Book Summary

By Colleen Kappeler
The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life
By Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

The book for September’s TED event at Carolyn’s Coffee Connection, is The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander. This national bestseller takes the approach of looking at art and life through the lens of possibility rather than limited thought and negativity. Each of the chapters is a new lesson on how to accomplish this task and make this idea more a part of our lives. Each lesson is accompanied by several personal examples from the Zander’s personal and professional experiences. And, what will be interesting to discuss at the TED meeting on September 24th, is that each lesson and idea can be applied to things we have going on right here in the Kenosha / Racine area.

The Zanders give readers twelve steps to inviting possibility into our lives and work. The book is easy to read, well outlined, and gives good examples to lead creative thinking in both personal and business manners. Below is a brief outline of each step and what it encompasses. Some of them obviously relate more to us depending on where we are in life and work, but all offer an opportunity to approach situations, that could become negative, and see the possibilities.

It’s All Invented

Everything we experience in life comes to us through a filter of stories we have created, experiences we have gone through, and constructions we have developed. So the way we see situations is already determined and set, before we even have a chance to choose. The question then becomes, how we can get ourselves to a place where we once again choose how to see things; where we can see the possibility rather than the story we’re telling ourselves.
A simple way to practice it’s all invented is to ask yourself this question:
What assumptions am I making,
That I’m not aware I’m making,
That gives me what I see? (pg. 15)

The example that exemplifies this is given at the beginning of the chapter:

A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,
SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES
The other writes back triumphantly,
GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES (pg. 9)

Stepping Into a Universe of Possibility

Once we realize how much we “create” our situations through our stories and experiences, we can begin to be aware and open ourselves up to possibility instead of negativity and lack. Instead of seeing limited resources around us (limited audiences, limited income opportunities, etc.) we learn that there is great possibility out there and “you are more likely to extend your business and have a fulfilled life if you have the attitude that there are always new customers out there…rather than that money, customers, and ideas are in short supply” (21).

Giving an A

One of the main principles created and followed by the Zanders was a controversial decision for Benjamin to give every student in his music class an A at the beginning of the semester. The students are then asked to write a letter within the first two weeks, projecting themselves at the end of the semester, as to why they got an A. The premise is that by taking the pressure out of “achieving” an A, and therefore the possibility for failing and the need to play safe, the door is open for possibility. The controversy lay in the idea that, without working for a grade the students would not participate to their fullest. However, the opposite proved true. By receiving an A immediately, the pressure to play it safe was off and the students moved beyond their comfort zones and into creating more than they may have otherwise. The Zanders include this idea so that we may all look around us and try giving As immediately to those whom we are involved with on personal and business levels. Expecting that people are already A people allows them to rise to the occasion rather than feel the ever-present feeling of failure and disappointment being right around the corner. “In fact,” Ben says on page 31, “I actively train my students that when they make a mistake, they are to lift their arms in the air, smile, and say, ‘How fascinating!’ I recommend that everyone try this.”

Giving everyone an A also removes the bias credentials by which we earn As in this world. What an A usually signifies is the ability to match your work to the desires, thoughts, and appreciation of the person who is grading (or judging). This does not allow for a lot of creative, independent thought and exploration. And when we give others in our lives As, we take away the negative stories we are telling ourselves and instead see their potential and what they have done or tried to do to the best of their ability.

Being a Contribution

From our earliest days, we understand that there are tasks ahead of us to accomplish and landmarks to achieve. Life often looks like an obstacle course. In order to maximize success, we spend a good deal of time discussing what stands in the way of it. (55)

Looking at how we can contribute takes away the fears and constrictions of failure and success. Instead of judging ourselves by other people’s standards, where we are never good enough, we “wake up each day and bask in the notion that (we) are a gift to others” (58). So instead of placing judgments and barriers on your life, jump in instead and see yourself as someone who makes a difference – and act like it too! This approach can dramatically reduce conflicts and bring many rewarding experiences into both your personal and professional life.

