Brainwashed

Link to Seth Godin’s “Brainwashed”: http://changethis.com/manifesto/66.01.Brainwashed/pdf/66.01.Brainwashed.pdf

            In Seth Godin’s article, “Brainwashed”, he talks about the seven layers of reinventing ourselves. Three of these layers are: Acknowledging the Lizard, Make Art, and Learn. Godin describes Acknowledging the Lizard as being able to recognize our lizard brain (the prehistoric part of our brain) exists. The lizard brain doesn’t like being laughed at and so it shuts down our ability to create art, for fear of our art being laughed at. We need to acknowledge it so we can ignore it. Making Art is creating something new that changes everything. Art doesn’t follow rules, but is simply creating the uncreated. Learning is a constant process. We used to go to school to learn a trade. Now we need to learn constantly every day so we can know the things we need to know.

            I think that these layers of reinventing ourselves are connected to the blog we are creating this quarter. Our blog in itself is an example of Making Art. By creating this blog we are participating in creating something that is new and uncreated. By creating this blog we are also practicing Acknowledging the Lizard. We have to submit our blog entries for other people to read and judge. We have to acknowledge the lizard in order to brace ourselves in case our blog (our art) is laughed at. Our blog is also helping us to Learn. On the surface it has helped us to learn how to make a blog. However, through the assignments giving to us we are also learning other things as well. For example we learned how to analyze and deconstruct characters into their basic forms of color, light, and shape. So our blog is constantly helping us to learn things.

            I think that learning about these seven layers of reinventing myself have helped me. If I start to put them in to practice I’m sure they will help me to become a better student and creative person. Acknowledging the Lizard would help me to be more creative. I have always enjoyed writing, drawing, playing music, and creating other things. However, I have experienced the “lizard brain” and how it makes you scared that people are not going to like your work. I am not like this all the time, but when I feel it, I hate it. If I can practice acknowledging the lizard then I can become a better artist so I can create what I want without fear or worry of what other people think. Making Art is very important. It’s basically where people need to start because without art the creative process doesn’t really work. However, making art can be difficult sometimes. People get writer’s block and sometimes I am just too lazy to sit down and create something, even though I enjoy creating art. I think if I just start creating things to get in the habit without worrying how good it is, that it will help me in the long run of my creative career. Learning is also an important thing to do. We should always be trying to learn something new. Learning is how we get better and keep up with, or surpass, everyone else in the creative world. Even after college we should still try to learn while we are in our careers and throughout our lives to help us become better creative people.

            I think that all of these layers of reinventing ourselves are connected to our blog. I also think we need to practice these in order to become better creative people and stay ahead in the creative world.