In January, Lucinda Armas was nice enough to come out to present at our quarterly forum for business and the arts. Armas has only been at the arboretum for four years, but she represents an organization that has been around for almost a century and abides by the rules, both new and old, this nonprofit has created and is constantly evolving. Like an old Oak, one might say. Using that metaphor, one might infer there is a wisdom and steadiness, an integrity and strength that manifests itself through time. This organization, like an old Oak, has weathered storms, lived through seasons, sprouted continuous green leaves and produced acorns, seeds, for generations to come. This will to live and strive and do good is ever apparent. My question was, what can we learn from this organization that has gone from, what my kids call, 'the tree museum' to major attraction? Did they 'sell out'? Are they being responsible now that a faster, new and younger audience is loudly making it's way through the trees, candy wrappers in hand? 

The answer is, we can learn a lot. They are as old school as ever - strong and steady - yet flexible and flowing, leaves dancing in the winds.  
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Javon will be back at the Naperville Art League Fine Art Center Tuesday, January 31st at 6:30pm. RSVPs are required for attendance. RSVP by Jan. 30th. 
FEE: $35/$40     CALL 630-355-2530 for info.
Last night I was lucky enough to have been able to sit in on Javon Johnson's writing and improv workshop. Javon was clear, honest, friendly and funny. Contrasting his towering six foot physique was his humble and grounded personality that instantly made everyone feel welcomed and at ease. I was glad he gave a brief description of his life up to this point because it always fascinates me how someone chooses acting and writing as a career and what that path looks like. His began in a town of about 20,000 people in South Carolina. He said he didn't really even consider himself a writer until after winning multiple prestigious writing awards. He received his BA from SC State and MFA from University of Pittsburgh and is a founding ensemble member of the Congo Square Theater Company.

The writing and improv exercises forced me out of my ego and into a stream of consciousness. Sometimes he used key words, other times he used images. Then we were required to read or act out the written words either of our own or of a partner's. Getting over the fear of sharing my writing seemed impossible, but the experience of it and the feedback helped bring me to a new, higher plane of writing and communicating. 

One of the participants and I talked about how this type of acting and improv workshop is not only good for people interested in the arts, but how it can be used in business and in life. Good communication skills, a little humility and having a solid sense of self never goes out of style.
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So at this time yesterday I had already downed probably eight 12 oz bottles of water. Today, I am on my third cup of coffee. Of course, yesterday I was in yoga training at Power of Your Om - a Baptiste Power Vinyasa Flow based studio - sweating my eyebrows off in an eighty something degree room with between ten and forty five people. It doesn't really make me feel any better about my habits, however, and the "shoulds" (and "shouldn't"s) start creeping in. I "should" be drinking more water even if I'm a seventy four degree room, I "shouldn't" drink so much coffee, I "should" try to fit a workout in instead of blogging, I "shouldn't" eat so much peanut butter. These habits become who we are 
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‘PRESENTING INDIA!’ SIOREE TO DEEPEN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT INDIAN CULTURE
Learn how to cook Indian cuisine, about vibration and sound and history of yoga

Naperville, IL (January 19, 2012) ‘Presenting India!’, an event hosted by Abhyaasa Yoga Studio in downtown Naperville, is about a variety of Indian cultures, not just a single culture within India. When you google the question, how many languages are spoken in India, the answer varies from there are 417 languages to there are 18 major languages and 1600 dialects. Indian foods and customs are equally as diverse. For the typical outsider, maybe one who is a beginning yogi or a visiting an Indian restaurant for the first time, it can be a long journey to become a authority of the philosophies and connoisseur of the flavors. 

At ‘Presenting India!’ Sarita Sharma will demonstrate how to prepare a north Indian vegetarian dish as well as provide dinner following discussion and the musical performance. The discussion will be provoked by two film clips. One called ‘Yoga Unveiled’ and the other ‘Ragas Unveiled’. If there is interest, the writer and director of these films may visit Naperville during a full screening at a later date. Often, even after decades of yoga or Indian music study, the student will still consider him or herself to be just a novice. Yoga has been a practice in India for more than five millennia. It is a physical exercise, but ultimately it is about the health of the mind, body and spirit. For some, it is strictly a spiritual journey. Ragas, like hymns, can vary as such. For some, it is performance or duty, but for others they are conduits of sound from heaven.

‘Presenting India!’ is an education based event, but also a social gathering with a festive theme. 
Note: A special treat from one of our patrons is the gift of Kashmiri Tea and she will bring traditional heaters from the Himalayan region! 

