Here is your January EYMPD newsletter that I hope finds you healthy, and realistically optimistic about 2021.
A beginning of a year, almost magically, fills us with the sense of renewal, hope, and excitement. We look forward to good things happening, and wish for the bad to not show its face. We make new resolutions, and hope that this time we stick to them.
Typical resolutions include such ideas as: exercising more, eating healthily, quitting that which does not serve us. Few people manage to fulfill their new year resolutions.
What if instead of choosing the same resolution and watching it crash again, we would simply give ourselves, and the children in our lives, permission to be creative instead? What if we delved into the idea of creativity as presented by an American actor, Ethan Hawke, in his TED talk? What if we truly asked ourselves what path we want to walk on, and allowed ourselves to walk it? Would we be more likely to stay on the chosen course then? Would our lives become more authentic, more ours? I think so.
Ethan Hawke’s talk is in fact, at least in my eyes, so powerful, that that is the only resource I chose to include in this newsletter. By doing so, I hope that you do take time to click the play button and experience the magic of the words uttered.
Please do write to me to let me know if you felt that the video has made an impact. If in Ethan Hawke’s words you are willing to try to “play the fool”. I think I am.
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Picture taken in Parry Sound area |
P.S. Knowing that the majority of you like to check out the recipes I sent, here is a link to one of the easiest apple cakes ever. I modify the recipe a bit by choosing to use only half a cup of brown sugar. Hope you enjoy it!
Stay in touch,
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Kasia Oxley, Children’s Services Community Facilitator, Children’s Programs and Services
Work Cell: (705) 644-1533
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Please note that the information contained in this newsletter is intended to encourage conversation and self-reflection and is not to be considered as advice. |
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Give Yourself Permission to be Creative
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Time commitment: 9 minutes 16 seconds
Areas of interest: creativity, self expression, meaning, authenticity, art, honouring individuality, community, healing
Format: video
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Highlights (quotes):
“A lot of people really struggle with giving themselves permission to be creative.”
“The world is an extremely unreliable critic.”
“Human creativity is nature manifesting in us.”
“What do you love? And if you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you and it expands.”
“Art is not luxury, its sustenance.”
“We know that the time of our life is so short, and how we spend it…are we spending it doing what is important to us? Most of us not. I mean, it is hard, the pull of habit is so huge; this is what makes kids so beautifully creative; it’s that they don’t have any habits, and they don’t care if they are any good or not, right? They are not building a sandcastle and think “I am going to be a very good sandcastle builder”; they just throw themselves out on whatever project you put in front of them: dancing, doing a painting, you know, building something, any opportunity they have they try to use it to impress upon you their individuality. It is so beautiful.”
“Creativity is the way we heal each other.”
“You start to see how connected we all are.”
“His creativity was leadership.”
“In singing our song, in telling our story, in inviting you to say: “hey, listen to me and I will listen to you”, we are starting a dialogue and when you do that this healing happens, and we come out of our corners, and we start to witness each other’s common humanity, we start to assert it and when we do that really good things happen. So, if you want to help your community, if you want to help your friends, you have to express yourself, you have to know yourself, it is actually super easy, you just have to follow your love. There is no path till you walk it and you have to be willing to play the fool. So don’t read the book you should read, read the book you want to read. Don’t listen to the music that you used to like, you know, take some time to listen to some new music, take some time to talk to somebody that you don’t normally talk to. I guarantee if you do that you will feel foolish. That’s the point. Play the fool.”
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Please write to Kasia to let her know your thoughts on creativity or any other topic for a chance to win a resource of your choice
(value of up to $50.00)
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EARLY YEARS PROFESSIONALS IN MUSKOKA |
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What is your current job, and how did you arrive at it, in other words why do you do what you do?
