Ryan Lum

Why Imogen Heap Inspires Me

I’ve been listening to a lot of Imogen Heap recently after re-watching a couple youtube videos of her making her music live. I then stumbled on this youtube video where she talks about some of her inspiration for her music. After watching the first bit of the video, you will instantly realize her passion for music. What really intrigues me about her music is that it is a little off. It’s a mix of house and her voice, but it’s not quite house music. It’s beautiful.

I think it’s also that I have a tendency to find beauty and interest in things that are slightly off. Of course I like when things sound and look beautiful; however, when it comes to art…I like it to be off beat and interesting. No vanilla please!

I love the fact that she notices certain sounds such as the sound of her fingers on the ballaster and the sound of kitchen sink. It’s really sweet and I appreciate when others notice the smaller things that often goes unnoticed.

So the lesson here is, be interesting and take time to notice the little things in life that often go unnoticed.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

It has been several days full of job hunting, part-time work, and freelancing. It has also been several days of hard work, and a mind full of unclear thoughts. I finally had the time to reflect upon my life and ask myself a couple questions..

What gets me up in the morning?

Ask yourself this question. What drives you to succeed day in and day out? Don’t live the life of another…live your life. When I think about this question..what does get me up in the morning? I feel it is the thrill of the day. Currently, it is the opportunity that I could possibly start a career. It is the excitement of learning something new. It is the ambiguity of the day.

I remember when I was child. The thrill of the day. Waking up in the morning, excited for the days adventure. Who will I meet today? What activities do I have in store? Whether it was pretending I had a business selling cricket legs, or playing with my teenage mutant ninja turtle figurines with the foil armor…I was excited. I love to play.

Unfortunately, my cricket leg selling business has not customers…and my teenage mutant ninja turtles are all packed away gathering dust. But no fear! I gained a new toy.. a new source of inspiration and passion.

What gets me up everyday is the idea of learning something new. I’m curious. How is Facebook going to change social media and the way we interact with each other? What new tools and technology will change the world? These are just some of the questions I ask myself. What are you curious about?

I will leave you with this…a quote from Steve Jobs:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. – Steve Jobs