Recovery
Humans are wired for fight or flight. When we get into difficulties, we run or retreat, invariably holding tension and negative energy inside. That residual trauma is toxic. It gnaws at us and weighs us down, sparking thoughts and actions that do not coincide with our best selves. I’ve seen ducks get into scuffles by […]
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Raising the Bar
As a boy learning to ambulate with leg braces and crutches due to polio, I was at the mercy of my parents and a society that would shape my attitude toward my disability. At the time, the American public took a paternalistic view of people with disabilities (PWDs), manifesting in some programs and schools where […]
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Adventure
It’s Friday in Singapore and I spot a pack of secondary school students loaded down with backpacks, all wearing the same blue shorts and yellow t-shirts. I want to believe that they are heading off for an unscripted weekend adventure. My heart smiles remembering all the misguided but ultimately fabulous expeditions I’ve taken over the […]
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Check the Brakes
I’ve spent a good percentage of my time on earth strengthening my body through exercise and international competitions. But as the decades tick by, my body’s odometer is registering some speed bumps. Muscle mass is not what it used to be and I’m more easily winded. But how much traction my physical body has actually […]
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The Whale
Bravo to Brendan Fraser and all the cast of the monumental film, The Whale. When the distant daughter challenges The Whale to walk without his assistive device, it made me feel how glaringly inadequate humans are at times made to feel when unable to measure up. Obesity, disability, sexuality — you name it and every […]
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Renaissance Series 2021- 2022
Rebound 63x67inch Oil on Canvas Covid changed everybody. We Rebounded, galvanized by every piece of news with corresponding highs and lows. Yet despite the upheaval, there was still an undercurrent of optimism I chose to connect with. Though I struggled to push the boulder uphill, letting the rock flatten me on its way back down […]
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Recovery: painting with the pandemic 2020-2022
The world has changed everybody ever since some socially inept virus crashed the party. We have gone up and down galvanized by every piece of news with knee-jerk reactions of highs and lows. Yet despite the upheaval, there is a still an undercurrent of optimism I choose to connect with. I may be struggling […]
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Art Diplomacy- Beyond Boundaries
When offered the possibility to soothe fractured souls by leading art workshops for Ukrainian refugees, I just said yes! It seemed like a tiny tangible service I could offer for those escaping the war. I envisioned giving art supplies to children so they would have something to do while their mothers tried to sort […]
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Feeling stressed or anxious? Reach for a pencil or paintbrush instead of your smartphone.
By Carin Knoop & Bahia El Oddi “Making art allows the lava of emotions pent-up inside of me to flow out slowly, avoiding an eruption. I fear that if people don’t express themselves creatively, all the natural frustrations of life will boil up and burst out uncontrollably, with less-than-ideal repercussions.” — Gregory Burns Many of […]
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