Kinetic Sculpture Race 2009

This past weekend, we continued in our annual tradition of hanging out with Baltimore's wackiest at the Kinetic Sculpture Race, sponsored by the American Visionary Art Museum. This friendly spectacle of "anything goes" invites every one of us to be a kid again. Want to wear a giant banana on your head? GO FOR IT! Been waiting for the perfect excuse to tie-dye your old prom dress and pair it with combat boots? HERE'S YOUR CHANCE. Itching to climb that tree in the park? JOIN THE CLUB. Want to choreograph a crazy dance with your friends, like you did for the high school talent show? BRING IT ON!

In general, we adults observe standard conventions against wearing tie-dyed prom dresses with combat boots in public, it's true. There are boundaries which generally preclude grown-ups from climbing trees in public parks, yes. These standards and conventions help us to take on responsibilities and maintain some level of productivity.

On the other hand, so do laughter, spontaneity, and tapping into that part of the brain that can think in terms of giant pink poodles with pearls.

Of course, one does not have to attend the Kinetics Race or climb a tree to gain that creative turbo boost. A daily dose of childlike genius can be accessed in relatively mainstream ways -- by challenging conventions privately and doing some mental tree-climbing, if you will. Little things, like doodling or belly-laughing, are good examples, as are cartwheels (if they don't kill you). Clicking on this random word generator and writing to an unexpected prompt for even five minutes can get a banana fixed squarely on your head, so you can think better for the rest of the day.

The Kinetic Sculpture Race reminds us that we don't have to be so serious all of the time -- that if we are sometimes tempted by a good mud puddle, or a bright orange pair of pants, we are not alone. Maybe it's not such an outrage to climb trees in public; maybe the outrage is that we ever stopped doing so.

Many thanks to my tree-climbin', puddle-stompin' big sis, Shelley, who introduced me to the Kinetic Sculpture Race, and who provided me with these awesome shots. She blogs here.

Richard Florida on the Creative Class

"To be truly happy, people need to create an identity not by buying it off the shelf," says global best-selling author Richard Florida, "But by engaging in a creative endeavor."

Years ago, Florida coined the phrase "Creative Class," referring to those who fill the fastest growing, most vital segment of the American workforce: thinkers, innovators, and decision makers. This group consists of scientists, engineers, managers, innovators, and people in research and development, as well as artists, writers, and musicians; they are where America can find her edge in building prosperous, stable, growing towns.

As Florida spoke recently to a room full of Howard County leaders, including Ken Ulman, Pamela Klahr, Dick Story, Steve Sachs, Liz Bobo, and Mary Kay Sigaty, he asserted that every human being is creative, but we have to learn how to harness this creativity in ourselves, our children, our communities, and our businesses. In short, he calls on us as a society to recognize and engage our creative faculties, thus driving America forward with that entrepreneurial spirit that has always been our strength and is, he says, our hope for the future.

Florida studies cities and towns -- how they work, why they work, who lives where, and why. AND... he really likes Howard County. In fact, he really likes the entire corridor from Boston to DC in terms of attracting and engaging members of the creative class, thereby flourishing.

Florida's latest book, Who's Your City, reveals the results of broad research on what actually does make people happy. According to Florida, it's the work we do, the close and loving relationships we have, and the place where we live. When it comes to place, Howard County makes people happy, I was glad to hear him say. Making people happy means they want to stay. Moreover, it means they want to move in. The factors in making a place desirable? Physical and natural beauty. Citizenry that is diverse, energized, and guided by good leaders. Great educational, social, and cultural opportunities.

Our county has all of that, Florida says, and we can stay out in front by focusing on creativity. we need to support and reward innovation, celebrate and nurture the arts, and value creativity -- in everyone.

I am proud that through KidzArt's many creative enrichment programs in our area, our little company is part of Howard County's winning equation.

Florida's talk was presented by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Howard Community College, Howard County Library, The Horizon Foundation, and the Howard County Economic Development Authority.

Kevin Spacey: Investing in Our Future

In 1986, I saw Kevin Spacey perform with Jack Lemmon in Long Day's Journey Into Night in London.  This past Saturday, Spacey referenced his close bond with Lemmon as he addressed Dazzle 2009, the Gala event for Young Audiences New Jersey.   Mentors are vital to young people, he noted, as are the arts in general, calling the work of arts organizations like Young Audiences "an investment in the future of our society."

"Culture provides the excitement of our lives," he said. "The words of a great writer, the step of a legendary dancer ... a Mozart concerto, the mystery of Mona Lisa's eyes. ... Countries might go to war, but it is culture that unites us. The arts give us hope, uplift us, challenge us, and remain in our hearts." 

I guess that's what keeps our phenomenal instructors at KidzArt energized for every class; we all know this work is important in helping kids to grow as members of the human race, where a little innovation, a little imagination, and a whole lot of heart will make all the difference.

