Hiatus

hi·a·tus- a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.

Image via Dubliner

It is 2:15am where I am and I've been tossing and turning in bed for over an hour. In a previous post I mentioned that I have been re-evaluating how I spend my time. The end result of that process is that I have had to finally admit that I have too many projects. Consequently, nothing very constructive, helpful, or creative is getting accomplished. When I awaken in the middle of the night in a panic, I know there are too many things vieing for my time and attention.

Image via Like The Mermaid

So it is with much sadness anad reluctance that I must put The Creativity Greenhouse on hiatus. Don't get me wrong- I love working on The Creativity Greenhouse and have several posts almost ready and ideas for many more. And I love interacting with and getting to know my fellow activity professionals. But no, this isn't the only project going to the back burner. In fact, I'm sort of clearing the deck for awhile. My ability to do any one project (or responsibility) effectively has suffered the past month or so and my own creativity, humble as it was to begin with, is shot full of holes. One lesson in creativity is that it's important to say "No" sometimes. I simply cannot go into the holiday season feeling so flat and overwhelmed. Even thinking about trying to find the time for everything has been stressful. So for the sake of my family and my actual job, The Greenhouse will be on hiatus indefinitely though not forever. Thank you so much for your visits here. I honestly and sincerely appreciate every visitor who has stopped by the Greenhouse. If and when I can get things rolling again, I will definitely let you know via some of our other professional blogs and chats.

All of the links in the sidebar and posts on The Creativity Greenhouse are still active so please take advantage of those resources and I'll see you  on down the road in a bit.

Image via Seagoat Musings

Boo !

Getting into the Halloween mood in the Greenhouse.

What's your favorite Halloween decorating trick?

Culture for the Health of It

Image via Decca Records

I came across this article in the National Post titled Art for Life's Sake: The Health Benefits of Culture (click the totle for the jump to the article). The discussion is about the differences in health, satisfaction, anxiety, and depression scores in the elderly who are involved with cultural activities and those who are not. As the author, Dr. James Aw, states the science of this is not hardcore but the evidences are pretty compelling. In a nutshell, early research is indicating that participation in cultural activities, whether you create or consume (observe) is good for you. There are some interesting gender differences but, as they say, "It's all good." I strongly encourage you to click over to the article- it's an easy and intriguing read.



Image by Olds College via Flickr



Once you read the article, you will naturally ask yourself, "How can I take this information and put it to work in my facility for my residents?" I keep copping out by saying that you know your residents best and will know how to do that. You may be able to introduce a cultural series (or several) with great success and very little coaxing. Hands-on groups creating crafts, music, paintings, plays, field trips to the museum and so forth are a few examples. We know that some people (of all ages) dig in their heels when you say "cultural activity" so some of us may need to "sneak" in some culture by starting with consumption type activities: listening to music with an instructional type discussion, art appreciation groups, trips to watch a play, a variety of music played quietly in the background during groups. Perhaps you could start with cultural activities centered on your geographic location- clogging dancers in Appalachia, Native American art in the southwest, Mongolian throat singing if you're in Mongolia. You get what I mean. Then build upon that exposure by introducing related cultural activities.

Image via Appalachian Clogging & Dance Center



For example, maybe you could start with a discussion on clogging, a traditional Appalachian dance, and show a couple of videos. This video of clog dancing (remember Jed Clampett) is interesting because it is in someone's home and the participants are not professionals. If this video doesn't make you want to get up and stomp your feet, you must be asleep and whenever I've shown it in my facility, every toe is tapping. How many of your folks talk about rolling back the carpet to dance? Though our carpet didn't roll back, we used to have spontaneous dance sessions to all kinds of music in my home with my daughter when she was young. This is a type of cultural activity that is very familiar to people in my part of the world and was very accessible to many of them as they were growing up. Did you notice two interesting things about this 1964 video? The television was off and the participants were very proficient, even some of the very young. If you have access, you could schedule a clogging group to come to your facility within a few days after this first group program. Then, for the next session, you could move on to a discussion about some of the things that influenced clogging. My area was settled by Irish, Scottish, Dutch-German, and English so I might say, "Well, clogging, which we are all familiar with, was influenced in part by Irish folk dancing" which would launch into videos and discussion about Irish Step Dancing...