I am an EarlyON Educator for the District of Muskoka in a Lead Hand role. I always knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with children. My first job was Babysitting and I had a blast from that moment I knew I would work with children. I went to college and achieved my Early Childhood Education diploma, I then entered the concurrent education program at Nipissing University. At that time, I actually worked within the school system as a “tutor in the classroom.” It was at that time that I decided I wanted to focus more on the early years. I finished off my degree and began to work within the field of ECE. I had several different positions that were part time within the field, from child services to casual DECE. I eventually landed the full time position as an EarlyON Educator and have loved it more than anything.
Without disclosing confidential information, please tell me about how your involvement within the early year’s profession created a better outcome for a child/family.
When I worked with children services I was a direct support for children and their families. I would like to believe I made a difference. Some times my position was much like a respite position where I was able to provide a much needed break for the caregivers and provide the child with a fun and engaging one on one experience.
As a EarlyON educator a major part of our job is listening to caregivers. I believe people a lot of the times just need someone who will take the time to listen without judgement, especially if they are struggling with something difficult.
What's most challenging about the work you do?
I would say the most challenging thing about being an EarlyON educator is wanting to do more to support but the finances and resources aren’t always available to do so.
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What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I love spending time with my husband and 3-year-old daughter Alyssa. I also really enjoy being physically active, whether it be hiking, playing baseball or working out.
What book/resource could you recommend to our readers?
I struggled/ struggle with using food as a way to cope with trauma, this book has helped me in a big way.
Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food. By Jan Chozen Bays
What’s your favorite quote?
“We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love." Dr.Seuss
Which famous person would you like to have lunch with and why?
I honestly can think of a “famous” person I would like to have lunch with. I really just like to be able to have lunch with my mom. The woman she was before she was diagnosed with early onset late stage dementia.
In the last couple of years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
In the last few years I have embarked on making changes in my personal life to become a healthier version of myself. With my mom’s deteriorating health because of her dementia and my daughters Cancer diagnosis I realized I needed to put my health first. Growing up I had experienced many different traumatic experiences and I used food as a way to cope. I have been working on using food for its purpose- to fuel my body. I have also found speaking to a therapist extremely helpful. I recommend it to anyone who is having a difficult time working through the hard stuff. I also find moving my body in some capacity and getting fresh air daily really is beneficial to managing mental health struggles like anxiety. Through all of this work I have managed to shed more than 60 pounds off my body, but honestly it’s not about that number that is just a nice side effect. I more has to do with how I feel, much more clear minded and no aches and pains. I feel better in my 30s than I did in my 20s.
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“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.” ― Dieter F. Uchtdorf |
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"There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period." ― Brené Brown |
"You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." ― Maya Angelou |
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Agencies Providing Services for Children and Families in Muskoka |
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Muskoka |
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Thank you Chrissy King, Executive Director to Big Brother Big Sisters of Muskoka, for sharing information on your agency with us!
At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Muskoka, we offer mentoring programs to our community’s at-risk youth ages 6-16. The goal of our programs are to provide support for at-risk youth who have limited support systems in their lives and may be experiencing adverse childhood experiences in the home. Through meaningful mentoring, BBBS Muskoka ignites the potential of our community’s at-risk youth by providing them with support, building self-esteem, increasing their understanding of giving and giving back, and building an increased sense of respect for family, peers and community.
We commit to Muskoka’s young people that we will be leaders in providing them with the highest quality, volunteer based mentoring programs. We strive to ensure that every child in Muskoka who needs a mentor, has a mentor.
Our core values are:
- We strongly believe in the value of one-to-one mentoring relationships and the difference they make in children’s lives.
- We, the volunteers and staff at BBBS Muskoka, pride ourselves on being compassionate, dedicated and well-trained.
- We are proud to play a significant role in children’s advocacy within our community and to be recognized as a leader in the field.
- We thrive on excellence and are committed to deliver pro-active, relevant, inclusive diversified mentoring programs.
Our bottom line is the children we serve and their families and our work is as elementary as adding friendship to a child’s life. Simple yet its effects can last a lifetime.