Leading from Any Chair

As conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Zander uses many stories that come from his experience with music, musicians and the orchestra. In this step he talks about the possibility involved in, and the ability to lead from, any chair in the orchestra. Zander explains the desire to become “First Violinist” and how it seems that that is where the leadership and talent really lie. However, through his many years working with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as training with other orchestras around the world, he has come to learn that leadership lies in the individual and their perception of their potential. He has met several Second Chairs who are as good if not better leaders than their coveted First Chair counterparts – it’s all in self-perception.

Rule Number 6

If everyone could take a moment in their personal and professional lives to remind themselves of Rule Number 6, the world could be a much more peaceful place and we could find quicker ways around challenges and conflicts that arise. What is Rule Number 6? Lighten Up! Remembering to lighten up may even help those around you to light up as well (80).

Remembering Rule Number 6 can help us distinguish (and hold at some remove) the part of ourselves that developed in the competitive environment of the “measurement world”…..we’ll call it our calculating self. One of its characteristics…is that it lobbies to be taken very seriously indeed. When we practice Rule Number 6, we coax this calculating self to lighten up, and by doing so we break its hold on us. (81)

Zander explains that the calculating self is always aware of its survival in “a world of scarcity” (81). When one person has the ability to stop taking themselves so seriously, they often create an environment where others can do the same. When we stop taking ourselves so seriously, we are able to look at situations and people we are involved with and see new ways that we can participate and create solutions instead of “fighting for survival.”

The Way Things Are

Being present to the way things are is not the same as accepting things as they are in (a) resigned way….It doesn’t mean you should drown out your negative feelings or pretend you like what you really can’t stand. It simply means, being present without resistance: being present to what is happening and present to your reactions, no matter how intense. (100).

There are so many times in life when things aren’t working the way we think they should or people aren’t doing what we think they should. When we stop and look at the situation, recognizing that this, what is happening right now, is the way things are, then we can become open for solutions and begin to work proactively within the situation rather than stubbornly fighting against what we don’t like or want. Then, instead of looking at and discussing everything from the position of a downward spiral (all that is wrong), we can speak and act with possibility! “We start from what is, not from what should be….” (111).

Giving Way to Passion

How can we live passionately? First by letting go of barriers that are holding us back, whether real or imagined. And secondly by participating wholly in what is.

The access to passion gives momentum to efforts to build a business plan, it gives a reason to set up working teams, it gives power to settling individual demands, and it gives urgency to communicating across sections of a company (people suddenly remember why they are there). 119

Zander shares a story of just such passion. While working with a cellist who was auditioning for associate principal cellist of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, he helped this man, Marius, move beyond his singularly brilliant playing and into a new realm of playing where Marius threw caution to the wind and played from the soul. When that happened, Zander said, “There, that’s it. If you play that way, they won’t be able to resist you.” Later that evening, as Marius left for the night, Zander called out, “Remember, Marius, play it the second way!”

Three weeks later (Marius) telephoned.
“How did it go, Marius?” I was eager to know.
“Oh,” he said, “I didn’t make it.”
“What happened?” I asked, as I prepared to console him.
He answered matter-of-factly, “I played the first way.”
“Never mind, Marius,” I said. “You will have other chances.”
“No, no, no,” he said. “You haven’t heard the whole story. I was so peesed off, I said, ‘Fock it, I’m going to Madrid to play the audition for the principal cellist in the orchestra there!’ – and I won it, at twice the salary of the other job.”
“What happened?” I asked again, in amazement.
He laughed. “I played the second way!” (120-121)

After that, Zander adopted the phrase Beyond the F— It and used it in both his classes and speeches. In fact, it even became a catch phrase in a Catholic school he spoke at in California. When passion comes into play and we go Beyond the F— It, we can accomplish anything!

Lighting a Spark

“Lighting a Spark” is about enrolling others into our activities and causes. “Enrolling is not about forcing, cajoling, tricking, bargaining, pressuring, or guilt-tripping someone into doing something your way. Enrollment is the art and practice of generating a spark of possibility for others to share” (125).

