Creative/Inspiration

Hum – the Poignant Video of a Robot Who Has a Dream!

Jeff

Hum

“A solitary dish washing robot living out his life in the back room of a restaurant is enlightened to the world that exists beyond his four walls, with the help of a small friend he breaks free of confinement to pursue his dream of exploration”

Hum from Tom Teller on Vimeo.

I enjoy watching creative videos and the video below is certainly very. very creative. I will include the notes from the website below, but what I find most exhilarating is the skill with which it was constructed.

This was apparently a student assignment and it looks like such a finished and polished project. The animation is superb, the story line is good-cute and it should be a lesson to anyone that they can do what they set out to accomplish if they just stick with it long enough.

I am not the only person to find this quite an achievement as this short video has earned numerous awards and recognition.

From the Vimeo website:

Hum was the film we created for our junior year advanced production class in 2015 while attending Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. The film was created over one semester (February 2015 – May 2015) with a budget of $2000. We hope you enjoy the film and are compelled to share it with your friends and family, you are what motivates to continue telling stories.

Photography – Do What You Love to Do

Jeff


Chipmunk wants to be a photographer
Even this chipmunk was interested in photography

As a photography enthusiast, I follow a number of professional photographers via their blogs. One such photographer is Australian-based Gina Milicia. Not only is Gina a wonderful photographer and podcaster, she also appreciates quotes.


Anyone who follows JBRish will surely notice that I publish four STATUS QUOtes nearly every day. Gina recently published a quote that I really like. It is from Elizabeth Gilbert:

“I told the universe (and anyone who would listen) that I was committed to living a creative life not in order to save the world, not as an act of protest, not to become famous, not to gain entrance to the canon, not to challenge the system, not to show the bastards, not to prove to my family that I was worthy, not as a form of deep therapeutic emotional catharsis … but simply because I liked it.”– Elizabeth Gilbert

I am fairly certain this is from Giblert’s book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.

I heartily recommend Big Magic to anyone who has the least bit of creative inkling in their bones. It will change the way you think about creating and about life.

ALSO…if you haven’t visited Gina Milicia’s website and you are interested in photography, I can recommend that as well. I have listened to a good number of her podcasts and I admire her not only for her skill, but for her willingness to share her expertise with the wider photography community. Even if you are not a professional photographer, there is a lot to learn by subscribing to her newsletter and/or keeping up with her blog.

Video – Music Made Solely with Wine and Beer Bottles

Jeff

One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that it allows others to share their extraordinary talents with millions of others who have access to cyberspace. Many of these talented people would go unheralded and we would miss out on some truly amazing skills and perhaps some that are a bit bizarre.

I had never heard of the Bottle Boys who can make music using only beer and wine bottles. The only way I can make music is via radio or other music-playing technology so I really do admire them.

Not only does the music sound like a cross between the Native American flute and the pan, but watch the rhythmic motions and style that these players exude; truly entertaining.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! You may have found it on JBRish, but it definitely is not gibberish!

The paragraphs below were quoted from the YouTube video website:

Bottle Boys playing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean on bottles!
Follow us:
|https://www.facebook.com/thebottleboysofficial |
| http://twitter.com/thebottleboys | http://instagram.com/thebottleboys |

Hi everybody! Once again it is time for BOTTLE MONDAY (last monday [Sic] of the month) which means, that a new video is released! We are so excited for this one, because we simply just LOVE Michael Jackson. Billie Jean is a really great song and it is perfect for trying out our new technique: double bottle playing. The dentists don’t recommend this we can assure! ;-D

Nerdtalk: We decided to make the video in a church because of the nice reverb. For recording we used two Neumann km184 stereo mics with Apogee Duet 🙂

At the moment we are insanely busy with a lot of concerts (a lot of them abroad), mainly because of our youtube [Sic] videos, and for that we are truly grateful!! So thank you everybody for supporting us:-D

Also Thanks to Mariendal Kirke for letting us film in the beautiful church.

Rembrandt With An Asterisk

Jeff

The video below raises some interesting questions about the nature of art and who or what is an artist. A group of computer scientists had Rembrandt’s paintings analyzed by computers. The computers crunched the data and determined what elements were part of a typical Rembrandt painting. Once the information was thus analyzed, the computer was tasked with creating a Rembrandt painting of its own.

The result was quite remarkable and perhaps anyone who was an art scholar would declare that it was a heretofore unknown Rembrandt. The video, The Next Rembrandt, is very interesting in both concept and the questions is raises.