...which of course is most popularly know by the Riverdance group. Or, I could stay with Appalachian music but move the discussion for the next group time to the instruments and invite various musicians in to play and discuss their particular instrument.

Image via Save The Old Time Music

BUT... the nature and "worldly-ness" of the elderly in my area has begun to change from when I first started working in Activities, way back during the last Ice Age. So I just might be able to say, "Today's Music Appreciation group is on Mongolian Throat Singers. Let's rock."

How much cool stuff is there in the world?

 

The article makes two very good points. One is that "culture" is a wide open definition. Cultural dance may be ballet, modern interpretive, or square dancing depending upon where you live and even your interests and past experiences. Cultural music may be symphonic, jazz, or bluegrass. Art may be realistic representative, outsider art, or modern abstract painting. It's all about the creative expression, not necessarily the precise form. The other point is that we don't need to live in Washington DC to view (consume) the paintings housed in the Museum of Modern Art. We don't need to live in New York City to go to the symphony. Many museums and organizations have their exhibits available on their websites, available for download, or for purchase. Public libraries are a great resource for videos and DVDs. Set up an informal, rotating gallery in your facility and invite residents, staff, and family members to submit artwork, photography, or poems. Discuss and challenge your residents with this informal gallery. The submitted work doesn't have to be "professional. Again, it's about the creative process, not necessarily the finished work. And did you know that some theater chains such as Hollywood Theaters also show musical performances, lectures, and Broadway productions, not just the latest movie releases? Call them, ask them, you might even be able to get discounted tickets for your senior citizens.

Image by Ralph Bassfeld via Flickr



But another question that Dr. Aw's article brings to my mind is, "How can I incorporate these findings into my life?" Cultural activities as a stress-buster? Bring it on! So I would encourage, even challenge, each of you to think about how you can begin to enrich your own lives with cultural activities that you can carry into your senior years. It doesn't have to be a big deal- go to high school plays if you don't have access to a professional theater. Turn the radio dial off of the top-40 station (please, no more of the same 10 songs for 8 months!) and listen to a classical station one day on your way home and maybe jazz the next, just as a starting point. Take a ceramics class or ballet for adult beginners. Read a book that is outside of your normal preferences such as a classic novel. Start slow, go with a variety, keep an open mind. Start now with developing a healthy cultural life that will carry you graciously into your senior years. If we want our residents to try new things, attend new activities, and have a rich life then we need to nurture that willingness in our own lives. We don't have to like everything. I'm not sure I would listen to Mongolian throat singing every night after dinner but it is some really interesting music and part of me is better from the experience of learning. It's part of taking care of yourself, the part of you that is separate from your professional life and relationships that refreshes and enriches. I know, a whole conversation about separation, or not, of personal and professional life could ensue but we're just not going to go there today.

Image via Art.com

Anyway, go check out the article by clicking the link in the title of the article at the top of this post- it's very interesting. I would love to hear how you've incorporated cultural programs into your facility life and your personal life as well as what the impact of doing so has been.

Thanks so much for visiting today.
See ya again "when things slow down"  wink wink

State Associations

Image via Kimberly Kinrade



I know that I haven't posted for several days and I apologize for that. The truth is, I'm in the process of re-evaluating how I use my time. Too many irons in the fire but I love all of my irons and I want to keep them all, plus add a few that I've got my eye on. I know, if you have or have ever had a toddler, I sound like I subscribe to the Toddler's Rules of Ownership:

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.
11. If it's broken, but you are having fun playing with the pieces, it's mine again.
12. If there is ANY doubt, it's mine.

There are simply so many cool things in the world that it's hard to get them all done in one day. Then there are those responsibilities that supercede all the fun play stuff: work, family, volunteerism, church, laundry, supper, dishes... you know how it is. So certainly over "the holidays", which includes Halloween though I think of that as a diversion not a holiday, postings will be sporatic here, though I do have some things already in the works to share with you. Hang with me and I'll do my best to share as I can. I have lots of irons to share with you, just trouble getting the time figured out.

