#also judging the quality of the writing is useful for theory crafting

[quibbs126]

Out of curiosity, where does the Cookie Run fandom generally stand in terms of the writing of the series, whether we’re talking about Ovenbreak, Kingdom or both?

Like, is it considered good, great, does is have good elements but there are some flaws in the execution, is the writing flawed but with some good bits here and there (basically the more negative version of the last one), is it just considered bad? What’s the consensus on the quality of the writing?

I’m pretty bad at judging for myself so I just want to know

[onewomancitadel]

On my earlier point about DA (no spoilers), I have this extremely evil characteristic which is that I judge all media to essentially the same rubric of writing quality, despite the fact how prioritised it is varies widely medium to medium. It is laughably unfair to expect video games, for instance, to clear that sort of bar, but I guess in that case it's why Solavellan - more specifically how the relationship is recontextualised through Trespasser, and through the experience of play, especially as a romance not everybody has ever even played - so thoroughly surprised me. In that case, I think where video games get a leg up is 1. tapping into that fairytale magic so easily, and 2. the player interactivity. I'm not about to give you a lecture about ludonarrative dissonance, don't worry. I'm not silly.

Maybe point 1. is because one of my earliest memories is my dad playing Yoshi's Island, ha.

I think this is a similar problem with watching films - I'm much less cultured than I'd like to be, especially compared to film buffs - where the angle I tend to be hardest on is, again, the writing, and it's generally make or break for me. Even when all other elements manage to transcend that problem, I'm just not emotionally invested if the foundations are not there. This is also why I spent so long invested in a show made with Halo: the style and delivery matters so much less to me than the writing, and RVB used to be very funny. I'm using the most ridiculous example of this, of course; RVB, tonally, is already a very silly show, so it's not like the machinima nature of it is incongruent in any way (if anything the melodrama of S9-10 is too much for me).

Point 2. above is also why Solas is such a compelling character to me because - like the spirit/demon theory - he's a radically different character based on how you interact with him. I think his worst critics have something valuable to say as much as his most compassionate audience and I don't think you'd get nearly the same effect if everybody loved him. He's the most reviled figure of Dalish myth; you'd actually like to inspire a little revilement.

Something I mentioned offhandedly and didn't really elaborate upon as well is that to me basic writing competency is essentially the equivalent of a well-honed artisan making their craft, an upholsterer or a potter or whathaveyou, where it takes years of experiences to get it over the line on the first go. Either the thing is or isn't upholstered properly (it's hard to do) or the pot is or isn't fired (less a good example because kilns are cantankerous). The first example that came to mind, actually, is that it's kind of like a pass at Oxford undergrad: the pass itself is the mark of excellence.

This is why I don't like the people who say mean things about all the "bad" fanfic on AO3 or indeed even I need to stay my own hand in criticising the majority of what gets published (though you'd really hope the publishing industry would be more meritocratic, as an aside). It is extremely difficult to clear that line of competency; I am very in favour of democratic expression of art; so much of what you write and work at is in the hopes of one day clearing that mark. Very few people take writing seriously as a craft which needs to be developed as finely and instinctively as an artisan would.

Real artistic, transcendental excellence is kind of another question altogether, and that's where - in my view - it gets much more subjective, and I think the cultural canon really decides it post hoc, much later after the fact. It's a very personal question for my own tastes as well, because I think what reads as excellence to me is often informed by radical individuality, who is willing to go out there and take risks, that is, write stories where the villain and the hero have a lot of sex.

[kintsugi-sheep]

Orchard, 21.03.21: Vitamin Z

Vitamin Z

This week I was reminded of why I started this course of changes. I don’t know how appropriate it is to refer to someone as your muse today, but I knew regardless. It’s like an adrenaline shot to the heart, one of those cinematic, dramatic ones that snaps you out of the in-and-out, humdrum, mundane world around you and pulls you, heart-first, back into why you started what you were doing.

I probably won’t meet her again. I’m sure that ship is at a nicer dock perched on a virtuous coastline and carved out of six-pack abs. But, I’m grateful.

It’s easy to find the flaws in someone who rejected you. In her case, I couldn’t find any. She was just right to turn me down.

I missed her. I miss her. But there’s wonderful women everywhere. And I’ll take to heart the changes I need to make so that I don’t miss the next her that crosses my path.

 Budget

In the spirit of that, I sat down to figure out my budget for the next year. And it’s looking surprisingly optimistic.

My goal is to move up to Syracuse. With my financials figured out, I just need to not lose my job and I should be able to make it my next June.

Needless to say, I was happy to learn that.

 Facebook Writers

What I wasn’t so happy about is the series of Facebook groups I’ve joined. As you can tell, writing personal things isn’t really my strong suit. Certainly not in situations like this, where I’m making myself do it. But, considering that I am one writer out of hundreds of millions in the world, I imagined it be nice to acquaint myself with some people. Marketing for writers isn’t easy, after all. Especially when you’re not named.

But the communities are all pretty…vitriolic.

A man asked which of two covers worked better for his book. Being a group of writers, he received dozens of detailed responses. Answers wherein the speaker was more interested in showing off their understanding of literary and publishing nuances than actually answering the questions.

My response: “Number 1.”

A woman made a detailed list of the stereotypes applied when male writers write sexually active males against how they write sexually active females. Of course, the problem was these were stereotypes in writing. “Men who sleep around are great! But women who sleep around are sluts!” “Men who aren’t interested in sex are focused, driven by success in life! Women who aren’t interested in sex are lesbians!”

She applied this long list of writing faux pas on the shoulders of male writers. And this led to more arguing.

People post clips of their book as they’re writing it. A commenter tells them to use more commas and write shorter sentences. A poster volunteers themselves to give out their opinion, making sure to note that they’ve run a blog for the last ten years, so you know their word has value.

A Facebook certified “Conversation Starter” describes The Face by Dean Koontz as “tiresome, tedious, ostentatious” with “florid prose and so many extended metaphors”. This followed by a flood of comments about how much Dean Koontz sucks and questions of how he got so popular.

I’ve never read Dean Koontz, but I’ve heard of him. I don’t recognize any of these people by face or name.

Crabs in a barrel. There’s no success too small for these people to put down. There’s no templar too noble for them to not shit on. There’s a million complex, pretentious, “it depends”, pseudointellectual answers to simple questions like, “Does the blue cover or black cover look better?”

I’m happy I didn’t go to college to write. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to some out this exhausting.

It feels like people don’t understand that there’s success to be had for everybody when it comes to writing. There’s not always fame and critical success. Or an interview tour or a movie deal. Or a place in a high school text book or pop mythology. Or billions of dollars in the bank and vacations to hunt sharks with a shotgun.

But success is available to everyone. Appearance may vary.

I don’t know if I’ll stay in these groups. Or if a non-collegiate writer like me would be expunged. But I take peace in the knowledge that if I ever want to know what type of writer I don’t want to be I can just open up Facebook, click on the group, scroll half a page down, and find some example of how not to pursue this career.

 In the Name of Love for Shaman King

I should also make it clear that I’m going to forego the Shaman King breakdown I intended to write. I have enough distractions from what it is I need to do.

I’m disappointed twice over. First, I don’t have the ability to pick up a new discipline and edit a video together. Maybe if I were more patient or observant, but I’m just not there yet. Secondly, I let the new viewers, the ones who get legitimately excited to experience something I used to love, who craft theories and breakdown themes, get to me.

My love of Shaman King inspired me as an artist and a writer. And while I put down my colored pencils nearly a decade ago now, I still write. And I still carry those themes of spirituality and optimism into the stories I craft.

And that’s the best way for me to present my love. Through my actual work. Through what actually inspires me. Through patience. And not a six-hour list of things I love about the series.

And that wasn’t a jab at legitimate reviewers. That was the plan.

 Mom

Also, I was given a mattress by my mom this week.

Family’s a weird point for me. I don’t know if I’m ready to get into that, but I feel that I need to do a better job as someone who owes his existence to other people. I forgot who it was, but someone once said that there are two types of parents. You can be a role model or you can be a cautionary tale.

 Coworkers

I’m in a good place with my coworkers, too.

The front-of-house is mostly college-aged—closer to my age than most of back-of-house—and their optimistic look on life keeps me grounded in positivity as well.

I didn’t work in too many kitchens after culinary school, but they could definitely get rough. It’s nice to be able to enjoy your work.

 Commitment to Making Flash Fiction as Flash Fiction

I needed to reassure myself in my commitment to writing flash fiction.

I made an assurance to edit one of the stories when I posted it to Reddit a few days ago. It didn’t take me long to realize I shouldn’t have done that. Flash fiction is the nice decompressing poop that you take in the morning before you begin the stuff you legitimately work on. And if it’s nice enough you may even be compelled to mold that poop into a decent short.

I got myself caught up. I was afraid that, having posted many of these low-quality poops online, people would begin to judge me as nothing more than a poop writer. And when it came time to actually try to get people to read my web serial, they’d be like, “I don’t care if it’s free. You’re a poop writer. I can’t waste my time with you.”

Yahtzee Croshaw does a series called “Dev Diary” on YouTube, where he breaks down the process of making indie video games. In one of them he talked about how perfectionism sinks in. How it’s tempting to keep your work to yourself, to keep it from being judged so that others may not, by extension, judge you. He said he had to remember that he was not his work.

And I suppose I have to do the same. I’m not a hobbyist with a single story that I’m convinced will put my name on the map. I’m a writer with dozens of different ideas and could get excited about a dozen new ones in the next week.

Boxing matches are won by throwing many small punches, not throwing one with all of your bodyweight and hoping it’s a hit.

 A Non-Racist Uber Driver

I had a race-related discussion with an Uber driver.

It was nice.

 Pre-College Memories

I reflected on my lackadaisical approach when it came to applying for college. I was short tempered and impatient and ignorant.

It’s thanks to Vitamin Z that I realized I don’t have to actually go back to school to do what I need to do.

But the effort I need to put forward will be monumental nonetheless.

I told you I’d come back more positive.

[drainflyclub]

The Limp of Corrupted Feet

I’m sitting on a wall. There is birdshit right next to me, cigarettes and gum stains all over the ground. A pigeon is at my feet, ignoring me, pecking for food. It’s feet are covered in yellow, twisting tumours, and it pathetically hops on its stumps, flapping its wings for stability, eyes wide looking for something to eat. I have just been told I didn’t get the job.

There is this warped idealism that cities seem to bring, those big cities, those creative cities. Did we all learn too much from movies and books? Was there ever really a chance your Dreams could come true by simply being somewhere different, or was it a big lie, like Cinderella or spiritual contentment? The idea is basic - live in The City, do things in The City, experience The City, love The City, let The City provide for you. A cultural and economic hub so you can live a life beyond anything your small town friends could ever imagine or comprehend. Funny, how most the people I’ve met have expressed distaste or outright white hot hate for this place. But they still live here, they still live here. 

My white shirt is now stained with sweat from sitting in a hot office all day, and from nervousness. I stink of worried energy and adrenaline. “You’ve obviously got talent…” they said. I replied all smiles and confidence and stupid fucking finger guns like some sort of 80’s movie character, moustache and all. I washed this shirt last night, soaking a pasta stain on the front and hoping it would be clean. I woke up and it was creased and damp, I hoped my body heat would unwrinkle the fabric. I can’t afford an iron. “You’ve obviously got talent but…” I was meant to come in for another day, but they made a decision in seven and a half hours and two articles. I’m relieved in a way. I only own one good shirt.

I think my own ego has brought me here, but now I’m older and my head has hardened. If I can’t do something, I hate it. There are many things I can’t do. “You just don’t have enough writing experience.” and I think, ‘I do’, but not your kind of writing. Though maybe I haven’t let my writing be judged before. Maybe I am bad. I want to write an article out of spite. I want to prove to them how wrong they are. I smile and wink and die inside. 

I find out that the job would have paid a touch over minimum wage. I factor in food and transport on the ticking calculator that runs in my head, keeping a check on my bank balance. I would probably be on minimum wage before tax and loan repayments. I have trained for 3 years and worked for 3-maybe 4 years in this industry. “You just don’t have the experience.” I think about the value of my education. I think about The City and how it was meant to make my dreams come true. I think about minimum wage. Rent. Food. Bills. Tax. I think about fighting someone, or killing myself, or buying a plane ticket and fleeing. Instead I scratch my sweat covered nose. 

I have secured myself a new job. It also pays a touch over minimum wage. I am a freelancer. In theory this means I choose my own pay and choose my own hours. I am told that they pay this rate and this rate only. I get emails at strange hours demanding I come in. I am on a zero-hours contract, but by law I am a freelancer. I earn less than my colleagues, and have less security. There are no benefits to what I do. I consider how I will end it when I reach 55 years old and can bear to work no more with no pension and no house. I consider trying to work out a higher rate of pay, but I know there are a million broken souls queueing behind me to take my place and work more for less. Last time I tried to do so I took a pay cut. I fuck up my own finances and my sanity for the sake of a job I’m told I should be lucky to have. I don’t feel lucky. 

As I walk back to my flat, I watch a woman stare at me and smile through my sunglasses. I don’t acknowledge her. She must think that I have my shit together. She doesn’t realise that this shining statuesque version of me is made of cheap marble and wood, that I’m wearing my one good shirt and wondering what it’s like to be evicted or made bankrupt. I wonder how soon I’ll experience it. I wonder how many people here are in the same boat. One has a bag from Whole Foods and steps into a brand new Jaguar. I wonder no more. In my head, I claw around trying to figure out how many days of work I need to do to make rent next month. I start to feel sick so I stop. 

I know I have to go to the Benefits Office and ask for help paying my bills, but I don’t want to. I feel like the provider. My mother once told me that what caused my dad to break down was always feeling like he had to provide. I let that thought stick for a while. What did the early tribes do when one of their hunters became lame or blind or deaf? Did they care for them or let them die in the wilderness? My rent has gone up this year. House prices are falling in my area but my landlord has a mortgage and the agency has commission to make so it goes up anyway. I can’t afford another deposit or letting fees so I let them fuck me. My contract says they won’t allow any tenants who use benefits, so I hope I can get the money put directly into my account and hide my shame. 

I look at my bank statement and feel like crying when I realise my mental calculations were off. I am poorer than I thought. I go into a shop and buy the cheapest beer I can find there, because I feel like shit and want to feel better. I look at the £1 bottles of piss-quality cider and work out how long it’ll be before I start drinking that. I pick up two four-packs of regular beer. There were times in the early days of The City where I would buy craft beers and bottles of wine like there was a shortage approaching, where I would go to bars on my day off and sit supping cold expensive pints. I’m not sure if I genuinely believed and experienced The Dream then, or if the fun has ruined my memories.

I walk and walk and walk and consider dropping everything and moving elsewhere. Maybe somewhere cheaper? Maybe a foreign country? I know I can’t. I owe the Government so much money in back taxes. I was seduced by a startup who hadn’t been corrupted by ideals like profit who actually paid me a fair wage for The City. I used my money to live like a human being. The company went bust. Now I’m poorer than ever. Now I have the burden of my past sitting forever on my back, my punishment for committing the sin of thinking I could breathe easy. I have to be in The City to earn enough to be poor. I am Prometheus, but the eagle will find no more liver.

I realise how cliche my experience is. We’re all dreamers who got hammered down by society again and again. I’m not clever or creative. I’m average. I walk through my front door and the chain is still on. The cheap door frame buckles and spits plaster everywhere. I would be worried about my deposit if I knew the several tea stains and cracked paint hadn’t already cost me over a thousand pounds of it. If I leave here I know I won’t be able to afford securing another place. I want to tear the rest of the wood off the frame and break something. Instead I work out which white lies to tell my landlord’s agency so they come and fix it without blaming me. I try to work out if I care whether they know or not anymore. 

I try to write. “You’re just not good enough.” Maybe they’re right. I’m so full of vinegar and spite and drink, I want to show them they’re wrong. I look at my half finished projects and ideas laying in the gutter. I look at my bank balance. I look at the broken door frame. I look at the dark bags under my eyes. I look at the tea stains. I look at my half empty beer. Maybe they’re right. 

I’m sitting on a wall. There is birdshit right next to me, cigarettes and gum stains all over the ground. A pigeon is at my feet. It’s feet are covered in yellow, twisting tumours. It pecks at a plastic bag filled with breadcrumbs. It’s eyes are wide as it tries and tries to get them. The breadcrumbs are inside the bag, teasing the bird through clear plastic. It can’t get to them. It tries again anyway. 

- M. M. Sheridan (2017)

[mbtiwebcomic]

Hello , sorry, this has barely anything to do with the comic but I've been seeing Ne and Fe in a lot of MBTI places, can you tell me what is means??

Sure! Ne and Fe are the names of two out of the eight cognitive functions, which are, in a nutshell, what makes MBTI useful.I assume you have never heard of cognitive functions before, so I'm going to write a semi-detailed explanation below, and then put some links to some better explanations, because I'm a pretty terrible teacher :D.Just a warning, I'm gonna explain things in a bit of an impersonal, scientific way, because this is getting exhausting.

Cognitive functions:

Perceiving functions: How you take in information:

Extraverted iNtuition (Ne): Engages in the world of ideas, seeing possibilities in everything, constantly searching for new opportunities. Ne users are the people who have countless unfinished projects because they thought of something new, the ones who have an association for anything but might see subtext in things that have no subtext, the ones who focus on all the possible way a situation might turn out, the majority of which, however, are unlikely ("Guys, guys! What if the fishes find a way to turn themselves into cyborgs using the screwdriver we have left close to their aquarium, we need to make sure they can't turn their anger towards humanity, I have seen what these little buggers can do when angry"). Usually quite from reality, they disregard tradition and small details, preferring to use their own methods. The embodiment of the "iNtuitive leap", they jump from one idea to another in a matter of seconds, their line of thought extremely chaotic and unpredictable.The idea generation of Ne users is entirely focused on associations. Unlike Ni users, they can't get ideas from the subconscious as easily, so they turn to the outer world, which is a playground for their active imagination. An ellipse from a homework assignment can take them to some flying spheres that are used as attack drones they saw in a video game, which then can bring them to the fact that the average person's idea of what a U.F.O can look like is quite unfit to fly through space, or enter the atmosphere of a planet, and how those attack sphere drones might be a better design. (I'm a strong Ne user, so I'm really sorry if that doesn't make sense to you). Also, they are quite spontaneous and impulsive, and when they get an idea, their eyes lighten up, and they become hyper-energetic as if the idea has injected something in their veins.

