Why boredom is the new busy!
These days because of constant technological saturation we rarely get the chance to feel boredom. The first thing we do when we feel a sense of boredom coming on is look at our phone or another device. We tend to want to avoid any sense of boredom like the plague. We are always busy with our phones, feeling that specific sense of importance that you get from being sent a text or having to respond to a comment on an Instagram post. It's a rush that quite frankly, many of us ar
How to teach your kids respect for nature
One of the best things you can do for yourself and your kids is to take them out into nature. I spent much of my childhood immersed in nature. All of the games we created as kids took place in the forest near my childhood home. Now that I live in a city I crave that quiet time that you can only get in nature. Afterwards I always feel recharged, calmer and more reverent for this beautiful planet we get to make our home on. It might sound cheesy but it's true. Sometimes it's ha
What happens when you mix mindfulness with material practice
The Imagination Project recently had the opportunity to work with local Mindfulness training program Mindful Changes. The goal was to introduce pre-teens to Mindfulness practices and art making tools and the result was a beautiful blend of thoughtful and conscious activities. I was touched by each child's willingness to take a pause in their day, step away from their devices (does every kid these days have an iPhone?) and just listen to their breath. It reminded me of how som
5 ways to raise creative kids when you don't think you're creative
Anytime I tell people what I do they there are usually two kind of responses. One response is usually the kind that comes from a fellow creative, someone who is also an artist or musician or has some experience being creative. It can be encouraging, or engaged or excited and usually leads into some kind of dialogue around art making. The other response is much more common and it comes from people who just don't think they're creative. "I'm not an artist." they say or "I can