WHERE: Abhyaasa Yoga Studio, 124 S. Webster, Suite 201, Downtown Naperville
DATE: January 27th, 2012
TIME: 7pm - 9pm
MORE: Call 630-358-9642 or 630-404-7774, Email mel@naperculture.org , or visit www.naperculture.org 
FEE: $30

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About The Naperville Cultural Center: The Naperville Cultural Center is a 501c3 Illinois Non Profit Corporation whose mission is to end discrimination, preserve cultural heritage, conduct open dialogue about contemporary cultures in society and it’s evolution and promote peace through understanding through the arts and education. For more information visit us at www.naperculture.org or contact Michelle LeBlanc at 630-404-7774 or by email at mel@naperculture.org.

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With Thanksgiving coming up I am reminded of a time when I was a wackier me - completely vegan, single, no kids yet. There were a bunch of us like that - living in the "big city" and all. We gathered together for our version of Thanksgiving - we even said a prayer. Well, I did - I don't really know about anyone else... Heathens you know! Joking. But on a serious note, I do want to tell you I said a prayer for people in my community and around the world who did not have enough to eat. Honestly, we, as late teens/ early twenty-somthings, we barely would be able to afford something extravagant on our own. We were lucky to have each other. People from the local natural food store brought organic veggies and fruits. Some who worked at the bakery brought fresh bread and dessert. Sounds like something right out of Stone Soup. It's true though. Some folks bought wine and other libations. We selected various dishes from Vegetarian Times and made Ethiopian flat bread in a wok - it turns out paper thin, it's pretty fun to make - like a crepe. Then you make the veggie fillings and wrap it up. And there were sweet potatoes. I used to be so into seitan and tempeh. Man I loved tempeh and roasted veggies! Yum! And for some reason I think we made borscht, but that could've been a different day. We'd gather outside on lawn chairs under strung white lights like stars. The food was good, the company was great and we were and I believe still are aware of our impact and compassion for the world around us: the people, the animals, nature. All was right with the world.

So - what will I make this year? Even though, back then, I told myself I'd be strong and wouldn't conform and if I ever had children I'd raise them according to my ethics and beliefs and not cave into societal norms unconsciously.... I am making a HOKA turkey from the city meat market with cranberries, corn, stuffing and I really hope to find the recipe for that string bean casserole my Aunt K used to make - you know the one, the one with the crunchy onions on top? I always liked that casserole. Though a conscious decision, I am letting my kids guide my way, helping me select menus and making the decisions with me. I will say, it is difficult to say no to their enthusiasm. We do talk about the different choices and lifestyles, we do say our prayers and, hopefully, the awareness will be contagious. And... All is still right with the world.

Now if you have been using your mac to make cool slideshows and stuff to capture and save and broadcast your family photos, I want to introduce you to Animoto if you haven't already found it. Of course there's a free version- Here's a video clip: 

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I get that a lot :)

So I'm "weird" - cool. Let's get weirder!

No. Don't. Stop.
No, Don't. Stop.

No. Don't stop....

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Yes, I realize my clip has nothing at all to do with what I'm writing - but the beauty of it all is that I can like this, feel that way and still like that! 

Smell the Freedom!

Besides, it's Chicago and it's Pizza - Who can argue with that? That;s nothin but good.

So today's Wall Street Journal article on the newest wave of immigrants reminded me that we are a country of immigrants! English speaker or not - English is the primary language - thank goodness because the Americans scared my mom so bad when she moved here -so that it is the only language I speak. What a loss, eh? I could have had a better education. And, afterall, that is what it is all about: a better education! Luckily I got to study tidbits from French and Spanish. It's kinda fun and novel to count how many ways you can say "Hello" and "Thank you"! We can get so caught up in putting too much importance on something, but then there is now and always has been power in keeping people from being educated. Think about it.

A while back a friend and I began working on a project - it was his idea, but I'll admit I loved it - I wanted to call it 'We Are America' 
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So many positive things to think about and know and acknowledge, it’s tough to pick one thing to begin with. First of all, Saturday, in between picking up gadgets and spray paint for a robot costume, my kids and I stopped downtown to grab a book from the Rebecca Caudill reading list required for voting. While walking around under the canopy of bright yellow and oranges, gobs of little creatures were bopping about under foot. Witches, Warlocks, Nurses, Storm Troopers - all drawn by Naperville’s merchant’s association celebration of the fall fun. The light heartedness and generosity of spirit could only be greeted by smiles (although - I bet there were more than a few parents who welcomed espresso or a glass of wine upon collapsing on their comfy couches afterward). 