A shitpost that describes what Ne does in different positionsIntroverted iNtuition (Ni): Extremely focused on the future, tend to make big-picture detailed plans (Some of them might know what they want to work as, where they want to live, where they will go to university, at a very young age. But to be fair, Ne users do this too, with the difference that Ni users generally have planned one path to happiness, while Ne users have a general idea of all the things that could happen, and their plans are more relaxed, similar to a "Connect The Dots" game, while Ni users' plans resemble a Labyrinth game.). A bit slow to make decisions, because they always think of the possible consequences (and here, the difference between Ni and Ne is shown again, as Ni users will only think of the most possible outcome, which can make them miss something, and Ne users will think of all the possible outcomes, covering everything, but with more choices there are more opportunities for mistakes.). Unlike Ne users, which generally have a lot of varied interests, Ni users are deeply interested in few things and are likely to become competent at them, while Ne users are generally jacks-of-all-trades. They need to be organised in their mental world, which makes them a bit of restrained in their actions, not being able to let go and don't care like Se users.

A shitpost that describes what Ni does in different positions 

Extraverted Sensing (Se): Engages in the physical world, lives in the moment, often disregarding past experience and future consequences. Wants to experience everything that can be experienced, and not be restrained in any way. Actively seeking sensory experiences (thrills?), like sex, drinking, car races, etc., but also tamer ones like art, expensive pretty things (from what I have heard, diamonds and fast cars are really popular with them), and crafting. Se users are usually "hands-on" people that want to do things, not read about them and can get quite restless when they aren't doing something physical that can affect the world around them. They rarely plan, leaving things to chance, trusting their ability to think quickly to find solutions to the problems that arise.

A shitpost that describes what Se does in different positions

Introverted Sensing (Si): This function helps its user assess the current situation by comparing it to the past, and relying on what has worked before to get out of it. While it may not seem like that, Si is just as in touch with the environment around it as Se is, however, focusing on details, memories, and the sense of one's body (It's common knowledge that Ne users are so detached from reality, they often forget to eat, drink water, or sleep. No such thing in Si users.). Si users like to be comfortable, be it physically or emotionally. They generally aren't comfortable with change, and don't appreciate it when they are forced into situations which they aren't familiar and/or okay with. Si users tend to idealise the past, however they are in for trouble when they start living in it, instead of jumping in the present to create new memories.

A shitpost that describes what Si does in different positions

Judging functions: How you make decisions:

Introverted Thinking (Ti): Ti seeks to formulate an inner logical framework, often disregarding systems imposed on them by others. Ti users need to be able to do anything on their own - to be independent AND competent. Everything needs to make sense to them. They just won't do something, because "I said so", and, if forced, are going to do it begrudgingly, and as slow and bad as possible. Ti users are terrified of failure because it confirms what they have always feared - that they are incompetent morons that can never succeed. Maybe this fear, combined with their analytical mind, is what makes them so good at spotting logical errors anywhere they go. It would be more efficient if the elevator was on this side. Some food stands in the park might improve property value. Anything that can be improved, no matter how irrelevant, must be fixed. It must be perfect. They must be perfect. Alas, no one can be perfect, and they know it. This doesn't stop them from beating themselves up about it though. Ti, especially when combined with Si, is a knowledge sponge. They must be constantly learning, be it the theory of relativity, or random video game lore. Ti users are frustrated with incompetence and idiocy (qualities that Ti users are EXTREMELY afraid of appearing in themselves.)and can get quite snarky and look down on people upon encountering those qualities in them.

A shitpost that describes that Ti does in different positionsExtraverted Thinking (Te): While Ti users operate on their own logical framework, for Te users logic is something universal, and therefore, standards and regulations must be imposed to keep the order. Te users like the world around them to be organised, and can't stand disorder and destructive behaviour, and often, see themselves as the person that needs to civilize the chaotic wasteland. Without order, everything would fall apart. Therefore, they usually respect authority, while still having doubts about it, unlike their Ti cousins which seem to be born suspicious to the people in charge. Te users are quite confident and forceful, rarely doubting their abilities (another thing that distances them from Ti users). As said above, for them, logic is something universal, and, for something to be true, facts from the outside must be collected and put to the test. While Ti users might adore theorising about abstract subjects that have no practical value, Te users do so reluctantly, and only if they see the purpose of doing so. Their confidence and love for order makes them great at leading others, and are naturals at climbing the corporate ladders.

A shitpost that describes that Te does in different positions

Introverted Feeling (Fi): Value authenticity. They have a very strong set of beliefs and values, and an almost cult-like devotion to them. Fi users are characterised deep, intense, private experience of emotions, which they are aware of to a great extent, along with a desire to understand themselves. This desire is connected to their fascination with a human's "soul", believing everyone is unique and great in their own way. If someone is pretending to be someone they are not (Common in Fe users that either do not know how to blend in any other way or because of social customs), they are being unauthentic, and therefore, not respected by the Fi user. They might come off as egoistic and "holier-than-thou", because of their bad opinion about externally expressing emotions, and their priority for what they want and feel over others' desires.(Fi is the function I know the least about, and I'm really sorry for the incomplete status of this, make sure to read more in the links provided. Also check Fe's entry, as there are some comparisons between the two.)

A shitpost that describes that Fi does in different positionsExtraverted Feeling (Fe): While Fi focuses on the needs of the individual, Fe focuses on the needs of the group, wanting everyone to feel involved and happy. Unlike Fi users, Fe users don't have a great awareness of their own emotions and will either bottle them up (which will eventually lead to a REALLY ugly explosion) or bring them into the outer world, talking to someone about it. Fe users are usually accepting, and disgusted by discrimination (An important thing, I'm not saying Fe users are always accepting of everyone, or calling Fi users bigots. Things are really complicated. The two Feeling functions might be against or pro discrimination for their own reasons - Fi's values might include accepting of everyone, while Fe might see a person of different race, sexuality, etc. disrupting their social circle, making changes that they are not comfortable with, and etc.). Because of their awareness of the social landscape, they have learned how to fake emotions quite well (something disgusting to Fi users), which can be extremely destructive when Fe shows its dark side in the form of manipulation. Like Te users see logic as something universal, Fe users see morality as such, and often impose their moral views on others in a passive-aggressive way (another thing Fi users loathe) because mother knows best (this is a joke). Fe users are more dependent on affirmation than others, and might strive for approval from everyone around them, devastated by any sign of disappointment. This strive for approval can turn really messy, especially when Fe is in a low position. Quite similar to Ti, Fe can make the person feel like they are not good enough, that they are pathetic and that they are not worthy of others' attention. The lower the Fe is, the higher the chance of social-anxiety-like behaviours emerging, with the person being afraid of letting people know them and avoiding looking at people or striking up conversations.

A shitpost that describes that Fe does in different positions 

Okay, so it’s 3 AM and I’m fucking tired, so I’m gonna be quick.

Each MBTI type has 4 functions, 2 judging and 2 perceiving. Each function goes in pair with their opposite:

Ti - Fe

Te - Fi

Ne - Si

Ni - Se

I’m really sorry that I’m not able to explain everything about the functional stack right now, I’m really tired, but I’m gonna put some links down here to some great resources:

A really good masterpost that will give you everything you need

Really comprehensive, universally acclaimed, but terrible UI and design

A very good blog with resources

Great post that I kinda copied

A good intro to functions

[elliot-corfield]

UNIT D8 INTRO

My specialism for this blog will be a metal songwriter. This is mostly due to that being what i wish to do in the future. For this project i have decided to take the format of one big end goal to work towards at the end and then split the accomplishment of that goal into smaller goals that are more medium term goals and split them into short term goals to make them more achievable. The project is due 3 weeks from today so i can set 3 goals to achieve each week through smaller goals to end up developing my big end goal to be better than it was before, hopefully learning a lot on the way. For my end goal i wish to improve my skills in songwriting. This is a very relevant goal for me as it's what i wish to do in the future and you can never improve your craft too much and so I believe taking this time to improve it will be invaluable to my future education and career path. This is even more relevant as at University i will be taking a music and production course with heavy focus on songwriting. As mentioned before, i plan to now split my end goal into 3 medium sized goals to complete one per week within the 3 weeks. These are of course not the only 3 goals needed to improve this skill but they will be 3 that I think will be most useful to me in my journey. Having 3 medium goals to complete over time also creates very handy and natural milestones and will also help me judge the success of my project as if all 3 of those improve it will naturally improve my songwriting skills, it all flows very nicely together. For my 3 medium goals i wish to work on. My knowledge of scales, Drum Programming and my metal technical ability. Working on my knowledge of scales will be very useful in my end goal as it will allow me to unlock my fretboard to write many more new riffs, breakdowns and even some solo's. I will look at metal related scales such as the minor scale, harmonic minor, phrygian and so on. To determine the success of this goal i will look at how my knowledge of the scales progresses and also have a go at writing some riffs etc with each scale to show my understanding of the scale and that it has a practical use in my music writing. For drum programming, this is more of a personal goal. Right now I am a solo songwriter and so in my music i program the drums because I'm not a drummer and don't know someone who is. Drums are the backbone of the song and can really add to the heaviness of a song and so i will explore the fundamentals of metal drumming and also programming drums to really add to the quality and professionalism of my music. Success of this will be measured through how my knowledge expands and also in how my programming develops, the drums should become more realistic, technical with fills for example and their impact within my music. Finally my 3rd goal was my metal technical ability. By this i mean topics such as making my songs heavier and more technical in playing like more groovy and technical riffs, even expanding my library of fills to put into my riffs. But also in terms of metal theory like what makes something heavy or effective song structures to use. This is useful to specialism as this goal in particular is the foundation of making "good" metal music and developing my knowledge in this subject further will allow me to think better and hone my creativity into higher quality music. My success in this goal will again be shown through my knowledge increase of the subject and things like my playing ability will be evidenced in my riffs that i write and my playing in general. I should have a better understanding and be able to create more technical sounding riffs. All of these goals also flow nicely into each other. The understanding of scales can be used with the technical ability. I can use a newly learned scale to write a basic riff then use my technical knowledge to spice it up with fills and then use my new knowledge of drum programming to compliment my riff nicely.

[talhaghafoor2019-blog]

Will Artificial Intelligence Penetrate the Music Industry?

While algorithms have been used for a good while now to detect musical taste and make recommendations on streaming services, they are now beginning to be deployed to make music itself. Artificial intelligence has been monumental in transforming information technology, using algorithms to make cumbersome and time-consuming tasks more efficient. Once AI steps beyond its mandate and begins to create entertainment, rivalling human output, then things will become interesting.

Historically artists and composers have used randomised statistical methods to make music. David Bowie worked with Ty Roberts to create the Verbalizer – a program with which Bowie could input up to 25 sentences and groups of words. The Verbalizer would then aleatorically rearrange the words into combinations. Bowie used this tool to great effect on his Berlin Trilogy. As with many other realms of production, the level of human input in music could be on the decline. The implications for the music industry will be a significant kettle of fish.

The big tech companies appear to be herding around the concept of AI-generated music. Google created Magenta –a project designed for artists to use to help them write songs; it’s tools are all open-source. Similarly, Sony’s Computer Science Labs built an AI system named Flow Machines which creates music after having learned several styles from a database of songs. It’s artistic director Benoit Carré composed a song in the style of the Beatles, titled ‘Daddy’s Car’ using algorithms. There are also accessible programs on the web such as Jukedeck and Amper Music which allows casual users/musicians to experiment, selecting genres and moods before leaving the computer to do the rest. The former company are “training deep neural networks to understand music composition at a granular level”.

In the Jukedeck program, I clicked on the electro-folk genre and selected the emotion ‘uplifting’. The result was a bland and synthetic jingle not dissimilar from a beat lingering in the backdrop of a chart-topping song. So then I navigated my way onto Amper Music. Their beta version takes on a different approach focussing on ‘functional music’; it has seven specialised tabs – social media, video game, songwriting, film, TV show, podcast or radio and app. I chose the songwriting feature but was once again given a flavourless instrumental beat that sounded fully within the capacity for a human to make. Judging from these two experiences, ‘functional music’ might give AI music the most legitimacy. It can and most likely will have a place in background music.

The aforementioned tune ‘Daddy’s Car’ sounded impressive on the other hand. While it resonated more like a psychedelic version of Jens Lekman than a Fab Four number, it possessed a futuristic aura to it. It does become clear though, by reading the YouTube caption, that the AI input was rather minimal as it’s noted that Carré “arranged and produced the song, and wrote the lyrics”.

Perhaps the most compelling and complex program I came across was AIVA – a system that fruitfully composes classical pieces. Its website notes that AIVA “has been learning the art of music composition by reading through a large collection of music partitions, written by the greatest composers (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, …) to create a mathematical model representation of what music is”. AIVA achieves this using the deep learning algorithm which is an algorithm inspired by the neural networks of the brain and then the sheet music is formulated for real musicians to play. It became the first AI to obtain the international status of Composer and the technology’s compositions have featured in film soundtracks, games and adverts. While AIVA may not give Mozart a run for his money, the compositions are palpably more melodic and expansive in comparison with the electronic/generic soundbites from Jukedeck and Amper. Furthermore, the classical music which AIVA draws from is all copyright-expired rendering it a win-win situation for the founders.

Streaming services will adore AI music as they won’t have to dish out money to third party rights holders although legal ownership of AI music is an ambiguous topic. In order to truly get past any legal barricades, it needs to be established if the artists using the AI programs are the ‘composers’ of the music. Individuals or businesses can currently buy the tracks they have made on Jukedeck in the form of a royalty-free license to use them. Or for a larger sum, they can purchase the copyright to own the track outright. The idea of artificial intelligence composing deep, engaging songs with lyrics seems far-fetched at the moment. There will not be an artificially generated number one single anytime soon but AI could easily have a negative impact on the careers of composers of film/video game soundtracks in the near future. Pop artists may craft hits with it for the under layers of their music.

The quality of the existing AI music programs is mixed and the concept is still in its infancy. But there is little doubt that it will push on further towards prominence. Some may be apprehensive about the possibility of AI stripping music of its creative and emotional dimension. However, when the fundamentals of music theory, in terms of the Western notation system, are plugged into a computer, the result is not necessarily a dehumanised form of music but more so an automated, expeditious one. We use the same chord progressions for a wide array of tracks; a basic algorithm can be used to recognise these.

In his lecture at FutureFest, Paul Mason posited that “musical artificial intelligence will start by creating music we couldn’t think of but it might also create music that we can’t understand”. This rumination is a dystopian one and whether we becomes transhumans or inherit machine-like characteristics is a matter for far futurological debate. The music industry has had enough to worry about recently but the idea of AI obliterating human musical output is as dubious as it is frightening.

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This content was originally published here.

[letsmakearthistory]

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF EAST ASIAN ART IN WESTERN MUSEUMS with a case study on  Ma Shouzhen (c. 1548–1604)

download pdf version here

East Asian art is often described as ‘decorative’ and is valued for its aesthetic quality instead of its cultural or philosophical meanings. Due to the structure of the Chinese language, texts can be read as images and vice versa, more easily than they can in European culture. Vincent Crapanzano has argued that in Chinese culture:

“[...] painting is thought of as a form of writing. Though popularly one says ‘to paint a picture’ (hua hua), scholars say ‘to write a picture’ (xie hua). In the ‘highest’ style of painting, xie yi, one ‘writes’ and idea without allowing the brush to complete its course, for completion should occur not on paper but in the mind of the viewer.”1

When researching the European academic discourse on Chinese Painting from the early 20th century onwards, certain observations can be made. Scholars, curators, art-dealers and connoisseurs were eager to categorise ‘Oriental’ art objects according to period, medium and style. This however also lead to the separation of the concepts of painting and writing that initially were never clearly separated. 

Instead of focusing on formalist issues like stylistic ‘evolutions’, this paper will provide a critical analysis of art-historical theories concerning ‘Chinese Painting’ in the European academic discourse by reviewing the current modes of museum displays and their online databases. Emphasis will instead be laid on the histories of acquisition. In my opinion it is important to acknowledge the social-political circumstances that enabled vast amounts of East Asian art objects to be transported to Europe and American at the turn of the 20th century. However museum institutions tend not to systematically list this provenance history on the database websites, in catalogues, nor along- side the labels in museum displays.

In a global art-historical framework we can re-consider how scholars, diplomates, missionaries, collectors and dealers exchanged objects and ideas. Provenance research is an essential method that to allows us create a more accurate picture about these global relations.

The first part of this essay is dedicated to the history of museum institutions and their practices of collecting in both Europe, America and China. In this section I will outline how late 19th and early 20th century European and American art historians, scholars, art-dealers and museum-officials have dealt with text (calligraphy) and image (figurative painting) when displaying the material culture of East Asia. The second part consists of a case study on three scrolls by Ma Shouzhen     (c. 1548–1604), a late Ming courtesan painter from Nanjing. The reason for this specific case study is to point out that East Asian Art continues to be aestheticised in Western museums as they do not systematically provide translations of the inscriptions on the art works.

It is highly important to provide translations of the inscriptions otherwise the viewer—especially in Europe and America where the majority of museum visitors do not read Chinese—is prohibited from fully interpreting the art-work. The case study will also take into account how scholars use Ma Shouzhen to construct theories about gender roles and norms by using her art-works in an uncritical and incomplete manner.

The museum as a Western invention

The first public museums across Europe were established during the mid 19th century. During this period it was considered the duty of the government to educate its citizens through the exposure to culture. Of course these public collections were also meant to impress the public, similar to the World Expositions which showcased arts and crafts from around the world next to new technological innovations. Taken from the account of the Qing official Bin Chun from the 19th century who mentioned in his memoir Notes on the Raft, a travel report of his oversee travels, that he had never seen or heard of anything like it2, we can assume that this mode of display was a creation of the ‘Western’ world.

