4th Week of Being Creativated

WEEK 4
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Monday - 1 Dec 2008
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Today, the class was quite creativated for me a little more from yesterday. We have been given a booklet of creative test @ quiz @ exam from a place I could not remember, stated on the booklet. But it was quite bizarre to me for having that kind of nicely-design-question-booklet. It has a simple but nice design on the front page. Stated also its creator and where it came from. (I still could not remember).

What I love about this question booklet was about its questions! :D

The questions are all about giving you extra knowledge and giving you the chance of being more creative in whatever you are up to in your life. (That's what I can conclude from it).

The questions were all asked us to draw something from a simple shape such as a line, a curve, a circle, and etc.

For me, by having this kind of activity, I can managed to be more creative in my life. I can use something to create another thing. It's like MacGyver.

He creates new things by just using simple things and the things that people would really think that it might no longer useful to them.


In brief, the series revolved around MacGyver, who favors brain over brawn in order to solve desperate problems. MacGyver's main asset is his practical application of scientific knowledge and inventive use of common items—along with his ever-present Swiss Army Knife. The clever solutions MacGyver implemented to seemingly intractable problems—often in life-or-death situations requiring him to improvise complex devices in a matter of minutes—were a major attraction of the show, which was praised for generating interest in the applied sciences, and particularly engineering, as well as providing entertaining story lines. All of MacGyver's exploits on the show were ostensibly vetted to be based on real scientific principles (even though, the creators acknowledged, in real life one would have to be extraordinarily lucky for most of MacGyver's ideas to succeed). In the few cases where MacGyver used household chemicals to create poisons, explosives or other things deemed too dangerous to be accurately described for public consumption, details were intentionally altered or left vague. (Wikipedia)

Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver

Here are some videos from MacGyver's series, which I think can definitely encourage us to be more creative and innovative in our lives.

Wednesday - 3 Dec 2008
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Random Association (RA)

What I understand about this method, by having a question asked, one should randomly choose a word and have to solve the question by using the randomly-chosen word.

For example,

1. Find a problem and choose a random image to use it to solve the problem.


2. Find the characteristics of the image to be used as the main idea of the solutions.


3. Use the characteristics to build rough ideas.

4. Take the rough ideas and cut it down into several ideas.
~(This process is called "Stepping Stone)

5. There you have it! Brilliant solutions... :)

Next example,

1. Problem: Design/ propose an idea or image or object that create/ instill fear among/ to human beings.

2. Image: Durian

3. Characteristics of a durian:
i. Smelly
ii. Pointy-sharp
iii. Hot
iv. Acidic
v. Green
vi. Yellow
vii. etc.
viii. etc.

4. Create rough ideas


5. Cutdown ideas (Stepping Stone)

6. Solution: Create a smelly gigantic red-coloured with sharp pointy things around it. On top of it, when people come near to it, it'll automatically roll-chase the person. (Just an idea :D )

3rd Week of Being Creativated

Week 3
=====

Monday - 24 Nov 2008
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JUXTAPOSITION EXERCISE

This exercise is very interesting to me because it involves our best capability and most creative thinking to evolve from one level to another.

From this exercise, what we have to do was to randomly choose two combined numbers (e.g: 99, 88) of our own and keep those numbers as our own until this exercise is finished.

After that, we have to pick each word form each number from both sides of the table (e.g: leave for 9, rock for 9). Then, we have to combine both of the words together (e.g: 99 - leave rock).

After all of those have been done, we need to create a sentence by using both words contained in our chosen numbers earlier (as above). But it is reminded to create the sentences with correct grammar and word construct. Remember, this is the most important part of the activity as it surely will highly influence the next level after this.

Next, we have to draw according to our sentences made earlier. This is when we saw the using of grammar, combined with pictures or images are important in order to give the best impression and feedback from the viewers.

