Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Water Wednesday: Australia is an Ocean Protection Rockstar



Good news! The Australian government has created the world’s largest system of marine parks.

According to Upwell's Tide Report:
"Australia has created the world's largest network of marine national parks, protecting an area of ocean the size of Western Europe....The crown jewel of the network is arguably the newly-designated Coral Sea Marine Reserve, which includes a highly protected area of almost 200,000 square miles, the Coral Sea Marine National Park. That makes it the second-largest highly-protected marine sanctuary in the world, and the largest inside any country’s Exclusive Economic Zone."
How cool is that? You can see an interactive map of Australia's network of Commonwealth marine reserves on environment.gov.au, and learn more about it on pewenvironment.org.

Image credit: Photo of Australia by satellite from Wikimedia Commons
Full disclosure: Upwell is a client.


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Richard Branson: "Have fun, do good, and the money will come."


Like any good blogger, I follow the results of my Google Alert and Twitter Search for the phrase "have fun do good," to see who else is writing about it. I was receiving a couple search results each month (if that), until The Economist published, Richard Branson: Ricky's schemes: How to have fun, do good, and make money, last year about his book, Screw Business As Usual.

The landing page for the book on virginunite.com features this quote:
“In a nutshell, I mean that by doing good – doing the right thing – businesses will prosper. Doing the right thing can be profitable, as will be made clear by some of the stories about people and organisations that are already doing it. It’s the core message of this book. I often say, ‘Have fun and the money will come.’ I still believe that, but now I am saying, ‘Do good, have fun and the money will come.'"
In October 2012, his blog post on Virgin.com, Have fun, do good, success will come made the rounds, and a couple weeks ago, his piece, What’s the best measurement for success? Happiness, showed up on LinkedIn. In it he writes:
"Money is a by-product of bigger, more meaningful goals such as passion, fun and wisdom. As I’ve said before, have fun, do good, and the money will come."
What do you think?

 If you have fun and do good, will the money follow?

Screenshot is from Virgin Unite - Screw Business As Usual

Full disclosure: The link to Screw Business As Usual is attached to my Amazon Associates account. If you make a purchase after clicking on the link, I get a small percentage of the sale, which I'll probably use to buy more books!


Monday, November 19, 2012

Vegetarian and Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas

I shared my Vegetarian and Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas Pinterest Board with you last year, so I thought I'd share the updated version. Each photo links to a recipe on a blog, or website. 

Some of the recipes from the board that I've tried, and liked are:
What are some of your favorite vegetarian, or vegan Thanksgiving recipes?

Full disclosure: The cookbook links are attached to my Amazon Associates account. If you make a purchase after clicking on the link, I get a small percentage of the sale, which I'll probably use to buy more books!


Sunday, November 18, 2012

Sunday Quotes: The Power of Stories

 A little inspiration as you make your plans for the week ahead.


"I make my living telling other people's stories, and understand that it is only through story that you build connection. You have to tell the story, so that people feel something. They only want to do something after they feel something." 
 ~ Oprah Winfrey, interviewing Daniel Pink,


"One thing I've learned from the life I've lived: The world can only be saved by one man or woman putting a seed in the ground or a story in someone's head or a book in someone's hands."
 ~ from  A Cafecito Story by Julia Alvarez


"'Media can create the opportunity for masses of people to look at things in different ways; to change policy and behaviors on a massive scale,' explains Berk of the company’s long standing philosophy. 'You do that through storytelling.'"
 ~ Participant Media CEO, Jim Berk,  

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Twenty "Fearless" Changemakers


As part of its Be Fearless initiative, the Case Foundation has chosen the 20 winners of Finding Fearless —a nationwide campaign to recognize, reward and inspire fearless changemakers.

In addition to winning grants and prizes, the winners will compete for additional awards, which will be decided in a “Fan Favorite” public vote, so vote away!

You can check out the work of the winners (in alphabetical order) below.  Are there any who you'd like to hear interviewed on the Big Vision Podcast? 



