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Joy

The security guards at the Baltimore Museum of Art created their own exhibition

"Public art is for everyone.”

guarding the art baltimore museum of art
Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash

Baltimore Museum of Art's new exhibit was curated by the security officers.

Seventeen security officers at Baltimore Museum of Art now have the added title of "guest curators" for an inclusive (rather than exclusive) new exhibit called “Guarding The Art.”

It was a full-scale hands-on project: The security team worked with professional art historian and curator Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims to not only research and select pieces, but to weigh in on nearly every aspect of the exhibit, from installation details to scheduling tours. And each participant received compensation for their time in addition to the creative opportunity.

The collection was intentionally designed to be eclectic and personal. No genre, style or medium was off limits (works range from a sixth century pre-Columbian sculpture to a protest collage made in 2021) and the officers all brought other unique aspects of their lives into the mix, such as being a published poet, bartender, dog walker, chef, philosophy major and, yes, even a painter, to name a few wonderful examples. We aren’t just our day jobs, after all.

The guards’ more personal approach helped breathe new life into art appreciation. Dr. Sims told NPR, "I was so energized and enthused to hear these extraordinary reactions to art. It was so beyond the art-speak that I'm used to. It was fresh, immediate, and perceptive."

baltimore museum of art

"Evening Glow" by Alma W. Thomas made the "Guarding The Art" list, according to CBS News.

uploads7.wikiart.org

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Museum security guards spend upwards of eight hours a day, multiple days a week, next to the pieces we tend to walk by after about 20 seconds. Who better to curate the art than those who spend the most time with it?

And yet, these workers are often treated as unapproachable, invisible fixtures of the museum itself. Certainly not fellow humans.

"I think some visitors just don't even know we exist, to be honest," security team member Chris Koo told CBS News. "A lot of us hope that more visitors will ask us and have conversations with us about the art, rather than asking us where the bathroom is. We are kinda shadows of the museum."

security guards curate museum exhibit

Koo chose the visually bold works of Mark Rothko. Example above.

upload.wikimedia.org



Asma Naeem, the museum's head curator, told CNN/CBS, "It’s a simple idea, but it's asking some very profound questions about who is art for? Who are museums for? Who gets to talk about the arts? Who holds the knowledge? Are there other kinds of people who have knowledge about art that we want to be hearing from? And the answer is: yes, absolutely. This show overall is telegraphing to the public, art is for everyone.”

This unspoken separation is what gave Naeem and board of trustees member Amy Elias the idea in the first place. “Guarding the Art” was a chance to bring more diversity into the art conversation and be more representative of the community the museum serves.

Now museum-goers will have all the more reason to invite some friendly chat with the guards standing next to the pieces. BMA hopes that other museums will follow suit in an effort to encourage that ever-powerful ingredient found in so many great works of art: a bid for human connection.

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Parenting

When a Patagonia employee breastfed her baby in a meeting her male VP's response was a masterclass in workplace values

Talk about a "family-friendly workplace."

Holly Morissette/LinkedIn

Years after it happened, Patagonia's approach to the "family-friendly workplace" is a whole new level that still deserves our attention - and praise.

The outdoor clothing and gear company has made a name for itself by putting its money where its mouth is. From creating backpacks out of 100% recycled materials to donating their $10 million tax cut to fight climate change to refusing to sell to clients who harm the environment, Patagonia leads by example.

That dedication to principle is clear in its policies for parents who work for them, as evidenced by a 2019 viral post from Holly Morisette, a recruiter at Patagonia.

Morisette wrote on LinkedIn:

"While nursing my baby during a morning meeting the other day after a recent return from maternity leave, our VP (Dean Carter) turned to me and said...'There is no way to measure the ROI on that. But I know it's huge.'

It got me thinking...with the immense gratitude that I have for on-site childcare at Patagonia comes a responsibility to share a 'call to action'. A PSA to tout the extraordinary benefits that come along with not asking employees to make the gut wrenching decision to either leave their jobs or leave their babies. TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS OR LEAVE THEIR BABIES. That perhaps just one person will brave the subject with their employer (big or small) in the hopes that it gets the wheels turning to think differently about how to truly support working families.

That with a bit of creativity, and a whole lot of guts, companies can create a workplace where mothers aren't hiding in broom closets pumping milk, but rather visiting their babies for large doses of love and serotonin before returning to their work and kicking ass.

