Unteachers

 

The more experienced we are, the more unlearning we have to do.

We enter this world as creators, curious to discover ways to express ourselves visually, auditorily, kinesthetically. But, over time, we are taught to be more “realistic,” to be “safe” and “reasonable” and “normal.” When, in truth, we never wanted to be safe or reasonable. Maybe we wanted to be normal, but today’s normality template is far from what most of us had in mind at age five.

Growing up, we all just wanted to be ourselves. That was normal. But soon, we were placed in a classroom, told to stand in line and speak when spoken to, and prescribed ADHD medication if we got out of line. This methodology worked great for creating factory workers and farmers, which seemed ideal when 90% of the population was either the former or the latter.

Today, however, most people are neither factory workers nor farmers (and even those positions have changed radically in the past few decades), and yet we’re all graced with the assembly-line mentality, systematically programmed for compliance, expected to adhere to external standards while disregarding whatever our own internal normal was.

During this process, our creativity is quashed and replaced with a vast emptiness, a desire to create, even though we’re told that we’re not creative. It’s no coincidence that we start focusing more on consuming around the same time, looking for any(material)thing to fill the void.

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Picasso had this observation a century ago, and, unfortunately, these words ring even truer in today’s postindustrial world, a world where our vocations no longer ape the form of pseudo-creation (a la farming and factorying), and thus the gap between creation and consumption widens as we attempt to buy what no one can possibly sell: individual creativity.

The strange thing about this antiquated system is that most of its gatekeepers—government officials, school administrators, and teachers—aren’t operating out of malice. If anything, their reaction is birthed from apathy or comfort or both. Many teachers, in fact, are just as disenchanted with the whole mess as we are, though they often feel like just another faceless cog in the wheel, powerless amongst the tyranny of bureaucracy.

Thankfully… Read more at The Minimalists

Interested in Learning How to etirW edoC?

It really isn’t as complicated as the title may suggest it to be.

Fortunately, there are so many established and emerging educational resources out there right now that offer great and easy-to-learn platforms for basic computer sciences. Most are especially suitable for those who don’t quite have deep pockets- or any pockets at all really. So now students can sign-up on these websites that operate on cost-free business models. Through these various schools, one can gain a basic knowledge of coding (whether it be Python or HTML or even CSS) and can, from there, progress towards another more advanced language and level of computer sciences- already having generated an understanding of the basic foundations of creating in code.

Here’s a list I’ve compiled to lead you onto the path of becoming a programming wizard:

• For HTML coding (which is what is mainly used to build websites), I found that W3Schools has tutorials that are simple to understand even if you cant spell HTML. This site is also great if you just need quick assistance while stumbling upon a rock in your personal html code
• For basic coding skills and understanding, I found that Coursera was the best. It is far more comprehensive and informational than its other “lighter” learning counterpart Codecademy. Which, I might add, has a pretty decent JavaScript course that doesn’t require you to download any software. Everything is “on-screen”

 

• For Python and General Programming, this article gives you a great guide to get started with: How I Taught Myself to Code in 8-weeks!

 

Start coding and feel that child-like sense of creating again.

 

Follow us @ZooLooConcepts

Failure: a process of success.

 

Learning is probably the one thing that all startups do both constantly and (hopefully) consistently  The building of a company/organisation demands for a series of risks to be taken and for every risk, there is a cracked window of opportunity for “failure” to creep in.

The thing is, however, is that there is no such thing as failure. Rather, in business (and in life) there is only: learning. Without The Fall, it’s pretty hard for a startup to conjure some movement towards growth. Without The Fall, how do you Rise?

“So, you’re saying that “failing” is actually a good thing?” Yes! It truly is… As long as you don’t “plan to fail” in which case you’re actually not failing at all: you’re succeeding at failing *LMFAO*.

What I am saying is that you need to aim for the sky so that YOU CAN LAND ON THE FVCKING CLOUDS!

Too many of you are afraid of making bold moves because of the fear of failure. When you should be appreciating failure. Seek success and when faced with even a glimpse of the shimmering sparkle that is failure, look at it and say: Bring It On.

Why? Because either way YOU win. If you succeed (which all of you will!) you win because you would have reached your goals and you FEEL GREAT about it. If you don’t achieve your goals and you feel bad about, you have “failed”. But what does that mean, really? It means that you have opened up a door for improvement. More significant and directed improvement. For through this “failure” you have essentially found out: what NOT to do. So, you have seen the road; you walked the road and then you turned Right and “failed”. Now all you have to do: is walk back down the road and turn Left instead.

That’s all there is to it, really.
Take those bold moves! Make those mistakes and learn QUICKLY then move forward again.

Stay focused and make sure all of your thoughts are aligned with the Process of Success.

 

@TheCalm101

@ZooLooConcepts