Example: 77 - Dog Tree
Sentence: The dog peed at the tree.
Image: (The dog is peeing at the tree)

By looking at the example, we can see there is a conflict between the sentence and the image created by referring to the sentence made. (In this context, grammar mistake). In the image generated from the sentence, we can see the dog is doing its peeing activity at the tree (image above - number 3). Whilst the sentence told us that the dog has already peed at the tree. Got it? :D

The other two pair numbers for me are:
88 - oil wood
Sentence: Saiful is pouring the olive oil on a piece of wood. (Image no. 2)

99 - leave rain
Sentence: I have to leave the field now because it is start to rain. (Image no. 1)














The style of doing this activity are:

a. Pair 2 numbers
b. Pair the words spotted by the numbers
c. Create a sentence using those words together
d. Draw an image according to the sentence
e. Create another image by using only the combined words (without the sentence made)

Moral of the exercise: Use a statement to create another statement and find better ideas. We can use the sentences (no matter how many that we have constructed) to generate another ideas by using them and also regenerate them into something new. This can also be implemented to many types of areas or fields in many types of organizations. The keyword that I got from this activity is "Be Creative To Create Creative Things". :)

Wednesday - 26 Nov 2008
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Today, our class have been introduced to another quality exercise, which I see as one of the greatest idea generation method, suitable for any level or ages.

This activity, is commonly known as Creative Thinking. :D

"Create writings that describe the concept of 'love' ".

What we have to do was to create wordings or poems or sentences by using the images given by the most eligible and dedicated lecturers, Mr Radzi Bedu & Ms Helena, which are:

The first thing to get in life is God's love,
Then you'll get other's love and happier life.

You make my heart melt..
Melting..Melting..Melting..

No money no love..
Need money for love..
No love no money..
No love, No love, No love..

Tick tock tick tock,
Love is not waiting for you,
As the time ticking on the clock,
When it is done you will feel blue.

Living on the fast lane,
Love will never be the same.

At first, love is so cute,
If you mend it well,
But if live with full of dispute,
You'll end up in hell.

Love,
It can be so trashful,
But if you recycle it well,
It'll end up very useful.

As homework, we have been asked to describe men/women from any one of the above things.

Therefore, I choose garbage. :D

Women are so garbage,
Even man cannot negotiate.

Women are so garbage,
They can put us all in a deepest enrage.

Women are so garbage,
Even so, they can always be tolerate.

Women are so garbage,
But yet, with who else a man want to start their marriage?

*Have tried to push my creativity towards the highest level :D

Arabic or "Jawi" Calligraphy

Since I started to learn reading the Qur'an when I was a kid, I began to developed a new interest which is Khat or Arabic Calligraphy. For me, Arabic Calligraphy is one way of expressing my ideas, thinking, and creativity.

By having to know more about this special piece of art, I managed to explore more about myself. My way of life, my own characteristics and my creativity, piece by piece expanded to another level, each day of my life. Thus, by using this blog, I took this opportunity to share with people little information of what I have gathered about Arabic Calligraphy.

A Brief History

Islam in Arabic means "submission" and derives from a word meaning "peace," for it is in submitting to God's Will that human beings gain peace in their lives in this world and the hereafter. Islam is a universal message revealed in the sacred book, the Quran, through the Prophet Muhammad, and shares with the other Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Christianity, their ethical teachings and the belief in the One God. Islam is both a religion and a way of life.

For Muslims the Quran is the actual Word of God revealed through the archangel Gabrielle to the Prophet of Islam during the twenty-three year period of his prophetic mission. It was revealed in the Arabic language, which became therefore the language of Islam even for non-Arab Muslims.

Early calligraphic developments

The North Arabic script, which was influenced by the Nabatian script, was established in north-eastern Arabia and flourished in the 5 th century among the Arabian tribes who inhabited Hirah and Anbar. It spread to Hijaz in western Arabia, and its use was popularized among the aristocracy of Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad, by Harb ibn Ummayyah.

Although early Arabic sources mention several calligraphic styles in reference to the cities in which they were used, they generally fit into two broad categories with some minor variations, these are the "dry styles," the early predecessors of Kufic, and the "moist styles," the early predecessors of the cursive family or scripts.