The foundation of museums was linked to European colonial expansion. “The early twentieth century saw the coming of a collecting spree of Chinese artifacts among European and American museums; scholars were hired and expedition teams were established with the agenda of enriching their oriental collections. From 1876 to 1928, more than 42 foreign expedition teams visited and appropriated valuable cultural artifacts from China. Government officials, antique dealers, as well as foreign collectors, all played a part in the antique trade, with the result that the only antique collections left untouched were in the Chengde Palace and the Shenyang Palace.”3 Since the Opium Wars and the opening of Japan in 1853, objects from East Asian royal households had entered European collections.4 However by the beginning of the 20th century museum institutions had been formalised and had become respected centres of scholarship that preserved material culture. It became easier to organise exhibitions with loaned objects and to produce catalogues. 

In China, the first museums were founded by Jesuits missionaries in the 1860s. For example the Zikawei Museum in Shanghai was founded by Pierre Marie Heude (1836-1902) in 1868 as a kind of cabinet of curiosities mostly dedicated to natural history. In the 1930s the museum “contained samples of Western scientific glory and pieces of Chinese civilisation which constructed a discourse of an obsolete Chinese ‘past’ versus a ‘European modernity’.”5 

During the ‘Self-strengthening Movement’ also known as the ‘Westernization Movement’ (1861-1895), petitions were made by politicians like Zhang Jian (1853-1926) to establish a public royal collection, yet the Emperor declined. After the official abdication of the emperor and the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912 “the Forbidden City became a competing ground for three important public museums in Beijing. Led by different departments or parties, the three of them shared the palace, just like different political parties shared China. All of them, at one point or another, received foreign funds or sent artefacts to the West for traveling exhibitions.”6 

From 1931 to 1949, during the Second Invasion of Japan, the collection of the Forbidden city was evacuated, but dispersed and moved around the entire country. The imperial collection was eventually split up and is now dispersed between The Palace Museum in Taipei and Beijing, as well as a multitude of foreign institutions and private collections.

Hierarchies of the ‘Western’ art-historical narrative

The traditional European art historical narrative is largely based on The History of the Art of Antiquity which was published in 1764 and written by Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717 -1768). In his writings Winckelmann attempted to trace stylistic evolutions by analysing sculptural and architectural remains of ancient Rome and Greece. By the 19th century his work had become a classic. One could argue that this ‘Western’ framework has been forced on the art and culture of East Asia and other parts of the world. The visual language of ancient Rome and Greece were considered ideal especially during the Neoclassical period in Europe, a time that coincided with increased colonial activity abroad.

When researching early 20th century European literature on ‘Chinese Painting’ the authors are inclined to draw comparisons between the ‘Far East’ and the ‘West’. Although occasionally comparisons can be beneficial, they often lead to the construction of cultural hierarchies. Authors frequently mention issues surrounding perspective and the imitation of nature.7 Rather than accepting difference in the interpretations of nature, truth and perspectives.

Warren I. Cohen has pointed out in his article: ‘Art Collecting as International Relations: Chinese Art and American Culture’ that;

“Nineteenth century academic art stressed visual realism and was intolerant of deviations in the use of space or violations of conventions or perspective. East Asian art was judged by the conventions of Western culture and found wanting. The Asian could no more understand perspective than he could understand logic. Generalised contempt for Asian affected perceptions of Asian art.”8

When discussing art from ‘Other’ cultures, it is important to acknowledge and re-consider ‘indigenous’ philosophies and ideologies and to be aware of the constructed hierarchies that were based on ‘Western’ concepts. In China there has been an unbroken tradition of historiography, and art-theory has long enjoyed the attention of scholars. Evidently there were theories about art in place before the ‘West’ claimed its cultural domination during the 19th century. These ‘indigenous’ philosophies and methods of ‘connoisseurship’ have been neglected by ‘Western’ museum institutions. For example in 1999 the Metropolitan Museum of Art held an international symposium titled Issues of Authentication in Chinese Painting in order to establish whether a scroll from the museums collection depicting a version of Along the Riverbank was painted by the Southern Tang painter Dong Yuan, or by the 20th century artist (also known as a gifted art forger) Zhang Daqian (1899 - 1983). The members concluded that work must have been painted by an Old Master. In a critical essay about this event Joan Stanley-Baker has argued that:

“Western-trained historians of Chinese art tend to deploy Eurocentric methodology based largely on structural and morphological analysis. Brushwork connoisseurship in the manner of the traditional Chinese connoisseur remains on the whole primitive [...] One is the study of Chinese brushwork skills and aesthetics, the traditional connoisseur’s way of reading and assessing brushwork. Without this skill, a tracing copy would be identified as an the [sic] original and the actual production-date may be missed by centuries.”9

Networks of dealers, collectors and museums

The tastes of ’Western’ collectors, scholars and museum directors have shaped our understanding of East Asian art and culture. Whereas during the 17th and 18th century members of the European courts were satisfied with ‘Chinoiserie’ and ‘Export Ware’ this attitude shifted during the 19th and 20th century which saw an increased interest in authentic artefacts from East Asia. Only towards the mid 19th century scrolls became collectors items in Europe, before ceramics were considered to be the art of China.

Many Oriental scholars and art collectors at the turn of the 20th century were linguists and made efforts to provide translations of texts they regarded to be of great importance. Although their efforts should not be disregarded, they should be carefully reviewed and critically re-evalued for mis-translations happen all too often and remain unchallenged.10

Due to increased colonial contact, European nations greatly expanded their museum collections. During this period new art-theories also emerged. Whereas previously emphasis had been laid on architecture, painting and sculpture, an increased interest in ‘Oriental’ arts and crafts triggered theories about art, cultures and people. For example In 1856 the English architect Owen Jones (1809 - 1874) published a book titled The Grammar of Ornament which included coloured illustrations of a collage-type collection of patterns from different historic periods and cultures including amongst others ‘Hindoo ornament’, ‘Arabian ornament’ and ‘Chinese ornament’11. Jones was responsible for the interior decoration of the London World Expo of 1851 and was in close contact with Henry Cole (1808 - 1882) who founded the Museum of Oriental Art at the Marlborough House in London, the forerunner of the Victoria & Albert museum which was intended to stimulate the Arts and Crafts movement.

At the beginning of the 20th century the networks between museums, scholars, art dealers and collectors were tightly knit. A major player in this field was the art-dealer C.T. Loo     (1880 - 1957) who had his own Oriental antique shop in Paris (a town-house converted to look like a pagoda) and later in New York at the beginning of the 20th century. He supplied museums in Europe and America as well as private collectors with countless amounts of scrolls, sculptures and other arts and crafts.12

In America museums were mostly funded by private entrepreneurs and philanthropists, based on their private collections and tastes. At the turn of the 20th century, it was fashionable for the ‘Western’ elite to invest in Oriental works of art. John C. Ferguson (1866 - 1945) and Charles Lang Freer (1854 - 1919) were two American collectors who visited China and Japan where they established dealer networks. For example, Ferguson introduced Freer to Pang Yuanji, who owned one of the largest and best-documented art collection in Shanghai. Due to gambling depts, Pang was willing to sell some of his finest items.13 Sales like these occurred regularly in the persistently chaotic political situation in 19th and 20th century China.

“In January 1916 Freer bought one hundred Chinese paintings for $6,500 from Lee Van Ching , and thirteen paintings for $7,000 from K.T. Wong. In February 1916, twenty paintings for $19,000 from Lee Van Ching. In September, thirty- two paintings for $18,000 from K.T. Wong . In December, six paintings for $ 6000 and fifteen paintings at $21,000 from Pang Lai ch’en.”14

According to Michael St. Clair: “[...] Freer worked on a careful plan to leave his collection to the nation.”15

The collecting practices of ‘connoisseurs’ of the late 19th and early 20th century have strongly shaped our understanding of East Asian art and culture today. However in East Asian culture, there was a long native tradition in place on how to collect antique objects and how to separate forgeries from authentic works. Evidently, these people had a closer relationship with their objects compared to the Oriental collector with a particular interest in the material culture of a foreign country. We have to acknowledge that apart from its material or artistic value, objects were also collected as reminders of intangible heritage. By tracing the acquisition history on an object we can also uncover which object initially belonged to ‘native’ collectors and how these were displayed.

The high demand on the art-market resulted in the increase of the production of forgeries. For example in 1923 the Art Bulletin journal of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York published an article by S. C. Bosch Reitz on ‘Chinese Painting’ in which he stated the following:

“Signatures are of no value, forgers put them on with the greatest ease, they can obtain old ink, and seals can be copied and made for a few cents. Even old and perfectly good pictures often have wrong signatures because some former owner wished to put his connoisseurship on the record by adding the name of the artists to whom he attributed the picture and authenticated it with his won seal. The quality and the weave of the silk are carefully studied by the collectors, but not only is early silk procurable even today, but T’ang and Sung silk are so well imitated that only a specialist can discover the difference.”16

Although the author at the beginning of the article acknowledges the fact that Chinese characters are ideograms and that the fact of painting and writing are intertwined, S. C. Bosch Reitz fails to acknowledge that the inscriptions on the scrolls might be of any significance to the context in which the scroll was produced.

CASESTUDY Ma Shouzhen (c.1548–1604) 

Ma Shouzhen in the art-historical framework

Wen Fong stated that; “The second half of the seventeenth century saw a dramatic breakthrough in both form and content in painting as a new generation of painters achieved a new creative synthesis of painting, calligraphy and poetry.”17

Is this an art-historical grand narrative or have these three always been intertwined in Chinese culture? Especially if we consider the fact that the Chinese characters are logograms and the language is full of homophones which allow for a playful and ambiguous approach to the creation of visual and mental images.

According to Tseng Yuho: “[..] during the late Ming and early Qing period, clusters of women poets and painters emerged.”18 Some scholars have labeled flower painting as being specific painting subjects for women during this time. In my opinion one has to be careful when applying gender theories to the distant past. In his article ‘The Art of Being Artistic: Painting Manuals of Late Ming China (1550-1644) and the Negotiation of Taste’, J. P. Park has argued the following:

“In contrast to the genre of landscape, the bird-and-flower genre tended to be categorised as suitable subject for undereducated women and artisans. Late Ming female painters from ordinary families had to cope with this long-entrenched cultural prejudice. This kind of social restriction was also found in Victorian England, where women were only allowed to display their talents in an area such as flower painting a genre deemed unimportant and purely decorative.”19

The author mentions in the footnote that: “In contrast, two courtesan painters, Ma Shouzhen (1548 - 1605) and Sue Susu (c. 1573 - 1620) specialized in ink landscape, orchids, and bamboo. Late Ming courtesans appear to have had relatively more freedom in their selection of subject matter.”20

It is important to acknowledge that European theories about gender which were formulated in Europe during the 19th century have greatly affected our attitudes towards these matters today. Since the author is drawing comparisons between 19th England and 17th century China, two worlds highly distinct from each other in time and place, I would argue against the assumption that orchids were typically painted by women because it was considered to be a suitable subject for male painters. For example Zhao Mengfu     (1254-1322) also painted orchids and bamboo21, three centuries before Ma Shouzhen’s time. Although there is currently no proof of this, it is possible that Ma Shouzhen was familiar with Mengfu’s work as she was educated by the ‘well-known man of letters and art connoisseur’22 Peng Nian (1505-66). According to the Benezit Dictionary of Artists Ma ‘painted orchids in the style of Zhao Mengjian (1199-1295) and bamboo in the style of Guan Daosheng (1262-1325).’23

With the help of the following case study on three scroll paintings by the Ming courtesan painter from Nanjing, which are all in major ‘Western’ museum collections, I intend to demonstrate that a critical analysis with an emphasis on provenance history allows us to uncover how some artists and their works are used in order to support constructed narratives that fit a preconceived notion of history. Since non of the objects are currently on display I will compare and critically evaluate how these works are documented in the online database of the museums. Additionally I will analyse how art-historians have used the figure of Ma Schouzhen and these works in their texts.

(1)‘Orchid and Rock’, Metropolitan Museum of Art New York24 (2)‘Bamboo and orchids on a rock’, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam25 (3)‘Bamboo, Rocks, and Orchids’, Freer & Sackler Galleries, Washington D.C.26

Reviewing the databases: translation & provenance

In terms of documentation the institutions are not systematic. Only the MET (fig. 1) has provided a translation of the inscriptions (see appendix p. 20), however this translation is incomplete. Although the website mentions that the inscriptions on the upper part of the scroll on the silver flaked paper were written by the poet Jian Deng, for some reason no actual translation has been provided. This bars the researcher from fully interpreting this work.

The scroll in the Rijksmuseum (fig. 2) was acquired in 1990 and despite the fact that it has been part of the museum collection for over 25 years, no translation of the inscriptions is available (see appendix p. 21). It is odd that even though the Rijksmuseum has an Asian Pavilion, not one single East Asian scroll-painting is on display. One begins to wonder why the Rijksmuseum purchased this object to begin with. The database does not mention how the museum acquired the scroll.

In terms of provenance documentation the Freer Gallery (fig. 3) is the most consistent and detailed (see appendix p. 22). The database states that the object was acquired by Charles Lang Freer (1854 - 1919) who had purchased it from Pang Yuanji (1864-1949) in 1911. When Freer died in 1919 his art- collection became the foundation of the Freer Gallery of Art.

The MET (fig. 1) website mentions that the scroll was was once part of the Edward Elliott Family collection27 which initially consisted of several ‘Oriental’ art works. Many objects, including Ma Shouzhen’s painting, were purchased from the Edward Elliot collection by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the financial aid of The Dillon Fund in 1982. Douglas Dillon (1909-2003) was an American politician and art collector. He was the president of the MET from 1970 to 1977 during which he made great efforts including financial contributions to promote the establishment of Chinese Art galleries at the museum.

When comparing these three works in terms of database display and documentation it becomes evident that the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the most disinterested in terms of cultural exchange and least open about their history of acquisitions.

Analysing paintings and poems by Ma Shouzhen

Until now there has been no literature on the album leaf in the Freer Gallery (fig. 3). In general there is fairly little literature available in English on Ma Shouzhen’s art. Most information that is accessible is biographical because she was famous during her life time. A lack of complete translations prohibit researchers from using Ma Shouzhen’s work in any other way that is not gender related or aestheticising.

For example, Jean Wetzel describes the scroll ‘Orchid and Rock’ (fig. 1) as the following:

“Examination of one of Ma Shouzhen’s paintings, her Orchid and Rock of 1572, suggests the intriguingly complex roles such painters played within the Ming art world. The style and medium declare Ma’s connection to the traditional literati mode. The painting is in monochrome ink on paper. The petals of the orchid flowers, as well as the leaves of the plant and those of its small neighboring bamboo are rendered in the confident one-stroke calligraphic mode, which was one of the major characteristics of Chinese literati-style paintings of such plants. Yet the slightly wavering orchid stems and leaves suggest a fragility that would have been appealingly ‘feminine’, as well as an awkwardness that would elicit nodding approval for its distance from any hint of professional polish.”28 

The author provides a very formalist account of the work by describing its subject and medium while looking through a lens fabricated on gender-theory, instead of referring to the inscriptions that accompany the painting. 

In the case of the scroll currently in the Rijksmuseum (fig. 2), Monica Merlin argues that the work is a perfect example to illustrate the social status of late Ming courtesans in Nanjing. In her article she describes the scroll as the following: “Her painting in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, a paper hanging-scroll, represents a rock with bamboo and orchids depicted in monochrome ink. In the inscription Ma stated that the scroll was painted in a water kiosk along the Qinhuai river, and dedicated it to Mr Jingzhai, which may be an alternative name of Lei Jian, a Ming poet and calligrapher from Fujian province. Then she signed it as nüshi; ‘lady- scholar’, which was attributed to educated women, usually from elite families.”29 

It is a shame that the author did not included a transcript of the inscriptions in her article. There are in total six different inscriptions on the scroll so it is unclear which of the six the author is referring to. When comparing how scholars have written about these works by Ma Shouzhen, one can observe that authors utilise her figure and her art in order to support theories about gender roles instead of paying full attention to the calligraphies.

The role of the Artist

In the art-historical discourse strong emphasis is placed on periodization and the definition of geographical regions in order to construct theories about stylistic changes or to re-construct the environment in which artists worked and lived.30 In the case of scroll-paintings it is often difficult to attribute the name of the artist as it was uncommon for court painters to sign their works. In the case of Ma Shouzhen this is less problematic since she was not an Old Master or literati recluse. Yet because her name is marketable, it is possible that her works have also been wrongly attributed. In my opinion scholars should therefore be above all things aware of the exhibition and acquisition history of an object before using it to illustrate a particular (art) historical narrative.

In Europe the concept of the role of the artist was largely informed by the writings of Giorgio Vasari (1574 - 1574) and his book Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, from Cimabue to Our Times. It went on to greatly inspire other European art historians and to re-affirm the importance of the individual genius and originality of the artists. Traditionally in China however painters would express their individuality through mastering the technique of the art of painting with ink and brush on silk, which could only be attained through copying the Old Masters as the technique of painting on silk is very challenging. Innovation was subtle and obvious only to experienced viewers.

As much as Vasari’s Lives of the Artists has shaped the art-historical narrative of the Italian painters of the European Renaissance, similarly the writings of Dong Qichang, contributed to the formation of the Chinese Art historical narrative.

Because the Ming literati artists fit so well into the ‘Western’ concept of an artists as an expressive individual rather than a copyist, their art has been collected by European and American art collectors. Additionally, flower and bird painting can be appreciated without the need of being familiar with a particular story. Since there are many different types of painting in terms of medium, subject, motive, and format is very difficult to apply a grand-narrative in terms of style as the medium can determines visual forms. Instead we should first consider how the object was acquired before using it as a tool to support an argument. As we have seen, Ma Shouzhen has become an interesting case for the art-market because she is a known female artist.

