Creative Inspiration: Finding your bliss (on a bleak February day)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1UGZa3M7gM&feature=youtu.be

He Was Me: The power of storytelling

A sweet (yet powerful) little ditty on doing what you love. If not for a living, then at least for a while each day. This FableSnack, a short animated film from the prolific folks at FableVision, is about "the inner child in all of us, and the eternal struggle to retain our sense of self in a busy world." It reminds us to not "trade joy for a job," as FableVision's Paul Reynolds puts it. Not always easy, but always worth remembering. It was written and drawn by the talented Peter H. Reynolds, author and illustrator of The Dot, Ish and dozens of other delightful children's books and multimedia products. I knew Peter, founder of FableVision, and his twin brother Paul, now CEO, back in our college days and had a hunch they'd go on to do great things. Doing such inspired and meaningful work on such a grand scale is a great thing indeed. Being rockstar media producers and such nice, grounded people at the same time is even greater.

Read their story here:

About FableVision In 1996, FableVision's founder, Peter H. Reynolds, had a vision: to create a "social change agency" to help move the world to a better place. FableVision is dedicated to helping ALL learners reach their full potential and to telling "stories that matter, stories that move."

...and get inspired yourself!

The Dot FableVision

The Stellar Cafe Insights gathered along the journey about creativity, art, teaching, learning, life - Peter H. Reynolds

Peter's Tips on Creativity Creative thinking is the fuel for getting things going. Dreaming about the project is a huge part of the process. The actual 'doing' requires following through on the dream, but the dream is the rough sketch.

A Film by FableVision Studios: He Was Me Written and drawn by Peter H. Reynolds, He Was Me is a quiet story about the inner child in all of us, and the eternal struggle to retain our sense of self in a busy world. In the film, as a man waits at a bus stop in the rain, his inner child is brought poignantly to life as he reflects on his past and ponders his future.

Online content and social media promote healthy school, community and corporate partnerships

The Energy Balance 101: Enrichment Zone web content I developed last spring for the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is now live on TogetherCounts.com, and I'm excited to see kids already participating in these first weeks of September. Developed to complement the existing standards-based Energy Balance 101 curriculum for grades K-5, the Enrichment Zone is a flexible program designed for after-school programs, clubs and community organizations across the country. I've had a hard time explaining to people what it is, who it's for and who's behind it, so here's the skinny:

HWCF + Together Counts!

What is the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation? It is a CEO-led coalition of over 200 organizations working together to help families and schools reduce obesity — especially childhood obesity — by 2015. With corporate heads from General Mills, Inc., Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.; Kraft Foods and Kellogg's; Anytime Fitness and Sports Authority;  Hershey, Nestlé and Mars at the table, the impact is significant.

How is Michelle Obama involved? In May 2010 the First Lady, founder of initiatives like Let's Move! and Partnership for a Healthier America, announced with HWCF companies their pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories annually by the end of 2015. These changes are being made through new lower-calorie options, reduced calorie content of current products, and reduced portion sizes of existing single-serving products.

HWCF + Discovery Education

Next the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation set its sight on the nation's elementary schools. Developed in partnership with Discovery Education, the Energy Balance 101 program provides schools with a free online K-5 curriculum and resources to help kids lead healthier, more active lifestyles. Building on the success of its program in the schools, EB 101 began extending its reach to the home and out in the community. Fueled by a successful brand and social media campaign, the TogetherCounts movement has a wide following (and 12,000 followers on Twitter!). Check out this quick Together Counts! animation to get what the movement is all about.

The next phase is underway. HWCF is rolling out programs and activities for kids, parents, families and community groups outside of school. Here's where I come in. The Energy Balance 101: Enrichment Zone is now being used by after-school teachers, Girl Scout leaders, parents... pretty much anyone interested. More flexible than the in-school curriculum, it is modular in format to suit a range of programs and schedules. The lessons and activities incorporate and reinforce Energy Balance 101 concepts; promote physical activity after school and on weekends, and inspire students to make healthy choices and be mindful of their daily Energy Balance for life. Organizations like the following have already signed on as Enrichment Zone partners:

• Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.

• U.S. Soccer Foundation

• National Recreation and Park Association

• K. Kellogg Foundation

• Gen Youth Foundation

• Paul Pierce’s The Truth onHealth

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Together Counts!

Although separated into different websites last year, all of the above can now be found in one place: TogetherCounts.com. Here you'll find interactive features and active social media channels for schools, homes and community organizations. It's a fun way to track who's doing what in K-5 schools across the country. Check out the blogs, tweets and posts from schools and organizations already actively participating. I'll be helping out with a pilot after-school program at Inly School in Scituate, MA and will blogging about the experience along the way. I'll keep you posted!

Content marketing + cause marketing: Public relations with a purpose

Copywriting + corporate clients

Around this time last summer, I was busily dealing with my own child's end-of-school activities while developing a year's worth of content for SUBWAY Kids™ (via the Boston office of ad agency Jack Morton Worldwide).For the Random Acts of Fitness for Kids™ project, developed to promote physical fitness and healthy habits in elementary schools throughout the U.S., I devised 365 "random" content snippets, 52 weekly activities, 12 mini field day activities and a culminating field day program. I also wrote copy for a teacher's guide, teacher calendar and planner, classroom poster, and collateral for teachers and parents. All in about two weeks while trying to leave on my own summer vacation. Phew.

Cause marketing + bonus branding

SUBWAY® Restaurants has had a successful string of win-win partnerships with select organizations and government institutions, and is now widely known for its commitment to the fight against childhood obesity.For the Random Acts of Fitness and related campaigns, SUBWAY Kids™ partnered with We Can!™ (a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program), the American Heart Association and Little League® Baseball and Softball. For another campaign on conservation, it partnered with The Nature Conservancy to provide reusable lunch bags and educate kids about the importance of recycling, reusing and reducing waste. [See my blog post: Earth Day interactives: Copywriting with a conscience for corporate clients.]The SUBWAY restaurant chain is now the largest in the world. According to the Wall Street Journal it surpassed McDonald's last year as the world's largest chain, in units sold. Not that it can be attributed to savvy cause marketing, but heck, they must be doing something right in the brand department.

Useful content for a range of constituents

June is field day season in American elementary schools, and also a time when restless kids get summer fever. The "Random Acts" guide also features quick exercises and activities that kids can do in the classroom to get their bodies moving and minds re-focused.It also extends into the summer months, with ideas for at-home activities and seasonal recipes right through the last days of August, when kids are bored and restless once again, waiting for school to begin...

Happy summer!

(This year, I'm outa here!)