One great way to boost our collective creativity as a community is to revel in the rich cultural diversity and creativity that already exists here in the Valley. Thankfully, Día de los Muertos is coming up early next month, and there are lots of ways... Continue

I’ve mostly been writing here about creativity as a positive thing. I’ve explored how making something (or being creative in other ways) can be cathartic and liberating, even therapeutic. That’s what makes creativity such an important force in our lives. But creativity also has another... Continue

What’s the difference between art and craft? Between an artist and an artisan? This is a distinction that I’d never given much thought to until about a year ago. Newly hired at the Community Center, a place full of “arts and crafts,” I was intrigued.... Continue

At the Community Center, we’re in the midst of planning our annual MUSE gala – and it’s gotten me to thinking about this notion of a Muse. What is it, and how does it relate to creativity? The word as we use it comes from... Continue

I began to play the violin when I was seven – but I often say it really started when I was nine. That’s when I switched to a new teacher, who disapproved of my former instructor’s methods and told me and my parents I’d basically... Continue

You may know Simon Blattner as a businessman or the consummate community volunteer, but he is also a handmade papermaker. He came to it in his forties, after a San Francisco neighbor (a renowned book restorer) told him that, as a paper company CEO, he... Continue

You might think there’s nothing less creative than trash. But maybe you haven’t yet met Marie Kneemeyer, the Public Education Manager at Recology Sonoma Marin. Marie’s job is to educate the community about zero waste strategies, and for her, creativity and waste management are inextricably connected.... Continue