Ever since I can remember, I yearned to be able to create something from nothing, repeatedly asking myself: Why doesn’t it just happen? For many years, nothing did. Then out of the blue, thinking that it would be neat to play with clay, I signed up for Sculpture 101 at the local community college. Imagine my dismay when the first words out of the professor’s mouth were: “Anyone here who thinks they’re going to play with clay in this class might as well leave now. We’ll be using a variety of mediums, but clay is not one of them.”

 

Thank goodness, I was curious enough to stick around. During the next 16 weeks I gaped at what we managed to make with materials I would never have dreamed of using in a piece of art. With frightfully vague instructions that forced us to look within and contemplate what might be possible—leveraging anything from a roll of wire or a sheet of mat board and some hot glue to 1,000 golf tees or tealight candles—we wound up with spectacular results that were nothing less than astounding.

 

I learned more about myself and human potential during that class than I had in a lifetime of traditional academics. It taught me that the only limits we have are the ones we set for ourselves and that the secret to opening up to our greater potential is to let go a little of self-limiting beliefs. 

 

These days, I’m challenged every day to release similar beliefs and dig deep to access my own creativity in order to bring this monthly magazine to life. Judith Fertig’s feature article “Handmade Happiness,” is a delightful reminder that it’s never too late for any of us to dive into making our own childhood passions come alive or to create something brand new to do that causes us to thrive. Participants explore how applying creative skill in one medium or another is a capacity that virtually anyone can develop with practice.

 

September is also National Yoga Month and we’ve packed our pages with yoga resources for anyone looking to explore the endless opportunities available. On page 20we present our first Yoga Guide, a glossary of yoga styles. Starting on page 24 you’ll find profiles of local yoga instructors that provide classes worth checking out. 

 

In keeping with our yoga theme, Kim Childs brings us “Down Under Yoga” in this month’s Community Spotlight, on page 28, andMeredith Montgomery introduces us to singer-songwriter/yogi Michael Franti in “Sound Yoga Practice,” on page 26. Catch Michael Franti at the Life Is Good Festival the weekend of September 24-25 at Prowse Farm, in Canton. I hope to see you there.

 

Feel Good ~ Live Simply ~ Laugh More

Maisie Raftery, Publisher