Hope

One of A Peace of My Mind’s roles in the world is to foster hope. In people and in organizations. There are good folks in the world doing good work and if we can amplify and encourage those efforts, we all do better. We all know it’s tough out there. The world can be discouraging. Sometimes it feels like the challenges of the world are … Continue reading Hope

ArtPrize

Well, we’ve all descended on Grand Rapids, Michigan for ArtPrize. More than 800 artists from 15 countries and 30 states are here for one of the biggest art festivals in the country. Maybe the world? I just rolled in from another exhibit and programming in Colorado, so I am feeling the 20 hours of windshield time, but I’m excited for what’s next. I’m not exactly … Continue reading ArtPrize

included or excluded?

This year we partnered with the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) as they were working to build deeper conversations around race and how to be a more welcoming, inclusive community. Dr. King famously said that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours in Christian America. And as a member of  the ELCA, I can … Continue reading included or excluded?

Strength

We’ve been working in North Minneapolis the past few weeks. A partnership with Northside Culture and the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement. We installed our American Stories exhibit to set the stage for storytelling, then we held several community studios and invited people to respond to the question, “When have you found strength in the midst of struggle?” People shared stories of losing loved … Continue reading Strength

The Montana Institute

Last week, we worked with the Montana Summer Institute in Big Sky. Their work centers on fostering positive community norms and switching our narrative from a problem-centered process to a solution-centered process. It all resonates with A Peace of My Mind’s approach to the world. We don’t ignore the challenges of the world. In fact, we face them honestly and directly. But we also choose … Continue reading The Montana Institute

Everwood

I pulled into the drive for Everwood Farmstead on a warm afternoon, feeling the luxury of time at the start of a week-long artist’s retreat and the self-imposed pressure of wanting to use it well. In my  backpack was a partially finished manuscript. The first two hundred pages were pretty well crafted, the last hundred trailed off into notes and incomplete thoughts. The bones of … Continue reading Everwood

Belonging

Over the past six months, I’ve been spending time with San Pablo / St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. It was established in 1888 and for much of its history, served a community of Scandinavian immigrants. But over time, the demographics of the neighborhood shifted and now many of its members have Hispanic and Latin-x roots. The pews are populated with first and second … Continue reading Belonging