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INPUT!

I have to admit that I love the end of the year because you start to see everyones' "Best Of..." lists. One of my favorite publications, PASTE, always does a great job of this and this morning I've been catching up on their Top 25 Music videos of the year. 

Usually when I'm sensing a lack of creativity, I know the first place to look for the problem. What's my input? If we expect to have good 'output', we need good 'input'. That principle pretty much goes across everything in life. Want to cook a cook meal? Use good ingredients. Want to be a good friend? Hang out with good friends. Want to tell good stories? Read good stories. 

It's a very simple principle that we often forget. So... as you look to whatever endeavors you are planning for next year, check out the best of what happened this year. Then practice the creative art of stealing. That's right, every artist steals. You can either be a 'dirty thief' and plagiarize or you can be a 'proper thief' and follow this pattern.

"Suck. Mimic. Innovate."

Take in good input. Process it. Then make something better. 

This is the process behind the creation of every new idea you and I have ever had. Now that you know the process, you can become better at it.

Here's some good input from 2010. Check out PASTE's top 25 music videos here, or see their complete list here.

Here are a few videos that inspired me in strange ways and made me get out my pen to start writing...

'Blue Like Jazz'... It's ALIVE!!!

Have you heard of Don Miller's latest miracle?

You may remember way back in the day when a little book, Blue Like Jazz, was released. I read the book in 2003 and to be honest, at that point in my life, I was in a downward spiral. I remember sitting on my bed in Santa Monica, California hating my job, broke as a joke, and figuring out if I had enough money to put together so I could purchase a latte to comfort myself. I really don't remember how I heard of the book, but I read it... in a day. I actually think I called in sick to work.

Earth Day 2010! A New Dot&Cross Project!

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping up with my blog. I know it has been pretty heavy lately, but today I have a special treat for you! Instead of boring you to tears with another never-ending post, I have a visual biscuit for you to nibble on!

You may have heard me talking about our new film series with Matthew Sleeth, the author of Serve God, Save the Planet. This project focuses on the relationship between spiritual and environmental sustainability.  It has been nearly 3 years since we began the developing, but I am so glad to finally present you the trailer. I highly encourage you and your church to get involved on Earth Day, April 21, and take part of this simulcast event. I know you will be blessed for getting outside of your comfort zone and starting to ask yourself some hard questions.

This issue is not a political story. This issue is not a 'crisis-induced' story. This issue stems from a very very old love story that we have forgotten about. It is time the church united together, opens their eyes and sees that God has shown us, not how to 'save the planet', but how to care for it in the first place. Somewhere along the way we just decided to ignore what He had to say about tending the garden. Why?

We can't run from this truth any more! I hope this series speaks truth into the your life and is the cause of many changes, both spiritually but also environmentally. Enjoy the trailer! (Click the four arrow icon to see it full-screen)

Grand Rapids Hosts World's Largest Art Prize!

This morning Rick DeVos announced his new project, Art Prize.  It's a unique event that combines public art with the Grand Rapids community.  According to this morning's press release:

ArtPrize invites artists of all kinds from around the world to participate in an unprecedented competition that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes.

Details of ArtPrize, which will run from Sept. 23 through Oct. 10, were announced today from the competition’s host city of Grand Rapids, Mich. ArtPrize will have no formal jury, curator or judge. The public will decide who wins the prizes by voting, using mobile devices and the web.

This is of course going to be fantastic for local businesses as well as the city of Grand Rapids.  Check out the site and spread the word!

An Ambitious Project...

'An Ambitious Project Collapsing' and other great photographs by David Shrigley really caught my attention last night.  Great site to browse around on.  Check it out.

The Village Pet Store

Once again, Banksy has shown his genius.  He has opened up a Village Pet Store in NYC featuring animals, or  'potential' animals at one point in time.  Featuring Chicken nuggets pecking at ketchup and fish sticks swimming in a bowl, the exhibition opens at the end of the month.  Read more here.

Andy Warhol: An Icon? A Genuis? A Moron? Maybe just a misspelling.

So I recently learned that Andy Warhol's real name is Andy Warhola.  In his first big gig when he was given credit it was misspelled Andy Warhol.  He never fixed the mistake.  It turns out he was quite the draftsman who got started drawing women's shoes for advertisements.

I am very drawn to Andy Warhol because of the way he spoke his mind, something I wish I could do more of.  His actual statements either come from a very very personal place or from a very very superficial place.  According to himself, he would say it's a superficial place.  However in order to have that type of confidence and lack of concern over how people respond is anything but superficial and points towards a deep sense of self understanding. 

In a quick observation...

1. There are uncool things to say.
2. There are cool things to say.
3. There are cool things to say that make you uncool.
4. There are uncool things to say that make you seem cooler.

Given a general understanding of a person, most statements fit in one of the above categories.  It's funny how people (myself included) can tweak any statement for a desired social effect.  In looking at Andy's quotes, they range all over the place.  I can't figure out which category they belong to.  They are 'a-coolness'.

Here are a few of my favorite Warhol quotes:

'I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.'

'I am a deeply superficial person.'

'I'm afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning.'

'It's the movies that have really been running things in America ever since they were invented. They show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look how you feel about it.'

'The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is McDonald's. Peking and Moscow don't have anything beautiful yet.'

'Art is what you can get away with.'

'Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.'

'I don't know where the artificial stops and the real starts.'

'I like boring things.'

'I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're beautiful. Everybody's plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic.'

'I think it would be so great if more people took up silk screening,so that no one would know whether my picture was mine or somebody else.'

'The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet.'

'What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it...'