"American" History

In light of Independence Day and our observance of our American heritage, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the Native peoples of this land prior to the arrival of explorers and pilgrims. It coincides with the lesson this week as we discuss non-Western cultures like China, India, and the Americas which I will put in quotes when I'm making reference to this land prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 15th Century.

Civilizations thrived and were technologically advanced in the "Americas." One example is Peru. Among other advances, Peruvians were very interested in astronomy and time. Observatories still exist in that region and were strategically places to study the stars including the sun. In addition to studying for agricultural reasons, understanding celestial patterns were cause for celebration.  They developed calendars as well as geoglyphs in the shape of geometrical shapes. The following article does a great job of detailing these advancements, uses, and how they've survived into today. Check it out!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160317-spring-vernal-equinox-astronomy-native-american/

Kehinde Wiley is Coming to Richmond

I'm so excited about this exhibit, I'm about to explode! His works are breathtaking and move you beyond your personal limits. I feel every brush stroke when I'm looking at his paintings as well as connect with each subject. It is truly spiritual! I'm so happy that Kehinde gets to experience his renown in his lifetime. Unlike some of my other favorite artists who knew not how well loved their works would be and struggled during their lives further informing their art that touches so many. How I love my friend Vincent van Gogh. But, I digress.

The Ambassadors (1533) Holbein

The Ambassadors is one of my favorite paintings because it looks like a photograph taken to the next level. Kehinde serves up the same beautiful imagery and color in his massive oil paintings. His subjects leave a legacy of sometimes contradictory images juxtaposed in a way that removes the contradiction and shifts the viewers perspective.

Napolean Crossing the Alps (1801) David

My favorite so far...but that will surely change once I get to view the whole exhibit!

Kehinde Wiley: New Republic will be at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts from June 11 until September 5, 2016. Your summer will never be the same! 

From Cuneiform to Texting

Who knew that cuneiform would be so difficult? Well, if you don't have the right tools and the know-how, your clay will end up looking like a bunch of dimples and dents. Wait a minute!! That's what cuneiform looks like anyway, so maybe I'm on the "write" track!

Beyond the actual attempt at using this ancient writing technique, there was a theurapeutic quality to working with the clay. Everyone who was working on writing their monogram--once they got over the fact that they didn't know what they were doing--became quiet and relaxed.

I found a couple of articles about how there is a connection with stress relief and working with art.
Article
Research Paper

Enjoy!

Perspective Shifts

Perspectives are everything. While reading a passage describing the first civilizations, I cringed every time I read "the first in the world." How does the writer know that an event is a first? Technological and relational developments could have been happening concurrently all over the world-the Earth-and the western world wouldn't have known any different and vice versa.

Head of a Tribute Bearer from Khorsabad (710-705 BCE)

What if, when one civilization conquered another, the conquerors destroyed all record of the progress that the conquered people had made? That would leave only the conqueror's records, thus obliterating the history of the conquered. So, when a book says that something is the first or someone was the first to invent something, I suggest you come from the perspective that it may be the first recorded by a people whose records remained intact or the first patent to be successfully approved and PAID for or even the first person to name something that had gone nameless for years. Analyze everything you read and hear with your personal perspective and then utilize a world view--not just a western world view.

New Beginnings: Breaking the Ice with Facts and Favorites

Have you ever wondered how to "break the ice?" I knew that I would have 13 new faces before me and that I would have to get to know them as they got to know each other. I didn't want the icebreaker to be cliche or boring or overdone, so I mixed a few of my favorites into one successful icebreaker. I learned about the people in the room as they learned little factoids about each other. I also gained insight into who wore every emotion on their face, who didn't really want to be in the room as well as those who wanted to tell more than necessary for the activity. It was great! So, do you want to know how to pull off the best ice breaker ever? Read on...

Give each participant 2 slips of paper. One with "Interesting fact..." and the other with "A favorite..." at the top. Explain that they are to write an interesting fact about themselves that they feel comfortable sharing with the group. For the favorite, they can write any of their favorites whether color, food, restaurant, vacation spot, hat, or whatever.  Place the folded slips of paper in a bucket.

Beginning with you, pull one of the slips and read to the class. Try to guess who the fact or favorite belongs to. After a few guesses, open up the floor for other participants to take a guess or give a hint. Once the person has been revealed, he/she will draw the next fact or favorite, and the ice is broken. Everyone will be engaged because they are trying to either guess who wrote the statement, hide the fact that they are the one being discussed, or wondering if their fact or favorite will be pulled. You will also notice how people will immediately latch on to commonalities. For example, there were three participants who loved purple. Once that was up for discussion, someone else stated, "I like purple, too." When there are commonalities in the group, there is comfort. There is a sense of connection and teamwork is sure to follow! 

Let me know how it works out or if you modify in the comments below!

I Need More Weekends During the Year Please!

There are so many wonderful things that need to be done each week, but 8 hours are "lost" each day. Those hours are wasted by no means. We have to work at some type of job during the day (or night), but there are countless errands, odd jobs, and activities that need to be completed that add flavor and excitement to our lives. We own businesses, engulf ourselves in crafts, art, and hobbies, as well as spend time with family in friends. But, it seems that the big chunk of time dissecting our day seems to cramp our style. What should we do?

I suggest making the most of your breaks and lunch time. Take your laptop with you each day and take full advantage of the hour to hour and a half that you have each day that you usually smoke, talk, or eat away! Do you know if you write for 15 minutes per day for a month, you would be well on your way to completing your first novel? Did you know that you could knit a scarf or two in a week if you knit during your lunch break? Etsy's calling!! You could develop multiple blog posts during the day and then schedule across the week before you go to bed at night.

Make the most of the time you have! Maybe one day your hobby or side business will take the place of the 8-hour bill payer! Happy creating!

Shopping!

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