1. Aashika Damodar | Breaking Heels | Washington, DC
Breaking Heels ™ is a social enterprise transforming the collective power of consumers into a force against human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. (Twitter: @BreakingHeels)

2. Darius Graham | Social Innovation Project | Washington, DC
The Social Innovation Project tackles pressing social issues by providing seed funding and resources to help transform ideas into sustainable programs. (Twitter: @dcsocialinnov)

3. Erin Healy | Youth L.E.A.D. | Miami, FL
Youth L.E.A.D. provides a 12-week afterschool program and 4-month paid apprenticeship wellness program for low-income high school students. (Twitter: @youthleadmiami)

4. Gary Oppenheimer | AmpleHarvest.org | Newfoundland, NJ
AmpleHarvest.org, moves information instead of food to diminish hunger, and to educate, encourage and empower growers to share their excess food. (Twitter: @AmpleHarvest)

5. Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara | WE DO Campaign: Stage 4 | Asheville, NC
The WE DO Campaign mobilizes LGBT couples requesting – and being denied – marriage licenses in their hometowns across the Southern United States. (Twitter: @CSElive)

6. Jen Fu Cheng | Peak Potential Climbing | Fairfield, NJ
Peak Potential is an organization running a 12-week introduction to rock climbing for children with physical disabilities. (Twitter: @PeakClimb)

7. Jessica Ladd | So They Can Know | Baltimore, MD
So They Can Know aims to get more partners notified of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). (Twitter: @JessicaHLadd)

8. Jordyn Schara | WI P2D2 (Wisconsin Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal) |
Reedsburg, WI
Wisconsin Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal (WI P2D2) has collected over 900,000 pounds of un-used prescription drugs curtailing over-the-counter (OTC) drug abuse.

9. Karen Knudsen | Taking the Bull by the Horns | Missoula, MT
Through their 2,300-acre cattle ranch, complete with 300 cows, Taking the Bull by the Horns tests first-hand how ranches can fix degraded creeks and preserve stream water. (Twitter: @clarkfork)

10. Leslie Neal | ArtSpring | Arts for Incarcerated Women | Homestead, FL
ArtSpring uses educational arts programming for developing self-growth and effective life skills for incarcerated women, men and youth.

11. Lori Markowitz | Introduction to Teaching (Youth Ambassadors) | Seattle, WA
The “Introduction to Teaching” course provides a problem-based learning experience for high school students to introduce them to the profession of teaching. (Twitter: @youthambassador)

12. Madhura Bhat | Health for America | Washington, DC
Health for America uses America’s entrepreneurship to combat health challenges through sustainable health solutions. (@health4america)

13. Marquis Landon Cabrera | Foster Skills | Boston, MA
Foster Skills provides emotional development and practical, transferable life skills programs for children and youth in foster care. (@MarquisCabrera)

14. Michael Bitz | Youth Music Exchange | Forest Hills, NY
Youth Music Exchange launches record labels inside schools, organized and managed by youth, enabling students to write, record, and distribute original music.

15. Meghana Rao | Portland Junior Scientists | Portland, OR
Portland Junior Scientists unites high school students with underprivileged elementary school students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (Twitter: @PDXJrScientists)

16. Mike Rocco | City Hall Fellows | San Francisco, CA
City Hall Fellows creates the next generation of enlightened leaders for local government empowering them to be effective change agents. (Twitter: @cityhallfellows)

17. Rachel Durchslag | Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation | Chicago IL
CAASE works with high school age men to help them understand the harms of the sex trade, and what they can do to be part of the solution to end human trafficking. (Twitter: @thecaase)

18. Rajesh Karmani | Zero Percent | Urbana, IL
Zero Percent provides first-of-its-kind cloud and mobile services to help businesses move surplus food via donations through last-minute deals. (Twitter: @ZeroChampaign)

