Tag Archives: patreon

Why Have I Chosen These Titles for My Poll?

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Writing a book isn’t as simple as having an idea and running with it, or at least, it isn’t for me. Writer’s need to consider what will sell, what they have inspiration for, and what their writing plans are. It’s a lot convoluted and other writers have different ways of working. For the moment, these are the titles that I can work on and why they’re included in the poll.

Extermination of the Ice Goddess – This book is about a boy who is recruited into an army that wants to eliminate the Ice Goddess. His companion is a different species. Together, they go out into the world, find the worshippers of the Ice Goddess and destroy their power sources. I’ve already got a part of the story written. I’ve been shopping it to magazines, but I think I can grow it into a trilogy or more. “No man follows the goddesses.”

Rod Serling and the Fifth Dimension – I don’t have all the materials I would like to use for research, but I do have much of them. This examination of the Twilight Zone and its creator would take time; there are five seasons of the original Twilight Zone. But it would be fun to examine his genius and what the Twilight Zone has to say about creativity. My copy of “As I Knew Him” is in Oregon, but that’s a minor problem. This could be used for comic convention presentations.

Saturday Mornings in the 1980s: A Study in Creativity – This would be a book full of nostalgia and it would examine everything about my Saturday mornings in the 1980s. Cereal, cartoons, and commercials would make up the largest components of this book. It would be fun and a lot of research.

Reimagining Tomorrow: Essays and Short Stories – There are a lot of dystopias out there and few utopias. With this book, I want to present a positive vision of the future and something we can work towards. This one will take research and brain power. It’s a little outside what I feel I can do properly, and I’m not sure I could get others to participate in an anthology style without coming up with some sort of payment. (I tried it with the “Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” and only two others participated – Thanks, mom and Darren!)

The Jungle Cruise Is Creativity – The third in the Disneyland Is Creativity series! The Jungle Cruise is one of the original attractions at Disneyland and opened in 1955, which means it has an anniversary next year. These books give me a presentation to pitch to comic conventions that may want Disney related content at their event. They are also my best-selling books. I would do this one a little bit differently because I want to examine the inspiration behind the Jungle Cruise, including “the African Queen” and the imagineers who made it successful, like Bill Evans. Also, no single tour can cover all of the humor in the Jungle Cruise since it changes with each skipper. I don’t have access to all of the information I would need, but I’m okay with that because I think I could get access to much of it by changing my entertainment provider.

Snow Wh-Island – That’s just a working title. I’ve also thought about “Fairy T-Isles.” Still a work in progress. This would be in the style and world of “The Pirate Union.” It wouldn’t be a sequel or a prequel; it would just be its own story. Something funny, something crazy, something weird, and maybe something timely. It’s hard to say what this story would actually be, though I have three chapters outlined, I have no idea where it would end up. Since my collaborator for “The Pirate Union” is no longer available for collaboration (or is he?), it will be a little more difficult to pull of the amazing humor and directions the PU took. Still it could be funny.

The Creativity Workbook – I don’t know if this needs another title, but basically, I have three sections outlined. This would be an intro to why the idea is important, and then how to improve your skills in that area. For example, believing that you’re creative is the first step to becoming more creative. The workbook explains why you’re creative, why you should believe it, and then it takes you through several different activities so that you can prove to yourself that you are creative. This book would contain fewer words than most books because it is a workbook.

Penguinate! At the Movies – This would be the easiest for me to pull together. It would consist of reviews of movies and essays inspired by the movies, most of which I have already published on my websites somewhere. I would just need to take them down, format them and then get a book cover. This would be the third in The Penguinate! series, which has been my least successful in terms of sales. Part of that is probably due to the title of the first one, which is in the process of changing to “Penguinate! Positive Creativity.”

Star Trek and Creativity: Where No One Has Gone Before – This would take a lot of research, and I only have access to part of it at the moment. Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future is fascinating and should be great fuel for a book about creativity and moving toward that future. I don’t have access to any of the books, but I still think I could work this correctly and then use it for comic convention presentations.

So that’s a little bit about the books in my poll. If you haven’t voted already, please do. Thanks.

P.S. I have other titles that didn’t make the poll list because nine was already enough (Why didn’t I keep it to eight?) and I don’t have the necessary materials to make them happen. “My Life in the Peace Corps,” “Ray Bradbury and the Theater of Creativity,” and “My Life in the Soviet Union” are all under future consideration as is “My Life at Disneyland” though I don’t know exactly which direction, I’m going to take with that one, it’ll involve having to go through my stuff that is stored at mom’s.

There may be more ideas floating around, but I have to find the notes about them. For the moment, I’m just considering the nine that are in the poll.

