FIND YOUR MEDIUM...

You see... many people believe they are not creative because they do not know the right medium in which to express themselves. Some people can draw. Some can write. Some can sing. The reality is that everyone has at least some type of medium they can create in. Find your medium... Don't over-think it. Just use it. If you want to develop another then start experimenting with it while you use the one you can flow with. You must be able to relax and flow. 

This is what JAMLAB refers to as fluency. It's that place you go when the tools of expression no longer require conscious effort but come fluidly like a drink from a straw. It's like speaking a foreign language without first translating from your mother tongue. 

This ability... this fluency... this mastery is where your effort can take you, but you must first make a decision. What is your medium? How will you use it? 

Connecting the dots...

OK... so the issue of education reform is everywhere these days. It seems that you can't read a paper, go online, or tune in anywhere without hearing about the declining state of our schools and our poor international rankings particularly in math and science. Some say we should stay the course, some plead for reform, yet others demand a complete paradigm shift in the entire system, such as Sir Ken Robinson, who has become an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation. The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150 countries. 


His overall thesis and theme of many of his speeches is that schools are stifling our innate creative instincts and failing to prepare students for a 21st century economy, which is changing at an unprecedented rate. For those of you who may not be familiar with his perspective or would like to learn more please visit his website (Ken Robinson) 


This particular topic resonates with me personally and has helped define the JAMLAB philosophy. While supporting an overall transformation in our education structure, JAMLAB seeks to connect with individuals in a personal way to help awaken their creative capacities that have gone dormant because of the mechanical methods of learning embedded in our academic and corporate organizations.


So... this brings me to an interesting story I discovered today. Evidently, Paypal founder Peter Thiel is backing up his claims that higher education doesn't prepare students to be successful entrepreneurs by offering 20 kids under 20 up to $100,000 to take time off of school to work on their business ideas (20 under 20). His overall message relates back to my previous blog. We LEARN, especially in the entrepreneurial domain, by DOING. The most inventive, successful business ventures were not born out of business schools or MBA programs. They were inspired by those who took the road less traveled.


Now... JAMLAB is not unequivocally supporting this venture, but it is certainly noteworthy... and this is why. It demonstrates a refreshing approach to innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits that goes beyond the boundaries of our schools. This is not to say that education is not important, if not vital to many career paths, including my own in architecture. The point is that it sometimes one needs to journey outside the classroom box to inspire their true passion. In essence, you need to work twice as hard to tap the innovation reservoir. 


JAMLAB supports education restructuring, but with this caveat. The system will not change over night. It is naive to think so. So, while we fight to correct this alarming crisis in human resources, we must embrace alternative techniques. Is not about dropping out of school. It's about doing as well as you can within a compromised, outdated system, while simultaneously acknowledging that this in itself will not likely be enough to expose your calling.

STOP "Thinking"... START "Doing"

On the human resources end of the scale, JAMLAB is a one-year endeavor focused on building credibility and experience in a spectrum of creative industries by actually engaging in projects within these fields and connecting with others that have pursued them professionally. 

On the business, revenue generating end of the continuum, JAMLAB aims to become a consulting company with relevant expertise in creativity development, helping individuals discover and advance toward their true capacities. 

That's where the logline comes in: JAMLAB helps people make their calling their career.

The JAMLAB logline. . .

Many of you may have heard of or actually read Save The Cat! The Last Book On Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. Several individuals, across the writing spectrum from novice to pro, have validated the book's claim - maintaining that it is indeed the one and only source for understanding the screenwriting business. 


The logline, or one-sentence synopsis of the movie, is an essential component of successful scripts. A great logline tells you what the movie is, hooks your attention, and leaves you wanting more. A clever friend of mine recently suggested that I use this principle to describe JAMLAB. 

So... without further delay, here is the JAMLAB logline:

JAMLAB helps people make their calling their career.

JAMLAB Blog is underway...

Greetings fellow creatives and friends,


Yes, yes, the JAMLAB blog is now underway (so we added "create a blog" to the list of other endeavors for the year long project goal). Now... check that off the list because... BAM! Here it is. 


Creating a blog is the easy part... it's generating the content that's actual work. Sometimes you must experiment with multiple forums before you figure out the best voice for your content. I realized this while speaking to a friend about the project today. It just hit me. The JAMLAB needs a blog forum. It's essential... because it's an effective way to describe in more detail what's happening with the project, especially the compelling interviews that are going on across creative industries.


Facebook (Jamlab) and twitter (@jamlab365) are like the teasers... the headlines about daily developments. The JAMLAB blog will be the place to get the full story. So think of Facebook and twitter as the front page and this blog as the inside scoop... at least for now. 


So far, the JAMLAB has spoken with:
• a senior editor/writer for Fortune magazine (New York)
• a screenwriter/published author with 3 Masters degrees (Los Angeles)
• a resourceful architectural design office (Portland, OR)
• a professional comic/television producer (Los Angeles) and...
• a famous yet very modest musician - keyboardist for The Decemberists (Portland)


Please stay tuned for the intriguing stories behind these individuals and their diverse professional pathways. . . as well as a host of others including: furniture making, industrial design, educators, entrepreneurs, interactive, jewelry making, photography, film making, acting, and more.