loving art, science and creative kids
2/26/2016 4:29:09 PM
Over the Peanut Fence
Acrylic/ Gold Frame/ 21” by 25’’ / $299
Look closely at the isolated house and small struggling garden trying to survive on barren land. It is set apart by an almost insurmountable fence. On the other side you see water, growth, lush green plants and colorful flowers. Imagine yourself in the house but wanting to move. How will you get over or around the fence? Are you frighted of what you might find? There may be insects or snakes that you did not know were there. What will you bring with you? How will your present strengths become your platform for a better future?
A Sense of Purpose
We all need a sense of purpose, an overarching mission that unites the different journeys we take throughout our lives. Mine has always been centered on education. Though my career started with raising five kids and evolved to include mental health counseling, running museums, owning a catalog company and authoring books, my underling purpose has always been to inspire a love of learning. Promoting problem solving skills (the job of parent, counselor and teacher ) and independence has always been my quest. Tools I use involve a plethora of sensory-intelligence teaching approaches to fit each individual’s learning style. I implemented this education mission by developing hands-on exhibits and classroom programs, educational toys. I promote philosophical underpinnings through my writing and thought provoking paintings. Reading voraciously and traveling broadly are journeys I take for inspiration.
Having a mission that held steady for most of my life has made transition periods easier. As I moved from childhood, to adulthood, from parenting to empty nesting, and from job to retirement there were many rocky roads to be carefully navigated. I experienced physical energy increase during my 30s, 40s and 50s only to be cut down by illness in my 60s. But then, happily my strength reemerged and I was tasked with continuing my mission.
I also experienced loving relationships that had been carefully nurtured over years become lost because of moves or employment changes. These transition times initiated a period of confusion and impetus to build new friendships. Comfortingly, as my path changed, my goal to improve education remained singular. This consistency provided a smooth passage to my next challenge.
Each of life’s plateaus required rethinking before evolving in a such a way as to take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom I had acquired to date. In retirement I became interested in understanding the crisis facing homeless youth, and you might wonder what it has to do with hands-on education? The more I study the causes, life styles, brain development, and interventions used with this population, the more I realize that individualized education within a loving context is the the way to heal hearts and minds.
What is your sense of purpose? Most people do have one but they may not have stopped to identify it. It is an interesting exercise to look at all of the phases of your life in search for the common denominator or life thread that guides your actions.
Art work is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]
Please respond on my blog site at eichingerfineart.com/blog.
For sale as an e-book on Amazon: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. $ 2.99. Go to AMAZON.
2/19/2016 1:35:55 PM
Mean Aunt Martha
Acrylic/ 30” by 30” / gold frame/ $ 399
She was a beautiful, talented alcoholic who was mean to her children.
What type of brain did she have?
Over and Under-stimulated Brains
Sean Suib director of New Avenues for Youth recently told me that there are two types of brains. The thought intrigued me so I did a little research. What I discovered is that one brain type is over-stimulated while at rest. I have one of those. My brain does not like going on roller coaster rides or being exposed to extreme circumstances. We who are over-stimulated are hypersensitive since our brains are continuously at an “all systems go” level. Our brains often cause us to have social anxiety and exhibit fear based responses.
When it comes to taking physical risks I am cautious even though I like to get up on the roof and sweep off the leaves. Heights don’t seem to bother me as much as my neighbors who worry about me falling. I am smart enough to attach a rope if I have to go to a particularly dangerous spot where the ground is 40 feet below. I avoid the most risky sections.
It takes courage to grow up and strike out on your own. Those of us with over-stimulated brains have a difficult time becoming independent unless we learn to calm our minds. In my twenties my career suffered because of anxiety and fear. I turned down a wonderful position offered by the Boston Children’s Museum when I first graduated from college. I had to learn how to overcome my disability and eventually did so through the practice of Transcendental Meditation. When I first started Impression 5, a science museum in Lansing Michigan, I sat in my car meditating for 20 minutes before going to appointments. Over time, I learned to relax and eventually to enjoy the chaos of a stimulating work environment. I started to thrive under the pressure of daily decision making that was required in my challenging job a president of OMSI. Though I now consider myself a risk-taker when it comes to my personal and business life, I am rarely impulsive. My moves are well analyzed and calculated.
The second brain type is under-stimulated. Those with this type of brain have constant feelings of boredom. They become the thrill seekers who love roller coaster rides and high speed car chases. These individuals are in danger of depression and acquiring compulsive behaviors like drinking and gambling. They seek extreme activities to overcome boredom and have a propensity for poor impulse control. Under-stimulated brains tend to feel and move through life without thinking of the future. Under-stimulation is often paired with a psychological condition known as motivational syndrome, defined as a low desire to participate in social situations. They are often apathetic to what goes on in the world outside of themselves.