The reform of Arabic script

With the increasing number of non-Arab Muslims, there was a greater need for facilitating reading and learning of Arabic. Since several letters of the Arabic alphabet share the same shapes, and since vowels are not clearly indicated, some reform was needed to avoid confusion, and a system of Naqt or I'jam (letter-pointing), and Tashkeel (vowel indication) was developed.

Abul Aswad al Du'ali (d. 688) was the legendary founder of Arabic grammar, and is credited with inventing the system of placing large colored dots to indicate the Tashkeel. It was used with the Kufic scripts, but proved to be somewhat cumbersome to use with smaller scripts, or in ordinary writing.

The Ummayad governor al Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al Thaqafi enforced a uniform system to distinguish letters by using dots, which he asked two of al Du'ali's students to codify.
Al Khalil ibn Ahmad al Farahidi (d. 786) devised a tashkeel system to replace Abu al Aswad's. His system was universally used since the early eleventh century, and included six diacritical marks:
Fathah (a), Dammah (u), Kasrah (i), Sukun (vowelless), Shaddah (double consonant), and Maddah (vowel prolongation) which is applied to the Alef.

Development of cursive scripts

Cursive scripts coexisted with Kufic and date back to before Islam, but because in the early stages of their development they lacked discipline and elegance, they were usually used for secular purposes only.

Under the Ummayads and Abbasids, court requirements for correspondence and record keeping resulted in many developments to the cursive scripts, and several styles were devised to fulfill these needs. Abu Ali Muhammad Ibn Muqlah (d. 940), along with his brother, became accomplished calligraphers in Baghdad in an early age. Abu Ali became a Vizir to three Abbasid caliphs, and is credited with developing the first script to obey strict proportional rules. His system utilized the dot as a measuring unit for line proportions, and a circle with a diameter equals to the Alef's height as a measuring unit for letter proportions.

Ibn Muqlah's system became a powerful tool in the development and standardization of cursive scripts, and his calligraphic work elevated the previous cursive styles into a place of prominence, and made them acceptable as worthy of writing the Quran.

(Article and images taken from http://www.sakkal.com/ArtArabicCalligraphy.html)

When Islam first evolved into Asean, especially in Malaysia (started in Malacca), Arabic words became an unusual thing for them. But then, after it has been received very well among its citizens, Arabic words and letters has been accepted to be used as their main writings.

Instead of using the Arabic words, people in this Malay Land, used only the letters and keep their Malay Language preserved and they called it as "Jawi" writings. Jawi has been used for hundreds of years already and it is still used for certain occasion or places in Malaysia and others around it.

There are many types of "Jawi" writings invented according to each inventors who may be love extra creativity being put into Jawi itself. This is also may be to ensure the generatioins after them still secure Jawi as part of their life too. The most popular types of Jawi are:

• Khat Thuluth
• Khat Nasakh
  
• Khat Kufi
• Khat Farsi
• Khat Req'ah
• Khat Dewani

I really love Jawi because everytime I use it for any occasion at any place, it remembers me about where did I come from and I really hope that this art would never be forgotten by the new generations for many many many years to come.

Here are some examples of this beautiful art. Enjoy how beautiful they are. :)

Khat Dewani (above) & Khat Thuluth (below)

Khat Kufi

Khat Thuluth

Juxtaposition

JUXTAPOSITION

1. An act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast.

2. The state of being close together or side by side.

(Taken from Dictionary.com)

The act of juxtaposing is to place two objects or word next to each other. When 2 things put side to side, your brain will try to figure out what is the relationship between these two?

What automatically happens is that there is transference of meaning, usually from something familiar to something less familiar. That is when a conflict between our left brain and right brain happens...

Basically, from my understanding, juxtaposition is about comparing two things (usually) side by side, giving the chance for the brain to work something out according to the topic that a person wanted especially on creativity.

