In our next issue of the Time Talks we interview the three editors of the our collaborative book Time Perspective Theory; Review, Research and Application: Maciej Stolarski, Nicolas Fieulaine and Wessel van Beek:
“10 things I could’ve done, but didn’t” or what to do with the self-blame
During the last session of Creative Rendezvous I included a prompt from Austin Kleon’s “Steal Like an Artist Journal”: “10 things I could’ve done, but didn’t”. My own immediate reaction was that I couldn’t come up with what to write, and managed to list three things. During our discussion, it became evident that actually this prompt can easily move into self-blame and regrets domain. This got me thinking what would be a more constructive approach instead?
Eventually I managed to complete the list and after analyzing the answers I came up with the following strategy how to deal with it, how to prevent self-blame and have a more positive outlook when evaluating the answers.
Divide your answers into four groups:
1. To celebrate – maybe it was actually good for you that some things on your list did not happen. For example, if you’re working on quitting smoking, then saying “I could’ve smoked a cigarette last night after that beer, but didn’t” is great, it’s an achievement – celebrate that, compliment yourself on it!
2. Still to celebrate (+/-) – the outcome generally is more on the positive side. For example, “I could’ve spend more time and finalize the article, but instead I went to bed early” or “Could’ve taken more photos during the session, but got totally engaged in the moment and forgot”. The issues mentioned in the “I could’ve done” part are “nice to have”, but overall outcome is still positive. The “didn’t” part has a positive quality to it, something positive, energizing, valuable happened instead. The “nice to have” part can be looked into further – is it something that you should work on or it’s ok as it is?
3. To act on – a group of issues that you would like to act upon, for example “I could’ve done more yoga”, “I could’ve listened to those classes I bought on Creative Live” and there is no continuation to it, there was nothing else with the positive outcome that you did instead. First of all, see how many of those you have in relation to the previous groups. Then weigh them. Do those things bring you closer to your dream, to your “true north”? Ask a follow up question: “If I spend some time doing this next week, will it bring me closer to my dream?” If it will, then that’s an item to act upon. And if not – it goes to the last group:
4. Not to pay attention to.
If still not sure where to start and which issue to choose to work with, then answer these questions for each item (inspired by one of the exercises in Julia Cameron’s book “Way of Artist”):
– Does it cost money or is it free?
– Expensive or cheap?
– Alone or with somebody?
– Job related?
– Physical risk?
– Fast-paced or slow?
– Mind, body, or spiritual?
This should help to make a decision – which is the issue that you would like to act on in the nearest future. Evaluate your calendar – how often can it happen, when exactly?
Schedule it in, make it happen and enjoy it!
Academic writing: Introduction and Discussion
In most cases when I evaluate student’s papers or when I supervised my MA and PhD students, the two most common challenges are with the Introduction section or Discussion.
There are tons of useful information available on the internet about how to write the different parts of an academic paper. Recently I stumbled upon one, which I really liked, especially the short version of it:
The Sections of the Paper
| Experimental process | Section of Paper |
| What did I do in a nutshell? | Abstract |
| What is the problem? | Introduction |
| How did I solve the problem? | Materials and Methods |
| What did I find out? | Results |
| What does it mean? | Discussion |
| Who helped me out? | Acknowledgments (optional) |
| Whose work did I refer to? | Literature Cited |
| Extra Information | Appendices (optional) |
See the full guide here. Unfortunately I didn’t find who the authors were. And on another note, although this guide is from the biology department and they claim that in humanities papers are very different and it might be so. However, in social sciences we follow the same structure when writing papers (we really really try to be scientific, but I have my doubts).
Temporal Matters Salon
This has been an exciting collaboration so far – between me, representing the International Time Perspective Network and the Celebrating Time, 3rd International Conference on Time Perspective and Creative Roots: Collective Urbanism.
For most part, very outside my comfort zone, but that is why I ventured on this adventure – to explore where and how the psychological theories about time and urbanism issues intersect.
