Rob Dyrdek... The Creative Genius

When the word genius comes to mind I think of how there have been so many geniuses that have lived throughout the years. But when it comes to pin pointing one a true genius my mind begins to crumple. Thinking of someone that is truly genius is very difficult. People that may seem like they fit the genius profile end up slowly getting knocked off the chart because they do not “qualify.”  When I think of a genius I think of someone that is extremely creative and is able to turn their creative ideas into something more. Something more consists of helping out other people or improving their way of life. One person that I truly think is a genius is Rob Dyrdek. When you look at Rob you might think how is this guy a genius?  Well first of all this young man is a professional skateboarder, actor, entrepreneur, producer and reality TV star. At the young age of 38, Rob is a very accomplished man with many skateboarding world records and three of his own TV shows.

I believe that Rob fits the genius profile for many reasons. First of all he obviously has to be extremely creative if he is the stars in three of his own TV shows. How many people have more than one TV show? I can’t think of any. Rob is also creative in what he does as a person. Has anyone ever seen the show Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory? In my opinion this has to be the most creative reality TV show on television.  In this show Rob purchased a large factory in which he and his team at Dyrdek Enterprise work.  According to the show you would think that they don’t really work but instead they find creative ways to have fun with in the factory. For example, they build and indoor skate park, a foam pit, and a zip line all in the factory. The show somehow never gets old because they always have new ideas and things to do.

I know I said in my definition that a genius has to turn their creative ideas into something more. Rob also perfectly fits this genius trait. Rob incorporates creative ideas into helping out his charity or fundraiser. Robs charity is called the Rob Dyrdek Foundation. Rob goes around to underprivileged neighborhoods where he finds an area to build a skate park for the underprivileged kids. In doing this Rob uses his creative mindset to create unique skate parks for the kids. I truly believe that Rob is a creative genius and I am excited to see what he does in the future.

Truly Genius Idea..

One idea that I truly think is genius is the cell phone and its infinite amount of capabilities. If you look at what the cell phone use to be and what it is today you will see an immense change in technology over the course of about 15 years. The cell phone has become so much more portable and smaller. Not only has it become smaller but it has also become faster, thinner, lighter, and somehow manages to get a larger operating screen while the rest of the phone continues to get smaller. The cell phone is truly genius in many ways. Not only does the cell phone preform its original purpose of preforming calls but it can now do many other things. Today’s smart phone can perform pretty much every operation that a computer can. If you look at the size difference in the two, you can see that the cell phone is truly amazing.

Comparing the cell phone as a genius idea to my definition of genius doesn’t work to well. My definition of genius is someone that can innovate or create at a time in which it is most needed. I based my definition more towards a person instead of an idea. I did this because I thought that in order for an idea to be genius, a genius thinker has to create or think of the genius idea. When you look at the cell phone you can see that not just one person is behind the idea. The idea has been further developed by many different people. This is why the cell phone is so genius; many different people have brought their ideas to the table to improve the cell phone and what it is capable of doing.

What is a Genius?

Creativity and genius are words in our basic vocabulary. When asked to define what a genius is we sometimes struggle. My definition of a genius is someone that can innovate or create at a time in which it is most needed. Someone who can perform under pressure in order to change an outcome or provide a way to produce certain results that may have not been logical without this person’s presence. When you think about it how many geniuses do you actually know? For me it’s not that many, I struggle to just think of a few. A genius is someone extraordinary and they are not just everyday people. I feel like geniuses have their lives predetermined in the sense that they are put on to the earth to help the world by using their “genius gift”. They know they are here for a reason but they just don’t know what for. You can almost look at a genius as a superhero. A genius is like a superhero when it comes to fame fortune and glory, but other than that they are completely different. Geniuses use their minds to come up with ideas that change people’s lives, not only do these ideas change one person’s life but they affect part of the population as a whole. A genius is born with enough will to pursue any thing he or she tries to do. They are given the gift of will so they are able to achieve their “genius gift” when times get hard. A genius is hard to come by, a lot of people won’t witness one in their life time, but if you do, you will know for sure.

Is education slowly killing the creative mindset?

In my opinion education is slowly killing creativity. As students strive to achieve their goal of pursuing a high level education they slowly loose track of what is important. Trust me I know that mathematics science and literature are all important but there is another side of education that is often forgot. That side is creativity. Students become to caught up in the main topics of school and are pushed away from the fine arts. The only time I have been creative in school is in an art class. Yes I have had to be creative in writing papers and doing projects but that is a different kind of creativity in which I do not enjoy. I couldn't tell you the last time I have taken an art class but it was many years ago. During these art classes my mind actually felt open and I wanted to create. We as society need to change the educational system to further include creativity through out.

Revision and Creativity

Revision plays into my creative process in many ways. When I am in the open mode and being creative, I tend to throw around many ideas. Through out these ideas there may be some that are acceptable and some that may need to be rethought. Being creative is almost like brainstorming. A pool of ideas are brought together in one location and from there they are revised. The bad ideas are tossed and the better ideas are further expanded on. Revision allows you to pull out your best ideas and gets your mind off of the not so good ideas. In the end revision lets you capitalize on your most brilliant ideas.

The Mysterious Henry Darger

Henry Darger was an interesting character. After watching his video the Realms of the Unreal, you ask yourself was Henry mentally ill, or just different? In my opinion I think he was mentally ill because of the way he acted in public. His actions of social awkwardness around other people show that he truly wasn't all there. Maybe he showed his social skills in his unreal world as he created many characters and there actions. Henry was treated almost like a little kid by other people. Society did not know what to think about him or how to act around him. Darger was very shy from the world and wanted to be alone with his thoughts. That is why he created his own world through paintings and text. I believe that Darger was truly creative because he dedicated his life to his work. I think that we should care about his art because of its craftsmanship and dedication. He put to much time and thought into his work to let is just slip away.

John Cleese Summary

John Cleese represents many great points about creativity in his video interview. He explains what he thinks creativity is and how you can get your mind into the creative mind set.  Cleese states that creativity is not a talent, it is a way of operating. I find this statement very interesting because I understand what he is saying. Anyone can be creative if they can get there mind into that creative mind set.  He demonstrates that creativity is not an ability that you either have or don’t have. He states that in no way is creativity related to IQ. I agree with the fact that creativity has nothing to do with IQ. I feel like anyone can be creative no matter how smart you are. Cleese then begins to explain the difference between the open and closed mode. He claims that a person cannot be creative in the closed mode. Only in the open mode may a person be creative. Cleese suggest that in order to enter the open mode, the creator must introduce these five aspects: space, time, time, confidence, and humor. Giving yourself space with no distractions allows your mind to relax and think. Time is needed to let your mind get into the open mode. A good amount of time would be an hour and a half. It usually takes a person about a half an hour to relax and let their mind become free. This gives your mind an hour to think of something creative and original. Confidence is also needed to enter the open mode. A creator must have confidence in his or her thoughts if he or she wants to be creative. The last aspect needed to enter the open mode is humor. It is so much easier to be creative when you are laughing and having good time, almost like a little kid!

I think if someone wants to be creative they need to surround themselves with the right atmosphere. This atmosphere could be a certain group of people that all share the same interest, or just an area in which the person can quietly think and work on their own. The creator needs to let his or her mind open up and be free. Let all of their other thoughts go and just focus on what they are trying to accomplish.