“Sensitivity is a sign of life. Better hurt than hardened.
I bow to those who keep their hearts open when it is
most difficult, those who refuse to keep their armor
on any longer than they have to, those who recognize
the courage at the heart of vulnerability. After all the
malevolent warriors end each other, the open-hearted
will inherit the earth.”
~ Jeff Brown
This week…
Leadership: Comfort Zone or Cul-de-Sac?
I crave physical and mental comfort – no pain, maximum delight, effortless patterns, and easy decision making. If fact, all my colleagues, clients, friends, and strangers crave comfort, and consumer companies promise us comfort through food, drugs, home furnishings, cars, travel, you name it. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable?
I just interviewed Oscar winning activist Patricia Arquette on stage at the Women in Technology Summit in Silicon Valley. If you don’t know, Patricia is the powerful and appropriately radical voice for equal pay and equal opportunity for women. She won an Oscar for her role as a mother in the movie Boyhood. I will tell you more about all that in my next blog but my wife and I just took a few days off to climb around Yosemite so I am going to make this short.
What I learned from Patricia is like almost all of us, she was afraid to do what she most wanted to do. She wanted to be an actress but she didn’t believe she could act. So at a very tender age she decided to be BRAVE for one year. She told me that the way she would know if she was being brave was if she was willing to try harder when she failed.
That year she went ‘all in’ in terms of acting classes, auditions and building a network of contacts. She nearly emotionally drowned in a river of failures but she finally got a movie part and put her whole self into the opportunity. The result . . . well she said she “stunk.” But nevertheless she ignited a 20-plus year run of steady parts in movies and TV series.
She is still a committed, working actor but today she is being brave by being an activist. She founded a non-profit, Give Love, that is saving children’s lives all over the developing world through an innovative method of transforming sanitation and access to clean water. She is also forcefully stimulating companies to do equal pay audits and it is actually equalizing pay in big companies like Salesforce.com.
The lesson I wanted to pass on that I learned from Patricia is bravery works!
Allow yourself to dream of a better life and a better world and just start doing what is uncomfortable but obvious. And don’t quit. Failure is expected. Failure is essential to breakthrough.
What do you really, really care about? Be Brave . . . do something. Just start, the way forward will appear if you do not stop because of initial failure.
We need to re-invent our future. To do that we all need to be BRAVE.
“The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life
that nothing else can bring.”– Oscar Wilde
This week…
Celebrate Me Home:
Recently, we had to say the long goodbye to our 11 year old canine companion for independence-trained, kind, smart, sporting and loving black lab Kailee. If you are an animal person, you know the joy these wonderful creatures can bring to our lives with their unconditional love and big hearts. You might also know the absolute pain and heartbreak we feel on their loss as an integral family member.
Today, rather than mourn Kailee’s loss, I choose to celebrate her life and love.
Grief is a real bitch!
Here are some resources for coping with one of life’s most character-building experiences…
Tom Golden’s article, although it’s about human loss might be helpful in affirming what you already know..
Stewarding Children’s Grief/Helping Families Heal Together
by Tom Golden, LCSW
There is tremendous diversity in the way we choose to heal from grief. We each have our own path, and gender is, of course, just one of the many factors involved in the direction that path may take. The question arises, “How can we honor such diversity within a family unit at a time of great loss?” Each person within the family may very well have a different way of healing themselves. Some persons may have a great need to talk, others may need to connect their grief with action, while another might be quietly healing in his or her own private manner. This diversity can often lead to trouble in the family, with barbs being thrown or held in consciousness about some other family member not grieving in the “right” way. This article is meant to get us started in examining some ideas about healing grief within our family.
My son and I were playing a friendly game of catch. As I tossed him the ball, I noticed the mitt he was wearing. It had been my father’s baseball glove which he had used when I was in Little League. I remembered the many times my father had gone to Little League games and coached or hit fly balls us. Sports was not really his forte, but he made sure to be a part of my life. A scientist and researcher with NASA, he was a dedicated father who enjoyed spending time with his three children and involving himself with their separate interests.
