The Remarkable Story of An Artist Who Never Spoke a Word
Judith Scott was born deaf and with Down Syndrome. She never spoke a word. Beginning at 7 years old, she spent much of her life in state institutions, up until 1986 when her sister Joyce was awarded legal guardianship. While living with Joyce, Judith discovered Creative Growth, and her love of creating art. She spent the rest of her life, up until her death in 2005, creating remarkable art that of... posted on Sep 21 2017, 12,008 reads

Tending to Your Inner Weeds
Tending to your garden is said to be good for your soul, but what if you tended to your life as you do your garden? In this piece, writer Alanda Greene discusses the lessons her garden weeds have taught her about paying attention to her inner weeds; those habits, behaviors, and tendencies we all have, and often ignore until they are out of hand. Much like weeds obstruct the fullest potential of a ... posted on Sep 20 2017, 20,999 reads

This Incredible Fact of Being Alive:
"I remember writing somewhere that art took me over before life did. I think of myself, and other artists, as the growing edge of a 30,000-year old body of people who made the drawings in the caves, the Pompeii murals, Sumi-e paintings, Rembrandt, Picasso, Grandma Moses. The artists before us were helping to keep the world alive, as working artists are today. We just happen to be occupying the uni... posted on Sep 19 2017, 3,194 reads

Yoav Peck: Encountering Others in Their Full Humanity
Two countries in an endless war with each other. Generations of enemies born into hating the opposition. And with no end in sight, Yoav Peck has found a way to harness peace and cultivate unity between two groups of unlikely allies. Co-Executive-Director of the Sulha Peace Project, Yoav says the key is in listening and in working from the heart and not the head. "Each of us has a story. It's impor... posted on Sep 18 2017, 8,423 reads

Kristin Pedemonti: Blower of Bubbles, Teller of Stories
Kristin Pedemonti's simplicity of spirit and open heart illuminates all whom she meets. In talking about her "leap of faith" decision to pursue storytelling full-time, she says: "When you are on a path that is the right one for you whatever that path is this clarity will appear." Kristin speaks from experience. Whether she's blowing bubbles on a subway of tired souls, giving free hugs at a busy in... posted on Sep 17 2017, 9,273 reads

Gothenburg: The World's Most Sociable City
Gothenburg, like all cities, has its pros and cons. Despite problems with segregation and reliance on fossil fuels, Sweden's second city has a lot to offer in terms of collaboration and community, being voted the "world's most sociable city" earlier this year. The nonprofit organization Kollaborativ Ekonomi Goteborg (Collaborative Economy Gothenburg) discusses the 12 ways Gothenburg is encouraging... posted on Sep 16 2017, 10,573 reads

Spaceman: Mike Massimino's First Spacewalk
As Mark Massimino shuttled through space to the Hubble Telescope, 350 miles above Earth, our planet looked like "a gigantic, bright blue marble set against the blackness of space...Everything had a clarity and a crispness to it. It was like I was seeing things in their purest form, like I was seeing true color for the first time." Read this riveting excerpt from his book, 'Spaceman'.... posted on Sep 15 2017, 5,975 reads

As Worthy as You Are
"When I look at babies, I see how worthy we all are. I see that each individual is an artist, ready to paint something soul-fulfilling on the palette of existence. I see how we start out completely innocent and deserving of love.Then we begin to grow, finding our way in a sometimes challenging world. Navigating lifes difficulties sometimes alters our perception of self-worth." In this short, eloqu... posted on Sep 14 2017, 15,981 reads

The Man Who Wasn't There: Explorations at the Edge of Self
What makes you, you or I, I? That is the age-old question science journalist Anil Ananthaswamy tackles in his book, 'The Man Who Wasn't There: Tales from the Edge of the Self'. He examines the nature of selfhood from all angles, turning to philosophy, neuroscience and in-person interviews with people afflicted with neurological conditions that in some way rob them of some aspect of their selfhood.... posted on Sep 13 2017, 9,087 reads

Two Words That Change Lives
Cheryl Lee Rice will never forget the warm feelings she had when she was handed a business-sized card two years ago that had two simple words printed on them. Its message made her feel seen, deeply seen. "We're living in a world filled with selfies, professional branding, Facebook likes. We believe that by seeking validation we receive it.Actually the opposite is true: We receive validation when w... posted on Sep 12 2017, 0 reads