When we change the way we see situations, from scarcity to abundance, and see others as willing participants, making them feel valuable and necessary, we enroll them in the process and possibility. We literally “light a spark” in others with our own visions of possibility.

Being the Board

When the way things are seems to offer no possibility; when you are angry and blocked, and, for all your efforts, others refuse to move or cooperate, to compromise, or even to be halfway decent; when even enrollment does not work and you are at your wit’s end – you can take out this next practice: our graduate course in possibility. In this one, you rename yourself as the board on which the whole game is being played. You move the problematic aspect of any circumstance from the outside world inside the boundaries of yourself. With this act you can transform the world. (141)

Though it may sound like it, this does not mean you are taking all the responsibility onto yourself. What it means is accepting yourself as the “framework” for everything that happens in your life. This does not mean letting others get away with bad behavior or letting injustices go unpunished, it means looking at the role we play in our lives and the way we create our thought patterns and therefore shape our world. Being accountable for our role in life and in each situation can be hard, but it can also open the door to the possibility of healing and moving forward.

Creating Frameworks for Possibility

Once we create a framework for possibility we have a way to charter through situations that seem overwhelming or present challenges. Zander’s advice is to follow three steps in framing possibilities:

1. Make a new distinction in the realm of possibility: one that is a powerful substitute for the current framework of meaning that is generating the downward spiral.
2. Enter the territory. Embody the new distinction in such a way that it becomes the framework for life around you.
3. Keep distinguishing what is “on the track” and what is “off the track” of your framework for possibility.(163)

Once we create this framework we have a vision which is powerful. A vision can take an organization from the downward spiral into a world of new possibilities. Many organizations use the term vision interchangeably with mission statement, but Zander asserts that mission statements are “expressions of competition and scarcity” (168) while visions are possibilities where there is no “right” or “wrong” and instead a bigger picture with the potential for high success. “A vision is an open invitation and an inspiration for people to create ideas and events that correlate with its definitional framework” (171).

Telling the WE Story

The final step is about defining “human beings in a specific way: It says we are our central selves seeking to contribute, naturally engaged, forever in a dance with each other. It points to relationship rather than to individuals….” (183). When we approach a situation with WE instead of I, we create a story of possibility and abundance and begin looking for common threads and how to tie our best interests into one, rather than looking at situations from a viewpoint of scarcity and personal attainment.

Possibility

The Zanders make a clear case for the possibilities that abound in our world, our lives, our relationships, and our organizations. Each step, intertwined with the ones before and after it, gives more guidance on how to reach that potential. In a community such as Kenosha where we are in the process of redefining who we are as a town, it is easy to create groups and therefore perpetuate the idea that there is scarcity that we must all fight to get our hands on. However, if we approach the changing environment from a standpoint of possibility, perhaps we will see the abundance that is truly available and how to achieve the best goals for everyone involved.

Kenosha’s Lemon Street Gallery will host a live Art Auction of the works created during their plein air event, CAGED! Artists In Their Natural Habitat, which was held July 10 in Union Park. The auction will take place at Kenosha HarborMarket on September 11, 1pm. HarborMarket is located in Downtown Kenosha, at 56th Street, along 2nd Avenue.

With the focus on fun, the auctioneer will be Milwaukee comedian, Dylan Bolin.

Bolin is a writer, actor, comedian and Sagittarius. In addition to touring with his one-man show, “Peace, Love and a 30-Year Mortgage,” he performs regularly with Milwaukee’s ComedySportz, and is a featured guest of the Dave and Carole Morning Show on 96.5/WKLH.

For more information:

Melanie Hovey
Director
Lemon Street Gallery
4601 Sheridan Road
Kenosha, WI 53140
Tel. 262-605-4745
lemonstreetgallery.org

Monne Haug, Jurga Petkus and Tina Niemi Johnson

“Mothers & Daughters”

Group Exhibition at Anderson Arts Center
August 29th-October 24th, 2010
Opening Reception August 29th, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Anderson Arts Center
121-66th Street
Kenosha, WI 53143
(262) 653-0481
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

By Jessie McAlpin

“If one child is lost, America has lost.”