Luke, my seven-year-old son, had chosen that particular glove as his own, perhaps because it was old and very flexible and perhaps it was due to it having been his grandfather’s. This glove has given us many opportunities to talk about my father and his recent death. As we toss the ball back and forth, it is a link into my father and his history. Luke and I have had many of these conversations, usually quick and to the point. Luke might make a particularly good catch and then say it was the glove that helped him with such a spectacular play. I the might say, “Yeah, that’s a special glove. I sure do miss Granddaddy.” Luke agrees and points out that he misses his sense of humor; the game goes on. These short interludes serve us both as a way to remember and honor our pain at the loss of my father, and his grandfather. Healing grief is a matter of chipping away at the potent feelings over and over again. Taking small chunks during an activity such as playing catch is certainly a valid form of healing.
“We need to be open with our kids about our grief in a way that helps them to see that we are grieving. When we allow our kids
to see our grief, we give them the best teaching we could give: a role model. This can be helpful to both parents and children.”
My daughter Julia (13 years old) has a very different way of approaching her pain. Julia will approach me and request “special time,” meaning we are to sit and talk about something. She says, “I miss Granddaddy,” and proceeds to talk of her feelings of loss. She already has the agenda and will happily orchestrate the conversation. This, too, is a valid form of healing.
A part of the reason for the difference between Julia and Luke is their age. Julia is more developed physically/psychologically and has a more sophisticated understanding of her emotions. But there is also a difference that has to do with gender. Luke loves to do things and maybe talk some while we are actively participating together. I learn more about Luke and his life while we are wrestling than any other time. We will be grunting and groaning as we push at each other’s body, and all of a sudden, he will stop and say something about his day. Just as quickly we are back at it again. This pattern continues with brief flashes of self-disclosure during activities. Julia, however, doesn’t seem to need the activity. She needs the emotional contact and attention. Both ways are healing; both need to be honored. Although I believe this is a gender difference, it could easily go the other way, with my daughter preferring activity and my son more inclined to talk. It is not that boys do it one way and girls another. It is that as parents we are responsible for finding our children’s individual gifts in healing themselves and then helping them use it. Grief is a potent force, and we need to find ways to steward our children’s connection with feelings of loss and their healing.
“Make sure that the name of the person who died is spoken in your household.”
Make sure that the name of the person who died is spoken in your household. If the name is not spoken, it sets up a situation where it seems that the topic of this person is not one that is open for conversation.
Grief is no different than any other process that children learn. As parents, we steward our children’s anger, homework, sexuality, social skills, bathroom behavior, and a long list of many others. We tend to be more active in our assistance with the younger ones and expect more from children as they grow and mature. We make decisions about what the child needs to know at any given time and find ways to teach them the next level when they are ready. Homework might be a good example. Think of a very young child and how you help them with their studies. Usually we tend to be more active in finding an appropriate place for them to work and are also active in our help with their learning. As the child grows older, we expect and teach different things. We do less of the actual work and more teaching skills in how to work. This is stewardship. We give to them what they need at any given time based on our understanding of their individual qualities and their level of development.
Stewarding a child’s grief is the same.
We adjust our approach to their pain based on their level of development and our assessment of their needs. But stewarding grief is a tough task for parents who are actively grieving. It is often a time when our “parent” energy to teach, help, and engage our kids is at an all time low. We too are in need of healing. The saving grace, however, is that by stewarding our children’s grief we ourselves heal. Each time I have a burst of a conversation with Luke about my father or each time Julia asks me for “special time,” I get in touch with my grief and loss. By stewarding I am also healing. Sometimes parents want to hide their feelings of grief and loss from their kids. Occasionally this can be appropriate, but usually if the parent holds back it stops the healing for both parent and child. The kids sense that there is something not being said and will pick up that this “holding back” must be the adult way to do things. We need to be open with our kids about our grief in a way that helps them to see that we are grieving. When we allow our kids to see our grief, we give them the best teaching we could give: a role model. This can be helpful to both parents and children. With this said, let’s look at a couple of ideas of ways families can heal together.
Suggestions: How to Steward Your Child’s Grief
Eduardo and Son Bautista – Argentina
ONE: The first idea is to make sure that the name of the person who died is spoken in your household. Speaking the name of the person has a powerful effect. If the name is not spoken, it sets up a situation where it seems that the topic of this person (or pet) is not one that is open for conversation. Saying the name out loud states clearly that the topic is indeed open. Children will respond to this in their own way. Watch carefully how they respond and you will learn their ways of healing.
