key image

DALL·E 2024 12 02 09.01.10 A light and inspiring image of an artist's desk in a cozy studio, featuring a sketchbook with colorful drawings and symbols, paintbrushes, and natural
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How art-making unlocks learning and creativity: My Book Passage workshop

I’ve always been fascinated by how adults learn in life. Even before earning my Ph.D. in Adult Learning from the University of Chicago, I spent years working in Artificial Intelligence, studying how experts learned so I could program computers to do the same. But no matter where my research has taken me, I’ve always returned…

DALL·E 2024 12 02 12.40.36 An abstract and thought provoking image of a glowing seed sprouting roots and branches in rich, fertile soil. Surrounding the seed are dreamlike, symb

Unlocking the power of key images: How metaphors shape our lives and creativity

I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with a friend about whether the images and metaphors that surface in our subconscious are “real.” Like dreams, I believe these images have something to teach us, and on that point, my friend and I agree. However, his concern lies with what I call a “key image.” Key images…

DALL·E 2024 12 02 12.44.42 A lighter and uplifting image of a tree growing from rich, fertile soil with its roots intertwining with abstract shapes like waves and webs, symboliz
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How metaphors shape our lives: Exploring key images and social change

“Don’t look for me in a human shape. I am inside your looking. No need for form with a love this strong.” —Rumi Rumi’s lines are deeply evocative and open to interpretation. As someone who teaches courses on the psychology of metaphor, I see these words as pointing to the profound power of metaphor in…

DALL·E 2024 12 04 13.22.32 A vibrant and symbolic illustration of key images in creativity, featuring elements like a spider web, ocean waves, fertile soil, and blooming plants

Discovering your Key image: The heart of creative inspiration

There was a child went forth every day.And the first object he looks upon, that object he became.–Walt Whitman The late poet Stanley Kunitz believed that writers often have a “key image” that threads through their work, shaping their creative journey. He suggested that writers might spend an entire lifetime exploring a single key image,…

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