19. Sayu Bhojwani | The New American Leaders Project | New York, NY
The New American Leaders Project prepares immigrants for civic leadership using a curriculum to train new community leaders seeking appointed office. (Twitter: @americasvoice)

20. Thach Nguyen | Swipes for the Homeless | San Francisco, CA
"Swipes for the Homeless" is a grassroots, student-run movement where students work with universities to collect leftover meal swipes for homeless communities. (Twitter: @SwipesHQ)

Full disclosure: Much of the text of this post comes from a press release I received from the Case Foundation.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Link Love: Gratitude Challenge, Finding Your Calling, NY Oysters, and Kale Salad

A round-up of articles and posts that caught my eye recently:

Environment/Green

Food

Do-Gooding  

Communication and Technology

Big Visioning    



Full disclosure: I'm connected personally, or professionally to many of the individuals and organizations highlighted in this post.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Water Wednesday: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From?

I'm always astonished when I hear about a child who was raised in the city, and thinks that carrots come from the store (rather than a farm), but honestly, if you asked me, "Where does your water comes from?" my minimal knowledge makes me only a step away from answering, "the faucet."

While researching the answer, I found the Nature Conservancy's online map that tells you where your water comes from.  I learned that Oakland's drinking water originates from six places:
  • San Pablo Reservoir on San Pablo Creek
  • Briones Reservoir on Bear Creek
  • Lafayette Reservoir
  • Upper San Leandro Reservoir
  • Lake Chabot on San Leandro Creek
  • Pardee and Camanche Reservoirs on the Mokelumne River
I had absolutely no idea that my water came from so many sources.

I'm guessing that unless things change quickly, it will become increasingly important for people to know, and care about their drinking water source(s).  According to the UN, "with the existing climate change scenario, almost half the world's population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030."

I found the map to be a bit hard to navigate, so be patient as you play with it. If you'd like to get an idea of how much water you use, give National Geographics' Water Footprint Calculator a spin.

Where does your water come from?

Image credit: Cat in Sink by zestycarl

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Would You Share Your Medical Data To Help Others?



While working my way through the TED Talks, another one really resonated with me: John Wilbanks's talk, Let's pool our medical data.

Wilbanks runs the Consent to Research Project. They're trying to create a "massive pool of openly available, user-contributed data about health and disease" that can be used for health research. I can see some drawbacks, like big corporations using the data to create products we don't need, but other than that, I think it's an amazing idea.

What do you think? Would you share your medical data to help others?

Read about John Wilbanks' experience sharing his genotype on a public wiki. Fascinating stuff.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Garden Ideas Needed: Low Water, Low Maintenance and Low Cost


My yard is a disaster. It's gotten to the point where we're wondering if the neighbors will complain. I love gardens, flowers and lovely outdoor spaces, but at this time in my life I don't have the time, or resources to have an extensive garden, or well-manicured yard.

I've started a low maintenance yard/garden Pinterest board for inspiration, and would love to hear your ideas for how to create a low water, low maintenance, and low cost yard/garden. It would be nice if it was pretty too (:

A few things to keep in mind:

  • The Bay Area always seem to be in a drought, or on the edge of one, so low-water plants are key.
  • The front yard is partly sunny and partly shady. The soil is acidic from a cedar tree pouring its needles all over it.
  • The backyard is totally shady. 
  • I'm a terrible plant water-er. You don't want to see my house plants . . .

Thanks for your help!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Sunday Quote: Anne Frank + Photos

 A little inspiration as you make your plans for the week ahead.
"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God."

 ~ Anne Frank






Saturday, November 10, 2012

TED Talks Give Meaning to House Cleaning

Today was a cleaning day (until the sink started leaking, but that's another story). To make it more fun, I downloaded a bunch of TED Talks onto my iPad, and carried it from room to room.  (You can listen to TED Talks on the TED website, or download them from iTunes with video, or  with just audio).

