loving art, science and creative kids
9/26/2025 8:07:40 PM
Over the Fence: From Rags to Riches was painted to convey the difficulty of overcoming barriers to success and financial security.
The Irresistible Drive to Create
The drive to create is a defining quality of being human. From the time we are born, there is an impulse to bring into existence something that wasn’t there before. Scientific research indicates that exposure to natural environments stimulates curiosity and imagination, while psychology and neuroscience confirm that creativity is fueled by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. More than a survival tool, creation fulfills a profound human need: to explore, express, and shape the world around us. For many, the urge is so strong that it becomes inseparable from who they are.
I am one of those people. Talent has little to do with it. What matters is that the act of creating makes me feel alive. To put brush to canvas or words on a page elevates my spirit in a way I can hardly describe.
Theories about the purpose of art abound. Some scholars suggest that cave and rock paintings were meant as records for future generations. Yet as we leap forward in history to the Baroque period, we see art take on a different role: beauty for its own sake, an act that unites and uplifts. Handel, Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Rubens, and Rembrandt pushed boundaries, leaving works that shaped generations far beyond their own time.
The artist Raphael Soyer captured this impulse perfectly:
“If I don’t paint, I don't feel well physically or mentally. But when I paint a full day, I feel satisfied and everything seems to be OK. I would never stop, never retire. I can’t see how people can retire; I can’t understand that.”
Soyer also described writing in the same way:
“When I do write – especially if I get something on its way to publication – I feel as if I have had the best possible physical workout, as if I have swum a couple of miles.”
Like Soyer, I feel fortunate to live with two outlets—painting and writing. They give me balance. No matter how turbulent the world may be, creativity offers me a path back to inner peace. That doesn’t mean I ignore the horrors around me. I protest injustices, and I speak out. However, art and writing allow me to replenish my strength, so I can continue fighting.
When my son was diagnosed with cancer, anger and grief overwhelmed me. Painting became my way through. I poured my frustration onto the canvas and emerged steadier, able to support him through the long year that followed. Today, I channel my fury about environmental destruction into writing. My words become a bridge for those less attuned to nature, helping them see what is at stake and why the earth must remain a clean, green, and livable planet.
Creativity is not the possession of a chosen few, and it’s not confined to art. It is found in cooking, sewing, gardening, repairing a broken object, or repurposing its use. It lives in everyone, waiting to be nurtured. If you don’t cast it aside, creativity can keep you hopeful, energized, and resilient. It allows us to leave the world just a little better than it was when we first arrived.
References
- Kaufman, S. B., & Gregoire, C. (2016). Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind.TarcherPerigee.
- Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). “The Standard Definition of Creativity.” Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96.
- Richards, R. (2007). Everyday Creativity and the Healthy Mind: Dynamic New Paths for Self and Society. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. Harper Perennial.
- Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Harvard University Press.
- Kellert, S. R., & Wilson, E. O. (1993). The Biophilia Hypothesis. Island Press.
- Collins, D. (20210. A relentless Drive to Create. Creative Grimorire. Retrieved from https://www.creativegrimoire.com/the-grimoire/the-drive-to-create___________________________________________________________________
Please leave a few words and share your creative outlet in the comment section below.
Over the Fence: From Rags to Riches is a 21 x 25” framed acrylic painting on canvas. It is available for sale at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/1975474/over-the-fence-from-rags-to-riches#/
Questions? Contact me at [email protected]
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What if the water your community depends on disappeared overnight? That question drove me to write The Water Factor. By turning a serious issue, the corporate takeover of water, into a story, I could explore it with intrigue, tension, and heart. I imagined a group of young activists taking water trucks from the company draining the local aquifer, fighting for the lifeblood of their town. To my surprise, the scenario wasn’t entirely imaginary: water trucks have been stolen across the U.S. Writing fiction allowed me to transform my fear into a warning, inviting readers to see how close reality can sometimes be to the stories we tell.
The book can be purchased on AMAZON, Barnes and Noble, and as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Ask your bookstore to order a copy from Ingram. Please leave a review.
9/19/2025 8:22:44 PM
I THOUGHT I KNEW YOU
Most people not what you think they are, so you may as well have a good laugh!
