5 Cool Things: light boxes, true stories, word maps, an idea matrix, and dirty footprints

Take a look around, and I think you’ll discover that the world is filled with some very cool things.

Really, it’s true. Cool things are just about everywhere, if you know how to spot them. Heck, I found five just this week.

Yep, that’s right. It’s time once again, my friends, for 5 Cool Things.

Cool Thing #1: Lighting Up Your Drawings with a Light Box

A light box, in case you didn’t already know, is a cool little tool for transferring your drawings from one surface to another.

It’s a pretty simple concept, a box with a light inside and a semi-transparent top. Place your drawing on the surface, slap another piece of paper or other material on top of that, and flip the switch. Voila! Your drawing’s made visible, enabling you to trace it and transfer it.

You can find one at almost any art supply store. You can even make your own.

And if you’re still in the dark as to how a light box might be of use to you, check out this cool set of videos by Sue Gill Rose at Ehow.com: Using a Lightbox to Transfer Artwork.

Cool Thing #2: The Moth, True Stories Told Without Notes

I discovered The Moth Podcast via Chicago Public Radio’s fantastic This American Life.

The Moth, a non-profit storytelling organization, was founded by poet George Dawes Green in 1997. Through their programs, both celebrities and complete unknowns are given opportunities to stand before audiences and tell their stories, true stories, without the aid of notes.

The Moth’s programs include Stories at the Moth, the Moth Story Slam, and, of course, the annual Moth Ball. The stories told are sometimes poignant, often funny, and occasionally outright weird. If you love a good story and would like to learn how to tell your own, check out their website at TheMoth.org.

Cool Thing #3: See the Connection with ThinkMap’s Visual Thesaurus

Look up at your screen! It’s a spider. It’s a dictionary. It’s a visual thesaurus!

Thinkmap’s Visual Thesaurus has become one of my favorite thinking/writing tools.

It works like this. You type in a word and, like any other thesaurus, it provides you with a list of synonyms and antonyms.

The difference, however, is that the words listed are situated on the branches of a mind map. Click any one of those words, and it will morph into yet another mind map with branches bearing more linguistic fruit.

It’s fun and it provides a novel way to explore and play with words. Great for writers of any stripe.

Just so you know, I’m an affiliate, but I’m an affiliate because I’ve purchased it, I use it, and I like it. You can check it out by clicking my affiliate link, Visual Thesaurus, or you can just Google it. It’s your call.

Cool Thing #4: Entering the Matrix, the Idea Matrix

Remember those math problems you used to do in school, the ones where you were given X variations of one variable and Y variations of another and then were asked to determine how many different ways those things could combine?

Relax. This cool thing isn’t a math lesson. It’s a lesson in generating ideas.

In a terrific post, Mark Dykeman of Braining-Blog.com teaches you a method for combining and shuffling a few variables in order to generate an almost endless supply of topics to write about. He calls it the Content Idea Matrix.

And what’s really cool about Mark’s method is that it can be applied to things other than writing. All you have to do is provide your own variables. Be sure to read the brief but brilliant 20,000+ Content Ideas To Propel You Into The Next Decade.

Cool Thing #5: Getting Your Creative Feet Dirty at the Dirty Footprints Studio

Whenever I encounter a truly creative person, I wonder what it would be like to take a walk through their mind. In the case of Connie Hozvicka, I think I might see walls covered with thick, bright splashes of paint. And the walls and paint would always be moving.

Connie is an artist, an art educator, and the creator of Dirty Footprints Studio where she paints, blogs, records podcasts, shoots videos, and offers creative workshops.

Her newest onlne workshop is called Art Journal Love Letters. I thought it was a cool idea and tweeted about it. Then I watched the following video and decided to sign up myself.

You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Now, go find some cool things of your own.

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Tagged as: creative people, storytelling