One of the most interesting, was Amy Cuddy's: Your body language shapes who you are. She's found that how you hold your body can affect how you feel. For example, if you pose with your hands on your hips (the "Wonder Woman" pose) for just a couple minutes, you'll feel more powerful. You can watch her talk on YouTube, or on the player below.

What are some of your favorite TED Talks?



Friday, November 09, 2012

3 Ideas for How to Help Congress Work Together

"If you think of the definition of public service, it's to solve problems."
~ Senator Olympia Snowe Senator (R-ME), 60 Minutes

"Thanks to all who participated in elections by voting. Let's hold our elected officials accountable and insist they work together 4 us"
~ Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) Twitter, November 7, 2012

"We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America."
~President Barack Obama, 2012 acceptance speech

The Sunday before the election, the hubs and I watched a segment on 60 Minutes, Is the U.S. Senate Broken? It was pretty depressing, but I feel like there are small signs that change is on the horizon.

I think people are starting to realize that Congress's inability to compromise, collaborate, and come to a consensus is no longer just annoying, it's a serious problem. Take a peek at this search on Twitter for the words, "work together."

Below are three ideas that have been kicking around for me. They're not plans for something like campaign finance reform, but I think they could make an impact:

1. Create a mandatory, ongoing professional development program for Congress about how to collaborate, build consensus, and compromise.

2. Organize a letter-writing and phone-calling campaign to ask Congress to commit to working together, and to sign something like the Charter for Compassion.

3. Design "peacemaking" programs across the country where Democrats and Republicans (elected officials and citizens) meet, like Seeds of Peace does with young people from regions of conflict.

Do you know if programs, or campaigns like these exist?

Photo by me (:

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Link Love: Food, Do-Gooding, Tech, Politics and Big Vision

A round-up of articles, events, videos and products that caught my eye recently:

Do-Gooding

Food

Communication and Technology

Politics
  • Marianne Williamson presents Sister Giant (November 10-11, 2012)
  • Obama thanks everyone who helped to build his campaign (Watch till at least minute 3:30) 

 


Big Vision  

Full disclosure: I'm connected personally, or professionally to many of the  individuals and organizations highlighted in this post.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Water Wednesday: Cute Baby Walrus

Woo hoo! Water Wednesdays are back.

Today's photo is a cuteness infusion from Upwell's Tide Report: Mitik the baby walrus!

Mitik is a walrus orphan who was flown from the Alaska SeaLife Center to a new home at the New York Aquarium. Mitik is safe and sound, but the New York Aquarium needs help to repair the damage it suffered in the storm

Upwell created a timeline of Mitik’s story that you can view and share:

Amplify this: Share Mitik’s Story on Facebook or on Twitter: Meet Mitik. He’s a moustached New York baby who made it through #sandy. He needs your help. bit.ly/MitiksStory

You can also learn more about this cutie-patchootie here:


Full disclosure: Upwell is a client.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

I Voted for President Barack Obama


I voted for President Barack Obama in 2008, and I voted for him again in 2012. 

I voted for President Barack Obama because even though I know he isn't perfect, I believe he is doing the best that he can during a very difficult time.

I voted for President Barack Obama because I believe that he will work for women's economic and health rights.

I voted for President Barack Obama because I believe that he will work for a better environmental future.

I voted for President Barack Obama because I believe that he will work for the economic welfare of the most people.

I voted for President Barack Obama because I trust and like him.

I really hope he wins, but if he doesn't, what he said still holds true:

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. "

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Monday, November 05, 2012

Express Yourself: Image + Text = Internet Gold


If you were on Facebook after the first Presidential debate, you saw a flood of Big Bird images overlaid with captions. The same thing happened with "Binders full of women." The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words, but these days, a picture with words is Internet gold. If you want to express yourself online for a cause, or for fun, it's worth playing around with image macros.

I made the silly VoteCat image above with quickmeme.  It was easy to use, but it's a bummer that once I put it up, I couldn't go back and edit it.  Plus, it wasn't easy to download, until I found a workaround on answers.yahoo.com.