A Laughing Matter
Years ago, while at a convention, I passed a room where people stood on chairs laughing. It seemed bizarre, but I later learned they were taking a laughter workshop. At the time, my own life was full of adventure and novelty, and I couldn’t imagine paying money to laugh. Watching my children grow up gave me plenty of opportunity to do so.
But this week, sitting in a circle of well-off friends sharing their emotional states, I realized how the ugly political climate has taken a toll. People who once described themselves as content now admitted to feeling anxious, angry, fearful, stressed, depressed, and sad. Out of nineteen of us, only two said they felt hopeful. Though these were active, healthy people—science-believers, vaccine-takers, and vitamin enthusiasts—many confessed they often cried after reading the news.
Remaining in a politically or socially induced depression isn’t healthy, so I began to think of remedies outside of counseling. The first thing that came to mind was laughter, nature’s antidote to sadness.
“Laughter is the best medicine” is more than a cliché. When you laugh, you breathe in more oxygen, which stimulates the lungs, heart, and muscles. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins. the brain’s feel-good chemicals. It’s similar to what athletes call the “runner’s high.” The physical boost to circulation may be short-lived, but it’s enough to remind us how good it feels to smile.
You might be surprised to learn that laughter can also provide temporary relief from pain. It produces small amounts of natural morphine, which dulls pain receptors in the brain. Don’t worry, becoming a laughter addict won’t get the narcs at your door, yet it might make you a happier person.
Stress, by contrast, is often deadly. I’ve heard of people experiencing a heart attack after a natural disaster or bad news, but never from receiving good news. Studies suggest laughter can actually improve cardiovascular function. It triggers beta-endorphins that make the lining of the heart more reactive, and it produces a muscle-relaxing effect that can last up to 45 minutes.
Though it won’t replace the gym, ten minutes of hearty laughing burns up to 40 calories, which adds up to about four pounds in a year. That’s funny enough to laugh about. Even more profoundly, laughter boosts immunity by reducing stress that has a negative effect on the systems governing health, including the immune system, and can decrease heart rate and blood pressure.. It also lowers blood pressure and heart rate.
Another gift of laughter is its ability to shift perspective. Kings of old kept jesters in their courts for this very reason. Like today’s stand-up comics, jesters could cut through tension and reveal truth, often helping people see problems as less threatening and easier to bear.
A nd perhaps most importantly, laughter draws people closer. It’s social glue, increasing connection and strengthening relationships. By lowering stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine, it lifts mood and makes us easier to be around.
So, the next time the news cycle drags you down, remember that seven days without laughter makes one weak. And if that’s not enough, recall that ants who fight crime are called vigilantes, oceans say hi by making waves, and for this Halloween, there is still time to find a bird that gives out tweets.
Because sometimes the best prescription really is just a good laugh.
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Share a joke, tell a tale for your life. What makes you happy? What keeps you laughing? Respond on my blog site.
Art is always for sale. I thought I Knew You is a 36” by 18” framed, Mixed Media painting on Canvas. It will keep you laughing. Available for purchase on my website at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/1353668/i-thought-i-knew-you#/
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References:
Mayo Clinic Staff (2025) Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. Mayo Clinic Healthy Lifestyle. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
Yoshikawa, Y. & Ohmake, E. and others. (2018) Beneficial effect of laughter therapy on physiological and psychological function in elders. NIH National Library of Medicine. retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6279721/
Staff writer. (2025) The Truth About Laughter as Medicine. Facty Health. Retrieved from https://facty.com/lifestyle/wellness/the-truth-about-laughter-as-medicine/?______________________________________________________________________________
When I interviewed Streetwise for the book OVER THE PEANUT FENCE, about homeless and runaway kids, he shared a story I will always remember. Rather than holding up a sign, saying he was hungry and needed a handout, he made a sign that said, " I bet you can't hit me with your quarter." When people saw it, they laughed, and though no one ever threw a quarter at him, they often gave him a dollar or two. It wasn't long before he had enough to buy lunch or dinner.
