Shadowing Practice: How to Be Truly Creative - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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When you are looking for a solution to a particular problem,
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When you are looking for a solution to a particular problem,
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or you're thinking about what's next in your book or project,
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you're kind of in a rush to get to an answer.
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You're in a rush to figure things out and to be kind of one-dimensional in your thinking.
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True creativity is multi-dimensional.
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You're going deeper and deeper and deeper into something.
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The main advice for creatives is twofold.
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First of all, to create anything involves levels of anxiety.
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When you start a project,
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you're anxious because you don't have all of the answers.
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You have like a blank canvas.
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You have a blank page.
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If you're starting a book,
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you're writing a screenplay or whatever it is, you're starting from nothing.
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And it's a feeling of anxiety that you have.
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And you have to have this feeling of anxiety.
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Otherwise, you would never write anything.
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You would never do anything.
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You would never feel compelled or motivated to actually create anything.
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Right?
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So the sense of facing a blank page or starting something is naturally going to create anxiety.
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How you manage your anxiety will determine how creative you will be.
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If you're in a rush to have answers,
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if you have no ability to withstand the anxiety that creating anything involves,
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you'll never be able to get to the end, right?
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So you have to kind of embrace that anxiety
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and you have to learn how to manage it and you have to kind of learn how to live with it.
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If there's too much anxiety,
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if you're too worried about it,
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if it's too overwhelming, you'll never be able to get there.
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But you need to feel a sense of,
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I'm not sure where this is going.
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I'm not sure I have all the answers,
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but I'm going to keep persisting.
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I'm going to keep pushing through.
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I'm going to use my anxiety instead of quitting,
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instead of searching for something to distract me,
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I'm going to use it to go further into the process and to make it deeper and better and better.
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The second thing is similar to that.
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So normally when you are looking for a solution to a particular problem,
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or you're thinking about, you know,
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what's next in your book or project,
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you're kind of in a rush to get to an answer.
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You're in a rush to figure things out and to be kind of one dimensional in your thinking.
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True creativity is multidimensional.
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You're going deeper and deeper and deeper into something.
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and you have to ask your questions.
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Instead of going, I can choose A,
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B, or C in order for the next direction in my project, in my book.
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You want to consider D,
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E, F, G, and H, and I.
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You want to consider more options.
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The more options you consider,
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the more creative and dimensional your project will become.
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When I'm writing a book,
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I'm obviously very anxious about it and I feel very concerned.
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But I make myself go through this process,
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which is very kind of relaxes me and calms me down,
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where I take all of the material that I have
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and I try and organize it and see what the whole picture is about.
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And then I kind of expand the lens and I go,
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what is it that I'm not thinking about?
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What is it that I haven't considered?
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What is that direction in this particular idea that I have not looked into?
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Opening the lens, considering other possibilities is what makes somebody creative.
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I mean, what made Leonardo da Vinci creative was that he had so much more information at his disposal than other artists.
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and he considered other possibilities and he combined them in very unusual ways.
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So I try in my work to open myself up to other cultures,
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to other civilizations, to other periods,
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to how women think, to how people from other cultures think.
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It expands my horizon and then I'm able to make all of these interesting connections between them.
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Managing your anxiety and expanding the possibilities,
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the things that you consider and the things that you let into your material that's what's going to make you more creative.

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Context & Background

In the insightful video titled "How to Be Truly Creative," the speaker delves into the complexities of creativity and the emotional journey that comes with the creative process. The dialogue emphasizes how anxiety plays a crucial role in overcoming the initial hurdles of creativity. By facing the uncertainties of a blank canvas or page, the speaker encourages individuals to embrace their feelings of anxiety, rather than shy away from them. This perspective nurtures a deeper understanding of creativity, urging individuals to explore multidimensional thinking instead of rushing to find quick solutions.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "I’m not sure where this is going." - A great way to express uncertainty in conversations.
  • "I have a blank canvas." - Use this phrase to describe starting something new.
  • "Embrace the anxiety." - Ideal for motivational discussions about overcoming challenges.
  • "I want to go deeper into this." - This phrase showcases your intent to explore topics more thoroughly.
  • "Let’s consider all the possibilities." - Encourages open-ended discussions and creative brainstorming.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively tackle the concepts discussed in this video and enhance your English speaking skills, consider using shadowing techniques. This approach can be particularly beneficial for improving English pronunciation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

  1. Select a clip: Choose a segment of the video that resonates with you, perhaps focusing on the speaker's advice about managing anxiety in creativity.
  2. Listen actively: Play the chosen clip and pay attention to the pronunciation, intonation, and emotional expressions of the speaker.
  3. Repeat aloud: Use a shadowspeak app or a recording tool to practice repeating what the speaker says, mimicking their tone and pace.
  4. Record yourself: Capture your voice while shadowing. This feedback can be essential in identifying areas to improve English pronunciation.
  5. Review and refine: Listen to the recordings of both the original speaker and yourself. Focus on the differences and keep practicing to align your speech to that of the speaker.

By consistently using these shadowing techniques, you can take significant steps towards enhancing your English communication skills. Embrace the journey, allow yourself to feel the anxiety, and use it as motivation to deepen your understanding of the language.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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