My friend, Julie Daley, used Photoshop to create this beautiful piece from one of her exquisite flower photos.


She also made this image with another friend, Tara Mohr, featuring Tara's poem, "Who Do You Think You Are?"


 I like this image that Upwell shared last week in their Tide Report.



  • To share on Twitter: Click to tweet: MT @DeSchutterUNSR #Oceangrabbing is as big a threat as landgrabbing http://bit.ly/TlXcpL #overfishing impacts food security
  • Or share the image on Facebook.
You can view more ocean-related images Upwell has shared on Pinterest.

I made this one by taking a photo with my iPhone (it's blurry 'cause I was holding the ballot over the mailbox with one hand, and trying to take the photo with the other). I added the text with the free Photo Wizzard app, and put it through a filter on Instagram.



What tools do you use to create image macros? Feel free to share links to images you've created in the comments.

Full disclosure: Upwell is a client.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Super Soul Sunday




"Go for a walk and something will happen. I promise you. Thirty minutes. Just go out there by yourself, don't put anything in your ears, and let whatever happens happen.
What will happen is that you're going to hear that thing inside of you that is you."
~ Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, on Super Soul Sunday


"Fame is the number one thing that people want. . . .
What if we could supplant the idea of fame with service?"
~ Rainn Wilson, creator of Soul Pancake, on Super Soul Sunday

I grew up going to Mass on Sunday mornings, but I don't go anymore. TV isn't a replacement for a spiritual community, but one of my favorite programs these days is Super Soul Sunday on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).

Even if I don't resonate with the guest, I usually come away with a nugget of wisdom. The first season included interviews with Caroline Myss, Cheryl Strayed, Daniel H. Pink, Debbie Ford, Deepak Chopra, Elizabeth Gilbert, Gary Zukav, Kris Carr, Marianne Williamson, Rainn Wilson, Ram Dass, Rev. Ed Bacon, Sara Ban Breathnach and Thich Nhat Hanh, as well as the director and two cast members from Beasts of the Southern Wild. You can watch past Super Soul Sunday episodes online.

Season 2 starts this morning at 11 AM ET/PT, and features an interview with Deepak Chopra about meditation. The show has a pretty active Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Twitter hashtag #SuperSoulSunday, if you wanna connect with other viewers.

What do you do that renews your soul each week?

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Cooking from Forks Over Knives in November

As some of you know, I have a second blog, VegCookbook Club, where each month readers and I cook from a vegetarian, or vegan cookbook together. This month's cookbook is, Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook. It's only November 3rd, so there's still time to join us!

You can see an example of how the VegCookbook Club works by perusing the posts and comments about our October VegCookbook, Chloe's Kitchen, and reading the About section. We were even featured on VegNews.com this summer!

One thing to know about Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook, is that the first print run has errors in it. According to Amazon.com:
“We are now shipping only corrected editions, but some copies already in circulation may require an errata slip (a correction of the book, which can be downloaded here). If you’re unsure whether your version requires the errata slip, please refer to page 52. If your version refers to “cinnamon stick” in step 1 of the ‘Polenta with Pears and Cranberries’ recipe list, please download the errata sheet.”
The cookbook is a spin-off from the documentary, Forks Over Knives. You can learn more about the film at www.forksoverknives.com, and follow them on Twitter at @ForksOverKnives.

Full disclosure: The link to Folks Over Knives - The Cookbook, is linked to my Amazon Associates account. If you make a purchase after clicking on the link, I get a small percentage of the sale, which I'll probably spend on more books!

Friday, November 02, 2012

How to Help After Hurricane Sandy

Growing up in Mystic, CT, I lived through two hurricanes: Gloria in 1985 and Bob (on my birthday!) in 1991.  I remember how it felt waiting for the storm to arrive, being scared while it was happening, and then going back out into the world to see the damage. Gloria and Bob were "regular" hurricanes. I can't imagine what the people who just went through Sandy felt, and are experiencing now.