Published on Apr 5, 2016

“Blurring the boundaries between art and technology, we set out on a challenge to see if the great Master can be brought back to life to create a new painting.”

Via

From Toy to Creative Realism – Felix Hernandez

Jeff

I have highlighted a number of very creative people on my website and I have said it before, but I need to say it yet again. The amount of talent that is “out there” is amazing! It is hard to believe what someone who is focused can accomplish.

Felix Hernandez takes a simple toy car and crafts a very realistic scene using artificial ingredients and Photoshop-type post production techniques. It is truly stunning to watch this come together as a finished project.

Watch the animation below, The Love Car, to appreciate true artistic creativity.

Zinnfully Amusing and Creative Art

Jeff

I like to think that I am a creative person. I enjoy experimenting with ideas and styles in several different formats, but I admit that I am only moderately creative. That is why I appreciate someone who is creative in the extreme, i.e. an “extreme creative.”

David Zinn is, what I would consider, an “extreme creative.” It is obvious that he is probably one of those people who has a mind that, for lack of a better term, is just wired differently. Let me explain…

Look at this picture below:

Hair Today, Lawn Tomorrow

The title of this print, which is for sale HERE is: “Hair Today, Lawn Tomorrow.” Obviously this is a play on the words “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.” I am a punster and self-proclaimed wordsmith so I appreciate this type of creativity (even though my friends may not concur).

I could have seen the path in the picture and those patches of green, but I never would have imagined a patch of grassy weeds as a hair piece; obviously David did!

Another nice touch is the patch of dried vegetation which serves as a modesty cover or article of clothing. This is just “thinking different” to paraphrase Apple, Inc.’s slogan.

Let’s examine some additional artwork from David Zinn…

Fall Cleaning – Notice the use of what appears to be a twig that bridges the real and the artistic as well as the intentional placement of leaves.

XXXXXX

In The Cat Prisoner we once again see the mix of the artistic with the real. And that mouse, that mouse is little, but adds so much.

XXXXXX

A Little Light Reading – I could have walked past this light a dozen times and never have envisioned this as an element of an art installation. And how about the planning to get the torso positioned just right!

XXXXXX

Looking at Snowman Mishap, we see the detail to which David Zinn goes to render his masterpieces. That is a real miniature snowman on the wall with what is left of its head on the sidewalk. The green character, Sluggo, peers over the edge indicating that he most likely had something to do with the “mishap” while Philomena, a flying pig, stares back angrily with a snow-filled eye – cute!

XXXXXX

Sluggo and Philomena are two recurring characters in Zinn’s artwork which helps to build recognition and perhaps a small army of groupies.

David hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan so obviously this type of outdoor artwork is limited during some seasons, but he does manage to work in areas that provide “chalk-friendly tabletops.”

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

Here are a few more images that I found especially interesting and/or whimsical.

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

We can all salute David’s art work and appreciate his creativity, but adding to our admiration has to be the fact that these are temporary chalk creations that will be swished away by the first rain or snowstorm or perhaps some over energetic budding street artist wannabe. He has referred to his street art as “pointless” art, but I disagree. Any art that evokes a smile, joy or appreciation is far from pointless. Thank you David Zinn for the smiles and snickers you have added to our days.

Read more about David Zinn at his website HERE.

Learn more about David’s artwork from the video below where he explains his work and philosophy.

David Zinn Art from Create Michigan on Vimeo.

If you like the work of Artist Zinn, his book, Temporary Preserves, contains quite a collection and is for sale HERE.

Follow David Zinn on facebook and Instagram

Credit where credit is due: I first came to learn about David Zinn via this article on This Colossal webiste –
Quirky New Chalk Characters on the Streets of Ann Arbor by David Zinn

NOTE: I am not a relative or personal friend of David Zinn’s. I have no vested interest in writing this post except to recommend his work as a source of joy and inspiration for others who appreciate creativity and whimsical art. I have found his craft very imaginative and I hope you do as well.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous Creative and Inspirational Stories HERE

Ear Jacket – Are Your Lobes Cold?

Jeff

Maybe as a guy I am not supposed to know this or perhaps it’s my seniordom that gives me an excuse, but has anyone noticed that earrings are changing? I understand there is a style around now called the (get this) ear jacket. Don’t take my word for it. Search that phrase on the Internet and you will hear plenty about them. I never knew that ears could have jackets. Sometimes, as I understand it, they can also be called “cuffs,” but lets not confuse the issue too much.

