For the last decade I have repeatedly emphasized a correlation between the encouragement of creativity in childhood and professional, personal and economic success later in life. I have done so here on this blog, and previously as a think tank senior fellow and artist’s rights advocate. I have not been alone in this belief. I […]
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Guest Post: Honoring Your Muse
May 21, 2012 
27 Comments
Today I’m honored to provide a guest post by Lisa Hayes, a singer/songwriter extraordinaire. I’ll confess to a love of passionate and lively Americana roots music, and I love Lisa’s music. I’d describe Lisa as three parts Susan Tedeschi (before her music became a bit, at times, sappy) and two parts Grace Potter (before she […]
Read moreMFA Nugget: Reading Your Work Aloud
January 3, 2012 23 Comments
MONTPELIER, VERMONT: Do you read your prose aloud? If so, does it help you discover awkward turns of phrase, clunky transitions, or poor word choice? Since focusing on creative writing in the last year I have heard this advice often. I heard it most recently here at my residency at the Vermont College of Fine […]
Read moreA Shooting Star, or the Story of a Life
August 1, 2011 7 Comments
Thirty years ago, on July 16, 1981, I lost one of my muses to a violent car crash. I had never met Harry Chapin, had never been blessed to hear him perform live, but he shared the story of his life through his music, and the story of my life is forever changed because that […]
Read moreSharing Without Fear
July 13, 2011 40 Comments
How do you explain a moment when you’ve experienced magic? Several friends and family members have asked me to describe my first residency in my MFA in Writing program, and I have no easy answer. You try describing the experience of spending nearly two weeks with people who like you aspire to be the best […]
Read moreCreativity Tweets of the Week — 5/20/11
May 20, 2011 13 Comments
I can’t get a clear answer on what is going to happen after May 21st, Judgment Day. Assuming I am not one of the Saved, do I go down below? Do I cease to exist? Do I wander a post-apocalyptic Earth like Mad Max? All I know is, whether you’re going up, down, or staying […]
Read moreThe Power of Play: Escape From the Tyranny of Technique
April 20, 2011 16 Comments
Today we’re featuring a guest post from the multi-talented InterPlay leader Kate Arms-Roberts, who will share insights on creativity and on what the heck InterPlay is. Picasso spoke of taking a lifetime to learn to paint like a child. There is a developmental pattern common to many creatives. Early in creative development, interest and inspiration […]
Read moreCollaboration and Mutual Respect
April 13, 2011 10 Comments
Frank Sinatra said he lived his life “My Way,” but a filmmaker and screenwriter I met in Providence, Rhode Island has a more democratic approach to life. I visited Eileen Boarman while she was directing a Public Service Announcement, or PSA, for Rhode Island Department of Transportation. She allowed me to film a bit of […]
Read moreAdvancing Storytelling to a Fine Art
January 19, 2011 2 Comments
“A lot of people say, ‘Anyone can tell a story’… Well, I agree with that, that anyone can tell a story, just in the way anyone can provide first aid… but with more training and experience you’re better at what you do.” The craft of oral storytelling has evolved and grown over the centuries, Kevin […]
Read moreThe Zen of Teaching Creativity
December 6, 2010 6 Comments
After spending almost every dime he had to be there, John Daido Loori walked out of a multi-day retreat with famed photographer Minor White after mere hours, when the class began at four o’clock in the morning with exercises led by a modern dancer. “I had paid hundreds of dollars to study photography with Minor, […]
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