I love to sing. That’s not to say I’m great at it. I can carry a tune, and I’m game enough to massacre a song or two on karaoke, but my favorite way to use song has always been to get my kids’ attention. As they were growing up, whenever they were ignoring my directives...
Tag: art
The Power of Art
“Black Lives Matter” may just be one of the most powerful political slogans of our time. And it all started with a Facebook post. According to an article I read, Alicia Garza was upset when George Zimmerman was acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin. She wrote a heartfelt post on Facebook that contained the words, “black...
The Happiness of Art
There are two lines in the book The Artist’s Way that read, “A productive artist is quite often a happy person. This can be very threatening as a self-concept to those who are used to getting their needs met by being unhappy.” Yet we, as a society, continue to hold on to the concept that...
Sam I Am
Sam Smith was the big winner at the Grammy Awards this year. “Before I made this record,” he said, “I was doing everything to try and get my music heard. I tried to lose weight and I was making awful music. It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to...
Love What You Do
My daughter is taking a college class on a subject she should enjoy. But the professor is monotone and dry and, frankly, boring. If you have lost enthusiasm for your subject, quit teaching. After a minor surgery, I mentioned to my nurse that I have sensitive veins and asked if she could please remove the...
When Was the Last Time You Scared Yourself?
My son leaves tomorrow for a semester of study in England. He’s quite nervous and hopefully a little excited, just as I was when I embarked on my studies abroad experience at the age of 19. I confess that I was more than a bit terrified as I boarded that plane, but it wound up...
Ink Smudges on Fingertips
The other day I sent a handwritten note to a friend, only to have him tell me he could not read what I wrote. “My handwriting has always been bad,” I said. “Not this bad,” he replied. And I’m sure he’s right, because who has time to write by hand anymore and why bother? We...
We Make What Matters, Matter
This is the tagline for my company. Why? To remind me of what’s important and to ensure that I never take a single step forward in my life or business unless that step really matters. The line is a quote from Mildred Shearer, one of the women I interviewed for my book Dancing in Combat...
A Tale of Two Artists
I have two necklaces that I count among my favorites. Every time I wear each of them, I’m guaranteed a compliment. One was made by a local artist I met at a craft show. I’ve bought several pieces from her over the years. The other I purchased at Macy’s department store. It’s from the 1928...
Give with Faith and Abandon
One of my favorite things about December is the call to action to support charities and nonprofits. I donate to several nationwide and global organizations, but I also enjoy finding those smaller, local nonprofits quietly going about great work in our communities. A donation to their organizations is always treated with such a wealth of...