Speaking the name can manifest in a number of ways. It does not have to be on a rigid schedule or formally spoken. The best ways I have found are to bring up my father’s name in spontaneous situations. For example, as we are having dinner I might mention my father’s love of something related to what we are talking about. This gives a green light for the kids (or the adults) to speak up if they wish, or to remain silent; both are acceptable. Sometimes kids have very introverted ways of healing and can benefit from listening to another’s conversation. We need to honor all ways. Another way of speaking the name is to include the person’s name in the prayers you use, such as requesting special blessings for this person or using a prayer that may have been a favorite of theirs.
TWO: A related idea is to have pictures of the person who died in different places in your home. In my house we have pictures of my father on the refrigerator, stuck to some cabinets, and in some other spots. This has a similar effect as speaking the name. It includes and honors the person who died and gives a similar green light for discussion and healing.
THREE: Creating family activities in honor of the person who died is a great way to accommodate all of the differences within your family. The activity allows both a place to talk about the loss and an opportunity to connect one’s action with the grief. Let’s say the person who died loved fishing. In this case you might plan a family activity for everyone to go fishing. You make it clear that this trip is in honor of the person who died. On the trip you make sure that the person’s name is spoken and that the participants know the nature of the honoring. If conversations come up about the person, then that is great; if not, that is okay too.
Doing something together as a family in honor of the person who died is healing in itself. What generally happens is that the kids get into it in their own ways. In my family Luke would say that he is going to catch the biggest fish for Granddaddy. In that way he connects the trip and his action (fishing) with his grief for his grandfather. There is healing in this. The activity provides a “ground” in which the entire family can plant the seeds of their grief in their own way. Some family members may talk and cry about the loss, while others may connect their pain and tears with their goal to catch the biggest fish. This same idea is important with regard to holidays and anniversaries. There are many ways to honor the person who died, and you can use your creativity to find an activity that fits your family.
FOUR: A traditional form of the activity idea is that of visiting the grave. But often this is impractical due to distance or other reasons. The kids lso sometimes think it is “dumb.” A variation on this is to create a place that becomes linked to the person who died. Maybe that person had a favorite spot, or maybe your family has a beautiful spot that everyone enjoys visiting. As a parent you can link that spot with the person who died. You can declare it a spot that the person who died loved (or would have loved), and your family visits there can include the memories of this person. It might be a waterfall, or like a family I know, an amusement park. No words need be spoken as long as the family knows the link has been made. Most times I think you will find that the person becomes a topic of discussion when visiting that place.
Another family I know created a needlework (counted cross-stitch) memorial in honor of a family member who had died. The father laid out the pattern, and the mother and children did the sewing. With the help of the kids, the father made a frame, and the needlework was dedicated to the person who died and put in a place of honor in the family home. It was a family project that used everyone’s energy and involved everyone in the healing process. The examples could go on and on: one family put together a video, another created a sculpture for their yard. The important point is that these families found a project that could be used as a means of honoring the person who died while at the same time giving the family a joint space to honor their grief. By doing things together as a family in honor of the person who died you are creating a healing space for the whole family. As parents we need to find a variety of ways to help ourselves and our family heal our grief and pain.
By doing it together, we not only heal,
we come closer as a family unit.
Tom Golden LCSW, is an author, speaker, and psychotherapist and wrote the book Swallowed By a Snake. Tom’s area of specialization is healing from loss and trauma. Tom has been working in the field of death and dying for over thirty years. Tom’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report and also on CNN, CBS Evening News, ESPN and the NFL Channel. He is a member of the newly created Maryland Commission for Men’s Health. Tom presently lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland with his wife of thirty years. He delights in both his daughter and his son.
Thanks this week to our loving family that is growing through this together, our extended family and community network that have been great supporters, and to Larry H and Ken D for the resources and smiles!
Pay it forward!
Love,
Neville
“When you can see God in small things, you’ll see God in all things.”—Donald Hicks
Thanks to my entire extended family and friends for leading the way.
May you and yours have a blessed summer!
Pay it Forward with Purpose!
