#OneWord2021: Creativity Bursts & Connections

In a world of shifting thoughts and temperaments, words play a significant role. They hold the power to create peace or disharmony, balance, or upheaval. At the beginning of a new year or new project, a single word becomes a focal point, intentionally centering our thoughts toward future growth. 

The one word phenomenon has influenced my life journey each year since 2014. It called to my muse and invited me to venture on a new path of living toward change. This year, my one word is begin. This simple word is the light shining my way to creativity bursts and creative connections with life. With begin as a guide, I will move to Virginia soon and write a new chapter in the story of life.

On January 14, 2021, Laura Grundler and Matt Grundler, moderators of #K12ArtChat asked me to guest host their Thursday night chat. Honored to work with these dynamic and creative educators again, I opened the discussion on one word for a new year with an invitation to gather in our creative space on Twitter and to reflect on our craft and practice. I created a series of questions that would assist the participants to create one word that would impact their personal and professional life.

When the chat ended, Matt Grundler posed a question for #SlowK12ArtChat that would run throughout the week. Reflaction (Reflection with Action) - What steps will you take to create a sanctuary of thought that blends art, technology, and literacy for yourself and others? Respondents began to share their thoughts using the hashtags #SlowK12ArtChat, @SchoolArts, and @AdobeForEdu. As promised, my reflaction blended art, technology, and poetry to create a collage of inspired words and art. Please join me at my One Word 2021 Sanctuary of Thought here. 

I invite anyone who has a one word 2021 to add your digital inspiration to the One Word Sanctuary of Thought padlet here.

"Creativity is contagious, pass it on!" -  Albert Einstein  

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"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. -Pablo Picasso

It's Slice of Life Tuesday.

I join the community of writers with gratitude to Two Writing Teachers for their sacred space.

End-of-Summer Gifts

As days shorten and the air is filled with milder weather, nature holds on to its sweet summer memories.  Even when the leaves twirl with a lazy, cascading rhythm, "There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." - Celia Thaxton 

Nature sings its sweet song. 

No goodbyes are uttered as

September enters.

Sweet summer moments

remain forever in

toe-touching shifting sands,

sunlit backyard porches,

and lakeside cottages.

Grateful hearts understand

the passing of the seasons

and do not mourn.

They sing new songs.

©CV, 2019

At the end of summer, my mailman brought another colorful poetry swap gift from Rebecca Herzog. See the colorful poetry card with an original poem from my swap buddy. 

Final Days

Summer meanders lazily

Dipping her toe in the waves

Soaking in the last strong rays of sun

Before exiting the water

And wrapping Autumn's blanket

around her shoulders

©Rebecca Herzog, 2019 

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I am sending the following end-of-summer #digitalinspiration
to all my poetry friends who have been summer gift-givers.
 It will become part of my #EmbraceableSummer Gallery collection.

The above image started as a photo taken by Linda Baie while vacationing with family in Captiva Island. I digitized the original picture and added a poem.

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Yesterday, I received an amazing book from a random drawing at Amy Ludwig Vanderater's Sharing Our Notebook's site. My creative friend, Matt Grundler shared his visual journal there. 

With a grateful heart for my end-of-summer gifts, I am eager to enter the creative zone.

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Now it is time to join the Poetry Friday Party hosted by a wonderful pair of poet friends, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, publishers of Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud (a must read book for the #BacktoSchool2019 #StartStrong movement).

I am proud to be featured in this book with my poem "Art Class" based on inspiration from Matt Grundler's classroom.

Inspiration Behind the Poem

HAVE  YOU  HEARD?

Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's new publication, Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud  has been published. 

As a blogger on the Great Morning Blog Tour, I would like to thank Sylvia and Janet for their amazing contributions to the field of contemporary poetry. Their zest for writing and gathering poetry is exemplified by the variety of Poetry Friday anthologies they have created. I am excited to promote their new creative endeavor, Great Morning!  This book is filled with poetry in various formats about the different aspects of school life and specifically for schools' morning announcements. This is an ingenious way to spread the power of poetry throughout a building and a must-read for school administrators and literacy leaders. 

I am honored to be one of the published poets in Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's new publication, "Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud".

Being a member of the Poetry Friday family has enriched my artistic life and brought me full circle to one of the paths I chose as a young graduate student. Today, I present the inspiration behind the poem I wrote for Great Morning!

 Topic 22: Art

"Art Class"

While pondering the topic art class for a K-1 audience, I called upon my connected educator friend, Matt Grundler, who is an elementary art teacher in Plano, Texas. In addition to speaking with Matt for an hour, he sent me photos of his art studio and his students at work so I could gather my thoughts before drafting my poem for Great Morning! Below is a synopsis of the information I collected for my poetry writing task. 

Making ART with Little Hands
The Inspiration Behind the Poem, "Art Class"

Welcome to Mr. Grundler's Art Studio!
Little hands make art weekly.

Greeted at the door with enthusiasm, 
curious students find their place on the rug.
 Their adventure begins with morning meeting.

Then, off they go, 
ready to start creative play.

Sometimes, young artists collaborate to create.

Other times, they work solo.

There's always a new delight

waiting in the art room.

Green screen time 

fascinates creative minds

and stimulates new ideas.

iPads engage little ones.

Collage making connects art and literacy.

Each day, young artists

explore their creative side

with their innovative guide.

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Meet Matt Grundler,  Art Educator

Matt Grundler breaks the stereotypic art teacher mold. For one, he is a male in a predominantly female world of art teachers. He is a minimalist with a bright, open-space design for his art room at Brinker Elementary School in the Plano Independent School District, Texas that has now transformed itself into an art studio for elementary children. 

Matt, being an empathetic and compassionate teacher, models for his young artists and guides them on their journeys to find the artist within. You can find this enthusiastic connected educator on Twitter as @ArtGuy76, the co-moderator of K-12ArtChat. 

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"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." - Degas

My Special Thanks to:

Matt Grundler for making me see the gifts you encourage your students to bring to life.

Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong for inviting me to find my inner voice for this particular project.

Pomelo Books for creating such a wealth of poetry resources for the educational world.

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The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by my writing colleague, Molly Hogan.

Please join me as I visit Molly's blog, Nix the Comfort Zone,  to read what she has in store for us.