Streetwise, as do many homeless teens, has an under-stimulated brain. When we first met him he constantly complained of boredom. With a lack of motivation nothing interested him saying nothing interested him. He could sit staring into space for hours, not responding to our suggestions to go out and enjoy the world. . “Go visit a friend.” I would say or “ If you are bored, why not join a bowling team or get involved with a hobby.” The answer was always, “I’m not interested.” However, when it came to physical risks his response was different. Streetwise was ready to jump into a risk taking position as long as someone else initiated the interaction. I would hear of his dreams of bungee jumping, skydiving, speed racing, and skateboarding as they swirled around his head while he lay on the sofa.
One day Ray and I noticed how much Streetwise enjoyed getting up on the roof to look over the edge without being tied on by a rope. One section of our roof is over 50 feet off the ground but its height did not phase him. The higher the roofline he could stand on the happier he was. His attraction to danger is what led us to suggest that he become an industrial painter. This career puts him on 75 foot water towers where he can hang over the side to sand blast and paint. At times he has to walk along narrow platforms and climb cables on bridges that span huge distances over turbulent water. Streetwise embraced his training and apprenticeship program with gusto. He has excellent job possibilities ahead of him as long as he stays safe. We have observed a big change in the way he problem solves so I am optimistic. His brain has adapted making him a more outgoing personality who is comfortable in social situations once he has been pushed into attending.
I do believe that Aunt Martha was in many ways similar to Streetwise. Her under-stimulated brain, however, took her towards self-medication through alcohol. She reacted instinctually when she did not like something and slashed out at her children with biting verbal screams. Her anger was a way of stimulating her brain and making her feel alive.
Which of the two categories do you fall into? Is your brain over or under-stimulated? Have you ever had to overcome adversity due to the way your mind works? Have you tried to repattern the way you think? Do share on my blog site, www.eichingerfineart.com/blog.
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
For sale on Amazon : The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds for $ 2.99
Go to AMAZON
References:
http://hubpages.com/health/processing-disorders-under-stimulated-brain - About the overstimulated brain.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5418991_mean-feel-understimulated.html - Understimulated brain.
2/12/2016 1:41:36 PM
The Lovers
three dimensional multi-media picture/ 24" by 28" /$ 450
Emotional Neglect
Most of us are fortunate for we have experienced love. As children we had family members who held and cherished us. As adults we found partners and formed bonds based on love. Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to those children who are never held or told that they are special.
In my search to understand the root cause of youth homelessness I wondered about the long term effects of never being touched or cuddled? or being neglected or abandoned?
A cornerstone study about infant neglect began in the 1980s when Dr. Nathan Fox from Harvard Medical School along with colleagues walked into an orphanage in Romania. Due to the country’s ban on abortion the number of orphan babies had soared. 170,000 children were in 700 overcrowded and impoverished facilities across the country without sufficient caretakers. Though the facilities were clean the infants were emotionally neglected. Left all day in their cribs the babies were changed periodically and fed without being held. The nurseries were eerily quiet places. Crying babies were ignored and so they stopped making sounds since crying didn’t produce attention.
Dr. Fox and colleagues have been following these children for over fourteen years. In the beginning they saw autistic-like behaviors such as head-banging and rocking. As the children grew their head circumferences remained unusually small. They had difficulty paying attention and comprehending what was going on around them. Over time, 50 percent of the children suffered from mental illness. They displayed poor impulse control, were socially withdrawn, had problems coping and regulating their emotions and were shrouded in low self-esteem. Pathological behaviors manifested themselves such as tics, tantrums, stealing and self-punishment. Their intellectual function was poor giving rise to low academic achievement.
Those children who were lucky enough to be put in a loving foster home before the age of two were able to rebound. Their brain’s electrical matter as seen on MRIs looked normal by the time they were eight. However, those who entered foster care later where not so lucky. They were left with permanent damage.
Closer to home is the Perry Preschool Project in conjunction with Nurse Family Practitioners. Children were followed until the age of forty with many successful interventions developed through the the years. Researchers concluded that, “without repeated acts of love, a child’s brain doesn’t make the growth hormone needed for proper mental and physical development.” Without it children are left permanently scarred.
Even small insults of shame and rejection can impact a youngster’s ability to survive. Verbal abuse from parents such as, “I can’t believe you embarrass me like that.” or “You Idiot! Who do you think you are?” hurts and affects a child’s self-esteem. These children are the ones who grow up to be cruel to animals, set fires, take drugs or simply withdraw into themselves.
