It feels so good to be back teaching.
After a long winter doing administrative work to get Primitive Arts Collective off the ground I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor.
It started with an amazing memorial day weekend at the MAPS meet in Maryland. It was great to teach throwing arts, stalking, and camo. One group of kids did amazingly well with their camo. It reminded me how important it is to share the primitive arts with kids, as they are going to be the ones to make hard choices in the future. By exposing them to these skills it helps them establish a connection with the world around them. One of the reasons there is so much destruction in our society is that people in general lack a connection to much of anything, therefore it is easy to turn a blind eye to the ills of the planet, nature, and the society around them. By reconnecting kids to nature, we start a process that is likely to carry through to other areas in their lives, helping them to grow in to conscious adults who will not settle for the status quo.
Another thing I really cherish about the MAPS meet is all the new friends. It is a great feeling to meet some new people who share a common goal. As I said in a previous post we all need to come together to reach as many as possible and effect some real change. When groups are scattered and divided we are only working against our common goals. Building community is perhaps one of the most important things that we can do in this age of uncertainty.
I just arrived back in Cincinnati yesterday after teaching a class called Art and Science of Primitive Living in Saratoga Springs, NY. The group was very passionate and eager to learn, and because of this we were able to quickly exhaust the original outline and get a lot of Extra skills into their heads. Every skill we taught was crafted by our students with the utmost of care and thanksgiving, each of them truly creating functional art.
I would like to give thanks to Catherine and Andrew of Black Umbrella for sponsoring the class. I am honored to have the both of you as friends and colleagues and I know that wonderful things are in store because of the relationship between Black umbrella and Primitive Arts Collective.
It was also a blessing to have such wonderful help for the week. I owe many thanks to Brian Schuch for coming to help me teach this class. Brian, you are truly an inspiration. Your level of passion and hunger for the primitive arts is astounding. You are a shining example of how we should immerse ourselves in life. I could not have pulled off such an amazing class without your help!!
Last but not definitely not least I need to thank Brad Salon and Sarah Corrigan from Roots vt.(www.rootsvt.com) I have known Brad and Sarah since they were interns at Tracker School years ago. After leaving Tracker they threw themselves head first into learning these artforms and now have a school in Vermont where they share there knowledge and experience of Primitive skills and wilderness survival. The last two days of class they taught Hide working, flint knapping, and edible plants. It was truly a highlight of the week. I could think of no better way to wrap up an amazing class! Thank you both!
In a day I am off to Washburn, Illinois to teach at Art and Science in the Woods. This is an annual event put together by the Sun Foundation where I will be teaching primitive skills and wilderness survival to kids. I am really looking forward to the class, as well as seeing some old friends.
On June 24, I will be giving a lecture at Art in the Age in Philadelphia, Pa. I hope to see some you there. Keep an eye on my website www.primitiveac.com for more details.
You can also find more info on my schedule by checking out Primitive Arts Collective FB page by clicking the banner to the right.
Hope to see you all soon.
Give thanks!!!
Showing posts with label primitive skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label primitive skills. Show all posts
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Giving thanks...
HI everyone! I know that it has been a while since I posted last. Been wrapped up in a lot of other things as of late and have not been able to keep on top of it. I am going to try from here on out to be more consistent with my posts.
I am going to keep this entry short. In a day or so I will be posting again about my past, present and future plans and projects.
Firstly, I wanted to talk about the subject of thanksgiving. As I sit here this morning I realize that even though there is a lot going on in my life right now, I have so much to be thankful for. I could only focus on my problems and negativities and allow them to drag me down or I can recognize both and achieve some sort of balance. Often times in life, we tend to focus on all the negative things. We let problems and negativities dominate our lives. In a sense we become slaves to them. There are plenty of people out there who let their problems define them.
Truth be told Almost all of us have many more things to be thankful for than we do problems. When we take time everyday to think of what we are thankful for it can really put our problems into perspective, often times making them easier to resolve.
It is also my firm belief that thanksgiving is the most sincere form of prayer because you are not asking for anything. Often times when people pray they are in a bind or they need something. Rarely do people just give thanks for being alive, for friends and family, the food they eat or the earth just to name a few.
When you try and exist in an open state of thanksgiving you will be in for a pleasant change in your point of view. You will get more joy out of life, and your problems just might be a little easier to deal with knowing you have some wonderful things in your life!
As I said before, there will be another post in a few days about what is going on with me as of late. I have some great news about my latest projects that I think you will all be excited about. Stay tuned!
