VISIT WITH THE HEROES OF BLUEBARN PICTURES

I had a blast visiting with the crew at Blue Barn Pictures - Jim Baker, Steve Duke, and David Castillo. They work out of a sweet artist-oriented building in DUMBO and seem to have a brotherly connection to each other.

Last year, these guys took countless hours of volunteer time to document the stories of Brooklyn bloggers. Their film piece was then aired at Brooklyn Blogfest, an annual gathering of hundreds of Brooklyn Bloggers and their friends.

I think the piece is significant because it shows the collective story of Brooklyn's storytellers. We are people who care deeply about the daily goings-on the overall quality of life for people in our borough and beyond.

Here's the reel:

http://www.bluebarnpictures.com/home/reelMotion/movies/blogfest.mov

I'd love to have the Bluebarn trio be part of Blogfest 2009.

Keep up the good work, guys!

YOU GET THE PICTURE

This chart is from Seth Godin's blog

TELL ME: WHAT WERE YOU DOING, THINKING, AND FEELING ON INAUGURATION DAY?

Also: where were you and who were you with?

Send me some words and/or photos (JPEG attachment, please) about that and I’ll post them on my blog along with your name, where you’re from, and a link to your website or blog.

WHAT I HAVE, AM, AND WILL BE CELEBRATING THIS YEAR

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY (MONDAY, JAN.16)

I walked into a jam-packed Brooklyn Academy of Music for their 23rd Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The all-star program featured Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine.

INAUGURATION DAY (TUESDAY, JAN.17)

Mike and I started this day by dancing in our small home office to will.i.am’s video It’s A New Day. (Please watch this video! Also worth watching: will’s Yes, We Can and We Are the Ones.) I then subway’d up to Symphony Space on 96th and Broadway to watch the inauguration on their big screen. I could barely contain my excitement on that subway ride. I wanted to shout: “Hey, everyone! It’s a new day! Let’s get up and boogie!” (I’m saving that for this Friday when it’s Disco Night at Santos House here in NYC.)

It was a great crowd at Symphony Space. There were schoolchildren who had arrived by the busload along with lots of older folks from the neighborhood, many of whom had strong ties to the social movements of the 1960s. I loved that it was a rowdy group, with people laughing, shouting, and starting up different chants.

Afterwards, Sandhya, Ayisha (pictured above at Symphony Space) and I went into a packed Upper West Side restaurant and then back to her apartment to continue watching the festivities. On the subway ride home, I turned to the person next to me and said “What a day, right?” and we had a great conversation.

At night, Mike and I watched The Neighborhood Ball and Youth Ball on t.v. and I watched the It’s A New Day video a couple more times before heading to bed. (Yes, I am addicted!)

CHINESE NEW YEAR

It’s the Year of the Ox, y’all, and as usual I’ll be heading over to PS 124 in Chinatown. Their huge, community-inclusive celebration includes traditional dances performed by the students as well as the official unveiling of the Lunar New Year stamp by the stamp’s artist. To find out about other festivities, look online.

THE TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MY BUSINESS, INSPIRED ORGANIZING

Heartfelt thanks to hundreds of inspiring clients and fellow/sister entrepreneurs.

30,000+ VISITS TO CREATIVE TIMES

VALENTINES DAY

One of my favorite holidays and a time to spread the love to friends, family, colleagues, clients, and significant other. Spread the love, people! Think of someone who would be surprised and delighted to know that you care about them and let them know.

MY 40TH BIRTHDAY (NOV.) AND MY DAD, LEN TRAUBMAN’S, 70TH BIRTHDAY(AUG.)

MLK DAY AT BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC (WHERE I'LL BE TODAY)

(Image and text taken from BAM website.)

23rd Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mon, Jan 19 at 10:30am

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

Free! First come, first seated. (Note: One ticket per person. No groups.)

BAM, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York present New York City’s largest public celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year, BAM welcomes keynote speaker Minnijean Brown Trickey, part of the "Little Rock Nine." Rounding out the program will be inspirational performances by James Hall Worship & Praise as well as music by Brian Jackson, best-known for his historic collaborations with spoken word icon Gil Scott-Heron.

