Imparting Knowledge to Younger Generations

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There is so much we can learn from generations who came before us, if we would only listen and read about what others have to say through their writing.

On Sunday afternoon, the photography of Andrew Zuckerman and his wisdom project was featured on Rocky Mountain Public Broadcast Service (RMPBS). Zuckerman’s portrait photography is really stunning. He captured 51 important celebrity personalities who are familiar to most of us through their careers in all different fields. Each person’s image was captured, through the lens of the camera, with a pure white background; completely eliminating any distraction to the eye when viewing the aging faces. Hence, each person’s unique facial characteristics really pop. The stark photographs allow the viewer to better see beyond the external.

Zukerman’s book, Wisdom: The Greatest Gift One Generation Can Give To Another  is accompanied by a DVD. An oral recounting tells each person’s truth about life as they know it. To read more about the people who are featured in this project, Click here for info and ordering

There is also a show produced by Maryland Public Broadcast Service called My Generation, hosted by Leeza Gibbons in association with AARP.  This weekly, Emmy nominated show also highlights individuals, aged 50 and older, who have much to share with younger people about living healthy, active lives. Lifetime experience and knowledge is the basis for great words of advice. http://bit.ly/SYWDae.

 The advice and knowledge imparted in the book/DVD and the TV programs all give insight into the art of living a fulfilling life. Check them out.

This blog brought to you Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpectedand by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Bringing Behind the Scenes Looks

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Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” ~ Gail Devers 

What do you get when you put together art, religion, crisis, history and architecture together? The basis for a great televised mini-series, of Ken Follett’s novel Pillars of the Earth, adapted for film. 

Tonight and tomorrow (12/2 and 12/3/11) , on the Channel known for bringing outstanding behind the scenes Specials about films to viewers everywhere, a look at the making of the Pillars of the Earth  mini-series will be featured! Don’t miss out. 

For broadcast times and channels, please visit the website of Reelz Channel. Here you go, I will hook you up! http://bit.ly/rYU4km

Congratulations go out to the crew that brings these Weekly Specials to broadcast on a regular basis! I am proud to say, our favorite filmmaker is part of the team, as lead editor. Way to go Marc! A Shout Out to you and the others dedicated at  Reelz to bringing outstanding productions to the viewers. For more information on the visual effects and film editing work of Marc R Leonard, please visit http://bit.ly/tWdLnk.

Have a great weekend everyone! I will be back on Monday with more independent words, thoughts and views on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com.

Different Methods of Delivery

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Life is the sum of all your choices.” ~ Albert Camus

Book-lovers often get disturbed when they hear the word e-books. All they can envision is the disappearance of books in print. I can not see this happening in my lifetime.

Many people love digital readers. They are another instrument of delivering media – electronically.  Our choices for receiving news and entertainment has been expanded to film, music, radio, television, newpapers, magazines, audio books, books in print and e-books. As each form of media has arrived on the scene, it has not negated the need for the other. It has only provided new choices.

For instance, movies became available on-demand on televisions, and  DVD rentals stores opened up.  Netflix demonstrated movies could efficiently be distributed through the mail. Now a full range of movies are at our dispose by downloading them onto  personal computers and digital devices. It did not stop scores of people from going to the cinema each and every year! There is no substitute for the sights and sounds of the BIG SCREEN! Let’s be frank – visual effects are not nearly as stunning when viewed on a computer screen as when they are projected onto the big silver screen, where they are ideally meant to be.

People ask me whether I have a Kindle, a Sony or a Nook digital reader? I have a downloaded Kindle on my computer. I spend every working hour reading and writing on a computer.  At the end of the day I am not done reading but I want to switch gears. I like reading the news and books for pleasure on paper.

I want to clutch the book in my hands, smell the slight scent of ink or the hand cream left on the pages from where I left off.  I want to turn real paper pages. I don’t want to touch one more digital device.  It is as basic as that! In my opinion, there is not a fulfilling substitute for having a real book in hand.

If I asked you “What is your favorite way of having media delivered to you?” The reply would probably be “sometimes I like to listen to music, sometimes I like to read the paper, sometimes I  go to my computer…..It all depends on my mood.”

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Artist Preserves Cowboy Film History

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A maverick hero during the wild west was… tough, independent, fearless. Characters of honor and principle.” ~ Unknown 

In 1980, artist Kerry Powell http://bit.ly/rkDr1X  helped to spearhead efforts to preserve the Western cinematic history of Lone Pine,California by organizing the Lone Pine Film Festival. The Alabama Hills and the Inyo Mountains, located only 170 miles from Hollywood, provided the scenic backdrops to some 400 western movies produced between the years 1920 to the 1970s. Some of the notables were: 

    • The Round Up (1920)
    • Gunga Din (1939)
    • High Sierra (1941)
    • Along the Great Divide (1951)
    • Thunder in the Sun (1959)
    • How the West Was Won (1962)
    • Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) 

    For many, “Westerns” congered up romantic notions of life on the American western front and independent living at its best. Artist Kerry Powell’s painted murals around the town of Lone Pine, California reflect the era of Western filmmaking. Her desire to protect this era in cinematography came from her fulfilling memories of the production crews arriving in town, movie sets being built and of the legendary actors, most of whom are now deceased, who stayed at her family’s motel. Big name Hollywood actors such as Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Johnny Weismuller were just a few of the actors that frequented this area to produce movies.

