"Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso

Creativity is something that needs to be nurtured and prodded into being. But it is also something that everyone can have.  Why is it that some children think they can't be creative?  When did realistic drawing become the only "good" drawing?  Obviously it is not, or people like Mondrian and Jackson Pollack would never have become famous.  But it is something children too often believe.  

 Peter Reynolds has an excellent book entitled "The Dot".  In it, a little girl doesn't think she can draw.  Her teacher encourages her to just make a mark, so she does.  It's one small dot on the page.  Then this brilliant educator tells her to sign her work and proceeds to post the drawing on the wall.  This encourages the student into believing she is creative.

As an art teacher, I never understood the concept of writing your name on the back of your work.  You should always sign the front.  Be proud of the effort, even if you are not satisfied with the result.  I can guarantee that most artists are seldom 100% satisfied with their work.

Children can see the art in everything, up until their vision is discounted. Is there something adults say to them to squash their notions of expression?    

So, take my word for it:  Art does not equal realistic drawings.  While they may be art, there are so many other things that are also art.  Take a look at your grandmother's quilt.  Check out the weaving of an oriental rug.  Look at the pattern on your china.  Closely examine a piece of handmade paper. But creativity is not just in producing things that may be considered works of art either. See the shapes in the clouds and the colors in the morning sky.  Compare two stones from the stream to see their likes and differences.  Creativity is in your mind's eye.  Creativity comes in appreciating the unique qualities of things, including a child's crayon drawing. 

Religion and Politics

The old saying that you should never talk about religion or politics is probably good advice.  But here I go anyway.

 

I know why not to discuss these two things.  People have very set opinions on both, and are not likely to be swayed by your comments, therefore instead of discussion, you end up with argument and often hurt feelings.  But the other day, sitting in the lunchroom at work, a young co-worker made a comment that has been creeping into my thoughts repeatedly.  She asked, "How can you be a Christian and a Republican?"

 

Now, at first, I thought that was a strange comment.  After all the Christian Right and Moral Majority are strong Republican sects.  I am sure they would be appalled at her statement.  But then, I started to see her point.  Why would anyone be against helping others, especially the poor and children?  Why is it considered liberal to support government programs designed to feed the hungry and give people out of work assistance?  Oh, don't start about the people that abuse the system or don't deserve the aid.  I know all that.  But are you willing to deny someone who really needs help, because someone else cheats the system?

 

My co-worker asked if Jesus was a socialist.  After my initial shock at the question, again I saw her point.  After all, he was all about helping the poor and living in peace with your fellow man.  Certain aspects of the ideology of socialism definitely feel Christian, even though the entirety of it has not proved to be an efficient form of government.  We send aid to Haiti without asking their religious or political beliefs, yet we question whether we want to force the insurance companies to not deny coverage to a child born with a heart murmur. I suppose the answer is that only some people are sending aid to Haiti, and only some people don't want to change the insurance industry.  Generalizations are so easy, but the reality is much more complicated.

Then I was reading the book Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh.  If you're not familiar with him, he's a Buddhist monk from Vietnam who was kicked out of that country for his unpopular writings.  I was appreciating his simple theology about peaceful living and mindfulness, when I came upon the chapter about the Eucharist.  Here is a Buddhist monk supporting the life work of Jesus. That led me to take my co-workers outrageous question one step further.  How can we be Christian and not support people of other religions following the same path?

 

 For the record, I am a Christian.  While I was raised in the Episcopal Church, I do not currently claim any particular denomination.  I would have to say, I agree with those who believe in a loving God as opposed to those whose God condemns them for every little grievance.  I certainly need forgiveness way more than threats.  And for the record, I am an Independent politically.  I vote for the person, not the party.  And I believe there are many good Christians, who are Republicans.

 

It's all food for thought.

 

Civility...where fore art thou?

 ci·vil·i·ty

Pronunciation: \sə-ˈvi-lə-tē\

Function: noun

1 a : civilized conduct; especially : courtesy, politeness

b : a polite act or expression

 

 

It's perhaps a naive wish, but I can only hope that some degree of civility and rational thought can return to the national political front.  The vulgar insults, the threatening phone calls and the vandalism over displeasure in the health care reform are cowardly, disturbing and sometimes dangerous.  We have a legal process to deal with government policies that we disagree with, and violence has no part in that process.

 

George Washington wrote down 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior when he was about 16 years old.  He copied them from a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595.  Granted, he probably wrote them as a school assignment, but the sentiment of our nation's father being associated with these rules is significant.  Today the wording of those orignial rules sounds fussy or even silly, but the many of the ideas are valid and worth reviewing.  Here is a modernized list of some of those rules:

 

-Treat everyone with respect.

-Be considerate of others. Do not embarrass them.

