Sheron Long's Blog, page 42
July 1, 2013
Find Creative Inspiration and Invent the Unknown
Forest Fire Jan 5 1984
© Donald Sultan
A Test of Creativity
What do photographer Michael Kenna, writer Mary Pope Osborne, visual artist Donald Sultan, and entrepreneur Elon Musk have in common?
A. Curiosity
B. Dogged Drive
C. Risk-Taking Genes
D. Penchant for Hard Work
These four personalities probably have more in common than we know. But the most convincing single answer (besides the time-honored “All of the Above”) is this: they all have a commitment to creativity— with full life force.
I posed some questions about creativity to this diverse group and was struck by the strong unifying thread in their answers.
The responses are inspiring. Their creative lives produce unique results—identified with them and only them. Since there is a further story to tell, this is Part I of a Creativity series. More inspiration to come.
...
June 27, 2013
The Life-Changing Experience of Love
© iStockphoto
Picturing Marriage Equality
Through the ages, many wise words have been spoken of love and marriage.
Love is a promise;
love is a souvenir,
once given never forgotten,
never let it disappear.
—John Lennon
United for life
© Nathaniel Brewer
There is no remedy for love but to love more.
—Henry David Thoreau
Steven Beaulieu & Charles Lafond
© Ryan Clarke
To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others.
—Francois Mauriac
Family fun
© Nicole Hein
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
—Lao Tzu
Let love reign
© Catalina Kulczar-Marin
When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
—Elizabeth Bowen
Michael and Terrence Sheppherd with their daughter Madison
© ...
June 24, 2013
Clever Ideas and Happy Accidents Reinvent the Wheel
David Patrick
© 4sphere
How Do Shark Wheels Roll?
© 4sphere
David Patrick had a clever idea: he added a twist to the world’s most perfect invention, the wheel.
And he has patented and hopes to begin creating these twisty wheels for skateboards.
Patrick designed a wheel that looks square from its side, has snake-like curves, but goes faster and smoother than a standard wheel.
In his Kickstarter video, Patrick explains, “The inspiration for this wheel came from a cube…I had figured out how to take six simple shapes and assemble them in such a way that it formed a perfect cube.”
He continues, “The helix shape of it was perfectly balanced so no matter what the terrain, it kept on going.” And it was fast.
Just how does a wavy cube-inspired wheel work? The wheel has a broader contact patch, illustrated by its snake-like...
June 20, 2013
Be Happy, Be Productive: Take a Dog to Work
Overheard in a happy and productive office on Take Your Dog to Work Day:
“Fetch the Poodle file, will you, Sport?”
© Big Cheese Photo
Pooch Power in the Workplace
This Friday, offices around the globe will be the very vision of a happy and productive workplace. That’s because June 21, 2013, is Pet Sitters International’s Take Your Dog To Work Day®.
A day at work is less stressful with a dog.
© Photodisc/RyanMcVay
Begun in 1999, Take Your Dog to Work Day is designed to showcase dogs as the great companions they are and to encourage adoptions.
The idea is that co-workers, who see the warm bond between canines and humans, will be inspired to adopt a best dog friend of their own.
The special day also offers employers the opportunity to support their local pet community.
Oh, I see the fun of this right away!
Any business can use more paws on...
June 17, 2013
Plastic Alternatives—Yep, They Grow on Trees!
Pile of discarded polystyrene outside the Tokyo Fish Market
© Daniel Calonge
Innovative Ideas for Biodegradable Plastic
Our world has become dependent on plastic. It’s in my toothbrush, my shoes, my sunglasses, and even the keys I type on.
And it won’t go away.
For decades, plastic has been made from petroleum, and, once formed into a plastic cup, packing material, grocery bag, or toothbrush, the plastic is here to stay.
Lucky bits of plastic may get recycled into new products, but no matter its shape, petroleum-based plastic does not biodegrade. That means, in some form, that plastic will be on this planet long after every single one of us reading this post is gone.
In addition, according to the Technical Research Center of Finland, petroleum-based plastic annually consumes about 5% of the world’s oil. And of all the plastics used, about 40% of it goes into...