 

Earth Day: Paint a Tree...REALLY!

Thanks to Big and Little Art for this easy outdoor Earth Day fun.   Don't let the simplicity fool you -- kids will LOVE this.  It will not hurt the tree, will wash off in next big rainstorm, and will bring your child very close to nature on this special day. 

 Instructions:

 

1.  Dress child in stuff that's begging to be destroyed (or already has been destroyed).  

2.  Provide (non-toxic) tempera or poster paints, brushes, bucket o' water.  Point child in direction of Tree in Question.   

3.  Stand back.

4.  No, really... STAND BACK.  Fight the urge to direct, suggest, or otherwise control.

5.  (If you have so many great ideas, go paint your own tree!)

Daniel Pink on Education

I had the pleasure of attending the "Thought Leadership Consortium" at St. John's Episcopal School in Olney this weekend.  Those in attendance got to hear teaching expert Starrette Galanis and best selling author Daniel Pink on the topic of re-thinking education in our country.   Pink emphasized reasons for changing how we prepare our kids for the future:  "The best strategy in business is this: iterate to the world something it didn't know it was missing.  To my mind, that's what an artist does...We want kids to be design thinkers; design thinkers solve problems in new ways."   Amen.  Pink's books, A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, Free Agent Nation, and Johnny Bunko focus on the rapidly changing world of work, and what we need to excel in it.  His website is here.  

Dr. Galanis, the Associate Head of School at St. John's, must be a great teacher; every lesson of hers includes a chance for children to: listen, read, write, speak and move.  She noted that in assessment, instead of asking children, simply, "Do you understand?" we should be asking them, "What do you understand?"  Thus, we would be assessing their actual learning, not simply their memorization skills.

Holy Corpus Callosum, Batman!

Who says you can't have it all?   Ellicott City resident and world-renowned pianist Christopher Shih has soloed with numerous orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra.  In 1997, he was one of the top four Americans in the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.  He is also the grand prize winner of three international amateur piano competitions: Washington DC in 2006, Boston in 2007, and Paris in 2008.  

But, did I mention?  It's Christopher Shih MD -- Dr. Shih is a practicing gastroenterologist, having received his B.A. from Harvard and his M.D. from Johns Hopkins.   

Music and medicine, when done well, display the two cerebral hemispheres in uncommon accordance.  A pianist's counting, memorization, and technical skills, are best done in the left brain, but his expression, emotion, and passion are housed in the right.  A physician knows how to work with certain aspects of the human body through what she has absorbed in med school with her left brain; she knows how to work with a patient's (equally vital) mind and spirit when she listens to her right brain, practicing empathy and creativity.  

As your child's brain develops, it makes sense to call on him or her to use both hemispheres -- especially at the same time, as in piano, or DRAWING! -- strengthening the corpus callosum (the massive structure of nerve fibers conducting "messages" between the two halves).   Each half brings much to the table; let's have them shake hands and collaborate, shall we?

You can hear Dr. Shih play this Sunday, 8 PM, as part of the Candlelight series at the Monteabaro recital Hall, Howard Community College.  Info: PHONE  410-997-2324  EMAIL  info@candlelightconcerts.org.   Or, watch Dr. Shih's impressive corpus callosum in action on video, here.

Creativity and Innovation Week

1. Imagine the world united through its creativity.  The following is from www.creativityday.org:

   
   

   World Creativity and Innovation Week, April 15 - 21, is a celebration of our ability to get new ideas, use imagination and make new decisions to make the world a better place and to make your place in the world better, too. 

   Do what you can, do what you like. There’s only one rule: do no harm.

   Since 2002, people in businesses, homes, organizations, schools and communities (106 at last count) in over 46 countries spend the week beginning April 15th (Leonardo da Vinci’s Birthday), ending on April 21st to enliven, encourage, enjoy and express their creative spirit.

    
   

   To participate, take a moment, a day, or the week to generate new ideas to create a brighter future wherever you are.

   
   

   For starters, try one of these, or encourage a child to try:

   
   

        Make the box bigger, or better, imagine there is no box

2. Question what hasn’t been asked
   

3. Make new connections
   

4. Relate the unrelated
   

5. Connect emotions with thoughts, actions, values and beliefs
   

6. Appreciate restlessness as a signal for a chance to do something differently
   

7. Increase satisfaction, meet yours and people’s needs in new ways
   

8. Question the status quo
   

9. Create more desirable futures
   

10. Let the past be a guide post, not a hitching post
    

11. Be open to experiment
    

12. Adopt a ‘let’s learn from our mistakes’ attitude
    

13. Realize that the first idea is a rough draft, open to refinement
    

14. Keep your sense of humour
    

15. Give yourself new experiences
    

16. Learn something new
    

17. Find out what troubles/confuses others, then find new ways to ease their pain