Following the event in the Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas will present a free screening of the acclaimed documentary Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later (2007, 70 min), which provides a candid look at the lives of contemporary Central High Students, the film will be introduced by Ms. Brown Trickey.

Also visit BAMcafé to view Picture the Dream, a youth art exhibition, and to hear free musical programming as part of BAMcafé Live.

LET'S DISCO ON FRIDAY NIGHT!

I've been wanting to go to Santos House for forever and now there's a bunch of reasons to go:

(1) Disco Night (2) Free (3) Starts at 6 pm

DISCO PARTY Fundraiser

Friday January 23

UPSTAIRS

21+ Doors 6PM

$0
5th annual Appreciation Party!

As an expression of our sincere gratitude for your support in 2008,

ADMISSION IS COMPLIMENTARY FOR ALL WHO ATTEND!

DJ Herb Martin will be playing the MUSIC for your DANCING PLEASURE

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE: GETTING BACK TO WHAT YOU LOVE

From today's Daily Om:

There are times in life when we are committed to pursuing our passions. Every molecule in our body is focused on doing what we love. At other times, necessity and responsibility dictate that we put our dreams aside and do what needs to be done. It is during these moments that we may choose to forget what it is that we love to do.

There are many other reasons for why we may leave our passions behind. A hobby may lose its appeal once we’ve realize it will never turn into our dream job. Someone important to us may keep telling us that our passions are childish and unsuitable – until we finally believe them.

Forgetting about what you love to do can be a form of self-sabotage. If you can forget about your dreams, then you never have to risk failure. But just because we’ve decided to ignore our passions doesn’t mean they no longer exist. Nothing can fill the emptiness that remains in a space vacated by a passion that we have tossed aside. Besides, life is too short to stop doing what you love, and it is never too late to rediscover your favorite things.

If you gave up playing an instrument, painting, drawing, spending time in nature, or any other activity or interest that you once loved to do, now may be the time to take up that passion again. If you don’t remember what it is that you used to be passionate about, you may want to think about the activities or interests that you used to love or the dreams that you always wished you could pursue.

You don’t have to neglect your responsibilities to pursue your passions, and you don’t have to neglect your commitments to do what you love. When you make an effort to incorporate your interests into your life, the fire within you ignites. You feel excited, inspired, and fed by the flames that are sparked by living your life with passion for what you love.

LUNAR NEW YEAR STAMP COMES OUT THIS THURSDAY

This text taken from the website of the United States Postal service. Go HERE to see the Lunar New Year stamp on the site.

On January 8, 2009, in New York, New York, the Postal Service™ will issue a 42–cent, Celebrating Lunar New Year Year of the Ox commemorative stamp, designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland.The U.S. Postal Service® introduced its Celebrating Lunar New Year series in 2008. This is the second stamp in that series, which will continue through 2019 with stamps for the Year of the Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar.In 2008, a stamp depicting festive red lanterns was issued to mark the Year of the Rat.

Art Director Ethel Kessler and artist Kam Mak, who grew up in New York City’s Chinatown and now lives in Brooklyn, decided to focus on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year Holiday is celebrated.

To commemorate the Year of the Ox, which begins January 26, 2009, they chose a lion head of a type often worn at parades and other festivities. Kessler’s design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, using Clarence Lee’s intricate paper–cut design of an ox and the Chinese character drawn in grass–style calligraphy by Lau Bun for “Ox.”

TEN TIPS FOR GETTING ORGANIZED

MYTH: Being organized means having a home that resembles the pages of Real Simple magazine, with nary an object out of place!

TRUTH: Being organized means having a few systems and tools in place which free you up to spend more time with your friends and family and less time hunting for things you need or stressing about piles of stuff that have no rhyme or reason.

Here are ten organizing practices to get you going:

1. Set aside time to open your mail every day! Open mail over a trash/recycling can and throw out solicitations and other junk mail. Daily mail sorting prevents paper pile-up and the resulting feelings of overwhelm.

