Have you ever had a mentor? If so, what did you learn from them? If not, what would you like to learn from one?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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THE ARTFUL GARDEN
"The Artful Garden" is a metaphor suggesting how we can sow seeds of creative ideas. Gardens start with small seeds, much like ideas and art. They both need to be fed, nurtured and loved in order to thrive. This "garden" is a safe place to be both inspired and inspiring to others. It is a way to share who you are and promote forward movement within your life. A way to realize that you are not alone. Please join our "conversation" any time by posting your thoughts, questions and ideas in the comment section of
"the garden."
"the garden."
Books to Savor & Ponder
- A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle
- Anything by SARK
- Art & Fear, David Bayes, Ted Orland
- Brave on the Rocks, Sabrina Ward Harrison
- Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
- Einstein's Dreams
- Ishmael, Daniel Quinn
- Living Color, Natalie Goldberg
- Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice, Christy Turlington
- Spilling Open, Sabrina Ward Harrison
- The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron
- The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls
- The Secret Life of Bees
- The Time Traveller's Wife
- Turning to One Another, Margaret Wheatly
- Wild Mind, Natale Goldberg
- Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now, Maya Angelou
Movies to See
- An Inconvient Truth
- Coach Carter
- Dalai Lama: The Soul of Tibet
- Dan in Real Life (so good!)
- Ethics for the New Millinneum: His Holiness the XIV Dalami Lama
- Gandhi
- IL Postino
- Into the Wild
- Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth
- Joseph Campbell: Mythos 1 & 2
- Juno
- Life is Beautiful
- Memoirs of a Geisha
- My Kid Could Paint That
- Rivers and Tides (Andy Goldsworthy)
- Robert Rauschenberg: Inventive Genius
- The Future We Will Create
- The Great Debaters
- Volver
- Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?
Posts
6 comments:
Yes. I learned how to be more patient with myself and others. I learned to be open to possibilities. I am more aware of being capable and of the need to take risks. Because of that I have more moments when I am fully alive in the world. I hope I can pass that on. Life is richer with the quiet guidance of a friend.
I have had many mentors in my life, but I think that the most significant mentors have been found in books. There have been many and when I started to look at which ones were most influential I noticed that they were people who were following their heart and living their life and in an authentic way. This is how I want to live my life. Hearing them speak of the challenges that they were able to overcome and yet stay true to their “inner voice” makes me feel like I can do this too. I truly believe that when you are to yourself and “following your bliss” as Joseph Campbell would say, you will find meaning in your life and will truly know what it feels like to be ALIVE. Thank you, SARK, Julia Cameron, Maya Angelou, Sabrina Ward Harrison, Jenny Read, Karen Ernst, Joseph Campbell and the many friends who have helped guide me on my path.
Laura, I love this idea of authors as your Mentors. For me though, there is one person, not author, that stand out dramatically. Her name is Jean Robbins, and without her in my life...my life would never have become what it has. She is older now and watching her leave the field of education and travel the world on a dime..she remains one of the most influential and admired people in my life. It is always good to think of these people. I must get together with her soon!
Thanks for the reminder!
Tomasen
I have had several mentors in my life, and I feel like I learn different things from different people. My mother has certainly been a giuding mentor throughout my whole life- teaching me how to manage money, clean, take care of a home, and I know that some day I hope to give my children all the love and affection that she has given my brother, sister and I. I had several mentors when I was learning how to be a teacher- my cooperating teacher through my internship who taught me the basics of the classroom, but unfortunately, did not have the management skills that I needed (love you Edith!!), so Heidi- a teacher on my team helped me fill in those gaps. And Laura- you as well have a been a personal mentor for me- knowing me well enough to challenge my thoughts, my creativity, and my physicality. Learning is a never ending process, nor is personal growth and I hope to find many more amazing mentors throughout the rest of the journeys that life has in store for me.
Besides my mother and grandmother, most of my mentors have been art teachers-go figure (ha). My art teacher from high school, Mimi Johnson, has literally been there giving me advice in every aspect of my life since I was 16 years old and still continues to do so. I was serendipitously placed with Laura for my first education class ever in college, not knowing all these years later what an important part of my life she would be--that we would be on our journey as artists and women together. Another mentor of mine is my friend Karin, another art teacher. I was placed with her for part of my internship during my masters degree. Our relationship has taken another turn with our children being born six weeks apart. Now she is my go to for anything kid related, especially since our kids are inseperable. Its funny how my relationships with these 3 women have been started. Someone else placed me with each of them for a class I had to take or an internship I had to complete and I had no choice in the matter. Its amazing how fate almost takes you by the hand to meet the people you are destined to. You almost never realize at the time how much that person is going to impact your life.
I have been blessed to have many different mentor that have served me in many different compasities over the years. The first one that comes to mind is Leigh Ann, who not only taught me what it is to be an effective and caring teacher but also taught me about being a consistent and caring friends. From her I learned so much and will always be grateful. I also had a teacher in high school who taught a class called R.O.P.E (= Reaching Our Potential in Education). Basically the class was a type of Outward Bound class. This teacher taught me so much about myself by just challenging me to go beyond my boudaries and do what I thought was impossible. And of course my mom & dad have always been mentors in all aspects of my life. I am so lucky to have been born to two such amazing people. And last, but not least, Laura, the amazing architect of this blog has served as a sort of creative mentor to me ever since I met her. Just when the art seems to be leaving my life, she is always there to remind me of it's significance and encourage me to continue to explore it in many ways. Thank you Laura!
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