All Hail the Almighty Teacher

I love this video by Key and Peele that gives us a "What if teachers were as revered as professional athletes?" scenario. A wonderful commentary on society, especially given the current shortage of teachers in this country.

Key and Peele: TeachingCenter

Enjoy!

-Katie

Childhood Passions

The Frog Prince
Via Wikipedia

Whenever I read an amazing book, I immediately google the author.

Although I'm obsessed with the biographies of all writers, I have a special fascination with those of children's authors. I think this is because really good writers for young audiences inhabit this interesting literary space where youthful enthusiasm speaks through elegant, authentic prose.  I'm always curious what twists and turns these writers' lives have taken, informing how they've come to write in such a way. And I also like to see if I can glean from their biographies what makes them tick, so to speak. What motivates them? What is especially fascinating to them?

(Can you tell that peoples' life stories fascinate me?)

 by Roald Dahl

My interest with children's book authors has grown along with my daughter's intense love of books. She and I have always enjoyed reading together before bed, although now instead of books by Dr. Seuss and Mercer Mayer, we read young adult books like those of Roald Dahl, Margaret L'Engle and Louisa May Alcott.

(J.K. Rowling is reserved for Dad.)

My daughter and I also share a special affinity for art and mystery, so Chasing Vermeer, being chock full of both, was a unique pleasure for us. After reading the first few pages together one evening, I went off to do my usual search for the author; in this case, Blue Balliett. Not only did I need to get my biographical fix, I also had to find out if that was her real name. (It is! Apparently she's been called "Blue" since she was little.)

However, you can imagine my particular delight when I found this gem of a quote from her website:

"Many of us have passions that started in childhood – sometimes I think we are who we are right from the beginning.  I was a watcher. I loved disappearing into books.... As a kid, I played with words in my head, turning them this way and that as if they had color and sparkle. The puzzle was always to allow words to shine singly yet also fit together in combinations that felt just right. 

 I’m still working on it."

-Blue Balliett

Not only do I find her personal insight very impressive, I'm even going to take a leap and presume that Ms. Balliett's personal clarity has helped propel her prolific writing career. How could it not?

And what about you? What did you just love (and need) to do as a kid? What passion did you have that you found fascinating? 

I hope your answer is: "I'm still working on it." 

Summer's End

Sometimes I wish summer would never end. 

I love hot, sunny days, 

even if it means dusty baseball caps and eating a little too much ice cream. 

Okay... or a lot.

I relish waking up to a beautiful sunrise,

and savor how lazily the sun leaves behind 

a hushed, balmy summer evening.

I also love when 
when the sky turns a menacing black, 
blowing in like a gigantic,  terrifying pirate ship 
plundering a friendly little sailboat.


(This is what I'm bravely imagining as I press my nose up against the window, safely inside.)

And the flowers. 

Oh my heavens, the flowers.

Fields of wildflowers, growing effortlessly.

Wildflowers inspire me to be more carefree and trust in the ancient ways of Mother Nature, even though I'm much more prone to the qualities of a rose: colorful and multi-layered but way too fussy and a magnet for every insect imaginable.

Of course, there are other times when I can't wait to get going on all of those things-you-don't-bother-to-do-over-summer-vacation-because-your-brain-is-stuck-in-sipping-lemonade-from-a-hammock-mode. And it's times like these when I'm kind off ready for summer to go away.

But then, as I do every year come Labor Day Weekend, I realize that Mother Nature really doesn't care what I want anyway and plunges ahead with fall.

I suppose I'm kind of glad Mother Nature is in charge; if it were up to me I'd miss out on way too many seasons.

And I'd be one giant bug bite.

The Perfect Summer Moment

Pause.

Reflect.

Listen.

Actually, a good moment for any season.

An Ever-Expanding Life

"There's a time in our lives when we all crave the answers. It seems terrifying not to know what's coming next. 

But there is another time, a better time, when we see our lives as a series of choices, and What Now represents our excitement and our future, the very vitality of life. It's up to you to choose a life that will keep expanding. 

It takes discipline to remain curious; it takes work to be open to the world- but oh my friends, what noble and glorious work it is."

-Author Ann Patchett

from What Now?

Coloring, Playing and All That Other Fun Stuff

In my career exploration workshops, I ask participants to revisit the basic building blocks of being human: play. 

They love every minute of it! 

And why wouldn't they? 

They're getting permission to bring the kid buried inside them out to play, and that's never a bad idea. 

Rekindling our youthful spirit is a fantastic way to de-stress and remind ourselves of what fun looks and feels like. 

So it doesn't surprise me in the least that there's a resurgence of creative outlets specifically for adults. One of the most interesting is the coloring craze. Fanciful coloring books for grown-ups, like Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book, created by the amazing artist/illustrator, Johanna Basford are selling like hotcakes.

You'll see what all the fuss is about when you read exerts from Ms. Basford's delightful artist's statement: 

"I'm an illustrator and ink evangelist who prefers pens and pencils to pixels.

I create intricate, hand drawn illustrations predominantly..."

She had me at "ink evangelist!"

"My creativity is cultivated by a curious imagination and a delight in the fantastic. Much of my work has roots in the flora and fauna that surrounded me growing up on my parent's fish farm in rural Scotland."

I'm booking my ticket to Scotland pronto.

"Every piece I create starts life as a simple pencil sketch, evolving into a rambling pen and ink drawing usually spanning several sheets of paper. I love the tactile nature of the materials I use and the joy of smudgy fingerprints. My delicate hand inked designs intend to charm and delight, inviting you to peer closer and discover the hidden intricacies."

Who doesn't love smudgy fingerprints? I find them quite charming! (Well, maybe not on my stainless steel appliances.)


Thanks to artists like Basford, the therapeutic benefits of art and coloring are no longer restricted to art therapy programs.

Take this this book, aptly titled Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns. What a great way to take a break from a stressful day at work!

And apps like colorfy and paper, one of my favorites for iPad, make flexing dormant creative muscles super easy and fun.

As for me, I've set a creative goal for this week: to do an exercise from this gorgeous graphic design book by Chip Kidd.

I spotted it at the library last week and couldn't wait to crack it open. I'm giddy just thinking about it!

Whatever you choose to get your creative juices running or your mind blissfully serene, just do it. You won't regret it, I promise. 

Pinky swear.