Category Archives: Education

Sweeten the Deal

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“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” ~ Eden Phillpotts

Some companies become more famous for their legendary marketing ploys than for their products. For years, Ben and Jerry’s has been the focus of attention for their accomplishments in innovative marketing and product development. Since the start up of the company, decades ago, it’s visionary leaders have tested what happens when combining business with social consciousness. The taste of sweet success for this company, has been the result.

On June 20th, Ben & Jerry’s unveiled Berry Voluntary and Brownie Chew Gooder. You can be sure the sales of these two new ice cream flavors will be closely watched and scrutinized by the company’s marketing and advertising gurus. They will be watching their target markets to see whether the sales performance of these two concoctions have the anticipated results that they expect.

Ben & Jerry’s has never waivered from their belief in the value of being a socially responsible company. The names of these two flavors leave little doubt in the minds of the consumer that volunteerism is supported and positively endorsed by this company.

Having resided in the state of origin of Ben & Jerry’s, Vermont, for over 30 years, I can attest to the fact that Ben & Jerry’s puts “their money where their mouth is.”  The promise of a free ice cream has sweetened the deal for many a volunteer or supporter of non-profit fundraising events. The company takes the cake in their stellar example of giving back to community.

Thanks, Ben & Jerry’s, for dipping into your profits to make this world a better place!

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Offer it Up

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“There is no such thing as a ‘self made’ man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us or spoken…”                                    ~ George Matthew Adams

How many times throughout your life have you heard the expression “you never know until you try” ? So many times throughout my life, when I have been pondering “I want to” or “ought to”, this little adage has popped up in my mind, forcing me to take action. As much as I dislike hearing it time and time again, I am glad it has been my constant companion! I try to always remember – all things serve their own purpose!  Without remembering this adage, often I would never have taken action and opportunities would have passed me by.

A few days ago, I blogged about the freedoms we enjoy in this country and about the importance of legal immigrants obeying the letter of the law. I received a comment to this blog, Striking Gold, from a faithful reader of this site. She shared that she and her Mom want to share their family’s story of immigration. Her relatives have built successful careers in their new lands and have tales to tell.

I would like to encourage my faithful blog reader to take advantage of one of the freedoms of our country, independent publishing, to share her family’s tales, not just for her own family’s sake but for the sake of others. There will be many others interested in learning of her family’s accomplishments, their strife, opportunity and their feelings as they arrived in this country and Australia, trying to start life anew.

And like every thing in life “you never know until….” So, go for it, Marie, go for it!  Your relatives did, and so can you!

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Continuing Thought

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“Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after” ~ Henry David Thoreau

The other day, I picked up a book from the shelves of my mom’s library that was faded with age. It was authored by several editors of the New Age Journal and published in 1984. The book is called “Chop Wood, Carry Water: A Guide to Finding Spiritual Fulfillment in Every Day Life.”

As I began to browse the pages, I realized that many of the subjects addressed in this book written 25 years ago, are still among hot topics today. Those seeking knowledge on spiritual healing, information on understanding truths through the body (by practicing yoga, martial arts, massage and judo and the like), writings on understanding astonishing occurrences through miracles, finding rewarding careers with slants toward social consciousness, interpreting dreams for wisdom and guidance, and more can all be found in this book.

Answers to living a life fulfilled, has been on the minds of people for ages. Over the years, new schools of contemporary thought  expand and deepen our understanding of the human psyche, and I for one, have always enjoyed reading new books on psychology and spirituality.

It does make me wonder, however, why books of this nature have such great appeal. It has been said that all the answers we need are within ourselves. It is the search for such answers that lead people to a lifelong quest.

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Bouncing Off Ideas

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“All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life” ~ M.C. Richards

My mind has wandered off this day as to why people reside in the places they do, and how location plays a part in inspiring artists in their work. Many artists attribute their creativity to majestic landscapes found in mountainous areas and seashore vistas. A wish to be continually be awed by nature is the very basic reason why many artists choose to settle in environments such as these. But, colonies of artists are found in all places across this continent, some expected and some unexpected.