Our strength as an organization is the commitment of our volunteer base, the dedication of our staff, the generosity of our community who funds us, and the support of people throughout Muskoka
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Muskoka has a long and proud history of serving children throughout the region of Muskoka. We are entirely focused on ensuring that every child in need of our mentoring services is greeted with the news that they have a Big. We are proud to take on the challenge of making more human connections. We are confident that our collective purpose and passion will produce continued success - the children in our program deserve no less than our full commitment.
Our programs include:
Big Brothers Mentoring: The Big Brothers mentoring program provides boys and young men with a role model to talk to and share the experiences of growing up with. Through regular outings, a relationship is developed between the mentor and the mentee, which is built on trust and common interests, and is supported by our experienced case-workers. The result is a life-changing experience for both the mentor and the mentee. The Big Brothers mentoring program requires weekly outings of two to four hours each on average and a minimum of a one year commitment.
Big Sisters Mentoring: The Big Sisters mentoring program provides girls and young women with a role model to talk to and share the experiences of growing up with. Through regular outings, a relationship is developed between the mentor and the mentee, which is built on trust and common interests, and is supported by our experienced case-workers. The result is a life-changing experience for both the mentor and the mentee. The Big Sisters mentoring program requires weekly outings of two to four hours each on average and a minimum of a one year commitment.
Big Couples Mentoring: The Big Couples mentoring program provides a child or youth with 2 role models to talk to and share the experiences of growing up with. Through regular outings, a relationship is developed between the mentors (2 people in a committed relationship) and the mentee, which is built on trust and common interests, and is supported by our experienced case-workers. The result is a life-changing experience for both the mentor and the mentee. The Big Couples mentoring program requires weekly outings of two to four hours each on average and a minimum of a one year commitment.
In-School Mentoring: The In-School mentoring program provides youth with a role model and a friend to talk to and share the experiences of growing up within school grounds. For one hour a week, mentors meet with their mentee and engage in activities such as board games, crafts or just hang out on school grounds. The In-School mentoring program requires a weekly visit of one hour for the duration of the school year. Matches do not meet over the summer break or during other school holidays.
P.R.I.S.M Mentoring Program: PRISM is an innovative mentoring program designed specifically for the LGBTQ+ community in Muskoka. The first of its kind in Muskoka, the PRISM program matches children and youth who identify as LGBTQ+ with an adult mentor who also identifies as LGBTQ+ for a one on one mentoring relationship. Through regular outings, the match will foster a friendship that is supportive, empowering and fun! The PRISM program requires volunteers to commit to one outing per week, for a couple of hours. Mentors and mentees are asked to commit for a minimum of one year.
The purpose of a PRISM match is to:
- Provide role models for LGBTQ+ children and youth
- Foster pride and self-confidence
- Create inter-generational connections within Muskoka’s LGBTQ+ community
- Offer LGBTQ+ children and youth a safe adult mentor to discuss identity with
- and above all, have fun!
Children and youth interested in being matched with a mentor must:
- Self identify as LGBTQ+
- Be between 9 and 17 years old
- Want a mentor who identifies as LGBTQ+
Our agency is always accepting volunteers for these mentoring programs and the need is greater than ever. Although the pandemic has changed many things about the way we live, the need for mentoring has not changed. We have been working consistently to recruit and train new volunteers virtually. There are virtual mentoring options available and we would love to speak to anyone who is interested in becoming a mentor about how we can make mentoring through COVID-19 work for you! The youth in our community need our support more than ever but we can’t do it without you!
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For a chance to win a resource of your choice (value of up to $50.00), please submit a reflection of yours to Kasia on a topic of your choice that you would like to be considered for publication in one of the upcoming newsletter editions.
Your submission does not have to be in a form of an essay, other forms of expression are welcome, such as: poetry, video footage, note, opinion piece, interview, photos accompanied by a short text, review, etc.
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