Conclusion

Having reviewed three scrolls by Ma Shouzhen with a focus on their history of acquisition, we can come to the conclusion that in the art-historical discourse her work is only used to illustrate the role of the Ming courtesan and women more generally. Because very few of her works are currently in museums it is difficult to disentangle her idealised character. A vast mount of scrolls and album leaves attributed to Ma Shouzhen are available on the art-market.31 It is common to discuss art works that are in public museum collections, however the objects that are currently in private collections or on sale are rarely used as examples.

The museum functions as an institution which adds value to an artists body of work and suggests that the items in their collection are authentic. However, as we have seen this can not always be guaranteed. Instead of guarding their collections, museums should encourage critical research into details (i.e. calligraphy, seals and colophons) and take a pro-active approach and re- consider their histories of acquisition and methods of display. The Freer gallery has done so with part of its collection32 (Song and Yuan painting) but this remains a rare approach.

Although ‘Orientalist’ scholars recognised that the art of calligraphy had a special position in East Asian culture, little effort has been made in the past 150 years to connect the inscriptions with the figurative depictions. Art- historians were eager to categorize the arts from this culture according to the own familiar European culture. This way of displaying East Asian material culture continues into the 21st century as most institutions take a disinterested approach in their vast collections and focus on aestheticising ‘master-pieces’. Since the Chinese language is full of homophones the poems and inscriptions should not only be translated but should also be audio recorded, and made available in audioguides or on the database in order to bring the museum visitor closer to East Asian culture.

Footnotes

[1] Vincent Crapanzano, Imaginative Horizons: An Essay in Literary-Philosophical Anthropology, (Chicago, London : The University of Chicago Press, 2004) p. 55-56

[2] Fengting Zhao, ‘Rethinking the early modern museum in China in the context of the contemporary Chinese museum boom,’ (Thesis submitted to the Honors College, School of Anthropology, The University of Arizona, 2016)

[3] idem.

[4] See: Louise Tythacott, ‘Trophies of War: Representing ‘Summer Palace’ Loot in Military Museums in the UK’, Museum & Society, November 2015. 13 (4), pp. 469-488.

[5] Fengting Zhao, ‘Rethinking the early modern museum in China in the context of the contemporary Chinese museum boom,’ (Thesis submitted to the Honors College, School of Anthropology, The University of Arizona, 2016), p. 7.

[6] idem. p. 6.

[7] For example: “How does Far Eastern painting differ from that of the Occident? In the first place, there never seems to have been emphasis on realism or paintings of the trompe l’oeil type.” Charles Fabens Kelley, ‘Chinese Painting’, The Art Institute of Chicago Quarterly, Vol. 45, No. 4 (Nov. 15, 1951), p. 67

[8] Michael St. Clair, The Great Chinese Art Transfer: How So Much of China’s Art Came to America, (Madison ; Teaneck Fairleigh Dickinson University Press,2016), p. 412

[9]  Joan Stanley-Baker, ‘Issues of Authenticity in the Field of Chinese Painting: A Critique’, Oriental Art Magazine XLVI3, (2000), p. 3 - 4

[10]  An important book that has informed many ‘Western’ collectors is the The essential criteria of antiquities which was translated by David Percival (1892 - 1964). Although this book gives as an insight in how certain classes in China arranged and collected items during the 14th century, it should not be assumed that this is the only ‘authentic’ mode of collecting and displaying ancient objects.

[11] http://www.thegrammarofornament.com/

[12] See: Yiyou Wang, ‘The Loouvre from China. A critical study of C. T. Loo and the Framing of Chinese Art in the United States. 1915 - 1950’, (MA Thesis, Ohio University, submitted 2007).

[13] Michael St. Clair, The Great Chinese Art Transfer: How So Much of China’s Art Came to America, (Madison ; Teaneck Fairleigh Dickinson University Press,2016), p. 62

[14] Y. Wang, ‘The Loouvre from China. A critical study of C. T. Loo and the Framing of Chinese Art in the United States. 1915 - 1950’, (PhD Thesis, Ohio University, submitted 2007).

[15]  Michael St. Clair, The Great Chinese Art Transfer: How So Much of China’s Art Came to America, (Madison ; Teaneck Fairleigh Dickinson University Press,2016) p. 177 Page 9  of 23

[16] S. C. Bosch Reitz, ‘Chinese Painting’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Mar., 1923), p. 62

[17] Wen C. Fong, ‘Words and Images in Late Ming and Early Chi’ng Painting,’ in The three perceptions: Chinese painting, poetry and calligraphy (New York, N.Y. : George Braziller, 1999), p. 506.

[18] Tseng Yuho, ‘Women Painters of the Ming Dynasty’, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 53, No. 1/2 (1993), pp. 249

[19] J. P. Park, ‘The Art of Being Artistic: Painting Manuals of Late Ming China (1550-1644) and the Negotiation of Taste’, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 71, No. 1 (2011), p. 14.

[20]  idem. See footnote 35.

[21] http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1963.515#art-object-detail-views

[22] Tseng Yuho, ‘Women Painters of the Ming Dynasty’, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 53, No. 1/2 (1993), p. 252

[23] http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/benezit/B00118166? q=Ma+Shouzhen&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

[24] http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/48932 [25] http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.295341 [26 http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1911.163r

[27] Little information is available about the Edward Elliot Family.

[28] Jean Wetzel, ‘Hidden Connections: Courtesans in the Art World of the Ming Dynasty’, Women's Studies, 29 Oct 2010. 31:5

[29] Monica Merlin, ‘Gender, Space and Painting in the Late Ming Pleasure Quarter,’ in Gender and the city before modernity, (Chichester, Malden, MA : John Wiley & Sons, 2013), p. 155

[30] See: James Cahill, Painter’s practice: how artists lived and worked in traditional China, (Columbian University Press, 1995)

[31] See appendix for (in-complete) list of works by Ma Shouzhen currently on the art-market 

[32] http://www.asia.si.edu/songyuan/contents.asp

Bibliography 

Richard M. Banhart, ‘Dong Qichang and Western Learning: A Hypothesis in Honor of James Cahill,’ Archives of Asian Art, Vol. 50 (1997/1998), pp. 7-16.

S. C. Bosch Reitz, ‘Chinese Painting’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Mar., 1923), pp. 57+60-63.

Warren I. Cohen, ‘Art Collecting as International Relations: Chinese Art and American Culture’, The Journal of American-East Asian Relations, Vol. 1, No. 4 (WINTER 1992), pp. 409-434.

Wang Chi-Chu’an, ‘Introduction to Chinese Painting’, Archives of the Chinese Art Society of America, Vol. 2 (1947), pp. 21 - 27.

Charles Fabens Kelley, ‘Chinese Painting’, The Art Institute of Chicago Quarterly, Vol. 45, No. 4 (Nov. 15, 1951), pp. 61+66-74

W. E. H., ‘Chinese Painting’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan., 1912), pp. 7-9.

Earl Morse, ‘On Collecting Chinese Painting’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Nov., 1970), pp. 156 - 162.

Alfreda Murck, ‘Words in Chinese Painting’ in A Companion to Chinese Art, First Edition. Edited by Martin J. Powers and Katherine R. Tsiang (John Wiley & Sons Inc : 2016)

J. P. Park, ‘The Art of Being Artistic: Painting Manuals of Late Ming China (1550-1644) and the Negotiation of Taste’, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 71, No. 1 (2011), pp. 5-54

Joan Stanley-Baker, ‘Issues of Authenticity in the Field of Chinese Painting: A Critique’, Oriental Art Magazine XLVI3, pp. 106-117

Yiyou Wang, ‘The Loouvre from China. A critical study of C. T. Loo and the Framing of Chinese Art in the United States. 1915 - 1950’, (MA Thesis, Ohio University, submitted 2007).

Jean Wetzel, ‘Hidden Connections: Courtesans in the Art World of the Ming Dynasty’, Women's Studies, 29 Oct 2010. 31:5, pp. 645-669.

Yukio Yashiro, ‘Connoisseurship in Chinese Painting’, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 84, No. 4339 (January 17th, 1936), pp. 262 - 272.

Tseng Yuho, ‘Women Painters of the Ming Dynasty’, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 53, No. 1/2 (1993), pp. 249-259.

Fengting Zhao, ‘Rethinking the early modern museum in China in the context of the contemporary Chinese museum boom,’ (Thesis submitted to the Honors College, School of Anthropology, The University of Arizona, 2016)

Zhao Cao, Percival David, Chinese connoisseurship: the Ko ku yao lun, the essential criteria of antiquities, (New York : Praeger, 1971)

James Cahill, Painter’s practice: how artists lived and worked in traditional China, (Columbian University Press, 1995)

Michael St. Clair, The Great Chinese Art Transfer: How So Much of China’s Art Came to America, (Madison ; Teaneck Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2016)

Vincent Crapanzano, Imaginative Horizons: An Essay in Literary-Philosophical Anthropology, (Chicago, London : The University of Chicago Press, 2004)

Carol Duncan, Civisiling rituals: inside public art museums, (New York: Routledge, 1995)

Lin Foxhall, Gabriele Neher, Gender and the city before modernity, (Chichester, Malden, MA : John Wiley & Sons, 2013)

Alexandra Green, Rethinking Visual Narratives from Asia: Intercultural and Comparative Perspectives, (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2013)

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NCERT Class 12 Psychology Chapter 1 Intelligence And Aptitude

NCERT Class 12 Psychology Chapter 1 : Intelligence And Aptitude Solutions 

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED :

Q. 1. How do psychologists characterize and define intelligence? Ans. : Psychological motion of intelligence is quite different from the common sensed motion of intelligence.

Generally people saw intelligence as mental alertness, ready art, quickness in learning and ability to understand relationships. Oxford dictionary explained intelligence as the power of perceiving, learning understanding and knowing.

Accordingly Alfred Binet also used these attributes and defined intelligence as ability to judge well, understand well and reason well.Later Wechsler gave a comprehensive definition in terms of its functionality, i.e., its value for adaptation to environment. He defined intelligence as “the global and aggregate capacity of an individual to think rationally, act purposefully and to deal effectively with his/her environment.”

Present day psychologists such as Gardner and Sternberg emphasized that “Intelligent individual not only adapts to the environment, but actively modifies or shapes it.” Sternberg views intelligence as “ the ability to adapt, to shape and select environment to accomplish ones goals and those of ones society and culture.” Q. 2.What extent is our intelligence the result of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture)? Ans. :

(i) Whether intelligence is evolved or it is developed due to the environment, is a question of debate. (ii) Lot of studies have been done to determine the role of nature and nurture. (iii )Here we will discuss the controversy with the help of various twin studies, adoption studies and environmental studies.

On the basis of twin studies co-relation results are as follows: (i) Identical twins reared together correlate 0.90 (ii) Identical twins reported early in childhood and reared in different environments correlate 0.72 (iii) Fraternal twins reared together correlate 0.60 (iv) Siblings reared together correlate 0.50 (v) Siblings reared apart correlate 0.25

Adoption Studies before the Age of 6-7 Years These studies of adopted children show that children’s intelligence is more similar to their biological parents. These studies provide evidence that intelligence is determined because of nature.

Adoption Studies after the Age of 6-7 Years According to these studies as children grew older tends to more closer to that of their adoptive parents. Environmental Studies Evidence for the influence of environment (Nurture) on the basis of Twin studies. (i) The intelligence score of twins reared apart as they grew older, tends to more closer to that of their adoptive parents. (ii) On the basis of differences in environment, children from disadvantaged homes adopted into families with higher, socio-economic status exhibit an increase in their intelligence scores. (iii) Environmental deprivation lowers intelligence. Factors such as nutrition, good family background and quality schooling increase growth rate of intelligence. (iv) There is general consensus among psychologists that intelligence is a product of complex interaction of heredity (Nature) and environment (Nurture). (v) Heredity provides the potentials and sets a range of growth whereas environment facilitates the development of intelligence. Q. 3. Explain briefly the multiple intelligences identified by Gardner. Ans. : Gardner’s theory based on information processing approaches functions on three basic principles: (i) Intelligence is not a single entity, there exist multiple intelligences. (ii) The intelligences are independent from each other. (iii) Different types of intelligences work together to provide a solution of problem. Gardner has so far proposed eight intelligences, however all individuals do not possess them in equal proportion. The particular situation or the context decides the prominence of one type of intelligence over the others. Following are the eight types of intelligence:

1. Linguistic: This is related to reading, writing, listening, talking, understanding etc. Poets exhibit this ability better than others.

2. Logical-Mathematical: This type of intelligence deals with abstract reasoning and manipulation of symbols involved in numerical problems. It is exhibited in scientific work.

3. Spatial: This type of intelligence is involved in perceiving third dimension formation of images. It is used while navigating in space, forming, transforming and using mental images. Sailors, engineers, surgeons, pilots, care drivers, sculptors and painters have highly developed spatial intelligence.

4. Musical: Persons with musical intelligence show sensitivity to pitch and tone required for singing, playing and instrument, composing and appreciating music etc.

5.Bodily Kinesthetic: It requires the skills and dexterity for fine coordinated motor movements, such as those required for dancing, athletics, surgery, craft making etc.

6.Inter-personal: It requires understanding of motives, feelings and behaviours of other people.sales people, politicians, teachers, clinicians and religious readers have high degree of inter-personal intelligence.

7. Intra-personal: It is related to understanding one’s self and developing a sense of identity, e.g., philosophers and spiritual leaders.

8. Naturalistic: It is related to recognizing the flora and fauna, i.e., natural world and making a distinction in the natural world. It is more possessed by hunters, farmers, tourists, students of biological sciences etc. Q. 4. How does the Triarchic theory help us to understand intelligence?  Ans. :

1. Robert J. Sternberg proposes a theory of intelligence based on information processing approach in 1985 known as the Triarchic theory of intelligence.

2. According to Sternberg, intelligence is an ability to adapt, to shape and select environment to accomplish ones goals and those of ones society and culture.

3. This theory attempts to understand the cognitive processes involved in problem solving.

4. According to him there are three types of intelligences:

(i) Componential intelligence (Analytical): This dimension specifies the cognitive processes that underlie an intelligent behaviour. This dimension serves three different functions: (a) Knowledge acquisition components: These are the processes used in learning, encoding, combining and comparing information. (b) Metacomponents: ‘Meta’ means higher. These are executive processes. They control monitor and evaluate cognitive processing. (c) Performance components: These components execute strategies prepared by metacomponents to perform a task.For example, While studying students plan the lesson chapterwise, they make schedules, categories the learning material and do integrate the information to comprehend well.

(ii) Experiential intelligence (Creative): This dimension specifies how experiences effect intelligence and how intelligence effects a person’s experiences. (а) Experiential intelligence refers to an individual’s ability to make use of one’s past experiences to deal with novel situations creatively and effectively. (b) This intelligence is mostly high among scientists and creative people. (c) For example if a person is trapped in a room, he finds out a way of coming out of the room using rope or ladder etc. in a creative way. He had some knowledge of getting out from this situation by watching out a movie few years back.

(iii) Contextual intelligence (Practical): This dimension specifies the ability to deal with environmental demands on daily basis. (a) It is individual’s ability to make use of his/her potential to deal with day-to-day life. (b) It may be called street smartness or ‘business sense’. (c) People high in this ability are successful in life.

It deals with the ways people handle effectively their environmental demands and adapt to different contexts with available resources.

Q. 5. Any intellectual activity involves the independent functioning of three ‘neurological systems’. Explain with reference to PASS model. Ans.: According to PASS model, theory based on information processing approach, intellectual activity involves the interdependent functioning of the three neurological systems called the functional units of the brain. These units are responsible for:

The arousal and attention. • the simultaneous and successive processing.

The planning.

Arousal and Attention (i) State of arousal helps in attending to the stimuli. (ii) Arousal and attention enable a person to process information. (iii) Optimal level of arousal focuses our attention on relevant aspects of a problem. (iv) Too much or too little arousal interferes with attention and performance. Example: Arousal helps the individual to focus ones attention on reading, learning and revising the contents of the material to be learnt.

Simultaneous and Successive Processing: Simultaneous Processing refers to perceiving relations amongst various concepts and integrate them into meaningful patterns for comprehension! For e.g., in Raven’s standard progressive matrices (RSPM Test) choosing appropriate pattern by comprehending relationship. Successive Processing refers to recalling information serially so that one recall leads to another recall. For example, learning of digits and letters and multiplication tables.

Planning: 1. After the information is attended to and processed, planning is activated. 2. Planning involves reaching to the target and evaluating their effectiveness. Planning allows us to think of possible courses of action and implementing them. 3. If a plan does not work, it is modified to suit the requirements of the task or the situation. 4. For example, to take a test scheduled by your teacher, you’d have to set goals, plan a time schedule of studies, get clarifications in case of problems or think of other ways to meet your goals. Q. 6. Are there cultural differences in the conceptualisation of intelligence? Ans. : Yes, culture, which is a set of beliefs, customs, attitudes and achievements in art of literature, affects the process of intellectual development.

According to Sternberg, intelligence is a product of culture.

Vyotsky believes that while elementary7 mental operations are common, higher mental activities like problem-solving and thinking are culturally produced.

Technological Intelligence (i) Promotes an individualistic pattern of action. (ii) Individuals in technologically educated western societies possess this kind of intelligence. (iii) They are well versed in skills of attention, observation, analysis, speed, moves abstraction, generalisation, creativity, Minimum moves etc.

Integral Intelligence (i) Intelligence in the Indian tradition is integral intelligence. (ii) It views intelligence from a holistic perspective. (iii) It gives equal attention to cognitive and non-cognitive processes, as well as their integration. (iv) ‘Buddhi’ is the knowledge of one’s own self based on conscience, will and desire. (v) It has effective, motivational as well as cognitive components. .

It includes: (i) Cognitive competence (discrimination, problem-solving). (ii) Social competence (respect for elders, concern for others, respecting opinions of others). (iii) Emotional competence (self regulation, self monitoring). ‘ (iv) Entrepreneurial competence commitment, persistence, patience). Q. 7. What is IQ? How do psychologists classify people on the bases of their IQ scores? Ans. :

(i) IQ is an index of brightness. (ii) It is the ratio of mental age to chronological age. (iii) The concept of IQ was given by William. Stern w7ho gave the formula to calculate IQ i.e.,

IQ is relatively stable.

