Jo Murphy's Blog

Posted by Jo Murphy

Authenticity and the Creative Arts is about quality leadership within the creative arts. Leaders develop an ability to facilitate a listening ear so students learn to tap into their own Authentic Voice. "Leadership Education has much to say to the Creative Arts. Faced with the daunting task of creating public expression, students develop faith in their authentic voice."

In "Finding Your Voice", Covey says "One word expresses the pathway to greatness: voice. Those on this path find their voice and inspire others to find theirs. The rest never do." Leadership Wired. 2008 Vol 11, Issue 10]

The focus points are

• Tap Into Talent : Ask Quality Questions Help students to tap into their talents when they guide them towards understanding where they excel.
• Fueling Passion : Gift Students With A Confidence Arrange assessment so that students are fully focused on activities that fill them with positive emotion.
• Build an Inquiry Culture Great Art (sometimes called High Art) is always about something very important. Build a culture of searching inquiry into your creative arts classes.
• Finding Momentum. Once authentic voice finds focus in the foreground of attention, model action to the students.

Tribal Leadership – Leveraging Natural Groups is a research project that mapped the key leverage points of tribes to ascertain whether they are more powerful than teams. Voice is an important element within this framework. All members of a "tribe" are treated as important members of a "life is great" culture. They have passed through the selfishness of a mindset that says "I am great and you are not." With direction they move to "we are great and they are not," to "life is great because we are dedicated to a noble cause."

It is at this point where enemies drop away and care for humanity takes hold that true creative synergy evolves.

Posted by Jo Murphy

• How to Make Jigsaw eCards from Original Cards Show young people how to make a jigsaw eCard from a handmade Christmas card. Start with simple patterns to craft cards which can be uploaded to make jigsaw messages.
• How to Make a Humerous Reindeer Pop Up Card Create a crazy reindeer character accompanied by a simple play on words. Teach children about how to think up humour when making this funny Christmas card with them.
• How to Make a Simple Christmas Tree Pop Up Show young people how to make pop up cards, starting with a basic easy to follow pattern. Adorn the simple Christmas tree with decorations and the effects are stunning.
• How To Make Puzzle Christmas Cards Puzzle cards are a way to produce worthwhile activities for the Christmas vacation. Making and receiving the puzzles will bring fun and laughter to the holiday period

Posted by Jo Murphy

The Advent Wreath is a device used to hold community focus over a period leading up to Christmas.

The shape of the wreath speaks symbolically about eternity. In the article The Advent Wreath, [2007] Fitzpatrick talks about the symbolism of the wreath and the way candles are used to hold focus.

Symbolism of the Wreath Captured and Accentuated

• She says that the wreath shape is circular with no beginning or end. It symbolizes "the eternity of God and the everlasting life found in Christ." So when making the wreath described in How To Make an Advent Wreath I spaced the Pine cones evenly around the circle to acentuate the symmetry.
• By choosing elements of the Australin bush when crafting the shape, I sought to underline not only continuous life in the religious sense of spirituality. I wanted to tap into a deepening awareness of the nature of stewardship that characterises human relationship with nature. I have used materials Australians value as symbolic of their unique countryside. Each element of the design originated as a type of seed pod which symbolises renewal and rebirth within the natural cycles of ecology.
• The four candles, placed around the wreath represent the weeks of Advent. Three candles rimmed in purple ribbon "symbolize the prayer, penance and good works done during Advent." according to Fitzpatrick . While the "pink candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent and stands for rejoicing, hope and expectation."

Sustained focus.

The staggering of the lighting of these candles symbolises a listening and awakened pose. People light candles for Advent to represent understanding that Christ is the light of the world. This community spirit can reach its natural culmination in a receptive state, when a white candle is placed in the center of the wreath. This candle is usually lit on Christmas Eve and it completes the visual statement with a final flourish of complimentary design.

Posted by Jo Murphy

When explaining how to listen deeply he says,“Always pay attention to what you love most. You will go in the direction that you put your deepest passion - your deepest love.” [Conversation with Bill Isaacs 2001]

• Love Creates a Synthesis of Attention He says that when people are attentive to what they love most, they become able to discern where their compass is. This information is useful in two ways. It provides a guide to self knowledge. In this way individuals can take the reigns of personal responsibility. By being responsible for the direction of and cultivation of love, individuals become able to steer the direction of attention. The act of personally choosing the direction of love creates a synthesis of attention, which over a period of time draws forth the focus of intention.

• Praying and Continuously Seeking as a Kind of Inquiry In an attempt to clarify what he means Isaacs says, “listen to what you love most - you will always go in that direction.” When individuals become conscious that they are continuously asking for something, they come to understand that life is a personal inquiry. Some would call this praying, but more secular language would designate continuously seeking as a kind of inquiry. This is the heart of the old saying, "Be careful what you ask for; you might get it." Issacs says.

• The Journey From Lost to Found Isaacs goes on to say, “If you're not sure what you're asking for, what does that mean?” Look around you and take a hard line summation of the world you have created. Look at the world you have created (and it’s consequences) that’s around you right now. If the results of your attention have created something you would call a mess, than rather than fuss, or fret , look at the situation through the eyes of love. Everyday, is the day co inquirers ask themselves hard questions about where life and situations are taking them. If you are struggling, Isaacs says, " Always pay attention to what you love most."

Posted by Jo Murphy