Henry Darger, what is going on?

First and foremost, I’d like to say that In the Realms of the Unreal: the Mystery of Henry Darger was one of the most confusing things I’ve tried to understand in a long time. But, moving on.

            Henry Darger was extremely reclusive and didn’t make much of an attempt to meet new people or spend time with anyone but himself. He did talk to his landlords, his friend Bill, and one of his neighbors, but other than that, he didn’t have many other people in his life. When he did socialize, he usually just kept to discussing the weather and always “responded ineptly in social conversations”. He was creative in a very different, very personal way, which is why I think it was so hard to try and comprehend what was going on throughout the video. Personally, I think Henry was just different; he may have been on the border when regarding schizotypal personality. According to The Scientific American, a person doesn’t have to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia to show some of its effects. Yes, he did have a sort of “magical thinking” (which could be considered borderline schizotypal), but Darger was “different” in the way that he kept so much to himself. Even so, he wasn’t crazy. He apparently didn’t see his life as interesting, so he did the best job he could to fix it by creating. He talked to himself and created the types of things he saw as missing in his life and world.

In my opinion, Henry Darger was extremely creative. As weird as his work is, he did something that nobody else has ever done and probably will ever do. His art is vastly different than anything else ever created, so it should be noticed and seen as interesting. Not many people can say they’ve written a few-thousand page novel in their lives, and that alone is extremely impressive.

All right, John Cleese, I think I’m pickin’ up what you’re layin’ down…

Throughout his 35-minute video, I picked up on some pretty interesting and important recommendations and suggestions John Cleese spit out on how to be creative. So, here it goes: it’s a heck of a lot easier to tell someone how to be creative than it is to actually be creative, and you don’t have to be senselessly smart to do so. At the same time, it’s easier to open up to creativity when working with a group of people rather than by oneself. Creativity doesn’t have to have an explanation or structure, and it can practically stem from anywhere. A person doesn’t have to be talented to be creative; it’s just a way of being, of operating. The most creative types of people are typically those who keep their minds on the subjects they’re thinking about and are open to letting creativity naturally happen. Negativity doesn’t bother this type of person and they run with their intuition. To become creative quickly, Cleese suggested that a person must be in an “open-minded” mode, rather than closed, and the gateway to doing so is by:

1.     Having a space that’s quiet and undisturbed.

2.     Having a time to start and stop being creative.

3.     Having time to stick out the problem.

4.     Having the confidence to not fear mistakes.

5.     Having a sense of humor: it’s essential.

Overall, I agree with Mr. Cleese. I firmly believe that if a person wants to be creative, they absolutely have the power to do so, and they can’t be afraid of the naysayers or think that their ideas aren’t good enough. Spontaneity is key and it’s okay to step away from the beaten path and do things in a completely new way. Working with others and spit-balling ideas most definitely helps create new ways of thinking, and a lot of times those ideas can be combined. So, if anyone were to want my advice I’d say this: Do things your way. Who cares if not everyone agrees with your ideas and bad things are said about it? That’s, well, life, and not everyone is going to like you or your points of view all of the time. Take a chance; if your idea is shut down, at least you can say you tried and didn’t just stand on the sidelines. Lastly, I’d say don’t wait. I’m going to be really cliché and state that life is short, but it’s the truth. If you come up with something you feel is brilliant, why not share it with the world?

Go ahead, let that creativity happen. 

a little something i thought was worth sharing

"Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account $86,400 each day.

It carries over no balance from day to day. Each evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance is left that you've failed to use during that day. What would you do? Draw out every penny, of course?

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is time. 

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off what you have failed to use for a good purpose, as lost. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is not drawing against "tomorrow".

You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success. Your clock is running, make the most of today."

Creativity, in my opinion.

Creativity is something every single person is born with. Everyone has it in them, but it is all a matter of whether or not to let it show. It is also completely subjective.

In my opinion, being creative is a means of expressing oneself. It can be used as an outlet or inspiration and can be found in almost anything, anywhere, at any time. Stemming from inanimate and animate objects, or even from within the mind alone, creativity can be found everywhere. 

Basically anything can be considered creative. Creativity could be in the form of drawing, painting, music, and anything else one could think of. I think we, a lot of times, overlook the simplicities we have in our lives and don’t give credit to how creative they really are. For instance, who would have thought to bend a little piece of wire to make a small holder that we now know as the paper clip? Who would have thought that music could be loaded onto a computer and made into a smaller size, which can then all be stored in the same place with the rest of your favorite songs? The geniuses that come up with ideas of how to take something completely ordinary and change it into something new and useful is how I would describe creativity.

As long as a person’s creativity is being used in a positive way, to get a point across or to just de-stress or anything of that sort, I think being creative and letting it show is one of the greatest gifts humans possess. 

An introduction is probably in order..

Jenna's the name. 

I like the unpredictability of life. I like unexpected surprises. I like lacrosse, the Pittsburgh Steelers, God, Kansas City, spending time with my family & friends, doodling, hockey, photography, The Breakfast Club, music, autumn, laughing, adventures, coffee, and anything pumpkin... not necessarily in that order. I think old people are adorable. I have an unhealthy obsession with brushing my teeth. I like thrifting and having talks about life. I've been told I'm weird and quirky, but I've learned to embrace it. I'm outspoken sometimes. I try to be the best person I can be while reminding myself that perfection doesn't exist. I try to be optimistic not only for myself but for other people as well. I'm working on taking life one day at a time.