I am going to keep this entry short. In a day or so I will be posting again about my past, present and future plans and projects.
Firstly, I wanted to talk about the subject of thanksgiving. As I sit here this morning I realize that even though there is a lot going on in my life right now, I have so much to be thankful for. I could only focus on my problems and negativities and allow them to drag me down or I can recognize both and achieve some sort of balance. Often times in life, we tend to focus on all the negative things. We let problems and negativities dominate our lives. In a sense we become slaves to them. There are plenty of people out there who let their problems define them.
Truth be told Almost all of us have many more things to be thankful for than we do problems. When we take time everyday to think of what we are thankful for it can really put our problems into perspective, often times making them easier to resolve.
It is also my firm belief that thanksgiving is the most sincere form of prayer because you are not asking for anything. Often times when people pray they are in a bind or they need something. Rarely do people just give thanks for being alive, for friends and family, the food they eat or the earth just to name a few.
When you try and exist in an open state of thanksgiving you will be in for a pleasant change in your point of view. You will get more joy out of life, and your problems just might be a little easier to deal with knowing you have some wonderful things in your life!
As I said before, there will be another post in a few days about what is going on with me as of late. I have some great news about my latest projects that I think you will all be excited about. Stay tuned!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Changes and New beginings..
Well I knew the Time would come, when even I might get into the "blogging" so here we go..
Alot has changed for me in the last little while. I guess change is always inevitable, yet feared by so many, my self included. Often enough people get to comfortable in there lives regardless of the quality. People are willing to settle for a horrible existence, all because the fear of the unknown is such a powerful force that it binds them to whatever the current "comfortable" situation is.
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to
lose sight of the shore.
-Andre Gide
Think of comfort and about what it means to you..
I have known many levels of comfort in my life.
There was a time, when I was hitchhiking around the country were being comfortable meant not getting rained on, and eating once a day. Other times this may have been extremely uncomfortable. Comfort Is something that is created within us when we decide that whatever is happening to us currently is better than the unknown.
We as humans are by far and away the best at adaptation. Because of this feature, it has allowed us to spread north to south, east to west, pillaging as we go. But also, Adaptation has kept people, on an individual level stuck in a rut, afraid of the possibilities that lie outside the walls. That adaptation is what makes people comfortable in horrible situations. Please keep in mind that I have in no way shape or form mastered the art of conquering the unknown or facing my fears for that matter..
I am learning as the rest. We as people crave that comfort, and I truly believe that if more people would step into the unknown that this world would be a better place. I have found that from my personal experience that when you fight the urges to stay put, and you push into that brave new world you realize that there was nothing to be afraid of. In fact it feels pretty great!.
Think about what would happen if you had a fully functioning adult mind just before you were born. would you want to be thrust out into the unknown? or stay in the warmth of the womb? My father Says often that we as a global society crave safety, security, and comfort. he also calls these euphemisms for death. Another thing that he says that has stuck to me all this time and I know to be true is that the memories that stand out most to you, the ones you can think back to and not just remember, but relive. you were probably not safe, secure, or comfortable.
I said earlier that I in no way have gotten control over jumping into the unknown, leaving perceived comfort behind for uncertainty. But it seems to my as of late that I have been enrolled in a crash course. Lately I've come to the conclusion that life happens with or without you so no matter what it throws at you, you have to make the best of it. I've been reading some things lately and something that has stuck out was the statement " start looking at your problems as opportunities" and I think for once in my life I am doing this. Often times in my life when a problem would arise, I would first try to ignore it. Sometimes it would go away, but more often then not it would just be put of until things got so out of hand that I had to deal with it or face serious consequences, then after all that work I would kick myself in the ass, thinking that had I just dealt with it in the beginning it would have been so much easier.
The best part of all this is, I still torture myself to this day by doing the same thing repeatedly!! Who knows.. I don't think that anyone will argue with the fact that the Brown men can be stubborn!.
With me Lately it has been a case of "When it rains, It Pours." My Family and I left New jersey just before thanksgiving to move here to Cincinnati Ohio, This was unseen but I guess there comes a time in every body's life when there is no visible fork in the road of life, yet there is a strong sense that there is a trail there somewhere. In these cases a new trail must be forged. Ones vision or purpose in life is somethings that is far from being set in stone. A vision is ever evolving day by day, minute by minute. Many people get wrapped up in the end result and fail to pay attention to subtle cues from life. They don't listen, because they are afraid of coming to the realization that they may have to make some major changes and the unknown. I am trying my hardest not to be intimidated by the task at hand, to forge ahead and look for the path I know is there somewhere. Slowly but surely It will come into view. I am sure of it! One thing I am Absolutely sure of, that has been proven to me time and time again, is that when you open yourself, the universe will guide you. Everyone has heard the saying "when one door closes, another opens" Thank to this "universal law" I now have the opportunity to do some work with some amazing folks who are starting an organization in New york City. I will elaborate more on this project at a later time.
