Staying Creative:Tip #2

People are built so well on monotony that everytime they are immersed into something, they experience the same thing that they always have. Maybe it’s the whole idea of a comfort zone that acquaints us so well with what we’ve always known. While it’s good to always have familiarity and basis for everything, the culture and world around us is ever-changing. People have various lifestyles they’re accustomed to but wouldn’t you want to be that person that always tries something new? If you’ve always tried the same food from the same restaurants, you’ll always taste the same kinds of flavors. If you’ve never challenged yourself to pass by your local community’s famous art museum, you’ll never fully experience putting meaning into a local artists’ work. If you’ve never watched a film other than Westernized ones coming from Hollywood blockbusters, you’ve never truly seen the beauty of the global film industry. If your iPod only has a few number of genres and artists that are currently on repeat, then it’s time to explore less known bands and artists.

Staying creative means exploring the world around us and experiencing something new every single time. So when was the last time you experienced something new?

Staying Creative:Tip #1

We're launching a new section in The Culture Vulture Project called "Staying Creative". It's basically all about learning how to observe, document, and share the culture you see around you. Here's the first installation on this series:

Admit it, once or twice we’ve all been caught in the trance of stepping into school supply heaven otherwise known as National Bookstore. For us Pinoys, there can no other store as complete as the Pambansang Bookstore (not even Muji, which actually is one of my favorite places too!) This is where my love for notebooks actually stemmed from. Sometimes, I’d have to actually stop myself from purchasing another notebook knowing that I have a ton more at home that are still left unopened! For any aspiring writer, carrying a notebook with you at all times is necessary to document all your lightbulb moments in. You just never know when it’s going to happen! The trick is to carry a notebook small enough to keep in your bag and a trusty pen. You’ll be surprised by the amount of things you can actually write, no matter how messy your notes can be at the end of the day. You don’t even need to write down full sentences, just scribble down keywords you think will be essential in helping you write later on. Truth is, the use of the notebook is actually spiraling down with the rise of our ever trusty laptops which can be a faster way of documenting our thoughts. But think of notebooks like old-school love letters as opposed to text messages and e-mails, isn’t the former a lot more romantic? Wouldn’t you prefer a suitor to court you like the old-school way? Romance is the kind of feeling you can’t establish with a gadget as impersonal as a laptop which can be generalized to practically every human being living on this planet. Romance is buying a number of notebooks with pretty covers, and writing on it just randomly. That’s the beauty of being a writer, you get enamored every single day with the romance you make with your own words in your own notebook. If you want to keep yourself creative, buy your own set of notebooks now and tell me how it goes!

Happy reading… and writing!

Top 5 Blog Picks for November

5.) Anik-Anik Love

There’s nothing we love more than discovering creative home-grown talents. Anik-Anik delves into the creative spaces of notable Filipino artists. Getting a glimpse of how these artists work, and live, is getting a peek of their personal lives which otherwise would not have been possible without this blog.

4.) Our Awesome Planet

Have you ever wondered how beautiful this country is? OAP founder, Anton Diaz is in search for the best places you can find here in the Philippines. Getting approximately a million hits every month, Our Awesome Planet catches the attention of every reader by not only promoting the local tourism, but the awesome food finds that come along with it!

3.)The Uniform Project

A Little Black Dress is one of a girl’s fashion staples. It’s one that will never go out of style and will always look classy. But what if you had to wear that LBD for 365 days straight, do you think you can pull it off? The Uniform Project is a great way to show that fashion isn’t all about designer clothes, and expensive jewelry. Sheena Matheiken is the founder of the Uniform Project and used this as a fundraising project to help less-fortunate children in India.

2.)The Selby

If you had a chance to get deep into the mind of an artist, where do you think you should start? His personal spaces, of course! Todd Selby is the founder of a blog that’s all about immersing oneself into the abode of creative individuals. You’ll be surprised at how creativity breeds not only the works of the artist himself, but the way he arranges his surroundings! If home truly is where the heart is, then The Selby has definitely captured the complex hearts of various artists.

1.)Bride and Beyond

Everybody loves weddings and this blog is no exception at all. Every post will leave you with an, “awww!” and will show you that love really is all around! It is founded by a Filipina wedding planner who narrates the beautiful proposals, and weddings that she witnesses. Her beautiful execution of weddings make the blog a thousand times more interesting to read.