Category Archives: Science and creativity

The Art of Meandering

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“Wondering is healthy. Broadens the mind. Opens you up to all sorts of stray thoughts and possiblities.” ~ Charles deLint 

Have you ever walked as a way to help sort out your thoughts? I find fulfillment in using it as a method of putting things in perspective.  Far too often, however, my objectives also include giving myself a cardio workout, so I move at a very brisk pace. 

 One day as I walked this past summer, I was behind “a slow poke.” I proceeded to pass the woman. I reached my endpoint, turned around to go back home and passed her again going in the other direction. As I zoomed by her, she remarked to me that I sure walk fast, and that she was impressed. 

walking in waterWalking at a fast pace is all well and good but my thinking tries to keeps pace, so it is hard to quiet my mind when I move along too quickly. There is value in letting our thoughts wander, roam and journey off the beaten path. 

Since my goals for walking are not to lose weight, I need to practice the art of  meandering. I have made a deal with myself that a couple of days a week I will: 

Go on a meditative walk

Be more focused on observing the surroundings

Imagine a personal paradise and escape to  it 

 Marcel Proust says “the only paradise is the paradise of lost.” I interpret that to mean being lost in our dreams, imaginations and thoughts. That kind of oasis can be found by all of us, if we allow it. 

If you were to write a book  about your personal utopia, what would it look like? Do you think you will ever find it? How?

Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Steps to Extending Life

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“Only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way you use them.” ~Unknown 

looking up cover_Cynthia Olsen’s book, “Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond is part resource and part personal testimony. It very effectively tells a story of someone who recognized at a young age, the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection. The insights she shares about her ancestors health gives the reader motivation to know that we need not be inheritors of poor eating habits, and diseased bodies and spirits. We are in charge of our own experience. 

“Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond is an IPPY Gold Medal award-winning book. The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has recognized the book for excellence in independent publishing. This book is not the first book Kali Press has published for Olsen. Here is a list of her other publications, all health related: 

  • Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (lst ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (2nd ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Handbook: 101 Ways to Use Australian Tea Tree Oil (1st ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Handbook: 101 Ways to Use Australian Tea Tree Oil(2nd ed)
  • Essiac: A Native Herbal Cancer Remedy (2nd ed) – 1997 IPPY Gold Medal Award Winning Book.
  • Birth of the Blue: Australian Blue Cypress Oil 

For more information on Kali Press’ books and other products, please visit www.kalipress.com.  Olsen’s publications are available at the following libraries and bookstores:  

  • Walgreens- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Off The Beaten Path- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Bud Werner Memorial Library- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Boulder Bookstore, Boulder, CO
  • Wilkenson Public Library- Telluride, CO
  • Between the Covers Book Store- Telluride, CO
  • The Book Worm- Edwards, CO
  • Eagle County Libraries, Eagle and Avon, CO 

picture of cynthia olsen belliniThis book is highly recommended for anyone who is seeking change and improving their habits for a fulfilling life at any age. There is some great advice, especially for Baby Boomers in this publication.

 (Photo: Author Cynthia Olsen)

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Scholars Singing a Cappella

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“Everyday we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture and if possible, speak a few sensible words.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe  

On Friday night, my husband and I attended a delightful performance at Colorado Mountain College http://bit.ly/WwAT4i that had me grinning from ear to ear.  One of the top ten male collegiate a capella groups in the country, the Buffoons from the University of Colorado, Boulder, traveled to Steamboat and entertained a nearly-packed house. 

CU BuffoonsAlthough the young men in the group have very diverse educational interests, their melodic voices could not have been more harmonious. The camaraderie they share through their love of music and entertaining was very apparent. They really clicked as a group, and each one of their finely-tuned voices, was important to the overall effect. 

Each year, the choral group is, in part, replaced with new talent, as some of the singers graduate from college. The repertoire of songs is assorted, some tunes have been sung for years, while others are more contemporary, which adds appeal to audiences from different generations and musical interests. The Buffoons perform at approximately 60 venues annually. 

The a cappella group was founded fifty years ago, by Dr. Oakleigh “Oak” Thorne, the musical director of YaleUniversity’s choral group the Yale Wiffenpoofs. Thorne moved to the Denver area to pursue his PhD in Biology at CU. 

 To read more about the Buffoons and the current roster of singers, visit this link http://bit.ly/UZPofR . Information about  their independently published DVD’s is also available on their website. 

To listen to a two minute You Tube video of the vocal group performing, please go to this link http://bit.ly/XSgLeb.

Thank you to the sponsors: Emerald City Opera http://bit.ly/W9i49D, Ski Haus http://bit.ly/13THStA, Steamboat Resort http://bit.ly/WjLiAB, and Colorado Mountain College http://bit.ly/UckN1r  for bringing the talented Buffoons from the University of Colorado to town! It was a lively, fun night.