It is a good predictor of potential.

IQ scores are distributed in a population in such a way that most people tend to fall in the middle range of the distribution.

This can be shown in the form of following table.

Q. 8.Discuss various types of intelligence tests. Or How can you differentiate between verbal and performance tests of intelligence? Ans.: Types of Intelligence Tests: Individual or group tests based on contact: .

Individual Test: (i) Administered to one individual at a time. (ii) Requires the administrator to establish a rapport with the subject and be sensitive to his/her feelings, mood and expressions during the testing sessions which provides understanding of other aspects of subjects personality. (iii) Allows people to answer orally or in written form or manipulate the objects as per the tester’s instructions.

Example: Stanford Binet intelligence scale, WAIS, WISSC, Alexander Pass along test. Group Test: (i) Administered to several individuals at a time simultaneously. (ii) Do not allow an opportunity to be familiar with the subjects’ feelings. (iii) Seek answers in a Multiple-choice format. (iv) It is relatively economical and less time consuming. (v) Example: Group Test of Intelligence by Prayag Mehta, Group Test on Intelligence by S. Jalota.

Verbal, Non-verbal and Performance Tests based on Mode of Administration: Verbal Tests: (i) Requires subject to give verbal responses either orally or in written form. (ii) Can be administered to literates only. , (iii) Example: CIE, Verbal Group Test, Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale.

Non-verbal Test:

Has pictures or illustrations as test items.

Example: Ravens progressive matrices. In this test the subject examines an incomplete pattern and chooses a figure from the alternatives that will complete the pattern.

Reduces culture biases.

Example: SRPM, CIE Non-verbal group test of Intelligence.

Performance Test:

Requires the subject to manipulate objects to perform the test.

Written language is not necessary for answering the items.

Example: Kohs’s Block designs test. Here the subject is asked to arrange the blocks in a specified period to produce a given design, Bhatia’s Battery performance test.

Can be administered to persons from different cultures and reduce culture biases.

Example: Draw a Man Test by Pramila Pathak, Kohs Block designs test.

Culture Biased or Culture Fair Tests based on Nature of Items used:

Psychological tests that show a bias toward the culture in which they are developed are Culture Biased Tests.

Tests developed-in-America and Europe represent an urban and middle class cultural ethos. (Middle class white subjects perform well on these tests). The items do not consider favourably to Asians and Africans.

Culture Fair Tests: One does not discriminate against as individuals belong to different cultures.

Non-verbal and Performance Tests reduce cultural influences.

To overcome the limitation of Culture biased tests, Culture fair tests were developed, e.g. non-verbal and performance tests are called so because people of any culture could take them. For e.g. Standard progressive Matrices and Bhatia’s Battery Performance Test. Q. 9. Discuss how interplay of Nature and Nurture influences intelligence. Or All persons do not have the same intellectual capacity. How do individuals vary in their intellectual ability? Explain.  Ans.: All persons do not have the same intellectual capacity. They vary in their intellectual ability. Some are exceptionally bright and some are below average. Some possess high IQ range while others have average or below average. All the scores gradually and symmetrically decline towards both the sides but never touch the X-axis.

(i) The frequency distribution for the IQ scores tends to approximate a bell-shaped curve, called the normal curve. This type of distribution is symmetrical around the central value, called the mean.

(ii) On the basis of IQ, people are classified in different groups. It is clear that only 2.2 percent people who possess above 130 IQ range are very intelligent or very superior, their IQ score is more than 130.

(iii) People falling between 90-109 IQ range are considered as average. The mean IQ score in a population is 100. People with IQ scores in the range of 90-110 have normal intelligence.

(iv) Those with IQ below 70 are suspected to have ‘mental retardation’. Mental retardation refers to sub-average intellectual functioning. The behaviour is maladaptive and manifest in four forms i.e., mild, moderate, severe and profound mental retardation.

The extreme right also lie to 2.2 percent population which are known as gifted i.e., they enjoy exceptional intelligence, exceptional talent and exceptional creativity.

Q. 10.Which of the two lQ or EQ, do you think would be more related to success in life and Why? Ans. :

(i) IQ is a good predictor of potential. (ii) EQ is a good predictor of success. -Researchers had proved that—EQ helps in dealing with students who are stressed and face challenges of the outside world. -It improves the academic performance. -It is very useful in preparing students to face the challenges of life outside the classroom. -They are less anti-social and more co-operative. Q. 11. How is ‘Aptitude’ different from ‘interest1 and intelligence? Ans. : Aptitude: (i) Aptitude refers to combination of characteristics indicative of an individual’s potential to acquire some specific skills with training. (ii) It is specific mental ability or teach ability of an individual to learn a particular skill. (iii) It is the potentiality to perform a particular activity. (iv) Aptitude is a determiner to learn a particular skill.

Interest: (i) Interest refers to preference for a particular activity or what one enjoys doing. (ii) Interest are acquired/learnt. (iii) Interest is a facilitator. An individual with high scientific aptitude having strong interest in mechanical activities is more likely to be successful mechanical engineer. (i) Intelligence is a global and aggregate capacity of an individual to think rationally, act purposefully and to deal effectively with her/his environment. (ii) Intelligence is a general mental ability. (iii) It is product of heredity and environment. (iv) It does not require training for the growth. Q. 12.How is creativity related to intelligence? Or How creativity and creativity tests are related but different from each other? Ans. : Creativity and intelligence are positively correlated because high ability is component of creativity, A highly intelligent person may not be creative but all the creative persons are definitely high in intelligence. _ (i) Creativity is the ability to produce ideas, objects, or problem solutions that are novel, appropriate and useful. (ii) Intelligence is subset of creativity. (iii) Terman found that persons with high IQ were not necessarily creative. The same time, creative ideas could come from persons who did not even one of those identified as gifted, followed up through out their adult life, had become well known for creativity in some field. (iv) Researchers have found that both high and low level of creativity can be found in highly intelligent children and also children of average intelligence. The same person can be creative as well as intelligent but it is not necessary that intelligent once must be creative.

Creative tests are different from intelligence tests: (i) Creative tests measure creative thinking ability whereas intelligence tests measure general mental ability. (ii) Creative tests measure convergent and divergent thinking whereas intelligence test measure convergent thinking only. (iii) Creative tests measure imagination and spontaneous expression to produce new ideas, to see new relationship, to guess causes and consequences and ability to put things in a new context. Intelligence tests measure potential. (iv) In creative tests questions are open-ended that have no specified answers whereas intelligence tests mostly use close-ended questions.

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10 Things You Learned in Kindergarden That'll Help You With what is a font

Many of us when discussing excellent handwriting competencies usually oversight the two terms i.e. legibility and readability being synonyms. But, In point of fact both of those of those words imply distinct. Equally these terms are adjectives utilized for describing the standard of handwriting. Now, let us understand The purpose of dissimilarities in between Legibility and Readability.

™

Readability

The qualities of readability are:

It is an capability to produce in a method the reader has the capacity to extract information within the prepared content. It is not judged on The idea of every single letter rather on the combination of letters on a whole. The examining of this kind of handwriting could be tedious and contain extra initiatives, but nevertheless is often go through A readable handwriting may skip the use of suitable grammar, punctuation and so on. thereby impacting the readability. There may be a distortion while in the measurements, designs and spacing from the letters although not impacting the information being deciphered. The texts is often boring, difficult or nonsensical to an extent, nonetheless readable.

Legibility

The characteristics of legibility are:

It is actually the ability to publish mistake totally free, without any specialized flaws within the material and its high-quality. It can be judged on Every parameter from the size, shape, fonts, zones (higher, middle and reduce) of letters to text. The handwritten information is close to best and so it doesn't require any excess attempts i.e. the examining approach is as easy as butter Not only the standard, and also the grammar is right, no spelling faults, language is total-fledged with correct utilization of punctuation. The letters, words and handwriting is not hard to generally be deciphered. The crafting is clear, sharp and precise. It permits extracting the appropriate information which has to become presented to your reader.

Equally the phrases legibility and readability are quite frequently utilised as replacements of each other. The more preferred term among the two is 'Legibility'. A readable handwriting may not essentially legible, but a legible handwriting is often readable. Anybody can compose a readable handwriting, but it necessitates deep research and Examination to be a legible writer.

Legibility is all about a letter's person identity throughout the entire material composed with a bit of paper. Readability is largely an identification of the whole textual content which can be study.

Your feedbacks are priceless. Be sociable. Remark and Share this in your network!

To receive handwriting guidelines on how to certainly be a legible author and to reach penmanship, contact Generate Ideal. Very good Handwriting is an art and it demonstrates one particular's character.

Currently being an fanatic in creative crafting, I usually stay up for produce good and instructive content material to my viewers. I'm Isha Sharma and I get the job done for Write Appropriate like a Content material Developer.

Fonts

It truly is up for the Manufacturer Operator to choose if the Artwork file being shared towards the printer will incorporate Dwell text (open up file) or not (curved / shut file).

Fonts are crucial from 3 elements.

a) Technological:

Font connected concerns are the commonest explanations for workflow interruption.

All fonts should be embedded during the Artwork PDF file. This can be done making sure that an incorrect font does not get used, which could lead on to text getting illegible or part of the textual content disappearing.

There are actually numerous fonts available (like Accurate Form, Variety one, Type three, and so forth.) and when a certain font is not really accessible in the course of the PDF generation phase, it typically receives changed from the Courier Font.

Hence the pre-flight method has to check and warn the designer In case the artwork has Courier Font and ensure if it was intentional or it had been a substitute for any lacking font. Designers who want to use Courier on purpose, can use variants like 'Courier New', which aren't flagged for the duration of preflight.

b) Branding:

Unique fonts Employed in Brand names and logos are generally not readily available in general public area. These are typically designed especially by the look team for your model. So when new print vendors are added to the availability chain, not all of them could have usage of this Exclusive font. Embedding the font from the PDF is a good practise to verify all distributors have entry to the best font. Pre-flight applications can take a look at the PDF file and detect which fonts are embedded and which aren't.

c) Regulatory:

As per EU restrictions, readability is determined by the combination of font size, letter spacing, spacing involving lines, stroke width, sort colour, typeface, width-top ratio in the letters, the area of the fabric and significant distinction amongst the print as well as background. Here are some examples of how the identical text is usually created inside of a legible or illegible way.

Textual content Dimension

Similar what is a font to the fonts, the textual content dimension is really a Consider the regulatory pointers also. Polices point out the least font measurements needed (as per Packaging measurement, packaging variety, component sort (like Medication Guides). Some regulatory companies mention the requirement in mm, some in x-top. European Union's FIC Regulation 1169/2011 calls for the bare minimum x-peak in the font be one,two mm apart from containers in which the biggest surface area region is under eighty cm2, where case the x-height on the font sizing shall be equal or larger than 0,9 mm.

There are also technical constraints on employing smaller font dimensions for a few substrates and printing solutions.

According to the ingredient form, printing system & restrictions, the pre-flight Check out must be able to counsel no matter if there is any textual content within the artwork beneath the proposed size.

Line Width

Artwork generation apps give a line thickness of 'hair-line'. But how thick is usually a hairline? A hairline will be the width of 1 row of printer components. So depending on the resolution of the printer, these lines aren't the identical thickness.

So in place of utilizing the hairline selection, its most effective practise to established the bare minimum line pounds with regards to the meant printing course of action. For newsprint and commercial offset printing, a minimum line thickness of 0.a hundred twenty five points is needed. For screen printing 0.fifteen points is required.

Permitting mistakes and undesirable documents get by means of to print is clearly pricey and brings about problems with who pays - purchaser or (Regrettably generally) the printer who will not want to get rid of further company by kicking up a fuss. Printers know, not less than in theory, that powerful preflight examining software package will boost creation performance within the workflow. By using a pre-flight Test done early in the design cycle, mistakes at a later phase is often averted saving both money and time.

[sunshineweb]

Recipe for Successful Long-Term Investing, Biggest Financial Regrets, and Applying Stop Loss in Life

Every Saturday, I plan to send out this special post with a few ideas I am reading and thinking about. Plus, a question I am meditating on.

If you wish to receive this post – apart from others I write regularly on investing, decision making, behavioral finance – please sign up below.

E-Mail Address

Anyways, here is some stuff I am reading and thinking about this weekend…

Book I’m Reading – A More Beautiful Question Since early childhood, most of us learned that our parents did not like us asking many questions and that only authority figures – most grown-ups – had the right to ask them. The result was that we stopped questioning things and accepted what we saw, heard, and were told with meek acceptance.

Sadly, this approach worked well in the industrial era, but proves futile in the knowledge era, because it compromises our ability to think and understand deeply.

In his book, A More Beautiful Question, which I glanced through recently at a bookstore, Warren Berger led me to the importance of asking thoughtful, ambitious “beautiful questions” — the kind that can help us grow into happier and more useful human beings. An insightful passage from the book reads thus –

We’ve transitioned into always transitioning…In such times, the ability to ask big, meaningful, beautiful questions – and just as important, to know what to do with those questions once they’ve been raised – can be the first step in moving beyond old habits and behaviors as we embrace the new.

In the modern era, we must use unfamiliar tools in our attempt to take on new challenges without clear instructions, and with the clock ticking. In such times, Berger writes –

…questioning…will be even more important in helping us figure out what matters, where opportunities lie, and how to get there.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers,” said Voltaire. Now, more than ever, the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our questions.

So, what questions are you asking?

Articles I’m Reading One of the best theories I have read on the importance of investing in high-quality businesses in the Indian context comes from Bharat Shah of ASK Group, who has written a book (sad, it’s not available publicly) titled “Of Long Term Value and Wealth Creation from Equity Investing.”

I recently came across his old interview where he shared his insights on value investing and how he formed his investment process and principles. A passage from the interview reads thus (emphasis mine) –

…successful long-term investing calls for two vital technical capabilities or craft and two personality traits. While craft can be honed and refined by observing and absorbing, character traits have to come from within and be developed.

The two essential skills are: ability to comprehend and grasp the true character and the innards of diverse businesses as well as the ability to value them. Till these abilities are developed, one cannot become a good investor.

The two vital character traits are: discipline (or temperament) and wisdom. Discipline lies in investing only into quality businesses and the temperament of not getting carried away by the fads of the markets and buying such quality businesses only at a meaningful margin of safety.

* * * One of my favourite financial writers, Barry Ritholtz, recently wrote about the biggest financial regrets people have. This was based on a survey of over 2000 people by American life insurer giant New York Life, and found these as the biggest financial regrets – Image Source: Biggest Financial Regrets – Barry Ritholtz Barry concluded thus, and I completely agree with this –

The sooner you begin to accept mistakes are inevitable, stop beating yourself up over them, and just fix what is not working, the faster the compounding can start.

By the way, do you have any personal financial regret? If yes, what are you doing about it, except regretting?

* * * That real estate and banking are two of the most corrupt industries in India has come to light again with the PMC Bank (Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank) fiasco. The suspended managing director of the bank admits that past management did not keep the board in the loop about NPAs and also claimed the bank has an exposure of Rs 2,500 crore to the troubled real estate major HDIL, which is almost a third of its loan book!

When asked about the reason for underreporting of these loans, the MD has said PMC Bank wanted to grow fast and reporting the exposure could have led to a run on the bank. And if this does not sound shocking enough, when asked how the bank was able to hide HDIL’s NPAs for all these years, the MD said, “I am not going to tell you how we got it hidden. It is that the RBI has not seen it.”

Anyways, all this reminds me of an article written in 2016 by Tamal Bandyopadhyay about the corruption levels in the Indian banking system. You would be aghast at some of what he wrote –

…the pressure on giving loans without proper risk assessment mounts on senior executives just ahead of their interviews for promotion. If they don’t oblige, the risk of missing promotion is high. The senior executives also run the risk of being transferred to places not to their liking if they reject a loan proposal, recommended by the boss.

The current boss of a government-owned bank has recently told his executives to sanction loan proposals that he recommends (of course, verbally) and not bother about whether they will turn bad. His philosophy is: As long as the loan book is growing, none should bother about non-performing assets as bad loans as a percentage of overall loans can be contained through aggressive loan growth.

Tamal also wrote –

Instances of borrowers taking care of a senior banker’s child’s education overseas or picking up the tab for wedding reception of the daughter and even honeymoon at Bali are not rare. Similarly, a real estate firm may not mind selling a flat to senior bankers at a hugely discounted price to ensure speedy appraisal of the loan process. There are also borrowers who offer “annuity” to bank chiefs after their retirement to express their gratitude for the support extended to them in appraisal of loan proposals and disbursements of loans.

The annuity comes in the form of annual holidays, chauffeur-driven cars and guest house or hotel accommodation at certain cities.

Now, this is not to say that all banks are deceitful or all bankers indulge in corruption. I have seen and known honest, hard-working bankers. But the fact remains that banks in India, like globally, remain hotbeds of corruption. And the malaise is deep…very deep.

Thought I’m Meditating On Haruki Murakami wrote this beautiful passage on weathering life’s storms –

Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn’t something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn’t get in, and walk through it, step by step. There’s no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones. That’s the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine.

And you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You’ll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of others.

And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.

A Question for You Heard of the concept of “Stop Loss?” A strategy used largely by traders, a Stop Loss order is placed with a broker to mostly sell a security when it reaches a price lower than the purchase price. So, if you have bought a stock at Rs 100, you can put a Stop Loss at Rs 95 or Rs 90. As soon as the stock falls to your Stop Loss level, it will be sold and your loss will be limited.

Well, Stop Loss works in life too. In his beautiful book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie offers us the advice of using Stop Loss in our day to day living. How long are you willing to wait for someone who was supposed to meet you for lunch or dinner? How long are you willing to remain angry with someone for something they once did to you? How much are you willing to pay for something? Are you sure that the value you put on what you want isn’t too high?

His point with all of this is that if we start putting Stop Loss on those things that have the potential to cause us worry or anxiety, we can minimize the stress in our lives that would otherwise take a major toll on us physically and emotionally.

