{"id":44634,"date":"2017-03-24T12:35:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T19:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=44634"},"modified":"2017-03-24T00:35:59","modified_gmt":"2017-03-24T07:35:59","slug":"10-tips-how-to-unlock-your-inner-genius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/24\/10-tips-how-to-unlock-your-inner-genius\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips How to Unlock Your Inner-Genius"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I want to write you a letter on how you can unlock your inner-genius.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. We are all born with an inner-genius<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

First of all, in the Greek\/Roman times\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcgenius\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 was seen as this inner-spirit you (already) had in your heart. Your job as an artist or a poet was to awaken your inner-genius.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, we make the mistake of calling people geniuses. But the problem with that is this: we assume some<\/em> people are geniuses, and others aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.<\/p>\n

But in truth; we all have an inner-genius. We are all born with a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcgenius\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 within our spirits as children. But the problem is that as we get older, society beats the genius out of us.<\/p>\n

2. How to re-awaken the inner-genius<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To re-awaken the inner-genius is to re-awaken your inner-child.<\/p>\n

When is the last time you did something for the sake of it? When is the last time you played? When is the last time you did something, without worrying about how others saw you? When is the last time you did something \u00e2\u20ac\u201d not caring about money, or social media likes?<\/p>\n

3. How to find your inner-child<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Write down 3 things you loved doing as a child. For me:<\/p>\n

a. Drawing
\nb. Reading
\nc. Tinkering<\/p>\n

a. Drawing<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I loved to draw as a kid. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t very good; but I would draw for hours on end, not feeling hungry. I was in the zone. Supreme focus. No distractions.<\/p>\n

b. Reading<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I loved reading as a kid. I remember when I was poor, first moved to New York City (Queens), with no money. My family (me, my mom, my sister) literally slept with a mattress on the floor. We had no furniture. We had no stuff.<\/p>\n

I went to the library; and would consume 400-page Star Wars books for breakfast. I remember telling my friends in elementary school (age 11) that I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a TV. But when we finally did get a TV and video games, I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pick up another book for nearly a decade. Note to self: video games and TV are the worst deterrents to creativity.<\/p>\n

c. Tinkering<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I remember when I was 12 and got my first computer: a Intel Pentium I Processor ACER. I took it apart, and put it back together (with a few extra screws). I loved to break things apart, tinker with them, and figure out to put them back together.<\/p>\n

I learned how to build computers, and sold some for a profit\u00e2\u20ac\u201d earned around $1,000 and bought my first car (1991 Sentra).<\/p>\n

I tinkered with my car. I learned how to upgrade the intake, header, and exhaust. I stripped the interior. I spray-painted the brown interior black. I re-painted my bumpers. It was my ultimate tinker-toy.<\/p>\n

4. How I play around now<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Now, I am trying to re-spark my inner-child.<\/p>\n

Some ways:<\/p>\n

a. Drawing<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Using Photoshop, to make fun illustrations, for the fun and hell of it.<\/p>\n

b. Reading<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To re-invigorate my love of reading. Reading anything that interests me, for fun. That includes Stoic Philosophy<\/a>, Parables of Jesus<\/a>, Zen\/Taoist philosophy<\/a>, History (Edward Gibbon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The fall of the Roman Empire<\/a>).<\/p>\n

To not read anything I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to read. To read for my own pleasure. Not to read to become more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153learned\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153smart.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

When I get bored with a book, to close it immediately, and move on.<\/p>\n

c. Tinkering<\/h3>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learning how to tinker\u00e2\u20ac\u201d making music, simple loops in Garage band, how to sample music. To tinker with the CSS\/theme for my WordPress blog. To assume that I can do anything. To become a new modern \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcRenaissance person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 like Leonardo da Vinci<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Assume you can do anything<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a kid; you assume you can do anything. Then your teachers tell you what to do and what not<\/em> to do.<\/p>\n

Assume like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a kid, and your life is your own Montessori school (self-directed school).<\/p>\n

You make the rules. You decide how to play, and what to create.<\/p>\n

Never say I cannot do x,y,z because (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m too poor, too old, too busy).<\/p>\n

Assume you can do anything.<\/p>\n

Learn how to do anything with YouTube tutorials. Google \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How to Do [x]\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Share what you learn via your blog (Medium.com, wordpress.com, wordpress.org). Because when you share what you learn, you learn twice<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

6. Share what you learn<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m reading something I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m interested in, I write down notes.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, I do all my reading on my laptop. I will go to archive.org and search for old texts for books I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m interested in. Then I import the text into Evernote, into Notes, into IA Writer, or Ulysses. I then read all the text as a big text file.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then while I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m reading the text (on my laptop), I will bold parts I find interesting. I will add new paragraph breaks. I will write my own notes.<\/p>\n

When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m done writing, I try to extract my personal lessons into simple bullet-points. I then make a draft for a blog post, and upload it to Medium.com, or just post it directly to my blog.<\/p>\n

By writing what I learn, I better internalize what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned. And the next step: to put what I learn into action.<\/strong><\/p>\n

7. Imperfect is perfect<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The biggest fear we have as adult creators is to become paralyzed with perfection.<\/p>\n

Be a kid. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t color within the lines. Paint the sky purple. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let nobody how to create your art.<\/p>\n

Publish imperfect things. Publish things in-progress. Even the rapper Eminem often puts out his rap lyrics in just one take (his first take). He revels in imperfection. And he is one of the most celebrated rappers of all time.<\/p>\n

For me, I try to make things \u00e2\u20ac\u212280% good enough\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and hit publish<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

8. Cross-pollinate your ideas<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Imagine yourself as a bee. You hop from one flower to another; and you collect pollen as you go. You mix your pollen from different flowers. Then you make your own honey; and it is unique.<\/p>\n

Learn from any art field. Learn from sculpture, painting, surrealism, hip hop music, dance, theater, haiku poetry, or short stories. Learn from autobiographies, from conversations you over-hear on the streets, and from your mom.<\/p>\n

Some of my current inspirations:<\/p>\n