Love,
Neville
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be
honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have
lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Forgiveness isn’t just a blessing you deliver to another human being. Forgiveness is also a gift you give yourself!
Too many potentially fantastic performers + rare-air leaders among us have left their best creativity, productivity and impact on the table of broken dreams because they stayed stuck in the past.
You can stay angry at someone who hurt you. Or you can get busy doing your visions and changing our world. But you don’t get to do both.
Forgive the unforgiven so you leap from any victimhood up to leadership…
As always, I’m in your corner. You can be great. And now is your time.
Wishing you all green lights,
Thanks this week go to Vicente R, Larry H, Norm H, Marlaine C & Robin S
Pay it Forward with Principles and Purpose!
Love,
Neville
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
During a layover at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , a World War II veteran passed the time and entertained passengers with a sudden display of dancing!
A group of veterans were awaiting their Honor Flight home, when three women began singing The Andrews Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”
Encouraged by the lyrics “he started to dance” the sprightly old man jumps out of the crowd and starts to boogie. When someone offers him a walking cane he rejects it and instead, shows off some serious dance moves. His energy and enthusiasm gets the crowd of other vets joining in on the fun!
Honor Flights provide free flights to veterans who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam by flying them to see the war memorials in Washington , DC built in their honor. It’s wonderful to see these brave veterans enjoying life in the moment after what must have been an emotional visit! http://www.reshareworthy.com/old-man-boogies-at-airport/#VeYypoPWCTl2FPiw.99
Memorial Day Speech by Ronald Reagan:
Those that say we are in a time when there are no heroes, don’t know where to look…
After those sobering notes…
10 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Incredibly Happy:
Thanks this week go to Larry H, Vicente R, and All of us with the grit and stick-to-it-ive-ness to seek happiness for ourselves and each other in the face of adversity
Make this life memorable. It is the only one we’ve got…
Pay it forward!
Love,
Neville
“To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people exist, that is all.”– Oscar Wilde
Turning the Spotlight on Community Leader Drew Schlosberg
For the first time in 25 years, I’ll be turning the tables and the spotlight by interviewing host Drew Schlosberg on his San Diego Union-Tribune Community Spotlight Show. Although I’ve been a frequent guest over the years representing Mission Fed and our involvement with the community, this is a special opportunity for me to ask Drew his thoughts about community engagement, cultivating a spirit of giving and Drew’s passion for making San Diego such a special place to live, grow and give back. Join this lively conversation and log in Wednesday, May 25 from 10:30-11am PST at wsRadio.com.
Go to wsRadio.com the day of the interview and click on Studio B to hear the show “live.” After the interview, the interview will be available on the channel’s website. Listen, learn and share the love of San Diego!
TheBeautyOfPainted Stairs Around The World
Abandoning the flat canvas of buildings, some street artists take to the stairs, transforming them into magnificent works of urban art. It doesn’t matter whether it’s with paint, plants, mosaics or wallpapers – the end goal is beauty, shared and enjoyed by all. This phenomenon is not a localized one and is happening all around the world. These are 20 of the world’s most stunning stairs:
Thanks this week go to Sue S, Drew S, Larry H, Terri M, the San Diego Nonprofit Community & Educators Everywhere!
Pay it forward!
Love,
Neville
“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we have learned
here. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and
the acceptance of love back into our hearts.” — Marianne Williamson
(I hear some of you save this to start the week off on Monday 🙂 )
This week:
A Letter Einstein Purportedly Wrote To His Daughter About The Universal Force of Love:
Teaching Tolerance: Which Uses of Technology Support Young People’s Development Better Than Say Using a Pencil, and Which Are in Fact Worse?
The Missing Flow in STEAM is R for Relationships!
Teaching Kids Philosophy Makes them Smarter in Math and English
If you are local…
SD AMA Cause Conference May 19th 2016
Accelerate the Purpose Revolution.
MindFuelED on June 24-27: Leading EmpowerED Student-Centered Systems
A Letter Einstein Purportedly Wrote To His Daughter About The Universal Force of Love:
Note: Snopes disputes its authenticity but in the spirit of mythos v. logos, I choose mythos any day of the week!
Below is a letter that Albert Einstein wrote to his daughter about the universal force of love. The letter was released in the 1980’s along with over a thousand other letters that he wrote to different people.