-When you speak, be concise.

-Do not argue, instead share your ideas with humility.

-When a person does their best and fails, do not criticize him.

-When you must give advice or criticism, consider the timing, whether it should be given in public or private, how it should be delivered and above all else bekind.

-If you are corrected, take it without argument. Consider the message, and then if you were wrongly judged, correct it later.

-Do not make fun of anything important to others.

-If you criticize someone else of something, make sure you are not guilty of it yourself.

-Actions speak louder than words.

-Do not be quick to believe bad reports about others.

-Associate with good people. It is better to be alone than in bad company.

-Always allow reason to influence your actions.

-Some things are better kept secret.

-A person should not overly value their own accomplishments.

-Do not go where you are not wanted.

-Do not give unasked-for advice.

-If two people disagree, do not take one side or the other without examining the issue. Be flexible in your own opinion..

-Do not correct others when it is not your place to do so.

-Do not be quick to talk about something when you don't have all the facts.

-Do not be curious about the affairs of others.

-Do not start what you cannot finish. Keep your promises.

-Do not speak badly of those who are not present.

-Show interest in others conversation.

-Don't allow yourself to become jaded, cynical or calloused.

 

May our politicians, and news people take note as their influence is enormous. These rules seem like small sacrifices that we should all be willing to make in order to live together in a peaceful, yet productive world

Thoughts on Vacation

Today is the last day of my vacation.  I took a week at a timeshare that is about 30 miles from my home.  Some people thought that was a crazy idea, but it turned out great.  My family, including both daughters and their families, came and went at various times during the week.  I was the only one who actually had the week off work.  Everyone was able to take advantage of the indoor swimming pool, the trail in the woods, eating out, and shopping one day or another.  We even had one day when all eleven of us were there!

Besides feeling rested and happy, I have come away with a couple of realizations.

1. I don't ever actually relax and "do nothing" at home.  I can curl up with a book and a glass of wine at the resort and completely lose myself in the wonder of the story, 100% relaxed.  I can curl up with a book and a glass of wine at home, and it's nice, but everywhere around me there is something that seems to demand my attention:  a dog wants in or out, I realize I have clothes or dishes that need to be washed, I look up and see dust on the floor that needs to be cleaned, etc.

2. It's great to have a job that you love, but it is even better to have a job that you can leave at work.  I admit, I did go visit work one time during my vacation.   I work with a lot of wonderful people who give me positive feedback.  They seemed glad to see me (it's nice to be missed) but absolutely nothing came up in our conversations that would make me feel guilty about not being there, and there was no indication that a huge pile of work would be waiting for me when I got back because no one else would do it.  That's not the way it has been in jobs past.  I remember vacations where I worried about what was not getting done, or stressed about how I would manage to "catch up" on all my work when I got back, or the worst was when we would get phone calls from work with questions or concerns.

3. Little kids help you to see the "fun" in everything.  We didn't take a bunch of toys to the resort and I was wondering how I was going to keep them entertained.  I needn't have worried.  They found joy in just running around someplace different.  I had never known that opening and closing all the drawers in a place could be so exciting.  The girls did find a Bible in one of the drawers.  And I still don't know how Morgan managed to set the alarm on the stereo system to come blasting on at about 5am every morning, but at least it was good rock and roll music.  

4. There is never enough time (or money) to do everything, but that's okay.  Vacations can be exhausting as well as relaxing.  What a paradox!

 I had a great time.

Spring Tease

Every year, it seems, the groundhog sees his shadow and we are told to expect 6 more weeks of winter.  At the time, it seemed reasonable to accept this deadline of the anticipated Spring season.  After all, there was snow on the ground, the temperatures were freezing, the wind was bitter, and there was more of the same in the forecast.

 But then, along came this weekend.  Between the 50 degree, no coat needed, temperature, and visiting the Lawn and Garden Show, I have completely thrown out any patience of waiting for Spring.  I want it NOW!  I want to get out and get going.  It's no longer enough to make plans for my pond, the surrounding garden, and vegetable patch.  I want to rush out and buy some great plant and stick it in the ground.  I'm forcing myself to not do that, as I know that I would likely kill said plant as the weather forecast is telling me it will get cold, and perhaps even snow again.  I just don't want to believe it. 

My Spring clean-up for my pond is scheduled for March, which isn't that long away.  I get help doing that which makes it a good place to start with my Spring plans. I have made the mistake in years past of impulsively planting things and then not being able to follow up with appropriate care.  I need to balance my wants and my needs and my finances.  I think I'll start with a list of  ideas and desires, and I'll research not only the costs, but the practicality of actually accomplishing each one.  After that, I should end up with a doable plan, in time for the real Spring.

