The professor of creativity Juan Munoz published his newsletter for 162 weeks in a row. These are the results from his research. off. |
What happens if schools teach in the wrong direction? Discover the ways that the University Creativity Professor Juan Munoz is making more an impact in his work as a creator beginning by becoming a better teacher.
At the start of the school year at the start of school, creativity and ingenuity Professor Juan Munoz instructed his students that they could submit their homework any way they liked.
"It may be written on paper in your own handwriting, it can be typed using a computer. It may be video or might be an audio podcast. You are free to do what you want to do. If you'd like to mail an individual to help you with your work it's okay. You don't have to be confined to one sheet of paper. You can also use Google Doc," he advised.
However, even with the freedom he enjoyed, his students at university submitted identical PDFs that used identical formatting each time.
"I was so angry," Juan remembers. "I thought this was among the simplest jobs in the world. What can they do to develop their the art of thinking if they aren't able to do this?"
As the pattern developed, Juan wondered if there could be a deeper issue in play.
"Students are taught a curriculum over a period of ten to fifteen years in the classroom. The school has taught them that, regardless of whether you're a pro, you'll get an unfavorable grade when you do not follow the guidelines that your teacher had you follow. It's a fear that comes with being different from the norm."
Juan recognized that the internalized system had a negative impact on creativity and he was determined to change how things were conducted.
Juan liked teaching However, he became frustrated with the university rules. While at home, he read TechCrunch along with various other business magazines, that gave him an idea to start a venture.
There was no thriving entrepreneurial system in Juan's country of Costa Rica, so Juan determined to get things going.
"I have a civil engineering degree, and I knew certain people would ask "What do they know about this individual's understanding in business?' My first step was to write all of my ideas down in a blog that I posted them to. My first step was to become a writer through sharing my thoughts online and sharing my ideas about what I'm able to do."
At present, Juan teaches creativity, creating goals, entrepreneurship and business via his educational platform online called Epico Academia . The site offers online courses and a library of no-cost workshops, in addition to a monthly email newsletter that helps users live an even more creative and exciting life.
Learn how experimentation, taking new paths and constantly improving have helped Juan develop a successful online business, and also develop an approach to business that's holistic, fulfilling and rewarding.
What can you do to provide the details without looking like a typical school
Through his work in developing programs for professors of universities Producing content wasn't an issue for Juan. All he had to do was find the most effective method of delivering the material.
"The most difficult thing is bringing consumers to eat the food we create," Juan shares.
"People buy a course, but only a small percentage are able to complete the class. It feels like being in school. Even though nobody's compelled me to participate as I'm just curious the brain is redirected to the environment of school. The teacher is there. Are modules, there are classes."
And Juan was experimenting with new methods of getting his message to the right audience.
"What can I do when I take the online course that lets you be notified via a cool weekly email throughout an entire year ? Perhaps TikTok-type content with 30-second videos. Would it be possible to create a course with tons of videos that are 30 seconds long? Perhaps. We'll test it to see if it does the trick."
"I am in awe of the capability to create almost any type of content with any arrangement I'd like. I'm able to create courses with just 100 30-second videos that let users watch them."
One test that was successful was a Monday-focused email newsletter
To test the limits of creativity In the spirit of experimentation, when Juan experimented with something that went against the norm, he ended up creating one of his most-loved asset: The Monday newsletter .
In the early days of the online company, Juan noticed a trend.
"Every Sunday night and even on a Monday morning, people would post images of how much they dread Mondays." Juan states. "I thought, there's always going to be some Monday. You can't escape it. Why are you caught in this dilemma?"
"I began to realize that this is exactly the individuals who reach me and say"I'm dissatisfied with my life I'm unhappy with my job and I'd want to do better' and there was a pattern. I'm a huge fan of branding and marketing. I also thought that it could be a fantastic branding idea since it's so that easy to get bored on Mondays. There's already a community to help you with that and it's a massive group. How can you make it happen? unique?"
Juan created a weekly newsletter about the way he enjoyed Mondays where he shared one idea, tip, or thought that can assist his readers in getting the most out of their workdays.