“When I proposed the theory of relativity, very few understood me, and what I will reveal now to transmit to mankind will also collide with the misunderstanding and prejudice in the world.
I ask you to guard the letters as long as necessary, years, decades, until society is advanced enough to accept what I will explain below.
There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This universal force is LOVE.
When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force. Love is Light, that enlightens those who give and receive it. Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others. Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live and die. Love is God and God is Love.
This force explains everything and gives meaning to life. This is the variable that we have ignored for too long, maybe because we are afraid of love because it is the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will.
To give visibility to love, I made a simple substitution in my most famous equation. If instead of E = mc2, we accept that the energy to heal the world can be obtained through love multiplied by the speed of light squared, we arrive at the conclusion that love is the most powerful force there is, because it has no limits.
After the failure of humanity in the use and control of the other forces of the universe that have turned against us, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with another kind of energy…
If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer.
Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a bomb of love, a device powerful enough to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness and greed that devastate the planet.
However, each individual carries within them a small but powerful generator of love whose energy is waiting to be released.
When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Lieserl, we will have affirmed that love conquers all, is able to transcend everything and anything, because love is the quintessence of life.
I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, which has quietly beaten for you all my life. Maybe it’s too late to apologize, but as time is relative, I need to tell you that I love you and thanks to you I have reached the ultimate answer! “.
There is more and more attention these days on the need for better Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) in our schools. The research shows that when students have a higher EQ (Emotional Intelligence), they learn more, have less problems at school, and are happier. Yet we do very little in the classroom to facilitate SEL. Often the teacher’s excuse is “I don’t have enough time.” There is evidence though, that if a teacher makes the initial time investment for SEL, they actually end up with more academic learning time, as the class flows more smoothly in general because of it. Yes, first we realized we needed to re-emphasize STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) in the classroom, then we realized the Arts were just as important, so we had STEAM. This article advocates that now what we really need is an emphasis on STREAM, adding the much needed R in for Relationships. Education Transformations (www.edtrans.org) offers the necessary tools for teachers to be able to bring SEL into their classrooms.
Accelerate the Purpose Revolution. Register for the Cause Conference today.
MindFuelED on June 24-27: Leading EmpowerED Student-Centered Systems
“If you are interested in issues related to leadership and cutting edge approaches to the work of transforming education I want to make you aware of an exciting event that may be of interest to you and your ecosystem. The Department of Education Studies at UCSD is partnering with The Core Collaborative and Prism on an event called MindFuelED on June 24-27, with a commitment to expand student-centered systems while practicing mindfulness in an effort to empower all educational leaders to be more grounded, connected, focused and authentic.
In addition to learning the basics of neuroscience and mindfulness, teams will learn how to leverage social networks to expand student-centered systems. Teams and individuals will also be able to choose from a variety of learning opportunities that all weave core ideas of mindfulness and the role of relationships.
Topics include:
Student-Centered Assessment
Scaling up with Success Criteria: Leveraging Student Ownership
The Power of Peer Assessment & Student Goal Setting
Student Centered Instructional Coaching
Student Centered Assessment for English Learners
Student Centered Assessment in the Secondary Classroom
Leading Powerful Student Centered Change in Systems
They are partnering with The Teaching Channel who does work with a video-enabled collaboration platform that enables teachers and instructional leaders within a state, district, or school to work together to improve effectiveness.
Work collaboratively to transform the teaching and leadership space in the region and beyond to be more mindful, collaborative, and networked.
Please note the cost covers all training, materials, and meals.
Thanks this week go to Larry H, Mica P, Susan Y, Alan D and the whole team at UC San Diego Ed Studies, Carla SG & Jackie H, Marlaine C, Volunteers at the SD AMA Cause Conference, and Mindful, Student-Centered Educators Everywhere!
Pay it Forward!
Love,
Neville
“Everybody is a genius.
But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Mother’s Day is celebrated in different countries and cultures to honor the selflessness and love of mothers since 1900s. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 who later opposed to the extreme commercialization of the festival. Motherhood is the highest and most selfless human connection. Make this Mother’s Day special!
