Tips of the Day

If we all understood that

everyone has their own battles to fight,

insecurities to face, loves to contend

and goals to attain, the world would be a gentler place.

Tips of the Day

While walking I heard an old lady say,

"I've been in love with the same man for almost 50 years."

I was touched but then she said, "I wish he knew."

Discovering the Virtues of a Wandering Mind

There's a finding in New York Times' science section that touts the creative benefits of daydreaming...

"At long last, the doodling daydreamer is getting some respect"

Mind wandering, as psychologists define it, is a subcategory of daydreaming, which is the broad term for all stray thoughts and fantasies, including those moments you deliberately set aside to imagine yourself winning the lottery or becoming the noble. But when you’re trying to accomplish one thing and lapse into “task-unrelated thoughts,” that’s mind wandering.

Psychologists also found that people's minds seem to wander 30 percent of the time during waking hours.

Researchers have been analyzing those stray thoughts, they’ve found daydreaming is "remarkably common — and often quite useful. A wandering mind can protect you from immediate perils and keep you on course toward long-term goals. Sometimes daydreaming is counterproductive, but sometimes it fosters creativity and helps you solve problems."

To encourage this creative process, it is suggested that to go jogging, take a walk, do some knitting or just sit around doodling, because relatively undemanding tasks seem to free your mind to wander productively. But you also want to be able to catch the idea at the Eureka moment!

"For creativity you need your mind to wander" Mr. Professional says.

That's the reason why i am doing it so often. Maybe not 30% but half of my waking hours!LOL!

Things to Remember

This is Your Life.

Do what you love, and do it often.

If you don't like something, change it.

If you don't like your job, Quit.

If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV.

If you're looking for the love of your life, stop. They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.

Stop over analyzing, Life is Simple.

All emotions are beautiful when you eat, appreciate every last bite.

Open your mind, arms and heart to new things. And people, we are united in our differences.

Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them.

Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating.

Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion.

Tips of the Day

Be Yourself

Everyone else is already taken

Tips of the Day

To those who have given up on love, 

I say, "Trust life a little bit"

Tips of the day

Focus.
I have so many projects ongoing and errands to do at a time. I'll be working on a project for a few minutes before an idea pops in my head and then find myself sketching out something totally unrelated. Next thing you know I'm online doing job-hunting or facebook-ing and we all know, once you're online you remember you haven't checked your email today, and then you see you got a message with a link to a new blog. On that blog you stumble upon the Twitter logo and realize you haven't tweeted all day. Finally it's 5pm, and your initial project from six hours ago is sitting lonely by the wayside, unfinished and neglected.

Same thing happen when doing shopping. No. Not Shopping, i am supposed to buy one particular thing ONLY. Go out, get it, and come back, quick.

But then "men get what they need, women get what they want". It's so true, and I'm a hundred percent woman.

Okay, here is the case. You all know i just moved to my new place, in happy valley. And yesterday I planned going to IKEA for a washroom mirror, just that easy, i could come back in an hour and continue unpack my stuffs. 

So i headed to causeway bay (that's definitely an evil place to every mankind!) on the way to IKEA, i should have shut my eyes, or i wouldn't notice there is a seasonal sale in my favorite Diesel Store, or i wouldn't come across HMV and find that there are new CDs released, or i wouldn't realize that i need a hairdo, or i wouldn't remember there's still a $500 I.T Coupon in my wallet, or..........i could free my hand to hold the mirror that i should have bought 3 hours earlier.

Ahhh...stupid Nicole!!!

It's time to get focused. I remember reading a study that found we're not really that great at multi-tasking. Yes, we manage to get multiple things done at once but it doesn't necessarily help us get them done efficiently. On top of that the quality of work is not as great as it would be if we focused on one project at a time.  

Tackle your tasks by designating a specific period of time to work and dedicate your full attention to that project. Force yourself to ignore other things that distracted. Whenever I'm working and an unrelated thought or idea comes up I tell myself "no, we're not doing that right now" and then I write it down on the appropriate list for me to address it later. Yes, it has resulted in me talking to myself but it definitely helps me get back on track.

So list your goals, prioritize, and focus. It's the best way to get things done effectively and efficiently :)

Sometimes...

When you catch yourself worrying about the present and future.

When no one seems to really like you
Or you feel like nothing is quite right,
It can be a good idea to take account of lovely things that make you indescribably peaceful and happy and content.
Just like this.

Tips of the day

Do it.

As a creative person you probably have projects listed in your mind or on a dreamboard waiting to come into fruition. You probably researched, explored, and even reached out to people for advice on how to make something happen. Yet those projects remain to be little notes jotted down on your to do list. Weeks go by, then months, and the next thing you know you're cleaning out a desk drawer and stumble upon that list written years ago.

This happened to me the other day. I was tidying up some old stuffs of mine and found there was a pile of dusty books round the corner. I can't even remember why they're here but anyway i was supposed to read them all through. Those are books about art history, ideas generations, psychology, easy-cooking, self-learning languages and so... However, they were being left behind, just like brand new books never been flipped. What a shame!
I should take time to finish them one by one. Yes! I should read books, not magazines, not comics, but BOOKSSSS!!!
Whats more, i found there were three sketch books beneath the pile. Of which, two of them are empty. The other one with (only) few pages of illustrations and paintings was done few years ago. I used to draw spontaneously when i was a design student. But not anymore.

Ideally, these sketch books should be filled with my lovely drawings and memories, but due to my laziness and lost of passion, i just found hundred blank pages right here.....damn!!!

All that said, we can talk about the things that we want but if it's all talk then there isn't much that's going to happen. When you have tons of other ideas and a whole bunch of other things going on it's tough to make time, but you have to. If it's something you really want to do then take those necessary steps.

As I'm typing this I'm realizing I'm talking to myself. It's time to focus and gear up for those fantastic projects we want to do. Nike had it right, just do it, it's the only way it'll get done.

Tips of the day

Don't look for what we know

The unfamiliar is right below our eyes

(Freedom and Its Owner, Kings of Convenience)

It's always good to keep ourselves inspired, even from the most mundane things of our everyday life that we usually don't notice. Let's play a small exercise, name one thing that gives you an inspiration today. Doesn't necessarily mean something inspiring that literally gives you an idea to create an artwork or anything, could be just something that makes you happy, puts a smile on your face, or maybe either gives you inspirations to blog, or to write a card or call your loved ones.

Have a good one.

Tips of the day

Get off the computer and get out.

Easier said than done, right? We have so many sites to visit, emails to answer, facebook to go who has time to step away? And that's only on the social end, what about getting your work done? If your job requires you to be on the computer 40 hours a week then it's even harder to flee.
Yea so I'm here to say it's important to take a break from surfing, blogging, designing, writing - whatever it is you do on the computer. Just, leave it.
As we really need some human interaction, fresh air, and fun moments to keep us from going digitally insane.

So make the time. Take a break. Get away.

Tips of the day

Never give up on someone you can't go a day without thinking about

Tips of the day

Don't let yourself feel like there's nothing remaining

even if it's true