2. Use the RAFT acronym for handling papers.

R = Refer to someone else
A = Act on it if the action takes 5 minutes or less OR put it in an action pile
F = File it
T = Toss it!

3. Put old financial or archival documents which you don’t need to refer to often in a banker’s box and store on a high shelf. Create homes (binders, files, whatever works for you) for papers which come in on a regular basis – financial statements, bills, etc.

4. For de-cluttering, set aside a specific amount of time. It’s helpful to use a kitchen timer. Pick an area that you know you will be able to complete in that time frame – e.g., two shelves on the bookshelf, a dresser drawer, the top of your desk.

5. Look at one item at a time. Make a decision about each item before going on to the next. Do you want to keep it, toss it, repair it, or donate it? Make a pile for each category.

6. While going through books, clothing, jewelry, etc., ask yourself: Do I need it? Do I love it? Do I use it? Do I want it? Do I feel good when I wear it, use it, look at it? Keep or let go based on the answer.

7. When you come up against “I might need this someday,” trust that you can get what you need when the occasion arises.

8. With gifts and other objects of sentimental value, ask yourself: “Can I hold onto the memory without holding onto the object?” Choose the most precious memories and store or display them so that they are easily accessed – in albums or decorative storage boxes.

9. Have a designated place in your apartment for give-aways so that everyone can get into the habit of putting unused or unwanted stuff there. Choose a charity that you can easily walk or cab your stuff to, or one that makes pick-ups.

10. Put a vase of flowers anywhere in your apartment where clutter tends to accumulate. It’s less tempting to let clutter build up where there is beauty!

A professional organizer since 1999, Eleanor assists busy New York women de-clutter and make better use of desks, closets, filing cabinets, and more. She has been featured in Time Out New York, The Brooklyn Paper, Family Circle, The Sun Times Chronicle, and Fitness.

To contact Eleanor: 917-499-7395

THE MAGIC OF EVA ZEISEL IN MY HOME (AND YOURS?)

Adam Zeisel, grandson of design icon Eva Zeisel, sent me an amazing set of bronze candlestick holders which Eva designed. After receiving the set in the mail, I went out to the local five and dime store and got a bunch of rose and fuschia colored candlesticks which look great with the bronze. I love having a tangible reminder of Eva's creative spirit in my home.

Adam offers this set on http://www.evazeiseloriginals.com/ at a nice discount only because there are tiny imperfections (e.g. mine came with a little scratch that I could barely see.)

AND he is offering Creative Times readers a further discount: pay $30 if you purchase an individual candlestick and $25/per if you purchase the three-pieced set.

When ordering, please make a note in the comment's field that youwish to receive the 'Creative Times' discount and Adam will apply it to your final invoice.

Here is the website description of this item:

Made using the ancient method of sand casting, these three beauties get their smooth bronze finish by heating them over raw coals and then dipping them in an aging solution. The process is repeated until the desired color is reached. All work is 100% hand-crafted until the final finish. This updated version does not have a felt bottom.

WHERE A PAINTER, MIKE SORGATZ, GETS HIS INSPIRATION

To see Mike's paintings, go to http://www.michaelsorgatz.com/
To see Mike's blog, go to http://www.artinbrooklyn.com/
To see Mike's inspiration statement on Jennie Nash's blog, Meet Your Muse, go HERE.

"Inspiration is a direct result of working. I'm hardly ever inspired by just lounging around the apartment. I paint cityscapes, so as I'm walking around the city doing my daily errands I'm always scouting for interesting subjects. I've got a mental catalog of places that have a unique character and every few weeks I go on a picture safari to document these locations. While shooting pictures I stay open to whatever activity is happening and just keep clicking away.

The second type of inspiration comes in reviewing the photos. There's always some sort of happy surprise waiting, an odd perspective or some intriguing interaction on the street that managed to get captured in a background. This is really about recognizing a special moment - not passing over a photo that's a little blurred or oddly cropped. Since I use the photos as a rough sketch they can be technically imperfect - I actually prefer the imperfections because they've got more potential.

