: bold;">precision</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">accuracy</span> at work where there is absolutely no room for error. My boss, <span style="font-weight: bold;">MVF</span>, sent me to two of Asia's prestigious business schools to learn stuff from what a bear market is, computing for equities, and how to compute T-bills and other terms that elude me now.<br /><br />One day, MVF gave me what was to be some good news and...<span id="fullpost">signed me up for a one-year scholarship in Trust law and accounting in line with a promotion to portfolio management. Although I tremendously enjoyed the friendships I formed in the company as well as my trips to the Snoopy-filled HR office where a painting of mine now sits, I knew in my heart being a banker was not for me. It was only fair that I tell my boss that I was pretty sure there was somebody out there who could do the job so much better.<br /><br />Today, I still carry the value of <span style="font-weight: bold;">discipline</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">reliability</span> when meeting deadlines which I picked up from my friends at the bank and MVF himself. It is the core on which my life as an artist and writer is built and something I believe should be the very foundation of creative freelancers who wish to have an edge.<br /><br /></span></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-57230605695939098782010-01-19T22:55:00.000-08:002010-02-02T21:38:14.233-08:00The Beginning: Freelance"So, wait. You're not employed? How do you work, then?"<br /><br />She beamed, "I'm freelance and set things up on my own."<br /><br />"That's hard. I don't think I can afford an office!"<br /><br />"Darling, all you need to survive is a computer, internet and a telefax", Myra said lightly.<br /><br />"I don't know. I don't think I can ever do what you do."<br /><br />Myra's eyes widened at my pessimism then burst out in laughter that sounded like a crescendo of chugging machinery and sweet song as she emphatically said, "Go for it, girl!"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWJC79lvpt-INJSDTJDCemPl_C_z7wnfIbZsEL9V7SWB9-b0aAKT1OQpImfujUYvSETRjvP_SBPnCoXYB4Zou1xYH2AeT-FymzOlLdmIHILyVw_stwflazT1XdIox7qe47E0kuspxKys/s1600-h/divider.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWJC79lvpt-INJSDTJDCemPl_C_z7wnfIbZsEL9V7SWB9-b0aAKT1OQpImfujUYvSETRjvP_SBPnCoXYB4Zou1xYH2AeT-FymzOlLdmIHILyVw_stwflazT1XdIox7qe47E0kuspxKys/s400/divider.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429068700736479890" border="0" /></a>Back in 2000, I was only 23 when I met this embodiment of cheer known as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Myra Lopez</span> at a modeling agency we worked for. When I left, that was when she asked me out to coffee. She was the first freelance professional I've encountered and had no clue that such a thing existed. She was a writer (and back then I didn't believe writing was a "real" job) and worked on various media projects. She was several years my senior and I respected her accordingly and was in awe of the energy she brought with her wherever she went.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />My concept of freelance back then was tied to starving artists like Vincent Van Gogh who went mad.<br /><br />Myra eventually left for...<span id="fullpost"> San Francisco but we kept in touch through email as I sailed through one institution to the next, with her writing me to visit should I happen to be in the neighborhood. Over the years, I stuck it out at being employed but eventually found my niche in teaching. Still, through time, I kept tabs as I hit each milestone of my life as I responded to her brief one-liner emails "Do you already have a boyfriend?" signaling that she was busy.<br /><br />Last year, I realized that I subconsciously heeded her advice all along as I carved a name in the industry one stroke at a time. When I officially left cubesville to follow a more creative life, I sent her photos of my work sometime in 2005 to which she responded with lots of exclamation points, "I'm so happy you're finally following your dreams!!!"<br /><br />After not hearing from her since the time I received a Christmas post card from her at around 2006, I decided to dig up her last email and write her again early last year, to thank her for being that one mover in my life. Also, I thought that in the era of Facebook, she should be somewhere there.<br /><br />What turned up on-line was the worst thing after searching for someone dear to you: an obituary.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****<br /></div><br />I now find myself juggling teaching schedules with media-related writing and editing PR content, as well as conceiving creative concepts for design and scripts. Looking back, all this began when I met a friend long ago whose media career unknowingly inspired mine.<br /><br />May the winds carry this borderless message of deep-felt gratitude to the heavens above, to thank <span style="font-weight: bold;">Myra </span>for telling me to use my wings and fly.<br /><br /></span></div></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-756515255076925027.post-2814851831866077372010-01-18T05:06:00.000-08:002010-01-20T05:14:08.800-08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />"My mother said to me,<br />'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general;<br />if you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope.'<br />Instead, I became a painter<br />and wound up as Picasso."<br />--- Pablo Picasso</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>About Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474437129344168563noreply@blogger.com0