Some artists thrive on city life, where galleries and art exhibitions are readily available and frequenting them are a large part of every day life. Through daily collaboration with like-minded individuals, many artists find great source of inspiration and connectivity in the art world.

Temporarily living and working in artist retreat environments can also be a great way to grow and be nurtured as an Artist. Artist retreats combined with beautiful, inspiring settings can found in many states across America. The Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont is a perfect example. Classes in creative writing, poetry, the visual arts, theatre and more are offered on a year round basis. The Vermont Studio Center provides an escape for city-based artists to experience a quieter, serene way of living and learning. For more information, please visit http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org.

Whether you are an artist from the cornfields of Iowa, the Ozarks of the Mississippi or hale from the Keystone State of Pennsylvania, a change of scenery will give you a whole new perspective on your art. This summer or fall, get out there and travel as far as your pocketbook will allow. It will do your heart and soul good too!

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Revealing Revelations

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“The number one thing leaders can do to facilitate balance is to support flexibility and understand the needs of your people” ~ Jim Mitchell

I have a confession to make! No longer will I be viewing art with such tunnel vision.I so enjoyed my visit to the National Museum of Visionary Art, that my range of vision has been expanded. When someone asks me “What genre of art do you most enjoy?” I will refrain from saying representational paintings. I will deliberately challenge what I have held most dear, and open my mind more widely to all kinds of art. It would be very easy to continue to repeat, time and time again, the same answer when asked this simple question. But, incorporation of new information about art means having the ability to see the whole picture – being able to understand why different kinds of art inspires different types of people.

I suspect my determination to open my eyes to a broader spectrum of art is similar to those who are interested in attending inter-denominational faith group events. It provides an opportunity to learn more about religion as a whole and why different faiths appeal to different people. The family of man can be inclusive of many, many denominations!

In my lifetime I have attended a Presbyterian Church, a Congregational Church and a Methodist Church. I sent our son, who was baptized in the Presbyterian Church, to a Catholic College. If I can be accepting of the differences in these faiths, I should be able find a little inspiration in all different kinds of art.

And that’s the truth!

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Finding Answers to Loss

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“The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one’s relationship has a growing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase ….”  ~ Hugh Walpole

After many, many, many of months of not having time to read for pleasure, I have finally found a little time each evening to pick up a book I have been yearning to read. This book is all about the reasons of how and why a book that had a mere $200 marketing budget can make it to the #1 New York Times best seller list. It has attracted the attention of 7,000,000 readers around the world.

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young is as thought provoking a book as I have read in a long, long time. This book is about loss, transformation and enlightenment. It is about doubt, a divine relationship, light and healing. This book holds all the elements that draw you into a story. It raises possibilities of answers to questions that people from all countries, ages, social class and religious backgrounds have asked for generations.

To give you more information on this book, would rob you of what you need to determine for yourself – how this book’s message applies to you and your life. I suspect this is the reason why this book has become a masterpiece. For more information, please visit www.theshackbook.com.

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Striking Gold

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“The two hardest things to handle in life are failure & success.“ ~   Anonymous

I was so disappointed last night not to find on TV, the National team’s baseball game. I wanted to watch first draft pick Stephen Strasburg, make his debut as a major league pitcher. I love all stories about finding personal fulfillment in life and career paths. And Americans have had as many stories about finding success and satisfaction in our personal gifts as you could find anywhere else. It is the land of opportunity and the freedoms we enjoy in this country provide a stage on which to rise to heights unknown if you are willing to work for it.

Many immigrants have come to this country pursuing their dreams. I am always in awe of those who have left their native land behind in search for more. It is not an easy thing to do. A suitcase full of determination, vision, good work ethics, dreams and focused aspirations is what is needed for the good life in America. Demanding that all legal immigrants pack living by the laws of our Constitution in their bags, is not too much to ask, is it?