“Accelerating the Purpose Revolution” :Attend the San Diego AMA Cause Conference May 19th:
Bringing together hundreds of local and national companies and nonprofits that are “Accelerating the Purpose Revolution” on May 19th
The Cause Conference is the west coast’s largest cause and purpose-driven marketing conference. It has become a driving force for social good and community impact. Check out the lineup of cause marketing leaders and brands like Aaron Hurst, author of The Purpose Economy.
I hope to see you at #CauseSD!
Thanks this week go to Victor P, John C, Alan D, Bea B, David P and Moms Everywhere!!
Neville
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”—Oscar Wilde
There are three things, once one’s basic needs are satisfied, that academic literature points to as the ingredients for happiness: having meaningful social relationships, being good at whatever it is one spends one’s days doing, and having the freedom to make life decisions independently. But research into happiness has also yielded something a little less obvious…
Everybody Dies, but Not Everybody Lives:
Connection: The Key to High Performance Leadership with Daniel Goleman
We were talking about the huge difference between leaders who connect with the people around them, and those who do not…
Earth Day Vs. Passover: 5 Lessons for Great Storytelling
With Passover coinciding with Earth Day this year, it’s a rare opportunity to see how these two observances compare when it comes to delivering their message through the timeless art of storytelling…
Enjoy a God’s Eye View of Iconic Sights and Places in San Diego to Kickstart Your Weekend!
If you are local…
Enjoy Mission Fed ArtWalk April 30th & May 1st 2016:
2016 Mission Federal ArtWalk Featured Artists
2016 Mission Federal ArtWalk / ArtReach ARTIE Award Honorees
L to R: Adam Moyer, Jennifer Borba Von Stauffenbert, Angela Carone, Kevin Hellman
The Artie Awards give recognition to some extraordinary individuals in San Diego, for their support of arts and culture in our city.
Presented by Mission Federal ArtWalk:
Alan Ziter has worked tirelessly to create a dynamic arts and culture district in San Diego. His vision and hard work for the past 13 years have made The Arts District at Liberty Station a home to some of the city’s most exciting visual and performing arts groups. Many of the artists you’ll see at the festival in April have their studios at Liberty Station. Alan has long been an activist in the arts in San Diego. Before NTC he directed the San Diego Performing Arts League and co-produced the memorable Bravo San Diego event for many years at The Westgate Hotel.
Angela Carone covers arts and culture for KPBS and is the author of Culture Lust, the station’s arts blog. She is known for her insightful and honest on-air and online reporting on arts and culture in the region. Her fresh and authentic way of covering the visual and performing arts has both informed and entertained us, while keeping arts and culture in the spotlight in San Diego.
Jenn Borba Von Stauffenberg is the president of Olive PR Solutions. As much as good public relations pros like to remain in the background, Jenn has more than earned this recognition not only for taking our festival public relations efforts to a new level, but also for supporting so many other visual arts programs in San Diego and nationally. She is truly passionate about visual art, and she has been investing in local artists for years by purchasing their works, holding art shows in her Little Italy office and more.
Kevin Hellman is the publisher of San Diego Citybeat. Each year, for both of our annual festivals, Kevin comes up with a brilliant lineup of musicians who volunteer their time to entertain festival attendees. Kevin has played this role for ArtWalk events since 2005. When Kevin calls, musicians listen! But this is just one of the many ways he shares his love of music. He is president of the San Diego Music Foundation and he works with numerous local events to help them with their musical lineup.
Presented by ArtReach:
Adam Moyer founded Knockaround, a local company centered around a sunglasses line that was simultaneously practical and stylish. In 2014, Adam invited ArtReach to partner with Knockaround to take a design exercise called Class Acts into local schools. The premise was to give students a basic overview of the design process for sunglasses, to allow each student to create their own design and to pick one student-designed pair to manufacture and sell. All proceeds go to participating schools and to ArtReach; over $30,000 so far. Adam personally invests time and enthusiasm in this program. He makes philanthropy seem effortless and fun, but also very intentional. We thank Adam for supporting visual arts education in San Diego.
Thanks this week go to Larry H, Ron M, Marlaine C, Amon R, Lisa B and Artists of Life Everywhere!
Please pay it forward!
Love,
Neville
@ NevilleB108
“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds.
Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world.
Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
Happy Soul Food Friday! 