Isadora Duncan The act of expressing yourself

Isadora Duncan The act of expressing yourselfIsadora Duncan The act of expressing yourselfWhen she welches ten years old, Isadora Duncan dropped out of school to teach people dance.Now, had she been anyone other than herself, that stint would likely have turned out like most of our own ambitious pursuits at that age frustrating, difficult, and a little discouraging.But Duncan welches different. notlage only was she already incredibly talented (enough to command money for her work even at that age), but she also had a rare kind of confidence that treated setbacks as fuel something to nourish and elevate the fire already burning inside of her.Its likely no surprise, then, that when she moved to New York to join a theatre company, she found herself constrained. The rigidity of the existing style, their way of operating all of this seemed to her the work of a misguided past, one that didnt cherish movement as an art.Her intuition was right, and the journey she took over the next few ye ars and decades, throughout European cities like Paris, Budapest, Berlin, and Athens, ultimately proved that.Today, she is remembered as The Mother of Dance, with much of the modern art owing its fluid, expressive style to her influence. Inspired by the ancient Greeks, she brought it to life.While Duncan never finished her gestaltal education, learning in her own time was always a big parte of how she lived, and it was partly this drive that manifested as original expression.Whether its at work, or through hobbies, or simply in the way that we live, we, too, are always expressing fragments of who we are. A big part of living a fulfilling life is doing so in a way that is true. In this department, we can look to Duncan, who embodied it bySeeing inspiration as a form of freedomRecognizing the one-sidedness of criticismAccepting the immoderation of geniusAn expression is a physical form we give to a part of ourselves, connecting us to the world.See inspiration as a form of freedomEver since the Industrial Revolution, the clock has become its own deity. It tells us when we start work, when we eat, when we move, when we sleep, when we connect when we live.This is so modell for us today that we forget that, in many ways, it isnt normal at all. The obsession with time, habits, rigidity, and routine is relatively recent. In a pre-capitalist society, we had some form of these things, sure, but they didnt control us like they do today.In some ways, they have worth. In fact, they even generate freedom. We all have things we need to do, things we cant get around, and this kind of organization lets us satisfy them.At the same time, only living in an environment where this is the norm also dulls inspiration.In her autobiography, one of the things Duncan consistently refers to as the bedrock of her expressive spirit is the fact that she had a childhood where she wasnt constantly watched.They didnt have much growing up, and the expectations of her mother (who raised her) wer e open-ended. Beyond playing music for her kids and spending time with them, she didnt push any agenda, letting them explore their own world, create their own adventures.It was the freedom of this lifestyle at an early age, along with never having predetermined commitments (other than surviving and getting by), that drove her to see what she could do.Inspiration has two faces the first is a product of action, when you actually sit down to produce something, say, like a piece of writing or a piece of music the second, the one that fuels the first, however, is born out of a will to freedom and exploration in a nonlinear way.Inspiration is an expressive manifestation of freedom, and its not found in places with walls. The modern world has a bias towards structure, which does have a place, but for that structure to produce something of value, it needs the fuel in pockets of undefined space.Recognize the one-sidedness of criticismEven in her teenage years, Duncan was very direct about wh at she wanted, confidently telling people she had a different vision of dance that she was going to spread in the world.This, naturally, led to ridicule and laughs early on, but as she built up her work, her skills, and her image, these instances became less frequent. That said, even then, she had her critics.On one occasion, she invited a man, who had said nasty things about her, to watch her in part. She felt bad about what he had said, but she was also adamant that she could change his mind if he saw her do her work in person. Except, thats not what happened.But the reason for this, she discovered, had nothing to do with her the man was near-deaf and could barely hear the music she was dancing to, only seeing one side of the act.Given that Duncans big revolution in dance was how her movement connected itself to the music, the emotion, and the space in the room in the way that previously mechanical styles didnt not hearing the music meant that he wasnt really even seeing the per formance.The act of expressing yourself is an act of differentiation, and people at different skill and competence levels differentiate themselves in various ways that dont work for everyone.Whether its in art or in a conversation, expression is a two-person game. There is the person expressing themselves and then there is the receiver, who has to do their part.Good, productive criticism, of course, is vital for feedback and improvement, but only if its coming from someone who actually understands what you are trying to do. If you are not even on the same wavelength, then its not worth feeling bad about what someone says.Any time you embody a part of yourself into physical form via expression, youre opening yourself up to both connection and miscommunication. And theres an important distinction.Accept the immoderation of geniusWhen we use the term genius, we think of it as a noun, something that represents a person or a group of people, as if its a way of being. But genius is humble r than that. Its a verb.Nobody is a genius all the time, and nobody is a genius in every context, but most of us have sprinkles of it that show themselves when we have done the work for it to manifest. People like Duncan embodied it more often than the average person, sure, but even they had limits.Growing up, before she left school, she was told one of two things that she was either completely useless or that she had a spectacular mind. There was nothing in between. Even when she started working, people either bowed to her or they basically ignored her.There is an old quote often attributed to Albert Einstein (he likely didnt say that, though) that says something like If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. And it captures an important truth, easily ignored.Genius isnt sprinkled into us in moderation at birth, where if you have it, its always a part of you, shining through in all that you do. There are some reliab le tests in the psychological literature that measure a form of it (IQ) well, and it does count for a lot, but its not enough.More often than not, genius is immoderate, and its manifestation depends on the person, yes,- what they are born with, what their skill level is but it also depends on the situation.At school, Isadora Duncan was a failure. In the dancehall, she gave form to brilliance.The best we can do is tilt our experience towards the direction of the immoderation rather than getting stuck in a place that we can neither give something to or get something from.All you need to knowEvery action we take is a form of expression. It takes the cloudy amalgamation of experience we have accumulated in our mind and gives it a concrete form in the world around us.Isadora Duncan isnt a familiar name outside of some artistic circles, but whether directly or indirectly, most of us have at some point felt her influence via the lifeforce of her expression.Here are three things we can lea rn from herI. See inspiration as a form of freedom. Production and creation require things like routine and schedule and structure, but if thats all you have, then whatever it is that is expressed through your production and your creation wont be truly alive. Inspiration is an embodiment of freedom, and it lives in a world without walls.II. Recognize the one-sidedness of criticism. Expression, naturally, opens itself up to criticism. While criticism is a valuable form of feedback, one that should consistently be taken into account, the source of the criticism matters. If someone isnt even seeing or hearing you, what they have to say isnt relevant to the world you live in.III. Accept the immoderation of genius. Genius isnt a way of being. Its more of an act, and it comes through when a person with certain skills and abilities is matched to the right environment. Nobody is a genius everywhere, and almost all of us have some immoderate form of it. The task is to recognize where that is and double down on it.People use all kinds of words and labels to describe who they think they are, but the only evidence of who we are is in what we express when we interact with the surrounding world.A movement itself is an expression, and in every moment, it recreates the unsayable.Want to think and live smarter? Zat Rana publishes a free weekly newsletter for 30,000+ readers atDesign Luck.Thisarticlewas originally published onDesign Luck.