So far we held two Salons at the Cafe Ved Buen. One talk was dedicated to Pace of Life and the other one – to chronotope. The more I read about the chronotope, the more I was getting inspired by this concept and its possible applications outside the literary studies.
You can see my prezi’s from both of the occasions and you’re most welcome to drop by next time! See the schedule and sign up on Eventbrite.
Temporal Matters Salon #1: Pace of Life
Temporal Matters Salon #2: Chronotope: the time-space
Creative Rendezvous – February 21, 2016 | Copenhagen
Creative rendezvous – it is the time for you!
It’s time to get together with your inner creative and a few other like minded people and do something fun and inspiring.
It’s time to discover some of your hidden talents, get in touch with your inner Kandinsky or maybe Hemingway..
It’s time to discover some of your hidden talents, get in touch with your inner Kandinsky or maybe Hemingway..
It’s time to get into the creative flow and extend the present moment.
It’s time to break free from some of the boundaries we tend to create for ourselves and discover new opportunities.
It’s time to take a break, breathe, be with yourself and dissolve in your dreams and then continue with new energy and focus.It’s time to create and discover!
It’s time to stop waiting for the muse, we’ll start without her, but she’ll join us anyways!
Price: 300 DKK
Art supplies, tea / coffee, snacks are provided.
Places are limited. Please book a spot with 50 DKK via eventbrite:
Reading Brassaï about Henry Miller
While reading “Henry Miller: The Paris Years” by Brassaï I made a few discoveries about Miller, but also about Anais Nin and Brassaï him-self.
Henry Miller by Brassaï
Revived my interest in the surrealist movement. Currently am looking into finding their essays about the automatic writing and such. But it is amazing what an impact the psychoanalysis had! The power of dreams that became legit in all the different forms of arts — literature, visual and performance arts. At same time it is not really measurable by the impact factor of scientific journals at all! Some of the ideas just go through and nowadays it is even hard to trace their origin and put a tag on it.
I discovered also that most of Miller’s novels are not as autobiographical as I thought earlier — it’s just he had a very strong power of imagination and sometimes couldn’t even distinguish between reality and fiction or dream. “…like the Surrealists and the Dadaists, Henry believed that the dreams provided fertile soil for writing, and that the writing did involve the struggle to bring to the surface that which was unknown, hidden, and unrealized” (p. 155). I’ll have to also look up his work “Into the Night Life” which he thought was like the Surrealists were doing.
So much like Brassaï “I live in what I see and hear” and Miller’s “treasures are buried deep within yourself, deep within the bowels of your inner self, and from them you can bring forth copper, or silver, or gold”. I am all about the details which have to match somehow. Scrupulous and pedantic… and so is my art, well, most of it.. Funny fact is both Brassaï and me were born on September 9th.
I have also discovered that some of Miller’s prose can actually be read as poetry and it makes a lot of sense. And I am curious to reread his books in English now.
I was hoping that the book will have more photos by Brassaï in it, his nocturnal Paris. But I ordered a few from the library to complement the reading with some visuals. A journey to Paris that doesn’t exist any more. Likewise Istanbul depicted by Orhan Pamuk and Ara Güler. Somehow these poetic city journeys are very interesting for me. Like many other people, I love to walk the city. To see where the feet will take me. What discoveries I will make on my journey.
I wish there was a similar book about Riga. There are so many different interesting corners in my hometown. Every time I go back there, I want to document every street of it. Every story that those streets have…
“What is time?”
You wake up to discover a knock at your door. A wealthy uncle you barely knew has passed and left you a fortune. It’s more than enough to live out your days in glorious splendor, but there is a condition. To be eligible to collect, you must commit your full-time working energies to the pursuit of an answer to a single question of your choosing for the next 12 months.
You are welcome to continue that pursuit after the year ends, for years or decades if it warrants, but you must remain fully focused on seeking the answer until the last minute of the 365th day. A minute shorter, the entire inheritance goes to your annoying and equally long lost cousin, Philly.
What is your question?
~JONATHAN FIELDS
My question that I’m going to work on through out 2016 is “What is time?”. The upcoming year is going to have “time” as a red thread.