Problems Starting a New Project: The Musical

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While it may seem easy to start working on a new project, it’s actually one of the hardest things for any creative to do. There are a lot of reasons for this, including the need to market all of the earlier projects, the need to make money at a regular job, housework needs to be done, too many ideas without the corresponding time, not knowing which idea will be profitable, the last project isn’t truly finished but the creative person is waiting on someone else to do his or her job… The list goes on and on and includes at least one-part procrastination and one-part relaxation.

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Did You Catch the Creativity Secrets in the Countdown?

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As part of the countdown for our last Patreon offer for new members, I did a series of photos featuring our penguins and numbers. Each photo had Easter eggs related to creativity in them. Do you know what those Easter Eggs were?

Penguins with the number 10
Penguins with the number 10

Number 10: All of these penguins are sitting on a couch. They’re comfortable. Because they are comfortable, they are ready to create. Getting comfortable is especially important in industrial creativity because being creative is risky, and people who are worried about losing their jobs aren’t going to take risks.

Penguins out of the box cat inside
Penguins out of the box, cat inside

Number 9: Thinking outside the box is great when being creative, but sometimes, what’s left inside the box can be just as surprising. If you’re interested in the learning portion, a number with an exclamation point beside it is a factorial. That means you’re supposed to multiply the number by every number below, i.e. 9x8x7x6x5x4x3x2x1.

Our penguins welcome a new penguin
Our penguins welcome a new penguin

Number 8: Just like our penguins welcome a new penguin (Did you notice the new penguin? It still needs a name), you need to welcome new ideas. Don’t be afraid of what’s new, embrace it like a stuffed penguin would embrace you.

Penguins in a huddle with the number 7
Penguins in a huddle with the number 7

Number 7: Most creativity results form some sort of collaboration. The Muppets weren’t just Jim Henson; they were also Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney, and a host of other puppeteers. Grab a few collaborators and make beautiful music, art or whatever together.

Penguins with globe and cat
Where should we go next?

Number 6: Travel is a great way to jump start your creativity. You get exposed to new cultures, foods and ideas. Think about them enough, and they can result in new ideas.

Penguins brainstorming creativity
Penguins brainstorming creativity

Number 5: Brainstorming is one of the quickest ways to get a lot of ideas. Be sure to have someone record them. You can even do it by yourself.

Tea Party with the Penguins
Tea Party with the Penguins

Number 4: Being childlike is important to creativity and remaining young. Have a tea party with your stuffed pals and invite friends along. Find a way to play make believe. And if a tea party makes you think of Alice, she’s a great role model because she’s curious. Be curious. (Bonus Easter Egg: Check out the cups and find a surprise that is correlated with greater creativity. Don’t laugh when you see it, or do, actually, laughing might be better.)

Penguin taking a group photo
Penguin taking a group photo

Number 3: These penguins are recording their time together with a photo. You should record your ideas when they occur to you. Always have a pen and paper handy or make a note on your phone. Don’t let the idea get away, record it somehow.

penguins with books
penguins with books

Number 2: Books can be a great way to continue learning or to find inspiration. Books also allow you to exercise your imagination. Read a little every day and change up your genres to keep your creativity function at a higher level.

Penguins number 1
Penguins number 1

Number 1: You’ve got to set aside time for your creativity, and that time needs to be guarded against the intrusions of everything that would distract you. It’s hard to do, but giving yourself an hour to do something creative every day will improve your creativity.

Which Easter eggs did you spot that we missed? Leave a comment and let us know.

Just One Day Left for More Creativity

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Clearly, you can join our Patreon at any time. If at some point you decide our penguins are worth it or you enjoy what I’m writing, you can simply head on over to the Patreon page and put up however much you think it’s worth to you to get creativity articles, penguins photos and more while supporting our ability to create. Whether it’s $1 or $500 or more, your pledge amount, when you decide to give it, doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you’re voting for more positivity, more love and more kindness.  That’s what we’re trying to put out into the world.

However, the offer on the table right now does expire on July 31, 2019. For every 5 people that join before the end of July, I will write an additional creativity article. We have one scheduled for August 14th about the Popeye movie, criticism and creativity. Our penguin photo of the month has been chosen and will be released on August 22. Our Patreon Anniversary is on Aug 12! So, it’ll be a big month for us, and you can make it bigger.

Our penguins are watching the clock. Come join the fun as we explore the finest thing in life: creating. We look forward to moving forward together.

P.S. Did you spot the Easter eggs in the countdown photos?

2 Days Left to Get More Creativity

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If you want better problem-solving skills, interesting articles to read, and photos of stuffed penguins, join us at our Patreon. For every five people that join before July 31, 2019, I’ll write an additional creativity article exclusive for our Patreon members.