So my question to you is – What worry are you putting a Stop Loss on today?

Enjoy your weekend, — Vishal

The post Recipe for Successful Long-Term Investing, Biggest Financial Regrets, and Applying Stop Loss in Life appeared first on Safal Niveshak.

Recipe for Successful Long-Term Investing, Biggest Financial Regrets, and Applying Stop Loss in Life published first on https://mbploans.tumblr.com/

[a-h-arts]

Incredible book, from production quality to content and "learnability". Sets a standard by which tutorials should be judged. Mark Aspery is a master at both blacksmithing as well as teaching. Mark's 3 book series "The Skills Of A Blacksmith" begins with this 1st Volume which covers the fundamental skills. It includes many very useful areas such as creating your own tools such as punches, chisels, tongs, etc. Blacksmithing itself is an incredible hobby, including the fact that you use the art of blacksmithing to manufacture the tools of blacksmithing (how cool is that?). An introduction to leafing and other artistic areas is hinted at, but the real meat of those areas is contained in the 2nds and 3rd volumes. The B&W photography (by Mark) is truly outstanding. Not only does he present incredibly clean and crisp images with perfect contrast and definition for immediate understanding of what is happening, he even has a section describing his photography set up, lighting, and tricks such as painting the anvil grey so that you can recreate everything for yourself. If you have any interest in learning the art and craft of Blacksmithing, you will not be disappointed with the purchase of this 1st Volume of Mark's 3-book series. It is one of the prized books in my library, and I fully plan on purchasing the remaining two volumes once I've completed the projects in the first book. Go to Amazon

Great book if you've got a little time under your belt The only blacksmithing I do, other than the therapeutic effects of beating on a hot piece of metal for fun, is the occasional bit of metalwork for around the house (pothooks, shelf brackets, and the like). Professionally, I work in the metal business, and am pretty well educated in the fields of chemistry, engineering, metallurgy, manufacturing, etc. I spend a LOT of time with machinists, welders, and the like. This book seems to be a good book for an intermediate blacksmith/metalworker. It's not quite basic enough for a beginner than doesn't know what they need or what to do with it, but the metallurgy isn't quite so deep that you need a degree to understand it. It's well written, but with enough left out that you need a little bench-time (or anvil-time) to really get it. If a person was just starting out, they may want to start with a very basic book. After getting a little work done, this would be an excellent addition to the ol' library. Go to Amazon

Better than the rest, this one teaches! If you're like me, a late-coming hobby blacksmith looking for any advantage, by now you've seen or own just about every other blacksmithing book around except this one. Don't wait any longer, don't buy any other books until you have this one! The sections on heat treating and making your own bottom tools are the best i've seen. I have already too many other titles to list here including some out of print treasures to compare it to. This is a big, heavy book.It's thick with pictures and clear directions you've been looking for all this time. Go to Amazon

An excellent teacher I am a novice blacksmith, but Mark Aspery is an excellent teacher and this book covers the fundamentals of blacksmithing quite well. Go to Amazon

Great book, highly recommended. This is an excellent book on the basic processes of blacksmithing that I feel would be of benefit to both beginners as well as many intermediate smiths. For the beginner the very basic beginning processes and theory are explained thoroughly and with step-by-step high quality pictures. For the intermediate smith the book presents set-by-step processes with photographs, processes and insights that may be different from how the smith is currently doing his work. The author has produced a book whose printing and photographs are very high quality. - Go to Amazon

Great Book of Blacksmithing; Signed by the auther inside I give this book Five stars since it is a great book to start learning about blacksmithing; has pictures inside to show you steps as well writing about it. This book was recommended to me by a local Blacksmith who is part of H.A.B.A and was also highly recommended by H.A.B.A (Houston Area Blacksmith Association) itself. Teaches you all that you should know to get started. I look forward to more of Mark Aspery's Books in the future. I Highly recommend this book and so does H.A.B.A Go to Amazon

Five Stars Five Stars Excellent reference. I have several books on blacksmith and ... Four Stars Five Stars Great Book That All Beginning (& More Skilled) Blacksmiths Should Consider Adding to Their Collections! Five Stars Studies made fun. Five Stars better off searching his YouTube videos

[newstfionline]

How following a schedule improved my creativity

By Srinivas Rao, Fast Company, Aug. 9, 2018

If I asked you to identify a piece of work that you’re particularly proud of (and describe your process), how does that look? Did you have a lightbulb moment and finish everything in one go, or did you work diligently with some breaks, struggles, and frustrations in between?

Chances are, it probably resembled the latter. In my experience interviewing 700 experts for my podcast, the Unmistakable Creative, I discovered a clear pattern among every single person who does creative work for a living. From entrepreneurs and graffiti artists to peak performance psychologists, high performers create on a schedule.

In 2013, I interviewed author and blogger Julien Smith who told me about his habit of writing 1,000 words a day. He had one of the most popular blogs on the internet at the time and had also written a best-selling book. I decided to give his practice a try. For the next several months, I wrote one article a week for Search Engine Journal, one piece a week for a startup I was advising, multiple posts for my personal blog, and a weekly newsletter. This habit led to a self-published book that became a best-seller and eventually led to a book deal with a publisher.

Here are the lessons I learned when I started writing on a schedule, and how you can adopt them in your creative endeavors.

1. You can rely on consistent effort, but you can’t rely on inspiration. Professionals create on a schedule because they understand the profound power of consistency. They know that their cumulative output matters more than any individual piece of work. As Fast Company contributor Art Markman previously wrote, the more you practice your craft, the more you develop your expertise, and the easier it becomes to stoke your creative brain. “In order for jazz musicians to improvise, they need to know a lot of music theory related to the song structures they play. The best scientists are deeply immersed in their fields. Inventors spend years understanding the way the world works.”

I would love it if I woke up every day vibrating at a high frequency and inspired to write something brilliant. I’ve been writing every day for almost seven years now, and I can tell you those “flash of dazzling insight” mornings are few and far between. Here’s how it usually goes: I start writing, and midway through a writing session, I end up with an idea.

2. I was able to put less pressure on myself. I found the constraint of writing on a schedule liberating for two reasons--if what I produced one day was garbage, it didn’t matter, because I knew I would be back the next day. And if the essay or blog post I published one week didn’t strike a chord with my readers, I didn’t stress about it--because there was always next week.

It might sound counterintuitive, but I found that it took the pressure off. I can practice and experiment without worrying about someone judging my work. That freedom allowed me to produce a higher volume of work, and in turn, higher-quality work.

3. It was easier to find motivation. By writing every day, I saw visible and meaningful progress, and this motivated me to keep going. Sure, I might start with a blank page, but each day, I’d end up writing a paragraph, a passage, or a page that I could use. By the end of the week, I’d have a blog post, an essay, or a chapter.

You don’t have to measure progress the same way--you can count the number of days in a row you show up or the number of hours you spend. The key is finding a way to quantify your progress. When you practice your craft every day, you’ll see improvements.

4. I was able to break a big goal into small (and more manageable) chunks. Before I wrote every day, I resisted ambitious projects like writing books because it felt utterly overwhelming. Having some constraints can spark creativity, but it’s very difficult to produce a masterpiece in one sitting. Think about if a director tried to make a movie in one day, or if a writer attempted to write a novel without stopping. Without further editing and refining (and probably some pauses in between), it’s unlikely that they’ll win an Oscar or Pulitzer for that work.

I found that once I stopped thinking about writing a book in its entirety, and focused on writing 1,000 words a day, it didn’t seem as daunting. I ended up finishing a 45,000-word manuscript in six months.

Now that you understand the benefits of practicing your craft on a daily basis, how do you do it in a way that’s productive and sustainable? After some trial and error, I’ve discovered that there are three crucial factors:

1) You need to choose a specific time. When you put something on a calendar, it goes from being an item on a to-do list to a time-bound commitment. Look for blank spaces in your schedule. If you’re deliberate about setting aside time for something, you’re much more likely to do it.

2) Establish a routine in a particular place. When you show up at the same place day after day to do your creative work, your mind will link your environment and your behavior. For me, it’s drinking a cup of bulletproof coffee at 6 a.m., with a techno track on repeat. That triggers my brain to say “it’s time to read and write.” Choose a place that inspires you. It could be a room in your house or a spot at your kitchen table. Or you might get to work an hour before everybody else shows up. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as it inspires you.

3) Have a clear outcome in mind. A lack of clarity is the biggest inhibitor of progress toward your goals. When you have a concrete objective (for example, writing 1,000 words or doing one hour of deep work), you’ll be far more efficient with your time and attention.

Creating on a schedule has enabled me to record two new podcast episodes every week for close to 10 years, write four books, and build a substantial body of work. When you do small things consistently, it all starts to add up. Try scheduling one hour out of your day to do uninterrupted, focused, deep work. You’ll be amazed by the momentum you build and the goals that you accomplish down the line.

[theworldtradecouncil]

Analytical Essay Producing: Topics, Outline |Creating: Subject areas, Define

Good, you concluded viewing a film or examining a e book for university! Nevertheless, ahead of you are free of charge to go discover the wonders of school everyday living, the professor chooses to provide you guys some work (what a good person). He gives out the directions and tells you to investigate the ebook/motion picture and supply an educational argument for virtually any matter of your respective selection. Naturally, it has to website link back into the book/video, but besides which the world is your own. Have no idea what you?re undertaking? Appears like you have come to the proper position! Desk OF Items Description Concepts Rhetorical Evaluation Essay Literary Assessment Essay System Evaluation Essay Figure Assessment Essay Poetry Assessment Essay Causal Investigation Essay Methods to Acquire Ahead of Producing Brainstorming Creating a Thesis Outline Instance What on earth is An Analytic Essay The time period ?Analytical Essay? may well audio foreign to you personally, but no concerns, it truly is pretty much assured that you have created a single in advance of! If we consider the definition, the time period investigation indicates a critical and effectively thought-out viewing of the unique thought. For that reason, an analytic essay is a piece of composing that gives an useful viewing with regard to the precise matter or idea. So let us consider that your topic of option is Cannabis. Definitely, crafting an essay over the matter of cannabis is just too common. There’s a great deal you’ll be able to mention: looking at the origins in ancient periods to its affect in direction of the warfare on medications. On the other hand, the analytical essay openly asks you to have a compact part from the overall matter, and employ significant imagining to come back up with a few type of case, also known as your thesis! Subjects And ideas There is certainly an endless amount of various essay subjects that could be examined. Think about any kind of point or notion: contacts may be made out of anything at all, therefore we formulate thoughts and make use of reality to assistance it! While in the huge plan of points, undertaking work opportunities such as this is what introduced humanity from striking stones with each other for heat to delivering human beings for the moon! From what we know, we will generate much more thoughts and therefore progress for a culture. But more than enough vision, let us enter into the varied kinds of research! Rhetorical Assessment Essay Much like it seems, this is often an essay where you prove or reprove a fact that now holds fat. Picture you are proving a reality to any person who both just cannot understand it or maybe skeptical of their genuineness! This type of study relies on info and reasoning, so they are usually while in the career fields of science and arithmetic! Rhetorical Evaluation Essay Examples of the is often: Geometric Evidence Basic of Physics (Newton?s Regulation, Principle of Relativity,…) Common Theory of Business economics (Money tends to make Dollars) Literary Analysis Essay Among the list of commonest types of research that college and highschool college students complete. Immediately after looking through a specific shorter or any piece of literature, supply an insightful assessment of a selected scenario, or critically review a quote along with its impact on the plan! That is diverse from rhetorical during the perception that rhetorical assessment is mostly primarily based all around logic and provable facts. A literary evaluation normally will go deeper into points these types of as feeling and conclusion generating of particular characters! Illustrations of this is often: Consequences of ?Utopia-rescue? societies on people! Guide: 1984 By George Orwell Loves an impact on individual determination earning. Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare Conforming to communities norms: To Eliminate a Mockingbird by Harper Lee! Course of action Examination Essay If we think about the classification, a approach is really a alter from 1 state to another by a number of stages or concentrations. A typical technique to clarify this alteration could well be by an essay structure. This would call for you to clarify its intent, as well as conveying the transformation through a series of sentences. Examples of this could be: Process Analysis Essay Amazon’s Logistics The H2o Cycle The Period of Melancholy Slumber Period Character Examination Essay Ordinarily made use of inside the perspective of some type of scenario/tale, character examination is quite related to course of action analysis essay. This kind of essay demands you to definitely explain and examine the transformation of the personality from your first position right up until the end. Issues that should be reviewed are as follows: identity, figure qualities, psychological reformation, and many others… Illustrations of this is usually: Alteration of Huck and Jim within the Journeys of Huckleberry Finn Will Hunting?s mental advancement in Superior Will Hunting Viktor Navorksi within the Terminal Poetry Analysis Essay Poetry assessment demands the author to analysis the poem?s content, framework and historic significance in an explanatory model. The target is to make the viewer realize the poems in general significance along with its purpose. Examples of this is often: Robert Frost’s The Highway Not Considered Edgar Allan Poe’s A Desire Inside a Aspiration Emily Dickinson’s There’s A further Atmosphere Causal Analysis Essay In case you have at any time dealt with an annoying youngster check with ?WHY? 1,000,000 times inside of a row, then you certainly have handled this type of pieces of paper in actual lifetime! The causal essay demands you to definitely solution a why question on the most effective of your respective capabilities. A whole lot of the moments, inquiries can?t be addressed 100%. This is often why the causal essay is also regarded as being the Speculating About Brings about Essay. This demands you to explain the procedure that happens, subsequent track of why you think it happened on this design. Examples of the is usually: How come we answer bodily to panic? How come we crave sugar? How come adolescents rebel from their mother and father and power? How come random shootings turning into much more popular inside the U.S.? These are definitely just a few in the most common sorts of analytic essays. The difference is nearly unlimited, however they all will have to adhere to the exact form of outline. Steps To Consider Right before Producing Until essay composing involves you normally, preparing is essential in creating that nicely-curved and high-good quality paper. So prior to deciding to begin typing increase your masterwork, 5 actions must be taken: Discuss and judge on the Subject; Create A Fascinating Headline; Develop a powerful Thesis; Discover Helping Proof; Create a top level view. Discuss and judge with a Topic: Stage one calls for you to definitely figure out what you are going to be crafting about (clearly). At times from the progress, you happen to be supplied some choices to select from. You may have already been informed what type of systematic essay you have to put in writing, or else you could have just been cast in the improvisation swimming pool. Regardless it is vital to scale in to the subject. After you get suitable down to it, the topic you choose to jot down about should really match up a person that possibly passions you or it ought to be a single you totally understand. It might be idiotic to select a topic you battle to totally understand or 1 that places you to definitely snooze. It is pretty important to put in writing about anything that you a minimum of somewhat appreciate! Craft A Charming Title Once your label is the to start with issue your visitor will see try to produce it as being beautiful as you possibly can. Just after reading through it, audience will make a decision, will it well worth to browse the remainder or otherwise not. Produce A robust Thesis The goal on the analytic essay should be to prove a particular issue which the writer is attempting to generate. Through the information which has been collected, the author needs to url factors collectively and create a certain final decision. This conclusion is called a thesis, and it is an argument that is certainly developed to show an supposition designed by the author, employing information and investigate. For sure matters, it really is crucial introducing the outside causes that offered towards the creation of your thesis. For example, if you are discussing historical functions, it is really critical introducing the external factors that led to your thesis. If we have been discussing Medical Investigate, then considering the clinical approach is usually a requirement. The thesis shouldn’t be a uncomplicated sure or absolute confidence with the respond to. It should be a fancy place which includes quite a few interconnected components. The thesis really should be debatable and require tons of investigation to return up with a good assertion. Finally, the thesis must be a high impression statement that firmly consequences the subject of selection. Discover Promoting Proof You won’t have the capacity to sway any individual along with your thesis assertion until it can be guaranteed by a thing. This is certainly why all great assertions have to have investigation and analysis. It really is crucial to assemble information that works with your discussion. Relying around the form of essay, it won?t automatically be clear-cut information. If we’ve been talking about a historic subject or some kind of medical simple fact, then your assisting evidence will evidently be details taken from earlier conclusions. Even so, for anyone who is producing a literary evaluation essay, then most probably your evidence are going to be estimates from your story. This sort of proof involves analysis and assumptions with regard to just how the reader ought to interpret the line. Build An overview Arranging the construction from the essay is critical and helps make your entire creating approach much easier. Many lines inside the document holds tiny to no importance. Document define will vary dependant on the subject of discussion as well as the thesis statement that may be made. No matter, the Intro-Entire body(s)-Summary design is actually a standard in almost any Analytic Essay. Proper Outline Logical Essay Outline Launch The intro generally starts off out with a few kind of track record information and facts. In some cases working with a catch statement is often powerful, but it is not expected. There is not any certain fashion for your launch, but track record data is among the most widespread means of approach. You need to offer facts which is related for your thesis. This info need to start off out wide and slim straight down in importance to the thesis. The construction will glimpse one thing like this. Catch Document/ Brief Introductory Place Track record Data (Narrowed) Changeover phrase Thesis Assertion Human body Paragraphs The leading aim of your overall body sentences is usually to thoroughly prove the thesis statement. Each and every personal section ought to concentrate with a selected element with the thesis. As an example, when the thesis is centered throughout the evolution of Will Hunting, then the body paragraphs should really each individual maintain their own individual position. 1 system section focuses on his shrinking self-shame, along with a second could talk about the at any time raising support method and its particular influence on his mentality. The body lines need to keep correct composition: Topic Phrase: Bring in the leading issue in the body paragraph in one simple and helpful phrase. Analysis: Evaluate your assisting evidence and make clear how the proof can handle your thesis. This element need to choose one or two sentences and is also probably the main part of your entire essay. The reader will find your understanding from the matter determined by anything you produce inside these 2 sentences. Be sure it’s inventive and impactful, and also retain it unique! Proof: No assessment is finish devoid of supporting evidence. This really is wherever you exhibit the way you managed the investigation. The evaluation is made through the supporting evidence you uncover, so they really should normally go hand in hand. Make sure that these two sections connection together within a simple way. Concluding Phrase: Just after offering a very well assumed out evaluation and incorporating in evidence, the section must normally insert a concluding sentence. Restate into the visitor your evaluation and its particular importance on the level at your fingertips. Just after reading through a single body section, the audience must have plainly comprehended the debate or place you were striving to verify. If he had some problems portray him self a picture or knowledge your logic, then a single or more areas of your physique section might have some faults. It’s significant to mention that getting several body lines isn?t that essential. Based on the topic, each individual essay will fluctuate according to the degree of the thesis. Top quality in excess of amount moves a lengthy way listed here. Conclusion The conclusion plays an important purpose inside the perception that this ties up the entire essay. Initial points initial, you should start out by restating your thesis assertion. The significance of this would be to obviously exemplify towards your viewer you have absolutely confirmed the thesis and also to sum up the ways you had taken so that you can do this. To end your complete essay, it is necessary to create an over-all concluding statement. This may be either that which you have figured out from crafting the essay or exactly what the audience should get absent out of your work. The framework must appear like this: Rephrase the Thesis assertion Summarize vital factors In general Concluding Assertion General Suggestions and Suggestions Proofread Following composing the complete essay, have a short split and afterwards reread it from front to back. The possibilities are that you’re going to find parts from the pieces of paper which happen to be loaded with problems or areas that have to have lucidity. In spite of what the issues are, be sure the essay has clarity right before handing in concluded get the job done. You may also get academic composing support from out organization in the event you want some next-celebration view. Receive a Next Pair of View Because the essay manufactured perception for you, does not necessarily mean that everyone else will acquire it with all the very same volume of being familiar with. On the internet essay writer or peer edits enable to provide the essay a wider selection of quality. Ensure the thesis fits your discussion factors Your pieces of paper are going to be hugely evaluated according to how perfectly you demonstrated your thesis. Which is why it is significant to modify your thesis according to the sort of disagreements you delivered. When your answers don?t properly fit the thesis assertion you crafted, then alter it appropriately. Analytical Essay Sample

Read on the WTC Blog http://theworldtradecouncil.org/analytical-essay-producing-topics-outline-creating-subject-areas-define-8

[morningrainmusic]

Top 25 Albums of 2017

A lot of very good albums came out in 2017. These are my favorite 25, with some thoughts on each of them. See you in the new year.