It's exciting to even make the list.  Come on Spring!!!

Rebirth, Refocus, Reinforce

As my birthday roles around, I don’t count the years anymore.  I stopped at 43 so long ago.  My kids had those candles shaped like the numbers.  They used the same 4 and 3 for years until they were melted down to not look very good anymore.  I suppose I ought to up the ante some, but why?  I could be 49 forever like Jack Benny.  And if you don’t remember Jack Benny, that says something about how old you are.

Anyway, I treat my birthday more like New Year’s Day.  It can be an assessment of my year and where I’m going.

What are my priorities?  The answer is easy:

Spend more time with family and friends.

Take care of myself by eating well and exercising regularly..

Offer to help others in need.

 

Now accomplishing that is not as easy, but I suspect the path may be what is called voluntary simplicity.  That's actually a book written way back in 1981 by Duane Elgin.  I don't know if he coined the phrase or merely used it as the title of his book.  It is sort of like how interest in recycling keeps coming back into vogue, so does simplified living.  Another name for this idea is sustainable living.  

 

Now voluntary simplicity does not mean you have to quit your job, move to a farm, grown your own food, make your own clothes, and do without all the techno gizmos. Well, that may work for some people, or some part of that may be included,  but simplified living is less about doing without certain things, and more about having just enough. It’s about designing your life so that you don' t have to sacrifice anything important or waste your time, energy or money on things you don't really need or love. It means different things to different people in different situations. What I might find comfortable or enriching could be a life of deprivation and boredom to someone else. The level of simplicity also depends on your existing responsibilities,  not abandoning legitimate commitments, or imposing your values on other people.   There is a peace that can come over you, if you stop worrying about what other people think about whatever you are doing.  But it's human nature to want to be accepted and praised, so that is a hard one to accomplish.

 

The first step towards constructing a simpler life is to gradually begin paring your life down to the things, activities and relationships that you truly need or genuinely love. I had a sort of forced paring down when we moved from Indiana and 2 incomes and a 2000 square foot home, to Missouri and 1 income and a 1000 square foot home.  I had to leave a lot behind and the emotional ties to some of the material things were enormous.  Today, I don’t really miss most of what was left behind.  Focusing on my family has been so much easier now that they have moved to this area.  It also makes me realize how much I was missing when they were in Louisiana.  I plan to cherish every second I have to spend with them each and every day.

 

To me, the goal is to free up more time, resources, and energy for things that add real quality and meaning to my life.  Here’s a list I found of things many people may focus on while trying to move towards voluntary simplicity: 

-Limiting material possessions to what is needed and loved

-Meaningful work, whether paid or volunteer

-Quality time with friends and family

-Fun leisure activities

-A conscious effort at budgeting your finances; finding your line between deprivation and excessive spending.

-Connection to community, but not necessarily in formal organizations

-Sustainable practices, such as recycling and supporting local, community-based businesses with fair labor and environmental practices

-A healthy lifestyle, including exercise, adequate sleep, and nutritious food

-Activities that encourage personal growth, an inner life, or spirituality, such as yoga, meditation, prayer, religious ceremonies, journaling, and/or spiritual reading

-A connection to nature, such as spending time outdoors regularly

-Things that make you smile in your personal environment

 

My goal is to make the most out of whatever I am doing at this very moment…because this moment is the only time I am sure of.  I think we make our own happiness and it’s easier to create that joyful life if there isn’t so much clutter in the way.

 

What matters most?  I want to make my daily life a true reflection of those ideas beliefs and attitudes.  Wish me luck.

 

There is something magical about tutus.  Anyone who has ever been around a little girl knows that this is true.  Tutus are not just for dancers.  They bring out the spirit of fairies, and princesses, and everything that feels pretty.

Tutus are easy and cheap to make, so I am amazed at how often I see them at craft fairs selling for 30-40 dollars.  All it takes is a little bit of tulle which is a very inexpensive fabric.  You can usually buy it for about a dollar or so.  To make a basic tutu for a four year old, you need as little as a yard of tulle.  More would make it fuller and fancier.  You can also add ribbons and trim, but you don't have to.  If your child is small you can use a stretchy fabric adult sized headband for the waist.  Or you can measure off some elastic, or even  a string to tie around the waist.

To attache the tulle, cut it into little strips first.  Then fold the strip in half, lay it under the belt, and feed the two ends over the belt and back through the loop.  Easy.  You can use the same technique in miniature to make fabric scrunchies.  Those are great fun for sports teams.

Now, if you don't have any little girls in your life, you can still enjoy the smiles a tutu brings.  I made a small one with pink and white tulle to decorate my cement lawn goose for valentine.  Call me crazy, but it makes me smile.

This is posted as part of Steady Mom’s 30 minute blog challenge