It's no wonder that Patagonia has 100% retention of moms. Keeping them close to their babies keeps them engaged. And engaged mothers (and fathers!) get stuff done. Thank you, Patagonia, for leading the way. "


Holly Morissette on LinkedIn: "While nursing my baby during a morning meeting the other day after a recent return from maternity leave, our VP (Dean Carter) turned to me and said..."There is no way to measure the ROI on that. But I know it's huge." It got me thinking...with the immense gratitude that I have for on-site childcare at Patagonia comes a responsibility to share a “call to action". A PSA to tout the extraordinary benefits that come along with not asking employees to make the gut wrenching decision to either leave their jobs or leave their babies. TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS OR LEAVE THEIR BABIES. That perhaps just one person will brave the subject with their employer (big or small) in the hopes that it gets the wheels turning to think differently about how to truly support working families. That with a bit of creativity, and a whole lot of guts, companies can create a workplace where mothers aren't hiding in broom closets pumping milk, but rather visiting their babies for large doses of love and serotonin before returning to their work and kicking ass. It's no wonder that Patagonia has 100% retention of moms. Keeping them close to their babies keeps them engaged. And engaged mothers (and fathers!) get stuff done. Thank you, Patagonia, for leading the way. " www.linkedin.com


Just the first eight words of Morisette's post are extraordinary. "While nursing my baby during a morning meeting..."

As if that's totally normal. As if everyone understands that working moms can be much more engaged and efficient in their jobs if they can feed their baby while they go over sales figures. As if the long-held belief that life and work must be completely separate is a construct that deserves to be challenged.

And then the comment from her male colleague about the ROI (Return on Investment) of breastfeeding—witty, considering the time and place, and yet so supportive.

On-site childcare so that parents don't have to choose between leaving their jobs or leaving their babies. Letting life integrate with work so that working families don't have to constantly feel torn in two different directions. Flexibility in meetings and schedules. Allowing for the natural rhythms and needs of breastfeeders. Making childcare as easy and accessible as possible so that employees can be more effective in their jobs.

All of this seems so profoundly logical, it's a wonder that more companies have not figured this out sooner. Clearly, it works. I mean, who has ever heard of a 100% retention rate for mothers?

Patagonia's got it goin' on. Let's hope more companies take their lead.


This article originally appeared on 8.16.19

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Health

Sorry, Marie Kondo. This ADHD influencer's 'poop method' for decluttering is brilliant and hilarious.

Instead of asking "Does it spark joy?" try this.

Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash
white toilet bowl with cistern

Marie Kondo, in her heyday, taught us that there was one simple question we should ask ourselves when deciding whether we wanted to get rid of something in our home.

"Does this spark joy?"

The KonMarie method, as it was called, became really popular a few years ago for its simplicity — but it didn't work for everyone. Some people found it too vague, too subjective, or that it only confused them more.

TikToker Becka (@adhdorganized) recently went viral for urging us to ask a, um, different question while decluttering.

In a short video shared on TikTok and Instagram, Becka explains the "ADHD poop rule," that changed her life.

"I know that this sounds super gross, and this has nothing to do with the bathroom," she begins, speaking to the camera from the front seat of her car.

"The poop rule is if you are getting rid of items from your house, and you're purging and trying to organize or spring clean... you pick up an item and you think:

'Is this important enough that I would wash poop off of it?'

@adhdorganized

ADHD purging/organizing hack!! 💞💩 #adhd #organize #hack #cleaning #grwm

Much more black and white than the 'spark joy' technique, the poop rule can apply to both useful and sentimental items.

If something's not important enough to you that you'd clean feces off of it, it's probably something you can safely throw away without regret.

That old bottle of lotion at the back of your sink cabinet you've been saving for six years in case you need it? Probably not worth washing poop off of!

It's amazing how a little visceral disgust can clarify things.

The gross but effective advice was a huge hit with the ADHD community.

Becka, who shares her own journey of trying to organize her life while living with ADHD, found the video quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

Commenters mostly agreed that the rule was a game-changer.

"This will work better for me than sparking joy, too much sparks joy in my brain" one person wrote.

Others chimed in and said they had tried the poop rule with success themselves, or slight variations of it.

"I was doing this today and then my cat actually barfed on stuff I was probably keeping and suddenly I no longer cared about them lol," another user said.

Clutter and disorganization can be a big problem for people living with ADHD — not to mention everyone else.

People with ADHD can experience a lot of anxiety over the clutter in their homes and lives.

Getting overwhelmed by the growing mess is a big challenge for these folks, who may struggle with procrastination, avoidance, or difficulty focusing on completing a task like organizing or cleaning up.

Mindset tricks like the poop rule can help tremendously. In her video, Becka also briefly mentions that she has lots of techniques for motivating or tricking herself into staying organized — having a friend come over (or pretend to come over) to establish a hard deadline for cleaning up, for example.

But it's not only people with ADHD that struggle with clutter and organization.

The problem of too much stuff and the mental load that comes with it is something almost everyone can relate to.

It's nice to have another tool in our toolbox to help us with the agonizing decisions we sometimes face when trying to clean out our homes, cars, or workspaces.

More decluttering and organization hacks by and for people with ADHD

Avoid over-shopping - It's a lot easier to keep your life relatively tidy if you can reign in those impulse purchases you're bound to regret later.

