ZombiePumpkins.comThe legend (and stencil collection) grows...ZombiePumpkins.com offers an incredibly creative line of original jack-o-lantern patterns available to print and carve. The collection expands each year, with additions of pop culture icons like Napoleon Dynamite, Batman, World of Warcraft characters, Mr. Incredible, and new characters from the latest Tim Burton movie, The Corpse Bride. Among the mix from previous years are celebrities, movie monsters, and the requisite ghosts and ghouls.Each pumpkin stencil is hand drawn and stylized to work perfectly with traditional carving techniques. No advanced sculpting skills needed. All you need is a printer, some carving tools, and a pumpkin. Easy to follow instructions are illustrated on the tips page, and you'll be amazed (as will your friends!) with your finished creation. The Legend of ZombiePumpkins...Some unfortunate pumpkins were ignored during Halloween celebrations of the past. The one with the mushy spot... the broken stem... the bumpy skin. Considered too ugly to be turned into jack-o-lanterns, you mercilessly left them to rot on their vines. They haven't forgotten.
Each Halloween, the Zombie Pumpkins rise from the pumpkin patch to seek their bloody justice. They roll the Earth in search of victims, with one desire: to take back Halloween!
Beware the curse of the Zombie Pumpkins! Once under their spell, you will have no choice but to obey their commands. You WILL carve every pumpkin this year. You WILL use the original jack-o-lantern stencils offered here.
This time, it's carve or be carved! Visit ZombiePumpkins.com
All Known Idea
Generation MethodsCollection of creative exercises with a not-so creative nameOne of the first things I try to express in my own creative consultancy is that absolutes are anathema to the creative process. It's like the IBM executive who said there was only a worldwide market for three computers, or when Bill Gates said 640k would be enough for everyone, or 1899 patent commissioner who said that "everything that can be invented has been invented." Remember the James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again"? Its title was a nod to Sean Connery's quote made years earlier that he would never again play the suave super spy.A few years ago The Eagles reunited and took to the road for the "Hell Freezes Over Tour." The tour name taken from an answer to an interview question about when the group might play together once more.I suppose that's why I'm a bit surprised to see any database of creative exercises labeled as 'definitive'. Personal name preferences aside, Martin Leith's All Known Idea Generation Methods IS a great collection of creative exercises. It extensively lists all familiar techniques, and most of the listings do have content associated with their titles. The database is still in process, and the author has posted a link inviting any omitted exercises, so the attempt is certainly wholehearted.Although the list is lacking a few of my favorites from Paul Clegg's Instant Creativity and David Straker's Rapid Problem Solving with Post-It Notes, I still feel it's an excellent source for finding many creative exercises in a single location. I'll definitely be adding it to my personal collection of bookmarks.One more thing...Natalie Dee is a fun cartoonist and columnist here in Columbus, Ohio.
I visit her site every morning for a laugh. I absolutely had to share this recent cartoon from her site -- "Dog ideas are never good ideas" -- HA!
The Big Bad Blank PageSince I unveiled the new 'Orijournals' a week ago, I thought I'd share some tips I have found useful in keeping a journal.The hardest thing to do is simply start.For some reason most people (including me) seem intimidated by a blank page. Many painters who fear an empty canvas. I think the problem is that we see this pristine thing, this beautiful white page... this bright white field of potential, and we don't want to 'mess it up.'A technique taught in art school is to simply make a mark. Drawing random lines or a smearing a great gob of paint on the canvas seems to take all the power away from its blank stare. It is no longer 'perfect.' It is flawed. Scarred. Anything we add to it won't hurt, and could (perhaps) even help its appearance.A recent article by Lori Ritchie in Writer's Digest Magazine shared 20 Ways to Fill Page One. I pasted a few of my favorites below...1. Blank Page
Skipping the first page may seem like an obvious choice, but I struggled with many journals before the idea occurred to me. No rule says you MUST start with the first page. Give yourself permission to begin randomly anywhere within the pages of your new journal. 8. Practical Matters
Record birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates for easy reference on page one. Or consider using this private place to list pin numbers and passwords for personal and computer accounts. Still another practical suggestion is to use these opening pages to create monthly calendars to keep your appointments and priorities organized. 11. Lyrics
Write the lyrics to one of your favorite songs. Explore what makes the song so special to you. Try www.lyrics.com for a free directory of thousands of lyrics indexed alphabetically by artist.19. Refocusing
Instead of concentrating on the first page, try randomly writing quotations, prompts or drawings at the top of other pages. This technique will give you inspiration down your journaling road. You can read the entire list by clicking this link.Start keeping your own journal today -- order one of the new DTIG OriJournals! ----Subscribe to Writer's Digest
 
James BlondeI just wanted to say it first.Since they are remaking Casino Royale with fair-haired Daniel Craig (he was awesome in Layer Cake) in the leading role of the British spy with a license to kill, perhaps they should consider a few other remakes in which to feature the new Blonde Bond...- Dye-monds Are Forever
- Live and Let Dye
- The Living Highlights
- GoldenDye
- Tomorrow Never Dyes
- Dye Another Day
...and I suppose we should consider Goldfinger, but I think I'll stop here and claim dibs on my own starring role as The Man With The Golden PUN.HA!
