WOSU – 3/18/2008

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1245294

My daughter’s curiosity is insatiable. Seeing her interact with the world is amazing. At her young age family is almost the only influence she has but soon enough school and peers will enter the picture. This made me consider my own childhood, and the influences that were important to my growth.

As a child I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by woods and fields. I spent countless hours having adventures today’s kids would think were reserved for storybooks. I loved school and organized activities but found this opportunity to explore, uninhibited by adults, learning about my world and myself, has remained my fondest and most important memory of childhood.

Recently I had a discussion with school leaders about getting kids out on their own more, interacting with the physical world instead of just textbooks. Countries that regularly outperform the US do just that. “Last Child in the Woods” author Richard Louv provides substantial research that the disconnect with nature results in increased attention deficit, socialization issues and obesity. Finland is often sited for what is now considered unconventional education; outperforming every other country despite spending thousands less per student, not starting students until 7 years of age and assigning significantly less homework than other educational systems.

The response the educators gave was that we can’t compare apples and oranges; that Finland’s society is so different from ours there is no comparison. I don’t disagree outright but I must ask, in this global marketplace don’t we all have the same aspirations for our kids – health, happiness, and success?

When asked about hands on outdoor classes such as science, or unstructured time outdoors, the response was that mandatory testing meant there isn’t time to deviate from textbook studies. How about encouraging kids to walk or bicycle to school? Surely this would give the children some time to enjoy nature and connect with their community. I heard disturbing arguments.

First was the fear of abduction. Regardless of the evening news’ insistence otherwise, children are as unlikely to be abducted today as they were when we were kids. Next was the issue of busy roads. If kids walk instead of being driven you would see a significant decrease in traffic while raising a generation not bound to automobiles. Finally I was told students haul too many books, instruments and sports equipment, and all that weight just isn’t manageable. Why are we loading our kids down with such baggage? Why not structure our school time to allow these items to remain at school, why rush children through their childhood?

What about childhood obesity, this is surely a reason for greater outdoor activity and exploration. With great excitement these educators told me about a circuit training course being implemented which uses videogames for motivation. Phys-ed class apparently is teaching kids to keep their physical activity limited to gyms or organized athletics.

Sadly this highlights our misunderstanding of a healthy life. In our attempt to solve problems we often look at such a microscopic level that we don’t see the forest for the trees. Obesity is as much about exercise and diet as it is about motivation and self discovery. Let’s put these kids back into nature, back into an environment where they are free to let their curiosity run wild. This source of self motivation and inspiration provides the most productive exercise, exploration, and learning, eventually leading to physical well being, emotional growth and confidence. These are attributes we should all seek in ourselves and our children.

As for my daughter; I hope she never misses an opportunity to experience the world around her and that she continues to chase her curiosity throughout life. So far that plan hasn’t let me down.

WOSU 2/11/2008

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1226565

Columbus Ohio, Indie Art Capital of the World.

That’s quite a proclamation, one which Mike Reed and Daniel Fox the local artists who coined the phrase, will gladly stand behind. In fact even Columbus City Council will stand behind that statement. Columbus area arts organizations along with hipster shops and hangouts are all getting behind this proclamation. Why wouldn’t they? Finally Columbus has a moniker that gives it some sort of relevance to young adults and those of us holding onto our youth against all odds.

Is Columbus actually the Indie Art Capital of the World? Well, that’s debatable. I mean, there was no contest held, no vote taken and there are plenty of artists and creative types working to improve their own cities throughout the world. So why does Columbus deserve this title? I believe the fact that hundreds of artists, crafters, shop keeps and organizations have latched onto the idea is exactly why we deserve it. We have thrown down the gauntlet, set a goal and made enough of a ruckus about it that we have no choice but to succeed.

Several voices have chirped up since the initial press release saying Columbus does not deserve the title they say . The whole idea is elitist. They argue that just by making this declaration, we are assuring Columbus will fail. Every movement has its detractors and obviously this one does too. Even some artists are skeptical. Creative types don’t always like the idea that they are being corralled.

Allow me to rebut those concerns. First of all, when you set your sites on such a lofty goal as this it does have an air of elitism to it. But being elite is not a bad thing unless you want to remain average and hum-drum. Leadership by definition requires standing out from the crowd. The idea that making this declaration assures it won’t come true is the same thing as saying that thinking your cool automatically means you’re not. Reality is often what you make it. All great movements start with a vision, a goal dreamed up by creative thinkers who seem to have the ability to see into the future. Columbus is thankfully under the spell of such thinkers.

So what does it mean to be the Indie Art Capital of the World? Primarily that Columbus is full of artistic, creative people; people who have independent visions but also understand the value of collaboration. These collaborations are happening not just among artists but also among business and community leaders. These people are creating amazing art and even more amazing relationships.

So what if you think Columbus does not live up to the moniker? It does not matter. The creative community is finally coming together in a meaningful way and we’re already seeing the fruits of this labor.

So join me in saying, Here’s to Columbus Ohio, the Indie Art Capital of the World.