How to Conquer Four Common Law School Exam Catastrophes

How to Conquer Four Common Law School Exam CatastrophesHow to Conquer Four Common Law School Exam Catastrophes1. Allow Time for Small DisastersBe sure to prepare for the obvious Murphys Law. If you have an in-class exam, set mora than one alarm clock in case one does leid go off and allow more than enough time to get to the exam site. Many professors will not have sympathy for traffic jams, car problems and being unable to find a parking space. (In practice, many judges have little tolerance for this either.) Make sure you specifically organize everything you could possibly need to bring to your exam, a few hours before exam time, and be sure to bring it to the exam. Inevitably there is one person who goes to an open book exam and forgets their notes or outline. Do not let that person be youGet to your exam at least a half hour early and get settled in. Similarly, if you have a take home exam due at a specific time on a specific date, assume that timeline is set in stone, an d prepare to hand in your exam a minimum of 20 minutes before that time. Again, unexpected problems can creep up when you last expect them. Allowing extra time to verstndigung im strafverfahren with any challenges will certainly help you confront them with confidence rather than a panic attack.2. Be Wary of Ghosts in the Machines Both home computers and even the law school computer network can become your enemy during exams. Computers seem to know when you really need them to work properly and do everything to make your life a misery at the worst times If you do nothing else during exams, save your work on your computer and save it often. I would also save it to a disk or CD-ROM. I will admit that I have not had the presence of mind to do this in the past, and it cost me dearly. I lost a great deal of one of my drafts of a law review article I wrote due to a power failure. Computers crash, word processing programs freeze and even the school computers can go down at the worst times. So be prepared.3. Protect Your EnvironmentYou would be amazed at how rude other students can be during exams. Yet, in an effort to coexist without a confrontation, we do nothing to stop something that is distracting. I Instead of suffering in silence, try to be healthfully selfish. Exam time is not the time to tolerate annoying behavior such as mumbling, food crunching and pen clicking. I once had a student sit in back of me during a Civil Procedure exam and eat an entire hoagie The hoagie smell drove me crazy, but I tried to ignore it even though it distracted me the entire time. Did it make a difference between an A- and B+? Who knows? But it very well could have. Be firm with rude people. Tell the person their behavior is distracting and ask them to stop. If the person refuses, do not waste any time. Find the class monitor or the professor and explain the problem. It will be dealt with. Try not to care what your classmates think about you. Theyre not paying for your student loans. Quite frankly, most people will be relieved you acted because they were just as irritated as you were by the annoying behavior.4.Dont Forget It is All in Your HeadAnyone who saw the movie The Paper Chase knows that a large part of succeeding or failing in law school is psychological. It is your approach that makes the difference. You can choose to panic at the first exam question you dont know how to answer, or you can see that exam question as a chance to shine and show the professor what you know. Its easy to let yourself skim the exam question without property reading it and spew a lot of non IRAC drivel in answering the question. The better way to tackle an exam question is to take a deep breath, read the instructions closely and either tackle it or make a mental note to come back to the question later. At the first sign of panic, try to reassure yourself that you have prepared adequately and recall exam taking strategies that ca n assist you in dealing with the challenge you are facing. For example, quickly read all the fact patterns and questions to get a feel for the entire exam. Decide which exam questions you will tackle first. Begin with the question you feel most comfortable with so that you can build your confidence. Spend time considering what your professor wants you to do. Re-read the facts and write down the issues. If you are unsure of the issue, consider your memorized materials and brainstorm. It is also important to think of the facts from both sides of the issue. Consider both in your exam answer, but thoroughly discuss which side has the better argument. Also thoroughly analyze the topic and interweave the significant legal facts. Be explicit in how the facts relate to the rule and how you reached a conclusion. Write a version of the applicable rule and organize a structure for the question. Write the answer. Discuss the relevant issues in depth. Raise then dismiss the irrelev ant ones. Proof read the answer to be sure all the issues you found earlier were addressed. Move on to the next question. If it is a timed exam, keep an eye on the clock. Whatever the exam strategy, allowing yourself to feel overwhelmed, anxious or fearful will hinder your ability to recall the concepts and rules youve devoted so much time to mastering. If you approach exams in a confident, prepared, organized manner, exams will be an opportunity to shine, not an insurmountable obstacle to law school successSandra J. Ware, Esq. is the author of Guerrilla Tactics for Law School Academic Success. She served on the law journal and was appointed as an Academic Success Tutor during law school. Ms. Ware currently practices law for an insurance defense firm in New Jersey.