Anderson’s Bookstore - every kid’s favorite Indie bound bookseller - greeted us with the nice surprise of Clifford and Curious George. Later that evening on the way home from a Halloween kid fest, I decided to bring my 20 bucks to the Glancer tent at Potter’s Place, the local
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The Thursday night members meeting was hit. It was the first of a new twist of the Naperville Art League’s member meetings led by Karen Musgrave. Membership has been asking for more and more business ideas and creative ways to market their art so Karen decided to ask fiber artist, BJ Parady, to talk about how she uses her blog to promote and sell her work. 

Many artists struggle with balancing their studio time where they can be creative with the business administration time which included marketing their work. Parady was encouraging about getting out there - sometimes if even to share ideas or be social 

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Many, many thanks to Kathy Blair of Giving DuPage and Barb Szczepaniak of the DuPage Community Foundation and all of the audience members for coming out to the NAL Fine Art Center and Gallery Friday, October 21st for the workshop. The topics of the day were 1) grantsmanship and 2) volunteerism. Here’s a recap with some tips from Kathy and Barb:

On Grantwriting:
  • Think about how to have a broad impact with limited resources
  • Understand that 85% of giving comes from individuals
  • Know your organization and be able to clearly express your message
  • Look for matching missions when you are searching for grant opportunities or other potential funders. If a corporation, for example, primarily supports human services, they might not be a good match for a ballet company.
  • Use the Philanthropy Center at the College of DuPage where you can search many funding opportunities and foundations
  • As a grantwriter, you want to be considerate about how much you ask for in your application, if you need or request three times what the granting organization considers normal, they may not want to move forward out of the sheer fact that they wouldn’t want to disappoint or give an inadequate amount
  • Follow the guidelines exactly as the granting organization requests. Especially in a competitive environment, this is one of the first things the granter will look at
  • Be sure to use good grammar. It sounds silly, but in today’s world of making shortcuts, grammar can fall to the wayside. Have a friend or colleague proofread your application if you can.
  • Don’t turn in your application late. 
  • Don’t use jargon or too much, if any, industry specific language or excessive statistics
    • KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE (your readers) - who you are writing for!
  • Apply for grants that you need. Don’t create a new project just so you can write a grant.
  • Don’t assume everyone knows about your organization - even if you are a large organization. Take a step back and write a considerate and clear portrait of who you represent and what you do.
  • Avoid saying, “Our doors will close if we don’t get this grant.” Funders want to know the organization is sustainable.
  • Don’t promise more than you can deliver.
  • Be passionate about the project or subject. If you hire a grantwriter be sure they are equally as passionate as it does come through in the writing.
  • Talk about how your project will impact the lives of others.
  • Don’t bash other organizations.
  • If you do not receive the grant, call and ask for feedback! It may really help you in your next application. BUT BY ALL MEANS, do not argue about why the grant was rejected.
  • Say “Thank you”! 
    • Funders really LIKE to know what you did with the grant and they want to be included. Let them know how you and so many others appreciate their partnership in your organization’s mission.
On Volunteerism (you may use/ see pdf handouts at bottom):

  • Giving DuPage was originally called ‘The Philanthropy Project’ - Soon Giving DuPage will join “Hands On” which is a national database with tracking ability.
  • Giving DuPage manages smaller giving and matching volunteers to projects
  • See the Self-Inquiry Questionnaire (classroon use only)
  • Train your volunteers to work for you - Often we get people in the door, but are not good at having the tasks laid out. Designate training times.
    • They do it because they believe in giving back or your mission
    • The volunteers themselves carry a story
    • This can be the doorway to building a new relationship
  • Make a list, get organized, make good matches between your volunteers and the tasks - Where can you best use a volunteer:
    • Be clear: Marketing? Accounting? Maintenance? Will it be onsite or offsite? Do you need individuals or groups? Are these on-going needs or one time?
    • Create position descriptions that outline duties and expectations
    • What skills or benefits to the volunteers? Will they learn skills to add to their resume? Is there an internship opportunity that the volunteer position could lead into?
  • Don’t undervalue your volunteers!
  • Look into training programs luke Betty Stallings - Ask Kathy about the $55 training series: recruitment, screening, management and nine other modules
  • Look into associations such as DAVA (DuPage Association of Volunteer Administration) which you can join for only $25
    • Next DAVA meeting Tomorrow, October 26th @Giant Steps
givingdupagehandouts.pdf
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