I recently read The Authentic Dissertation by Trent Jacobs, a thought-provoking book on alternative approaches to doctoral dissertations. It explores using art, fiction, dialogues, indigenous ways of knowing, and other creative methods to complete Ph.D. work. The book made me reflect on my own dissertation experience—one that couldn’t have been further from anything “experimental.” My…
Peter London, in No More Secondhand Art, said it beautifully: artists are custodians of issues larger than themselves. But this idea isn’t limited to artists. Anyone working in social change—whether you’re passionate about local food, clean water, better government, or art education—is carrying something bigger than “just” your personal mission. Your work isn’t just about expressing…
Mozart once said, “Love, love, love—that is the soul of genius.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe echoed this sentiment, claiming, “People cannot learn what they do not love.” Yet, in today’s intellectualized society, where the power of the word often trumps the wisdom of the heart, passion and emotion are rarely given their due. Having feelings—or…
“To create is always to learn, to begin over, to begin at zero.” – Matthew Fox In The Invisible Embrace of Beauty, John O’Donohue explores the profound connection between learning, creativity, and beauty. He references St. Thomas Aquinas, who believed that beauty was the perfection of a thing. Aquinas wrote: “To know a thing is…
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