Magic Crayon Journal
Pressure
By Patricia Mosca
How much pressure do you put on yourself? Do you think you have to do everything perfectly? Do you think you have to be the best at something or you won’t do it at all? Do you think you have to keep up with the Joneses? Where does all this pressure come from? The best question to ask our self is WHY do I put so much pressure on myself? Read more »

Breathtaking Photo Essay
Branching Thoughts
By Dan Millman & Sierra Prasada
Next year I think that I will produce a book of branches. That’s right, a big thick book of photography composed of nothing but the images of tree limbs in silhouette against the sky, reflected in water, and swaying in the breeze. Many different species will be represented in this book’s pages but especially on display will be the branches of the oak tree that towers over my home. Read more »

The Creative Compass
Allegiance to Story
By Dan Millman & Sierra Prasada
In this article, we aim to help you approach your manuscript as an early reader might, so that you may gain insight into how to transform it as a writer. In The Art of Fiction, John Gardner says, “The writer is more servant than master of his story.” Now you know it, and your labors at this stage prove it. Read more »

Reflect & Write #10
Rap as Poetry
By Hank Kellner
Some people like rap; others most emphatically do not. Be that as it may, most students are familiar with it as a form of poetry in which the words are spoken to the accompaniment of a set rhythm or beat. During the 18th Century the word rap meant “to say.” In the 1960s it evolved into the African American dialect as “to converse.” Finally, it evolved into its present meaning. Read more »

Recycled Craft Project
Doodle-y Christmas Tree Ornament
By Maria Chatzi
Feeling crafty this season? Make this lovely Christmas tree ornament, out of a toilet paper tube. It is fun and easy to make. Use lace scraps and ribbons to decorate it. You don’t need to be an artist to make a simple design, like mine, with acrylic paints — doodling is for everyone. Read more »

Reflect & Write #9
Crossing Bridges
By Hank Kellner
Under construction from 1933 to 1937, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. In fact, it’s been declared a modern Wonder of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Not all bridges, however, are majestic enough to earn such praise. But even the humblest bridge can help to trigger ideas that inspire either poetry or prose. Read more »

Updated 12/4/13