Eleven years later, The Lone Pine Film Festival now draws audiences of 5,000 Western film enthusiasts from around the world. It is scheduled for October 7 – 9. For ticket information, please visit http://bit.ly/pK7I9h

The period of the cowboys and Indians is seldom captured in movies anymore, and the film production process will never be the same. Modern-day filmmaking has changed all that. So, saddle up and attend this year’s fest! The 100th birthday of Roy Rogers will be celebrated this year. It is guaranteed to be one of the best Western Film fests yet.

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Cookin’ Up Artistic Creativity

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Chase your passion, not your pension” ~ Denis Waitley 

Our library, the Bud Werner Library, www.steamboatlibrary.org keeps this community of Steamboat, Colorado entertained almost weekly with a wide variety of interesting, thought provoking and sometimes just plain fun films. Many of them are independent films that have not yet hit major theatres, but are available to designated communities before hitting PBS stations. Last Wednesday evening I attended the screening of a film that had all the ingredients of: 

    • A large portion of sweetness
    • Dreams of success
    • Shattering moments of disappointment
    • Fantastic artistic creativity
    • Concoctions of phenomenal proportions 

“The Kings of Pastry ” is a documentary film about a competition inFrance that pastry chefs in many countries would give their best pizzelle pin to win! The intense stressful three day competition culminates in the “best of the best” taking home the cake of the prestigious M.O.F. Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Award (Best Craftsman of France). 

This film is a heart stopper in so many ways, and leaves viewers on the edge of their seats. The theme will resonate with anyone who pursues a creative passion in life, whether it is through culinary arts or not. To watch a trailer of this film or to order this film, please visit http://bit.ly/fVD4GN

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Show Me! Tell Me!

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Wherever men have lived there is a story to be told.” ~ Henry David Thoreau  

That’s it – I have had enough. I am finished, out of here, done, fini! The television is going off.  DYJHITW all you hear about is people suspected of killing their children, political posturing and positioning, people in cars running from the law! 

What ever happened to the Land of I CAN, I WILL, I DO! I want to hear positive stories to lift my spirit, tales to help me believe in the good of mankind, news that inspires me to follow in the footsteps of people who have overcome because their heart and souls are working hard to make this a better world. Despite what the media would have us believe, fulfilling stories like that can be found! 

How about sensationalism of a different kind? 

I am turning off that squawk box, right here, right now. 

 I may have to take a sneak peak at the TV every once in a while though. There is a story I want to see on PBS’s “Directors Cut” that is near and dear to my heart. I think it will  be shown sometime in July. It is all about an independent film called “ALPFD.” http://bit.ly/mEF3FN.  The film has undone stereo typical thinking in the filmmaking industry that in order to produce quality films you need a big budget, big production crew and big bucks. If you hear when the movie ALPFD will be featured on PBS “Directors Cut” , let me know. I do not want to miss it. IMHO it will be a good show! 

As I end this blog, I have just gotten more exciting news about ALPFD and it’s U.S.  theatrical release. There is also an arrangement in the works that will increase the visibility of this film,  not just in theatres but in households across America, too! For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/mAvP5d.

 TLK2UL8R.

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Hot Dog! It’s Summertime!

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Every man’s ability may be strengthened or increased by culture.”   ~John Abbott

Hot Diggity Dog! Summer has finally, finally, finally arrived. What took it so long to come to this mountain resort town? God only knows! But – I think the delay was intentional so we would find summertime all the more fulfilling. 

The thing I look forward to is volunteering my time ushering at Strings in the Mountains Music Festival. The art and culture scene is active and alive all summer long in this small town community. Big name entertainment arrives in this region of Northwest Colorado, after the snow is only visible on the highest peaks. Grammy award-winning artists appear on the Strings in the Mountains stage each summer. Wynton Marsalis and Shawn Colvin are just a few artists that are set to appear this year. There is an impressive mix of both classical and different tempo music series along with fun and interactive concerts for the kids, too.  The ever popular Alpin Hong will delight children again this summer. To view the full schedule of events for the summer of 2011, please visit www.stringsmusicfestival.com

The Strings in the Mountains Pavilion plays host to a group of intellectually stimulating lectures as well. In this ninth season of Seminars in Steamboat http://bit.ly/lksBM7  the line-up includes:

  • Zalmay Khalilzad who will give an “Insiders View” on Afghanistan and Iraq.
  • David Walker, the founder of Comeback America Initiative
  • Robin Wright, author and senior fellow on “The Conundrum of Iraq.”
  • Pulitzer-prize winner Seymour Hersch. He will discuss whether or not Obama’s strategies are working forAmerica.
  • Tamar Jacoby will be offering a “Fresh Perspective on Immigration.” 

For the calendar of this lecture series, please visit http://bit.ly/muMPVq. Also, keep your eye on Rocky Mountain PBS. www.rockymountainpbs.org.  One of these outstanding lectures will be broadcast, at a later date, on the show “Colorado State of Mind.” 

