Magic and technology

Their is very little between magic and technology. So I offer this, a place full of creative magicians for you to explore and learn from. A group of innovators who formed TED. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. They have a conference where people are invited to speak and spread new ideas. These talks are filmed and placed on the web for people to view at their leisure.
Looking for inspiration, new concepts, glimpse of the future? This web site is the place. This is true magic and magicians!

Use this link and then have fun exploring!! http://www.ted.com/index.php/

RELATIVE MAGIC

Any technology sufficiently advanced will appear as magic to the untrained eye.

A QUOTE FROM THE MASTER!

I just found this quote from one of my hero's. John Lasseter once said " Quality is the best business plan". How true!

GET OUT OF YOUR RUT!!

Ideas come from everywhere. But sometimes you have to go back to the beginning. Some things we do are just automatic and we don't think about them. We need to stop and examine what it is that we are doing or designing. The video link is an example of just that. It's about the design team at BMW and thinking in a new and creative way. Do we really have to use these materials?

Take the time to watch the video and then look at your projects. Did you really think about your tools and ingredients or did you just jump in with the usual stuff? How can you shake up your work with new materials to create a new outcome?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYiEkQYhWY&feature=related

CAPTAIN NEMO'S DIVE SUIT

So here is my Halloween costume. I ran out of time to add all the details that I wanted to but the suit is pretty much done. I wanted to add some aging to the grey jumpsuit. It looks to clean. I didn't finish the electric gun either. But now that I have time I can finish it all properly. It will all go on display at my office.
So how was every ones Halloween? Did you create a cool costume?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

KEEPING BUSY

I've been busy working a lot lately. I've been working on my costume for halloween as well as the kids book.  If you haven't read my earlier posts I'm building a dive suit from "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea". The helmut is close to finish as well as the breathing unit for my costume. I've also built a trident and have started an electric gun like the one captain Nemo had. 

The helmut was built out of balsa and bass wood to create the form. Then covered in self hardening clay with plexi glass windows. Spray painted metallic and then color added for aging. Add a few brass tacks as rivets and a dryer hose as breathing tubes and suddenly you have a dive helmut. I want to add more aging and color but its basically finished. On halloween I will also crack a glow stick to put on the helmut wall below my chin to create an up light. The helmut light on top also works.  A gray jump suit and dive belts, boots complete the look. I may ad a few shells or a small star fish attached to the helmut.  It's the details that make things fun. 

As for the kids book it's just nice to be back at it. The idea has been floating around for a long time and had to come out sooner or later.  So, how are your projects going? Get to work!

I've been busy working a lot lately. I've been working on my costume for halloween as well as the kids book.  If you haven't read my earlier posts I'm building a dive suit from "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea". The helmut is close to finish as well as the breathing unit for my costume. I've also built a trident and have started an electric gun like the one captain Nemo had. 

The helmut was built out of balsa and bass wood to create the form. Then covered in self hardening clay with plexi glass windows. Spray painted metallic and then color added for ageing. Add a few brass tacks as rivets and a dryer hose as breathing tubes and suddenly you have a dive helmut. I want to add more ageing and color but its basically finished. On halloween I will also crack a glow stick to put on the helmut wall below my chin to create an up light. The helmut light on top also works.  A grey jump suit and dive belts, boots complete the look. I may ad a few shells or a small star fish attached to the helmut.  It's the details that make things fun. 

CURIOSITY

I haven't added any posts for a while because I have been very busy. I shall be adding more soon but for now I was just thinking about the nature of creativity. Creativity's true nature is curiosity. To foster creativity, foster your own curious spirit. What are you curious about? What have you always wanted to know?
Curiosity leads to a bigger world and more creativity.
The more creative you are the better your life will be. See you soon.

FOLLOWING MY OWN ADVICE

Since my blog was about creativity and the last entry was on getting started, I took my own advice and started several projects. I've started laying out that children's book that has floated around in the back of my brain. I've also gotten a jump and started building my Halloween costume. This as well as 10 hours a day in the office.

I'm building a Jules Verne style, 20,000 leagues under the sea diving suit for Halloween. I started with some bass wood and hot glue. Once I was happy with the frame I had built, I covered it in sheets of balsa wood. On top of the balsa I've added self hardening clay for substance and texture. I sealed a plastic water bottle on top with a screw top so I can put a flashlight inside the water bottle and have a working headlamp. I will next add more bass wood as piping and add some rivets and breathing hoses. Then comes some of the fun parts. You spray the whole thing with Kilz (A white prep paint) and while the paint is still wet sprinkle some fine sand in parts. This will stick to the paint and add a really fun texture when painted as metal. Like rust or bronze when it turns.

Now comes the parts I haven't decided on yet. As far as the coloring I'm not sure if I want it to be green with bronze and copper accents or copper and bronze with green accents.
I have a jump suit for the body, leather gauntlet cuffs, straps for the shoulders and boots. I'm still playing with the backpack breathing device. I think I'll build one like Captain Nemo had in the movie "The Mysterious Island". A giant seashell breathing tank. One more thing to decide is whether to build an electric style gun like the movie or an old style trident. Nemo used both at time in the movies and in the books.

I've always liked the steampunk style so Halloween will be fun. Now, what are you doing? Isn't it time to start your projects?