As a co-founder of International Time Perspective Network I’m organizing Celebrating Time conference and festival in Copenhagen in August 2016. And everyone is welcome!
In the fall semester I’m going to teach a course “Psychology of Time” at DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia. And I’m really looking forward to that!
Very recently I have started “Creative Time Studio” where I aim to use time creatively, to shape time to create and to discover. I will continue my exploration of the relation between creativity and the limited time. Some of it I am offering as a course on Creative Breaks:
I will continue to work on our International Time Perspective Network’s online journal Time Talks:
And in January I will be launching Temporal Matters Salon in collaboration with Creative Roots: Collective Urbanism. It will be a series of talks and workshops on time, temporality, city life, urbanism and co-creation. Join us for a cup of coffee and a chat about time!
Rediscovering yourself: creative flow as a resource
After many years of being in-between the research and creative activities that I do, I have decided to try to blend them in together. And thus the Creative Time Studio was born. I’m not completely sure which direction it will go and which direction it will take me, but I would like to combine what I theoretically know about psychology of time and what I learned by doing all sorts of creative activities (photography, ceramics, mosaics, playing some instruments, my interest in arts – history of arts, visual arts, theater, architecture, and many others). I’m grateful to Maria Vegesh, who organized an online course where we followed Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” – it gave me courage to try out a few things on my own and start the group – Rediscovering yourself: Creative flow as a resource.
We had a kick-off meeting today, November 1st, but there is still an opportunity to join in if you think it is something for you. The course is designed for 8 weeks. More information about the course is here.
Please get in touch if you would like to join the group.
Celebrating Time | Copenhagen 2016 | Call for Submissions
We are ready for your submissions
You can’t wait to present your ideas and work that you have been doing?
You can’t wait to show and tell what you know about time to other people?
You can’t wait to sparkle a controversial and inspiring debate?
You can’t wait to redesign subjective (or objective) experience of time?
You can’t wait to present your performance, theater play or sculpture that explores the concept of time?
We’ve got you covered! No need to wait any longer – the submission is open!
You can read here about different possible ways you can participate in this event, dedicated to celebration of time: https://itpnetwork.wordpress.com/contributions/
And if your idea does not really fit in any of those – get in touch! We’ll find a way!
Please submit your proposals here
If you’re an academic and submitting a classical presentation, you know the drill – basic info about the authors, affiliation, contact info you wish to share (email, twitter, linkedin, etc.) and 350 words as an abstract.
If you’re ready for an adventure and want to explore what else can be done with your research results (if you are an academic) or you have an idea for a specific activity – please describe it to the best of your abilities on 1 page max. See the guidelines on specific forms of participation.
The Organizing Committee together with the Scientific Committee reserves the right to propose and allocate you a different format for participation. In such a case you’ll get a proper brief.
Finally, you can pay the registration fee here:
We are accepting submissions until November 15th 2015.
Now it’s us who can’t wait to see how are you going to celebrate time!
More information is on the draft website of the Conference
Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter
Warm welcome to Copenhagen!
#TPCPH2016 team
Learn Do Share – Copenhagen 2015
I’m happy to be part of the Lear Do Share event in Copenhagen this year. It is organized by Creative Roots: Collective Urbanism. You can find more information about the event here. It lasts three days: from August 27 to August 29 with the overall theme of Smart Citizens.
Julien Daniel and I are going to lead a workshop on the Day 2: Co.Creative Tactical Day on Social Dilemmas and Smart Citizens.
Join us on August 28 at 15.00 and let’s explore together the following issues:
How do we manage limited resources? Why do we often irrationally act based on our self-interests although it may threaten the long-term survival of the whole group? Why don’t we behave sustainable or environmentally responsible? How do the personal attitudes towards time play a role in this? How to promote cooperation among different stakeholders?
We are going to explore these questions in a role-play game during the workshop and hopefully collaboratively discover some answers to them.
Participation is free, but places are limited! Please sign up on eventbrite.
Creative Time Studio 