An Idea Guy "OriJournal"Brand new item on the DTIG homepage today -- an offer for limited edition idea journals. These are the same journals I use to record my own thoughts and ideas. Made in the USA, each journal is filled with 90 bright white, smooth, acid-free pages, and has a rich linen hardcover. Select from three colors and three original DTIG designs: Brainstorm Black, Eureka! Red, or Thought Balloon Blue.At your request, I'd be honored to add a free inscription and personally handwritten idea, just to get you started on recording your own brilliant thoughts.OriJournals make great gifts for yourself, or your favorite Idea Guy or Gal. Each OriJournal is only $12.99 plus shipping and applicable taxes. Order yours today!
Jelly Belly Wine TastingIt has an amusing little flavor with just a hint of rebelliousness.Most candy fans are aware of the Jelly Belly "recipes" made from popping combinations of Jelly Belly flavors (2 chocolate pudding + 1 cappucino + 1 peanut butter = Mudd Pie), but Wine X magazine pops the cork on a new kind of Jelly Belly mix -- wine varietals.Whether your taste runs to a Mendocino County Chardonnay (juicy pear + green apple + lemon lime + peach + crushed pineapple + kiwi) or a rich merlot (chery + plum + raspberry + strawberry + Dr. Pepper) you'll find just about every varietal variation represented on the Wine X website.While you can access the varietal variations for free in order to mix your own, Wine X also offers "shooters" which are sets of pre-mixed combinations so that you can save the trouble of buying and blending the beans by yourself.Incredibly creative concept (although the site could be a bit more attractive) and a lot of fun to click through all the recipe combinations.Cheers!
You've heard of "Kill Bill?"
Well, I "Robbed Bob."
I've gotten some great feedback about the new site and blog design. Most of the comments are about my new header graphic sporting the 'thought balloon' and creative placement of important reference links.
While I am the first to take credit for my own ideas, I am also the first to admit a blantant rip-off...er... I mean "ADAPTION" of someone else's concept. Such is the case with this new masthead design. Bob McDeavitt is writer (and collaborator with my buddy Drew Coffman) of the comic site Yirmumah.net Recently Bob has begun his own blog project (Boblog!), and his Coffman-designed masthead sports a lid-flipped caricature of Bob with a thought balloon containing Google ads.
Not to pass up an idea that I think has major potential, I absconded with the Boblog Thought Balloons and gave it my own DTIG twist, adding a pithy internetbumpersticker banner, recommended Amazon.com links, and a smaller (but equally commercial!) set of Google ads.
The penance for my sin of stealing?
I had to admit my theft in public, linking to those two obnoxious guy's websites.
There, are you happy now Bob and DJ? Will you please tell your mothers to stop calling and telling me to be ashamed of myself from stealing the ideas of her poor, poor, innocent offspring? I mean, has she even LOOKED at the obnoxious material on your sites lately?? SHEESH!
Thanks for the idea boys! I'll be laughing all the way to the bank after I make millions from this revolutionary linking technique -- MUWHAHAHAHA!!!
My Personal Brilliance
...And Yours.Anyone who missed the Fast Company Magazine BlogJam a few weeks ago missed out on what I think is basically THE big concept of the year -- "Personal Brilliance."Author Jim Canterucci was invited to participate in the BlogJam and share his vision of the personal innovation process. Canterucci describes Personal Brilliance as "the sum of what you've learned, experienced, and practiced." Excellent!Jim has mapped the habits we need to develop in order to enhance our own Personal Brilliance: Awareness, Curiosity, Focus, and Initiative. You can read the article that originally hooked me on Jim's website, MyPersonalBrilliance.com.I think this is going to be a really important book for all the Idea Guys and Gals out there -- be sure to read the linked article introducing the four principles of Personal Brilliance. It's going to be information vital to an upcoming change on my own website and services. READ IT. There will be test...Okay, not REALLY a test...But, there IS a Personal Brilliance Quotient you can take to see how you score in each of the areas of Awareness, Curiosity, Focus, and Initiative. Check it out by clicking this link. And buy a book while you're at it. Show some initiative. ;)
|