Image via Agiliti

I spent the better part of last week at my state's Activity Association Confernece. If you have never been to your state's annual conference- GO! I was very inspired and touched by the depth of care for "our" folks and the creativity and fun on the part of my fellow Activity Directors. Seriously, it's only marginally about the CEU's. I work alone, no staff, so feel on an island a great deal of the time. The kindness and "realness" of our co-professionals is just sensational. So GO to your next annual conference.

Alright- that's my soap box and cheerleading for today. See ya again-- promise.

Photo of the Week- Prompting Discussion

Have you noticed this photo at the top of the sidebar on the right-hand side of the page?

After thinking about it for some time, I have decided to broaden the stated scope of The Creativity Greenhouse. Much of creativity is, after all, self-expression. But on another level, our folks too often have limited opportunities for self-expression, the kind of self-expression that goes beyond discussing the headlines or remembering commerical jingles. I'm not belittling these types of activities- I've used them and they can be great fun. But think, if you will, to a time when you sat with a friend or two and pursued a line of conversation that was outside the normal rut of conversations that we all get into in our daily lives. Think of a time when you shared with another the very core of who you believe yourself to be, your very identity and values. Remember that feeling? Remember the way your relationship changed with the person with whom you were talking? Many of our residents need help with those types of conversations. Maybe just an opportunity. So even though creative writing has always been a given in The Greenhouse, I hope to be able to explore with you (and you with us) ways to facilitate not just reminiscence but expression of self, formally and informally. So having said that, let's get to today's post about using photographs as discussion prompts. This post introduces a short little series  about using photographs that I would like to explore with you in the coming weeks/months/whenever I can get to it ahead.

Roberto Clemente Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh,
a scene many of my folks would recognize.

I post a Photo Of The Week every Monday in the Great Room (my Activity Room). These photos generate a good bit of casual discussion and comments among folks coming and going in the Great Room through out the day. I use a wide variety of photos: seasonal, funny, amazing, cute, touching, odd, thought-provoking, historical, current events...

Photo by Chris Preovolos via ctnews/In-Sight

Image via All That Is Interesting



Image via The Buzz Media



Image via MHBlog




Photo by Thang Nguyen via Flickr





Image via Forwarded Emails



Image via Amazing World



I like to use these photos as a prompt for discussions within groups or during meals. I also use them for in-room visits as I keep all of the photos in a folder after their week in the spotlight and have a good stockpile built up. If I have background information about a photo I share that. If not, we wonder about it. Use the 5-Ws for generating questions: who, what, where, when, why. Sometimes the photos are so incredible we use "How"- How in the world did they get that picture? We have had several patients who were Photoshop users and there is always the question- is that fake?

I work up a list of questions ahead of time that go beyond the 5-Ws that may serve to initiate further conversation. For example, some of the questions from the photos above may be-

Did you/your children ride a school bus?

What was your school like?

What do you like the most about autumn?
Can you think of how a pile of leaves smells?

What do you think about pets in costumes?
Did you ever do anything unusal for your pets?

Do you recognize the fast-food places in this photo?
Do you like fast-food?

Did you ever ride/race a horse?

Would a hen adopt a puppy? And what about that little chick standing to the side?

Have you been to an exotic island?

Have you been snorkeling or scuba diving?

Each question and the answers lead to more so of course the questions can go on forever. Your group may engage in conversation with minimal help from you or, as we've all had happen, getting anyone to speak up and interact just doesn't happen.

And you never know what will come up during these discussions. Once we had a photo of a lighthouse in New England and one of the ladies immediately exclaimed, "Oh, that's Such and Such Lighthouse in Cape Ann. I grew up about 5 miles from there." And she proceeded to tell us all kinds of stories and history about the lighthouse.

Another time I had selected one on my photos of My Khe Beach in Vietnam and a gentleman looked up at me with an expression of startled recognition. "That's China Beach." (which it is). "I was there during Vietnam. See that spot right there? Shot a gook there." (My apologies but that's the term he used). Though I gently forbid him from sharing explicit details in that particular group setting (it was during a meal), it did generate some interesting conversation about that era in our history. I did hear him and another vet later discussing their time in Vietnam and they ended up exchanging email addresses and one emailed me later to say that they live 20 miles apart and have become great buddies. So you never know what's going to develop when people start talking.

