Arts Activim
What We've Lost (If We Ever Had It)
by Lisa A Kramer
Oh, Shit!
Those were my thoughts just after I stopped at a red light this morning. I white Ford truck of some sort (F150?) pulled into the left hand turn lane next to me at exactly the same time as a white car pulled into the right lane on my other side. The male passenger in the truck and the male driver in the car both lowered their windows, and started calling across the road.
I happened to have started a call to my husband who picked up then, "Hold on, I said, there's something happening."
I thought my voice sounded panicked, but maybe I'm calmer than I think. My husband was focused on brewing beer, he didn't quite hear my distress.
I turned my head back and fort as if I was watching a tennis match. Waiting for the ball to drop, or, in this case, someone to make a move. Was I about to die in a road rage incident?
The turn arrow lit up green, and I realized they were people who knew each other communicating across my little red hybrid car. That was all.
Those were my thoughts just after I stopped at a red light this morning. I white Ford truck of some sort (F150?) pulled into the left hand turn lane next to me at exactly the same time as a white car pulled into the right lane on my other side. The male passenger in the truck and the male driver in the car both lowered their windows, and started calling across the road.
I happened to have started a call to my husband who picked up then, "Hold on, I said, there's something happening."
I thought my voice sounded panicked, but maybe I'm calmer than I think. My husband was focused on brewing beer, he didn't quite hear my distress.
I turned my head back and fort as if I was watching a tennis match. Waiting for the ball to drop, or, in this case, someone to make a move. Was I about to die in a road rage incident?
The turn arrow lit up green, and I realized they were people who knew each other communicating across my little red hybrid car. That was all.
Sparking Creative Rebellion: An Invitation
by Lisa A Kramer
When I was really young, I loved recording radio shows using a cassette recorder and a friend/sibling or two.. (Yes, I'm mature, deal with it). The topics varied. Sometimes I would do fake news interviews, or tell spooky stories complete with sound effects. Sometime songs made appearances, sung with the enthusiasm of any young girl who already loved the idea of Broadway musicals. (The first album I ever begged to own was the original cast recording of Annie).
I bet, if I search my mother's house, I will find some of those tapes lying around. They are probably mixed in with old stories I wrote, pictures I made with paints or crayons. Maybe event a few broken down crafts.
Dusty remnants of...
I bet, if I search my mother's house, I will find some of those tapes lying around. They are probably mixed in with old stories I wrote, pictures I made with paints or crayons. Maybe event a few broken down crafts.
Dusty remnants of...
Claiming My Voice: A Manifesto for Midlife
by Lisa A Kramer
When I decided to leave academia in 2020 (only partially because of the pandemic) I didn't realize that I was entering an unknown world with (unwritten) rules designed to make life difficult. Some of these rules include:
If you are a woman over 50 (as I am) you are turning invisible.If you have higher degrees (I have both MFA and PhD) then employers will decide for you that you will be bored, and therefore not hire you.Capitalism will always undervalue thinkers, creative workers, and people who recognize that there is more to life than the daily grind and the bottom line.
In the midst of all this, of course, my country--actually the entire world--has completely lost the plot. Honestly, I don't...
If you are a woman over 50 (as I am) you are turning invisible.If you have higher degrees (I have both MFA and PhD) then employers will decide for you that you will be bored, and therefore not hire you.Capitalism will always undervalue thinkers, creative workers, and people who recognize that there is more to life than the daily grind and the bottom line.
In the midst of all this, of course, my country--actually the entire world--has completely lost the plot. Honestly, I don't...
The Fear of Creative Power
by Lisa A Kramer
"What would life be if we had not courage to attempt anything."Vincent Van Gogh
It all started with an advertisement.
Yes, my partner in Spark Collaborative and I decided to feed the beast that is Facebook, and post an ad about an upcoming one day workshop we are offering. Word of mouth only goes so far.
So we created an ad. As far as ads go, I didn't think this was aggressive or offensive. In some ways its kind of eye-catching and somewhat calming. Below is the image, with the text we included on Facebook.
Join us for a few hours of meaningful exploration around our creativity. We'll have fun, laugh, and leave with tools we can use to spark creativity in our...
It all started with an advertisement.
Yes, my partner in Spark Collaborative and I decided to feed the beast that is Facebook, and post an ad about an upcoming one day workshop we are offering. Word of mouth only goes so far.
So we created an ad. As far as ads go, I didn't think this was aggressive or offensive. In some ways its kind of eye-catching and somewhat calming. Below is the image, with the text we included on Facebook.
Join us for a few hours of meaningful exploration around our creativity. We'll have fun, laugh, and leave with tools we can use to spark creativity in our...
How to Start a Creative Rebellion
by Lisa A Kramer
I hear it daily from friends, loved ones, connections on social media--people struggling as they are being pushed back into a "norm" that is far from normal. After over a year of self-reflection, people are leaving their work in droves, partially because of natural trends, but I believe its also because people are starting to realize that there is a brokenness to the society we have built.
It's time for a big change, and it will take a creative rebellion to make that happen.
Defining Creative Rebellion
What do I mean by creative rebellion? It's simple really. Throughout history creative people of all types have played roles in social movements. From painting Black Lives Matter large enough to be seen from space,...
It's time for a big change, and it will take a creative rebellion to make that happen.
Defining Creative Rebellion
What do I mean by creative rebellion? It's simple really. Throughout history creative people of all types have played roles in social movements. From painting Black Lives Matter large enough to be seen from space,...
