Author Archives: knlistman

Which Side of the Brain Do Writer’s Favor?

Posted on October 12, 2023 by knlistman

The idea that individuals favor using either the right brain to produce creative results or left brain for logical thinking is a recent one. It originated with the work of physicians in the mid-1800s, so at least it’s recent compared … Continue reading →

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Fear of Criticism

Posted on September 28, 2023 by knlistman

Ask an educator “How do you encourage creativity?” They will tell you students need an environment full of stimuli. They describe the ideal classroom as having an open, accepting atmosphere, free from criticism to build up self-esteem. Ask authors, poets … Continue reading →

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The Crazy Writer

Posted on September 21, 2023 by knlistman

Writers, like other creatives, tend to exhibit pathological symptoms from time to time. So, psychologists have studied the life of writers, researching their unconventional behavior like they examine the pathology of a disease. Writers can appear contradictory because the strongest … Continue reading →

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Writing and Age

Posted on September 14, 2023 by knlistman

As writers get older and improve at their skill, they sometimes bemoan the lost years of youth—time when they had more energy and yet were not writing. There are excuses that we give ourselves. Getting an education, working to pay … Continue reading →

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Who Are the Grammar Police?

Posted on September 7, 2023 by knlistman

As I perused research about grammar police, I found one study with a conclusion that I had already deduced myself. No matter how much of a thought provoking story or essay that I create, the people who notice every misspelling … Continue reading →

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Is Creativity Fair?

Posted on August 24, 2023 by knlistman

Creative people often feel driven to be different, to strive for the original idea and take it as far as possible despite the deprivation and pain that results. They fear that inspiration may abandon them and leave them stranded, or … Continue reading →

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Surviving Creativity

Posted on August 16, 2023 by knlistman

When I was much younger I studied Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Despite his theory that fulfillment of physical and psychological needs leads to self-actualization and creativity, I found many creative people driven by something else–something that often causes them … Continue reading →

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How Monumental Should Fantasy Heroes Be?

Posted on August 10, 2023 by knlistman

Fantasy provides a kind of escapism for young adults (and even some older adults). Characters come from a less technological era, in which a teenager could be considered an adult capable of making all their own decisions. The popular fantasy … Continue reading →

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Everyday Fantasies

Posted on August 3, 2023 by knlistman

Years ago when I coached teams of graded school-aged children for Odyssey of the Mind, I learned about imagination in the psyche of the preadolescent child. Some children wanted to be conformists and preferred not to suggest ideas that were … Continue reading →

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Predicting the Future of AI

Posted on July 27, 2023 by knlistman

In science fiction, predictions of a future that did not occur were made by authors such as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C Clark, and Isaac Asimov. No one has traveled to the center of the … Continue reading →

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