This term I feel as if I am not learning as much in my classes this term, as I did last term.  Which immediately causes my attitude towards them to suffer, and to not take them as seriously as I should.  That is why I have turned to creative projects outside of the classroom, on my own time.  I would prescribe this to anyone who has the feeling of ‘wanting to do more.’ 

But where to begin you ask?  Well, I would recommend Twitter.  If you aren’t already on it, then that is where you should start.  You can do more by just learning about Twitter and then interacting / learning from others on Twitter.  There is so much to be gained, and you will find the majority of the people on Twitter are self motivated folks who have the same feeling as you–

they want to do more.

Once you are comfortable with shouting off into cyberspace, then I would say start asking people to do something with you.  I had this feeling that I wanted to write a book.  But every time I tried, I couldn’t sustain it.  I would have bursts of writing and then I would drop it because my creativity would be gone.  To solve this problem, I introduced some other people into the mix.  I approached @garrettcarrot and @sethrader saying–hey, we have a lot of stuff in common, you guys seem to have inspiration and the desire for self growth, how would you like to write a book?  And we hemmed and hawed over what it was going to be about, brainstormed, and finally settled on a general idea.  We write in parts–each person writes the next part and passes it on.  This way the content is always fresh and you don’t get burned out. 

Another example of a project I think is great, is the 365 Challenge that is taking place on Flickr.  It is creative as well has educational–promoting the people involved to be a better photographer and to be somewhat introspective.  Looking at 365 days worth of pictures tells you a lot about someones personality.  It is a growing experience which allows you to interact with friends and other Flickr members who are really nice and want you to succeed.  Plus it gives you something creative to do everyday–a little break from the norm.

I truly feel people are the biggest factor when it comes to a project’s sustenance. 

Find like minded people who want to see you learn and progress.  Start shooting around ideas and create some side projects for your life.  You will be happier, you will find new creativity and meaning in the things you do.  They don’t have to be big–maybe you have three projects that take 15 minutes a day each.  Surely you can find that time.  Try it, and let me know how it goes.

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