Over the Peanut Fence is available in paperback and ebook formats in bookstores and online. To purchase on Amazon go to https://www.amazon.com/Over-Peanut-Fence-Barriers-Homeless-ebook/dp/B07Q7SLRM3
9/13/2025 11:17:21 AM
Is selling off half the trees in the nation's preserved forests and parks justified?
DOES THE END EVER JUSTIFY THE MEANS?
The phrase “the end justifies the means” is often attributed to Niccolò Machiavelli, but it actually originated with the Roman poet Ovid in his Heroides (The Heroines). Still, Machiavelli came close to the idea in The Prince, where he wrote:
“Moreover, in the actions of all men, and most of all of Princes, where there is no tribunal to which we can appeal, we look to results. Wherefore, if a Prince succeeds in establishing and maintaining his authority, the means will always be judged honorable and be approved by everyone.”
In other words, if you hold power and maintain it, history is likely to judge your methods favorably. Yet many psychologists argue that lies and manipulations corrode the liar’s character, eventually coming back to haunt them.
Politics, Lies, and Economics: From a Machiavellian perspective, deception in politics is tolerable, even necessary, if it achieves the desired goal. But the 2008–09 financial crisis shows the dangers of this thinking. Investment bankers traded subprime mortgages, knowing many homeowners could never pay them back. Because the risk was offloaded onto third parties, the bankers enriched themselves while the broader public suffered the fallout. The “means” worked for them, but the “end” was catastrophic for millions.
Is Lying Ever Acceptable? Most ethicists see lying as a form of disrespect. Yet some cases challenge that rule. Consider what happened when the Nazis searched for Anne Frank—her protectors lied and said she was not there. Was that lie justified? Similarly, are people who shelter migrants fleeing violence and poverty acting rightly when they defy the law? Who holds the moral high ground?
The Justification of War: History shows that violence is sometimes perceived as the only viable option.
- The Civil War: The North concluded that only armed conflict could end slavery. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and millions of civilians paid the price, but slavery was abolished. Was there an alternative to getting this result?
- World War II: When Hitler’s regime could not be stopped internally, global war followed, leading to 50–55 million civilian deaths. Was such devastation the only way to end fascism?
The Power and Limits of Nonviolence: Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance in India mobilized tens of thousands, often at great personal cost. During the Salt March in 1930, more than 60,000 were imprisoned, and many were beaten or killed because the British didn’t share Gandhi's approach. Killing and imprisoning those in their way felt justified to them. Gandhi’s movement ultimately led to independence from Britain, but it did not prevent the violent partition between Hindus and Muslims. Could India’s freedom have been won more quickly, more unified, or less bloodily, by other means?
Similarly, in the U.S. Civil Rights movement, two strategies coexisted: Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolence and Stokely Carmichael’s militancy. Nonviolent protest gained moral authority and public sympathy, while militant groups, such as the Black Panthers, raised the stakes for federal leaders. Together, the contrasts created pressure that contributed to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Moral Boundaries Today: What about now? Is violence ever justified against those who spread hate, lies, and division? What about political figures who oppose diversity, deny science, and inflame gun culture? Should citizens ever take justice into their own hands?
And what about governance itself? Do freedom of speech, expression, religion, honest reporting, having privacy, health and sexuality rights, and gun ownership matter to you? As corporate power expands and authoritarian impulses grow stronger, we must ask: Will an autocratic system provide more freedom than the “messiness” of democracy? Or will resisting such a system lead to violence once again, killing millions? What system of governance will make you feel safe?
The Unsettling Question: History suggests that both violent and nonviolent means can achieve monumental change, but at great cost. Whether the ends ever justify the means is not an abstract puzzle but a pressing ethical dilemma. These are dangerous times when individuals take the law into their own hands. Yet, I find our governance both scary and confusing. Our choices must be studied carefully, because their consequences will shape not only the present but the generations that follow.
When I consider these matters, I strive to keep love at the core of my decisions. It’s a calming thought that helps me understand those who think differently from me.
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Start a discussion. Please share your thoughts.
Art is always for sale. To purchase one of the thirty trees or a canvas print of them, go to the works page on my website at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/works. Stroll down to Arboredum and/or Canvas prints.
