| The
Column Archive
The
Column is a monthly feature that explores the world
of creativity and aesthetics.
Previous Issues
Use one of the links below to read a previous issue
of The Column at AbleStable.
The
Column | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 |
| 070 |
December |
Our
Common Ancestors: Three
quarters of a million people visit Stonehenge
every
year. They come to view the ancient monument
out of curiosity, because of its reputation,
for its historical significance, and
as a spectacle or historical site. There
is also another reason why we are drawn
like flies to a lamp - we are a spiritual
species, and the stones connect with
a place far distant to the rush of our
modern existence. |
| |
|
|
| 069 |
November |
Splish
Splash:
When kids see a puddle they have an unbridled
desire to splash in it. Adults on the
other hand tend to do one of two things
when they see a young one rushing towards
a shallow pool of water. They either
warn their enthusiastic charge not to
mess up their clothes, or worse, they
run behind and scoop the child up just
before their feet reach the rippling
surface. What is it that drives kids
towards water, and why do most adults
avoid splashing all together? |
| |
|
|
| 068 |
October |
The
Art Of Doing Nothing: To give our creativity
a chance of performing at its best we
must devote time to stillness and silence.
Resist the temptation of dismissing this
as doing nothing of value. We need a
portion of our waking time to reflect
upon and transform our experiences so
we may express them effectively through
the filter and influence of our creativity. |
| |
|
|
| 067 |
September |
Phone
Chrome From Google: "Chrome",
the new browser from Google has launched.
The browser will likely have a significant
impact on what the web delivers - think
of "Chrome" as an operating
system that is being dropped into Windows,
Mac, and Linux. The reason for the development
of the "browser" (which has
been branded as a modest, helpful, and
free application) is to allow Google
to deliver a web OS and applications
that generate revenue. |
| |
|
|
| 066 |
August |
Live
To Be 100: My outlook is positive,
my hope, unreasonably optimistic. I see endless
possibilities in the future. I resist the life
of the ordinary which requires we act out a play
that stifles creativity and makes us small. I
see no inevitability in the path we tread as
to do so would be to leave hope, that most human
of qualities, behind. |
| |
|
|
| 065 |
July |
Creativity
and Place:
Place defines our view and expression.
Whether we are land lovers, mountain
dwellers, or feel most at home on the
open sea, place defines the bond we make
with the world. Our surroundings have
a profound affect on our mood, our work,
and our play, and we are at our most
creative when we are conscious of the
influence of place. |
| |
|
|
| 064 |
June |
The
Beauty of Natural Things:
We build great buildings with our hands,
write poetry with skills of the mind,
and make music in a place still very
much a mystery to us. These uniquely
human activities require our conscious
effort and exacting attention, and in
such a place of creativity our minds
are enlivened, our hearts touched, often
in the most unexpected of ways. It is
tempting to think we are the masters
of this gift of making, yet so often
it is the place, the moment and what
our senses gather, that sparks our journey
into the unknown realm. |
| |
|
|
| 063 |
May |
The
Adolescent eBook: eBooks
are still in their infancy as compared
with the long history of their real-world
relations. An eBook cannot replace a
book, it is a different media, a close
relation, yet distinctive. In considering
their differences and common attributes
it is clear the eBook has some way to
go before maturation, but also that it
is capable of making a significant contribution
as a new creative medium. |
| |
|
|
| 062 |
April |
Brecon
Beacons: Mountain and Sky: Impressive landscape
photography is as much about good fortune
as sound technique, a fine camera, and
a good eye. Like any creative activity,
you must become an extension of the medium
to achieve any success in it. |
| |
|
|
| 061 |
March |
How
To Be Creative: Creativity
is not confined to the chosen few who
articulate their
experiences in words, music, or another
medium. We are all creative. Finding
the time to encourage that creativity
in ourselves is however often a challenge,
but if we fail to flex our creative muscles,
the enemy of inertia grabs a hold. This
column provides a compact first aid box
for that circumstance and aims to counter
any uncertainty that your creativity
is boundless. |
| |
|
|
| 060 |
February |
Creative
Credits: Do you stay for
the end credits when you go to the movies
or are you one of the majority that gets
up and leaves as soon as the last scene
fades from view? Perhaps your take of
the credits is an endless list of names
that are primarily for the benefit of
industry insiders. There are however
good reasons why you should stay those
few minutes more after the movie comes
to a close. |
| |
|
|
| 059 |
January |
creative
i world: today sees the launch of creativeiworld,
a new Internet destination
where anyone who has produced original work
is given the opportunity to share their work
with others. I talk here of my motivation
and reasons for launching creativeiworld
as a distinct site rather than integrating
it with AbleStable, and my vision of how
creativeiworld will develop. |
Previous Issues of The Column
The Column 2007
The
Column 2006
The
Column 2005
The
Column 2004
The Column 2003
Feedback
AbleStable welcomes feedback on The Column. Go to
Feedback,
complete the form, and make your views known.
|
|
|
|
