Creativity Exercises on a Snowday

While exploring the site from the email I immediately concluded that I am a left brained learner because of course the left brain activity appealed to me more. So I went on the site and attempted the first puzzle, worked really hard on it, couldn’t figure it out, got utterly frustrated and clicked on the oh so tempting “solution” button. Why would they put that button so close to the questions?? So realizing I was no where near the correct answer I resolved to solve the next problem. After staring at the computer for 10 minutes attempting to start this problem I decided that it was obviously a trick question. Clicking on the solutions button revealed a very real answer. The next question seemed very confusing and I had no idea on a way to set up the problem. Clicking on what I thought was the “solutions” button revealed that I had been staring at the answer page, for several minutes, attempting to understand where the question was.

The obvious conclusion from this onslaught of difficult left brain questions was that I clearly am set up to be a right brain learner. With a new ambitious lease on life, I went into the right brain questions with a clear resolve and high hopes. These high hopes were soon dashed by the question; “An Architect was asked to design a square house with windows on each wall having a southern exposure. How did he do this?” My first thought was “Why couldn’t this architect be a woman?” Letting that go, I was convinced that the obvious solution was that at least 2 walls wouldn’t have windows. Maybe the house could be built into a hill or was a Hobbit hole or something like that. What was frustrating by the answer of “the house is built on the south pole” was not that I didn’t get the answer correct, it was that I had heard this question before and still didn’t get the answer correct.

So by the end of that activity I had not solved a problem right, which I credit to the fact that the solutions button really should be more hidden. In terms of creativity though, I am not sure what the impact was. I did not feel outwardly creative. I did not paint or draw or pick up the guitar, which has been calling my name lately. I was inspired though by these puzzle failures, to play 20 minutes of Soduku and then Tetris, both of which I owned at and made me happy inside.

Next was humor. This I have no problem finding in my life. I am not sure if people know this, and I try to keep it on the down low, but I sort of like to laugh. So I do it a lot, sometimes at inappropriate times. Don't tell anyone, I don't want to blow my cover. I read some of the jokes from that site laughed a lot, but then indulged in some pleasure reading and broke open Rules by Cynthia Lord. I think this book is hysterical. My best friend has a little brother with Downs Syndrom so reading this book reminds me a lot of the interactions I have had with him. My favorite Benjamin story involves meeting him. I drove 4 hours down to RI on a very hot summer’s day. Getting out of the car I feel pretty gross and sweaty from my need to never take a rest stop on a solo car ride. Ben meets me at the door with his sister, Kelly. Kelly gives me a hug and Ben follows suite. After our quick hug Ben looks up and says “HI, you smell like catfood.” Kelly, obviously noticing my horrified and embarrassed facial expression, reassured me that Ben meets everyone and says that, or switches cat food with dead fish. Never the less, I put on more deodorant. So back to snow day, I sat in my room, laughing aloud to Rules, in a silent room, then awkwardly acknowledge that my neighbors are home listening to me laughing to myself. So I laugh again at the potential awkwardness.

The rest of the snow day was spent with good friends, and we have very little trouble laughing at/with each other. Creativity abounded as we enjoyed a lengthy game of indoor badminton, until the shuttlecock got caught in the light of the ceiling fan which hung from a ceiling that is easily 12 feet high. Being the only individual 6 feet tall I was nominated to retrieve said shuttlecock. Balancing on a bar stool, which was balancing on a futon, which was being steadied by friends Patrick and Stevie, I used a spatula to pull the shuttlecock from the light. (Pictures were taken, as soon as they are on facebook I will attach them to the blog.)

Inspiration is something easily achieved. I find inspiration in lots of things/people/situations. I worked with an amazing individual a few summers ago, who only being a year older then me has been through a lot of “less then ideal situations” in life, but despite that or because of it, she approaches life with this amazing optimism. One rainy afternoon when the restaurant was less than busy, we sat out back and she told me her approach to meeting people. She talks to everyone she meets like they are going to tell her some amazing life secret. “Everyone has done something you haven’t done, and most things you are not going to get a chance to do, so listen to their stories and you learn something about them, their struggles, their life, and you will learn something additionally about yourself.” Since that conversation I try to take that approach with people. I like to talk to people, and do it a lot. It takes me a long time to get places because I run into people. Don’t go to the caf with me and expect me to get food quickly. I usually spend the first five minutes table bouncing, as I call it, visiting with people. So daily I am inspired by people I meet. I am sure that with every new person and every new conversation, I am gaining more insight on myself and life, which will add to my creativity.