CBrajkovich Ramblings

First of all, let’s be real: this spot has Gary Oldman in it. Need I say more? The guy is a flipping genius of an actor. So when you hear this PSA come from someone as accomplished as him, well, you have to laugh. Here’s a creation from the ever-prolific Jimmy Kimmel making us think just a little harder (’cause we can all use more of that).

Money and popularity do not automatically equate to talent. No, not that raw talent stuff, but the kind of “I do this because I love it” kind of obsession that has people repeatedly creating the most outrageous mind-blowing hits that have people gaping in awe. We all have some kind of talent that needs to be nurtured. Not through buying badges and accreditation, but through actual honest-to-goodness dedication to creating something that speaks to you first of all.

If it doesn’t speak to you, then how will it find the words to speak to others outside of you?

just saying…

– found through Reddit, of course

So, was this scene in Peter Pan your favorite one too? I love this tattoo (on Piccsy) because it’s definitely one of my favorite scenes from the story.

The flying scene reminds of the one thought that’s sustained me throughout life: NEVER stop dreaming. I don’t think it’s immature to want to make yourself a better person, and dreaming is a good way to make yourself strive to be MORE than you were the day before. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In that vein, I thought about all of the advice that I wish I’d had earlier in life. Something like:

• Your belief should never be outweighed by someone else’s (no matter how much more important they seem)
• Everything that we now accept started out as someone else’s dreams
• You’re worth whatever you want to be worth (so don’t let someone else put a number on you)
• Your belief in yourself can cushion the impact on the wall you’ll eventually hit (and allow you to stand up and keep moving)
• It’s not easy to stand apart from everyone else, but it is allowed
• Someone else’s dreams have allowed us to reach the unknown, and our dreams will create the new unknowns

Now more than ever, we need these dreams. And it’s going to take a lot of effort to get past those who want to stomp on them. Here’s some advice: Don’t let them stop you from dreaming.

I just found this 2009 Good video on YouTube, and found it pretty accurate for a discussion we’ve all been circling lately: IP. Lincoln Schatz is a video artist who wants to start brain sharing with people that he admires so that he could see the world through their eyes. And the conversation led to the conclusion that he retained the knowledge he learned during the process after he gave the brain back to the original owner.

This is pretty much how we all invent the worlds in our heads. As people have been saying for ages, all creations are inspired by some predecessor. There will be differences as we incorporate our uniqueness into the new output, but the original idea also lives on. And that’s the key right there, “the original content lives on”. This talk that our governments and IP stakeholders use that copying is theft refuse to realize that their own actions are dependent on the existence of prior actions and ideas. If they were left to their own devices, there is a significant chance that the majority of creativity would not evolve as quickly as it does. Why? Because people are using the originals as the foundation for new building blocks.

Nothing is stolen. But something is definitely created, and it’s nothing like the original. That’s what living is all about: Sharing is Caring (it’s a bit grainy but the tune is catchy, as is the message).

p.s. Little kids are taught this lesson at a very early age (though it’s forgotten as they get older – like when they’re adults): Sharing by Notebook Babies