Remember When??

I spent this past weekend with my two grandsons, Carmine and Antonio, ages three and five. I remember being in denial about the idea of becoming a grandmother at what I thought was too young of an age for me, but now, I realize it’s been a blessing. I adore my grandkids and they have come to be a source of pure joy for me and because I’m in fairly good condition physically, I’ve been able to actively participate in just about anything these two bundles of energy have wanted to do. We play baseball and Frisbee and run together and climb the jungle gym at the playground. They’ve “practiced” yoga with me and we’ve played in the sand at the beach, and built with LEGO bricks and thanks to my young age and health, I’ve always been able to share with them my energy and enthusiasm.

They too, unknowingly share something very valuable with me when we spend time together. Their free-spirited personalities and their fearlessness – two things we all are born with that slowly diminish with time and experience. This weekend alone was filled with examples of how they live uninhibited and in the moment that we can all learn from. They live next to a high school that sits atop a steep, grassy hill overlooking a newly renovated expanse of school property with soccer, baseball and football fields. The hill is perfect in the winter for sledding, snowboarding and even teaching the little ones to ski. I often take them out the field to run in the wide-open spaces and this weekend we went out there with their bikes. They wanted to climb the hill to ride in the parking lot above, but on the way up, Antonio decided he wanted to ride his bike down the hill. What do you think immediately went through my head? “Maybe he shouldn’t do that.”; “Is it safe?”; “What if he falls?”; “What if he gets hurt?” Was he thinking any of these things? Absolutely not. The only thoughts on his mind were “Here I go!” and “Whoa!” And before I could even say “Wait!”, he had taken off down the hill and reached the bottom safely. In fact, the second time he went down, he took his eyes off where he was going. He began to look to the left, then to the right, then down and eventually lost control of the handlebars and flipped off the bike at the bottom. I told him what I saw and why I think he fell and what do you think he did? Without uttering a sound, he got up, climbed back up the hill and immediately tried again, this time looking straight ahead the whole time. And he was successful from that moment forward, every time he rode down the hill. How many of us would make such an attempt so soon after wiping out? Would we not focus on the failure and be paralyzed with fear, convincing ourselves that we should give up and move on to something else or possibly be afraid to try something else? The spill taught him a valuable lesson about what does not work and he simply used that information to get it right. It allowed him to come out successful and confident.

That night, they wanted me to watch the movie Robots with them so we sat on the sofa for what I thought would be a relaxing and entertaining evening. Relaxing no, but highly entertaining! About ten minutes into it, the movie broke out into a song. Without warning, Carmine jumped off of my lap and began to dance to the music, shaking his bottom and jumping and moving his arms. Pretty soon, Antonio joined in and it turned into a combination dance/martial arts demonstration. Would you believe that the credits were rolling and they were still on the carpet dancing? Maybe my video camera had something to do with that, but not once were they thinking, “Will I look silly if I get up and dance like this?”, “Will I be laughed at?”, “I’m really no good at this, I shouldn’t do it.” How many of us have been in that position, holding back what’s aching to come out for fear of looking silly or not being good enough? Instead, they let their spirits soar and were so filled with happiness and energy. And this was after an entire day of excitement and physical movement. We always wonder where children get their energy. I don’t think we as adults get tired because we become old; I believe this vitality disappears because we lose our courage to live our passions. We can have this type of energy at any age. Our bodies may not perform like those of children, but we can have that life and enthusiasm if we’re doing what we love to do and are not concerned about how we look doing it or what others will think. Because chances are, what they’re thinking is, “Why don’t I have the guts to do that?”

