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An Introduction to Why Parzival?: An Epic of Our Age with Global Reach and Its Secret Connections to Waldorf Education

September 5, 2023

In Why Parzival? I have endeavored to explore the diverse reasons why this particular epic has played such a central role in the Waldorf high school curriculum and why it continues to be significant, especially in our troubled current socio-political climate, marked by such multi-levelled divisiveness.  For my part, I have taught the block for the last twenty-five years at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf High School in upstate New York. I have loved teaching Parzival for a number of reasons: it’s a profound story that relates to where the 11th graders are in their development; it addresses the challenges that we, as modern human beings, are forced to face, while providing answers and solutions to almost every challenge imaginable; it clarifies the different layers of love, life, and death from inner and outer perspectives; and Parzival’s journey is the prototype of each person’s evolving journey out into the world and into the soul’s interior, offering endless opportunities for in-depth discussions. More »

The Birth of Louis' Farm

June 12, 2023

For two years my wife Elodie, a visual artist, had been asking me to start a children's magazine with her. Elodie was inspired by Fanette et Filipin, a Waldorf-based magazine here in France, and by our common desire to help children thrive. She felt that with her artistry and my experience as a writer and Waldorf educator, we could make something really special. But I said no, no, no! Amid English classes, choir directing and other creative projects, where would I find the time? And then came Covid. With all of its horrible downsides, this crisis did open up a lot of people's schedules, including mine. So at last I said yes, and Louis' Farm was born! The first two issues of our magazine are being read and enjoyed by children across the English-speaking world. Each issue contains 50 pages of original stories and artwork, along with diverse games, activities, songs and poems that foster children's creativity and closeness to nature. More »

Nature or nurture: do we need more empathy in marketing?

June 6, 2023

It’s no coincidence that empathy is a key component of creativity, being linked to the imagination. It’s the process of imagination over perception that marks the difference between empathy and sympathy. We can perceive a person’s situation and feel sympathy toward them, but when we imagine what it must feel like, we feel empathy. Creatives are imaginative people so, in theory, empathy should come easily to us. Empathy isn’t a new concept in marketing. It's something that underpins Greg Hoffman’s excellent book ‘Emotion by Design’ where he recounts his 30-year career at Nike. It’s been a buzzword in the creative world for a good few years, but what is it, and more importantly, how do we attain it? More »

How Mrs. Emmet Built a School That Stood the Test of Time

May 2, 2023

Mrs. Emmet found Rudolf Steiner’s work through a Edgewood School colleague who was one of the original teachers at the first Waldorf school in Stuttgart, Germany. As Beulah and Robert Emmet’s family began to grow, she was drawn to a farm in Wilton, New Hampshire: “It lies off the beaten track,” Mrs. Emmet wrote in Farm to School, “but not too far. It is on the top of a hill, but not too high. [...] At the top of the rise swings a wide welcoming circle of brown buildings crowning the top of the hill—the end of the journey. Not too far, not too high—but high enough for breadth of view and far enough for perspective on a busy world and a frantic struggle to get somewhere.” It was, for Mrs. Emmet, the right spot for her new school, and work began to transform this summer residence. More »

21 Things To Do In the Morning Before Checking Your Phone

March 21, 2023

71% of people check their phone within 10 minutes of waking up. This is problematic for a number of reasons: More Stress: Checking your phone releases adrenaline, which increases heart rate, pulse, and muscle tension. Rather than a relaxing way to start your day, checking your phone increases stress. Less Intentionality: Checking your phone is the equivalent to giving someone (or something) control over your mind. Whether reading email, scrolling social media, or playing a game, turning on the phone is equivalent to giving permission to someone or something to control your attention. Less Productivity: It is true that our phones and technology, when used correctly, can make us productive, efficient, and impactful. This blog is a testament to the fact. But it is also true, when used incorrectly, our phones can also become a distraction from our most productive selves. And that sets a dangerous precedent for our day. More »

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