Painting A Protest #standwithfarmers
Since September of last year, hundreds of thousands of farmers across India have been protesting against the introduction of a series of agricultural laws. "Close to where Praveen Kumar is sitting with his crutches on a scooter, a brush in one hand, talking to people around him, is a large canvas -- 18 feet in length -- on which he has painted images from the farmers' protest at Singhu. Praveen ha... posted on Feb 13 2021, 1,777 reads

The Energy of the Universe is Neutral: James O' Dea
"The central thesis of my book, 'Creative Stress--A Path for Evolving Souls Living Through Personal and Planetary Upheaval', is that the energy of the universe is neutral. It's only in the last hundred years that the word "stress" has come to denote something negative. For the poet, stress is language, for the composer, stress is musical notes. So stress is a neutral concept. It's the pressuring ... posted on Feb 12 2021, 2,254 reads

Happy Men
"Let me set the scene: I walk up to five men skateboarding by the statue in Prospect Park, they are hanging with each other and I approach and I say, 'Hey, I wrote a poem about you, for you, can I read it to you?'" Winter Miller is an award-winning writer. She has a Masters in playwriting from Columbia University, and has written over 70 articles for the New York Times. She shares what happened ne... posted on Feb 11 2021, 10,133 reads

Drawn Into the Garden: An Artist's Journey
Take a stroll through Helen Stewart's enchanted garden, and discover the allure of living in creative relationship with soil and soul. Gardening is in Helen's blood. Her great grandfather ran the world's largest nursery of his time. Following in his footsteps, Helen, a former sheep farmer, turned artist, author and community weaver -- has gradually transformed the grounds of her heritage home in ... posted on Feb 10 2021, 3,816 reads

The Artist's Way, Serendipity, & My Inner Sanctuary
"Through a 'not-so-smart' smartphone mishap, the Universe tapped me on the shoulder recently and invited me into the Universal Flow of abundance and creativity. I'd meant to send a text message to a certain Julia I know, but my smartphone decided that a different Julia would be the recipient instead." Eileen Rivers shares what happened next in this sweet reflection that weaves together art, poetry... posted on Feb 09 2021, 6,958 reads

The Origin of Black History Month and Why It Matters
"The question that faces us today is whether or not Black History Month is still relevant. Is it still a vehicle for change? Or has it simply become one more school assignment that has limited meaning for children? Has Black History Month become a time when television and the media stack their Black material? Or is it a useful concept whose goals have been achieved?" Lonnie G. Bunch III explores t... posted on Feb 08 2021, 3,452 reads

The Politics of Flower Cultivation
"The tradition of gifting roses for St. Valentine's Day is actually a misguided ritual from an ecology perspective because the roses are actually transported from Kenya, for example. Roses do not grow locally in countries north of the equator during February. Because flowers are not food, we tend to overlook the fact that they are also seasonal products, and we just cannot have it all the time unl... posted on Feb 07 2021, 4,514 reads

9 Rules for the Woke Birdwatcher
"1.Lower your binoculars. See bird and person in the full context of their being, feathers or skin. We all share the same air, same water, same earth, and same fate in the end. Don't just list and be done." Author J. Drew Lanham shares eight other rules/invitations in this short and powerful piece.... posted on Feb 06 2021, 7,402 reads

The Song of Grandmother Cricket
This beautiful animated short film, inspired by a myth from the Bolivian lowlands, was created by a group of Bolivian animators in collaboration with The Animation Workshop of Denmark. When Abuela Grillo (Grandmother Cricket) sings, it rains, and in a country marked by water shortages, the film is a response to the privatization of Bolivias water resources by foreign corporations. The Cochabamba w... posted on Feb 05 2021, 2,966 reads

Invitations to Stillness: Japanese Gardens
"Every element in the Japanese garden from the shape of the pruned pine trees to the careful placement of stepping stones has intention and is specifically designed to cultivate nuanced awareness. The contrast between what is placed and what is left blank, brings to life a pictorial space that leaves room for our imagination. Symbolism and metaphor in the garden also offer powerful tools to help h... posted on Feb 04 2021, 4,487 reads