Our country’s pastures, green with opportunity, will remain healthy and productive if our laws protect the freedoms that we enjoy. Do you have a Made It in America story you can share through independent publishing?

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Visionary Artists

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“Visionary people are visionary partly because of the things they don’t see“~ Unknown

The other day, I wandered the exhibits of Baltimore’s American Museum of Visionary Art. As all art should be, the art was extremely thought provoking. But all the work was created with more invention and very apparent raw emotion than any art I have probably ever seen before. Many of the exhibits were created by inmates in prison art programs and many mentally disturbed individuals.

To my way of thinking, all artists are visionaries. However, the American Museum of Visionary Art defines visionary artists as the following:

  • untrained and self taught
  • their spiritual and personal vision is expressed through art as a result of their condition
  • they often  do not consider what they do as art
  • they create art only to suit themselves
  • their art is wild and untamed

I was most struck by the art of a prisoner who through pen and ink drawings depicted his life, before prison. Many of his drawings included memories of my own childhood, scenes of ferris wheels, drive-in movie theatres, eating frozen custard (soft serve ice cream, as we know it today), juke boxes and more, that I was able to relate to. As I left the exhibit, I thought “how could this extremely talented artist’s life go so wrong? From a life of innocense of childhood, to a life of 40 years in jail staring at four walls?”  What I found most inspiring is the proceeds from the sale of this visionary artists work will go towards Make a Wish Foundation to give children stricken with cancer, their last wish to take a trip, attend a baseball game or fulfill their wildest dream before they leave this world.

If you are ever in Baltimore, make sure you put this museum on your list! It has been billed as one of  the top five museums to visit. The address is American Museum of Visionary Art, 800 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD.


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In All Things, Common Sense

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The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change and we all instinctively avoid it” ~  E. B. White

Do you know who one of the earliest independent thinkers and writers in our country’s history is? Thomas Paine! On this Memorial Day weekend, I thought it would be a good time to remember the writings of Mr. Paine! His pamphlet Common Sense, which appeared in January 1776, pioneered a style of political writing which gathered momentum due to his complex ideas which were clear, concise and intelligible to all.

His pamphlet, Common Sense was often read aloud in taverns and other public settings, and although extremely popular, it is not known how many people joined the cause for separation from Britain, as a result of Mr. Paine’s publication. His writings however, had a definite influence by initiating a public debate about independence.

Is this not what every independent publisher hopes to accomplish- buzz about their ideas, book, film or music? His read aloud sessions of Common Sense in taverns and on public stages, was the forerunner of the book release appearances and parties that are so widely used today to launch a blast of publicity.

Happy Memorial Day and be grateful for the laws of our country that allow for freedom of speech and publishing! I am going to enjoy this Memorial Day too, so I will return on Tuesday!

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Stuffed Brain and Seafood

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“In the same way that music inspires us to certain feelings, space can do the same thing,” Sarah Susanka

I can well understand the attractiveness of the Delmarva region on the Eastern seaboard for artists and writers. The abundant shorebird habitat, marine life, the Chesapeake Bay and it’s tributaries, provides an outstanding array of subjects to paint, through words and pictures. A waterman’s way of life is all I need, for food for fodder, during my time here.

Yesterday was graduation day for Naval Academy cadets, and I sat aboard a boat on the Severn River watching the flyover of fighter jets indicating the end of the college training for the graduates and the beginning of a new troop of dedicated and honorable countrymen.

To a gal who has resided in the mountains for the past 30+ years, my visit to the Delmarva, allows me to gather all I can of experiences, sights, tastes until next time I arrive here on the shores. During my stay, I hope to wander the halls of the Baltimore Museum of Art or the Cone Collection at the Walters Art Gallery, then head down the road to Washington, DC and take in Rose Frantzen’s exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. If I get there, I will report my findings along the way.

I hear a table full of Maryland blue crabs calling my name, so for now, I must go!

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