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References:
Philosophy website (2014) Retrieved from https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/14881/where-did-machiavelli-say-that-the-ends-justify-the-means
Mintz, S. (2018) Do the ends Justify the Means?Ehics Sage. Retrieved from https://www.ethicssage.com/2018/04/do-the-ends-justify-the-means.html
BBC website (20235) How a college dropout from the suburbs became MAGA star Charlie Kirk. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33r4kjez6no
Website 92026) Research Starters: Worldwide Deaths in World War Ii. The National World War II Museum.Retrieved from https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war
Britannica Website (2025) Resistance and results in Mahatma Gandhi. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi/Resistance-and-results
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How should homeless and runaway youth be treated? Like truants> Do they belong in the criminal justice system, or should they be helped to overcome the sordid background they want to escape?
Over the Peanut Fence is available in paperback and ebook formats in bookstores and online. To purchase on Amazon go to https://www.amazon.com/Over-Peanut-Fence-Barriers-Homeless-ebook/dp/B07Q7SLRM3
9/6/2025 12:19:23 AM
Old-growth forest within the Bull Run Watershed
Water: A Slippery Slope
Last week, I took a Bull Run Watershed Tour to learn more about how Portland’s water is delivered. It was designated as the city’s water source in 1890 and currently serves approximately 950,000 residents. Like Seattle and Manhattan, Portland’s water is not filtered.
A second reason for the trip was to investigate whether a corporate subcontractor might be contributing to rising water rates. Across the nation, many communities outsource water management to private companies, firms that often prioritize shareholder profits over cost containment for customers. When I asked several people in the Water Bureau about this, I was assured that Portland’s water and waste systems are managed in-house. Yet the information forwarded to me was so confusing, with pages of names and numbers, that it was impossible to find a clear answer.
The tour began with a beautiful hike through a 750-year-old forest to the headwaters, where a spring bubbles up from the ground to form the river. This river flows through a 140-square-mile area jointly managed by the Portland Water Bureau and the U.S. Forest Service. Although logging was permitted until the mid-1960s, it is now prohibited. The system includes two reservoirs created by dams on the Bull Run River. While this is Portland’s primary water source, the city also maintains a groundwater well field as a backup in case of emergency.
I was especially fascinated by the dams. The first, completed in 1929, was designed and managed entirely by in-house staff. Despite the absence of OSHA at the time, the dam was built in just two years, under budget, and with no casualties. The second dam, built in 1962, tells a different story. Smaller than the first, it was subcontracted to consultants. Construction dragged on for four years, ran over budget, and resulted in the deaths of four workers.
First Dam built in 1929
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There is also a diversion stream, left untreated, to support fish runs. The main supply, however, is treated with chlorine, ammonia, sodium carbonate, and carbon dioxide.
More recently, Portland began building a $2 billion filtration system to remove Cryptosporidium, in compliance with federal and state regulations, and to increase resilience against natural disasters such as wildfires and landslides. Unsurprisingly, the design and construction were contracted out. What surprised me was learning that a management contract is already in place for after completion. Once finished, Pleasant Home Water District customers will begin receiving treated water by September 30, 2027.
From the research I’ve conducted over the past four years, this is often how corporate takeovers of local water systems begin: construction contracts gradually expand into management. Transparency is nearly impossible, as costs can be hidden in dozens of ways. Water bills inevitably rise. A 2022 study by researchers at Cornell University and the University of Pittsburgh found that private ownership is linked to higher water prices and reduced affordability. The oft-repeated claim that private companies run water systems more efficiently than government agencies is a myth. The corporate takeover of water is a slippery slope.
I look forward to reading your thoughts about the issue. Please comment below.
I wrote The Water Factor after years of researching the aftermath of water being designated a commodity rather than a right. It's why a twenty-year-old became an eco-activist, willing to put his life on the line to reclaim a Native tribe's right to water? The Water Factor presents a powerful example of what happens when people become fed up with corporate greed; they overcome their fears and act. The book is a Firebird International Award winner for Best Dystopian Novel and a Literary Titan recipient for Best Thriller, available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell's Books, and Annie Bloom's Books, as well as in other national stores, and on audiobook platforms such as Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.