I've been searching today for ways to help, and rounded up a collection of articles and websites that suggest ways to donate and volunteer. I haven't decided what helping action to take. Have you? Please share additional Sandy-related donation and volunteering ideas in the comments.
  1. How to Help the Survivors of Hurricane Sandy (The White House blog)
  2. Hurricane Sandy: For Those Who Want to Help (FEMA.gov)
  3. How to Help Hurricane Sandy Victims (ABC News)
  4. As Hurricane Sandy Relieft Efforts Continue, Here's How You Can Help (Forbes) 
  5. After Hurricane Sandy: How to Help (Yahoo! Shine)
  6. Superstorm Sandy: How to Help ( Yahoo! News)
  7. Hurricane Sandy: How to Help & What You Need to Know (Huffington Post)
  8. Helping the Survivors of Hurricane Sandy Victims (Marie Claire)
  9. Shocked by Photos of Hurricane Sandy? How to Help (Good.is)
  10. How to Help | Hurricane Sandy (WNYC)
  11. Helping the Survivors of Hurricane Sandy (White House). Video below:


    Thursday, November 01, 2012

    Leaping Into NaBloPoMo. Would Love Your Support

    Is there something that you think about doing that makes you feel excited-scared?  Excited because you really want to do it, but scared because you're not sure how it will turn out?

    That's how I feel about joining NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Earlier in the week, I mentioned that I've been noticing a lot of time-based challenges (e.g. Art Every Day Month), and felt called to do one. None of them felt quite right, until I stumbled upon NaBloPoMo. During the month of November, participants (including me!) will post once a day on their blog.

    Why I want to  do it:

    1. After 7 + years, Have Fun, Do Good is feeling a little stagnant.  It's time to grow it, or let it go. I'm hoping this blogging challenge will help me figure out the next step in its evolution.

    2. According to the September 1999 New York Times article, Route to Creativity: Following Bliss or Dots? creativity may actually be enhanced by limits, "the real source of productive creativity may lie in art's supposed bugaboos: rules, structure, even the occasional editor or two."

    3. I love writing, and blogging in particular!
    What I'm afraid of:
    1. I won't have anything to say.

    2. I'll miss days, or stop altogether.

    3. I'll lose you as a reader. I've never been a daily blogger, so some of you might not like the increased frequency. I also don't know what the heck I'm going to write about for 30 days, so some of the posts might cover things that aren't the usual Have Fun, Do Good topics. If you decide to unsubscribe, I just want to say thank you so much for reading as long as you did (:
    I'd love some tips if you've embarked on a creative project that you didn't know how it would turn out, or if you would succeed, but you did it anyway. How did you keep on keeping on?

    Monday, October 29, 2012

    7 Inspirations for Your Daily Practice: Creating and Giving

    "I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God."
    ~Martha Graham
    Do you ever have weeks where a word, image, or idea keeps popping up? When it happens to me, it usually means that I need to pay attention, and tell your guys about it. For the past week, examples of daily practices around creativity and giving have been showing up, so I thought I'd share them with you.

    I don't know what it is about November, but there are a bunch of challenges for creating and giving coming up:

    30 Days of Gratitude

    Carla Kay White, creator of the Gratitude Journal app, is encouraging folks to record 30 days of gratitude in their journal, with her app, or as a photo journal on Instagram. If you decide to share what you are grateful for on Instagram or Twitter, use the hashtag #novembergratitude


    Art Every Day Month

    The lovely Leah Piken Kolidas started Art Every Day Month 10 years ago as a challenge to herself to create art every day for a month, and post it on her blog.  You can sign up on this page, to join this year's AEDM. Most people post a photo of what they made on their blog, or Flickr.  If you share your posts, or photos on Instagram, or Twitter, use the hashtag #aedm2012.

    You can listen to my October 2010 interview with Leah on the Arts and Healing Network Podcast, and view my Flickr set from participating in 2010.

    NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)

    Leah was inspired to create Art Every Day Month by NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). The first NaNoWriMo started 13 years ago with a group of 21 writers. Last year, 36,843 writers participated!

    Check out their website. It's full of fun resources and ways to connect to fellow novelists. Lots of folks are sharing tips on Twitter with the hashtag #nanowrimo

    I've also been noticing a number of books about 365 days of creating and giving (I haven't read any of them, by the way):

    One Good Deed a Day (Diary) by Chronicle Books













    Craft-a-Day: 365 Simple Handmade Projects by Sarah Goldschadt












    365: A Daily Creativity Journal: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life! by Noah Scalin


























    All of these challenges and books make me want to try a creative and/or giving practice during the month of November, or in 2013. Howabout you? Do you already have a daily creating or giving practice?  If not, do you want to try one?

    Thursday, October 11, 2012

    Free Classes at Coursera: Be a More Educated Activist

    Have you guys heard of Coursera?

    A just learned about it last weekend, and think it's the coolest thing ever. It's a social entrepreneurship company that partners with universities to offer courses online for free. According to their website, part of their vision is to:
    "[G]ive everyone access to the world-class education that has so far been available only to a select few. We want to empower people with education that will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the communities they live in."
    As of this writing, they offer free, online courses from 33 universities like Berklee College of Music, Columbia University, John Hopkins University, Stanford University, University of Melbourne, and Wesleyan University.

    I'm ridiculously excited to start taking classes. Not only is it an opportunity for me to explore personal interests, but also to learn more about causes I care about. I've already signed up for a University of Melbourne course about Climate Change (date TBD), a John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health course, Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health (January 2013), and a University of Florida class, Fundamentals of Human Nutrition (date TBD).

    What courses are you going to take? 

    Maybe we'll be in class together (:

    **********

     P.S. I have three blogging classes coming up in October:


    Wednesday, October 10, 2012

    Art and Aging: Tim Carpenter of EngAGE

    According to Pew Research Center's population projections, in 2030, all members of the Baby Boom generation will be 65 or older, and 18% of Americans will be at least that age.

    I believe that new models of aging and senior life will emerge from this wave, and can't wait to see what is created, which is why I loved stumbling upon The New York Times article, For Healthy Aging, A Late Act in the Footlights. It profiles an innovative organization called EngAGE.

    EngAGE is a nonprofit that changes aging, and the way people think about aging, by transforming senior apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness and creativity. One of its project is the Burbank Senior Artists Colony, a first-of-its-kind senior apartment community with high-end arts amenities and programs (how cool is that?). The NOHO Senior Arts Colony and the Long Beach Senior Arts Colony will open in 2012.

    I truly believe that projects like EngAGE are models for happy and healthy senior communities, so I was thrilled when EngAGE's founder, Tim Carpenter, agreed to chat with me for the Arts and Healing Network's Podcast.  In 2008, Tim was named an Ashoka Fellow. In 2011, he received the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.  He also serves on the board of the National Center for Creative Aging, and is the host and producer of the EXPERIENCE TALKS radio show.

    You can listen to the interview on the Arts and Healing Network's website, through iTunes, or on the player below.

    What other innovative aging and senior living projects have you seen?



     P.S. I have three blogging classes coming up in October:


    Tuesday, October 09, 2012

    How Are You Unfurling? (Video)


    What's unfurling in you right now?

    Who (or what) are your allies as you unfurl in this way?

    How do you get out of your own way?

    What's the soundtrack?

    Who are you becoming?

    These are the five questions that the lovely Amy Kessel asks each person in her Unfurling video blog series — including me! You can hear my answers by watching the video below, or on Amy's blog.

    I've never done a video interview before, especially with such deep questions!


    Unfurling With Britt Bravo from amy kessel on Vimeo.