Example:

We place the picture of a person next to the picture of a monkey. Automatically we will assume that they share similar characteristics. The transference of meaning will happen in our brains automatically. We will assume that the person is like a monkey or that the monkey is like the person.

2nd Week of Being Creativated

WEEK 2
======

Monday - 17 Nov 08
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Ideas information and also its stages that would convert people into a new dimension of world.

What are the meanings of these indulgence words?

Novelty:
state or quality of being novel, new, unique, or newness.

Example on Novelty:

There is nothing more novelty than God's creation.
(Taken from Youtube on Novelty theory)

Creativity:
the process by which one utilizes creative ability, the state or quality of being creative.

Example on Creativity:

Morgan That's Fit For A Prince
Some people are so rich they can have a unique car built for them - and here's the proof. This is the Morgan Aeromax, commissioned by Prince Eric Sturzda, president of Swiss bank Barings.
(source from www.autoexpress.co.uk)

Innovation:
a new way of doing something. It may refer to incremental, radical, and revolutionary changes in thinking, products, processes, or organizations.

Example on Innovation:

The Videotape Recorder

On April 14, 1956, CBS demonstrated the world's first videotape recorder. The machine was the Ampex Mark IV VTR prototype, which was later marketed as the VRX-1000 for a price of $45,000. In the first week, orderswere written for more than 70 machines.
There were many contenders in this market. The BBC, RCA, and others had designs that worked, but gave poor quality images and because they relied on passing a huge length of tape over the recording heads very quickly, the recording time was short. ( 4 to 15 minutes ) The RCA machine pulled half inch tape across the recording heads at a rate of 30 feet a second, recording for only 4 minutes a reel.
The Ampex system used an FM signal system, recorded with four heads and used a special 2 inch tape at a speed of 15 inches a second. (90 minutes a reel)
Although the Ampex system had many faults, it proved endurable over a period of 20 years. 50 years later some of the original machines were still working.

(source from http://innovation.wikispaces.com/)

Invention:
the discovery or creation of a new configuration, composition of matter, device, or process.

Example on Invention:

John Baird (1888 - 1946) invented a mechanical television system.

(John Baird - televised human face)

John Logie Baird was born on August 13th, 1888, in Helensburgh, Dunbarton, Scotland and died on June 14th, 1946, in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England. John Baird received a diploma course in electrical engineering at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College (now called Strathclyde University), and studied towards his Bachelor of Science Degree in electrical engineering from the University of Glasgow, interrupted by the outbreak of W.W.I.

(source from http://inventors.about.com)



In class Activities:
Describing a person by just using a picture, text and some drawings by taking the pictures, cut from magazines. - I picked Google "brothers" for my collage experiment.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what I see to describe Sergey Brin. :D

Wednesday- 19 Nov 08
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Mr. Radzi started the class by showing several of students' previous class's works.

Learn about mind mapping, the types of mind mapping are revealed for us to see and practice.

This is the mind map I made about myself. Most of it are all about my favorites and there are also some negative things that requires me a change. I really hope by doing this exercise, I would managed to have the ability to change myself into someone better, especially in this upcoming new year. :)


It is told that mind-mapping is a way or a door to explore the ideas broadly in terms of creativity and innovation. From mind-mapping, we can create new things and ideas in order to expand the basic root of the main idea. By doing this, we can automatically be innovative and also inventive.

Besides that, we have also been told to create a blog to fill in our journal. We can do this as creative as we can.

In the journal (blog), we need to fill in these 4 main elements, which are:

1. Everything learned in the class.
2. Reflection from the learning.
3. Information & experience sharing from whatever books, journals, websites, pictures and quotes.
4. Last but not least, whatever we think that is most suitable be called as creative things. :D

From the beginning of the course, we were mentioned to do our blogs in the edublogs.org. But then, because of errors occurred while dealing with the blog, we were then asked by Ms. Helena to changed to our favorite blog site in order to fulfill this assessment.