Here is the anatomy of an ear jacket:

ear jacket anatomy

Picture courtesy of Etsy – see link

The part pictured as “A” is what would have been a regular earring in years past. Now this is just the part that holds the item to the ear, but instead of being a plain backing as before, it is now decorative and faces front.

The item pictured as part “B” is called the jacket. This is the showiest part and would have been a stand-alone earring once upon a time.

Perhaps it is better explained by the Telegraph UK as “… an extended earring back that surrounds the bottom of your ear, neatly slipping on to the stem of any stud.”
(Read the article here)

Here are a couple of additional examples from BuzzFeed (article linked below)

arrow ear jacket

hummingbird ear jacket ear jacket

See more examples (both in-ear and just pictures) at the BuzzFeed Link: 24 Ear Jackets That Will Take Your Piercings To The Next Level

As far as fashion goes, I am way behind the trends!

IlluminateTED – Bryan Stevenson -Talk About Injustice

Jeff

 

Bryan Stevenson – We need to talk about an injustice

Bryan Stevenson is an Attorney who fights for the rights of the poor, underprivileged and often disenfranchised people in the United States. His presentation is poignant and to the point. No American should feel at peace while justice is not served equally to all citizens regardless of economic, social, physical or other circumstances.

What are TED Talks?
You can read more about the history of TED here

If you want to be educated, challenged and yes, even entertained, watch Bryan Stevenson’s TED talk. It will be time very well spent.

Bryan Stevenson’s TED Talk – We need to talk about an injustice

Bryan Stevenson - Equal Justice Initiative

“Bryan Stevenson at TED 2012” by James Duncan Davidson – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

“Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, fighting poverty and challenging racial discrimination in the criminal justice system.” – From the website of the Equal Justice Initiative


TED Take-A-Ways

Highlights excerpted from the transcript which can be viewed in full:

Bryan Stevenson – We need to talk about an injustice – Transcript

  • “The United States now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. We have seven million people on probation and parole.”

    •  

  • “We have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you’re rich and guilty than if you’re poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.”

    •  

  • “The United States is the only country in the world where we sentence 13-year-old children to die in prison. We have life imprisonment without parole for kids in this country. And we’re actually doing some litigation. The only country in the world.”

    •  

  • “Death penalty in America is defined by error. For every nine people who have been executed, we’ve actually identified one innocent person who’s been exonerated and released from death row. A kind of astonishing error rate — one out of nine people innocent…In aviation, we would never let people fly on airplanes if for every nine planes that took off one would crash.”

    •  

  • “And yet, in this country, in the states of the Old South, we execute people — where you’re 11 times more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white than if the victim is black, 22 times more likely to get it if the defendant is black and the victim is white…”

 

Read more about Bryan Stevenson on Wikipedia

 

 

What are Ted Talks?

TED is an acronym that represents Technology, Entertainment and Design and refers to a series of conferences around the world that features “Ideas Worth Spreading.” From its small beginnings in 1984 as a single conference, it has developed into one of the premiere venues for the sharing of information and ideas.

Included among the TED presenters are:

  • Madeleine Albright, Former US Secretary of State
  • Isabel Allende, Novelist and author
  • Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com
  • Bill Clinton, former President of the United States
  • Billy Graham, spiritual leader and consultant to many influential people
  • John Legend, Musician, activist
  • David Pogue, Technology columnist
  • Amy Tan, Novelist
  • Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia
  • Siegfried Woldhek, Illustrator


Back to the Top of the Page

 
Read more about TED on Wikipedia

Flight of the Bumblebee w/o Instruments

Jeff

Many of us have heard the musical piece The Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It seems to be quite a challenging piece with those fast-paced notes and changes in register and it is something to see, I mean hear!

I don’t think you have ever heard it like this though…a capella. How can they perform this without instruments and how good can it be; You decide.

For those who want to compare, here is a version played by an orchestra.

Samsung’s Safety Truck Saves Lives

Jeff

The camera and screen technology is demonstrated in Argentina where, as the video points out, a person dies in a traffic accident nearly every hour. With all of the one-lane roads, a number of those deaths are attributable to cars trying to pass on the narrow roadways.

Samsung shows how current technology in its Samsung Safety Truck can be put to use to save lives. After all, what is the value of a human life?