Do you remember a time when you had this fearlessness? Do you remember when your main goals were to have fun in the moment and to express your true selves? I can’t say I do, maybe because I can’t remember back far enough. I remember moments when I was living my passions, but they were often flanked by periods of doubt and uncertainty. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I once resisted becoming a grandmother because of my perceptions of what grandparents “are supposed to be”. My grandchildren are gifts that constantly remind me of the true meaning of living a life of joy. Maybe you’re just beginning to think about having kids or are now raising small children. If so, I know it can be an overwhelming time, but please pay attention to what they’re teaching you. The most profound lessons show up when you least expect them but always when they’re being their authentic selves. I believe this is when you learn the most about them, too. And as much as you can, encourage them to stay that way. Foster the development of their unique talents and capabilities; those things that bring them the most joy and vitality so that some day, they too, won’t have to remember when…

A Talented Glass Blower Demonstrates His Art

Often times we are unaware of the great things going on in our own backyards, which is why I was delighted to recently meet Morgan Schwartz. Morgan is a young artist here in New Haven who discovered a passion for glass blowing after getting a degree in art education and studying with a Venetian master at the Corning Museum of Glass. Since then, he’s focused his artwork on glass. Yesterday, he was kind enough to invite me to his studio to talk and to explain his craft. He uses a technique called lampworking that uses a blazing hot torch to melt tubes and bars of glass that can then be pulled, shaped, twisted and transformed into just about anything the imagination can come up with.

He’s created a beautiful and unique collection of glass sculptures, goblets, jars, pendants, marbles, and holiday ornaments and yesterday he demonstrated how he makes a spiraling glass Christmas tree ornament beginning with a bar of clear glass. You can see the process in the video below. I was so impressed with the steadiness of his hands at the flame as he laid down stripes of colored glass onto the bar and how, while heating the glass, he was able to twist and lengthen the glass to take on its final shape. He made it look so easy : ) Like anything else, it takes continuous practice to master these skills and he’s learned how to produce some beautiful effects in his pieces such as metallic flecks swirled into pendants using dichroic glass, imploded glass in wine stoppers that looked like tentacles from a sea plant, and vortexes that give the illusion of depth in contemporary marbles. You can see all of this in the video below.

I had a wonderful time meeting with Morgan and I’m thrilled to have discovered another talented artist in New Haven that is creating objects of beauty. I can never get enough of those because of the richness they add to our lives and the happiness they make me feel. And yes, I am grateful!! If you’re interested in seeing more of Morgan’s work, you can contact him at misticglass@gmail.com.

Stand Up and Stand Out

The foliage this time of year is vivid with color and can make even a cloudy day seem brighter. In fact, I personally think that it’s even more beautiful on a cloudy day as opposed to when the sun is shining because of the striking contrast between the leaves and the sky. Driving down the highway or walking through the forest are ideal times to soak in the expansive, colorful mixture and I welcome getting into my car if I know I’ll have the opportunity to feast my eyes during my trip to wherever. The other day, I was on an interstate and I happened to look over in the distance to see the tree below. I couldn’t help but notice it. It was alone, standing tall and blazing red and I had to pull over to take a picture of it.

I thought about this tree in comparison to the endless number of trees packed together in the forests. Although so many of them are worthy of our appreciation, the significance of each one is masked by the shear numbers. But standing on it’s own, there is no mistaking the brilliance of the tree above for all it’s worth. It is on its own to reveal its unique qualities and to shine brightly. For us as well, I believe it’s necessary to step out of the forest for our true abilities to be appreciated. It’s when we step out that we have a stronger impact because we bring forth and develop our unique talents. I’m not actually suggesting that we isolate ourselves from everyone. On the contrary, this is a quality of leadership that lets us add value to the lives of others and to encourage and inspire them to do the same.

We are surrounded by opportunities to stand out. Within our families or with friends, we can take a proactive role into nurturing relationships. We can lead by example at work by going the extra mile or accessing our creativity to solve problems. And within our communities we can initiate projects or do volunteer work for an organization we are passionate about, or we can help someone who is desperately in need.

So be uncommon, be exceptional and share your unique qualities. We all have the power within us. We just need to stand up and stand out and be brilliant like the tree…

Reveal Your True Colors

It is Autumn in New England, my favorite time of the year. I love the cooler days, the season’s foods and the colors. For a very short time, vast landscapes of green turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red as the trees anticipate Winter and the leaves prepare to fall. We always say that the leaves are “changing” colors, but in reality, they are shedding their green. At night, the sugars made by the highly abundant green chlorophyll in the leaves normally travel into the tree, but as the cool weather arrives, this process is slowed so sugar production ends and the chlorophyll begins to break down. The disappearance of so much green actually reveals the beautiful colors that were there all along. And in the presence of bright sunshine, the sugars that remain in the leaves also helps to intensify them.