"It attracted lots of people because of people who were unsatisfied with something happening in their lives. We had been discussing methods to make their lives enjoyable. The issue made people question"Why do I find myself so frustrated every Monday?"
Today, this experiment-turned-newsletter continues to grow through word-of-mouth referrals, and Juan still loves writing it every week.
To become a better creator be sure to get all the knowledge you can about your subject of interest
Each idea isn't able to be put together as easily as a Monday newspaper or the Sunday newsletter. Juan discovered that the most effective method of defining the ideas for content and product was to study again.
"I'm constantly amazed by having the honor of being member of a community in which we are able to learn from all and anyone has the ability to gain knowledge from us. It's amazing. If I'm a marble enthusiast, I can locate an individual who's so fascinated by marbles, they'll assist me in learning something new. Perhaps they're living in Singapore and I might not even know their name, however, I could benefit of their knowledge."
For you to become a successful creator today it is essential to learn as much as you can about the subject that interest you.
"I would recommend people to take a look at whatever it is they are interested in," Juan recommends. "Often you'll find no-cost material on social networks. If you decide to use the material, you realize, it's not too difficult. The author is talking about marbles. It is not necessary to have a Ph.D. in a subject."
"There were experts," Juan explains. "There were people who be knowledgeable about all aspects of a certain topic, however there was a small amount of information. The information available was not like the amount we get today, and that information was kept in one space. It was the case that there were people who was knowledgeable about everything, and they were also experts. However, this isn't true anymore."
"There are many people who are knowledgeable, but there are many who have a few ideas and there's always someone that knows less than you do. You can create content for them and still make a huge impression."
It's simple, the greater the amount you explore and discover, the greater knowledge you'll have to give to the people around you. If you're having trouble figuring out how to share the knowledge, consider switching duties and become a learner once more to reignite the spark of your enthusiasm.
Imagine you created things solely for the sake of making them?
One of the key lessons Juan discovered from his business journey is the fact that there are a variety of routes people can take to feel enthusiastic about what they do.
The focus shouldn't be solely on achieving a specific outcome such as financial goals, milestones, or follower count. Find a way to strike a balance between Telic goals and Atelic ones.
"Telic goals" are those that have a very fixed end-product that is easily measured. These goals are great to achieve for the sole purpose to achieve the goals. I think people should create with both kinds of goals in mind," Juan shares.
"If you're actually helping other people, then you're truly doing good deeds, regardless of whether you're helping one person or millions."
Additionally, there's value to doing something for the planet.
"If you tweet, the like, an Instagram posting or video and nobody can see the post, it's not lost. The message will be noticed by a person eventually. In addition, getting people to like an article and helping other readers through the post are totally different. I am a fan of many items that I do not double-tap. Even if no one double-tapped or liked your tweet isn't a sign that you shouldn't be able to use it."
"Creating is an emotionally charged thing. It's very vulnerable, emotional and honest," Juan relates. "It's the image of yourself and the way you think about yourself, before putting it on display to the public eye and having nobody be able to engage is an act of deceit."
"But whatever happens, regardless of whether no one purchases it, it's still worthwhile. The lessons you learned are still valuable. What you learned can be applied for your next position as a consultant, or any. Nobody can take it from you. That's soul bound."
To keep in touch with what really matters, Juan explains how important it is to be able to know where you've come from and to celebrate what you've achieved over the years.
"I recommend that artists keep journals, and reflect on the work that you're doing from the perspective of five years back. The past 10 years or 20 years of the past. Consider what you'd be thinking about your work right now. Because past you would probably think it was great."
In the end, Juan advises creatives that what is foremost is getting your work in the marketplace. It isn't about trying to make record-breaking sales, likes or even clients.
"I find it arrogant to believe that nobody will want your product. It's arrogant because you're making an assumption for another. You let them decide. If they love it and are interested the item, they'll purchase it. If they don't, they will not. The only thing to do is making the information available to those who require it. Have a closer look at the world around you, and then learn everything you can about it and make choices that other people will use to make in their own way."
"Create your concept and put your idea out there," Juan says to us. "You don't know what could happen the next time."
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