Look forward to visiting with you, our readers, tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling – where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business; I hope you’ll join us. This blog brought to you from www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com

 

 

 

A “Tweek” to a Word Brings Response

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On Tuesday we had the first meeting of the year for our meet-up group, We Write Steamboat (formerly SHe Writes Steamboat). A decision was made at the end of last year to change the name of our group to encourage more male authors/publishers to participate in this monthly networking opportunity for independent publishers in Steamboat and Routt County, Colorado. 

Guess what? A little “tweek” to a word, brought more male writers to the group. They outnumbered the women, this month. Although we have had male independent publishers attend since the inception of the group, almost two years ago, our goal for the year is to welcome even more. 

EreaderprintThe town of Steamboat Springs and the surrounding Routt County has many writers who are drawn to this area for its inspiring landscape, recreational opportunity and an alternative lifestyle. Creativity, artistry and innovation in this town draw many location neutral businesses. With the development of digital technology, business for some people can be accomplished from anywhere. Living in an urban hub like New York, because you are a publisher, is no longer necessary with the ability to send files and images electronically. The new option of e-book publishing requires no shipping or printing companies.

Feel free to look at the files for our authors we have set up on our We Write Steamboat Facebook page. http://on.fb.me/W7aadC. Check out the diversity of subjects, we Steamboat independent publishers have written about. Our group has award-winning authors with award winning books; some have books in print and others have e-book publications. Some are available in several formats. 

It is going to be a good year for our group, I can just feel it. We Write Steamboat has more publications that are in various stages of production that will be added to the files on Facebook as they are completed.

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Vision, Art, Science Leads to New Technologies

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“The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” ~ Edwin H Land 

creativity-and-innovation-concept-related-words-in-tag-cloud-on-whiteThe rise of independently published books, film and music has made great strides, thanks to the development of technology. Tools of the trade that were only available to major publishing houses, movie studios and music/sound production companies, now can be mastered by anyone with the right education, artistic talent and a “head” for all things technology. 

Quality, desk top published books for print and electronic formats, visual effects in movies and synthetically produced audio sound, are all now made possible through computer technology. In the 2010 summer issue of Movie Maker Magazine, there is an article about the creation of stunning special effects for a multi-award winning movie, in a college dorm room, on a mediocre computer. http://bit.ly/VY8nbP. 

Steps to becoming a successful innovator of any kind, takes hard work, all-encompassing focus and drive, entrepreneurial spirit and gumption.  It is not for a person who is not highly self-motivated. 

But then, isn’t that how our forefathers made this country what it is today? Hard work, not handouts, ambition and vision drove pioneers in all kinds of industry – building railroads, the industrial revolution, mining, manufacturing, agriculture and much more.  

Children, through the use of technology, will become  innovators of the future. They’ll be the next generation to revolutionize library content, health care solutions, military capabilities and new creative ways of teaching.

Playaways are just one such example of  new technology that has been developed to distribute media. Does your library have the latest?  http://www.playaway.com/

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Crossing Mountains to Get There

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“Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. “ ~Author Unknown

event-sundance-filmThe Sundance Film Festival is on my mind this week. If you have been to Park City, Utah, the venue of this independent film festival, you know  the area is surrounded by the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains and the historic downtown is steep with artistic flair. The screening venues for the event, such as the Egyptian Theatre, entertained locals from the “rough and tumble days of exploration and active mining.”

The festival, founded by actor Robert Redford in 1981 brings together, every winter, scores of people who love independent films, as well as people who work in the industry. What began with 10 emerging filmmakers decades ago has grown and evolved into one of the most respected film-award contests in the country. To read more about the history of the Sundance Film Festival, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/VVfrFe.

A few of the many films that will be screened throughout the week are:

To read about other official slections, films that were juried into this festival, please visit http://www.sundance.org/

This morning, my husband and I would like to send a shout out  to our favorite filmmaker, who will be working very hard at the festival, behind the film camera. Hopefully, he will remember to take a few minutes to enjoy and take it all in! He deserves it, he’s successfully climbed mountains in his career field, since before high school, to get there! http://bit.ly/UJrK73.

Look forward to visiting with you, our readers, tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling – where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business; I hope you’ll join us. This blog brought to you from Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com.

Notes to Myself, Redux

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“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, achieves the impossible.” ~ Unknown

notes to myself_Sunday, February 25, 1973. I remember a note I wrote to myself that day back when I was in college. It said, “Finish reading Notes to Myself by Friday for psychology class.” The note was not kept in a cell phone, palm pilot or any other kind of digital device. It was written on a big paper calendar hanging on the wall in my dorm room.

The last sentence of Friday’s blog writing called Keeper of the Keys, stirred that memory. Scroll down to Friday’s blog if you have not read it or follow this link if you missed it.http://bit.ly/UXoiY9

In 1973, as a sophomore in college, the world was becoming my oyster. Full of wisdom, optimistic, I’d made it through my freshman year, with good grades.If I am not mistaken, I may have been on the Deans List.

psycho-cyberneticsNotes to Myself, a curriculum-required book for my psychology class helped me make an important decision. I thought,  “If being a psychology major meant reading other meaningful books like that, I was up for the task.”  I hung on the words of Hugh Prather, the author of Notes to Myself, along with the thoughts of Maxwell Maltz, M.D, the author of Psychocybernetics. Psych students, at that time, flung around words like psychoanalysis, existentialism and transcendental meditation.

