to-do

The Matrix Effect (Cross Talk Ep.2)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Hey there dear readers! I hope your weekend has been excellent and full of art and all kinds of awesome and amusing things!

Oh thanks, but how are you doing Tim?

Oh, very good, thanks for asking!

Well, actually I’m feeling a little out of touch with reality, to be honest. My weekend started on the 13th of February and is finishing up tomorrow before I head back to the regular grind.

You see, I took some overdue and much needed vacation time to catch up on some of my personal to-dos, which effectively resulted in a 10 day weekend for me. I’m making that sound like I didn’t get anything accomplished, that’s note true, I got a lot done, in fact!

However, the consequences of this decision are just starting to get back to my brain.

You see, dear readers, when you break from routine too much it can cause your body to fight against you, which has been proven time and time again in various studies on the difficulties of changing habits. And this is topic is something we’ve touched on before here at timotheories. However, we haven’t really addressed the opposite side of the coin, which can also have disastrous results…

If you do too much of the same thing, you will experience what I theorize is similar to the effect Neo experienced in the first film in The Matrix trilogy (the one most everyone enjoyed), which I will very carefully call The Matrix effect for now, but not claim ownership of, for fear of long-term copyright infringement issues.

Essentially what this means is that if you see too much of the same thing, over and over again, without any careful and deliberate subtle shifts of that thing to make each entry appear unique, your brain starts to recognize the pattern and wakes up from the state of comfort, it often operates in.

This is a bad thing.

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But luckily for you friends, I have a good thing to share with you instead!

That’s right, it’s that time of month when timotheories shares with you a new episode of Cross Talk! So strap in, hold on tight, and get ready for our discussion on the topic of – Realism VS Escapism in film, or how films deal with logic gaps that can potentially break your attention from the story.

This is going to be a great topic where Chris and I explore the successes and failures of movie tropes, typecasting, when science and art intersect, and how movies address their fantasy elements to create franchises, among other things.

I’ve included a direct link to the video for you here, but as mentioned before we now offer you embedded video on the blog so you don’t have to navigate away from the post. Please take a look below to watch Episode 2 of Cross Talk!

I’m out of theories for now, but check back tomorrow for a fun Melodic Monday entry from a group out of the Ukraine.

Tim!

 

Work Smarter, Part 2 (Art Hacks)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Last week on timotheories, we gave you dear readers a top 10 list of skills to invest in.

That list was good for anyone looking to improve, but I originally wrote the topic because artists need help too and sometimes we don’t go looking in typical channels for it.

Which got me to thinking.

Because timotheories is all about that ace, better known as the arts, we’re bringing back the life hacks for a more in-depth solution for artists. This time let’s focus on technical hacks.

Below is a list of the top 15 art hacks I’ve come across in my travels as an artist. I’ve scoured the internet (links at the end of the list) and have included some hacks which I have used, some I’d like to, and some I personally believe would benefit anyone who is creative and has a lot of projects on the go.

What is great about a list like this, is that it allows you to contribute to the discussion, and who knows maybe one of you has a hack we’ve never even considered… Now let’s dig in.

Here are my top 15 technical hacks, in no particular order.
  1. Organize your loose files, papers, and canvas by installing magazine racks or shoe organizers. Also consider an old suitcase for organizing collage and scraps.
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  2. Never struggle with tape again – use paper clips or bread clips on one end of roll to keep your place OR put tape in the microwave briefly (5-10 seconds) to soften it up and find the end.
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  3. Keep scissors sharp by folding aluminum foil over itself a few times, then cutting through it until satisfied.
    Pair_of_scissors_with_black_handle,_2015-06-07
  4. Remove oil paint from your hands with baby wipes. For when water and soap won’t work.
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  5. Maximize your paint can/jar/tube lifespan – put rubber bands around cans to wipe brushes, saran wrap over tubes before adding the cap, take extra paint from the jar and store it in a sta-wet palette OR a plastic container in the fridge. When your jars are stuck, open them with a strip of duct tape – half on the lid, half as a handle.
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  6. Paper towels can save your drawings life. Place a non-textured towel where your arm would rest to reduce and even prevent smearing.
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  7. Maintain your paintbrushes. After washing dip the brush in milk and wrap the edge with a rubber band to reform the point OR apply hair conditioner or hair gel after cleaning for the same results.
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  8. Brush maintenance part 2 – Consider storing brushes horizontally in aluminum foil lined with paper towels to speed up dry time OR putting them in a planter with sand/beans.
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  9. Want your computer space clean and in order? Use binder clips when the keyboard feet break, and if you need to clean, consider using post-it-notes between the keys. If your laptop overheats, place it on top an egg carton.
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  10. Speaking of electronics, you can also loop cables through binder clips to keep track of your cords and put unused cords in empty toilet rolls.
    Component-cables
  11. Storing your art supplies is important – As mentioned already, binder clips are amazing, especially for hanging paint tubes on nails. You can also use magnets to store paint upside down or add them to a cupcake stand. Pens/pencils can be stored in cups on wine racks.
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  12. When short on space – install a drop down table and then add glue a cutting mat to the top. If you are feeling particularly clever, add a magnetized quilt to the top which can be used to iron curled paper.
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  13. Chalkboard paint is important. Chalkboard paint can be applied to doors, jars, walls, and a myriad of other objects to help create idea lists, supply lists, to-do lists, and label your stuff. Don’t be stingy with it.
    Chalkboard_eraser,_Waldorf_School,_East_Lexington_MA
  14. Similar to magnets, you need to embrace velcro. Velcro can be used to fix mats to the floor and then quickly removed when painting. Alternatively, they can also be used to set up baskets that stay in place.
    Shoelaces_Velcro
  15. Converting larger furniture to serve as storage is also an option. Table tops can store paper. Ladders can store tape, ribbons, and fabric, while ceiling tiles could become a marker rack. And please consider a tool chest or card catalog cabinets for your assorted little things.
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And there you have it! A technical list of hacks for creative types. And as promised, I have included links to my sources – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

As I mentioned once already friends, sometimes it can be difficult to learn these tips. I have a theory that it’s because artists “seem” to represent a small percentage of the population. We don’t make an effort to share our findings, because we think there aren’t a lot of people who would benefit from them, but obviously that is not true.