Best,

The Staff of Morning Rain Music

25. Ty Segall – Ty Segall  Almost all of Ty Segall’s albums (there are a lot) are made to be turned up to 11. His second self-titled release is no exception. Segall said of the live recorded album, “There’s something about a band in a room – it’s a feeling you can’t replicate. There’s a feel to the music. The band is so good, and I love the feel of this record.” So do I.

24. The Feelies – In Between  I took one journalism class in college. The professor would play music before starting lectures and I vividly remember one class when he played The Feelies and then talked about how great and underappreciated they are for a little while. I don’t recall much else from the class, but I remember that. I wonder what Greg Downey is up to now.

23. Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me A Crow Looked at Me is this year’s Skeleton Tree (Nick Cave’s 2016 musical tribute to his late son). To call Phil Eleverum’s meditation on the death of his wife a slog of misery would be a profound understatement. Listen to it and feel his utter despair.

22. Fleet Foxes – Crack-Up  Fleet Foxes’ return after six years on hiatus isn’t as triumphant as Helplessness Blues, but it’s a bold and invigorating odyssey of an album that could only come from the questioning, adventurous minds of Robin Pecknold et al.

21. Ryan Adams – Prisoner I got really into Adams’ Heartbreaker this year. Could this have primed me to enjoy Prisoner more? It has been called his best and most personal record since his 2000 debut. You be the judge, I guess.

20. Chastity Belt – I used to spend so much time alone If The National are music’s reigning “sad bastard” kings, Chastity Belt’s latest album make them contenders for the spot as queens. Or “sad bastardesses” maybe. A quick glance at the track-list is a pretty good indication of what you’re in for—“Stuck,” “What the Hell,” “5am,” “Bender.” These aren’t exactly pit of despair bummer songs. They lack the “look at me” dramatics of The Smiths or Joy Division. Chastity Belt keep it low-key, conveying something of a slow-crippling, dejected resignation that’s truer to life. If I’ve just made this record sound like complete agony, let me assure you, it’s not. I used to spend has some pep in its step—a bit of that Pacific Northwest punk spunk. One of the guitar breaks in “Something Else” even slightly recalls The Cranberries’ “Dreams.” So it won’t completely overwhelm with its ruminations on feelings of self-loathing/emptiness. For that kind of experience, turn to Mount Eerie.

19. A. Savage – Thawing Dawn Thawing Dawn  has some glaring flaws, but I listened to it a lot in 2017 because I really like it. Andrew Savage (who is in a band called Parquet Courts, you might’ve heard of them) has an everyman’s voice that sounds like a too-clever-for-his-own-good friend talking to you on the subway, regardless of whether you’re actually listening (“Eyeballs”). He also delivers a tender, slow-burning love song (“Wild, Wild, Wild Horses”) and a full-blown country waltz, slide guitar and all (“Phantom Limbo”). It doesn’t all work (see the church organ-heavy dud “Untitled” and overly drawn-out existential crisis-mode plod of “What Do I Do”). But something about the rest of Thawing Dawn, imperfections and all, is simply pleasant and demanding of the occasional revisit.

18. Kevin Morby – City Music If you like Bob Dylan (any era) you will probably like at least a handful of Kevin Morby songs. This may seem like a lazy assertation since the same could reasonably be said about a few dozen current artists, but I feel the comparison is worth making because Morby leans into the Dylan-ness a bit further on City Music, the follow-up to last year’s also excellent Singing Saw. The influence, of course, is not accidental and it isn’t limited to Morby’s charmingly wooden vocal delivery. City Music finds Morby getting even more introspective, a tad emotional and notably more poetic. One of the highlights is the ambling, groove-laden title track, which is preceded by a short Flannery O’Connor passage read by musician Meg Baird. The track gradually builds to a rapturous rave-up with Morby shouting the lyrics (there are only fifteen distinct words in the whole song). Play it fuckin’ loud. Side note: “Caught in My Eye” is a great introductory song to this album and Morby in general.

17. The xx – I See You  The xx, a band known for hushed tones and stark minimalism, broke free and brought dancehall spirit to their brooding songs. I See You is a natural next step in the group’s evolution.

16. The National – Sleep Well Beast  The National are not everyone’s bag, and understandably so. They require time and attention, which people seem to have less and less of these days. For those who do though, and are inclined to give The National a chance, the experience is a rewarding one. On Sleep Well Beast they do a bit of everything—rock out, wail lovelorn agonies, get glitchy, and mutter cryptic lyrics. I’d like to know who “dead John” in “Carin at the Liquor” store is, one of the record’s strongest, and most National-y tracks. But then again, The National are with each new record proving that they’re quite adept at going in a lot of different directions.

15. Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow  Hallelujah Anyhow is a record that seems to have slipped through the cracks. That’s a shame because MC Taylor creates the kind of terrific country-ish folk rock that should make any self-respecting music fan who’s ever picked up a Lumineers or Mumford and Sons record seriously question some of his or her life choices—no offense to those bands. Listen to “Harder Rain” and tell me that isn’t dang good southern rock music. But really, listen to the whole album.

14. Aimee Mann – Mental Illness  Aimee Mann does here what she does best, which is craft melancholy portraits of life’s disappointments. And she does so beautifully. It’s a strange and strangely uplifting album. Also, it might be the most universally enjoyable album on this list.

13. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream James Murphy broke up his band when they were seemingly at the height of their popularity, threw a huge goodbye concert/party in Madison Square Garden, and then spent years puttering around with coffee, wine, and musical turnstiles. All the while he was (presumably) wondering why the hell he called it quits. LCD Soundsystem’s new album which, as recently as three years ago was never supposed to exist, is a solid homecoming that retreads their well-established punk meets electro art-rock style with some new tricks. They have a long history of spastic, challenging songs and American Dream contains the most in terms both of quantity of tracks that fit this bill and quality (the challenging-ness, that is). If you don’t like their first album (or the genre they’re working in) don’t bother. That being said, songs like “how do you sleep,” “oh baby,” “tonite,” “emotional haircut,” and “call the police” bring the goods dance-wise. Album closer/bonus track “pulse (v. 1)” finds LCD going full techno for almost fourteen minutes. So yeah, it’s good to have James Murphy and co. back again.

12. Alvvays – Antisocialites  Alvvays, is one of those little indie bands that could. The spelling of their name is stupid. The songs they make are sunny and catchy. Lead singer Molly Rankin wrote much of the album “in isolation in an abandoned schoolroom” on the Toronto Islands. Taking your word on that one, Spotify “about” section.

11. Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet  Soft Sounds could be called a distant cousin of Frankie Rose’s Interstellar from 2012. Both Rose and Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner sing in angelic tones, inspired by distant worlds in the infinite cosmos. Zauner, however, thinks a bit bigger, and quite a lot hookier too. I’m talking about entrancingly dreamy, poppy, shoegazing tunes that shoot for the stars and land firmly in the heart. Fantastic song titles too, like “Here Come the Tubular Bells,” “Jimmy Fallon Big!,” and my personal favorite, “The Body is a Blade,” also one of the standout tracks on an album full of those.

10. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory  Between songs during Vince Staples’ set at Pitchfork Music Festival in July, I leaned over to a friend and said I think Staples could be the next Kendrick Lamar. He looked at me quizzically and said, “I think he already is.” It was a bit of a “no duh” moment and one listen to Big Fish Theory proves the comparison to be accurate. It’s a club-ready banger of an album with sharp rhymes and an aggressive current running through it. “745” is, give me permission to write this just one time, the trillest track of the year. It also echoes Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle” with the repeated “all I want” lyric.

9. Spoon – Hot Thoughts By now, everyone who gives a damn about good music should recognize Spoon as one of the most reliably great bands of the last twenty years. Hot Thoughts sees them stretching their legs, experimenting with some new sounds, but always sounding like Spoon, which is to say cool, confident, sexy, and slick.

8. The Courtneys – II  I feel like The Courtneys should be bigger. Maybe not huge, but definitely a lot bigger. They’re three gals from LA by way of Vancouver who love 90s pop culture and write songs that fall somewhere between candidly wise (“Tour”) and endearingly goofy (“Lost Boys”). There’s also a Big Star-inspired track (“Country Song”), one about a guy moving to the cold North Country (“Minnesota”), and one about iron deficiency (“Iron Deficiency”). Everything is up-tempo and there’s nothing not to like.

7. Lost Balloons – Hey Summer How do you feel about fuzzy, sentimental jangle-pop? How about infectious melodies sung by a guy from Japan? How about deep left-field bands cracking the top ten of MRM’s best albums list? Those questions are rhetorical and this album is very good. Lost Balloons’ Jeff Burke and Yusuke Okada crept under the radar for a while, but they’ve earned the seven spot with a record full of sprightly, mournful ditties. They’re what the characters of Sing Street call, “happy-sad.”

6. Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog The pepperoni playboy is so good at making excellent, laid-back, reflective indie-rock, it feels like only three full-length records in, folks are already taking him for granted. I’ve seen very little love for This Old Dog on other year-end lists…what gives? It’s the most stripped back and mature-sounding of DeMarco’s work so far. Is Mac more fun when he’s singing about the lighthearted aspects of life? Of course. But listening to a song like “Dreams from Yesterday,” it becomes clear that this gap-toothed goofball is at his best when he gets into the deep stuff.

5. Alex Cameron – Forced Witness Part of me can’t believe one of the year’s best albums is by a dude who sings about prowling for women on the web, benching other guys’ bodyweight, and how he’s “packing heat” under his jeans. What’s so remarkable about Forced Witness is how easily it could have been a complete disaster. Adopting a stage persona this crass and outlandish requires an unwavering commitment to the character and, more importantly, having the musical chops to back it up. Cameron and right-hand man on the sax Roy Malloy deliver both, with a batch of killer tunes that weave tales of pathetic delusion, macho posturing, and (perhaps unexpectedly) extreme vulnerability. The carefully crafted façade Cameron takes on is one of the most entertaining aspects of these songs, but it’s how sadly desperate for connection his brazenly low-life characters are that make many of them perversely beautiful. Cameron mixes uninhibited rock star swagger with portraits of seedy, disturbed individuals from the underbelly—like Springsteen, Zevon, and 80s Joel all rolled into one greasy-haired goon. The results are mesmerizing.

4. Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives The opening two songs of Love What Survives sometimes remind me of a terrific movie from this year, the Safdie brothers’ Good Time. The film’s music by Oneohtrix Point Never is a completely different brand of jittery electronic from Mount Kimbie, but these songs produce images of urban menace and escalating panic that, if you’ve seen the film, you’ll understand why they would fit snugly in its world. But then, three tracks in, the record pivots. “Audition” and album standout “Marilyn” slide in to cleanse the palate, providing a hazy, coolly detached warmth. If that sounds a bit enigmatic and contradictory, that’s because it is. This is the brilliance of Love What Survives, an album that earns the distinction of 2017’s breakout revelation. The genre Mount Kimbie occupies is admittedly not my area of expertise, but if ever I was asked to recommend an album of UK-based electronic/“post-dubstep” to a total neophyte, this might be the record. Built around a half dozen guest vocalists including James Blake and King Krule, Love What Survives is a gorgeous collage of sounds—organic and industrial, familiar and foreign, soothing and unsettling—that has a truly captivating effect. And while it is not the best of album of 2017, it is the most fascinating.

3. Lorde – Melodrama  I want to begin by saying I think the music of Taylor Swift is pretty much irrelevant to Lorde. They are both massive female pop stars with fiercely loyal fanbases and, as it would happen, the two are pals (or at least they present themselves publicly as such). Stylistically though, all the two have in common is that their songs fall into the (depending on your point of view) ever-broadening or frustratingly narrow genre of mainstream pop. The reason I bring Swift up is because 1989, which is now just over three years old, seems to be the unanimously agreed upon best pop album of recent memory—it is also the highest selling. Its appeal is near-universal and it is indeed, a stellar album. I’m here to tell you that Lorde’s Melodrama is even better. This is a collection of moody and electrifying songs whose consistent quality is made more impressive by the fact that her previous record is similarly fantastic. Loosely based around the concept of a night spent partying, Melodrama is the rare example of pop music that transcends its generic conventions and manages to be both a supremely satisfying get-up-and-dance record as well as a thoughtful reflection on youth, romance, and the fleeting nature of both.

2. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. Crown him folks. Kendrick Lamar, best rapper alive. What’s that? We already did that? Okay then, if you weren’t sure before, you ought to be now. The man can do it all. DAMN. is a rightfully ALL CAPS PERIOD rap record that tackles everything from heritage to crippling self-doubt to our divided nation and racism like no one else can. When it comes to beats, flow, intelligence, and charisma Lamar is in a category of his own. “There’s a difference between black artists and whack artists, ” Lamar raps on “ELEMENT.” He’s not wrong.

1. The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding  This is a blog so ridiculously unread that the point of keeping it up at times feels woefully nonexistent—I sometimes question why I don’t just shut it all down to the dismay of no one. Why post something on the internet for it to be utterly unnoticed? The same question could be posed to the tens of thousands of other amateur music bloggers across the country with year-end lists that probably look a lot like this one. I don’t know what their reasons might be. Complete lack of awareness? Blissful ignorance? The self-assigned obligation of a shameless vanity project? Mine, for the little it’s worth, is an unadulterated love of rock music and a compulsion to champion the uncompromising musicians that make compelling art. That’s a mission statement of sorts, generic and predictable as it may be, for a largely inactive blog run by a guy who listens to and reads a lot about rock music. That’s all this is. And since I’m on the subject of big cliché statements and uncommissioned content that oversaturates this largely vapid world wide web, here’s an undercooked question whose answer is as subjective as it is insignificant: What is the state of rock and roll in 2017? Reading Collin Brennan’s COS piece from early this year, in which he mines bands like Japandroids, Cloud Nothings, Jay Som, and Real Estate for something resembling a conclusion, I got to thinking about this question myself. Then I got to thinking about The War On Drugs and how they fit into this tired conversation. Here’s what I know to be true: rock and roll, contrary to what people may tell you, does not require a new roster of fresh-faced superstars. It does not need to dominate the charts. It does not need to be young people’s genre of choice, the soundtrack of a revolution, and it certainly doesn’t need to lazily repackage the sound of former greats. Don’t call The War on Drugs or any other band for that matter, “saviors of rock” because rock doesn’t need saving.

Artists like The War on Drugs, albums like A Deeper Understanding are proof that rock and roll’s health report is just fine. The Philadelphia-based band, led by studio obsessive Adam Granduciel, are endearing underdogs: the guys that rose from indie obscurity to fame-straddling heights on the back of an exceptional, critically adored 2014 release. They have made a name for themselves by borrowing from the best. A little Dire Straits, a lot of Bruce, some Ghost is Born-era Wilco distortion, Granduciel’s hushed, Dylan-esque drawl—their sound is built from a foundation of musical greats. These influences are easily recognized on A Deeper Understanding, but it never sounds like mimicry. Instead, it sounds like reverence. Steven Hyden (who also named it the best album of 2017) put it nicely, writing about how the record doesn’t actually sound like the artists the WOD are so frequently compared to. “It does sound like your memories of that questing, widescreen heartland rock music,” he writes. “This is what Adam Graunduciel does best: He evokes the spirit of classic rock’s past without ever literally replicating Bryan Adams’ gruff vocals, Mark Knopfler’s bluesy guitar, or Born In The USA‘s glockenspiels.” The band has mutated their sound over the years from rootsy to atmospheric to this new incarnation, which could be called “quietly epic.” This phenomenon comes across best in a song like “Thinking of a Place,” the eleven-minute opus that somehow doesn’t feel a second too long. “Strangest Thing” builds to the point where its swelling guitar motif will forcibly displace you from whatever you are occupied with and once it’s over you’ll need a moment to come back to Earth. “Nothing To Find” is the breeziest on the record, and equally suited for a large amphitheater or a car stereo on an open road. I could go on and on, but I won’t. This album will not knock you on your ass or change the way you think about music. It’s not the best thing since Nevermind, it’s not even the best album by this band. Here’s what it is: an engrossing sonic experience marked by lush guitars, heartland synths, and a whole lot of things being very strongly felt—longing, nostalgia, confinement, and of course, pain. It’s the kind of album that hits you at your core without sounding like it’s trying too hard to. If the question, “is rock and roll is still capable of having a profound impact today?” were a legitimate one, the sixty-six minutes of A Deeper Understanding would make for an effective, resounding, “Yes.”

