5 Cool Things: creative focus, super short stories, designer’s notes, drumming through adversity, and Van Gogh in pieces

How cool is this? It’s time for 5 Cool Things again.

Cool Thing #1: Three to Get Focused

Are you creative? Innovative? Imaginative? Completely disorganized and unfocused? Ah, well, apparently you’re not alone.

That’s the subject of a very cool video by fiber-artist-turned-entrepreneurial-coach, Molly Gordon. Addressing the issue of focus, Molly has provided a brilliant and gentle nudge to creative people everywhere.

She touches upon the concerns and fears that many creative people have about getting organized, and offers some great insights, the most notable being the power she’s discovered in focusing on three daily actions.

The Website: Shaboom Inc.
The Coach: Molly Gordon

Cool Thing #2: Short, short, short stories.

Good writers are always seeking ways to say more in fewer words. For those needing inspiration in their search for summation, I’d like to suggest a visit to OneSentence.org, a website devoted to true stories told in one sentence. You’d be surprised how much can be revealed in a one-liner.

Some of these sentences/stories are sad, many of them are poignant, and more than a few are downright hilarious.

Check them out.

The Stories: OneSentence.org
Links to Other Excursions into Brevity: More Short Stuff

Cool Thing #3: Designer’s Notes

I really like this piece by Ann Edwards about how designers can tap into the influence of music. Cool thoughts. Cool images.

The Article: Drawing Inspiration from Music
The Writer: Ann Edwards

Cool Thing #4: The Rhythm of Healing

In 1984, Rick Allen, the drummer for rock band Def Leppard, lost his arm in a tragic automobile accident. This could have ended his career, but through the help of his friends and some ingenious engineering, Allen returned to the band, the stage, and drumming.

Allen’s story, however, doesn’t end with his return to the stage. There would be personal struggles to endure and negative behaviors and emotions to overcome.

Allen and his wife Lauren Monroe have found a way to use that experience to help others. In 2001, they formed The Raven Drum Foundation, a program that uses the power of drumming to help people grow, heal, and overcome adversity.

Watch the video below to learn more about this incredible organization.

The Foundation: The Raven Drum Foundation
The Founders: Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe

Cool Thing #5: Van Gogh Goes to Pieces

Andrea, the creative force behind Andreaplanet.com, is a man of many colors, and he’s used his palate of ideas to create a piece of software that can produce some pretty stunning photo mosaics, images “composed of many tiled photos.”

I discovered his site and software via Stumbleupon when I came across his rendering of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Be sure to use the Zoom feature until you can see the images beneath the image. The lesson here, I believe, is to look deeper.

The Image: Van Gogh – Starry Night
The Man Behind the Image: Andrea

Cool.

That should be enough cool to see you through until next week.

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