Take Back Your Life!

I got the idea for this Musepiration from a comment I left on a friend’s post (thanks Jenna) and from a comment someone left on one of mine (thanks Patty). A good reason to leave comments — it gets everyone’s creative juices flowing.

Adults seem to have a fear of beginning, even activities they desperately want to do. Conversely, children usually have the confidence to leap into new things. If you’ve been reading my blog lately, then you know I talk semi-ad nauseam about the creativity restraints many school and work environments put on folks.

“Here, put on this mind-body-soul strait jacket. It’s GOOD for you.” (more…)

It’s easy to judge someone else. It’s much harder to not judge them and try to walk ten miles in his/her shoes. Do I always do this? No. I’d be lying if I tried to pass myself off as this perfect human that never puts on a judge’s face. Do I try and work on it? Yes. It can be hard but I “usually” make an attempt to figure out what’s going on, to try and “seek to understand” as Steven Covey says in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. (more…)

I’ve been doing quite a bit of research for my upcoming newspaper column on education or rather what we call education — it’s really schooling. Two very different concepts. Didn’t even know there was a difference until six years ago when I stumbled on my first book by John Taylor Gatto, “Dumbing Us Down.” Since then I’ve read tens more. (more…)

I somehow managed to hold onto my imagination, despite the attempts of various schools and places of employment to squash it. My third grade teacher banished me into the corner one science class because a large group of young boys had gathered around my latest artwork. We were all laughing and having a good time admiring my colorful imagination on paper when she said, “Julie, stop laughing right now or you’re going into the corner.” (more…)