I plan on using this Blog as a forum for many things, News about what I am doing as far as classes and things, Random thoughts, And writing about Primitive skills. I am also sure that there will be alot of other random topics as well!! Thanks for taking a look and I hope you read again!!
Many Blessings!!
Alot has changed for me in the last little while. I guess change is always inevitable, yet feared by so many, my self included. Often enough people get to comfortable in there lives regardless of the quality. People are willing to settle for a horrible existence, all because the fear of the unknown is such a powerful force that it binds them to whatever the current "comfortable" situation is.
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to
lose sight of the shore.
-Andre Gide
Think of comfort and about what it means to you..
I have known many levels of comfort in my life.
There was a time, when I was hitchhiking around the country were being comfortable meant not getting rained on, and eating once a day. Other times this may have been extremely uncomfortable. Comfort Is something that is created within us when we decide that whatever is happening to us currently is better than the unknown.
We as humans are by far and away the best at adaptation. Because of this feature, it has allowed us to spread north to south, east to west, pillaging as we go. But also, Adaptation has kept people, on an individual level stuck in a rut, afraid of the possibilities that lie outside the walls. That adaptation is what makes people comfortable in horrible situations. Please keep in mind that I have in no way shape or form mastered the art of conquering the unknown or facing my fears for that matter..
I am learning as the rest. We as people crave that comfort, and I truly believe that if more people would step into the unknown that this world would be a better place. I have found that from my personal experience that when you fight the urges to stay put, and you push into that brave new world you realize that there was nothing to be afraid of. In fact it feels pretty great!.
Think about what would happen if you had a fully functioning adult mind just before you were born. would you want to be thrust out into the unknown? or stay in the warmth of the womb? My father Says often that we as a global society crave safety, security, and comfort. he also calls these euphemisms for death. Another thing that he says that has stuck to me all this time and I know to be true is that the memories that stand out most to you, the ones you can think back to and not just remember, but relive. you were probably not safe, secure, or comfortable.
I said earlier that I in no way have gotten control over jumping into the unknown, leaving perceived comfort behind for uncertainty. But it seems to my as of late that I have been enrolled in a crash course. Lately I've come to the conclusion that life happens with or without you so no matter what it throws at you, you have to make the best of it. I've been reading some things lately and something that has stuck out was the statement " start looking at your problems as opportunities" and I think for once in my life I am doing this. Often times in my life when a problem would arise, I would first try to ignore it. Sometimes it would go away, but more often then not it would just be put of until things got so out of hand that I had to deal with it or face serious consequences, then after all that work I would kick myself in the ass, thinking that had I just dealt with it in the beginning it would have been so much easier.
The best part of all this is, I still torture myself to this day by doing the same thing repeatedly!! Who knows.. I don't think that anyone will argue with the fact that the Brown men can be stubborn!.
With me Lately it has been a case of "When it rains, It Pours." My Family and I left New jersey just before thanksgiving to move here to Cincinnati Ohio, This was unseen but I guess there comes a time in every body's life when there is no visible fork in the road of life, yet there is a strong sense that there is a trail there somewhere. In these cases a new trail must be forged. Ones vision or purpose in life is somethings that is far from being set in stone. A vision is ever evolving day by day, minute by minute. Many people get wrapped up in the end result and fail to pay attention to subtle cues from life. They don't listen, because they are afraid of coming to the realization that they may have to make some major changes and the unknown. I am trying my hardest not to be intimidated by the task at hand, to forge ahead and look for the path I know is there somewhere. Slowly but surely It will come into view. I am sure of it! One thing I am Absolutely sure of, that has been proven to me time and time again, is that when you open yourself, the universe will guide you. Everyone has heard the saying "when one door closes, another opens" Thank to this "universal law" I now have the opportunity to do some work with some amazing folks who are starting an organization in New york City. I will elaborate more on this project at a later time.
I plan on using this Blog as a forum for many things, News about what I am doing as far as classes and things, Random thoughts, And writing about Primitive skills. I am also sure that there will be alot of other random topics as well!! Thanks for taking a look and I hope you read again!!
Many Blessings!!
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