What do you think? Are these art hacks awesome? Do you have some other ones? Please leave comments and subscribe if you haven’t already, I’ll have more wisdom next Wednesday, and something timely tomorrow.

Tim!

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Work Smarter (Life Hacks)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Another week! Another Wednesday! Another opportunity to share some wisdom with you dear readers! Today’s topic – how YOU can make art and also balance the other areas of your life simultaneously!

Think about it for a minute, what’s the most fascinating subject in this life to dedicate years of your life studying? The answer is none other than yourself, dear reader(s)!

I know it sounds selfish, but is there really a better use of your time then working on yourself? Let’s be serious, we all do need to ask the question – what’s in it for me? If you can’t answer that, you can’t begin to contribute in this world.

Okay, with that aside, I don’t truly have a life-changing list of top 10 ways to improve yourself, make life easier and get your art out there (it’s a lifelong commitment), but I definitely do have a resource to get you started and at the very least start working on basic areas of your life that are universal and can be refined to your specific purpose.

Lists or no, I honestly think the reasons are innumerable for why you should streamline your internal process, so timotheories came up with a curated strategy of things we all need to work on in order get our rear in gear, and remove that fear!

First lets get in the right mindset.

You can’t outsource being CEO of your own life.

– Leo Gura, Actualized.org

No one knows your life purpose better than you, and no one is going to hold you up and guide you directly towards your goals, but if you focus on these habits below, you’ll realize that life becomes just a bit easier, and you have more energy for the things important to you.

I visited a number of sources in order to come up with this list – from Inc., to Readers Digest, WikiHow, Buzzfeed, a blog called BufferSocial, Time, and finally Life Hack.

So what did I determine from the swath of tips?

 

Here are my top 10 skills to invest in, in no particular order.
  1. Time management – Improve your time management skills by looking at your results regularly to see if you are on track or wasting time – Set up your calendar and having dedicated concentration time on specific tasks. Through time management systems, and recognizing that there is a difference between being quick versus in a hurry, you’ll improve here for sure.
  2. Learning to love learning – You need to learn new things in order to keep up with the fast pace of digital tech. That means using keyboard shortcuts, improving your typing speed, and your reading speed, for starters. If you can figure out MACROS on your spreadsheets you’ll be surprised how much automation you can get out of menial tasks.
  3. Communication is key – In a time when texting, email, and social media are the new favourites, try to use the phone more often. It saves on countless back and forth. And speaking of back and forth, be concise in your emails. Respond to calls and emails as quickly as you can, and when you can’t do that, set up a regular time to respond to your contacts.
  4. Multi-task misery – Learn to multi-task the right way, by cutting it out of your life. If you keep a million tabs open on your browser, you’re gonna have a bad time. Please remove distractions while you work and spend time with others. Turn off your phone, close your tablet, and focus on the task at hand.
  5. To-Do list – The ever popular to-do list is perfect for organizing your day into bite-size chunks. Make a daily one to automate certain processes, and really focus on the unique difficult tasks first. As the saying goes, eat that frog. If you want even more reinforcements, create a “to-don’t” list, of things you’ll never do, and stick to it!
  6. Attitude is everything – Expect failure and fight paranoia in life – Failure is common when you are exploring. But not failing is never okay. Keep positive and realize it won’t always be this bad, but it won’t stay easy either. If you ask lots of questions, aren’t afraid to do menial work, and spend 10 minutes a day laughing out loud, when Sunday night appears, you’ll be excited for Monday.
  7. Evaluate life – Make major decisions in the morning and divvy up your day based on your productivity habits. Assess your passions at the end of each year, each month, each week, and before you go to bed. If you can do that you’ll focus and delegate out the unnecessary. Flexibility is important too, but if you get stuck try this – pretend you are away from work and/or home for a week, and you only have a few hours to accomplish your tasks.
  8. Plan to make plans – Plan regularly! Build routines to start your day AND end your day. You are going to have to organize throughout the day too, so make an outline to insure you aren’t starting from scratch over and over. Please also set deadlines for major projects by planning ahead. You’ll benefit from organizing your desk/workspace, minutes saves hours, believe me.
  9. Community of colleagues  – Please be social at work, so that you have a support base and network to lean on in your endeavours, and don’t be afraid to say no to anyone. If you can learn to do that AND under-promise while over-delivering, you’ll definitely find the time to finesse your brand pitch about you and gain some fans in the process.
  10. Health matters – Your greatest resource is you. So build good habits to help you stop working and walk away after a certain point. Working smart doesn’t mean you also work hard. Health is important and managing stress, anxiety and depression are part of it. Try a standing desk for posture and circulation, get up every 45 minutes and move around too. Finally, pick a “Sabbath” day to refresh your soul, body, and mind.

 

So there you have it, I took all of the most brilliant advice on life hacks, and summarized it even further. No easy task, but worthwhile!

And that’s all the theories I’ve got for today! Are any of you already doing some of these things? All of them? Leave questions or comments, or send me an email! Subscribe if you liked this post and want to see more.

Otherwise, come back tomorrow for some love tips or something mushy related to it, at the very least.

Tim!