If you have never visited this beautiful mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, summertime, in my opinion, is the very best time to do it. The town is just as vibrant with activities in the summer as it is during the snowy, winter months.

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A Glimpse into the Colorado Film Industry

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Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.”  ~ Robert L. Peters 

On this Film Friday, let’s look in on the independent film industry in Colorado, once again. It has been about a year since we have visited the filmmaking scene in the State “where the columbines grow.” 

Did you know that there has been a newly formed Colorado Creative Industries Division? The Colorado Council on the Arts and the Art in Public Places programs merged, last July, to form this new division, which is overseen by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. http://1.usa.gov/jauOKx

The mission of this division is to promote and expand an industry that already creates over 54,000 jobs and $20 billion in revenue in Colorado as a result of making feature films, television commercials and shows, still photography, emerging mass media projects and music videos. The Colorado Creative Industries Division hopes to position the State as a leader in providing jobs and revenue through creative enterprises and entrepreneurs. There are incentives available to entice imaginative and innovative filmmakers to the State. For more information on the application process, and funding for film projects here in the State of Colorado, please visit http://www.coloradofilm.org/incentives.html

Perhaps  an independent filmmaker here in Colorado should produce a full length, feature film interpreting author Daniel H. Pink’s vision of a world ruled by right brained thinkers. It would make for interesting viewing and a fascinating case study to look back at the film fifty years from now to see if the world is anything like what Pink envisioned. 

What is your opinion of what a right thinking world would be like? Would it be a world filled with free spirits and dreamers not getting much done or can creative spirit set us on a new path toward a fulfilling, vibrant, unique economy in the 21st century? We would like to hear from you!

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To Every Thing…A Reason and A Purpose

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Last week, I watched more TV than I have in a long, long time. I happened upon two shows on Rocky Mountain PBS that were, indeed, “well worth watching.” Both of the shows reminded me that God provides all of us with special gifts. Talents are latent for an entire lifetime for some people, and are never discovered at all. For others, revelation is by way of accident. Sometimes, natural endowment is recognized at a very young age giving opportunity for a life time of developing and fulfilling a person’s giftedness in one or more areas of multiple intelligences that Howard Gardner has identified in his studies. http://bit.ly/cNMRPe

Unlocking the Mystery of the Musical Mind, on the PBS Nova series, highlighted 4 rare instances of musical masterminds that were discovered through unusual circumstances.

  • A blind and severely autistic man, unable to count to 10, is discovered to be a musical Cervantes.
  • An orthopedic surgeon, after having been struck by lightning, becomes an extraordinarily gifted and obsessed composer and musician.
  • A man realizes drumming helps to control his completely debilitating and self-destructive tics caused by Tourette’s syndrome. http://bit.ly/dqgFbr.
  • It is determined that a woman has a condition called amusia. She is helping researchers understand this brain defect that is marked by the inability to recognize melody, pitch and musical harmony. 

On the other PBS show, Great Performances, a little girl whose soprano voice is so exquisitely developed at 10 years, she goes on stage at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida. http://bit.ly/kdWesi. She is accompanied by 17 time Grammy award-winning composer and pianist David Foster. Jackie Evancho is now a 4th grade recording artist. Her first album, Prelude to a Dream, has already sold over one million copies. 

The contrast between each individual left me with a sense of wonder. How can each of us be so uniquely genetically wired by our Creator? In the instance of the autistic man and the man suffering from uncontrollable symptoms of extreme Tourettes syndrome, they have been given musical talent clearly intended to help themselves with their deficiencies. Others are sharing their personal compositions for the understanding and enjoyment of others. 

St. Francis DeSales said it best. “Be who you are and be that well.”  I believe our interests and passions in life were given to us as a way to discover our natural gifts, talents and qualities.

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Advocating for the Arts

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“The degree to which the arts are included in our educational curriculum is totally inadequate. The arts are just as important as math and science in an education and just as important as any other endeavour in our lives.”.         ~Ken Danby 

Good Morning! My blog today is going to be short, but it is about a real concern that I have. Yesterday, I received an email from the Americans for the Arts Action Fund and it seems that a bill has been introduced to end federal support for arts education. 

My response to this is “what about the children who are not particularly academically wired but are artistically and creatively gifted?” School curriculum without art education will leave those children behind. Increased drop-out rates will come as a result of kids not being able to excel and prove themselves in non-academic areas. 

Don’t let bill HR1891 terminate federal support that is needed to continue arts education in schools. All this talk of “creative economies” will be for naught! Children who excel in the arts, are the future of creative economies. Many of them will lead the way in finding innovative ways of doing business that will ignite our country. 

Parents, arts groups, teachers, and business people who depend on hiring the “creatives” need to speak up now, and oppose HR 1891. As a country, we need to be fulfilling our obligations to educate children who think outside the box, too! 

For more information on the Arts Education Fund or to donate for the continuation of arts education, please visit http://www.artsactionfund.org/.  To voice your opposition to these cuts in arts education, please go on line now and respond by emailing

advocacy@artsusa.org

Thanks for listening, thanks for responding!  

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