From finger painting and playing music to building something in your shop and crocheting, creating something helps you relax and feel better about your life. It’s the active participation in creation that unleashes your ability to tap into the flow and get in the zone. While Maslow places creativity at the top of his hierarchy for self-actualization, creativity can be found at every level human existence. Even people in the direst situations have a desire to create. When your daily life gets to be too much for you, taking some time to get into an area that allows you to engage your whole brain will improve your mood, especially if you eliminate the expectations and just go for it.

If you want to be more creative, you can order books on creativity principles (Disneyland Is Creativity, The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity, and Penguinate! Essays and Short Stories). You can sign up for our email list, and you can join our Patreon. We’re dedicated to helping people achieve greater creativity in life. It starts with us and flows out to you.

What Would You Do if You Were More Creative?

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Three days left for anyone who wants to know how many creativity articles I can write in August. For every 5 people that join our Patreon by July 31, I will write an additional, exclusive creativity article. Bring your friends, take a group photo and sign up for our Patreon. You’ll also get a Penguin photo and some cool stuff depending on the level you join at.

Creativity is the only way that we can advance in our life, as a culture and as a species. Creating is at the core of who we are. Being more creative will free you up to be more of who you are. At our Patreon, we discuss creativity principles and bring them together for good. We look forward to having you join us to become more creative.

We already have “’Popeye’ criticism and Creativity” lined up for release on August 14. The Penguin photo should be released on August 22. And don’t tell anyone, but August 18 is our Patreon anniversary! While three is the magic number for how many days are left. Five is the magic number for extra creativity articles. What would you do if you were more creative? Let’s find out together!

Need to Be More Creative? Join Our Team within the Next 7 days

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Teamwork makes the dream work! By joining our Patreon before July 31, you’ll be pushing me to write more about creative. For a limited time (the next 7 days), I will write an additional article on creativity for every 5 people that join our Patreon.

The creative process is often more collaborative than is portrayed in the stories we’ve been told. Even if someone creates something in a studio with no one else around, that person has interacted with others who have shaped him or her. The idea came from somewhere. What Isaac Newton said about science (a concept traced back to Bernard of Chartres) is just as true for art: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

As part of our team, you are allowing Jenya and I to be more creative and to create more – books, stories and penguins. You will also be getting articles about becoming more creative. The Secrets of Creativity series on Patreon is for Patrons only. There are supplements to the series on my blog.

If you join at the $5 level, you even get to ask any question you want about the creativity process, what it takes to be more creative, and how penguins jump so high out of the water (or whatever other topic comes to mind). One article is already waiting to published August 14! Join now, bring your friends, and let’s get dangerous… creatively speaking.

Is a creativity storm coming? You decide. Nine Days Left for You and Your Friends to Sign up!

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The penguins are out of the box (even if the cat is still in it). A creativity storm is coming, but it can only happen with your help! For every 5 people that sign up at any level for our Patreon, I will write an additional creativity article. If you want to know more about creativity, this will get you there quickly!

Our current schedule looks like this:

  • August 1: The blog email list – this is open to anyone who has signed up for our email list at Penguinate.com and should include a summary of all the articles that we released on my blog.
  • August 2: I will post a copy of the blog email and add some tasty tidbits to it like a creativity tip.
  • August 14: Creativity Post 1 – What do 1980’s ‘Popeye,’ criticism and creativity have in common? This will be released on Penguinate.com with a reminder on Patreon sent the next day.
  • August 18: Our Patreon Anniversary!
  • August 22: Penguin of the Month photo

Join us at Patreon to make sure that I have to write something about creativity every day! The more people that sign up on or before July 31, the more articles you’ll see.

Countdown to August’s Creativity Storm Writing: 10 Days Left to Add Your Presence

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For every 5 people who join our Patreon between now and July 31, 2019, I will write an extra creativity article for Patreon members (Penguinators) only. So far, I write one article a month on creativity for Penguinators. The articles have included “The Secrets to Creativity” series, with supporting articles on Penguinate.com. You can read and work on:

  • The Real Secrets of Creativity: By the Books
  • The Secrets of Creativity: Paradox
  • The Secrets to Creativity: Deep Thinking
  • The Secrets of Creativity: Seeing for Penguinators
  • The Secrets of Creativity: Play

Those are the most recent posts, along with a breakdown of our success in June at comic conventions and with my books.

In August, I have already scheduled the first article I am writing for the creativity storm:

What Do 1980’s ‘Popeye’ and Criticism Have to Do with Creativity?

It will be released for Penguinators only on August 14. If you want to read it, you’ll need to join our Patreon at any level, even $1! Get four of your friends to join and I’ll write another creativity article! For as long as you’re a member, you’ll have access to all of the articles, great discounts at our events, and funny photos of stuffed penguins! Join us today!