Try a label maker - Itemize and clearly mark what's hidden away in your drawers and storage containers. Knowing what you have and being able to easily access it will help with unnecessary buying and also help clarify what you don't need!

Break down big, overwhelming tasks into smaller and more manageable pieces - Even Marie Kondo herself has changed her approach in recent years after becoming a mother. Anyone who's feeling overwhelmed by a gargantuan cleaning or organizing task should start small, even with just one drawer.

And whether you have ADHD or not, don't underestimate doing a little mental gymnastics to motivate yourself! Whether it's inviting company over, finding a one-minute quick win organization task, or even imagining a fleck of poop on all the stuff in your home — any small mental boost you can get can make a huge difference!

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History (Education)

Artist's gallery shows us what historical figures would look like if they were alive today

Her new artwork has already has over 120,000 followers on Instagram.

via Royalty Now / Instagram

One of the major reasons we feel disassociated from history is that it can be hard to relate to people who lived hundreds, let alone thousands, of years ago.

Artist Becca Saladin, 29, is bridging that gap by creating modern-looking pictures of historical figures that show us what they'd look like today.

"History isn't just a series of stories, it was real people with real feelings. I think the work brings people a step closer to that," she said according to Buzzfeed.

Saladin has always loved archaeology and always wished to see see what historical events actually looked like.

She started her Instagram page after wanting to see her favorite historical figure, Anne Boleyn, in real life instead of artist's depiction.

"I wanted to know if she could come to life from the few pale, flat portraits we have of her," she wrote for Bored Panda. "I started the account to satisfy my own curiosity about what members of the past would look like if they were standing right in front of me."

Her artwork has earned her over 120,000 followers on Instagram. "I always struggled with finding a true hobby, so this has been such a fun creative outlet for me," she said. "It's really cool to have found a hobby that combines my passions for both art and history."

Saladin does brilliant job at giving historical figures modern clothing, hairstyles and makeup. She also shows them in places you'd find modern celebrities or politicians. Her modern version of Marie Antoinette appears to be posing for paparazzi her Mona Lisa is photographed on a busy city street.

Here's a sampling of some of Saladin's modern representations of historical figures.

Genghis Khan

  

King Henry VII

  

Agrippina the Younger

  

Queen Nefertiti

  

Ben Franklin

  

This article originally appeared on 2.27.20

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Family

Toddler carries a dead cicada everywhere she goes—even to the dentist—and it's so sweet

This is the stuff you simply can't prepare for as a parent.

Image credit: Izzy Wherry/Instagram

It's not every day you see an emotional support cicada.

There are few things in this world more delightful than a child's imagination. Once in a while, we get a clear glimpse into that world when a kid does something that makes us scratch our heads and smile ear to ear in equal measure.

For instance, when a toddler finds a dead cicada and adopts it as a beloved companion.

Mom Izzy Wherry has been sharing her 2-year-old daughter's adventures and escapades with a cicada corpse that are hilariously endearing. The little one found a dead cicada in the family's yard, and for an entire month has been bringing him along with her everywhere she goes. He gets baths, he gets swung on the swing, he has his own remote office outside where he types on his little computer keyboard, and more.

He goes to the park, he's gone on a camping trip, and he even went to the dentist, where he lay next to Wherry's daughter on the dentist's chair as if he were an actual emotional support pet.

People are celebrating the girl's creative and compassionate care for her formerly-living friend as well as the cicada getting to live his best afterlife.

"He's lived a full life since he died 😂"

"Would you still love me if I was a dead cicada?"

"It's going to be the ring bearer on her wedding day."

"If he only knew how loved he is. 😂"

Many people expressed how beautiful it is to see a child just being a quintessential child. Some parents would never let their child carry a bug carcass around like this, but it's clear that this lone, dead cicada means something to this kiddo. Cicadas are loud (when they're alive), large and tough (the fact that he hasn't fallen apart yet is a testament to that), but it's notable that she's so careful and gentle in the way she handles him. Wherry confirmed that her daughter knows that the cicada is actually dead, but she still uses her imagination to bring him to life, which is both hilarious and sweet.

"I absolutely love her imagination and creativity!!!🩷😍😇"

"This so sweet and so innocent. Almost a shame they have to grow up."

"This is sooooo precious i love when parents let their kids be unapologetically kids ❤️"

"My daughter littered our home with rollie pollies and named them all MR. She collected rocks as well in all of her pockets. Wash day was a bit crazy 😂"

"My daughter found a dead ladybug and she made her a jacuzzi from a walnut shell...with saliva..."