By having our journal in the blog, we can gain so many advantages from it, which includes:

1. We can document our understandings and applications of creativity in a creative format from the classes that Mr. Radzi and Ms. Helena brilliantly conducted earlier.
2. It is essential for us as students to cultivate or promote the habit to expressing our creative ideas and information in order for us to share it with people, not only from MMU itself, but also the world. This would definitely generates a new way of thinking and also a new types of ideas that people can look at and may be they can take it for their uses as we share with each others.

Basic information to mind-mapping

I LOVE MIND-MAPPING!

WHAT IS A MIND MAP?

Mind maps are tools that help us think and remember better, creatively solve problems and take action. The mind map encourages creativity and flexibility, and you need these to make your resolutions happen! Mind maps help you think outside the box.

If you’ve already made your list, try turning it into a mind map. If you haven’t made your list yet, try this strategy.

WHY MIND MAPS WORK

They help you avoid thinking linearly They open you up to creativity and new ways of thinking They’re more realistic, because most things aren’t orderly to begin with They help you get the big picture They naturally hook into your right brain, where creativity and intuition can help you

Not all ideas organize themselves tidily into an outline format, and linear thinking is limiting.

About the Author

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here: http://www.susandunn.cc.

Written by: Susan Dunn

Taken from:
http://www.mind-mapping.org/mindmapping-and-you/basic-introduction-to-mindmapping.html


For extra information about mind mapping, you may visit http://essentialmindmapping.com/

Buzan's iMindMap

Assalamualaikum..

Haluu..

I would love to share Tony Buzan's iMindMap mind mapping software, which can enhanced more of our creativity and ideas. All are created in the easiest way of getting your ideas and creativity enhanced! See it for yourself. :)



You can try it for 7 days by clicking the button below.

You can also buy it by clicking this button.


Have fun! :)

The Best Company To Work With!

Haluu..Would you believe that there is a place to work with like this? It's great!

Tony Buzan?

Here's the real Tony Buzan speaking about mind-mapping.. Enjoy!

MultiConverters!

Ehem..

Hello..

Ermm..

Topic: Story a website <- is this correct?

http://www.ghostcalc.com/

I kinda found this website accidentally when I wanted to convert temperature from celcius to fahrenheit. I googled this when I wanted to bake a chocolate moist cake (which finally happened to be a TRIPLE EXTRA-moist cake!) :|

Then I think it is one way to express our creativity; by creating things that we have never done before and maybe we can do experiments with it..kan?kan? :D

Back to the website. By using this website, we can convert from almost anything into almost anything from whatever type of conversion that we want. It has also several types of calculators.

But one thing amazed me was this "Number in words" thing. We can just enter any number and when we click the convert button, it will give give us the spellings for each. Don't understand what I am talking about? Me neither..If you want to know better, you may check it out.. :D

I referred to a Internet-recipe and stated inside all the ingredients needed and also the way to bake it. But one thing that I was not so sure about one of the ingredient was something called BUTTERMILK. I started to have my own version of theory about buttermilk; "a buttermilk is a butter mixed together with any ordinary cow milk. walla! now u have a buttermilk!"

But then, it was not it!

Actually, a buttermilk is...(taken from wikipedia la..where else..) -->

Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product produced from cow's milk with a characteristically sour taste. The product is made in one of two ways. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. In India, buttermilk or mattha is known to be the liquid leftover after extracting butter from churned curd. Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. On the other hand artificially made buttermilk, also known as cultured buttermilk, is a product where lactic acid bacteria called Streptococcus lactis have been added to milk. Whether traditional or cultured, the tartness of buttermilk is due to the presence of acid in the milk. The increased acidity is primarily due to lactic acid, a by-product naturally produced by lactic acid bacteria while fermenting lactose, the primary sugar found in milk. As lactic acid is produced by the bacteria, the pH of the milk decreases and casein, the primary protein in milk, precipitates causing the curdling or clabbering of milk. This process makes buttermilk thicker than plain milk. While both traditional and cultured buttermilk contain lactic acid, traditional buttermilk tends to be thinner whereas cultured buttermilk is much thicker.