Honorable Mentions:  Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice Real Estate – In Mind Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 3 Randy Newman – Dark Matter Four Tet – New Energy Margo Price – All American Made Big Thief - Capacity

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Thinks: Michael J. Golec

One or Three Chairs: An Interview with Michael J. Golec

  Keeley Haftner: Let’s start broader and then go to specifics. In general, your overall project seems to be about defying categorization –for example, you’ve taken an interest in the work of Wendell Castle who muddies design, furniture, sculpture, craft, and you’re the department head of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute but specialize in the study of graphic and typographic design as also seen through art historic and philosophic lenses. Is defying categories important to you?

Michael J. Golec: I think there’s a historical question in there, which is that certain categories are accepted at particular moments in the history of any form of cultural production. As a design historian who was trained as an art historian, one of the things I’m interested in is where within the broader discourses have art and design been understood as distinct practices, and where they overlap. In terms of the discipline, design history is a relatively new field compared to art history. Many of my colleagues within the field are very careful about distinguishing content, topics, and objects that are unique to design. Such objects can’t always count as art objects, and therefore would not require an art historical interpretation based on art historical methodologies. And so a lot of my work really tries to figure out in some ways how particular kinds of objects can circulate between different kinds of practices and while they are objectively or empirically the same object. In each field they act in different ways that are specific to that field. In my book, Brillo Box Archive: Aesthetics, Design, and Art, I see the Brillo Box as a non-material entity that circulates between art, philosophy, and design. Identifying that object, the Brillo Box, really depends on the epistemological culture that exists for that object, or in which that object is produced. One of the things I was interested in was how three distinct fields of inquiry could produce three distinct objects – a thought experiment, an artwork, and a package design – and how the three of them interpenetrate at different moments, specifically in terms of how they are discursively understood. I mean, categories shift, and while we’re defining them they will become mutable depending on what parties, practice, and epistemological communities are engaged with them. So one of the things I’ve be interested in in my work is trying to figure out where those distinctions lie, and also where they are blurred.

Brillo Box Archive: Aesthetics, Design, and Art by Michael J. Golec

KH: In the introduction to Brillo Box Archive, you talk about the image of James Harvey, the abstract expressionist painter and designer who was photographed in front of his painting holding his Brillo box after Warhol had made it famous as an artwork, which strikes me as a very apt example of how these categories overlap. Some have spoken of the sensual qualities of Warhol’s Brillo Box and how they are missing in discussions around his work – is the sensual nature of that piece of interest to you?

MG: I think that certain epistemological communities are more interested in the sensual qualities of objects than others, which again is historically contingent. One of the things that Arthur Danto was very invested in was arguing that the material quality of the Brillo Box doesn’t matter, since for all intents and purposes the Brillo Box raises a question in terms of perceptual skepticism. If two things look alike, Danto argues, we can’t judge them based on how they look, so we have to resort to some other kind of framing. For him it’s a theory and history of art that directs us towards identifying specific objects befitting the category of art. For artists and for designers of that period, there are particular material qualities that make a difference in how one comes to terms with those objects. So that was one of the issues I was trying to work out. For Danto’s brand of philosophical aesthetics, materiality doesn’t matter at all. This means that his artworks could be anything relative to how they are received, understood, or framed. He would have been very much in opposition to something like a post-modern deconstructive interest in indexicality, or the materiality of the sign. So that would have distinguished him from other philosophers and critics of his generation.

KH: I’d like to transition from the framing of objects to the framing of the human form in the in the work of Ray and Charles Eames. Through some of the courses you’ve taught over the years, including “Eames Overload” you’ve spent time discussing their work and their affect on design principles globally. Can you talk a bit about how their design principles bring together politics, technologies and aesthetics, and whether or not these principles hold up today?

MG: Ray and Charles Eames are an interesting topic for me. I started working on them while I was teaching at Iowa State University, and saw their work as a way for me to bring design students, engineers and scientists together into a single classroom. So originally I used a very media focused method to teach the first course, which focused on the Eames’ as master manipulators of all kinds of media. I haven’t taught the course for quite some time, but in the meantime I’ve been sort of reintroduced to their work through a colleague of mine, Todd Cronan, who wrote a phenomenal review of a publication called An Eames Anthology, which is a collection of their writings that came out through the Yale University Press. And it’s Cronan’s thinking about the Eames’s in relation to a set of intentions that he perceived they held that got me to reread this material, this time attending to particular statements that Charles in particular would make. I started to notice a repetition of the emphasis on human scale in relationship to the explosion of information that Eames and his colleagues perceived at that particular moment in the post-war era. So I’m currently rethinking that class. For example, one of the questions I’ve always had with Charles is: why the focus on furniture when he was trained as an architect? What it always goes back to is that furniture is a discrete object where designs can be put to the test very quickly, and judged. And I’m starting to believe that this interest in judgement for Charles has a lot more to do with case-by-case situations. The Eames’ were never interested in providing universal design that fit everyone. My new thesis would be that, for them, every interaction with an object, exhibition, or film that they produced required individuals to account for how they relate to that particular thing themselves. It’s that kind risk and coordination that I think allows a certain suppleness to what could be called “Eames Design.”

The other issue that I’m really interested in is that almost all designers who are revered in design history belong to some kind of “school” – especially in architecture, but also to some extent in design. In any overall survey of architects or designers you can find them being organized into different groups that we would call a school, in which there’s a discernable method, and there are discernable principles of design that are executed and then exemplified or embodied within the work itself. The Eames’ didn’t fit neatly into that framework, and I find it ironic that probably one of the most famous design teams in the history of the United States is a couple that belonged to no school. Again this is something I’m just coming to, and am not trying to reconcile that relationship, but rather to make the claim that “non-school” is a kind of school of thought in design that we’ve inherited today. I think this is so interesting, because the Eames’ provide a method that is not a method. It is a kind of post-method approach to design. This counters the trend toward Design Thinking that has been embraced within the past twenty years, and its relationship to the schools of design, engineering, and business. Design Thinking is meant to provide a method for designing that enhances interface between the object and the user. The Eames would not agree that there would be any such method. They believed that there are only case-by-case situations, and that every design, just like every statement, has to be received either felicitously or infelicitously in order for it to work. There is no guarantee, ever. Just as we use conventions so that we understand each other when we speak, there are conventions involved in say, chairs, for example, and those conventions create a certain vernacular that effects the colloquial versions of a chair. To design a different style requires a great amount of risk, and there’s no guarantee that any sitter will receive the intention of the designer that this is something meant to be sat on.

“Powers of Ten”, Charles and Ray Eames, 1977

KH: And the whole over-arching conversation makes me think of their Powers of Ten film, with regard to scale and the individual, but also through their interdisciplinary and borderline scientific way of considering the human subject.

MG: I’ve published a few articles and chapters in books on Powers of Ten. My first impulse was to see that everything known or possibly unknown would be connected to the two human figures on the blanket, which one might call a remnant of the Frankfurt School form of criticism. I’m beginning to rethink that; I don’t think it’s what they really intended. Everyone needs to be reminded that when I say “Eames,” I mean the entire network of individuals that worked within the studio of which Charles and Ray were the most visible; they had armies of designers and non-designers working with them to make what they made. But in Powers of Ten – even though we might call the couple on the blanket the culmination of human scale, there is always a question at every power above and below them. What is the relationship to the human social sphere? I think it’s nicely framed by the picnic blanket. It’s an image of human sociality, however normative it may have appeared in 1968 and then in 1977. But then again, the Eames’ never took norms for granted, which could easily be and was contested by a host of social critics. I think the Eames’s were suggesting that this couple is a convention that is commonly understood, and it is not absolute. So at every layer one can imagine, even down to the molecular and cellular, this prompts a question of what the normative relationship might be. Thus every single power poses a question in terms of the stability of that couple sitting on the blanket. Like I said, you’ve caught me at a moment that I’m really just formulating this, and the class that I’m teaching this semester will help me to frame and expand on that further.

KH: It strikes me that convention has a lot to do with how typography and pictograms are created, and how they evolve over time. Both have been interests of yours… For your Graham Foundation Fellowship (2014-15) you spent a lot of time looking at the REA’s (Rural Electrification Administration) archives in reference to New Deal era attempts to electrify homes between the late 1930s and early 1940s. You say there is a gap in the literature in regard to how design and pictographs were used as opposed to photographs, which by contrast is well studied. What was the convention of the pictograph able to do in this campaign that a photograph could not?

MG: That’s been an ongoing project that I’ve worked on intermittently over the years. It started as part of general history of graphic design course that I taught beginning at Iowa State, and that I still teach here at SAIC when I’m teaching my full load and not chairing. Since I started teaching it the textbooks for the course have changed, or there have been new books that have been introduced into the bibliography. But for a very long time such books included a series of nine posters that were produced for the REA by a designer by the name of Lester Beall. It was commonplace to refer in histories of graphic design to Beall’s pictographs as having a twofold impact in terms of design in the United States. The first was that he chose pictographs because rural Americans were illiterate, so therefore those pictograms or pictographs were easily understood as a kind of basic language. They’re also praised because they’re seen as having integrated European style Modernism into the American scene of design, and famously the isotypes of Otto Neurath of the 1930s and 1940s were seen as a source of inspiration for Beall. When these posters are depicted they’re never shown in the environment in which they were posted – they’re always just floating posters isolated without any background or framing for their reception. So when I introduced this idea of their being used for illiterate Americans – my students, many of whom grew up on farms in rural Iowa, said, “That doesn’t’ seem right – why would you assume that all farmers were illiterate?” So I said, “Great question, I’ll look into it.” And it happened that Iowa State, being a Land Grant and agriculture school, had all the REA news publications from the exact year Beall produced the posters. So I did some research and came back to the students to let them know that in fact the posters were not always or exclusively shown in the context of a rural public; they were often shown first and foremost in Washington, D.C. at REA events, and they were also often shown at county fairs, state fairs, and the like. The logic would be, in order to electrify the farm you would have to own your farm, and most rural Americans who owned farms had some education, definitely high school, and were not necessarily illiterate, itinerant farmers. So there was a mix-up in terms of who the audience might be for those posters. I also found that earlier the REA had employed a person by the name of Rudolf Modley to use a pictograph as a way of communicating statistical information to farmers. So the result of this was that Beall was responding to an already existing graphic vernacular for the communication of information to farmers who could read. So that started to open up the possibility that pictograms were a sophisticated form of communication. We can no longer argue that Beall was using pictograms to introduce Americans to European Modernism, since we had already adopted those images as part of communications.

KH: And they do appear quite sophisticated in their design – I’m looking at them and they’re quite beautiful…

“Radio,” Lester Beall, 1937. Photo courtesy of Michael J. Golec

Shifting gears… you’ve jokingly described yourself as an anachronism at SAIC in the sense that by researching 19th and early- to mid- 20th century histories such as these you are researching ‘ancient history’ in the eyes of your contemporary-minded graduate students and colleagues. I’m wondering if you take a position to ardently focus histories that predate the 21st century, or if you also consider current art and design history in your research?

MG: [Laughs] It’s open, certainly. With regard to anachronism, my point really is that the idea of the contemporary is only relative to a past, and that this past persists in our contemporary conventional uses of all kinds of forms of communication. So as an historian, I think this idea of thinking about the now as unrelated to a past is problematic, and requires I think a great deal more scrutiny. I mean, whatever we think of as “the present” is inundated with “the past” and “the future” simultaneously, so it can be erroneous to make absolute distinctions between them. The typeface that you might be looking at in a contemporary design or art catalogue is an anachronism in and of itself. It may be newly designed, but reproducing it requires technologies that are centuries old. Even though there have been advances in print technology, they’re’ not so advanced that they don’t require ink and some form of depression or coating of paper with a form. So I like to open students up to the possibility of understanding that the present is interwoven with past technologies, conventions, and traditions, and to convey to them that the only way they can think about the future is in a way predicated on those kind of interweavings, if that makes sense at all.

KH: Totally! I’d like to address my particular interests, which are perhaps a little less to do with your specific research focuses but were the means by which I came to in the first place – thinking through Object Oriented Ontology. A chapter of yours in a recent publication, “Heidegger’s ‘From the Dark Opening:’ Image Theory for Human and Nonhuman Worlds” in Heidegger and the Work of Art History, sounds as though it likely hovers around this topic.

MG: For that chapter in that book I was interested in the relationship that Heidegger might have to something most often referred to as Actor-Network Theory, and particularly in this confusion of objects with materiality that happens in design history, but to some extent also in art history. I want to undo is this notion of material and object as being thought of as synonymous. In object theory, if you follow a straightforward account as it’s been put forward by like someone like Graham Harman, such theorists are not interested in the material nature of objects at all. Their argument, specifically Harman’s, is that what is “real” in relationship to objects is always forever and irreducibly withdrawn from us. With the discussion Heidegger presents in terms of Van Gogh’s Peasant Shoes, I wanted to work out what the underlying networks not immediately visible were – the invisible networks that Heidegger opened up behind the work. Viewed in that way, the painting itself is a glimmer of the vast networks of agricultural production and labour that would have related to late 19th and early 20th century farming.

“Shoes”, Vincent van Gogh, Oil on canvas,18″ x 21 3/4″, 1888. Image: Public Domain.

KH: Well, I’m looking forward to reading that! What is it that is preoccupying you most these days in your recent research?

MG: I’ve contributed a chapter entitled “Distributing Stresses”, to a forthcoming book Encountering Things: Design and Theories of Things, that’s related to the Eames. It addresses the question of sympathy and the DCM chair that the Eames’ produced. It discusses the chair as a means of caring for the body and the psyche of post-war humans. This was written a little bit before I started thinking about Eames and human scale, but I think it directly addresses that theme. So that’s one project. The other is an article related to the “Champ Fleury in the Machine Age” lecture I gave at the School of Visual Arts a few years back, which is currently under review for the Journal of Design History.

One of the things I’m interested in that is this notion of tradition and convention in typography – both its complex story and looking at what would count as modern verses traditional typography in the early 20th century. So I see someone like Bruce Rogers as a modern typographer, someone who is not only interested in reviving old forms but is also interested in addressing a tradition of typography as it relates to his contemporary moment. And this is something I think all designers do, whether they’re typographers or furniture and product designers. The reason why the question of what constitutes “modern” is perhaps more compelling in typography is because it raises the question “what typography isn’t traditional?” In the West we’ve already basically agreed for hundreds of years what our essential alphabet is, and since the 16th century we’ve embraced Roman style letterforms. We don’t really use Fraktur; when forms like this have been revived from the past they’ve been aligned with particular ideologies like National Socialism and dismissed, so we’re pretty much set. So again the question for me is when isn’t typography traditional? Attempts to modernize language like changing to Basic English and producing a universal language have never really stuck… What’s the one language that was introduced?

KH: Oh Esperanto?

MG: Yes, Esperanto! Yes, I mean even when we code computers we still use characters that are established as part of our everyday language. So the distinction in terms of what counts as traditional or what might count as contemporary have to be looked at in different ways. I would just argue that from a contemporary standpoint, someone like Rogers basically creates a new operating system for a very old form of hardware. He creates a new formatting for traditional typography and printing. And that that might be the best we can hope for in our lifetime.

Centaur (typeface), Bruce Rogers. Created 1914 and released 1929.

KH: Anything we missed?

MG: The first thing I would like to say is Keeley, I really appreciate you reaching out, and I’m quite honoured and humbled by being interviewed.

Second, on the face of it I think that there are a lot of different projects that I work on, but the thing that draws them together is my interest in how every day designers have to deal with what already exists in the world. And a problem that I think is not unique to designers, but one which applies to anyone in a creative field, is the question of how to address what already exists in order to add something that has real meaning, and conveys what you want it to convey. That’s the core of my interests throughout all the different examples I draw from. For example, the question for Beall was one of intention: what did he have to work with, and how could he produce something that was unique to his own intentions, but that still drew on an already existing graphic vernacular? And as you observed, he created something quite remarkable – something that alluded to the already existing use of pictographic communication within a bureaucratic administrative field like REA, but with much more. Now these posters exist in every major museum. You can go to the MOMA they’ll have a little design section where there’s always a Lester Beal REA poster. Or, as another example, what does someone like Rogers do when he’s asked by the Grolier Club of New York City to design a translation of Geoffrey Tory’s “Champ Fleury”? Does he try to create something that’s just a facsimile (which is how many people have approached this), or does he try to communicate something from Tory’s ideas within his contemporary moment?

Ostensibly one chair should fit us all. When the Eames’ sat down – pun intended – to design a chair, they had to think about what would count as something that would attract and afford a certain kind of human comfort – something that did not exist, but was still recognizable as something that was chair-like. They drew from history, from their own time, and from a perception of where things might go. Sometimes it’s difficult for people who look at my work to see the common thread, but that’s the source. Even the Brillo Box Archive is trying to distinguish the differences between the three “Brillo boxes”, but also to show how they’re all related. I think this is an increasingly important issue within the humanities, regardless of whether its design history, art history, history of literature and so forth: how we can acknowledge shared and different concerns, and how they can be embedded in the same object, body, or thought? That sort of openness, that acknowledgement of sameness and difference, is something that I think the humanities is well positioned to explore, and that will perhaps have some meaning for our current fractured moment so focused on differences.

KH: Well that was far too eloquent for me to add anything! [Laughs] Thanks for speaking with me, Michael.

MG: Thank you!

  Michael J. Golec is the Chair and an Associate Professor of Art and Design History in the Department of Art History, Theory and Criticism at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. You can find his complete bio here.

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