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Hi, yes, I'm Christina. I've been attending Ruby Monsters most Mondays and learning a lot from it. However, I actually started my journey as an artist, and I believe we need more creativity in our lives. Thank you for being here and allowing me to talk about something I feel really passionate about. My name is Christina, as you can see from the title here, and I'm here to remind you about your creative side and how to incorporate creative habits into your daily life and why that might be a good idea. While this may not be the first time you're hearing about how awesome creative pursuits can be, this is my first time on the big stage.
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I'm feeling a bit terrified, to be honest. As I was trying to figure out how to condense this vast theme into just a few minutes, I decided to put a lot of information into Google Slides for you to explore later. You don’t have to look at them right now, but that’s where the source links are, along with several interesting articles and studies, pictures, and lists of creative ideas. Additionally, in case you don’t scan this in time, there are some cards on the table over there with the code on the back.
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As you know, creativity can take many forms: drawing, painting, dancing, music, baking, gardening, and even taping fruit to walls. Whether these activities count as art may vary, but several studies suggest that having a creative hobby can help reduce stress, increase your sense of well-being, and enhance positivity, open-mindedness, and energy. It can also level up your problem-solving skills and might even strengthen your resilience in life and at work due to exposure to various challenges. Plus, there's confidence to be gained through different problem-solving scenarios.
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I don’t know about you, but when I don’t make time to create, I lose energy and feel like a sad, gray desert cube. You probably don’t need to raise your hands if you feel that way too; you know who you are. With everything happening in our lives and the many disturbing events around the world, it can feel overwhelming, and we sometimes forget or are too tired to take proper care of ourselves. As we all know, if we aren't doing okay, we can't function properly or be our best selves for those around us.
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However, it doesn’t need to be that way. We can do fun, creative things! The focus of this talk is inspired by observations and conversations with people over the years. It seems that many people don’t realize how a creative outlet might benefit them, or they may not know how to get started. Some don't even realize that they can be creative. Even logical, tech-oriented individuals can tap into their creativity. We all learned how to do everything else in life, so why not creativity as well?
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Just look at how you communicate with computers, find creative solutions to problems, and feel awesome when you and your team create things for others to use. Engaging in creative activities follows many of the same strategies as those needed for daily problem-solving instances; it just involves different tools. Let's blend the two!
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Here’s a Venn diagram to support that idea. As it turns out, I ran out of ideas about what different kinds of creative activities are available, and many of them actually overlap. However, there’s one that stands out and typically requires teamwork.
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So, how do we start? Don’t overcomplicate it! If you're just beginning to explore your creative side, it will depend on your time, energy, location, and hobby budget. Just pick something and keep doing it. You know how some people approach regular physical exercise? You can try creative programming, cosplaying, embroidery, knitting, model building, or whatever sparks your interest.
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You can meet people and engage in creative activities together by joining local groups, signing up for workshops, or starting your own community hobby meetup group. When you start your community Ruby meetup group, it will help young people we need to get into Ruby!
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But I understand that some may think, 'It's all great and dandy, but I don't actually have any time.' It’s true; we are all strapped for time. You might have to stand up for yourself, as sometimes we get in our own way. Even if you don’t have a lot of time each day, small moments of creativity count too—like cooking, baking, doodling, or singing a song. Maybe you can even recite a little opera or read some poetry aloud during lunch.
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Whether you choose to add more creativity to your life as a way to level up your skills or as a healthy self-care practice, it will be a fun adventure. Thank you for listening! It's awesome to be here among fellow Rubians, who I hear are some of the nicest people across all language groups. I believe this is true, as the folks at Ruby Monsters are so kind, encouraging, and patient.
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So, feel free to come and say hello to me if you want afterwards. Thank you once again!