The third form of inspiration comes when the paint (finally) hits the canvas. I paint in a style that relies on improvisation, there's plenty of room for unexpected occurances which are also inspiring. I really enjoy exploiting the spontaneous acts that divert me from the planned route. An unexpected color combination or a drawing error can lead to something wonderful. I don't get too attached to my original concept of an artwork, everything is flexible and open to change. A painting never finishes exactly the way I expect, which makes everything much more interesting. Ultimately I'm inspired by the endless possibilities in every artwork."

INTERVIEW WITH JENNIE NASH, AUTHOR OF "THE ONLY TRUE GENIUS IN THE FAMILY"

Meet Jennie Nash, author of The Only True Genius in the Family. Her newest novel is "a story about three generations of artists who are grappling with the source of creativity and the limits of love." The book comes out in February of this year. To pre-order Jennie's novel, CLICK HERE.

The questions I use to interview Jennie can be found in Twyla Tharp's book called The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life. I pulled a dozen of the 39 questions Twyla asks and answers to form her own creative autobiography.

CT: Describe your first successful creative act.

JN: In 4th grade, we were invited to submit poems for a collection that our class was going to make into a book. I wrote poem after poem – about puppies? Flowers? I have no idea. But I remember very clearly seeing the words I wrote printed on purple mimeograph paper with my byline above them, sandwiched between cardboard covers. I thought it was a thrill.

CT: Was anyone there to witness or appreciate it?

JN: I’m sure my teacher and my parents said, “Nice job,” but their praise wasn’t the point – and I think that’s what made it a successful act. The impulse to write those poems and the pride I felt when I saw them published was wholly about me.

CT: What is the best idea you ever had?

JN: That I should try writing fiction.

CT: What made it great in your mind?

JN: It felt like coming home.

CT: Can you connect the dots that led you to this idea?

JN: It came to me all at once, on a stage in front of a thousand people in Anchorage, Alaska. I was giving a keynote address to a room full of breast cancer survivors. The year before, they’d had a world famous surgeon, a woman who’s actually trying to cure cancer. I was paralyzed with the thought that, compared to her, I had nothing to say that mattered. I got up to the podium, and realized that what I had was this: I am a storyteller. And I realized that it mattered very much.

CT: What is your creative ambition?

JN: To write good books for an appreciative audience that continues to grow.

CT: What are the obstacles to this ambition?

JN: Complacency, fear, doubt and a collapsing book industry.

CT: What are the vital steps to achieving this ambition?

JN: In order to write good books, I think I have to pay attention (to the world, to my own intuition, to my stories) and give myself permission to create. As for connecting with an audience? I guess we all have to pray that booksellers stay in business, editors keep their jobs, and publishing houses keep the faith.

CT: How do you begin your day?

JN: I eat breakfast with my husband and our two teenage daughters, which is to say that we all sit down at the table together and we eat; we hardly ever talk. I read three newspapers – fast. I scan the news, and look for interesting stories, mostly in the Calendar, Arts or Living sections.

CT: Which artists do you admire most?

JN: It usually changes depending on my latest favorite book. Right now, I most admire Abigail Thomas, author of the memoir A Three Dog Life and Elizabeth Strout, author of the story collection Olive Kitteridge.

CT: Why are they your role models?

JN: They take the raw material of everyday life and make something dazzling out of it. Everyday life doesn’t always feel dazzling to me, but these authors remind me that, in fact, it is.

CT: What do you and your role models have in common?

JN: Hope.

LET PLANET B-BOY ROCK YOUR WORLD

In 2008, Planet B-Boy played for a week or so in New York City and I missed it. I was so happy to find it in our neighborhood movie rental place, Video-free Brooklyn. If you want to catch it on the tele, watch Planet B-Boy on MTV this Sunday the 11th at 11:00 am or 12 midnight.

In this Benson Lee documentary, the camera narrows in on breakdance crews from five different parts of the world as they prepare for the "The Battle of the Year" - an international break dance contest which takes place in Germany.

