Positive Change> Average: TED talk

Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work

Please check out this exciting and hilarious talk. Achor has a great sense of humor and that makes his material so exciting to listen to.

"Amy amy wait. Don't cry. No human lands on all fours like that. Amy, I think that means you're a unicorn!"

Loving your dorm room

Make your room the way you want it to be. I often struggle to get everything together, cleaning painting and decorating and organizing. It sounds like so much to do! But here's a little motivation for us to love our rooms the way we want to.

Read more to get a pep talk for making your room the way you want.

This might seem obvious but your room should be a place that you enjoy being: a place for you to recharge and focus yourself. Do what it takes to make the room worth living in. You may have a lot of limitations on what you can change or how much money you can spend, but there are all sorts of amazing DIY projects that you can try.

• Make a list of your 10 favorite things about your room and 5 things you want to change

A lot of people will tell you what your dorm room should be like. Some will tell you it should be empty; others will tell you to cram in all of your belongings.  A lot of people will say that it's not worth the effort to decorate; a few will describe their parent's efforts to arrange their room. I'm not going to tell you what your room should be like. Please tell - or better yet show- me what you want your room to be like, what functions you want to do in your room.

• Make a Pintrest for cool dorm rooms and DIY projects

Make sure that your room serves the function you want it to. Arrange the furniture the way you like it. If you don't want to study in your room, go to the library to study.
If you want a decked out stereo system, set it up!

• Clean your room and get add photos of your top 10 to Pintrest

Whatever you want your room to be, it can be. It's just up to you to make it happen. So go and do it!

• As you look at how great your room is, start working on your DIY projects! 
• YOU CAN DO IT!

College Dorm: Dresser Top

Your dresser is something that you look at the start and end of your day. It's the bookend to your routine: Decorate and design it according to how you want to fill your day. In this post, I'll share how I design my dresser top.

Read more to develop your own dresser top

Flowers

I've written before about Fresh Plants and Flowers. I love to have a little bit of spring time always here with me; I also suggest having fresh growing plants on your dresser. They will clear out the air for your healthy breathing.

Jewelry and Organization

A beautiful jewelry box is more than just a way to store your pretty necklaces: It's a piece of decoration for you. Don't be shy to have more than one box. Play with the different designs that you love.

• The back black jewelry box is initialed for my first name. I love how the mirrors make the dresser seem larger, reflecting sunlight in the morning. It stores my medications and large bracelets.

• The golden jewelry box was part of a gift exchange; it was a vintage purchase from Etsy. I use it to store my hair barrettes. 

• The white jewelry box was also a gift. It is great for organization so it stores most of my jewelry. I love the two level tray that it has.

Etsy RagNBone Vintage Jewelry Box $18

Try browsing through Etsy to find a jewelry box that suits your needs and budget.

Decoration with Functionality

Of course you need some things that are just cute and gorgeous for their won sake. Sometimes you can incorporate functionality. Other times you just have to embrace decadence for its own sake. 

I love these little glass bunnies! They are so cute and they can hold my rings. I picked them up at Forever 21. I didn't really need them since I don't have many rings, but so cute I couldn't resist.

ModCloth bunny ring holder ($12)

If you loved the bunny, don't think I've left you without. ModCloth carries a similar bunny ring holder; this one is mirrored rather than glossed glass.

ModCloth umbrella ring holder ($12) 

This ring holder also caught my eye. Do you think I should get it? Are any of you tempted by it?

College Dorm Advice Part 3: How to Make and Maintain Your Bed

You have your closet set up and you have all your furniture.

If you checked out part one, you have your supplies for your bed. If not, run out and get them. Here's your list; I'll be waiting. Chat with your roommate to pick out some colors, then find a nice Target and have fun shopping. Make sure to get a design that you like!

The Basic List

• Foam Mattress Pad
• Pillows
• Pillow Covers
• Fitted Twin Extra Long Sheets
• Bed Risers
• Bed Comforter

Read more for more details and extra advice on what to buy from this list along with how to maintain your bed.

Bed Comforter

Here are a few different bed comforters that I like, with good reviews. Remember that there is no difference between twin and twin extra long in comforters. Just comforters though. So get whatever style you like! Bright colors will liven up your room. Light colors like white will make your bed and room look bigger; dark colors will make the bed seem neater and smaller.

• Do be careful that the comforter can be cleaned with a washer
• Make sure that the comforter will match what your roommate has
• Be careful that the pattern will be good to sleep on

Mizone Katelyn Comforter Set ($45 via Amazon)

Mizone Folklore Comforter Set ($50 via Amazon)

Florentine Teal Modern Comforter ($56 via Amazon)

Twin Extra Long Sheets

Size matters here! Twin sheets will not fit on your dorm bed if it is extra long! 

Check your dorm's webpage to see what size the bed is; most likely it is twin extra long but you should make 100% sure before purchasing.

• Get soft and comfortable ones
• Plain white sheets will be easy to bleach and wash clean
• Be careful of any skin allergies
• Cotton sheets will be easy to wash and dry
• Satin will gain you mockery but also soft skin

If you are getting a mattress pad, I would suggest getting two fitted sheets. I find that the two fitted sheets will keep the mattress pad from falling off.

