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Natural Awakenings South Central Pennsylvania

September 2011 Publisher's Letter

Celebrating creativity on the links at The Castle Course, St. Andrews, Scotland L to R: Vin Harris, Pat Oakley, Dave Korba, Lisa Vandenburgh

What a fabulous issue as Creativity takes center stage, reminding me of pioneering soul musician Charles Wright’s song— “ExpressYourself!”

I can think of no better example of humanity’s innate creativity than the boundless imagination of children. Growing up in a family of five active siblings, the family basement was often the center of our universe as we became astronauts in space, sports heroes, engineers, scientists and sometimes even Spider-Man.

One of our more memorable concoctions was the construction of a web using all of our mother’s sewing supplies. Spools of thread crisscrossed from every accessible pole and piece of furniture to evolve a dense webbing about three feet off the floor throughout the basement. I don’t recall any purpose or underlying intention other than to fulfill the fanciful notion that we could construct it.

We proudly crawled and laughed our way underneath our very own spidey web for hours. Then we laid light blankets over the top to mimic a jungle canopy and morphed from adventurous campers. What fun! The only bug was that Mom didn’t concur.

Such childhood memories remind us of our need to express ourselves in fun play every day. I am blessed to work with a creatively conceived magazine that regularly engages me with kindred spirits. Plus, I’ve discovered that I don’t need to do it all by myself or take myself so seriously, and work really can be fun.

For those times when I feel stuck in a non-inspired place, I’ve learned to take a break from routine and go for a bike ride, step onto a yoga mat, sketch a pear or putter around in the garden. Anything that gives me the distance to spark fresh perspective reaffirms how creative endeavors go a long way in balancing daily living.

So why not reconnect with your inner child in some out-of-the-box way today? One that produces an unbridled smile or belly-laugh—and please… laugh out loud, because others love to hear it and will laugh along with you, as we all did in the playful and self-expressive photo above, taken during ‘Fairway to Heaven’ (find out more at SpiritualGolf.com).

There is so much wonderful information in this issue that invite you to dive right in. Look for new views of creativity and the arts, gluten-free education with recipes, and free yoga classes to celebrate national yoga month. Also, be sure to “bee” at the Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill the weekend of September 16-17 for the Honey and Local Foods Festival.

Also look for us and, I hope, ‘Friend’ us on Facebook at Natural Awakenings Magazine of Central Pennsylvania and follow us on Twitter at NaturalCentrlPA (this is correct – there is no “a” in Centrl). We’re always sharing compellingly useful information and connections within the natural health and wellness and sustainable living communities in Central PA and beyond. We look forward to connecting with you again soon.

Here’s to expressing yourself creatively in all you do,

Dave Korba, Publisher