There are a bunch of things I love about this film. First, it lets us see how five crews operate as a group. Also, it focuses on some of the individual young men in these groups - namely, on their relationship to b-boying and to their families who are sometimes skeptical of the art form.

There is a theme of Asian fathers wondering if their sons' involvement in b-boying is going to bring honor or stability to the family or community. When young men are part of a team who wins "The Battle of the Year" ( a huge honor, considering that 10,000 spectators come from all ends of the earth to watch this competition), families and entire countries change their mind about the validity of b-boying.

At "The Battle of the Year," teams from different countries eye each other suspiciously at the beginning and end up having some great bonding moments which rely on non-verbal communication given the language barriers.

This film highlights what makes b-boying an important passion for young men. (And, I might add, what makes it a desirable alternative to the preparation for warfare that all young men receive through socialization or actual military training.): B-boying simulates battle, but there is no violence; instead, there is genuine opening for athleticism; self- and group-expression; creative collaboration; artistry; dance; a connection to music, and friendships based on mutual respect with other young men.

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GET ORGANIZED!

Hey there busy New York women!

I'd be delighted to help you

*Cut down on clutter

* Set up easy-to-use filing systems

* Learn and implement simple time and paper
management tools

THIS WEEK'S HOROSCOPE FOR SCORPIOS - BY ROB BREZSNY

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you're an artist and you want to get steadily better at your craft, you need to continually refine your approach to telling the truth. The novelist Willa Cather said that. Now I'm here to invite you to adopt that strategy in 2009, whether you're an artist or simply a person who wants to live your life artfully. The coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to penetrate to the heart of the truths you aspire to live by and become highly skilled at expressing them in every little thing you do.

http://freewillastrology.com/

DAILY AND WEEKLY CUTE PET PHOTO CONTESTS

Anamigo.com is having a photo contest with a daily prize of $25 and a weekly prize of $125, totaling $300-a-week for the cutest pet photos (voted by users). Anamigo.com is a new online community for pet lovers and their pets. It doesn't cost a thing and all you have to do is join.

http://anamigo.smnr.us

PAINTING FOR SALE: UNION SQUARE FARMERS MARKET

Union Square Farmers Market

Acrylic on Canvas, 16"x20"

$500

For more paintings by Michael Sorgatz: http://www.michaelsorgatz.com/

MY DANCE DREAM CAME TRUE LAST NIGHT

For years, one of my dreams has been to get back to dancing. Just plain old dancing on a dance floor with lots of other people. I always had some "reason" I couldn't: I didn't know of anywhere to go; I didn't have a big enough group to go with; my body was stiff and out of shape.

Yesterday, I spied a postcard advertising Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday and this one was called "Celebrate the Magic of Dance!" The back of the card was filled with a lineup of films, speakers, and interactive dance-related events. I took the card home and said "Come on, Mike - let's go!"

So we got on our tennies and motored over to the museum. First, we stopped in the cafe. It was packed with people of all colors and ages. Then we went to watch a very energetic guy named Ifetayo lead a West Indian dance class for the public. He got lots of the audience involved - young ones, men, women. I stayed on the sidelines.

Then we went and looked at the special exhibition - The Black List Project. And then listened to a student guide give a Sign Language-interpreted talk about the project.

Finally, we mozied over to the Chicago House Dance Party deejayed by DJ Quentin Harris.

First, Mike and I did some subtle boogeying on the edges of where people were dancing. Over time, we moved closer and closer to the middle of the dancing until we were a few bodies away from the DJ.

It was so fun to be smashed up against other people, other people who were also dancing their hearts out. (See photo above taken by Mike on his cell phone.)

Even though we got home late at night, I turned on the t.v. and watched the movie Save the Last Dance. I shed some tears because the main characters played by Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Harris both get their dreams: "Sara" gets into Julliard to study dance and "Dereck" gets into Georgetown to be pre-med.

So Sara, Dereck and I all had our dreams come true last night!

AN ALPHABET OF HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2008

I sent this list out with my holiday card.

Birthday treat from my cousin Ann. First, we went to Franchia, a Korean tea house, and then to The Morgan Library to see the Babaar exhibit.