It sounds a lot like people. Afraid to stand out and be different, we play it safe by being green and blending in. What we don’t realize is that our greatest gifts to the World are revealed when we strip away the green - when we remove the mask of conformity. This is also when our lives become the most colorful and creative. This is when we are the most authentic, when our lives take on the most significance and when we are the most fulfilled. This is when we feel the most alive and when we most inspire others. And the more we remove the green, the brighter we become.

Every one of us has something to offer that makes us unique and special. Just think how much more colorful the World would be if we were all courageous enough to share it. Yet, so many people wait for the Autumn of their lives to shed their green and some never let their brilliance see the light of day. And that is a loss for all mankind. So for the sake of humanity and in the words of Cyndi Lauper: “don't be afraid to let them show; your true colors, true colors are beautiful like a rainbow.”

The Joy Blooms

Monday night, I went to listen to The Joy Blooms at The Space in Hamden, CT. It was my first time at The Space, a venue whose mission is “to build a safe and positive community for people of all ages through music and the arts.” They house an eclectic décor and even have a vintage boutique upstairs where you can find everything from old LPs, clothing and jewelry.

The Joy Blooms are a local band started by Adam Christoferson, a young and talented poet, songwriter and performer who gets his inspiration from within and who shares his joy and happiness through his songs. He also works with children in a psychiatric hospital and teaches them to use music as a form of self- expression. You can see and hear some of the band’s music and meet Adam and Brendan Page, who plays the mandolin in the band, in the video below. You’ll also learn about the origin of the band’s name. Adam’s Dad Paul, who is a Vietnam Veteran, began making colorful flowers from pinecones and calls them Joy Blooms because of the joy they bring to others and to himself as an artist. You can find him at the band’s performances selling his flowers.

It’s always a breath of fresh air to meet people who want to spread light and happiness throughout our World today and The Joy Blooms are doing just that. You can learn more about Adam and The Joy Blooms at his website.

Creativity

We are all unique and our differences go far beyond the color of our hair or eyes or skin. We each have particular food preferences, tastes in music, art, movies and books, special talents and/or hobbies and fashion preferences. These are just a few of the components of our lives that help to characterize us as individuals. Our tastes are often a reflection of how we see the World and are intimately linked to our past experiences. And everything we absorb through our senses shapes our impressions. This is why no two people who witness a particular event will have the same reaction to it and also why our perceptions are in a constant state of flux. Our unique characters are something that we each should be grateful for - that we should celebrate, nurture and develop. Instead of working so hard to “fit in” we should have the courage to “stand out from the crowd, let our creative juices flow and shine because when we present our special gifts to the World, we live authentically, through our spirits and we give others permission to do the same. In fact, the World would be a far richer place if we all lived our lives in this way.

I’ve posted a video interview of a friend of mine, Don Schwartz. He’s used his creative talents and innovation to make some very cool pieces of art and to produce an environment in his home that clearly defines his individuality. I hope you enjoy it. You can also see some of his art at www.wontondon.com.

Artistic Expression

There are numerous art galleries and museums in New Haven and over the weekend I visited The Knights of Columbus Museum to see the work of Antonella Cappuccio (http://www.theseo.it/indexing.htm). She’s an incredibly talented painter who began as a costume designer, but in her 30s, found her inspiration for painting on a visit to Africa. She paints in Rome where she’s lived for most of her life. I also watched a video at the museum, showcasing her career and what struck me the most about her was her fearlessness with regard to different techniques in painting. She has clearly mastered so many, including painting on a number of different media, such as canvas, copper, and glass. On my walk to the museum, I also came across a few pieces of art and expressions of beauty. There are so many examples tucked away as well as in clear view, if one wants to see them. I share a few of them in the video below along with the work of some budding artistic talent now on display at the Creative Arts Workshop. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.