Our new CafePress Online Store:
Cool Gear to Empower
So one day we were thinking, wouldn’t it be great if we had t-shirts to wear at conferences or events and to have stickers available with our motto or The 3 Rules. And then we thought, maybe others might also enjoy such fun things. And thus our CafePress store was born. We’ve been busy playing and having fun designing cool graphics for t-shirts, stickers, and more. You can check out some of our offerings in our store including our Claiming Face journal where you can claim your self and your life on every page and remember that YOU are an Artist! A great compliment to our Claiming Face Ed Guide. More designs sure to come too including art from some of Maya’s children’s books! Enjoy!
Tales from “Our Community, Ourselves” Diversity Conference
Spring is here and we’ve been all over the place. I’m one of those terribly homey people. I LOVE home. But I also LOVE to travel. India, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, New York, Philadelphia, South Carolina, Vallejo, Alameda County… The world fascinates me with its beauty and variation, from the far away and vastly different to the close to home and still different! In San Francisco, we live in what I jokingly refer to as an “adjacent reality,” similar to the rest of the country, but noticeably unique. Ahhh, San Francisco, she’s an island unto herself in some ways. So even when we only travel a county or two away, I feel like we’re on an adventure…away from our familiar little village of the Castro and Mission Districts, away from the public trains and rolling fog, our local markets and favorite strolls.
This last Friday, April 23rd, we were up before the sun and off to the Newark Hilton for the Diversity Conference sponsored by Child, Family and Community Services, Inc. of Alameda County. I love doing these things with Matthew. He drives and I navigate. Usually I’ve been alone, so I drive and I have no idea who’s navigating. We got there nice and early and set up our table. It was the first public event for Claiming Face, the Educator’s Guide, and Continue reading »
CLAIMING FACE in Life – The Making of the Book, Part 1
We have the very first book in hand now. As I hold it I can feel the heft of its 236 pages. The cover is slick and vibrant. It looks and feels like “fresh book.” But it also feels like it has existed forever. I have done a lot of books in my time, but nothing like this. This book is my life. I can sense how it has grown in me ever since I was a child. It feels like me. As personal as it is, it could not have been created this way without partnering with Matthew for it. I think it’s an honest estimation to say that we are each wildly creative in separate, but fabulously complimentary ways. One of Matthew’s many strengths is his attention to great detail and clarity. He has architecture in his blood. I love structure, but often find that dismantling is more my focus. I need a lot of freedom.
Coupled with our individual style we both also engage with creativity differently. I see it as a powerful force I was born with that serves as my teacher. I also see that Continue reading »
Filed under CLAIMING FACE, The Creative Process | Tags: book process, CLAIMING FACE, creative process, creativity, series | Comment (0)Early Childhood Conference – March 13, 2010
Chabot College and Las Positas College will be hosting an early childhood conference on March 13, 2010 at Chabot College in Hayward. The theme: Our Focus: The Child & Creciendo Juntos: Educadores, Niños y Familias. This conference is specifically geared toward early childhood professionals who educate or care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.
Maya will be presenting some of the lessons of her Claiming Face curriculum and how to use creativity as a tool for self-empowerment. She will also be selling and signing her children’s books and art prints at the conference. Her presentation is scheduled for 11:00am – 12:20pm on Saturday.
Conference Details:
Saturday, March 13, 2010
8:00 am—5:00 pm
Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Blvd. Hayward, CA 94545
Sponsored By:
Chabot College
Las Positas College
Every Child Counts
First 5 Alameda County
More information and to register for the conference visit their website.
Hope to see you there!
Filed under Conferences | Tags: children, CLAIMING FACE, conference, creativity, empowerment, family | Comment (0)Letting Go to Express
I went to Almaden Elementary School in San Jose in January. It was one of those visits that leaves me feeling very happy. I enjoyed an especially full day because I got to come into contact with basically every kid in the school. This meant 3 big assemblies and 2 preschool readings. The last assembly was the older kids, 4-5th grade, so besides my presentation we got to do a project together. I’m always moved by the generosity and exuberance of childhood and what children show in their art. But this time what I was most moved by was the very last question of the day. We only had time for one more. Thankfully I called on this boy who asked, “How do I let go and express my emotions in my art?”
I swear it was like having a plant in the audience to ask the most beautiful question possible. I get asked a lot, a lot of things, but this was unique. This question seemed Continue reading »
Filed under Maya in the Classroom, The Creative Process | Tags: children, CLAIMING FACE, creativity, empowerment, presentations, school visit | Comment (0)