Pillow Cases

Silk pillow cases are not just for the James Bond wanna-be. Silk pillow cases are really good for your hair and can even help will allergies.

Spasilk 100% Pure Silk Facial Beauty Pillowcase ($20 via Amazon)

Of course all other pillow cases are great.

• Wash pillow cases every week!
• Have an extra set for busy weeks
• Be careful of fabric softener for cases; they can give you acne
• Fragrance free detergent and air drying will best serve your pillowcases

Pillow

Now what to put in that lovely pillow case? This is something you might want to talk to your parents about: ask them what type of pillows you've been sleeping on your whole life. Likely, you don't know right now but would notice and dislike any major change. Try the pillows out in store to see what feels right to you. 

Read more about choosing the right pillow for you. Sleep for all is a really great site with some great advice.

If you want to try a little adventure, check out this buckwheat pillow. I'm thinking of getting one next semester. What do you guys think?

Organic Buckwheat Pillow ($35 via Amazon)

Foam Mattress Pad

This is where it gets serious. This could possibly be the most expensive part of your bed furnishings.

Mattress pads come in different qualities and different price ranges.

Consider what you need for your back:

• Do you prefer a hard or soft bed?
• What level of support do you need?
• Do you have any back injuries?
• 
  

Soft Mattress Pad ($45 via Amazon)

This is a low cost soft mattress pad. If you want to sleep in a soft pillow, then this would be a good match for you. The price is low which mean you may have to replace after a year or two.

Sleep Innovations 2-Inch Memory Foam ($66 via Amazon)

As you can see, we are starting to go up in the price range. This mattress pad is 2" of memory foam; this isn't enough for full firm support but will not be super soft. The reviews are very good.

3.0" Sleep Studio Visco2 Ventilated Mattress Enhancer ($88 via Amazon)

Getting a bit pricier, this mattress topper provides more support. As a memory foam it will have a bit of initial give, but will support you very well. Already you can see the difference from the cheaper foam: it is thicker and has ventilation for better support and circulation. Reviews for this were very good, lots of "I can't get out of bed!" comments.

This mattress topper does not come with a fabric cover and some have noticed a persistence of the "mattress foam smell."

3 Inch Thick, 4 Pound Density Visco Elastic Memory Foam ($120 via Amazon)

This one right here is my dream mattress pad. I'm seriously considering getting this for next semester and will review if I do.

On the high end of college mattress pads, this mattress is just shy of the sort of mattress pad recommended for people with back pain. The memory foam is just perfect; reviews refer to it as a cloud with support and best purchase. Amazingly positive reviews, especially considering the low cost and free shipping.

Spring and Winter Bedding

If you can, invest in blankets for the winter and spring, especially if you are in a place like Boston. Our winters fall to the teens, with tons of snow and ice, while the sweltering summers get up to the 90s. Most of MIT's dorms don't have air conditioning. We do have central heating, but different rooms end up with different temperatures based on windows and their location on the building. So my bedding can keep me from being frozen or from sweating, year round.

Having bedding appropriate to the season is really important. 110% worth the investment.

Pinzon Signature Zero-Twist Egyptian Cotton Blanket ($70 via Amazon)

A good spring blanket or for watching movies in common couches. Egyptian cotton has good breathability, which is a must for spring dorm rooms that don't have air conditioning.

Faux Fur Burgundy Microfiber Reversible Winter Blankets ($40 via Amazon)

One of my floor mates has this winter blanket and I envy her for it. It's so warm and comfy for the winter; it feel like a big hug from a teddy bear.

Northpoint Sapphire Sherpa Blanket ($45 via Amazon)

This is a good approximate for what I have; I adore this style of blanket for the winter in Boston. If it works up here in the north, you know it's good!

Because this blanket doesn't have as much fluffy fur to it, this blanket is a little thinner than the one above, but offers the same degree of warmth. So if storage is an issue, this will keep you warm while saving space.

Finding inspiration for creativity: 5 ways

Here are a few ways that I find inspiration, especially for things like drawing and writing.

1) Collect cool things

I use tumblr to collect cool images to draw over at my art blog, ichoosetorefuse. All the images there fall within a certain aesthetic so when I need to get into that mood, I just head there to immerse myself. From there, it's a simple matter of finding the right image that clicks. I also keep clippings of my favorite magazines and articles.

You can use pintrest, flicker, or any other site to collect your cool things. Do try to sort those things as you gather them.

2) Find a inspirational place

Walking through the city on your way to work, you spot a bench in a park that you've never sat down in before. Take the time later that week to sit in the bench- or whatever places are calling out to you.

The places that offer me the most inspiration are:

• independent cafes (tea preferred)
• sections of museums with pretty portraits
• benches next to flower shops
• busy diner counters
• off rush hour train cars

You'll probably notice that these places have people moving through them but don't require me to interact with others. Most of these places don't require me to get up and move a lot; once I get into my rhythms of writing or drawing, I won't be interrupted but I can look up and around to find something interesting. 