"iPad kid ❌ playing with corpses ✅ maybe there is hope for the new generation."

in a world where parents are constantly battling television and tablets and other screen-based technologies, it's lovely to see a child engaging natural play inspired by the outdoors. Carrying around a dead cicada may not have been what her parents had in mind when they took their kiddo outside, but that's the beauty of children engaging with the natural world—you just never know what they're going to discover, create, collect or become attached to. Seeing a child's imagination in action is a fleeting privilege, and to capture and share it with others is a wonderful gift. Thanks to this family and the dead cicada for letting us into a little one's world for a while.

You can follow Izzy Wherry and her daughter's cicada adventures on Instagram.

kids
Heroes

Mom races to help after seeing young man passed out and surrounded by traffic on busy road

He was the victim of a hit and run.

Photo Credit: Chris Yarzab|Flickr

Mom races to save young airman after motorcycle accident

There's almost nothing quite as scary as a motorcycle accident. They're not as big as cars and can easily drift into your blind spots if you're not paying close attention. Since motorcycle riders are not protected by the metal framing of a enclosed motor vehicle, their accidents can be catastrophic at a higher rate. That's why there are all sorts of initiatives aimed at getting people to pay closer attention to the motorcycles on the road.

You've probably heard the phrase, "look twice, save a life," or the concept of adopting a motorcycle buddy, which basically entails noticing a motorcycle and providing distance between them and other cars. It can be a good way to make sure the driver is always within your line of sight so you don't lose them in a blind spot and so you can render assistance if they are in an accident. Some families make it a game on roadtrips for their kids to participate in keeping track of the motorcycle riders.

But even with all the additional alertness some motorists attempt to have when it comes to motorcycle drivers, accidents still happen. Sometimes fatal. Sometimes with what appears to be divine intervention where the bike rider manages to walk away with just scrapes while their motorcycle is mangled beyond repair. Debra Bute happened upon what appeared to be a cataclysmic motorcycle accident leaving the unprotected motorist laying in the middle of the road.

Bute is a mom of two teens and noticed the man laying in the road as other drivers simply slowed down to swerve around the injured motorist. She could immediately see that he driver of the motorcycle was a young airman due to his torn uniform, yet no other onlookers attempted to render aid or call an ambulance. The mom didn't hesitate. Imagining what she would want to happen if it had been one of her teens, she rushed to check on the airman, who still remains unnamed.

Motorcycle training offered to base personnel > Hanscom Air Force ...www.hanscom.af.mil

According to the Pacific Daily News the accident occurred in the early morning hours of August 23, on the island of Guam. There are several military bases located on the US Territory, and the airman arrived at Andersen Air Force Base just six months earlier. The accident took place while it was still dark outside, so Bute was sure to use her vehicle to block other drivers from getting too close the the man laying in the road.

When another motorist realized what was going on, they too stopped to help when Bute asked them to call 911. The mom told the Pacific Daily News, “It was a kid, a young man. That could have been my son."

man in blue v neck shirt and black jacket standing beside woman in blue v neck Photo by Some Tale on Unsplash

The road in which the accident happened is very busy and is no stranger to accidents as the outlet explains an accident in July ended in a fatality after a man thrown from his vehicle was hit by a motorist who didn't stop. Bute was able to get an update from the 36th Wing Base Commander, Brig. Gen. Thomas Palenske, who thanks the woman in a social media post.

"I really think that had it not been for the keen foresight, judgement and overall good Samaritan actions of Ms. Bute, to render aid to this person, I think that further tragedy to the Airman might have occurred. She may have truly saved his life," Brig. Gen. Palenske shares.

He was not alone in praising the fast thinking military spouse. Fellow spouses, military members and civilian workers chimed in under the commander's post sharing their gratitude.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Bute. To the airman praying for a effective and speedy recovery. Having worked in property and casualty in the past it could’ve been so different . Insurance world we call the other vehicle a phantom vehicle and for motorcyclists not a lot of them make it out if they do it’s pretty bad . So thank you again Ms. Deb for trusting your instincts, being vigilant and looking out for him and just being a great human," one person writes.


File:Honda City hit by motorcycle 1.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org

"Thank you for using good judgment and for helping someone in need. I’m even more grateful that you took some training in first aide to help this gentleman. It came in handy today. You are a HERO," another says.

"I came upon scene this morning before the ambulance and fire truck arrived. I saw a lady that was knelt down with the Airman. I have been praying for him all day. Kudos to her for stopping and being with him. I’m so glad to hear he is doing okay," someone else shares.

man sitting on the motorcycle Photo by Harley-Davidson on Unsplash

"I lost my brother-in-law in a motorcycle accident in San Diego back in 2016- he was a Chief in the Navy at the time. Thank you for stopping and helping them out! I'm so glad you were safe and they were able to walked away from this," another commenter reveals.

Thankfully, the unnamed airman was able to walk away from the motorcycle accident with nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. But if it hadn't been for the woman's quick thinking, the man could've been further injured before regaining his wherewithal to move out of the road.

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