Somewhere in my  moves from apartment to apartment after college, my two bibles of thought were discarded. Since then they have been replaced by other personal development books introducing me to new ideas about this thing called personal fulfillment (or the art of living.)

digital notesToday, I’ve made a note to myself, in my hand-held digital device, to re-read Prather and Maltz’s books. This time,  in electronic format (e-book versions) on a digital reader. Both have updated book covers!

Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected
www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

True, Inspiring Entrepreneurial Stories

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“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” – Richard Branson, Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurial stories. Perhaps you have a yarn to share of your own exploration, exploits and success in business. Have you ever thought to relate it in book form? Now is as good a time as ever, all through independent publishing.

In this day and age, you don’t necessarily even have to pay for storage and warehousing of inventory and many other hassles that come with selling paperback and hardbound publications. No, I am not telling you a wild story, I’ll leave that to the Banana Republic. I am talking about the growing industry of e-book publishing.

In the recounting of their business adventure that started out with no previous business start-up experience, and a $1500 investment, Mel and Patricia’s passion for fashion, adventure and innovation built their company to behemoth status internationally.

wild companyWild Company: The Untold Story of the Banana Republic may give you insight into how to share your own business’ success story. Check it out.Click here for info & ordering Wild Company.

If you have already had proven business or entrepreneurial success, you would probably be a “natural” at independent publishing. You probably already have the right spirit; perhaps technical skills to become an independent publisher utilizing digital platforms. If you need help,ask a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers , they  can  support your efforts.

Want to know more about independent publishing before you get started? There is an on-line webinar published by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association called On the Fast Track: The Independent Publishing Industry http://bit.ly/10cCp1Y  that will provide you with basic knowledge about  the new generation of publishing whereby ordinary people are telling extraordinary stories and benefiting from telling  them however they want to, creatively.

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Color and Creativity

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“The soul becomes dyed with the color of it’s thoughts.” ~ Marcus Aurelius 

I’ve often wondered what life looks like through the eyes of the colorblind.  So many aspects of our lives require making color choices.

Color choices even affects our attitudes and dispositions, helping us to feel as if we can conquer the world or not. Try wearing all black one day and the next day wear fuchsia, orange or brilliant red. Wearing bright colors puts extra spring in our steps. 

Colors of LifeI know two men who are color blind. Evidently, the male chromosome make-up is more susceptible to this condition. Here is an article explaining why this is so. http://bit.ly/ZSMqRL. 

Are the brains of color-challenged people wired with enhanced creative thinking skills to make up for their inability to see color? Or are their  imaginations stymied because they can not see color? I came across this interesting article about being a color-blind artist.http://bit.ly/Zx2Cag.

The Huffington Post cites green as a color that “sparks inventiveness.” http://huff.to/Wjc5v2 . Perhaps the reason the Green Mountains of Vermont draws their fare share of artists and writers. Gorgeous, lush green, including the most wonderful perennial gardens, provide inspiration from nature. 

But, let’s face it, beautiful landscapes whether they are forests, seashores, wide open vistas in the plains, craggy rocks and other unique earth formations provide artistic stimulation. 

What colors and sights bring the greatest fulfillment to your eyes and spirit?

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The Color of Life

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To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist. ~Schumann

Have you ever noticed how some people like to look at things through rose colored glasses and others through dark shades?

Our perspectives on life are often a reflection of our experiences, or a response to our day to day existence. As we open ourselves up to new ways of being, we add color to our journeys and our attitudes.

I received some interesting feedback from the annual blog report of All Things Fulfilling the other day.  Glassworks Inspired by Nature was the second most popular blog I have ever written in 1,013 posts. If you missed it, here is a link. http://bit.ly/12WopI6.

Why was this blog so significant? I think there could be a number of reasons why people found that blog post fulfilling:

    • They liked reading about Louis Comfort Tiffany’s art
    • The book, Clara and Mr. Tiffany, was interesting to learn about Click here for info & ordering
  • People wanted to know something more about stained glass and it’s history. http://bit.ly/Wj0YlQ
  • The life of an artist who saw life through a full spectrum of colors and through the love of his craft , is inspiring.

You can look through a kaleidoscope of colors in your own life by exposing yourself to an interesting mix of people, food, culture, faith and art. Or you can also enter into places of worship to look at stained glass windows, which will show you a full spectrum of colors in a different, equally fulfilling way.

tiffany-windows_05These are my reflections for today. We all have our own independent thoughts, words and views on life. Thanks for visiting this site; I’m grateful for an audience.

Note: The image is a Tiffany Studios creation of beauty.

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