As you start to look for the places that work for you, you'll build up your own favorite places. Do try to visit new places.

3) Review your old work

Sometimes going through your old work or rough drafts can rekindle an old spark or ignite a related idea. Follow the train of thought that first inspired you- either it will lead you somewhere new and exciting or you'll follow through on an old inspiration.

Re-drawing an old sketch can be great both for finding motivation and inspiration. 

Viewing how far I've come can really get me pumped up to try something new and challenging that I mightn't've tried without the warm up.

4) Talk to a friend

Talk to a friend about anything. Talk about the idea. Talk about the problem. Talk about your weekend plans. Talk, listen, discuss. 

I'm always amazed by how a good chat with a friend can make my day. And a good day for my heart is a good day for inspiration. 

Talking about what you're brainstorming for can knock all sorts of ideas out of your brain. There's something about verbalizing a problem that makes the problem more clearly defined and the answer a little more obvious.

Similarly, your friend will probably have their own spin to your idea that can improve it. Or make its error more clear. 

5) Work through it

Sometimes you just need to get going. This method is the toughest one. Once you've pushed through the first 5 minutes, working just gets easier. Is it something about inertia? Whatever it is, starting makes going easier.

Even if I'm still having difficulty working once I start, then I remind myself that I have made progress. More likely than not, I don't end up taking a break because getting the ball rolling is the hardest thing. 

Thoughts on: Museum Frictions Introduction

I wanted to share some of my reading on museum theory; maybe I can add something to the analysis or get some suggestions for my writings.


Museum Frictions: Public Cultures/Global Transformations
Introduction


Summary and some questions posed towards pages 1-13 article.

Globalization

"We accept that recent decades have seen increasing speed, growing intensity, and multiplication of directions of extranational flows, processes, and relationships that are called 'global.' But we also want to acknowledge that greater integration of the globe, either in cultural or economic terms, is not the necessary endpoint of globalization, which can produce uncoupling and isolation -- the loss of opportunity -- as much as it can produce new relationships and opportunities." (pg 5)

Globalizations is not an inherent good. Globalization is driven by Western colonization and faces very little as means of analysis from the mainstream public. 

• What/where/when is global?
• Who/what/where is excluded?
• Who benefits from their exclusion?

Blockbuster Exhibition

The blockbuster exhibition is an exhibition designed to please the public, usually with broad ideas and already popular objects. A focus on universalist or humanist connections means that the public can relate to the objects and their famous owners without deep learning or internal searching. The blockbuster exhibition usual enjoys a international tour.

"But international blockbuster tours rarely, if ever, reach so-called less developed countries, which from the organizers' viewpoint lack both the funds that such exhibitions require and a sufficiently elaborate infrastructure to support them." (pg 12)

• Who are the organizers? What is the 'elaborate infrastructure?' 
• How do the organizers and museums benefit from keeping these tours from reaching less developed countries?
• Who built the infrastructure? When? How?
• Are less developed countries actually incapable of funding these exhibitions?
• Do developed countries have a responsibility to have the exhibitions tour all of the world?
• What are these funds? How much are these funds? Who supplies the funds? 
• Why don't organizers think funds would be supplied to less developed countries?

Reinstallation of permanent collection

The reinstallation of the permanent collection parallel the blockbuster. Museums seek to gain and audience by drawing attention to their rarely seen items; biennial exhibitions also return focus to certain aspects of a museum's collection.  

Exhibitions as legitimacy

Both of the "blockbuster" and "reinstallation" exhibitions are signs of the resurgence of museums as arbiters of legitimacy. 

Communities seeking to establish their cultural identity turn to museums for both a venue to share their arguments and a venue that lends them safety and legitimacy. Plural societies have few venues for citizens to gather information about cultural identity without the obvious stamping of bias. As museums' bias is often overlooked and their stand as unbiased collections of objects and knowledge, the public turns to museums to gain information and approach the public sphere for these issues.

Public controversy

"The growing integration of new media into museum and heritage practice has resulted in a certain democratization of access, with collections and exhibitions available in virtual form in homes, school and elsewhere, and it has provided the basis for cooperative ventures among institutions. Yet it simultaneously creates new barriers defined by digital divides both within and among countries." (pg 13)

The two main ideas:

1. The internet and new media increases audience which automatically increased public controversy
2. The internet and new media created barriers between those who could access the tech and who couldn't which created controversy.

But a few questions:

• "Yet it simultaneously"- What is 'it'? Who responsible for 'it'? Is 'it' simultaneous?
• Is there more controversy or is the controversy more public?
• Is the audience reached by the internet and new media different than that of old technology?
• If not, what is it about the method of the technology that creates controversy?
• If so, who is being excluded? Why?
• Does the audience reached by new media have different goals or expectations of museums than those who had access before?
• Is the cooperation beneficial? To whom? Is the cooperation open or a cabal?

To help you consider the effects of technology on traditional heritage, try this article: 

Historical Perspectives on the Book and Information Technology by Gregory Crane

A good reading on whether technology inherently changes what's being transmitted, especially with digital technology.

How can this be applied to museum spaces and publications?