I stay away from raunchy, provocative, vulgar, demeaning, and racist photos. And those photos, sadly, are all too easy to come across.

I have collected photos for years and of course have a folder on my computer for Photo of the Week. (You may be guessing by now that I have folders for everything on my computers and you would be right!) Sometimes I go browsing for photos, sometimes I happen upon then, other times people send me photos. Here are some of the websites where I go in search of photos:

Photo of the Year

Astronomy Picture of the Day/NASA

100 Incredible Views of the Window of an Airplane via BuzzFeed

World Press Photo

Cool Pictures

MSNBC Photo of the Week

National Geographic The photos from National Geographic have always been beautiful and they have a great section on their website focused just on their photos.

** National Geographic was hacked on September 4th by an infamous Turkish hacker. It may be a couple of days before they can get their site up again. There is no danger to your computer- traffic is simply re-directed to the Hacker's page proclaiming his responsibility (i.e guilt).

 

Of course you can always check out Flickr, though that site has become rather noisy and crowded. There are still amazing photos there by very talented photographers but it takes a bit longer to weed through the family vacation/drunken frat party pics. You can also check out photobucket and SmugMug. In these photo hosting sites you can browse through photos by tag that other folks have uploaded.

Another way to find photos is to use the website StumbleUpon. You do eventually need to register but you can narrow your stumbling by interests, including photography. If you are looking specifically for photos, definitely narrow your search to Photography or you'll get all kinds of things. Finally there is Pinterest. With this site, you request an invite to join the site but I can't imagine that they turn anyone away. Once you get your invitation, you login and start to explore, either by all or by category. Pinterest calls itself a virtual pinboard: you can browse through other "pins", repin photos to your own boards, comment on photos, or link to the original source for the photo. You can also pin photos from other websites but that gets into more than we need to discuss here. There is a fair amount of junk on Pinterest but there are also some stunning photographs. Just be sure to select the Photography category or, as with StumbleUpon, you'll get all kinds of things. Again, I'm issuing a warning because it can be addictive. And don't get the app on your iphone or you'll be pinning all the time. I'm just sayin' ....



Image via Cool Pictures
The gentleman who took this photo said he discovered the frog in his backyard one Christmas.
He tried several times to remove the light but the frog always put it back in its mouth.
He thinks the frog was warming itself. You know, on one of those cold December Florida nights ;)



Then there is the good old image search. You can type in keywords under the Image tabs on Google, Yahoo, or any other browser. Enter phrases such as autumn scenery, beach retreats, kids playing little league, cute puppies,  Easter bunnies, whatever you're looking for. You generally get broad results ranging from exactly what you're looking for to the odd photo of someone's boobs- you just never know. You can also search for "Photo of the Year", "Top Photos of 2011", "Amazing nature photography", and so forth. Finally, if you type in an image search for "Funny Photos" be aware that some are funny, some are not, some are vulgar, some have the block captions, some make no sense what so ever. You've been warned.



Photographer unknown- if this is your image, please let me know so
I can properly credit you for this great shot.



Thanks so much for visiting the Greenhouse today. If you click on the Facebook logo in the right-hand sidebar and "Like" the Greenhouse on Facebook you will get short notices of new posts via FB. (Those of you subscribing by email will need to visit the website to find the link)

See ya next time! Do you have any cool photos to share with us?

Five Card Bingo

Need a quick game or an alternative to Bingo? One of my patients told me about this game- Five Card Bingo! This is an easy game to play with individuals who cannot process an entire Bingo card. Even large, over-sized Bingo cards can sometimes be too much to look at.


Let me preface the instructions by saying I am fully aware that changing or even suggesting a change to Bingo can possibly result in the poor offending Activity Director being hung from the rafters. You know if your folks can take it so I'm putting that burden on you. I hereby absolve myself of any and all injuries that may or may not occur as a result of changing Bingo. Of course, if your residents like Five Card Bingo, I'm hijackin' your thunder!  (Y'all know I'm teasing).