In the early 1900s, cultured buttermilk was labeled artificial buttermilk, to differentiate it from traditional buttermilk, which was also known as natural or ordinary buttermilk.

Acidified buttermilk is a related product that is made by adding a food-grade acid to milk.

---<>--- Now, there you go..one great explanation about buttermilk.. :)

Till then, daaa~

1st Week of Being Creativated

1st WEEK
=======

Monday-10 Nov 08
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The first class of MLC 1014...

Topic: Creative thinking

In class activity:

> Students have been given a big square divided into 4 small square (have 9 dots) and we have been told to take 2 lines to form only 2 squares. We need to create 4 lines connecting the 9 dots without lifting the pen. As been shown by the lecturers, there are various ways to do this including tearing
each dots (from the paper) and connect each other by joining them somewhere else that
we like.

Reminder:

> Each of us must have a book to write a journal but after that, we need to write our journal in a blog of our own.~~~~~

Wednesday - 12 Nov 08
+++++

Topic: Assessments' briefing

The assessments are:

40% - Final Exam
60% - Journal blog
- Mini project
- Thematic Project

Text Book (Reference) : Buzan T.Buzan B ( 1995) The mind map book 2nd edition

Things to share:

>Never say 'NO' to an idea

> Have a certain concept & idea, then make a statement
In class activity: Work in pair

Instructions:
Find out information of their partner & create the image of their partner based on their interpretation of the information that they had gathered.

Materials: A4 Paper, Markers or color pencil/pen, A friend

My partner: Nur Izliana bt. Ismail BMm(Hons) Media Innovation & Entrpreneuership

From the interview, the image of Liana is : The "Spatula"

She is a wonderful, kind, polite and great person. After interviewing her, I have decided to describe her as the "Spatula". It is because I took of all the answers from all the questions
I questioned her in the interviewing session and interpret those as the "Spatula". The reasons are as below:

1. Her name starts with "Iz", which sounds like sharpy-pointy thing. Hence the spatula is sharp! :)
2. She has 4 siblings, as the spatula has 4 pointed shape at its front side.
3. She loves purple, which indicates the color of the ambience of cooking because cooking also is one of my favorite things to do and I see cooking as a beautiful way in expressing our creativity where spatula main use is acquired most.
4. She loves to watch films with drama and comedy genre. There can be drama in using a spatula. You can be hurt, happy, and also get killed by using it. There is also sometime you can put comedy in it too.
5. The main thing is, she loves cooking, like me! :)

From the interview, the image of Arif is : The 'S hook'.

"As looking at the person , we can tell that he is such a simple and warm person.After interviewing him, i decide to describe him by picture him as a ' S hook'.Why i choose the 'S hook' to represent him is because the listed criteria of him is beginning with the 'S' letter.He is Simple, Slim,Smart,loves to Sleep,Sweet person,loves to Smile,loves to play Scrabble,such a Secretive person,hates Shrimp,prefer the taste of the cooking to be Salty than Sweet and many more to be listed.

The physical of the 'S hook' which can be use both side of the 'S tails.Either one of the tails can be hooked strongly everywhere that we wish to hook it.This explains he is a kind of when he believes in something,he will hold strongly in what he believes in.The other tails of the S hook which can be use to hook other things on it such as clothes etc, implicitly describing him as a person that we can rely or lean to.He is a very responsible person.If a responsible has been given to him, he will make sure he accomplished it.That is why i said that he is a person that we can be lean to.

The S hook is simple and slim that can be perfectly fit to the criteria of him.It can be use to hook a lot of things; we can rely to him in various field since he is a very responsible person."

Reminder:
-Bring magazines with a lot of pictures to the next class.

Lecturer's Contact Details

MLC 1014 - Creative Studies (formerly known as Media History, as told by FOM)

The Lecturers and their details:

MLC 1014

transferring from edublogs to blogger.