Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Here's another source of creative inspiration. I just finished this series a couple of days ago, and I still can't get it out of my mind. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the best Japanese anime shows out there. The story and characters are well developed, the music is excellent, and there's a perfect balance betwen action, drama, and humor. I laughed, I cried, and I felt angry when watching this show. I also connected to the characters. There are two FMA series, the first one is titled "Fullmetal Alchemist", and it came out in 2003. It's slightly based on the original manga, but at the time the manga wasn't complete, so the anime took a very different turn from the source material. The second series, Fullmeltal Alchemist Brotherhood (2009), is based on the original manga. Having watched both series, I can honestly say that "Brotherhood" is the best out of the two in terms of story.
If you've never watched anime, this series is the perfect introduction!

Click here to watch the first episode on YouTube

The Garden of your Mind

"Did you ever grow anything in the garden of your mind?

You can grow ideas,
In the garden of your mind.

It's good to be curious about many things.

You can think about things and make believe,

All you have to do is think,

And they'll grow..."

3 Minutes On Success

I've been preparing a final presentation for the last college class I'm taking before I graduate. I'm presenting on the artwork I've done this quarter, and how my work fits into the Symbolist painters of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Unfortunately, the presentation has to be between 5-7 minutes long. I know that I tend to ramble a lot when I do public speaking, so I've been trying to trim down my talk. Feeling frustrated, I did an internet search on "5 minute presentations," and I found this wonderful video about how to be successful. The speaker cut down a 2 hour presentation he gives to high school students down to a little over 3 minutes. It's straightforward, but gives a wealth of good advice.

I found the video on this website.