Here's how the game works:

You need two decks of cards, preferably one of them supporting the West Virginia Mountaineers. I'm just saying...

You won't need the Jokers for this so pull those guys out.

Before you begin, you might want to review the suits: Heart, Club, Spade, Diamond

Click here for a quick download of the suit images. The images are each letter-size and ready to go. They will help out as a visual aide if you feel that would be helpful for your group and the download saves you from copying/scanning, enlarging, blah blah blah-- ready to go! (Sometimes the publisher has preview images, sometimes not. You'll need to click on "Next"  then "Download This File" in order to get each of the four images.)

So let's play this easy game.

Save one deck of cards for the dealer. For the players, deal five cards to each player from the second deck. Line them up, face up.

The dealer turns over one card at a time from his or her deck and calls out that card.

If a player has that card, the card is turned face down.

The first player to turn all five cards face down is the winner. Y'all can yell BINGO or whatever you feel is appropriate.

Of course you can increase the number of cards the players receive depending upon your group's overall functional level...

... but seems that playing too many cards can become difficult because of all the visual input. You know your folks, you can decide how many cards to play.

So there you go- one quick pick-up game to try out with your residents.

Thanks so much for visiting today. Don't forget to click on the Facebook icon in the sidebar to the right and "Like" the Greenhouse on Facebook to get short notices of updates to the blog.

See ya next time.

A True Survivor

Image via Navy Times

This isn't exactly the kind of post I ever thought I would write, maybe because I just assumed my "Cool Seniors" page (see the tab above) would be about currently living seniors who were living the creative life, either long-term or newly found. Albert Brown passed away yesterday- August 14, 2001- at the age of 105. I don't know if he was a creative man. Albert "Doc" Brown was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March, which occurred in the Philippines in World War II. An estimated 11,000 US and Philippine soldiers died on the 65-mile forced march from Bataan province near Manila to a Japanese POW camp.

I'm kind of a history buff- all kinds of history, not just WWII- and I read Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman this past year. It is a horrific story of the depths to which people can sink and a celebration of the heights to which they can rise. I have not read Forsaken Heroes of the Pacific War: One Man’s True Story, Doc Browns story. Even though it is not available at this time on Amazon (first time that's every happened!), you can bet I will track it down.

Bataan Death March survivor Albert Brown speaks with members of the SIUC Army ROTC at his daughter's home in Pinckneyville, Ill., in 2005.
Image via Navy Times

What I thought about, as I read about Doc Brown's life and his death (click here) on Sunday in an Illinois nursing home was how many stories we have at our finger tips. I once met a man who was on the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb. I was talking with a man once, whom I had gotten to know better than most of my folks, and he unexpectedly told me about an event that had happened 50 years earlier, on that very day, during WWII. It was horrific and it was the first time I ever cried openly with a patient. He was silent for a good while after he told me his story and then he said, "I'm soon 100 years old. I swore I would take that story to my grave. But now I've told you and I'm asking you to take it to yours." I am honored to do so.

I've gotten to know gem cutters, nuclear scientists, professors, women who played in the first professional women's baseball league, pilots, mountain climbers, coal miners, custodians, house wives (I know that's an out of vogue term), seamstresses, Rosie the Riveters, more doctors and lawyers than I can count, a rodeo clown, an astronaut, pig farmers, itinerant preachers, you name it. We all have met such a rich and colorful group of people through our work with seniors. But it isn't the jobs they held that impresses and amazes me. It's the things they survived. Prison camps, sunken ships, the Dust Bowl, 14 children, abusive husbands, disease, being held hostage ... again countless. And it isn't just surviving that leaves me in awe, it's the thriving that comes afterwards, in spite of life's unfair card dealing.

Someone once asked me why I like working with senior citizens so much. Here's how I explain it: It's like walking on the beach with miles and miles of sand and sameness. But when you look closer, there are beautiful shells, starfish, jelly fish, shark egg cases, sea glass. All kinds of things wash up to the shore, all beautiful and precious. And sometimes, while walking on the beach, if you dig enough, you uncover treasure. That's how it feels to me when I suddenly learn something about a patient/resident that is totally amazing. It's like digging up jewels.

I would LOVE to hear about your amazing seniors.