    P.S. I have three blogging classes coming up in October:

    Wednesday, October 03, 2012

    Playing Big to Change the World


    "[W]omen playing big is a large part of what is going to bring the world out
    of the mess it’s in." ~ Tara Mohr

    Tara Mohr is a wise lady, which is why I asked her to share a guest post with you about Playing Big. I know that many of you have big visions for a better world, and that some of you are looking for guidance about how to "play big," so that you can realize that vision. My hope is that Tara will be a resource for you either through her Playing Big program, her blog, her videos, or her Twitter feed. Enjoy!

    Playing Big
    by Tara Mohr

    A few years ago, I sent a survey to my blog readers and asked them, “What’s the biggest challenge in your life?”

    My blog readers are a lot like the readers here – intelligent, socially conscious women who want to contribute something of meaning to the world.

    I listed a whole bunch of choices for that “biggest challenge”:


    __I just can’t find enough time to do all that is important to me.
    __I don’t have clarity about what I want.
    __I have unsupportive people in my life.
    __I have major financial challenges.
    __Work-family balance.
    __My work isn’t satisfying.
    __Health issues.

    …and so on.

    Then, almost on a whim, I added one more potential mega challenge:

    __I’m playing small.

    When the survey results came back in, I was stunned. Across hundreds of responses, by far the most popular answer to “what’s your biggest challenge?” was “I’m playing small.”

    I was stunned because we don’t often talk about our playing small, but it turns out that quietly, inside so many of us, there is a pained sense of playing small.

    Of course, we could chalk this up to our unrealistic expectations of ourselves, or our culture’s focus on everything being big, bigger, biggest. But after working with hundreds of people around the work of playing bigger, that’s not what I’ve found. Their sense of playing small isn’t coming from misguided expectations. What I’ve found in people is a wise knowing that they are holding back their boldest ideas and most radical questions, that they are still playing the skeptic in relation to their own big callings to serve. Fear and self-doubt are still running the show, way too much of the time.

    Those survey responses helped me see the need for a training that would help women play bigger, that would take them step by step through the inner work and tactical training needed to really start playing big. Teaching the Playing Big women’s leadership program is now the focus of my work. More than 250 women have been through the program.

    Creating and leading Playing Big has allowed me to have my own “have fun, do good” journey. For me, helping women play big feels like a crucial kind of service because I think women playing big is a large part of what is going to bring the world out of the mess it’s in.

    So, here are two questions for you to consider today:

    How are you playing small in your work right now? Where are you betraying your voice, your gifts?

    What does playing big look like for you? If you set aside the world’s definition, and get real about what playing big really means to you, what images or ideas come up?

    Love,

    Tara

    Visit HERE to learn more about Tara’s program Playing Big, or check out her free 10 Rules for Brilliant Women Workbook HERE.



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    P.S. I have three blogging classes coming up in October:
    Oct. 14 (Berkeley, CA): Tea & Cupcakes with Creative Bloggers
    Oct. 16-Nov. 6 (Virtual): Juicy Blogging E-Course: The Art & Play of Blogging
    October 27
    (Berkeley, CA): Blogging for Writers: Build an Audience for Your Work

    Monday, October 01, 2012

    Your (Free) October 2012 Big Vision Worksheet



    The hubs is back from his work travels, and so are the Big Vision Worksheets. Yay!

    The photo is from the roof of Gaudi's La Pedrera/Casa Milà in Barcelona, one of my favorite places we visited on our trip to Spain.

    You can download a PDF of My October 2012 Big Vision worksheet for free from Dropbox here.

    I wrote my big vision for the month under, "My October Big Vision," and then wrote my 4 actions steps, at a diagonal, near the numbers on top of the 4 funny heads. Obviously, you can write on it however works for you (:

    What are some of your big visions for October?

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    P.S. I have three blogging classes coming up in October:
    Oct. 14 (Berkeley, CA): Tea & Cupcakes with Creative Bloggers
    Oct. 16-Nov. 6 (Virtual): Juicy Blogging E-Course: The Art & Play of Blogging
    October 27
    (Berkeley, CA): Blogging for Writers: Build an Audience for Your Work