As a lifelong learner, educator and academic at heart, Back-to-School will always be an exciting concept for me. Living based in a temperate climate like I do in Cologne, Germany, as soon as I feel the first chill in the air and sight a colored leaf or Back-to-School sale, I feel a surge of energy, […]
Summer Pause was in full effect in Cologne, we celebrated a family wedding, I got sick, then recovered just in time for Back-to-School.
Though watery ocean, lake, river, and rain concepts can ignite the imagination yearlong, I find them particularly fun in the warmer months, for children’s and all-ages dance, yoga, meditation and visualization, poetic and artistic inspiration. This is a (growing, dynamic, never comprehensive) collection of resources I personally treasure and love to share as a teaching artist but may also be useful to families with children, other creatives, or to delight your own inner artist child.
I find it easier to enjoy the spring and summer, as the warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. So the game is not to try to make the best of more challenging times, but to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again.
July was joyous as well as jammed for me this year, with lots of teaching, creating, family news both “good” and “bad,” queerness (Cologne Pride, the Trocks), political theatre, and summer outdoorsiness between storms.
In the first week of July, I completed my Alphabet Superset! Campbell Walker, aka Struthless, launched the creative challenge in 2023, with one artistic creation for each of the 26 letters of the English Alphabet. Overall a valuable and interesting project, there are a number inspiring experiences and lessons learned in the process which I will share in this reflection.
Summertime is time to reflect on the month of June, quarter two, and the first half of the year.
Having prepared to fly in April and cruised to California for cousin, aunt, and uncle time at the end of the month, the first few days of May we spent showing Ela this lovely West Coast city, eating fish tacos and Mexican food, walking on beaches and piers, at the world famous zoo, through vintage and army surplus stores.
The first part of my month was focused on teaching, coaching, and creating. In the later part of April preparations intensified for a trip home to the US, California and Hawai’i specifically, entailing international travel, packing, and lots of work for both of us as self-employed/freelancers.
It all paid off, as I learned and connected through the work I did, and we had a magical time flying carryon-only to San Diego, visiting with family and touristing there. In this post I’ll share much of what I did and made, then in May’s reflection upcoming, more details of the trip to San Diego and Kailua-Kona.
Happy PRIDE Month lovely LGBTQIA2S+ community and precious allies.
As much as I believe that our joy is it’s own protest, the fact is that in many places around the world it is illegal to be queer and for too many living authentically can be life-threatening.
So it always feels a bit risky to discuss, but is important to bring up anyway.