Last week at Tremper High School was the final of six parent forums with Kenosha Unified School District’s new superintendent, Dr. Michele Hancock.

In the spring of 2010, Terry Flores, reporter for the Kenosha News, wrote an article focusing on the criticism Hancock was drawing for her alleged support of Ebonics and for reportedly accusing teachers of racism. Flores quoted Hancock who made it clear that she does not advocate teaching Ebonics and in fact, at the forum at Tremper, she shared how she put a stop to segregation (by language) at her school in Rochester, believing that all children must learn standard English to be successful in this country. At the forum, parents voiced their concerns and Hancock responded, showing her passion for “every child”, her distaste for the term “minority”, and her desire to make teachers accountable.

Of course, not everyone’s going to be happy with the changes she’s bringing. In a town whose biggest employer is KUSD, there are going to be many who disagree with her thoughts and beliefs on how the school system should be run. When one of the major parent concerns of the night turned out to be that our students are not challenged enough – on all sides of the spectrum: “gifted” to “special needs” – Dr. Hancock was very clear with her thoughts on this subject. Hancock believes that teachers need to be held accountable and that there needs to be incentive. If a bad teacher can get a raise as easily as a good one, or bad teachers are moved from school to school rather than being dismissed, then our children are not being served. Principals are the CEOs of each school and responsible for motivating their teachers (as are parents) and that motivation and incentive goes up the chain of command. Everyone, according to Hancock, needs to have accountability and advocate for our children.

Another issue that arose was “minorities” and their lack of involvement and opportunity in arts and extra-curricular activities, as well as the Office of Minority Affairs which one parent suggested needed some work. Hancock’s opinion was clear on this as well. First of all she expressed concern over the costs that parents are required to pay for school and activities when we are in a public school system. That, she pointed out, is one of the main reasons we lose diversity in extra-curricular activities as the years go on. And secondly, she is completely opposed to the term “minority” and does not see herself as one either. Terms like minority and special needs, she said, carry connotations that are not easily shaken and tend to define children’s lives and experiences in the educational system. In fact, one of the first things she did was have Kathleen Barca, Executive Director of School Leadership, come up with a new name for the Office of Minority Affairs – The Office of Student Engagement and Equity. (*Note, there is a difference between “equity” and “equality”.) If Hancock lives by one motto it is that “every child” matters and that is who she is here for: Every Child.

Hancock won recognition for her work in changing the Rochester school where she was principal for six years. Her active involvement in getting parent feedback and visiting Kenosha schools and principals over the summer is commendable. Although there is work to be done, she is clear on the fact that there are several schools in our district that really know what they are doing with principals who are on the right track. But education in general, all across America, needs some shaking up and that’s what she plans on doing here. “If one child is lost, America has lost.”

This same week, The Christian Science Monitor ran a feature story on Arne Duncan, America’s Education Secretary, who “wants to change the way students learn and teachers teach.” Duncan’s main approach is right along the lines of Hancock: accountability. Duncan is working to tie teacher evaluations to students’ standardized tests, which has “irked a core Democratic constituency: unions.”

While some teachers are feeling as though they “have targets on their backs,” (Paulson) the goal is to improve a desperately failing education system whose “low student achievement through high school shows its school system is “clearly inefficient,” said Barry McGaw, director of education for the Paris-based Organization for Cooperation and Development. (The 30-nation organization develops the yearly rankings as a way for countries to evaluate their education systems and determine whether to change their policies.)*

Change can be disruptive, and there may be resistance and a bumpy road ahead; but as long as the community maintains the common goal of “every child matters”, Kenosha IS ready for the change that’s coming

• Flores, Terry. “Incoming Superintendent Draws Criticism Before Starting Her Job.” Kenosha News.
• Paulson, Amanda and Stacy Teicher Khadaroo. “Education’s Mr. Accountability.” The Christian Science Monitor.
  Volume 102 / Issue 40. August 30, 2010.