Theres a scientific reason why we love fall

Theres a scientific reason why we love fallTheres a scientific reason why we love fallSummeris coming to an end, and you know what that means Fall is on its way. Starbucks has launched its famouspumpkin spice latte(already?), your favorite stores are bringing out thecozy sweatersandscarves, and your localTarget is fully stocked with back-to-school gear. If youre a die-hard autumn lover who gets giddy with the chilly weather andcolorful foliageevery year, youre definitely not alone. According to onesurvey, 29 percent of Americans say fall is their favorite season. And it seems that theres actually a legitimate scientific reason for all the warm, fuzzy feelings we have for fall.In aninterview with TheHuffington Post, Dartmouth sociology profKathryn Livelyexplained that many of us have been conditioned from a young age to anticipate - and love - autumn and all the fun milestones that come with it. As children, we come to associate fall with going back to school, new school supplies, s eeing friends. Its exciting, for most. We still respond to this pattern that we experienced for eighteen years, Lively said.Think about it For many of us, the crisp air and changing colors of the leaves in fall represent a new beginning. Whether were goingback toschoolor not, the transition from one season to another - in this case, summer to fall - can summon the same emotions we experienced going back to school as kids, which might inspire us to try new things, learn a new subject, or make a change in our lives.In fact,scientificresearch on the concept of temporal landmarksshows that special times likebirthdaysor holidays - for fall, thats back to school,football season, Rosh Hashanah,Halloween, andThanksgiving, just to name a few - can play a big role in bolstering our sense of motivation.Another studyshowed that just like the beginning of thenew year, temporal landmarks promote the feeling of a fresh start, which can inspire aspirational behavior. (And you thought it was jus t all thepumpkin spice lattes)Fall also brings with it a noticeable shift in routine. With the arrival of the autumn months, the slow, laid-back pace of summer evolves into a more regimented, fast-paced schedule, which forsome personalitiescan be a powerful motivator in getting things done and even feeling more mentally balanced. And depending on where you live, theres also the impact of the cooler temps on morale.Researchhas also shown that in many cases, warm weather can negatively impact our decision-making capabilities, whereas cooler weather helps us think more clearly. Not to mention that the drop in temperature could bring a respite fromsummer depression.Unsurprisingly, Lively said theres also likely a sociological basis for loving autumn because we see it as a comforting time - think snuggling up in achunky sweaterand lounging by a crackling fire. (Speaking of which, did you know that thanks to evolution,humans are wired to find comfort in the warmth of a fire?)Sounds like its time to break out thecandles,oversized sweaters, and warm flannelpajamas, and get cozyThis article first appeared on Brit + Co.