Even the most focused people have moments when they let their mind wander. And mental wandering is when some of the best ideas take shape. It's the "incubation" period that lets the brain process large amounts of information while being open to new possibilities.
So not all who wander are lost...but not all wandering is productive. At a recent event hosted by the Wimlink Women's Network entrepreneur and Reiss Omnimedia Group founder Karolina Reiss gave this piece of advice: if you want to be successful, you have to be constantly learning about the space where you want to work. So cut out the Facebook browsing/stalking friends of friends of friends and fill that time instead with some exploratory reading.
Here are a few sites that I've been turning to lately to stave off my Facebook addiction and spark some creativity.
1. The 99 Percent. One of the more sophisticated sites in its class. It's got it all - substantial content, nice layout, good balance of articles, tips, and video. Check out this conveniently relevant article on the importance of downtime.
2. Big Think. This one's great for quick clips and brief articles. It has a bit of a "brain teaser" vibe but it's practical too. Michio Kaku's out-there science blog is always fun (but may make you question your own existence).
3. Open Culture is about "learning for the sake of learning" and, more generally, openness. It's a refreshing option when you're worn out from endless tech/start-up/digital innovation banter on twitter and want to just geek out. Loved this Thelonious Monk post. (This reminds me - jazz is another AMAZING way to let your brain juices stew...more on that later.)
4. Ted Talks. Yep.
5. Funny or Die. What else can you expect from the offspring of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay other than pure intellectual fodder? This is a better one to follow on twitter than anything else. Recent inspirational tweets include: "Sometimes you need to take yourself to that ghetto university." and "'Why don't we do it in the road?' is a line that only gets you laid if you're in The Beatles."
So there you go...my Anti-Facebook. What's your anti-Facebook?
i follow over 100 blogs in my google reader! so much anti-facebook in my internet world.
ReplyDeleteI love those sites! Great for getting creative juices flowing. Also fun for planning events - one of my friends is planning her wedding almost solely on Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many good sites to help you organize your thoughts and creativity - I'm partial to Evernote but a friend recently got me hooked on Clipboard.