By Colleen Kappeler

The August Art Matters meeting was held Thursday the 26th in the Dairy Statesmen practice room at Regency Mall in Racine. The space was perfect and wonderful snacks were put out – though unfortunately we were unable to hear the barbershop quartet as they needed to leave before we got to them. However, we were treated to a DVD of the Dairy Statesmen doing their new songs and choreography – rock music. What a hoot! That’s a show you don’t want to miss if you ever have the opportunity to go!

Raymond K. Roberts was the moderator at this meeting. He, Maureen Fritchen, Jessica Zalewski, Susan Larkin and John Bloner Jr had met in between meetings to settle on an agenda, a proposed mission statement, and to decide that each month would have a new moderator so that the meetings and group remain in the hands of the public rather than one person.

First thing on the agenda was the mission statement. Currently it reads as such:

“Our mission and purpose is to implement systems that support mutually productive relationships between artistic interest and existing communities in order to strengthen the entire economy.”

Roberts made it very clear that this is a “living, breathing document” and is meant to be “adaptable and evolve” over time. However, it gives the group something to define themselves by. It also clarifies that the group is working for the good of everyone and not just to support the arts.

Roberts brought up an interesting proposal that was quickly accepted by Racine residents and could go even further if others want to take it up as well. While moving a bank office, Roberts noticed their paintings were very unattractive, when he asked, he learned they get all their art work from a generic company in California. The bank manager was excited by the prospect of having local artists hang their work on display instead, and this is a project the group could take further.

Then the meeting moved on to determining the group’s areas of operation and influence. The smaller group that met in between meetings had determined that, although there is an active reach to include Milwaukee and Waukegan, resources lie strongest in Kenosha and Racine at this point so that’s where the immediate focus will be.

As the meeting entered the main part of the agenda, where five things were listed for discussion and decision, they came to a gridlock on the idea of creating a Master Calendar for the Arts. While one person wanted to create a new site to handle all arts related activities, others stated that the visitors’ bureaus in both Kenosha and Racine are already doing this, though Racine needs to improve their site a bit. The discussion then went to KRAN which a couple group members mentioned is being overhauled and they believe could be the gateway to bridging the resources between towns. Unfortunately, Chet Griffith, legal owner of KRAN website, was not available for comment.

Finally a decision was reached that at September’s meeting, which will hopefully be held at Art Works in Kenosha (date TBD) there will be a panel for questions and discussion. Art Matters is inviting representatives from both Racine and Kenosha visitors’ bureaus as well as Chet Griffith from KRAN in order to see how to best use the resources already available to get the information out to the public. If the wheel doesn’t have to be reinvented then why do it?

Group members agreed that one thing Art Matters can do is help with the collecting of information and its distribution – making it clear and available for the public.

So September’s meeting will include:

1. A charter for the group to sign that basically allows the group to remain in possession of any domain or naming rights instead of one person owning it
2. A panel for discussion of web information
3. Further discussion on other areas that were not reached last night

Stay tuned for more information on dates and times as well as an email that will be sent to everyone who has attended past meetings, showing them the mission statement, allowing for comments, and bringing everyone up to date with detailed minutes from each previous meeting.

Only four days left for artists, performers and creatives to take the Creativity Works! Artists Survey-the deadline is September 1st. This is your last opportunity to have your opinion as a working creative professional considered as part of this ground-breaking study.

Click HERE to take the survey now-it’s anonymous and it’s important.

This survey is part of the Creativity Works! Milwaukee Regional Creative Economy Project being undertaken by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee in partnership with the Greater Milwaukee Committee.

The purpose of Creativity Works! is to understand how creativity and the arts contribute to the economic vitality of the Milwaukee region and develop strategies to assist the region’s creative people and sectors to reach their full potential.

This survey is intended to help us better understand the demographics and needs of individual artists, performers, and other creatives in the Milwaukee region. Your responses will enable us to communicate the story of the region’s creative economy locally, regionally, and nationally and ultimately will help attract more good jobs and people to Milwaukee.