Interviewing and photographing creative heroes for my Blog, Creative Times.

Watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving three times in a row in anticipation of the big day.

Dreaming of being in a Missy Elliot music video.

Making friends with other artists and Entrepreneurs in Brooklyn.

Visiting museums for our Friday night dates.

Gathering friends and colleagues to come to Mike’s first solo art showing at a local café.

Celebrating Mike’s 40th birthday with a House party.

Discovering the tv show Iconoclasts in which two creative visionaries from different fields spend time getting to know one another and witnessing one another’s work.

Attending an international weekend-long gathering for Jewish women.

Keeping my Ipod nearby so I can watch Ching-A-Ling, Missy Elliott’s newest music video.

The Love for life reflected in my brother Adam’s incredible online photo updates of his family.

Meeting Big Bird on the set of Sesame Street, thanks to cameraman Frank Biando.

Birth of my niece, Natalie. (See photo above.)

Obama as our new President!

The continuation of the tradition of Puppet “music video” shows performed by various members of extended family when we all got together in California.

Quest to get to know neighborhood store owners.

Helping to Round up Brooklyn bloggers and friends for The Third Annual Brooklyn Blogfest.

Reading the Sunday New York Times in my favorite neighborhood diner.

Getting a Tour of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens at a monthly gathering of Brooklyn Bloggers. (Thanks, Flatbush Gardener!)

Uno, the first beagle ever to win the Westminster Dog Show.

Visiting my friend Cecilia in her art studio.

Going early in the morn to Prospect Park to Watch all the cutest pups of Brooklyn bound across the grass as their owners huddle together.

EXploring the shelves of The Housing Works Bookstore in SoHo.

The friendly and convenient resource that is the local branch of the YMCA.

Catching Sunday afternoon Zzzzzs in the livingroom as the sun pours in through the windows.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish you a 2009 full of love, growth, adventure, change, joy, and uncontainable laughter.

Hugs,

Eleanor

PS – Keep in touch!
I’d love to hear about what you’ve been doing, thinking, and dreaming about. I welcome recent photos of you with friends, family, loved ones, and pets.

Drop me a line via email: ETraubman@aol.com

TOP FIVE REASONS TO GO TO LAURA ALLEN'S 15 SECOND PITCH WORKSHOP ON JANUARY 19

1. As a Creative Times Reader, you get more than a 50% discount on the workshop: General admission is $40. Cost to CT readers: $15!

2. Laura Allen has helped thousands of people develop 15 second pitches, a tool which leads to all kinds of new opportunities.

3. Laura has a wicked sense of humor. She'll keep you laughing and thinking at the same time.

4. She cares deeply about getting people to connect with work they are passionate about.

5. It's a powerful way to launch 2009.

HERE'S THE FULL SCOOP:

The 15SecondPitch Workshop for Artists and Entrepreneurs

Join Laura Allen, co-founder of 15SecondPitch.com to learn how you can have fun selling in a way that is authentic to you! (Co-Ed workshop)

Monday January 19th, 20096:30-8:00pm

In Good Company Workplaces16 W. 23rd Street (4th Floor) New York, NY

Would you like to talk about your artwork or business without feeling like a sleazy car salesman? It is actually possible to have fun selling using your natural PASSION for what you do!! Join Laura Allen, co-founder of 15SecondPitch.com for a fun, interactive, highly informative 90 minute workshop where she will teach you how to get more sales now using her unique 15SecondPitch System.

Even if you absolutely hate to sell, this workshop can still help you make more sales!

What you’ll learn
*What the 15SecondPitch is
*Why the 15SecondPitch works so well
*How to create your 15SecondPitch
*How to use your 15SecondPitch to get more sales now

To attend, you must RSVP to Laura@15SecondPitch.com with your full name and email address. Payment in advance required. (We’ll send you payment option details.)

Make sure to mention Creative Times when you sign up to get the discount!

Capacity for the workshop is 20 people, so RSVP ASAP!Please bring a notebook and bring plenty of business cards too!