Art and the Butterfly Effect

The other day I was reading a book set in World War II America. Prominently shown in the “Recommended Reading” section at the back was my own book, Dancing in Combat Boots. What an unexpected thrill. I showed it to my usually low-key husband, and even he was impressed. A few days later, we were...

Can Art Ever Offend?

The other day, I had the pleasure of hearing Kevin Kallaugher, the political cartoonist for The Economist magazine. You don’t meet political cartoonists every day—there are actually very few of them—so I was eager to hear what types of questions people would ask during the Q & A. One gentleman asked “Kal” how he handled...

Do You Think Too Much?

Do you remember how, whenever he needed to figure something out, Winnie-the-Pooh would tap his temple and say, “Think, think. Think, think.” Even as a child, I found it interesting that he had to encourage his mind to think. Mine won’t stop thinking. I wish I could tap my temple and say, “Shut up. Shut...

How to Compliment a Woman

The other day, a friend posted a new video on Facebook in which she and her male colleague were being interviewed about a project they are launching. It’s a brilliant idea, and much needed in her industry. When I watched the video, though, I couldn’t help but notice how good she looked. She’s been working...

Outside The Box? What Box?

I was one of those kids who listened carefully when the adults were talking. I took in as much as I could, trying to understand the world around me. Every now and then I’d hear someone refer to “thinking outside the box.” And, in the literal way a child sometimes thinks, I would picture boxes...

Are You Ready for an Adventure?

There’s a line in the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that gives me such a thrill. As Bilbo Baggins rushes by—pack on his back, big feet flying—one of the villagers calls out, “Mr. Bilbo, where are you off to?” “I’m going on an adventure,” Bilbo shouts back, as he hurtles headlong into an uncertain...