Is there hope for these youngsters? Psychologist Philip Fisher at the University of Oregon has been studying the corrosive levels of abused children. He claims that their abnormal levels can be impacted by reducing stress, their own as well as that of their are care givers. Educating natural and foster parents so that they understand what happened to the child helps them realize that they are not dealing with a normal brain. Instead the youngster make the same mistakes over and over again, the frustrated adult is taught patience. They are shown how to reduce their own stress levels as well as that of the child. Behavior modification programs, reward systems and support groups provide positive paths that can replace feelings of hopelessness. Targeted interventions such as computer-based brain training games also help some malfunctioning children learn to tune into the cues they are missing. Quite a bit of work is being done in this field with positive results mounting.
For those of us who are fortunate, let’s take nothing for granted. Giving and receiving love is a blessing to be cherished. Happy Walentine’s Day to you with all my love.
For sale on Amazon: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. $2.99
Go to AMAZON
References:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/06/neglect.aspx:
Drs. Nathan Fox, Charles Zeanah and Charles Nelson study of Romanian orphans.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/24/the-measure-of-a-mothers-love-how-early-deprivation-derails-child-development/ - Lack of Love.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9145.html - Rand published research on education programs that work. - Early interventions for at risk children.
http://evidencebasedprograms.org/1366-2/65-2 -Perry School and Nurse Family Partnership
2/5/2016 6:04:45 PM
TV Diva
acrylic painting, 30” by 40” / $ 499
How do illiterate people get the news? from internet? bloggers, TV personalities,
news channels, friends? church?. . . . or do they just not bother.
Why Read?
A few years ago National Geographic had an article about Australian aborigines. One man was quoted as saying, “Why read books? When you are hungry, can you eat a book?”
To that I say yes. If you can read you have a better chance of getting a job, earning money and putting food on your plate. Many young people, however, do not subscribe to this view. Streetwise, for instance, tells me that there is no need to read for he can get everything he needs to know off of a YouTube Video. He listens to anyone who has a jazzed up message and is not critical about where it comes from.
His attitude disappoints me. I fear being at the mercy of uneducated voters who, without the facts, make decisions that affect my life. If YouTube is their carrier then critical reasoning skills are needed to wade through a lot of misinformation. Though he is literate, reading does not come easy. Getting information from a news article is not part of Streetwise’s repertoire.
Did you know that 1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning how to
read?
44 million adults are unable to read a simple story to their children.
Those who don’t read proficiently by 3rd of 4th grade are 4 times more likely
to drop out of school.
85% of juvenile’s facing court trials are functionally illiterate.
75% of Americans who receive food stamps perform at the lowest 2 literacy
levels. 50% of adults cannot read a book written at the 8th grade level.
50% of unemployed youth between 16 and 21 are functionally illiterate
The US is the only free market company where the current generation is less
educated than the previous one. We rank 12 out of 20 in literacy among high
income countries.
and 90% of high school drop outs are on welfare.
Literacy is a learned phenomenon while illiteracy is passed along by parents who do not read or write. But what happens when there is a burgeoning illiterate population? Daily living requires adults to read basic texts, understand legal and financial documents and navigate technology. Those who cannot miss out on job opportunities. If employed they earn about $ 230-45 a week and only work 18-19 weeks a year.
Politicians talk of working wage jobs for all but we are not going to get there if we do not solve illiteracy as a fist step. Elections worry me because their are not level playing fields with knowledgeable voters ready to execute their democratic rights. Instead emotional oratory bravado that says little captures the imagination of the public.
Most of the people who pay attention to my blog are readers. They read to their children when young and grandchildren as they come along. Now I implore you to consider going one step further. Mentor a person who needs extra help.
It is not easy to motivate a reluctant reader and involves developing a relationship that is close and trusting. Helping a slow reader requires flexibility and being in tune with psychological blocks that may have impeded learning in the first place. It takes patience, compassion and persistence.
The exciting result, though, is that once a student experiences success, self-motivation often takes over. Eyes light up, understanding occurs and confidence builds. Mentors find that they receive as much as they give.
Consider volunteering today to turn around a life. There are many organizations throughout the country seeking help. Several in my area include The Portland Literacy Council ( http://portlandliteracy.org) , Portland Community College volunteer tutoring ( http://www.pcc.edu/resources/tutoring/volunteer/), the library and the public schools.
Don’t wait. Did you know that in 2015 Portland ranked # 6 out of large cities in volunteering and # 1 for Millennials? We are a caring community.
Art work is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]
Please respond on my blog site.
____________________________________
For sale on Amazon: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. $2.99
Go to Amazon .
___________________________________
References
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-literacy-america -literacy among youth.
http://literacyprojectfoundation.org/community/statistics/ - literacy statistics.
http://study.com/articles/Illiteracy_The_Downfall_of_American_Society.html - Impact of illiteracy on society.
literacycouncil.org - Uses volunteers to support adult literacy programs
http://www.pcc.edu/resources/tutoring/volunteer/ - volunteer literacy tutoring program run by Portland Community College
http://www.oregonvolunteers.org - volunteer statistics.