June 13, 2013
Creative Expression Counts In Search for “Coolest Dad”
Happy Father’s Day . . . and summer vacation!
© kristinandkayla.com
What Makes A Good Dad?
Who is the world’s greatest dad?
Abraham Lincoln? Jim Henson? Brad Pitt? Barack Obama?
Hopefully, we all say that the world’s greatest dad is our own. We forgive the flaws and treasure the tender moments.
We honor him on Father’s Day with a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug, a colorful tie (that we hardly ever see him wear), or a handmade gift that makes him oddly silent because of that lump in his throat.
What makes a great dad? Someone who spends time with his kids and is interested in what they do and how they think, someone who teaches by word and example, and someone who is fun and filled with creative expression . . . and inspires those qualities in a child.
To honor Father’s Day this week-end, here are two dads whose children have much...
June 10, 2013
All the World’s Got Gamification
Checking points and rewards is easy with a smart phone.
© Thinkstock
An Observation About Life
It was a Saturday like any other.
I started my day with a walk. I turned on my fitness app to record how far and how fast my journey was. My walk earned me fifteen fitness points.
I opened my food app to scan my cereal bar code and enter my breakfast food data. Not a bad calorie count to begin the day. The app shared that I had 1900 calories left to spend.
I loaded my grocery store app with all the exclusive “Just for You” specials and headed to the store. At checkout, my receipt showed that I earned a 15% savings because of my special coupons.
Plus, through my reward card, my food purchases earned me forty-five gas reward points. Added to the fifty-five points I had already earned, I now qualified for a discount at the gas station.
At the gas station,...
June 6, 2013
Artistic Expression Speaks Out for World Oceans
© Jerry Takigawa
What Do You See Here?
A beautifully crafted Chinese game board?
A designer version of the betting game where the walnut shell gets hidden?
A surprisingly ordered set of colorful cups floating over a pebbled stream bed?
Which one is the subject of this unique artistic expression? Or is it none of these? And how does an albatross fit into the story?
A Pacific Ocean albatross
© iStockphoto
Once Upon A Time, There Was An Albatross
The story starts with an albatross. Photographer and graphic designer Jerry Takigawa saw an aquarium worker holding up a jar filled with pieces of plastic. Colorful. Varied. Fun. And deadly.
The plastic remnants had been taken from the stomach of a dead albatross on Midway Atoll. The birds mistake the plastic for food, causing thousands of albatrosses to die of starvation each year.
Lighters, bottle caps, fishing lures,...
June 3, 2013
Finding Common Ground in Ocean Waters
A summer crowd gathers at the beach.
© Janine Boylan
The World Comes Together to Celebrate World Oceans Day
Long before the Internet connected our world, the oceans did, flowing from the shore of one country to another. From the beginning of time, the oceans have fascinated us and served us, yet only in modern times have we come to understand the oceans as a shared responsibility.
In 2008, the United Nations officially designated June 8th as World Oceans Day, an international day to celebrate the water that unites us.
On this day, people are finding common ground in events across the globe. Documentary film festivals, underwater clean-up dives, educational aquarium and zoo events, and music concerts to raise funds for ocean conservation are but a few.
The Legendary Ocean
When did the fascination with oceans begin? Long before World Oceans Day and even before...
May 30, 2013
A Vagabond Travel Day With Sheep in Provence
Wing it and find the surprise of the unknown.
© Sheron Long
Off the Beaten Path, Life Is Full of Surprises
It never fails. The day I decide to wing it and wander away from the travel itinerary is the day that etches the best memories in my mind.
Maybe it’s because I’m here in France where being a flâneur (stroller, wanderer, vagabond in a good sense) is valued, much like an art form. Maybe it’s because the unexpected surprises of life put a bigger smile on my face.
No matter, in many an “Oh, I see” moment, I’ve learned that making space for vagabond travel days is essential to a well-planned itinerary.
Wall-to-Wall Sheep
Yesterday was no exception. I wandered into our village and noticed a crowd gathering on the street. Something told me to forget about the quest for croissants and take up a position.
It was the ...
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