Use yer loaf...

I've been reading a thought provoking book, 'A Whole New Mind' by Daniel H Pink. Part trashy business book, part self-help guide, I found it readable and quite motivating. Having said that, the arguments he presents are not without flaws; for instance he oversimplifies global trends to support his point that the right brain (conceptual, creative, metaphorical, empathetic) is coming to the fore once again. Of course it has always been there, ticking away in the background, and to be fair he does say that.

Nonetheless, he inspired a couple of activities for me and a couple of books to read in future.

Interesting quote #1: "I see us being in the art business, Art, entertainment and mobile sculpture, which, coincidentally, also happens to provide transportation" - Bob Lutz of General Motors. Of course they may not actually be IN business for much longer given the problems of the American Motor industry but I like the sentiment.

Storywriting
I am absolutely, definitely, about to, probably write a short story. Or a poem. Or a book. Or none of the above. BUT if and when I do, then I'm going to read these books first;
'Story: Substance Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting' by Robert McKee. Apparently he's the guru for writers in the States.
Another interesting sounding one is 'Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art' by Scott McCloud. He explains how comics, their illustrations and text come together... using the medium of a comic. How cool is that?

Metaphor as a thought process.
I'm not sure I've quite thought this all through yet, but basically metaphor is a hugely powerful means of expression. Some people use them all the time in the daily speech, you hear them in songs all the time and there's a great article by Jeremy Bullmore all about the way an insight as a metaphor can be a really powerful starting point for the creative development process. Some of my faves from last week (from my 'Metaphor Log', as recommended by Daniel Pink) are;

• A mind as sharp as a knife
• She was pulling her hair out
• A list as long as your arm
• The seeds you sowed
• Close to my heart

I suppose that they encourage visualisation, lateral thought, inject situations with emotional meaning and even drama. In short, what a great way to communicate! There's another book I'd love to read called 'Metaphors we live by' George Lakoff and Mark Johnson.

There are a few more interesting points in the book and I'm planning to come back here at some point to capture any others.

Thanks.